Chapter 167 — Written in Flame
Brook ran.
The first crystal burned in the distance.
Behind him—
Michael's sword tore through the air.
Brook dropped.
The blade passed over his head and split a ruined structure in half.
Stone crashed around him.
Brook rolled.
A wave of Hell Flame swallowed the ground where he had been.
He teleported.
The battlefield disappeared.
For one second—
there was only darkness.
Then Brook reappeared beside the ruins.
He immediately turned.
Death was already there.
Brook's eyes widened.
Death's Scythe moved.
Brook teleported.
The blade cut through empty air.
Michael appeared behind him.
Brook twisted.
His fist struck Michael's side.
Michael barely moved.
Brook stared.
Michael turned.
Brook teleported before the sword reached him.
He landed hard.
The first crystal was closer.
He could feel it.
But the three Sources were learning.
Every time Brook moved—
they were there.
Michael's sword.
Lucifer's fire.
Death's Scythe.
Brook clenched his teeth.
"This isn't a fight."
Lucifer laughed.
"No?"
Brook teleported again.
Michael's sword appeared.
Brook blocked.
The impact threw him through a broken wall.
Brook crashed into the ground.
Lucifer walked toward him.
Hell Flame moved around his hands.
"This is exactly a fight."
Brook pushed himself up.
Lucifer stopped several feet away.
The fire reflected in his eyes.
Brook stared at him.
"You enjoy this."
Lucifer smiled.
"Of course."
Brook's expression hardened.
Lucifer tilted his head.
"Don't you?"
Brook didn't answer.
Lucifer's smile widened.
"I can feel you."
The words made Brook freeze.
Lucifer stepped closer.
"I've been inside your head longer than you understand."
Brook's fists tightened.
"I don't enjoy hurting people."
Lucifer laughed.
"No."
He raised one hand.
"You enjoy winning."
Hell Flame exploded.
Brook disappeared.
Brook reappeared above the battlefield.
He fell.
Then teleported again.
The first crystal was beneath him.
Closer.
He moved toward it.
Michael appeared.
Brook teleported.
Lucifer appeared.
Brook turned.
Hell Flame covered the sky.
Brook's eyes widened.
The fire didn't fall.
It moved.
Like something alive.
It surrounded him.
Brook teleported.
The fire appeared with him.
Brook reappeared again.
The flames followed.
"What?"
Lucifer's voice echoed through the battlefield.
"You thought you could escape fire?"
Brook appeared beside the ruins.
Hell Flame erupted from the ground.
Brook jumped.
The flames passed beneath him.
His foot touched the ground.
The stone melted.
Brook disappeared.
Reappeared.
The fire was still there.
Lucifer stood in the distance.
Smiling.
Brook looked down.
The Hell Flame had left a mark across his arm.
It burned.
But the wound wasn't closing.
Brook's expression changed.
Lucifer raised his hand.
"Hell Flame doesn't need permission to remain."
The flames moved across Brook's arm.
Brook screamed.
He grabbed his arm.
The fire climbed.
Brook teleported.
Nothing changed.
The fire remained.
Brook looked toward Lucifer.
"Put it out."
Lucifer laughed.
"No."
Brook fell to one knee.
His body shook.
Lucifer walked toward him.
"You have fire inside you."
Brook looked up.
Lucifer stopped.
"You've felt it."
Brook remembered.
The anger.
The instinct.
The violence that sometimes came before thought.
Lucifer's eyes remained on him.
"You keep pretending it isn't there."
Brook's voice was low.
"It's not me."
Lucifer smiled.
"That depends."
Brook looked toward the first crystal.
Lucifer noticed.
His smile disappeared.
Then—
Lucifer moved.
He appeared before Brook.
Brook barely raised his arms.
Lucifer's fist struck him.
Brook flew backward.
He crashed through stone.
The Hell Flame disappeared.
Brook's arm began healing.
Lucifer walked toward him.
Then stopped.
Brook was standing.
Lucifer smiled.
"Again."
Brook disappeared.
Lucifer turned.
Brook's kick struck him across the face.
Lucifer's head moved.
Brook attacked again.
A fist.
An elbow.
A knee.
Lucifer blocked.
Brook teleported behind him.
Lucifer turned.
Brook was already gone.
He appeared above him.
Lucifer raised his hand.
Hell Flame exploded upward.
Brook disappeared before it reached him.
He appeared behind Lucifer.
His fist struck.
Lucifer's body bent.
Brook grabbed him.
Then teleported.
They reappeared in the air.
Brook slammed Lucifer toward the ground.
Lucifer smiled.
Brook's expression changed.
The ground opened.
Hell Flame rose.
Brook teleported.
Lucifer didn't.
He landed inside his own flames.
Brook appeared beside the first crystal.
His hand reached—
Lucifer appeared between them.
Brook stopped.
Lucifer's fist hit him.
Brook crashed into the ground.
Lucifer landed beside him.
"Almost."
Brook coughed.
Lucifer placed one foot against his chest.
Brook grabbed it.
Lucifer raised an eyebrow.
Brook smiled.
Then teleported.
Lucifer's eyes widened.
Brook reappeared behind him.
His fist moved.
Lucifer turned.
Too late.
Brook hit him.
Lucifer's body disappeared into the ruins.
Brook ran toward the crystal.
Then—
Lucifer stood in front of him.
Brook stopped.
Lucifer's wounds were gone.
Every one.
Brook stared.
The blood.
The injuries.
Gone.
Lucifer smiled.
Brook stepped back.
"No."
Lucifer spread his arms.
"Do you know what humans used to believe?"
Brook said nothing.
Lucifer's eyes darkened.
"That Hell could restore what it destroyed."
Brook looked at him.
Lucifer smiled.
"Welcome to my Lazarus Pit."
Brook watched.
A deep wound opened across Lucifer's chest.
Then—
it healed.
Instantly.
Brook's expression changed.
Lucifer laughed.
"Again?"
Brook attacked.
Lucifer allowed the fist to connect.
Brook hit him again.
Then again.
Lucifer's body cracked.
Burned.
Bled.
And healed.
Every time.
Instantly.
Brook stopped.
Lucifer smiled.
"Your turn."
The battlefield shook.
A symbol appeared beneath Brook's feet.
Brook looked down.
A dark insignia.
It began glowing.
Heat moved through his legs.
Brook tried moving.
Nothing happened.
His muscles locked.
Brook looked toward Lucifer.
Lucifer smiled.
"Insignia."
The heat intensified.
Brook screamed.
The symbol burned beneath him.
His entire body became rigid.
He couldn't move.
The heat didn't merely burn his skin.
It entered him.
Through his muscles.
His nerves.
His bones.
Brook dropped to one knee.
Lucifer approached.
The symbol followed him.
Brook tried teleporting.
Nothing happened.
Lucifer stopped in front of him.
"Teleport."
Brook glared.
Lucifer leaned closer.
"Go on."
Brook tried.
Nothing.
The heat increased.
Brook screamed again.
Lucifer's smile returned.
"You can't escape everything."
Brook's eyes changed.
The ground beneath him cracked.
Lucifer stepped backward.
Brook forced his body upward.
The Insignia burned.
Brook moved.
One step.
Lucifer's smile disappeared.
Brook took another.
The symbol tightened.
Brook's skin began burning.
He raised his hand.
Lucifer watched.
Brook teleported.
The Insignia vanished.
Lucifer stared.
Brook reappeared behind him.
His fist struck Lucifer's back.
Lucifer disappeared into the ground.
Brook landed.
His body shook.
The pain remained.
But he moved.
Lucifer emerged from the ruins.
Already healed.
Brook stared.
"You can't kill me."
Lucifer smiled.
"Exactly."
Michael's voice came from behind them.
"Enough."
Both turned.
Michael stood with his sword raised.
Death stood beside him.
Brook stepped backward.
Lucifer laughed.
"Oh."
Michael's eyes narrowed.
Lucifer's smile widened.
"Now this gets interesting."
Brook looked between them.
Michael spoke.
"Lucifer."
Lucifer turned.
"You are interfering."
Lucifer's expression changed.
"I thought that was the point."
"The point is to test him."
Lucifer laughed.
"And I'm testing him."
Death finally spoke.
"You are enjoying yourself."
Lucifer looked at him.
"Of course."
Michael lowered his sword slightly.
"You will kill him."
Lucifer's eyes darkened.
"If he dies."
Brook looked at him.
Lucifer smiled.
"Then he wasn't worth keeping."
The battlefield became silent.
Michael moved.
His sword reached Lucifer.
Lucifer raised his arm.
Hell Flame exploded.
Michael's blade passed through the fire.
Lucifer stepped back.
Brook stared.
Michael had attacked him.
Lucifer laughed.
"Oh."
Death moved.
His Scythe came down between them.
Michael stepped away.
Lucifer looked toward Death.
"Really?"
Death didn't answer.
The battlefield changed.
Brook stood in the middle.
Michael faced Lucifer.
Lucifer faced Death.
Death faced Michael.
Brook slowly stepped backward.
Lucifer looked at him.
"Don't go anywhere."
Brook immediately ran.
Michael attacked Lucifer.
Lucifer's Hell Flame erupted.
The sword cut through it.
Brook heard the impact.
The entire battlefield shook.
Brook teleported.
Closer to the crystal.
Behind him—
Death's Scythe moved.
Brook turned.
Death wasn't attacking him.
The Scythe was moving toward Lucifer.
Brook stopped.
Lucifer grabbed the blade.
Hell Flame exploded around his hand.
Death pulled.
Lucifer smiled.
Michael appeared behind him.
The sword struck Lucifer's shoulder.
Lucifer fell.
Then stood.
His body healed.
Michael attacked again.
Lucifer laughed.
Brook stared.
They were fighting.
Not pretending.
The battlefield became chaos.
Hell Flame spread across the sky.
Michael's power tore through the ground.
Death moved through both of them.
Brook understood.
This was his opportunity.
He ran.
The first crystal was close.
Closer than it had ever been.
Brook jumped over burning stone.
Teleported past another explosion.
Michael and Lucifer disappeared into the distance.
Death's Scythe tore through the battlefield.
Brook moved.
Then Death appeared before him.
Brook stopped.
Death looked toward the others.
Then at Brook.
Brook prepared himself.
Death raised his hand.
Brook's heart tightened.
Then—
Michael's sword struck Death's Scythe.
Death turned.
Brook stared.
Michael hadn't attacked Brook.
He attacked Death.
Lucifer appeared.
Hell Flame exploded between all three.
Brook took a step backward.
Then another.
The three Sources turned on each other.
A real fight.
Brook watched.
Michael was faster.
Lucifer was more unpredictable.
Death—
Brook couldn't understand.
Every time Michael moved toward him, Death was already somewhere else.
Every time Lucifer burned him, Death simply stood inside the fire.
Brook stared.
Then looked toward the crystal.
He ran.
Lucifer noticed.
"BROOK!"
Brook didn't stop.
Hell Flame crossed the battlefield.
Brook teleported.
The fire followed.
Brook teleported again.
Michael's sword struck the ground.
Brook disappeared.
Death appeared.
Brook moved before Death could raise his hand.
The first crystal was right there.
Brook reached—
The battlefield exploded.
Brook flew.
He crashed into stone.
His body slid across the ground.
Brook pushed himself up.
Blood ran from his mouth.
The first crystal was still there.
But now—
all three Sources were watching him.
Lucifer's face had changed.
The amusement was gone.
Michael held his sword.
Death's Scythe rested against his shoulder.
Brook stood slowly.
Lucifer spoke.
"You almost made it."
Brook wiped blood from his mouth.
"I will."
Lucifer smiled.
Then Hell Flame erupted around him.
"Good."
Michael raised his sword.
Death moved.
And the battle began again.
Outside—
Brook's body arched violently.
Henry grabbed him.
"BROOK!"
A cut opened across Brook's chest.
Then another.
Then another.
Shoyo immediately began healing them.
Sera joined her.
Their magic covered Brook's body.
But more cuts appeared.
Henry looked down in horror.
"He's getting worse."
Crowley looked toward the others.
"We can't keep this up forever."
Henry turned.
"Then we find a way."
Rick stepped forward.
"And if there isn't one?"
Henry looked at him.
Rick regretted the words immediately.
Henry's eyes returned to Brook.
His grip tightened.
"Then I'll make one."
The Ectoplasm around Henry's arm moved.
Slowly.
Quietly.
Like it had heard him.
Henry didn't notice.
Not yet.
Inside Brook's mind—
Michael's sword collided with Lucifer's Hell Flame.
Death's Scythe cut through the explosion.
Brook disappeared.
Reappeared.
Ran.
The crystal waited.
The three Sources fought.
Then turned toward him.
Then fought each other again.
No one controlled the battlefield anymore.
Not Michael.
Not Lucifer.
Not Death.
And certainly not Brook.
The test had become something else.
A free-for-all.
Brook against the three Sources.
The Sources against each other.
The battlefield burning beneath them.
And outside—
with every wound Brook suffered—
his unconscious body paid the price.
End of Chapter 167