Adrien intensified his gaze onto him, trying to find any malicious intent to harm him or the rest of the people in the city, only to realize that he possessed no hostility towards anyone.
"These are criminals, you may have come for the wrong people."
Adrien replied to him as he took a defensive stance, taking a step back.
"I've come for them," The masked man said to Adrien as he started walking towards him. "and i don't want to resort to any form of violence"
"Stop right there, you are not taking them anywhe-"
BANG
Adrien was catapulted into a nearby wall, by the sheer force of fire generated by the masked man in the form of an arrow which he could barely defend against.
"However, I will resort to it if necessary."
The masked man said as he laid down Lukas beside his other subordinates, preparing to leave.
HUFF HUFF "Shall be it."
Adrien said with a funky tone, almost breaking as he wrapped a piece of cloth torn from his shirt on his half burnt hand.
"Persistent, I see. Hellfire chains."
The masked man said as he made two long and thin, blazing hot concentrated chains of fire and began to hurl them towards Adrien.
"Fire manipulation? It will be tricky to work around it, I need to close the distance first."
Adrien whispered within himself while gasping constantly as he closed in the distance with him step by step, at a rapid constant speed.
"Hmm? Weird, how am I not hitting him, I will switch to that, then."
The masked man thought to himself, and immediately switched to a long sword of scorching fire, shining as bright as the sun at dawn.
"Lumen Noctis."
The words were uttered by him, just barely enough to be heard only by him, as he swung it at a full range motion against Adrien.
WHACK
Adrien landed a clean upper cut on him, knocking him onto a fence.
Just as Adrien thought he had a chance to win.
ARGHHHH!
He let out a scream in pure agony, while half of his body was drenched in blood. His entire left side of the body experienced a pain so incomprehensible, as if his body was being lit up on fire cell by cell.
Huff huff…
"That's why I chose Lumen Noctis, It's flames burn hotter at night and It barely misses."
Just like the dawn after sombre night , Lumen Noctis shines bright enough to light up anything at sight, with a near perfect hit rate. Fueled by the judgement and rage of the masked man, it came to life.
Huff huff… "Its over now"
The masked man said as he walked up to his subordinates, taking a deep breath and preparing to finally leave, however.
"No… its… not, not just yet…"
Adrien replied to the masked man, with a cracking swelled up voice standing up once again, despite the heavy blood loss and injuries he bore.
"Perhaps, I can choose an outcome for me where I can heal rapidly?... Rapid cell regeneration! But it's risky, I will end up getting cancer if I don't stop it at the right time… I don't have time to think I have to do it, or else I will die either way."
Adrien whispered within himself, as he stood there with a broken stance, looking right at the masked man.
"You can't possibly fight aga-...What?!"
The masked man was left startled by the rapid healing rate of Adrien's body, putting him back in shape for another confrontation.
"It stings a little but I think I managed it, but it requires a lot of focus so I can't keep doing it."
Adrien checked up on his left side, stretching, throwing punches in the air. Without wasting a moment he launched himself towards the masked man, faster, precised and with more brutality than the previous time.
"SUCH PERSISTENCE BRINGS NOTHING BUT FAILURE, WHY DO YOU KEEP TRYING?"
The masked man shouted at Adrien as veins popped on his throat, the flames of the Lumen Noctis shined brighter, intensified by his anger.
"BECAUSE I REFUSE TO YIELD TO SOMETHING AS TRIVIAL AS THIS EVER AGAIN!!"
Adrien added right after the masked man, they clashed yet again, blow for blow, broken bones for a burnt body, injuries and pain sustained by Adrien yet recovered again and again, yet none of them find an opening to land a decisive blow.
"Erik, can you move?" The masked man asked. "If yes, get the rest of the two and flee from here to the airport, and call Luke. He will get all of you to Chicago somehow, i will directly come to Chicago now."
"U-understood. I will leave."
Erik took both of his subordinates onto his shoulders and left the engaged battleground of two evenly matched fighters, entirely frightened yet mesmerized by the sheer exchange of force.
"I will have to stop him!"
Adrien's focus drifted towards Erik, nonetheless, it proved futile for him to even try with The masked man keeping him occupied.
"I have to end this right now"
The masked man thought to himself, as he pushed Adrien back with an eruption of fire.
"With the adorned light of Uriel, seraph sword of Michael and Retribution of Raguel, I borrow the power of divine archangels and call upon the sword and armour of the divinity."
Adrien was detached from the entire world for a mere moment, absolutely flabbergasted and amazed by the sheer force of nature unfolding before his eyes, graceful, shining yet something like he has never seen in his entirety of life.
A bright red, blazing armour with fire scarfs around his neck, alongside burning fire rings behind his back, just like the sun itself. His head engulfed within a scorching bright helmet, and lastly the radiant sword, shining bright enough to light up the entire night sky.
"SERAPHIEL."
End of chapter 14.