The air was thick with tension as everyone locked eyes, an unspoken challenge crackling between them. Moses, his tiger-striped tail swaying behind him, finally broke the silence.
"Do we have a problem?"
Wrath stepped forward, his face obscured by a mask riddled with holes. Each time he spoke, flames burst from its openings. "The Red King has hired us the Seven Deadly Sins to capture the Israelites and, most importantly, the prophets Moses and Noah."
Floating just above the ground, Envy tossed her purple hair, her eyes darting between them. "That's not fair," she whined. "He's getting all the attention!" She twirled in the air, then addressed the crowd. "Listen up! Whoever's named Noah or Moses, stand up so we can get this over with!"
Moses inhaled, about to step forward, but before he could, Adamus beat him to it.
"My name is Moses," Adamus declared.
Lust drifted closer, her form barely concealed by swirling black clouds. Her crimson eyes gleamed as they scanned Adamus. "You're cute for an Israelite," she purred. "Too bad we have to turn you in along with the rest of your people. So why don't you hurry up and gather them before we burn this whole place down?"
Pride crossed his arms, closing his eyes with a smirk. "He's obviously lying. He doesn't look like an Israelite no tail, no tiger-like traits."
Moses stepped forward, his voice steady. "It's me. I'm Moses. Let my people go, and you can take me instead."
Pride exhaled through his nose, unimpressed. "That's not how this is going to go down. You and all your people can either come peacefully or be forced."
Before another word could be spoken, a rumble in the distance grew into a deafening thunder. Heavy footfalls, like hooves against the ground, sent tremors through the earth. A thick cloud of dust billowed behind the Seven Deadly Sins.
Moses' eyes widened as he spotted them. "The soldiers… from Pi-Ramesses. How did they find us? I thought we escaped!"
Gluttony, towering over the others with his massive frame, let out a deep, rumbling laugh. The very ground trembled beneath his amusement. "Finally, those soldiers caught up," he boomed. "Face it you people have no chance. Surrender now."
Panic spread like wildfire. The refugees from other planets bolted toward the boat, scrambling aboard. But the Israelites the ones who had suffered under the Pharaoh rule stood their ground.
"We're not going anywhere," one of them shouted. "We're not going back to slavery to build those cursed pyramids for the Pharaoh!"
Moses planted his feet firmly before his people, his presence alone a shield against despair.
Gluttony chuckled, his laughter shaking the earth. "Looks like we've got a fight on our hands. Who wants to go first?" He glanced at his comrades. "These people are too weak for us all to fight at once."
Wrath cracked his knuckles, his armored fingers clashing like thunder. Flames roared to life, licking hungrily from the eye slits of his helmet as he stepped forward. "Let me handle these weaklings," he growled, his voice a furnace of barely contained fury, embers escaping with every syllable. The fire surged higher, dancing along the ridges of his helm, a blazing crown of wrath made manifest.
One of the Israelites, his tail flicking behind him, sneered. "Weaklings? You're barely five feet tall."
Meanwhile, Adamus, Kiyohime, and Hunter stood side by side, watching the standoff unfold.
Adamus clenched his fists. "I think we need to step in."
Hunter grabbed his arm. "No the best thing we can do is get everyone on the boat. Remember, Noah said it's indestructible."
As the Seven Deadly Sins continued their threats, Adamus and the others hurriedly guided people toward the boat. But just as they neared the entrance, two figures blurred in front of them, blocking their path.
Lust and Sloth hovered in the air, their gazes piercing.
"What's the rush?" Lust cooed. "Something tells me… you're not from this planet."
Across the planet, citizens gathered in chaos some already inside the boat, others frozen in fear, and a few sneaking behind the Seven Deadly Sins, trying to slip past unnoticed. But Lust and Sloth stood firm, blocking the entrance, their presence an impenetrable wall against Adamus, Kiyohime, and Hunter.
Adamus and his companions took fighting stances, their muscles tensed, ready for whatever came next. But Lust, shrouded in swirling jet-black clouds, moved slowly toward Adamus, her every motion deliberate.
"You…" she murmured, her crimson eyes gleaming. "Your energy is… interesting. I sense no Lust in you. Who are you?"
Adamus met her gaze, unshaken. "You can call me Vajra."
A smirk curled across Lust's lips. "I like you. I want you as one of my warriors."
Before he could react, she closed the distance in an instant, her speed almost imperceptible. She pressed a sudden, forceful kiss against his lips. A shimmering, red-pink energy burst between them, crackling in the air. As she pulled away, Lust let out a soft chuckle.
"You belong to me now, Vajra," she purred. "I have placed my sin upon you the Sin of Lust. From this moment forward, you will be my slave. You will worship me for the rest of your life."
Adamus staggered slightly, his eyes flashing red and pink, as if the power of sin was forcing its way into his soul. Kiyohime and Hunter tensed, their hands inching toward their weapons.
"Adamus," Kiyohime said cautiously. "Are you okay?"
Hunter's grip tightened. "Is he going to attack us…?"
Adamus pressed a hand to his forehead, shaking off the haze. "My head hurts a little after that, but… I'm okay, guys. I don't think her ability worked. I don't love her or lust over her."
Lust's smirk faltered. Her eyes narrowed in confusion. "Why…? Why isn't he rushing to my side? Why isn't it working?"
Sloth let out a lazy chuckle. "Looks like your charm doesn't work on everyone."
Kiyohime smirked, then punched Adamus playfully in the arm. "Why'd you let her kiss you? You're faster than that, right?"
Adamus groaned. "I didn't mean to! She's ridiculously fast!"
Before they could continue, the sound of battle erupted behind them. The clash of fists and the roar of power filled the air. They turned just in time to see Moses and Wrath locked in combat, both in fierce fighting stances, ready to tear into each other.
The real battle had begun.
Moses attacked first, vanishing in a blur of motion. His blinding speed, FTL Plus, sent shockwaves through the battlefield, but Wrath stood his ground. At the last moment, he sidestepped, his movements deceptively fluid for someone clad in heavy armor. His fist shot forward, a brutal punch slamming into Moses' stomach.
BOOM.
The impact sent Moses flying back, his feet dragging through the earth, carving deep craters in the ground. Dust and debris exploded into the air.
But he didn't stay down.
Moses charged forward again, his fists radiating white energy. Each punch struck Wrath's armored frame with concussive force, each hit powerful enough to shatter planets.
Yet Wrath barely moved.
He absorbed every blow with his compact, immovable stance, his five-foot frame like an unshakable mountain. He caught Moses' arm mid-strike, gripping it tightly.
"That's all you've got?" Wrath growled, his voice a deep rumble of disdain.
Moses narrowed his eyes, twisting his hand like a precise needle. His fingers pressed against Wrath's chest in a rapid, calculated motion.
"Explode."
A burst of energy surged through Wrath's body. BOOM! His form rocketed backward, slamming into the ground, creating a massive shockwave. He clutched his stomach, feeling the lingering echoes of the attack ripple through him.
He exhaled, his fury undiminished.
"What was that?" Wrath muttered.
Moses stood firm, his expression unwavering. "It's the technique of my people, the Israelites," he declared, his voice steady. "It's called the Holy Fist… and I made the inside of your body explode."
Wrath chuckled darkly, rising to his feet. His armor was scraped, his body battered, but he showed no hesitation.
"Impressive," he admitted, rolling his shoulders. "You even reached my insides. But too bad for you…" His helmet's runes flared violently. "My insides are just as strong!"
With a roar, Wrath lunged forward, his Staff of Vengeance crackling with power as he swung at Moses. The battle was far from over.
Wrath let out a low, dark chuckle as he rose to his feet. His armor bore deep scratches, his body battered from the attack, yet his stance remained unshaken. Flames licked hungrily from his helmet's eye slits as he rolled his shoulders.
Moses did not move, his stance solid as stone. His fist, glowing white, began to burn brighter until it shone pure white. "I strike with the power of Faith," he declared, his voice resonating across the battlefield. "The power my Lord has given me!"
As Wrath closed the distance, Moses stepped forward and struck him with both fists, a surge of divine force erupting upon impact. The ground trembled as Wrath was sent hurtling backward, crashing into the earth with a deafening impact. A deep dent marred his once-impenetrable armor.
Hovering above, Desire drifted lazily, her violet hair flowing around her like a dream half-formed. Beside her, Gluttony, his massive belly shifting with his laughter, grinned down at Wrath.
"How dare you lose?" Gluttony bellowed. "Luckily for you, the soldiers have arrived."
A war cry split the air as the Pharaoh army of Pi-Ramesses stormed onto the battlefield. The ground trembled beneath their advance, a tide of crimson-skinned warriors surging forward with unrelenting fury.
The Pharaoh and his people were Goshenites humanoid in form, yet unmistakably otherworldly. Their deep red skin gleamed beneath the sun, and atop their heads, horns of varying sizes jutted out like battle crowns. Their eyes burned with battle lust, fueled by centuries of conquest and cruelty.
Each warrior bore weapons pulsing with raw magical energy staffs crackling with arcane fire, bows that loosed arrows wreathed in black smoke, knives that shimmered with a venomous glow, and swords that seemed to drink in the very light around them. Shields adorned with the insignia of the Pharaoh locked into formation, an unbreakable wall of impending doom.
Chariots thundered forward, wheels carving deep into the earth as they tore across the battlefield. Dust rose in thick clouds, swirling around the warhorses that bore them. Their riders, voices thick with hatred, bellowed as one:
"Down with the Israelites!"
Wrath, his fury burning hotter than ever, staggered to his feet and raised a hand. "No," he growled. "Let me finish my battle. I'm not even trying yet."
His body trembled as his power surged. Flames erupted around him, engulfing him in a fiery inferno as he grew, his form expanding from 5 feet to 5 feet 7, his aura thick with rage.
From above, Pride, the leader of the Sins, crossed his arms and sighed. "Let the army fight. We have to bring them alive anyways, We need to end this quickly," he commanded. His gaze bore into Wrath. "You should have taken this seriously from the start. We all know you can defeat him. Next time, don't hold back.
The rest of the Sins laughed, their amusement echoing through the sky.
Below, the Red King's soldiers charged, clashing with Moses' warriors. The Israelites erupted with divine power, their white energy flaring as they tore off their robes, revealing their battle-worn forms. Meanwhile, the citizens from other worlds, the refugees caught in this war, stood frozen in fear.
Moses, eyes ablaze, raised his voice. "My people prepare for battle!"
His warriors surged forward, meeting the Pharaoh forces in a clash of steel and power. Above, the Sins hovered, watching the chaos unfold.
Wrath's fists trembled at his sides, his body steaming with rage. Flames roared from his helmet as he clenched his jaw. Why won't they let me continue my fight? His mind burned with frustration. I should be the leader of this group! Instead, he was forced to stand by.
Pride turned his gaze toward the battlefield, then looked to the two figures standing near Adamus Hunter and Kiyohime. His voice cut through the air. "Lust, Sloth get up here. Now."
With a lazy flutter of wings, Sloth ascended, while Lust followed, her presence intoxicating even amid the carnage.
On the battlefield, Hunter's sharp eyes widened as he spotted a Pharaoh soldier grab Noah's daughter, Ham, and her friend Inanna. The soldier yanked them toward a cage, chains rattling around their wrists.
Hunter's heart pounded. His wings flared open, his fury igniting. "No get off of her!" he roared, his body launching into the air toward them.
Nearby, Kiyohime turned to the frightened citizens. "Hurry! Get to the boat it's indestructible!"
She glanced at Adamus, her voice firm. "Let's go. We need to fight!"
Adamus nodded. "Then let's move."
In an instant, they blurred forward, their speed tearing through the battlefield as they dove into the chaos, determined to turn the tide of war.
Above it all, the Sins watched, their laughter ringing through the heavens.
Above the battlefield, the Seven Sins hovered like specters of doom, watching the chaos unfold below. Gluttony turned to Pride, frustration etched across his gluttonous features.
"Why don't we just destroy them and leave already?" he grumbled.
Before Pride could respond, a cold, synthetic voice cut through the air.
"Because the Pharaoh demands the Israelites alive," Greed stated, his mechanical cadence reverberating with calculated precision. "He wishes to burn them himself. Our directive is capture, not annihilation."
Sloth, floating lazily beside them, suddenly gestured toward the battlefield, her tired gaze locking onto a single figure. "Pride… look at him," she murmured, pointing at a warrior wreathed in green flames. "That boy right there."
Pride's arms remained crossed as he fixed his gaze on the figure below.
Sloth continued, her voice laced with intrigue. "His energy is... anomalous. When Lust tried to ensnare him, to make him fall in love with her own sin it failed."
The other Sins turned sharply, their expressions shifting from apathy to disbelief.
"Impossible," Wrath scoffed.
But Lust's sultry voice carried an uncharacteristic edge of unease. "It's true," she admitted. "He resisted me. Even my strongest enchantment my kiss."
Pride's expression darkened as he turned to Greed, his voice edged with cold satisfaction. "We have eradicated every single concept in our Hyperverse, have we not?" A slow, wicked grin spread across his face. "Except for faith."
Greed's mechanical brain whirred, quantum computations cycling through endless probabilities, confirming the truth of Pride's words. "Correct," he affirmed. "Happiness, love, kindness, mercy, compassion every virtue that once shaped free will has been methodically purged. Charity, humility, forgiveness, grace all extinguished. This Hyperverse exists solely under the dominion of the Seven Deadly Sins and Satan himself."
His artificial eyes gleamed with cruel amusement as he continued. "Emotion, choice, and meaning persist only as we dictate them. Hope has been crushed. Joy has been reduced to a relic of the past. Selflessness and righteousness
obliterated. The very light of the soul has been snuffed out.
Pride's gaze remained locked on the boy below.
"Answer me this, Greed. Is it possible that outside our Hyperverse… another exists?"
For the first time in countless eons, Greed hesitated. His cybernetic pupils pulsed with light as the All Worlds Equation ignited within his mind, calculating infinite variables across time, dimension, and logic. Probabilities collapsed like dying stars.
"…Actually," he said at last, his voice colder than logic itself, "there's a high probability that an infinite number of Hyperverses exist and that all of them are housed within a singular, overarching structure. An Omniverse."
He turned his gaze back to the three unknowns. "And if that's true… then these three might not be from our Hyperverse at all. Ours, which we know as Israel, could be just one grain of infinite sand in the Omniversal sea."
Pride's eyes narrowed into slits of gold. "I've catalogued every energy, every soul that's ever moved within Israel," he muttered. "But these three… I've never felt them before."
A shiver of realization passed through him, as if the very fabric of the known was unraveling in his mind.
"We've always believed the Hyperverse was the final ceiling," he murmured. "Endless multiverses within infinite universes, all nesting into our domain." His voice lowered. "But if what you're saying is true…"
He stared harder at the boy, as if trying to read the buried within his chest.
"Then that boy… might be a Concept from a different hyperverse altogether."
He shifted his focus to the girl beside him, her silhouette humming with strange shadows.
"And the girl… there's something else about her. Something… ancient. Demonic, but not from any hell we know."
The other Sins burst into mocking laughter, amused by the idea.
But Pride didn't laugh.
He just kept watching.
"A Hyperverse beyond ours?" Envy sneered. "Ridiculous."
"We killed the very notion of possibility," Sloth yawned. "There is nothing beyond us."
But Lust remained quiet, staring at Adamus. "I believe you, Pride," she finally admitted. "It's the only thing that makes sense. He resisted my power… because he is something beyond it."
Pride's gaze hardened. "Then let's test it."
He turned to Sloth. "Freeze time. But do not affect the Pharaoh soldiers. Lock everything else into zero-time space."
Sloth's staff materialized in her grasp, an ominous hourglass perched atop it. With a slow breath, she raised it high, its glow shifting into an eerie golden hue.
"Ein Zman No Time."
A silent wave of energy erupted outward. The very fabric of time folded upon itself as the battlefield became an eternal still frame in mid-strike, expressions of terror locked in place. The winds halted. The very breath of the battlefield held still.
Only the Pharaoh soldiers stirred, their movements slow at first, then frantic with confusion.
"What… happened?" one of them muttered, looking around at the frozen battlefield.
Greed's voice resonated through the silence, mechanical yet absolute. "Proceed with the objective."
The soldiers obeyed, sweeping through the petrified masses like reapers through a field of statues. The Israelites, frozen in place, were seized and dragged toward looming cages. Even Noah's boat once a desperate means of escape was not spared, as soldiers moved in, preparing to take it.
The Sins watched in satisfaction, their dominion reinforced.
Yet Pride's gaze remained on Adamus, one of the anomaly in a world they had long since conquered.
Pride hovered above, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on one figure amidst the motionless chaos. Adamus stood there, frozen in time like the others, his body locked in an eternal second. The rest of the Sins laughed except for Lust.
Gluttony scoffed, his voice thick with mockery. "You see? He's nothing special. Not a concept. Just another mortal trapped by time."
But then, something shifted. A ripple in reality.
The Sins turned sharply as Adamus' finger twitched. Then his hand. Then his shoulder. His leg. His movements defied the absolute stasis of Sloth's power. Cracks formed in the air around him, geometric fragments squares, triangles, light-forged shards shattered like glass, breaking through the impossible.
He was shattering Zero Time itself.
Lust smirked. "I told you. We were right."
Gluttony and Wrath glowered, their amusement fading. Wrath growled, "So he's strong. That doesn't mean he's a concept."
Adamus, now fully free, staggered back, his breath ragged as his senses reeled. He looked around an eerie stillness had overtaken the battlefield. People stood frozen in time, their faces locked in expressions of terror and desperation. A chill ran through him.
"Why… why isn't anyone moving?" he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
Then, his gaze shifted seven figures loomed before him, their presence suffocating. The Seven Deadly Sins stared at him, their eyes filled with something beyond mere amusement. And then, amidst the unmoving masses, he saw them Moses, frozen in place, his expression defiant even in stillness. Kiyohime, locked in time beside him, her form as motionless as the rest.
Adamus' heartbeat thundered in his chest. His eyes darted past them, to the Pharaoh soldiers moving freely, dragging Moses' people into iron cages like captured prey. But his stomach twisted when he saw them Hunter, Noah's daughter Ham, and her friend. They weren't screaming. They weren't struggling. Like the rest, they were frozen in time, their expressions trapped in silent horror.
"No!" he roared, surging forward like a tempest
Only to be struck down by an unseen force. The air itself seemed to rebel against him, hurling him backward with a violent pulse. He crashed into the ground, the impact rattling his bones. Dazed, he looked up, his vision swimming only to see Pride standing above him, one hand raised, an impenetrable barrier shimmering in the air between them.
Then another shift. A new energy.
All eyes turned as another figure began to glow.
Moses, frozen in time only moments ago, radiated a brilliant white aura. The energy of faith itself. Cracks of divine light spread around him, and in a single motion, he shattered Zero Time as well.
At the same moment, Kiyohime's eyes flared a deep, spectral purple Toki no Me, the Eyes of Time. Her form flickered between frozen and free, her presence a paradox. In her hands, her blade transformed. Cortana became Shi no Tanjo, the Birth of Death. The once-smooth blade now bore wicked serrations, reminiscent of a demon's fangs, its metal tinged with a crimson hue, as though it had bathed in the lifeblood of fallen gods.
Moses, Adamus, and Kiyohime stood alone against the Seven Deadly Sins. Time remained halted for all others. Their allies, their people frozen and helpless. Even the ark itself was being carried away.
Pride's eyes narrowed. "How?" he mused, voice laced with curiosity. "How are you moving in Zero Time?"
Moses stepped forward, his white aura intensifying. "Faith allows me to transcend all barriers dimensions, time, and space included."
Kiyohime, her voice calm despite the blood trailing from her eyes, spoke next. "My gift grants me control over time itself. If I did not resist, I too would be frozen." She blinked rapidly, her form flickering. "But I can't maintain this for long. If I turn my powers off I'll be trapped like the others."
Adamus, still reeling, looked at her, concern flashing across his face. "You're bleeding. Are you okay?"
She exhaled sharply. "These eyes... They were not mine to begin with. My mother granted me this power. It wasn't meant for me."
Adamus turned his attention to the Sins. His fists clenched. "Just leave us alone. Leave the Israelites alone. Don't you realize? The entire Hyperverse is on the brink of destruction, and yet you still serve some tyrant Pharaoh?"
Pride chuckled, his expression unwavering. "The Hyperverse? That is of no concern to us. We are concepts, Vajra. We exist beyond time, beyond destruction. Kill us, and we will return. It is inevitable."
Suddenly, Wrath surged forward, the very air igniting in his wake. His armor gleamed like molten steel, fire crawling across its surface until it seemed forged from living flame. His body swelled, towering at six-foot-two, every muscle drawn tight and coiled with violent energy. Power erupted from him in waves, each heartbeat multiplying his strength a hundredfold. His flesh was no longer flesh, but fire itself, his skin a mantle of living embers. The greater the fury in his heart, the more his power expanded an endless ascent, his wrath feeding his flames, his flames feeding his wrath, he was nothing less than wrath made manifest.
His voice was thunder. "Finally. A challenge."
His burning eyes locked onto them.
"I'll take all three of you on."
Wrath locked eyes with Adamus, his body surging with violent energy as he lunged forward, fists flying like meteors. Adamus dodged, weaving between the brutal strikes, his golden eyes igniting with emerald flames. Their blows clashed in a furious rhythm, each impact unleashing shockwaves that rippled through the frozen town. Time itself stuttered civilians suspended mid-air briefly jolted to life, only to freeze again as the battle raged on.
Adamus grit his teeth. This is too dangerous… One wrong move, and we could kill someone.
His moment of hesitation cost him Wrath's fist crashed into his face like a sledgehammer, launching him across the battlefield. He tore through forests, lakes, and mountains, finally slamming into the earth with enough force to carve a crater deep into the planet's crust. Before he could react, Wrath landed atop him, his expression twisted with anticipation.
"My leader, Pride, told me I could go all out," Wrath sneered. "He wants me to test you."
Adamus wiped blood from his mouth, eyes blazing. "Test me for what?" He launched a counterattack, his fist crashing into Wrath's chest and sending him rocketing backward. Wrath flipped mid-air, caught himself, and shot back down.
"To see if you're a concept."
Adamus stiffened. "…I'm not. I just want to get back to my friends. Back home to my Hyperverse and Back to my mother." He clenched his fists, his power flaring. "So you better get out of my way."
Wrath grinned. "Good. Get mad." His hands shimmered with dark energy. "I can steal people's anger, drain their wrath, leave them weak… or drown them in uncontrollable rage."
He reached for Adamus' fury, attempting to siphon it but nothing happened. Wrath's smirk faltered.
"Impossible…" He stepped back, eyes widening. "My sin isn't working."
A realization dawned on him, his shock turning to exhilaration. "You really are a concept, aren't you? And that's perfect. Because we, the Seven Deadly Sins, have found a way to destroy concepts. By absorbing them. Overwriting them." His grin darkened. "And I'll be the one to consume you."
Adamus unleashed an energy blast, but Wrath dodged, darting in close and delivering a devastating uppercut. The force sent Adamus hurtling into the sky past the clouds, beyond the atmosphere, and into the infinite abyss of space.
He tumbled, weightless, the stars spinning around him. Panic clawed at his mind. I can't breathe. I can't
Then he realized. He wasn't suffocating. He wasn't dying.
He steadied himself, heart pounding. I can survive in space… These powers these abilities… They're unreal.
Can be skipped.
Narrator:
In space… in the void…
Adamus becomes stronger.
More powerful. More absolute.
The deeper the emptiness
the greater the erasure of reality
the stronger he becomes.
Where there is no energy,
where there is nonexistence,
where even reality begins to unravel
he ascends.
Because the more the world becomes a void,
the more it reflects the essence of the Black Lotus within him.
End of narration.
But there was no time to wonder. A streak of crimson fire tore through the void of space. Wrath, moving at impossible speed, a comet of pure destruction. Adamus barely had time to brace before their fists collided, a cataclysmic shockwave splitting the cosmos. The force sent them both careening across the stars.
Adamus crashed onto the surface of a distant orange planet, skidding across the desolate terrain. He barely had a moment to process before Wrath descended upon him, his fist screaming toward his face.
Adamus rolled aside, dodging by a fraction of an inch. The moment Wrath's knuckles met the ground, the entire planet detonated in a blinding explosion, its surface fracturing into a storm of molten debris.
The blast hurled them into space once more, the shattered remains of the planet orbiting them like a chaotic asteroid field. Amidst the destruction, they found each other again, their eyes locked.
No words were needed.
They charged, fists raised, and the battle began anew two unstoppable forces clashing in the infinite void, their blows shaking the very fabric of the cosmos.
The clash between Adamus and Wrath was beyond the fabric of reality itself. As Adamus swung, his yellow life strings erupted from his body, crackling with raw energy, ensnaring Wrath in a vice-like grip. The very cosmos trembled as Adamus hurled him across space, his punches propelling Wrath through the void. Planets, each a vast 465 million miles apart, zipped past them like distant stars as Adamus delivered blow after devastating blow, sending Wrath hurtling further and further into the infinite expanse.
Wrath, roaring in fury, snapped the life strings with a brutal burst of force, his hands latching onto Adamus' shoulders, pulling him into a crushing headbutt. Over and over, the blows landed with the sound of a thunderous cosmic storm. Then, Wrath opened his mouth wide and unleashed the full fury of his flames raging torrents of fire that consumed the very space around them.
But Adamus only laughed. The green flames enveloping him burned brighter, but his confidence never wavered. "I have flames always on me," he said with a smirk, his voice carrying the weight of a thousand storms. "Your flames can't harm me." With a surge of power, Adamus broke free from Wrath's grasp, the two warriors floating in the space, locked in an endless battle of wills.
Wrath, now standing tall, removed his helmet, revealing the endless inferno that burned within him. "My theme," he declared with a voice like thunder, "is my wrath itself. I am flames. The wrath of this world."
Adamus' eyes hardened as he glared at Wrath. "I don't care," he retorted coldly. "I'm trying to get back to my friends. We can fight later."
Wrath's laughter echoed across the void, cruel and biting. "It's too late," he hissed. "Your friends are probably already slaves of the Pharaoh or worse, dead."
His words cut through the air as he gathered his power, his mouth opening wide once more. "Flamma Irae!" The Flame of Wrath, a force that could incinerate entire realities, burst forth. The flames were not mere fire they were an entity unto themselves, attacking on a spiritual level, breaking down atoms and quarks alike. As the flames reached Adamus, his own green inferno flared up in a dazzling counter, protecting him from the consuming wrath. But behind him? Entire suns, planets, and stars disintegrated into nothingness, reduced to cosmic dust.
"What are those flames?" Wrath demanded, his eyes widening in shock. "How are they so powerful?"
Adamus glanced at him with a look of pity, his golden eyes gleaming with a mixture of focus and urgency. He thought to himself, I need to hurry up and get back to my friends.
Adamus said nothing. Instead, he burst into motion, trying to escape. The very fabric of space churned from the friction of his sheer velocity. He zipped through the cosmos, tearing through the vacuum like a golden streak. Planets blurred past him, entire star systems flashing in his wake. He was moving FTL Plus. But before he could escape, Wrath was upon him.
A thunderous impact sent Adamus hurtling through the space. The force of Wrath's tackle crushed entire moons in their path, and before Adamus could react, another blow sent him crashing straight through a massive planet. The world detonated into a fiery explosion of rock and magma, but Adamus barely had time to process it before Wrath struck again.
Each punch launched him through the cosmos, his body ripping through planets as they erupted in his wake. Suns trembled as he zipped past, their nuclear cores destabilizing from the sheer shockwaves of their battle. His vision blurred with every strike, each hit flinging him across galaxies.
Wrath's laughter echoed through the infinite expanse. "You're too slow! Your speed is measurable!" His form streaked across the stars like a cosmic inferno. "I, on the other hand" He vanished and reappeared in an instant, his fist colliding with Adamus once more. "My speed is immeasurable, and if you give it some time, it will ascend to Irrelevant Speed itself! I can leave afterimages across time and causality! You stand no chance!"
Adamus spiraled through another sun, the star collapsing in his wake before exploding into a supernova. Pain racked his body, but then… something clicked. His golden eyes pulsed with energy, analyzing the forces at play. He could see Wrath's speed feel the energy that propelled him. And then, instinct took over.
Tapping into his life strings, Adamus reached out not just to Wrath's energy, but to the very Velocity that fueled him. He connected, feeling it pulse through his veins. Then he moved.
In an instant, he was right beside Wrath, matching his speed perfectly.
Wrath's eyes widened in disbelief. "H-How…? You were barely moving at 100 times the speed of light before!"
Adamus smirked as they raced side by side. "One of my powers… I can absorb energy. And right now, I'm absorbing your Velocity." His gaze burned with determination. "You're still faster than me, but as long as I'm connected to your life energy and Velocity force we're the same speed."
Can be skipped.
Narrator:
Adamus Jovajra was already beyond conventional power but it was the fusion of two transcendent forces that unlocked his terrifying potential: the Om Mani Padme Hum Crystal and the golden light of his divine eyes, the Tenshi no Me.
The crystal gave him total command over energy kinetic, thermal, spatial, even friction. He could alter resistance itself, rewriting how motion works at the fundamental level.
The Tenshi no Me let him perceive and bind to the life-threads of anything people, objects, forces linking them directly to his will.
From these powers came Velocity Sync.
Velocity Sync isn't speed it's total control of motion. By syncing the velocity of two entities, Adamus can transfer, merge, or swap their movement in real time. If a comet blazes across the sky, he can steal its momentum and move at light-searing speed. If a snail crawls by, he can reduce his enemy to a crawl. He can tether his motion to the speed of light, ride the very pulse of photons, or sync with abstract forces like the cosmic velocity of the universe's expansion. Even the concept of speed becomes his ally, letting him move with the relentless surge of creation itself.
He doesn't need to move.
His body simply becomes motion.
He can sync a person's heartbeat velocity to the ground stopping it instantly. Or slow down the rate at which someone absorbs energy, reducing their power gain to zero. Since velocity is distance over time, Adamus manipulates both: stretch time, shorten distance, or freeze motion entirely.
He can sync a fighter to a falling leaf. Or an explosion to a heartbeat. As long as the target is within his perception and the life-thread is bound the velocity exchange holds.
He can weaponize stillness, rewrite movement, and bend momentum itself.
All with a glance.
End of narration.
Wrath's fury exploded. With a snarl, he tackled Adamus, sending them both crashing into a distant planet below. They smashed into the surface with a cataclysmic shockwave, shattering mountains and sending tremors rippling through the land.
The two combatants stood amidst the rubble, the crumbled remnants of a once-peaceful town scattered around them. Wrath hovered above the chaos, sneering as he gestured toward the people below.
"You see, Vajra?" he said, his voice dripping with disdain. "We are what we say we are concepts. These people… they're nothing but hollow shells, slaves to the seven deadly sins."
His gaze swept over the crowd. "Greed. Pride. Envy. Lust. Wrath. Sloth. Gluttony. Look at them our sins corrupt them, stripping away their free will. They are nothing more than our puppets."
Adamus looked around, his golden eyes burning with intensity. "You think that's what defines them? Their sins? They're people. They're not your playthings."
Wrath's laugh was cruel. "They are nothing but vessels for my wrath. Their existence is shackled by it. No happiness, no freedom just the sins. Look at them. Look at their broken, hollow lives."
Adamus clenched his fists, trembling with determination. "You're wrong. This isn't how it has to be. Why give them only this path? Why curse them with nothing but sorrow? Why force your concepts into the hearts of the people of this world?"
"Why not?" Wrath spat, his voice a razor-edged snarl. "The concepts of joy, peace, happiness they disgusted me. Every smile, every laugh, every fleeting moment of love and serenity… I saw nothing but weakness. And so, we erased them. We burned them from existence. Your friends are next your reality will be nothing."
He threw his head back and laughed, a chilling, guttural sound that sent tremors through the ground. Raising his hands, they pulsed with an ominous crimson light, the glow spreading like a sickness across the sky.
And then it happened.
All across the planet, in every city, every village, every desolate wasteland, people halted mid-motion. A mother cradling her child froze, her soft lullaby strangled in her throat. A man sweeping the dust from his doorstep went rigid, the broom slipping from his fingers. Children playing in the streets turned to stone, their laughter cutting off as if snatched away by unseen hands. Blacksmiths, merchants, workers every soul caught in the rhythm of daily life suddenly stopped, as though time itself had paused.
And then, their heads snapped upward in unison.
A crimson glow ignited in their eyes, veins darkening beneath their skin as their bodies convulsed, muscles twisting, bones cracking. Fingers curled into claws. Teeth sharpened into fangs. Their breath came ragged, animalistic. The very air grew thick with an overwhelming, suffocating rage, a rage that bled from their pores and rippled through the ground like an earthquake.
One by one, they dropped their tasks without hesitation. The mother let go of her child. The merchant abandoned his wares. The blacksmith left his molten steel to harden and crack. Every single inhabitant, all across the planet, moved as one toward Adamus.
A monstrous, deafening roar filled the air as they lunged.
Adamus' heart pounded, but he did not falter. He wove through the onslaught, his movements a blur, dodging strikes meant to tear him apart. These were innocent people once filled with life, with purpose. He refused to harm them. Instead, his blows struck the air, his sheer force sending rippling gusts of wind to knock them back without breaking their bones.
But Wrath stood above it all, watching with sick amusement. His lips curled into a sneer as he whispered, "Run, little hero. Let's see how long you can last."
"Stop this, Wrath!" Adamus shouted, his voice like a war cry. "I don't want to hurt them. I don't want to hurt anyone."
Wrath's smile twisted into something cruel. "You're weaker than I thought. These mortals are beneath us, Vajra."
With a flick of his wrist, Wrath's power coalesced into a seething sphere of hellfire, its surface writhing with pure destruction. The very air trembled as he hurled it downward.
Adamus, still weaving through the relentless attacks of the corrupted citizens, suddenly felt a terrible heat against his back. His instincts screamed. He turned and his breath caught in his throat.
Above, Wrath's blazing sphere streaked toward the planet like a dying sun.
"No!" Adamus roared, his voice cracking with desperation. "There are still people here!" He lunged upward, reaching, but it was too late.
The ball of flame met the surface.
A blinding eruption followed light swallowed shadow, heat devoured life. The explosion unfurled like the wrath of a vengeful god, vaporizing land, cities, oceans. Mountains crumbled, skies split apart, and in a single instant, the planet was reduced to nothing but fire, dust, and oblivion.
Adamus hovered amidst the ruin, his body still, his heart heavy with an aching sorrow. Around him, the remnants of a world floated in the abyss shattered rock, drifting debris, lifeless fragments of what once was. Limbs, faces frozen in terror, bodies torn asunder, all scattered like discarded ash.
His chest heaved. His green flames, once steady, now roared like an inferno, spiraling outward, fueled not by anger, but by something deeper a sorrow that consumed him. The flames burned brighter, hotter blinding, uncontainable. His eyes flickered gold, the grief overwhelming him as it surged through him, giving strength to his power.
"You killed them," Adamus whispered, his voice trembling, raw with heartache. "Innocent lives just like that." His fists clenched as his flames pulsed with a sorrowful force.
Wrath laughed, amused. "And what will you do about it, hero?"
Adamus' golden gaze met his, filled not with vengeance but with something far more profound.
Compassion.
A compassion so fierce it burned.
Wrath's confusion deepened. "What is this? Your power it's rising, but it's not wrath. It's… something else."
Adamus clenched his fists, his energy pulsing like a storm. "You're right," he said, his voice now calm and resolute. "It's not rage. It's not wrath. It's compassion."
With a sudden roar, Adamus unleashed his full strength, his golden eyes blazing with newfound purpose. He shot forward with unstoppable force, punching Wrath with a blow so powerful that the universe itself seemed to tremble in response. The impact sent Wrath hurtling through the fabric of space, his body tearing through multiple suns, until he crashed onto a distant planet.
Adamus landed on top of him, his fury now controlled, but his strength unyielding. Every punch he threw at Wrath's now crumbling armor shattered the very air itself. Wrath's defenses were no match for Adamus' unrelenting power a power not of wrath, but of the strength that comes from protecting what is good and just.
Adamus swung his fist with all his might, smashing through Wrath's intricate armor like it was made of paper. But Wrath merely laughed, his voice booming across the void of space.
"Dimension Ascension!" Wrath declared with a wild grin.
Before Adamus could land another blow, his fist passed straight through Wrath's body, striking an illusion. Yet the raw force of his attack was still catastrophic enough to annihilate the shattered remnants of the planet, scattering its fragments deeper into the void, no living beings were on that planet. But Wrath remained untouched, his form changed, his eerie smile unbroken.
A creeping unease settled into Adamus' chest. Something had shifted not just Wrath's physical state, but the fundamental fabric of reality itself. His perception felt distorted, the very nature of space unraveling around him. As they both hovered in the vast emptiness, Adamus' breath hitched. Wrath's body was flickering, translucent, but not in the way a ghost might appear. He wasn't simply fading he was overlapping. Layers of his form seemed to exist in multiple perspectives at once, shifting between shapes incomprehensible to Adamus' vision.
And then, from Wrath's body, shapes began to emerge. Not mere illusions, but structures mathematical constructs beyond the limits of three-dimensional space. Hypercubes, tesseracts, impossible geometric configurations twisted and expanded, spiraling outward like fractal growths of reality itself, their edges warping and folding into dimensions Adamus could not fully comprehend.
Wrath's voice reverberated through the void, echoing from every direction at once. "You're in the 5th dimension now, Adamus," he said with smug satisfaction. "I've elevated my existence beyond the confines of your limited 3D realm. Here, your physics, your logic, even your very form it all starts to break apart. You should be grateful. I let you step into a space beyond your comprehension. A being like you, who can move in zero-time and exist beyond three spatial dimensions, barely scrapes into 4D. That's why you can still function here. But not for long."
Adamus' vision blurred as the space around him fully transformed. The vacuum of space was gone. Instead, reality itself unfolded into something beyond mortal perception a realm where time and space intertwined in non-Euclidean distortions, where angles bent in ways that defied three-dimensional reasoning. The structures that floated around him weren't just objects; they were higher-dimensional forms casting their "shadows" into the lower realms his mind could grasp. He could perceive the edges of hypercubic constructs, shapes that shouldn't exist in three-dimensional space, yet somehow surrounded him, enclosing him in an endless, shifting labyrinth. He realized then that this was no ordinary vision he was trapped within a higher-dimensional domain, a realm of pure dimensionality that folded around him, leaving no escape.
His breath came unsteady. He looked down at his own hands.
They were... different.
Not just in color, not just in form, but in structure. His fingers no longer moved as simple joints in space. They extended, curved, and folded in ways his mind struggled to parse his hands weren't merely three-dimensional constructs anymore. They had depth beyond depth, layers of form spilling over into higher spatial coordinates he couldn't fully control. He was still a 4D being, but in the presence of a higher-dimensional force, his perception was straining. The air itself wasn't air it was a medium beyond the limits of 3D space, pressing against his form in ways that made his movements feel distorted, stretched across imperceptible axes.
Wrath sneered, his presence flickering between multiple positions simultaneously, existing across different layers of space at once. "Your body is already failing," he taunted. "The 5th dimension is eating away at your cohesion. You were formidable in your world, Adamus, but here? You're nothing In my higher dimension. I'll make sure of it."
Adamus gritted his teeth and lunged forward, throwing a punch at Wrath's ever-shifting form. But the moment his fist should have connected, it phased through as if Wrath wasn't even there. It wasn't simple intangibility. Wrath wasn't dodging. He wasn't even interacting with the same layer of reality.
Instead, Adamus' own arm distorted. His strike extended beyond where he intended, space itself bending his movement against his will, his attack was being calculated within a non-linear geometric function. Wrath didn't need to dodge Adamus' own presence in this dimension made landing a blow impossible.
And then Wrath struck back.
A single punch, effortless, landed against Adamus' chest. But the pain was unlike anything he had ever felt. It wasn't just physical it was structural. His body, his very essence, felt like it had been crushed, compressed across dimensions he couldn't see. The impact didn't just shake him it reverberated through the entire framework of his being, Wrath had struck him not just in one location, but across every possible layer of his existence at once.
Adamus gasped, blood spilling from his nose. The pressure in his head intensified. The 5th dimension was breaking him down. Wrath attacked again, his movements existing in multiple states at once, striking from angles Adamus couldn't predict. Each blow carried the force of an existence beyond time and space, distorting Adamus' very perception of reality with every hit.
"How do I defeat him?" Adamus' mind raced, struggling to process the impossible nature of his opponent. "I can't even land a blow… what is this dimension?"
His body trembled, not with fear, but with the growing realization that he wasn't just fighting Wrath.
He was fighting against the very laws of existence itself.
Adamus staggered back, his breath ragged, each inhale feeling heavier than the last. Wrath stood before him, unfazed, his laughter echoing through the warped dimension.
Adamus stood on the back foot, chest rising and falling, his breath labored. Wrath's laughter echoed through the chaotic dimension, mocking his struggle. The 5th dimension itself twisted around them, shifting with impossible geometries, as if the space itself was alive and watching.
Then, suddenly five ripples tore through the fabric of reality. The air trembled as each fracture widened, spiraling outward like wounds in the multiversal structure. From the shifting void, they emerged Envy, Lust, Gluttony, Sloth, and Pride. Their presence alone distorted the dimension further, their conceptual energy bleeding into the surrounding space, warping the laws of existence.
Adamus remained in his fighting stance, analyzing the situation, his mind racing. The sheer weight of their combined presence made the dimension groan under its own instability. Wrath was already charging at him again, the space around him bending as if reality itself was carrying him forward. But before he could strike
"Enough, Wrath," Gluttony's voice boomed, cutting through the chaos. His tone carried irritation rather than concern. "You've toyed with him long enough. End this already."
Wrath snarled, his charge halting mid-air. "Don't rush me!" he snapped, glaring at Gluttony. But even as he spoke, the cracks in the dimension deepened, spiderwebbing across the higher reality. Something was shifting.
Adamus' mind sharpened, his gut twisting with a realization. If the sins had gathered like this, it could only mean one thing his friends had lost. Were they still alive? Was there any hope left?
Pride, hovering effortlessly above them, regarded Adamus with an air of cold detachment. "Your friends have been captured," he declared. "Though I will admit, Moses managed to escape. But that demon girl Kiyohime she killed Greed during our last battle."
Adamus' eyes widened.
"It will take him time to regenerate," Pride continued, his voice unwavering. "But don't be mistaken he is not truly dead. None of us are. We are sin incarnate, conceptual beings. We do not perish; we return. Nothing you do can truly erase us from existence."
Adamus clenched his fists, but as he did he noticed something.
His hand.
His very structure.
His body was unraveling.
Not just at a cellular level no, this was deeper. His atoms, his quarks, his very strings of existence were peeling away, detaching from him and dissolving into the higher-dimensional space. He was breaking apart at the most fundamental level.
"Heh... Look at him," Gluttony sneered, eyes glinting with amusement. "He can't even hold himself together in the 5th dimension. He's weak. This fight is over."
A creeping dread began to take hold of Adamus. His body was disintegrating. He wasn't strong enough. He couldn't win. He thought of his mother her face, her voice, the promise he made. He thought of Dylan. His professor. The crystal.
The crystal.
His heart pounded as realization struck.
That crystal Om Mani Padme Hum the one that could bend reality itself.
"This is it," he thought. "If I can manipulate reality… maybe I can survive this. Maybe I can evolve."
The resolve in his eyes ignited. His flames normally vibrant green flared higher, hotter, pulsing with new intensity. But this time, something else happened.
The life strings burst outward from Adamus, too many to count, spilling into the void like radiant threads of golden light. They reached for him, weaving through the unraveling quarks, the scattered electrons, even the fractured strings of his existence. One by one, they seized hold, pulling every fragment back into place. His essence knit itself together again, reconstructed by the very cords of his life.
The sins tensed.
Envy took a step back. Lust narrowed her eyes.
"What... What is this?" Pride murmured, his cold demeanor faltering. "Is he... evolving?"
Adamus felt it his body wasn't just repairing itself. It was adapting. He was no longer merely surviving the 5th dimension. He was becoming a part of it.
His very perspective shifted.
The world around him, once incomprehensible, now unfolded before him in a new clarity. Where before he saw impossible, shifting geometries, he now understood them. His mind processed the 5th-dimensional space, not as a chaotic mess of shapes, but as a realm of infinite variables, each moving along higher planes of logic and existence.
His very being transcended.
He was no longer just a 4D entity struggling to survive in a 5D realm. He was 5D.
Wrath's smirk faltered.
"No..." he muttered, realization dawning. "No, that's impossible. You're evolving. You're reaching our level."
Adamus lifted his gaze, his body now fluid, shifting between states of matter, energy, and higher-dimensional existence.
"I'm not done yet," he declared, his voice carrying through the distorted plane, sending tremors through the very fabric of reality. "I will keep pushing forward. I will win."
Sloth's eyes widened in alarm. "Stop him!" he bellowed. "Increase the dimension! Crush him before he ascends any further!"
Wrath, teeth clenched, snapped his fingers.
The space around them shattered.
Everything shifted.
The 5th dimension collapsed inward, folding upon itself like a crumpling reality, and then they ascended higher.
The 7th dimension.
Adamus felt it instantly.
The weight. The pressure. The overwhelming infinity of it all.
The very concept of "form" disintegrated. In the 7th dimension, linear time and spatial existence were meaningless. Here, only transcendents could survive.
Wrath, now fully reveling in his domain, exhaled in satisfaction. "Welcome to the 7th dimension, Adamus. I'm amazed you're still holding together. Beings like you were never meant to exist here."
But Adamus he was holding together.
And more than that... he was still evolving.
The energy of the 7th dimension flooded into him, not as an external force, but as something his body could absorb.
Something he could become.
His very existence stretched, his consciousness expanding beyond the limitations of singular timelines and static space. He was no longer bound by the lower realities. No longer just a 5D entity.
He was breaking past that.
Wrath's expression turned from confidence to unease.
"Wait... No... No, this isn't possible."
Adamus' eyes burned with unrelenting fire as he stood, his form now radiating with an overwhelming, transcendent energy. He was no longer bound by the limitations of mere existence he had ascended, a being of the 7th dimension, a force beyond mortal comprehension.
Wrath, seething with uncontrollable rage, let out a guttural roar and rushed forward, his fury shaking the very fabric of reality. But Adamus did not flinch. The power he had absorbed surged through him, amplifying his presence to an unfathomable degree. This was no longer a battle of strength alone it was a collision of absolute forces.
Wrath lunged forward, fury blazing in his eyes but Adamus was faster.
Golden celestial strings of light spiraled around his arm, interwoven with complex 7th-dimensional geometries shapes beyond mortal comprehension, folding through space in fractal loops and impossible symmetry. His fist glowed with sacred fire, wrapped in divine energy born from the crystal's limitless power.
Adamus' voice thundered across the Hyperverses void, shaking the framework of reality as he shouted:
"Seventh Dimensional Punch!"
With a single strike, his fist collided with Wrath's chest.
The impact was cataclysmic.
The sheer force shattered multiple layers of dimensional reality, ripping through spatial boundaries like fragile glass. Wrath was hurled backward, his form crashing through dimension after dimension, his body disintegrating, fragmenting into higher-order echoes before reassembling, barely holding together, still seething with unrelenting rage.
"How did you touch me?!" Wrath roared, his form flickering as it struggled to reassemble. His voice was raw with disbelief. "How did you land a hit? I thought you just evolved to survive but your strength itself keeps increasing! First, you copied my speed, and now you evolve every time I increase the dimension? This guy… is making me rage out!" His armor was battered, cracks forming along its once-impenetrable surface. "How does he keep doing this?!"
Pride, still watching from the sidelines, stroked his chin thoughtfully. His gaze was cold, calculating. "It's simple," he said. "Adamus is transcending, just like us. He's absorbing the energy of the dimension around him, evolving. Right now, he's a 7D entity. It seems his power to absorb has no limit."
Gluttony, growing frustrated, clenched his fists. "Then we force him past his limit. Keep increasing the dimensionality until his form can't handle it. If we push him beyond his breaking point, he'll collapse under his own evolution."
But Pride shook his head. "That's not how this works. You don't understand. We could keep increasing the dimensionality, but that would only make him stronger. The more we push, the more he adapts. We need to stop underestimating him." His expression hardened. "We attack him all of us. Now."
But Adamus was not finished. His power, now fully evolved to 7D, continued to surge. "We'll see about that," he muttered. "I will stop you. I will save my friends."
Wrath sneered. "You're not saving anything!" He lunged forward, his sheer force distorting the battlefield, his strikes shaking the very fabric of subspace. But Adamus countered, unleashing a relentless flurry of punches and kicks that struck with the weight of collapsing dimensions, each impact rippling through the air like shockwaves breaking across layered realities.
Suddenly, a laugh echoed through the chaos Lust. "I want a rematch," she purred. "And it looks like you need my help, Wrath."
"I don't need anyone!" Wrath roared, but his words were cut short as Adamus's fists continued driving him backward, launching him across the battlefield with kinetic energy that sent spatial fissures crackling through the void. Yet, Wrath refused to yield, charging back with unrelenting fury.
Then, the remaining Seven Deadly Sins except for Greed descended upon Adamus, their combined energy assaults tearing apart the very concept of durability. Blasts of condensed destruction rained down, distorting probability itself. Fists reinforced by abstract sin struck at angles that defied causal law, some missing but others landing cracking Adamus's defenses, drawing blood.
And yet, he smiled.
"This is perfect," Adamus murmured, his eyes gleaming as he weaved through the maelstrom. "There's a technique I've been waiting to test something my new friends and I have developed over the last two weeks."
As he braced for his move, Wrath's fist now charged with volatile entropy crashed into him. But Adamus inhaled sharply, his aura flaring as he uttered a single word:
"Counter."
Instantly, his arm transmuted his very essence synchronizing with Wrath's attack vector. His armor, his energy, his metaphysical composition mirrored Wrath's nature, absorbing the totality of his destructive output. Now empowered by the same force that sought to break him, Adamus retaliated, his fist embodying Wrath's own raw, uncontrollable rage. The resulting strike sent Wrath catapulting through multiple layers of reality, warping space like a shattered mirror.
Gluttony, seeing an opening, materialized behind Adamus, his stomach distending beyond the confines of logical proportion. He lunged, attempting to consume Adamus in a vortex of endless hunger.
"Counter."
Adamus's own stomach expanded in response, an equal and opposite manifestation of Gluttony's power. The two forces collided, their grotesque gravitational pulls negating each other, the shockwave rupturing the field around them. Both were sent reeling backward, their internal energies momentarily neutralized.
Sloth struck next, wielding a staff that rippled with temporal inertia. With a flick, she fired a time spell, her attack embedding Adamus in a frozen stasis, locking him within a timeless void With higher dimensional energy. For a moment, he was trapped motion ceased, existence paused.
But then his life strings pulsed.
With a sheer exertion of will, Adamus manipulated his life threads, yanking Sloth away from him and breaking free. He retaliated with a cascading energy wave that fractured her metaphysical lethargy, sending her hurtling across the battlefield.
Then came Lust.
She rushed at him, their battle devolving into raw, close-quarters combat. Every strike she delivered was laced with enchantments, her movements veiled in a thick mist smoke infused with temptation, her bare body a living sigil of desire. Adamus maneuvered, countering, dodging until she closed the gap.
She pinned him to the ground.
"A spell," she whispered, lips inches from his. "Lehit'ahév 'To Fall in Love.'"
She kissed him, and pink and red energy swirled, binding itself to his very core, attempting to override his will. Adamus's eyes flickered, his mind drowning in the hypnotic pull of Lust's power.
"Counter."
But something was wrong.
His energy surged outward, and suddenly Lust gasped.
Her eyes flared a brilliant gold as the spell rebounded. But instead of subjugation, an unfamiliar force surged through her. She staggered back, clutching her trembling hands, then turned her gaze to Adamus the battlefield her entire being shaken to its core.
What's happening to me? she thought, grasping her head, struggling to resist the weight of her own sin now being forced upon her.
Can be skipped.
Narrator: Adamus' new technique, Absolute Counter, allows him to counter any ability used against him with perfect execution. The Om Mani Padme Hum Crystal grants him energy absorption and mimicry, letting him copy an opponent's energy source and abilities. Combined with Tenshi no Me, which gives him access to infinite parallel timelines, Adamus can witness and experience countless variations of his opponent's techniques across different realities. By existing in these parallel worlds simultaneously, he effectively trains against his opponent's attack an infinite number of times before responding in real-time. This ensures that when he counters, the move is executed with flawless precision, sent back exactly as it was delivered. If an opponent's technique originates from a higher-dimensional plane, the Om Mani Padme Hum Crystal enhances Adamus' dimensional structure, allowing him to transcend conventional reality and neutralize the attack even if it operates beyond baseline existence.
Narrator:
Dimension Ascension a phenomenon wielded only by true concepts. This is not mere power. It is reality's surrender.
Through Dimension Ascension, a being transcends conventional laws, climbing through the layers of existence itself. With each level ascended, space, time, logic, and matter unravel and reform under the user's command. The higher the dimension, the greater the control over everything beneath it.
A 3D being pulled into a 5D or 7D ascension doesn't merely suffer they disintegrate. Their atoms collapse into quarks, their strings untwine, their form stretches into raw existential code, bleeding into formless data before being erased completely. They don't just lose the fight
they are overwritten.
The energy of ascension doesn't stay contained.
When released, it floods the battlefield a storm of white and iridescent rainbow light bursting outward from the user's body. Higher-dimensional shapes spiral into space: rotating tesseracts, impossible fractals, geometry too vast for linear minds to grasp. They twist and fold infinitely, consuming the environment, rewriting it with every pulse. Cracks split the air. Time slows. Logic bends. The shapes and colors spread like a living virus, devouring everything in their path.
The range of this phenomenon this dimensional domain is determined by the strength of the concept. A weaker entity may affect a few meters. A true concept, or a higher being, may engulf entire realities. And the further the user ascends, the more dominant they become within that dimensional layer able to bend its rules, reshape structures, control causality and meaning within that space.
If a concept claims a battlefield with Third Dimension Ascension, everything within that space every object, every person, every rule of physics tied to 3D becomes theirs to command or destroy. The higher they ascend, the more vast and absolute their domain becomes.
Adamus Jovajra, though still in awakening, wields the Om Mani Padme Hum Crystal a divine relic that allows him to evolve infinitely, absorbing and remembering any energy or dimensional frequency he touches.
And now, having absorbed higher- Dimension energy
He unlocks a devastating technique.
Golden life strings spiral around his arms. His fists glow with ascending force. Around him, higher-dimensional geometry spins in orbit alive, humming, sacred.
He raises his fist. The energy surges, saturating the space. The shapes explode outward, flooding the surroundings with dimensional bloom, rewriting space as far as his domain reaches.
Then
A single word echoes, calm but final:
"Dimensional Punch."
This strike does not hit it transcends. It bypasses durability, ignores matter, erases context.
It crashes through whatever plane it touches, rewriting the structure of reality itself.
End of narration.
Meanwhile, the other Sins overwhelmed Adamus in a relentless assault. Each strike carried the weight of their conceptual dominion, making his mind waver with intrusive beliefs. They battered him blow after blow, launching him skyward only to pummel him back into the ground with devastating force. Hovering above, Pride extended a hand, commanding them to stop.
"Your name is Vajra, correct?" Pride's voice echoed across the battlefield.
Adamus, bloodied and barely standing, clutched his ribs and exhaled sharply. "Yes."
Pride's expression remained unreadable. "Before your companion the demon girl killed Greed, he told me something. He claimed that beyond our Hyperverse, another exists… and you come from it. Is this true?"
Adamus narrowed his eyes, his body still aflame with emerald energy. "Yes, that's correct. We're trying to return home. We want no trouble, but at the same time… you must release the other concepts you've consumed. The beings of this world deserve to feel more than just the Seven Sins."
Pride scoffed. "Release them? The concepts we absorbed were purged for a reason. They will never resurface, As long as we exist. Happiness, joy such things are useless." He folded his arms. "We erased them all… except for one." His gaze sharpened. "Faith."
The rest of the Sins nodded in agreement. Pride continued, stepping forward. "And you, Vajra… You are a concept." His voice carried an eerie certainty. "From the moment we started fighting, I've been analyzing your essence. Concepts radiate from your very being."
The other Sins murmured in acknowledgment.
Pride's golden eyes bore into Adamus. "I knew something was wrong the moment you arrived in our Hyperverse. A foreign energy began spreading one that shouldn't exist. It was you." He gestured toward Adamus's blazing aura. "You embody the concept of Compassion. That's what those green flames are."
Adamus stared at his hands, at the ethereal flames engulfing his form. His breath hitched. The concept of Compassion…? His mind raced. It must be from the green crystal…
His eyes snapped to Pride. "Concepts… Can they be sealed within objects, like crystals?"
Pride smirked. "Of course. Many powerful entities have locked concepts away inside artifacts."
Adamus's thoughts drifted back. That must be what happened long ago… He recalled his mother's words, the legend of Avalokiteśvara's Bodhi Zen Warriors. Avalokiteśvara… His Compassion… He clenched his fist. "He must have sealed it into the crystal… That's why it holds such immense power."
Pride, however, wasn't finished. His voice dropped to a calculating tone. "But there's something else inside you another concept." He took a step closer. "I can't fully identify it… but I know it exists." His expression darkened. "And we cannot allow you to spread your influence. Your very existence disrupts our Hyperverse. Mortals feel emotions they were never meant to experience. We the Seven Sins are the only conceptual forces that should reign."
Without warning, Pride extended his hand, unleashing an esoteric ability a direct intrusion into Adamus's mind.
Adamus gasped, clutching his skull as an overwhelming force pulled at his consciousness. His vision spiraled, the battlefield dissolving into nothingness. When he opened his eyes again, he stood in an infinite white void.
His breath came in shallow, uneven gasps. "I remember this." His voice echoed endlessly through the emptiness. "This is the place... This is where I went when my mind unraveled. When I fought Nagare."
Memories flooded back the clash with the samurai, the moment his emotions surged beyond control and collapsed on themselves, the instant his flames burned black. That was when he first entered this space, a realm within his own mind, a place outside of time and reality itself.
He turned slowly, scanning the endless expanse. "What am I doing back here? How did I return?" His heart pounded as an unsettling thought surfaced.
"I wonder… if that guy is still here Vajrapani."
A presence loomed. Pride stood within Adamus's mind space, gazing upon something in the distance.
A black lotus.
Pride's eyes gleamed with interest. "So this… This is your second concept."
Adamus felt a chill crawl up his spine. "How… How did you do this?"
Pride ignored him, stepping toward the lotus. "I will consume your concept," he declared.
But the moment he reached for it, the lotus moved. A pulse of ominous energy surged outward. Pride's body locked up, his movements sluggish as dark tendrils coiled around him.
His expression twisted in shock. "What…?!" He struggled, trying to repel the force, but the lotus refused to be dominated.
Adamus felt his consciousness snap back into reality. He gasped, his eyes widening as he found himself back on the battlefield.
Pride stood frozen, his composure shaken for the first time. He exhaled, locking eyes with Adamus. "I entered your mind…" His voice wavered. "That thing inside you it's too powerful for me to absorb."
Adamus clenched his fists. "What is it?"
Pride's expression turned grim. "Śūnyatā."
Adamus's pulse quickened. "What does that mean?"
Pride's tone dropped into something almost reverent. "I only heard rumors of this… back in the day, when Yahweh told me about it. I even thought He was lying. Śūnyatā absolute emptiness. The void. The return to primordial nothingness." His eyes narrowed as he pointed at Adamus, his voice sharpening. "It erases all things. It seeks to return existence to its original state nothing." He drew in a slow breath, almost in awe. "This is what the beginning and the end are written on… and beyond. I thought it was just a myth."
A deadly silence fell over the battlefield.
Then Pride's expression contorted into rage. "You're too dangerous. If you live long enough to master your abilities… you'll become an anomaly beyond our control." His aura erupted into a swirling tempest. "Kill him. Now."
The Sins moved in unison, surging toward Adamus like a tidal wave of destruction.
And as the chaos unfolded, Lust stood apart, locked in her own battle. She had fought her own sin, resisted its pull… and lost.
She staggered, breathing heavily, her eyes darting across the battlefield until they landed on Adamus, beaten and cornered. Her heart pounded.
No…
A strange emotion surged within her. Not him… Not my love…
Her sin faltered.
Lust turned, eyes blazing with newfound resolve. "My love!" she cried out.
The Sins hesitated.
She threw herself between Adamus and their onslaught, arms spread wide.
The others scowled.
"Lust!" Wrath snarled. "Move. Now."
She stood firm. "No." Her voice trembled but her determination did not. "I won't let you hurt him."
Adamus stood behind the Sin of Lust, his voice calm yet questioning. "What do you mean, my love?"
Lust turned to face him, her eyes filled with devotion. "I love you. I will protect you no matter what."
Pride watched from a distance, addressing the other Sins. "She's been corrupted. When he used his counter technique, it must have forced her own sin against her. No matter what we do, she's in love with him. She will protect him until the day she dies."
Sloth, her wings draped like a veil of exhaustion, stepped forward. "Move aside, Lust. I can break this spell. Just come to me."
Lust shook her head. "I'm not going anywhere. You're not breaking any spell. I love him."
Behind Adamus, Gluttony materialized, his massive hand swelling grotesquely as he swung at Adamus. His flesh continued to expand, thickening with sheer weight as his attack barreled toward its target. Adamus, too drained to react in time, braced for the impact until Lust, moving with blinding speed, intercepted.
Black smoke curled around her as she shielded Adamus, absorbing the force and reflecting it back. Her hands shimmered with pink and red energy, forming heart-shaped projectiles that surged toward Gluttony, sending him flying.
Sloth's voice trembled. "Please, sister, don't do this… If you stand against us, we'll have no choice but to kill you, too. You're my friend… my a sister."
Wrath's flames roared. "It's too late! There's no breaking the spell."
Pride's voice cut through the moment like a blade. "Attack them. I don't care if she's one of us kill them both."
Lust grabbed Adamus, black smoke swirling to envelop them both. In an instant, they vanished.
The remaining Sins scanned the empty battlefield, frustration settling in. Pride clenched his fists. "Finding them will be nearly impossible. Unlike us, Lust can suppress her energy completely.
Pride turned to the others. "We don't have time for this. Spread out. Our mission from Pharaoh isn't over. We still have to find Moses after his escape. And now, these two are a threat especially to our leader, Lucifer. He granted us the power to annihilate the remaining Concepts. We cannot allow this child, Vajra, to live. If Lust insists on protecting him, then she dies too. Do you hear me?"
The other Sins answered in unison. "Yes!"
Without hesitation, they dispersed, soaring across planets, galaxies, universes and entire Multiverse within the Hyperverse of Israel in their relentless search.
Meanwhile, Lust's black smoke materialized in a distant universe, deep within the Hyperverse, on an unfamiliar planet. As the darkness lifted, Adamus stumbled forward, bleeding and battered. His voice was weak but steady. "Thank you for saving me, Lust… but where are we? Where did you take me?"
Lust's gaze softened. "I took you far away from that universe. I've masked our energy so they won't find us. Now we can be together… forever."
Adamus exhaled heavily. "I appreciate your help, but take me back. Pharaoh planet my friends are still there. I can't stay with you."
Her expression darkened. "Why? Why can't you be with me? I love you."
Adamus met her eyes. "No, you don't. It's the spell. This isn't real."
Lust took a slow, deliberate breath, her crimson eyes gleaming with an unwavering resolve. "I don't care," she whispered, her voice carrying both longing and defiance. "I would do anything for you… even die for you."
Dark smoke coiled around her bare form like living shadows, pulsing with an eerie energy as she floated before Adamus. A melancholic sigh slipped from her lips.
"I see… You don't desire me," she murmured, her voice laced with something between disappointment and mischief. Her gaze darkened. "Then I'll make you say you love me… or we're not going anywhere."
As she spoke, her form began to shift, rippling like water disturbed by an unseen force. Her body contorted, reshaping itself into an entirely different woman her features now delicate yet striking, beauty reborn in an instant. She tilted her head, her new voice a sultry whisper.
"What about this one?"
Adamus remained unfazed, his expression unreadable. He exhaled sharply, shaking his head.
"I'm not saying I love you," he said flatly. "Let's just head back."
Adamus stiffened, his expression betraying discomfort. "No… Just go back to your regular form. I'm not interested. I just need to get back to the Red Planet, Goshen ."
Undeterred, Lust's lips curled into a smirk. "Not interested?" she mused, her form shifting again now taller, now softer, now more exotic. One after another, she became different women, each a perfect vision of allure, each a temptation wrapped in flesh. And yet, Adamus remained firm.
Lust narrowed her eyes, intrigued. "I see… You truly have no sin." A flicker of realization danced in her gaze, and she tilted her head with a knowing smile. "But… I know how to make you love me."
Before Adamus could react, Lust raised her hand, and a pulse of supernatural energy surged toward him. His vision blurred as his eyes ignited with a crimson and pink glow.
Adamus staggered. "What… What did you just do to me?" he demanded, his voice laced with unease.
Lust drifted closer, her voice a whisper of triumph. "I peered into the depths of your heart… and uncovered the one you truly love." As she spoke, her form twisted and reshaped, taking on a new, mesmerizing visage raven-black hair cascading over her shoulders, dark brown eyes holding the weight of untold stories, a striking beauty sculpted with Asian features.
Kiyohime with Lust ever-present black smoke veiling her body like a shroud of forbidden desire.
Adamus's breath hitched, his body betraying him with an involuntary blush. His heart pounded in his chest as he gazed upon the embodiment of his true love, standing before him in the form of Lust.
"Do you love me now?" she asked, her voice intoxicating. "I am the one you've longed for."
Adamus clenched his fists, fighting the storm within him. "Just… turn back," he gritted out. His voice wavered, frustration bleeding into his words. "Just turn back, okay? I love you! I love you! Are you happy now? Now can we go back to the Red Planet, Goshen?"
A satisfied smile played across Lust's lips as her form melted back into its original shape fiery red hair, crimson eyes, and the ever-present black smoke veiling her body like a shroud of forbidden desire. She glided toward him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders in an embrace both possessive and victorious.
"You love me," she murmured, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. "That's all I wanted to hear. Alright… I'll take you back."
Dark smoke surged around them, crackling with arcane energy. "But listen carefully," she warned. "Keep your power suppressed. If they sense you… they'll come for us."
Adamus exhaled, forcing his spiritual energy into dormancy.
The shadows thickened, twisting and writhing around them like spectral tendrils. Then, in the blink of an eye, the abyss swallowed them whole warping time and space in an instant.
When the darkness peeled away, they stood upon the scarred battlefield of the Red Planet Goshen the same ground where the clash with Moses and the Seven deadly sins happened.
They had returned to Ashkara.
As Adamus and Lust materialized onto the planet, dark smoke coiled around them before slowly dissipating. Some of it slithered back, wrapping around Lust's bare form, restoring her veil of shadows. Adamus barely noticed his gaze was locked onto the desolate town before them. His fists clenched.
"It's too late," he muttered. His voice was low, heavy with frustration. "They took everybody… even the boat."
Lust floated up beside him, crimson eyes softening. "It's okay," she whispered. "We can work together to get them back. I will do anything for you."
Before Adamus could respond, a radiant white light broke through the crammed buildings in the distance. A figure emerged from it his form battered, his robes torn, his body marked with fresh wounds.
Moses.
Adamus's instincts took over. He sprinted toward the wounded man, with Lust following closely behind. Moses staggered, exhaustion threatening to overtake him, but Adamus caught him just in time.
"Moses!" Adamus gripped his arm, steadying him. "Are you okay? What happened?"
Moses took a breath, his voice strained.
Adamus's gaze darkened. "When I was fighting the Sins… Pride told me something," he said. "They said you escaped the battle. But they captured hunter… Kiyohime. They took the boat. Everyone including Noah and your people, the Israelites."
Moses nodded, his expression grim. "Yes, that's what happened," he admitted, his voice laced with both anger and reluctant admiration. "While we were fighting… that girl, Kiyohime… she killed one of the Seven Deadly Sins, Greed. Even though they'll return you can't truly kill them it was still incredible. But then… they turned on me."
His fists clenched, frustration and pain flickering in his eyes. "I watched as they took my people, Noah, his followers, the boats, every last citizen. They stole them all away. At the last moment, I used my powers of faith to slip into another dimension, a place where they couldn't sense me. I stayed hidden… until I felt your energy. Then, I came back."
Moses met Adamus's gaze, his expression hard with determination. "We have to get them back."
Adamus and Lust gently lowered Moses onto a nearby stone. Lust, with a flick of her wrist, summoned water from one of the shattered bars and handed it to him.
Moses's eyes darkened. In a swift motion, he slapped the cup from her hand, sending the water splashing onto the cracked ground.
"You think I would ever drink something from a sin?" he spat.
Lust barely flinched. She sighed, crossing her arms. "Just because I am a sin the Sin of Lust doesn't mean I'm a bad person."
Moses pushed himself to his feet, fury burning in his weary eyes. "That's a lie," he growled. "You and the rest of the Seven Deadly Sins rampaged across the hyperverse, killing every other concept, destroying happiness, free will… You made it impossible for anyone to feel anything but suffering!"
Lust lowered her gaze. For the first time, her voice wavered. "It wasn't my choice," she said quietly. "Either I followed the others… or they would've killed me too. I never wanted to erase joy. I never wanted to destroy the other concepts. But Lucifer… he found the Concept of Pride and convinced him to conquer the rest. He wanted easier dominion over everything. I only followed to survive."
She hesitated, then whispered, "I'm sorry."
Moses's expression hardened. "Your apology means nothing."
"Enough!" Adamus's voice rang out like a command of thunder. His sharp gaze shifted between the two of them. "Arguing won't bring anyone back! Moses, calm down. She's on our side… for now. She doesn't seem like the others. She's not like them."
Moses stared at Adamus for a long moment. Then, he reached out, gripping his shoulder firmly. "You're a good kid," he admitted. "You've got a strong head on your shoulders. For your sake… I'll trust her. But hear me" He turned his gaze back to Lust. "A sin is always a sin. Evil."
Adamus exhaled, his gaze steady on Moses. "Really? Then tell me something, Moses. That girl who fought by your side… Kiyohime. When you fought together, she saved you. She risked her life for you and your people."
Moses nodded. "Yes. She was a warrior." His expression darkened with regret. "Too bad she got taken."
Adamus took a step closer, locking eyes with him. "Well, guess what? That warrior who fought for your people? She's a demon."
Moses's eyes widened.
"You can't always judge people by what they are," Adamus continued.
Silence. Then, slowly, Moses nodded. "I understand… my apologies."
A distant whinny broke the tension. From the horizon, a lone horse began walking toward them its dark mane flowing in the wind, its hooves kicking up dust with every step.
Adamus narrowed his eyes. "Where are you going?"
Moses swung himself onto the horse's back, gripping the reins. "To Pi-Ramesses. That's where they took my people. That's where they took your friends."
Adamus's breath hitched. "You think they're still alive?"
Moses met his gaze. "Yes. They're too valuable to kill outright. The Pharaoh will make them slaves."
Adamus's fists clenched at his sides. His pulse pounded.
Then we're going to get them back.
No matter what it takes.
Lust stepped forward, her voice cutting through the heavy silence. "You two are barely standing. And if you're planning to march into Pi-Ramesses like this, you're walking straight into your graves. The Pharaoh is just as powerful as Pride you won't survive in this state. You need to rest."
Adamus and Moses exchanged glances, both painfully aware of their battered bodies, the weight of their wounds pressing down on them like chains. The battle they had just endured had drained them.
Lust continued, her tone serious. "Under normal circumstances, I could heal you both instantly, restore you to your prime. But the Seven Deadly Sins don't fight fair. Their attacks are laced with magic wounds inflicted by them can't be healed by regular means."
Moses gritted his teeth. "She's right. But there's one place that can heal us, restore our strength completely the The church of Baptism. Its sacred waters can mend body, mind, and spirit." He turned to Lust, his expression hard. "But you can't come. A sin has no place in a holy sanctuary."
Lust's gaze didn't waver. "I have to go."
Moses scowled. "Why?"
Lust crossed her arms. "Because of me, the other Sins cant see us. You don't realize it, but my energy is wrapped around you both right now, suppressing your power, keeping you hidden from their senses. If I leave, they'll find you in an instant."
Adamus sighed. "Looks like she's coming with us."
Moses hesitated, then exhaled sharply. "Fine. But I only have one horse."
Adamus raised a brow. "We're seriously taking horses? These things look slow."
Lust shook her head. "We have to. I can't teleport us I don't know where the temple is. And if you use your speed, I can only suppress your power signatures for so long before they detect you."
She placed her hands on Moses' horse, channeling her energy into it. A second horse materialized beside it.
Adamus smirked. "Why not make three?"
Lust shot him a glare. "My power is limited. Looks like we're sharing."
Without another word, Moses swung onto his horse and took off, dust kicking up in his wake. Adamus climbed onto the second steed, Lust settling behind him. As they galloped forward, the fading light of the battlefield disappeared behind them, swallowed by the shadows of the journey ahead.
As Adamus and Lust rode through the vast desert, the wind howled around them, whipping up waves of sand that lashed against their faces. Lust, shifting against Adamus, murmured something under her breath, and a hooded scarf materialized over their heads, shielding them from the relentless storm.
Adamus squinted ahead, barely making out Moses through the thick haze of dust. Behind him, Lust had grown still, her body pressed comfortably against his back. When he glanced over his shoulder, he realized she had fallen asleep, her breathing slow and steady.
Frustrated by the storm, Adamus called out, his voice barely cutting through the howling winds. "Moses! How much longer?"
Moses, his silhouette shifting in the dusty twilight, shouted back, "Not much further!"
Determined to keep up, Adamus spurred his horse forward, pushing through the storm until he rode side by side with Moses. He turned his head slightly, his voice laced with curiosity. "So, what's the deal with you and The Pharaoh? Why does he hate your people the Israelites?"
Moses' jaw tightened. For a moment, he said nothing, his eyes fixed on the horizon. Then, his voice dropped, carrying the weight of something long buried.
"Because he's pure evil," Moses said at last. "And... I was once best friends with his father."
Adamus tilted his head. "His father?"
Moses nodded slowly. "Their family adopted me. His father and I were raised together as brothers, though not by blood. We were inseparable once. That makes the new Pharaoh..."
He paused, the weight of years pressing on him.
"Technically, he's my nephew. My step-nephew.
Moses exhaled sharply. "If you really must know, I'll tell you. Might make the journey feel shorter."