"I know you're in a hurry, but there's no point in getting worked up," said the demon of Sloth lazily as he noticed the demon of Wrath's impatience. "Can't you see that Pride is about to succeed? What's the rush?"
Seeing that Frank's strength was greater than expected, the remaining demons hadn't gone out to assist Wrath. Instead, they aided ride in completing his final transformation, realizing that if Wrath couldn't reach Hell Lord status, they might end up worse off than before. Best-case scenario, they'd be re-sealed within the Rock of Eternity. Worst-case, they could face annihilation, for demons weren't truly immortal.
"He's going to succeed?" Wrath's jealousy flared as he looked at the Pride demon, whose energy had been compressed to an extreme.
Though Pride was undeniably the strongest among them, each demon harbored their own ambition to become the first Hell Lord. However, given the looming threat of Frank, the others recognized that Pride's ascension was their best option for now.
Aboveground, Frank sensed something was off. He couldn't believe that Wrath had died from their earlier fight. He knew his power hadn't surpassed that of the wizard Shazam himself, who had required immense effort to seal these demons away for thousands of years. Frank understood that he had only unlocked a portion of Shazam's power and had yet to master the full range of abilities, particularly those that Shazam wielded without needing to transform by invoking his name.
"If these demons were that easy to defeat, the old wizard wouldn't have sealed them for so long. Wrath must be hiding somewhere," Frank muttered as he carefully observed his surroundings, his mind sharpened by a sudden surge of wisdom—Solomon's wisdom, to be exact.
"Underground!" A voice echoed in Frank's mind, a deep, ancient voice that guided him.
Without hesitation, Frank punched through layers of earth, following the voice's direction until he burst into the underground chamber where the Six Deadly Sins demons awaited him.
"So, you found us quickly. Wisdom must be guiding you," said the Pride demon, who had been sitting with his eyes closed. Opening them, he addressed Frank with a tone of disdain. "But you're a bit too late. Had you arrived two minutes sooner, things might have been different."
"What do you mean?" Frank was taken aback, noticing that only six demons were present, with Wrath among them, even though he had previously blown himself up.
"Go replenish yourself on some of that 'food,'" Pride instructed Wrath dismissively. Then, turning to the other demons, he continued, "The wizard's successor is mine to deal with. Once you all ascend to Hell Lord status, we'll rule this world together."
Greed eyed him skeptically. "Aren't you supposed to gain control over the Earth's dimension as a Hell Lord?"
"Something blocked me. It seems there's already a powerful force in control here. That's why I need you all to ascend and help reclaim it," Pride's eyes flashed with frustration. His attempt to seize control of Earth had been thwarted, and he'd only regained consciousness so quickly because of that failure.
"What?" The five demons' faces darkened upon hearing Pride's revelation.
Had it not been for Shazam sealing them away, they would've claimed Earth's dimension long ago, instead of having it snatched from under them. And now, because of Shazam, they were forced to face this new obstacle.
With a loud crash, Frank charged at Pride, his punch landing squarely but caught by Pride's outstretched hand.
"A sneak attack? You're too inexperienced, child," Pride sneered as he held Frank's fist in his palm, his smug smile like a mentor correcting a novice.
Just then, Frank's body flared with divine power, and lightning surged from his fist, propelling Pride backward. He shot through the weak earth above, emerging in the open sky with his smug grin still frozen on his face, now red with embarrassment.
Pride seethed with humiliation. He had just become a Hell Lord and was eager to demonstrate his newfound dominance. Yet Frank had struck him down before he even had a chance to showcase his power, making it difficult for him to reassert his authority later.
"Could Pride's ascension to Hell Lord still not be enough to beat Shazam?" The five remaining demons exchanged wary glances. They had grown accustomed to Pride's arrogance, especially with his recent ascension, but they were taken aback by Frank's show of power.
But Frank didn't pursue Pride. Instead, he unleashed a storm of divine lightning within the chamber, aiming it at the five remaining demons. Caught off guard, they scrambled to defend themselves, only to be battered by the onslaught.
Frank's focus shifted to Wrath, intending to capitalize on the demon's weakened state and prevent the others from ascending to Hell Lord status. From Pride's earlier words, Frank deduced that Wrath was injured and likely the weakest of the group.
While Frank wasn't confident he could completely destroy Wrath, he aimed to incapacitate him enough to prevent him from fighting or ascending. This strategy would also halt the others' ascension.
Frank wasn't sure exactly how powerful a Hell Lord was, but judging by Pride's resilience, they were clearly formidable. If the remaining demons ascended, Frank doubted his ability to hold them off. By flooding the space with his divine lightning, he hoped to weaken their power and block their path to ascension.
"Damn it! Am I weaker than the others? Why are you targeting me?!" Wrath raged, but his injuries prevented him from fighting back effectively. His anger only fueled his impotence, leaving him helpless against Frank's relentless attacks.
Seeing Wrath's struggles, Pride, now furious, shouted from above, "How dare you ignore me?!"
A fiery blast erupted from his hand, aimed at Frank. The Seven Deadly Sins' attacks were all fire-based, but each fire held unique power, reflecting the distinct nature of their sins. Their flames could invoke the emotions associated with their respective sins, potentially impairing an opponent's combat abilities. But this only worked if the opponent had been injured and hadn't shielded themselves from the influence.
Due to Pride's shout, Frank sensed the attack and shielded himself with a surge of lightning power, deflecting the flames.
"Enough! All of you, attack him now! We'll deal with Shazam's successor before worrying about our ascension!" Pride ordered, realizing he couldn't defeat Frank alone.
The demon of Wrath was the first to respond, charging at Frank as he resisted Pride's flames. The other four demons quickly joined in, understanding that Frank had no intention of sparing them. Although he'd only recently acquired Shazam's power, he'd already mastered it to a startling degree and was determined to finish them off.
In an instant, the Six Deadly Sins attacked together. Each demon's fire merged, forming a massive flame of combined sin. This blazing inferno, the Fire of Sin, rivaled the intensity of Frank's lightning power.
As they clashed repeatedly, the entire town was obliterated in the explosions. Frank instinctively wanted to take the fight into the sky or even space to prevent further destruction, but the Six Deadly Sins controlled the battleground, showing no intention of moving.
After all, Earth wasn't yet theirs. But even if it were, they wouldn't care about destroying parts of it.
"Reports indicate that a supernatural massacre occurred in Fawcett City. From what we know, Sivana released the Seven Deadly Sins, with one demon residing in him!" Tony Stark remarked, watching the ongoing battle with a frown.
The Avengers observed from a protective screen created by the Guardians' power, concealing them in a subspace where they could see what was happening in the real world and receive information updates.
"No problem. That demon is on his way. Looks like the Seven Deadly Sins will finally be reunited. Let's see how long Frank can hold his ground," Robert said, raising an eyebrow as he sensed Sivana's approaching presence.
"If Pride hadn't become a Hell Lord, Frank might be able to hold his own against them. But now that Pride's leading the Six, they're starting to overpower him. When the seventh demon arrives, Frank will be outmatched…" Tony observed gravely.
"So, does this mean I finally get my turn?" Johnny Storm's eyes lit up with excitement, ready for action.
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