Chapter 156 — No Place to Run
Brook and Henry reappeared inside a narrow stone passage.
Brook immediately released him.
"Move."
Henry didn't argue.
That alone told Brook how serious things were.
They ran.
Behind them—
something moved through the ash.
Not footsteps.
Not crawling.
The sound was worse.
The entire underground world seemed to move around it.
Stone groaned.
Ash rolled across the ground.
Henry looked back.
"Can you teleport us farther?"
Brook's expression tightened.
"I don't know where it is."
Henry frowned.
"What does that mean?"
Brook stopped.
Henry nearly collided with him.
Brook's eyes moved across the darkness.
Death's perception spread outward.
Lifelines.
Thousands.
The distant remains of creatures beneath the underground world.
Shoyo.
Rick.
The former king.
Sera.
Crowley.
Azael.
Then—
nothing.
Henry watched Brook's face change.
"What?"
Brook swallowed.
"I can't see it."
The roar came again.
The passage shook.
Henry slowly turned toward the darkness behind them.
"That's not comforting."
Brook grabbed him.
They disappeared.
They appeared on another bridge.
Henry fell to one knee.
"Warning next time."
Brook didn't answer.
He was staring forward.
Azael stood at the other end.
Henry looked between them.
"Of course."
Azael smiled.
He looked worse than before.
His face was swollen.
One shoulder hung wrong.
Blood covered most of his body.
But he was still smiling.
Brook stepped forward.
Henry grabbed his arm.
"No."
Brook looked at him.
"We have something else chasing us."
Azael laughed.
"Do you?"
Henry stared.
Brook's eyes narrowed.
Azael raised his head.
Listening.
"Maybe it doesn't want you."
Brook went still.
Azael looked directly at him.
"Maybe it wants what's inside you."
Michael's voice returned immediately.
Do not listen to him.
Lucifer laughed softly.
He does make everything sound so dramatic.
Brook's face tightened.
Henry looked at him.
"They're talking again?"
Brook glanced toward him.
Henry sighed.
"Your face."
Brook looked back at Azael.
Death remained silent.
Watching.
Brook could feel the Source's attention focused beyond the bridge.
On whatever was approaching.
Azael spread his arms.
"So."
Brook raised his weapon.
"Move."
Azael smiled.
"No."
Brook disappeared.
Azael attacked the space he had occupied.
Brook appeared behind him.
His elbow struck Azael's damaged shoulder.
Bone snapped.
Azael roared.
Brook vanished.
Azael spun.
Brook appeared low.
His foot swept Azael's legs.
Azael fell.
Brook appeared above him.
His weapon came down.
Azael rolled.
Stone exploded.
Azael stood.
Brook disappeared.
Azael attacked.
Nothing.
Brook appeared.
Fist.
Azael blocked.
Brook's knee struck his ribs.
Azael bent.
Brook disappeared.
Henry watched.
Brook was controlled again.
But only barely.
Every movement was efficient.
Teleport.
Strike.
Disappear.
Counter.
Devil's Instincts.
Azael couldn't land cleanly.
Brook was reading him through Death.
Reacting before thought through the Devil's Instincts.
And using his own training to turn every opening into an attack.
Azael swung.
Brook moved.
His body twisted.
The fist missed.
Brook caught Azael's wrist.
Brook vanished.
Azael disappeared with him.
Henry cursed.
The bridge shook.
They reappeared.
Azael slammed Brook into the ground.
Brook's breath left him.
Azael raised his fist.
Brook vanished.
Azael's fist shattered the stone.
Brook appeared behind him.
Azael turned.
Brook's good hand struck his face.
Azael grabbed him.
Brook vanished.
Appeared.
Knee.
Elbow.
Palm.
Azael staggered.
Brook's movements accelerated.
Azael attacked.
Brook's body moved.
Not consciously.
Devil's Instincts.
Brook vanished.
Azael's second attack came.
Brook appeared.
Counter.
Third.
Teleport.
Counter.
Azael's face hardened.
"You're still running."
Brook appeared beside him.
"No."
His elbow struck Azael's jaw.
"I'm hunting."
Azael smiled.
Then attacked.
Brook vanished.
Azael moved where Brook would appear.
Brook appeared.
Azael's fist was waiting.
It struck Brook's face.
Brook was thrown across the bridge.
Henry shouted.
Brook stopped himself by teleporting.
He appeared on his feet.
Blood ran from his mouth.
Azael stepped toward him.
"You're getting tired."
Brook wiped the blood away.
His broken arm hung uselessly.
Azael looked at it.
"You're slowing down."
Brook didn't answer.
Azael smiled.
"Good."
He moved.
Brook disappeared.
Azael turned.
Brook didn't appear.
Henry looked around.
"Brook?"
Azael waited.
Nothing.
Then Brook appeared above him.
Azael looked up.
Brook's heel struck his face.
Azael hit the ground.
Brook landed badly.
His leg almost gave out.
Henry noticed.
"Brook."
Brook stood.
His body was reaching its limit.
Azael stood again.
His body was worse.
But Brook could feel it.
Azael was enjoying this.
That made the anger return.
Brook disappeared.
Azael smiled.
He turned.
Brook appeared.
Azael's fist struck him.
Brook vanished.
Appeared again.
Azael hit him.
Again.
Brook disappeared.
Azael laughed.
"You're losing it."
Brook appeared behind him.
Azael struck.
Brook's Devil's Instincts moved him.
Brook vanished.
Azael attacked.
Brook vanished.
The attacks came faster.
Brook's movements became faster.
Then—
something changed.
Brook appeared directly in front of Azael.
Azael attacked.
Brook didn't move.
Henry froze.
The fist stopped against Brook's face.
Brook had caught Azael's wrist.
Brook looked down.
His Devil's Instincts hadn't moved him away.
They had moved him forward.
Azael's smile faded.
Brook's good hand closed.
Azael's wrist broke.
Azael screamed.
Brook released him.
Then teleported.
Azael turned.
Brook appeared.
Punch.
Teleport.
Punch.
Teleport.
Azael couldn't breathe.
Brook's attacks became increasingly violent.
His fighting ability remained.
But his control was disappearing.
Henry saw the difference.
Brook wasn't simply attacking openings anymore.
His body was creating them.
Azael tried to retreat.
Brook appeared in front of him.
Azael turned.
Brook was behind him.
Azael raised his arms.
Brook appeared above him.
Strike.
Azael hit the ground.
Henry stepped forward.
"Brook, stop."
Brook didn't hear him.
Michael's voice became louder.
Brook.
Lucifer laughed.
Look at him.
Brook's eyes narrowed.
Enough.
Michael answered.
You are exhausted. You cannot continue like this.
Lucifer whispered:
But he can.
Brook's body froze.
Henry saw his expression.
"Brook?"
Death finally reacted.
The lifeline beneath Brook changed.
Brook saw it.
A crack.
Running through his own existence.
Brook grabbed his chest.
Azael attacked.
Brook's Devil's Instincts reacted instantly.
Brook teleported.
Azael's strike missed.
Brook appeared beside him.
But he didn't attack.
He stood.
Breathing.
Trying to understand what Death had shown him.
Henry approached.
"What happened?"
Brook didn't answer.
Azael wiped blood from his face.
"You felt it."
Brook looked at him.
Azael smiled.
"The end."
Michael spoke immediately.
Do not believe him.
Lucifer remained quiet.
That silence was worse.
Brook stared at Azael.
"What do you know?"
Azael laughed.
"Enough."
Brook disappeared.
Azael turned.
Brook appeared in front of him.
His fist struck.
Azael blocked.
Brook vanished.
Azael's eyes widened.
Brook appeared beside him.
Azael swung.
Brook vanished.
Again.
Again.
The bridge became a blur.
Henry couldn't follow.
But then—
Brook appeared.
And stopped.
Azael turned.
Brook was staring at Henry.
Henry froze.
Brook's eyes were empty again.
"Brook?"
Brook didn't answer.
Azael charged.
Brook's body reacted.
He disappeared.
Azael missed.
Brook appeared behind him.
Azael turned.
Brook was gone.
Brook's Devil's Instincts had taken over completely.
Henry watched in horror.
Brook wasn't deciding.
His body was simply surviving.
Azael attacked.
Brook vanished.
Counter.
Attack.
Teleport.
Counter.
Azael began bleeding again.
Brook's movements became perfect.
Too perfect.
Henry whispered:
"Brook…"
Michael's voice became desperate.
Fight it.
Lucifer finally spoke.
Not laughing.
Brook.
Brook stopped.
Azael attacked.
Brook didn't move.
Azael's fist struck his chest.
Brook flew backward.
Henry screamed.
Brook disappeared before hitting the ground.
He appeared several feet away.
His breathing was wrong.
Shallow.
Rapid.
He looked at his hands.
Then—
laughed.
Henry's heart stopped.
It was Brook's laugh.
But it wasn't.
Brook looked toward Azael.
Azael slowly stepped backward.
For the first time—
Azael looked uncertain.
Brook disappeared.
Azael turned.
Brook appeared behind him.
His voice was quiet.
"Found you."
Azael attacked.
Brook's body moved.
Devil's Instincts.
Brook disappeared.
Azael turned.
Brook appeared again.
This time, Brook grabbed Azael's throat.
They vanished.
Henry was left alone.
The roar returned.
Closer.
The ash began pouring onto the bridge.
Henry slowly turned.
"No."
The darkness moved.
Henry raised his weapon.
Then black fluid covered his hand.
The Ectoplasm was moving.
Protecting him.
Or reacting.
Henry didn't know which was worse.
Far away—
the sound of Brook and Azael fighting continued.
Stone breaking.
Air cracking.
Teleportation tearing through the underground world.
Then suddenly—
silence.
Henry's face went pale.
"Brook?"
Nothing.
Then he heard Brook's voice.
Not near him.
Not far away.
Everywhere.
A whisper.
"Henry."
Henry froze.
Brook's voice came again.
But it sounded wrong.
"Run."
The darkness roared.
And Henry ran.
End of Chapter 156