Chapter 166 — The First Crystal
"The final test of my source, defeat us."
Michael's words remained in the darkness.
Brook stared at him.
Then Lucifer.
Then Death.
Across the endless battlefield, the three Sources stood apart.
Brook's breathing slowed.
"You're serious."
Lucifer smiled.
"When have I ever looked more serious?"
Brook didn't look at him.
Michael raised his sword.
The darkness beneath their feet began changing.
The battlefield returned.
Broken stone rose from nothing.
Mountains appeared in the distance.
Ancient structures pushed themselves through the black ground.
Then—
three lights appeared.
Brook turned.
Three crystals stood across the battlefield.
One far to his left.
One beyond the ruined structures ahead.
One so distant it was almost impossible to see.
Brook narrowed his eyes.
"What are those?"
Death answered.
"Your path."
Brook looked at Michael.
"What do I do?"
Michael lowered his sword.
"Reach them."
Brook waited.
Lucifer smiled.
Brook already knew.
"And you're going to stop me."
"Yes."
Brook stared at the three crystals.
"Why?"
Michael answered.
"Because you received too much."
Brook looked back at him.
Michael continued.
"You received three Sources in a period your mind could not properly adapt to."
Lucifer slowly stepped forward.
"One Source would have changed you."
Another step.
"Two would have tested you."
He smiled.
"Three?"
Brook's eyes narrowed.
Lucifer spread his arms.
"Congratulations."
The battlefield shook.
"You broke the rules."
Brook's face hardened.
Death looked toward him.
"There were no rules."
Lucifer looked at Death.
"There are always rules."
Death didn't answer.
Michael looked toward Brook.
"The crystals will stabilize your consciousness."
Brook stared at them.
"And if I reach them?"
"You wake."
Brook's expression changed.
That was all he needed.
He looked toward the first crystal.
Then took a step.
Michael disappeared.
Brook's instincts screamed.
He turned.
Michael's sword was already descending.
Brook moved.
The blade struck the ground.
The battlefield split apart.
Brook stumbled backward.
Lucifer laughed.
"Welcome to your test."
Brook disappeared.
He reappeared several feet away.
His eyes widened.
He hadn't consciously decided to teleport.
Michael stood facing him.
"Good."
Brook looked down at his hands.
Then at Michael.
"What was that?"
"You moved."
"I know that."
Michael's eyes narrowed.
"You reacted."
Brook understood.
His instincts.
They were still here.
Lucifer's laughter came from behind him.
Brook turned.
Hellfire swallowed the battlefield.
Brook teleported.
The flames consumed where he had been.
Brook reappeared—
directly in front of Death.
Death raised one hand.
Brook froze.
His heart tightened.
Brook's eyes widened.
Death's fingers slowly closed.
Pain exploded through his chest.
Brook dropped to one knee.
"What—"
Death released his hand.
Brook's heart began beating normally again.
Brook fell forward.
Lucifer laughed.
"Still think this is a dream?"
Brook pushed himself back.
Michael stood ahead.
Death behind him.
Lucifer to his right.
Brook looked toward the first crystal.
Then back at them.
"You said defeat you."
Michael nodded.
Brook's expression hardened.
"I can't defeat all three of you."
Michael's answer came immediately.
"Not yet."
Lucifer smiled.
Brook stared at him.
"What does that mean?"
Michael raised his sword.
"You will learn."
Then he attacked.
Brook blocked.
The impact shattered the ground beneath him.
Brook's arms immediately went numb.
Michael's strength pushed him backward.
Brook twisted away.
The sword passed beside him.
Brook teleported.
Lucifer was waiting.
Hellfire erupted from his hand.
Brook disappeared.
Death's Scythe appeared.
Brook barely ducked.
The blade passed above his head.
Brook spun.
His kick passed through empty space.
Death had already moved.
Brook teleported.
Michael appeared.
Sword.
Brook disappeared.
Lucifer.
Hellfire.
Brook disappeared.
Death.
Scythe.
Brook disappeared again.
They weren't giving him time.
Brook reappeared behind Michael.
His fist came forward.
Michael turned.
Brook teleported before the sword could strike.
He appeared near Lucifer.
Lucifer smiled.
"Better."
Brook attacked.
Lucifer blocked with one hand.
Brook's eyes widened.
Lucifer's other hand grabbed him by the throat.
Hellfire burned across Brook's body.
Brook screamed.
He disappeared.
Reappeared.
Dropped to one knee.
His body shook.
Michael was already moving.
Brook teleported.
Death appeared.
Brook's eyes widened.
Death looked at him.
Then snapped his fingers.
A sharp crack echoed.
Brook screamed.
His arm bent.
Wrong.
Brook stared.
The bone had broken.
He stumbled backward.
Death remained still.
Brook's breathing became uneven.
His arm healed.
Slowly.
But the pain remained.
Lucifer laughed.
"Oh."
Brook looked toward him.
"You didn't know?"
Brook said nothing.
Lucifer smiled.
"Pain follows you outside."
Brook froze.
Michael's expression changed.
Lucifer continued.
"Every injury you receive here."
He pointed toward Brook.
"Your body remembers."
Brook looked down.
The broken arm had healed.
But somewhere—
far away—
his real body was suffering.
Brook's face hardened.
"You're hurting me."
Death answered.
"You are hurting yourself."
Brook looked toward him.
"No."
Death pointed at the crystals.
"Reach them."
Brook's eyes moved toward the first crystal.
Then back to them.
For the first time—
he understood.
This wasn't a fight he could simply abandon.
If he failed—
he stayed here.
And his body outside would continue suffering.
Brook clenched his fist.
Then ran.
The first crystal remained distant.
Brook teleported.
Michael's sword appeared before him.
Brook blocked.
The blade cut across his chest.
Blood appeared.
Brook screamed.
He teleported again.
Lucifer's Hellfire struck him from the side.
Brook crashed into the ground.
The fire burned through his clothes.
Brook rolled.
His body healed.
Then Death's Scythe came down.
Brook teleported.
The blade still cut him.
A thin wound appeared across his back.
Brook fell.
He looked toward the crystal.
Closer.
Not close enough.
Michael appeared.
Brook moved first.
His fist struck Michael's face.
Michael's head turned.
Brook froze.
Michael slowly looked back at him.
Then smiled.
Just slightly.
Brook's expression changed.
Michael had let him.
Lucifer laughed.
"You're getting slower."
Brook teleported toward the crystal.
Death appeared before it.
Brook stopped.
Death's Scythe rested against his shoulder.
"Move."
Brook looked at him.
"No."
Brook's eyes narrowed.
Death slowly raised his hand.
Brook felt the air disappear.
His breath stopped.
Brook grabbed his throat.
He stepped backward.
Nothing.
He couldn't breathe.
Brook fell to one knee.
Death watched.
Brook tried inhaling.
Nothing entered his lungs.
His vision blurred.
The crystal was there.
Only a short distance away.
Brook reached toward it.
Death moved his hand.
The air returned.
Brook collapsed forward.
He coughed violently.
Lucifer walked toward him.
"Do you understand now?"
Brook looked up.
Lucifer smiled.
"You cannot overpower us."
Brook stared at the crystal.
Michael approached.
"You must learn."
Brook laughed weakly.
"Learn what?"
Michael looked at him.
"How to defeat what is inside you."
The battlefield became silent.
Brook slowly stood.
His eyes moved between the three.
Lucifer.
Death.
Michael.
Three Sources.
Three beings whose power lived inside him.
Brook looked toward the crystal.
Then back at them.
His breathing slowed.
His stance changed.
Lucifer noticed.
Michael did too.
Death remained still.
Brook spoke quietly.
"You want me to fight."
Lucifer smiled.
Brook continued.
"You want me to reach the crystals."
Michael nodded.
"And you want to stop me."
Death answered.
"Yes."
Brook's expression hardened.
"Then come on."
The three Sources moved.
And Brook disappeared.
Outside—
Brook groaned.
Henry immediately dropped beside him.
"Brook."
Another cut opened across Brook's arm.
Shoyo placed her hands over it.
Her healing magic immediately began closing the wound.
Sera moved to Brook's other side.
Then another cut appeared.
Across his chest.
Brook's body tightened.
Henry grabbed his hand.
"Stay with us."
Crowley watched the wounds appear.
Then disappear beneath Shoyo and Sera's magic.
Rick looked toward the darkness around them.
"He's fighting."
Henry looked up.
Rick continued.
"Somewhere."
Brook groaned again.
A fresh cut appeared.
Henry's face tightened.
"Then we need to get to him."
Sera looked down at Brook.
"You can't."
Henry stared at her.
"Why?"
Sera's expression remained serious.
"Because whatever is happening to him isn't happening here."
Brook groaned again.
His body became still.
Henry tightened his grip.
"Then where the hell is he?"
Brook reappeared across the battlefield.
Michael's sword struck the ground behind him.
Lucifer's fire followed.
Death's Scythe cut through the darkness.
Brook ran.
The first crystal remained ahead.
And for the first time—
Brook stopped trying to defeat them.
He started trying to understand them.
Michael attacked with precision.
Lucifer attacked because he enjoyed it.
Death attacked because—
Brook watched him.
Death only moved when necessary.
Brook's eyes narrowed.
A pattern.
Michael.
Lucifer.
Death.
They were different.
Brook smiled.
Lucifer saw it.
"Oh."
Hellfire erupted.
Brook teleported.
Lucifer laughed.
"You finally understand something."
Brook landed.
Michael appeared before him.
Brook blocked the sword.
The impact pushed him backward.
But Brook didn't teleport.
Michael's eyes narrowed.
Brook looked directly at him.
"I don't have to beat you."
Michael stopped.
Brook's eyes moved toward the crystal.
"I just have to reach it."
Michael's expression changed.
Lucifer's smile disappeared.
Death looked toward the crystal.
Brook ran.
And all three moved after him.
End of Chapter 166