The Seven Deadly Sins, now united and controlling Sivana's body through the Demon's Eye, were led primarily by the demon of Pride. However, as they unleashed their combined power of thunder and flame, the advantage Frank had gained over the battleground began to diminish. Emboldened, they attempted to seize control of the storm-filled skies and lightning to turn Frank's advantage into their own.
But they failed. No matter how they tried, they couldn't manipulate even a single cloud, let alone the thunderbolts crackling above.
"What's going on?" Panic flickered through the Seven Deadly Sins, realizing that Frank's dominion over the environment vastly exceeded theirs. Such control was unprecedented, given that Pride had ascended to Hell Lord status, granting him an innate mastery over domains, especially one aligned with his abilities.
The Seven Deadly Sins' combined consciousness began to question this unexpected power shift. "If Shazam had this level of control, he shouldn't have struggled against us earlier. We were overpowering him with only six demons, but now, even with all seven, we're falling behind. Was fusing pointless?"
Watching the demons hesitate, Mary smirked from her vantage point. "These demons are really trying to steal control of the lightning. It's almost funny."
If anyone had even a slight chance of contesting her mastery, it certainly wouldn't be these demons. Mary's power over lightning was near absolute, and just recently, she had wielded it to stir a cosmic thunderstorm in space—no trivial feat even among gods.
"When does Hulk get to jump in?" Hulk scratched his head, seeing how Mary's involvement seemed to be intensifying the fight. He turned eagerly to Robert, itching for action.
"Hold on," Robert replied, shaking his head. "With Mary's support, Frank's power is amplified enough to give him a fair shot. Let's see how he handles the battle on his own for a bit."
"Frank really is lucky to have so many of us backing him up," Pietro remarked, watching the lightning-clad Frank with admiration. "I didn't get any of this support when I was just starting out…"
"Didn't I cover for you?" Robert shot Pietro an exasperated look. "Besides, your enemies back then weren't nearly this powerful. They were just Shadow Legion foot soldiers."
"Seems like new heroes are awakening with stronger abilities lately," Johnny Storm mused, recalling the relatively easier foes he had faced. "If we'd been late bloomers, I'm not sure we'd be able to keep up."
"Or maybe weaker supers are still out there, but they don't meet the Avengers' standards," Tony Stark remarked dryly. "Most of them join less demanding organizations. Not that they'd be much use to us, anyway."
Meanwhile, Frank noticed the Seven Deadly Sins' confusion and seized the opportunity. He channeled a bolt of thunder from within himself, directing it not at the demons but toward the storm clouds above. Instead of dissipating, the clouds grew denser, absorbing the energy.
Suddenly, a blinding flash lit up the dark sky, and a lightning bolt struck with devastating force, targeting the Seven Deadly Sins as if it were divine punishment itself.
The thunderous explosion echoed across the land. The Seven Deadly Sins couldn't evade the strike, partly because they'd been distracted but mostly because of the sheer speed and intensity of the attack.
"You think I stole your power and that you're here to judge me? Let's see who judges whom," Frank sneered, his lightning powers surging and cascading toward the heavens.
Frank had turned the storm into a reservoir of divine energy, using the clouds as a cover for his lightning attacks. Instead of passively recharging, he was actively channeling the storm's energy to unleash relentless, judgment-like bolts against the Seven Deadly Sins.
"Damn it!" In the aftermath of the latest strike, the Seven Deadly Sins lay in a massive crater, Sivana's body battered and broken, his charred skin sloughing off to reveal scorched patches of flesh and clotted blood.
Realizing that Sivana's mortal body couldn't withstand their combined power, the Seven Deadly Sins used their demonic energy to reshape his form, transforming it into a true demonic vessel.
"Sivana's body was too weak to contain our power. Only this eye is our true vessel, and it's from this eye that our ideal form can emerge!" the Seven Deadly Sins exulted. But just as they completed the transformation, the sky lit up again.
Reacting instinctively, the demonic vessel released its own thunder and fire, but it was too late. Another bolt of heavenly judgment struck.
A devastating explosion followed, rocking the battlefield. By this point, Frank no longer held back. He understood now why past battles with supernatural foes had left such indelible scars on the Earth.
"You're only bringing death upon yourself, Shazam!" The smoke hadn't even cleared before the Seven Deadly Sins erupted from the crater, launching themselves toward Frank.
"What's that you're yelling about?" Frank raised an eyebrow, barely hearing their words. With a flicker of his divine power, he summoned bolt after bolt, sending relentless strikes toward the Seven Deadly Sins. To an observer, it would look like the demons were enduring a divine tribulation.
It was too much for them. Every time they nearly reached Frank, another lightning strike would hit them, sending them crashing back to the ground. Although they managed to dodge some strikes, they were still overwhelmed by the relentless attacks.
Lying in a smoking pit, the Seven Deadly Sins struggled to recover from the intense barrage, their new demonic body showing clear signs of strain. If it had been Frank alone summoning these attacks, he would have exhausted his power long ago. But thanks to Mary's unseen assistance, Frank was able to channel these thunderous strikes without worrying about depleting his energy.
While Frank had the upper hand, fully defeating this demonic vessel was a different story. The Seven Deadly Sins might be grievously injured, but they were far from defeated. If they were that easy to kill, the wizard Shazam would never have needed to seal them away in the first place.
Frank continued his unrelenting assault, aiming to wear down the demonic body until it disintegrated. Yet, even as their form shattered and reformed, the Seven Deadly Sins refused to die, regenerating their wounds with an eerie tenacity.
"Futile. You can't kill me!" the Seven Deadly Sins taunted from within the darkness of the pit, but Frank ignored their words, continuing his barrage.
However, in his focus on attacking, Frank failed to notice a shadow slipping out from the Demon's Eye. Unbeknownst to him, the Seven Deadly Sins had used their taunt as a distraction, hoping to draw his attention away while Pride stealthily separated from the others.
With Frank fully absorbed in his attack, Pride managed to approach unnoticed, gathering lightning and fire into a lethal blow.
With a sudden crack, Pride struck Frank from behind, his surprise attack sending Frank tumbling. The relentless barrage of lightning ceased momentarily.
Pride's sneak attack had succeeded, and without wasting a word, he continued his assault on Frank. His cunning instincts took over, suppressing his usual arrogance. Even as the other Six Deadly Sins lay wounded and recovering, Pride knew he alone had the strength to take on Frank.
But his advantage was fleeting. Although Frank had taken damage, he quickly regained his footing, halting his retreat to launch a counterattack.
When their fists met, the difference in power became apparent. Shazam's thunder-empowered punch shattered Pride's blazing fist and sent him flying back to the ground.
"Seems like Hulk won't need to intervene after all," Robert observed as the tide of the battle shifted back in Frank's favor. "By splitting up, they practically doomed themselves. Let's see if Frank can actually finish them off."
"Killing a demon isn't easy. If it were, they wouldn't have lasted this long," Tony remarked thoughtfully. "Shazam had a more complete skill set than Frank. If only Frank could learn some of those unique abilities…"
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