The beast's roar tore through the battlefield.
A monstrous creature scaled like molten iron, eyes burning with feral hatred lunged at Morix from behind. Its fangs were wide, ready to clamp down on his unguarded neck. Morix, drowning in wrath, didn't even turn. He kept walking forward, trembling with rage, every breath shaking the air.
Lucia froze.
Rales shouted, "MORIX BEHIND YOU !"
But Morix didn't hear anything. His eyes were clouded crimson. His mind was gone.
The beast pounced.
A flash of silver streaked across the battlefield.
A calm, steady voice echoed like a hammer striking stone.
"How dull."
A single figure appeared between Morix and the monster standing tall, straight, almost bored as if the chaos around him was beneath his notice.
Gabriel.
His silver hair fluttered lightly even though the wind had died. His golden eyes gleamed with a warmth that somehow felt superior like he was looking down on the world itself. A giant hammer rested on his shoulder, casually held with one hand.
The beast's jaws clamped around Gabriel.
They didn't even leave a scratch.
Gabriel sighed.
"Biting me?"
He tilted his head, unimpressed.
"That's like asking fire if it fears the flame."
His hammer swung once.
The beast exploded into a burst of light and ash.
Rales's jaw dropped. "GA–GABRIEL! YOU'RE HERE!"
Gabriel didn't look at him. He didn't look excited. He didn't look impressed.
Instead, he dusted off the shoulder the beast touched.
"Filthy."
Lucia whispered in awe, "Seraphyne's Guardian… the Living Sun."
Facilia stepped forward, her voice calm and formal. "Seraphyne prospers because it has its own guardian. Because it has him."
Gabriel finally turned his gaze toward them—and Rales lit up like a child seeing hope after years.
"Commander Rales," Facilia said, placing her fist against her chest, "the entire Seraphyne army is yours to command. Every soldier, every battalion except one."
Gabriel tapped his chest with a thumb.
"Me."
Rales blinked. "H-Huh?"
Gabriel raised a brow, as if the question insulted him.
"Do you expect the sun to take orders from a candle?"
Rales's excitement cracked for a moment.
Facilia stepped between them. "Gabriel doesn't follow orders. Not even mine."
Gabriel smirked.
"Correct. Orders are for those weaker than me. Which… is everyone."
Rales swallowed. "Then are you confident we can defeat Mammon?"
Gabriel looked genuinely offended.
He stepped closer to Rales, towering over him, the battlefield falling silent around them.
"Are you confident the sun will rise tomorrow?"
Rales stuttered, "…y-yes?"
Gabriel leaned in.
"Then don't insult me by asking if I can handle one greedy demon."
Rales blinked slowly.
Then burst into laughter pure, relieved laughter.
"YOU HAVEN'T CHANGED AT ALL!"
Gabriel gave a proud nod.
"Of course. Perfection doesn't change."
Mammon's Reaction
Across the battlefield, Mammon still half-bleeding from Morix's wrath froze when he saw Gabriel.
His smirk faded.
"…Pride?"
His grin widened again. "Oh, how nostalgic."
But as Gabriel's aura flared, burning like a miniature sun, Mammon made his decision immediately.
"Yeah, no."
He opened a dark portal with a lazy flick.
"Morix, Gabriel… both on the same field… I'd love to stay and play," he chuckled, stepping backward into the swirling darkness, "but I enjoy living too much."
His eyes gleamed with twisted excitement.
"And watching you grow stronger is going to be delicious. Wrath is feeding you so well, Morix…"
He licked his lips.
"…I can't wait for our next dance."
Mammon vanished.
But his army stayed.
His six generals roared commands. The battlefield surged with chaos again.
Morix Loses Himself
Morix took a step forward and crushed a friendly soldier's helmet with his bare hand.
Rales gasped. "Morix no! It's us!"
Morix didn't even hear him.
Wrath swallowed him whole.
Every human, every demon, every creature looked the same in his eyes now.
Targets.
His veins glowed like liquid fire. His shadow twisted. His movements blurred between rage and instinct.
He let out a roar that cracked the air.
Gabriel's expression sharpened.
"Oh?"
He smiled.
"…So this is the boy who threw me off guard last time."
Lucia ran toward Morix, trembling. "Morix! Please stop!"
Morix swung a fist at her.
A giant hand caught it mid-air.
Gabriel.
He didn't even move from his spot. Just raised one hand and stopped Morix's full-force punch like it was nothing.
He looked at Morix's fist with mild disappointment.
"Is this supposed to be a fist bump?"
Rales's eyes widened.
"HE CAUGHT THAT?!"
Gabriel gently almost politely pushed Morix's fist down.
"Boy." Gabriel raised his chin.
"Last time, you surprised me. But now?"
He stepped closer, aura growing hotter.
"You're not even worth a warm-up."
Morix roared and attacked again faster, stronger, wild.
Gabriel dodged without urgency, stepping aside with the grace of someone avoiding raindrops.
Each dodge accompanied by a casual line:
"Too slow."
"Too soft."
"Too angry to think. How boring."
"Did wrath steal your brain too?"
Morix's rage only grew.
He slammed his fist down, the impact blasting dust and soldiers away, friend and foe.
Gabriel didn't move.
"Are you done? Or do you want me to teach you how a real punch looks?"
He lifted his hammer.
Lucia screamed, "GABRIEL, WAIT DON'T HURT HIM!"
Gabriel didn't strike.
He simply rested the hammer on his shoulder.
"I won't hurt him."
Everyone exhaled.
Then Gabriel added:
"Much."
Gabriel's Challenge
Morix roared and swung again.
Gabriel stepped aside, letting the attack crash into the ground. The impact created a crater.
Gabriel sighed.
"Do you always hit the ground when you're angry? Or is the floor your rival?"
This time, Gabriel's smile widened.
It was the kind of smile the sun might have if it decided to burn the world just because it could.
With a single step, Gabriel vanished.
He reappeared behind Morix too fast to see.
WHAM.
The air cracked as Gabriel's elbow struck Morix's spine, sending him crashing into the ground.
A crater formed under Morix's body.
Lucia ran a step before Rales stopped her. "Don't. He'll kill you by mistake."
Gabriel stood at the edge of the crater, looking down.
"Come, boy."
He stretched his arms wide.
"Show me the wrath that blinded even Mammon."
Morix climbed out, bleeding, panting, losing himself further.
Gabriel slammed his hammer down, shaking the earth.
"SHOW ME YOUR FULL RAGE!"
Morix roared—and something snapped inside him.
Not physically.
Something deeper.
His aura surged violently far beyond before.
Dark red lightning flickered around him.
His eyes turned completely black and crimson.
Lucia gasped, clutching her chest. "Morix… what is happening to you…?"
Facilia felt a chill. "This isn't normal wrath. This is"
Before she could finish, Gabriel's expression changed for the first time.
Not fear.
Not shock.
Curiosity.
"Oh?"
Morix stepped forward.
Every step cracked the ground.
Gabriel tightened his grip on the hammer.
"Now this…"
A grin spread across his face.
"…this looks interesting."
Morix vanished.
He appeared right in front of Gabriel.
Their fists collided
BOOOOOOM
A blinding explosion of light and red lightning swallowed the battlefield.