Marvel: Soul King

TN: This is the Longest chapter yet and this arc had me so angry and frustrated. Just out of spite, I rewrote the last 24 chapters (from Chapter 88 to Chapter 112) over the last 4 days. My sleeping schedule has gone to shit. I slept at 10 a.m. yesterday. I'm suffering from a massive headache right now, so I might have missed some things while editing this. If you find any mistakes, tell me, and I will fix them when I feel better.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter. Now, give me your money on patreon.com/IHaveNoNamingSense so I can buy me some "drugs."

---

[Notice. You've gained Medium Soul x1]

Lod's lips curled slightly as he muttered to himself, "So stingy!"

Balthazar was at least a high-ranking demon, but in the eyes of the system, he was only worth a mid-grade soul?

"What was that about you being a soul reaper?" Constantine suddenly asked and gave Lod a piercing look.

Lod looked back at Constantine and raised an eyebrow. "You got a problem with that?"

"Hah, what are you on about? After I kick the bucket, I'd much rather end up in Big D's embrace, not the small d's, mate." Constantine suddenly changed his tone and said something concerning.

"What's with those acronyms? You wanna be in the embrace of a big dick?" Lod said, scrunching his face in disgust.

"What!? No, I meant Death, not bloody dick! What's rattling around in that daft head of yours?" Constantine replied and took two steps back from Lod.

"Oh! it's my fault now?" Lod stood up and unsheathed his Zanpakutō.

"Ahem! Anyway, I'm a tad concerned. You reckon the little lass can manage them?" Constantine changed the subject, as the conversation was heading to a place no one liked.

"I'm not certain—just confident to some extent," Lod replied as both of them started walking toward the broken car.

Although her Reiatsu was sealed, Nemu was, at her core, still a seated officer. Dealing with demons was no challenge for her.

Of course, Lod's statement was only half the truth.

If it were solely demons, Nemu could obliterate them all. But what if the attackers weren't demons? After all, the movie's big boss wasn't just Mammon!

There was also Gabriel, the Seraph under God's command, known as the "Left Hand of God"!

According to the Old Testament of the Bible, Gabriel was the angel who blew the trumpet for Judgment Day.

Thus, before leaving, Lod had issued a directive to Nemu: If you encounter Gabriel, abandon Angela immediately and retreat to preserve your life until I return.

Lod sheathed his Zanpakutō, then turned to Constantine. "Let's head back and see how it turns out."

"The car's absolutely knackered..." Constantine pointed at the totaled vehicle. "From here, it's at least a fair few miles. Should I ring up a cab, or I could have a go at nicking a car?"

"No need—I'll take you back." Lod flashed a kind smile.

However, to Constantine, that smile was as menacing as a demon's.

"Wait... What are you plotting now?" Constantine instinctively took two steps back with sweat beading on his forehead. He suddenly had a bad feeling.

"Ready?" Lod's grin widened, tinged with a hint of schadenfreude.

"Huh?"

Shing!

In an instant, the two disappeared from where they stood.

"Ahhhhhh!"

A man's scream pierced the quiet night Which echoed for a long time.

...

The few miles weren't far—Lod brought Constantine back with Shunpo in about two minutes.

When they arrived outside the apartment building, they noticed that the floor Constantine lived on had been devastated. The building's walls were pierced by a mysterious force, leaving massive holes.

Entering the apartment, they found the floor and ceiling covered in dense sword marks and signs of burning and destruction. The battle had been intense.

But there was no sign of Nemu or Angela.

Balthazar's taunts had proven true: during their absence, Mammon had sent people to abduct Angela!

Just like Mary, who gave birth to Jesus as a virgin, Angela was the key to the summoning ritual. She was destined to become the "Holy Mother" who would birth Mammon, the Lord of Hell.

Constantine was silent as he looked at his wrecked home.

However, as Constantine met Lod's gaze, he sighed out loud. He didn't say anything.

Lod simply began walking deeper into the shattered wall. Constantine followed.

The two passed through wall after broken wall, eventually reaching the other side of the building.

The east and west walls of the entire apartment had been breached. They kept walking eastward until they reached the final broken wall.

Lod suddenly stopped, his eyes blazed with fury as he looked downward with formless pressure radiated from him.

Constantine followed Lod's gaze and saw something that made him sigh again.

'Ugh, I'm sighing far too much; it can't be good for my health.'

Nemu lay in a deep crater below.

Shing!

Lod said nothing and grabbed Constantine, Then he used Shunpo to reach the crater.

When they got closer, they saw that a white feather was embedded in Nemu's chest. Its oppressive and scorching holy light continuously sapped her soul's strength.

"Brother... I'm sorry..." Nemu's eyelashes fluttered weakly as she opened her eyes, forcing a faint smile onto her pale face.

"Nemu... Why didn't you listen to me?" Lod crouched down and gently lifted her with his arm.

"Because... you said Angela was important..." Nemu whispered with her voice being frail. "I didn't want to disappoint you... But I'm so useless... I couldn't stop her... Brother... Please don't blame me, okay?"

In that moment, Lod felt as if his heart was bleeding. He truly considers her as his sister.

Suppressing the anger threatening to explode, Lod gently reassured her, "I don't blame you. It's my fault. I shouldn't have left you here."

"I'm sorry... Brother..." Nemu weakly nestled into Lod's embrace with her voice fading. "I don't think... I can stay with you anymore..."

"Brother... I'm so tired."

Nemu nestled in Lod's arms with her face pale and her breathing growing weaker and weaker.

"Nemu, don't fall asleep!"

Lod's expression changed drastically. He gently shook Nemu and called out her name repeatedly.

But there was no response.

The feather lodged in her body was like Hercules' arrow dipped in Lernaean hydra venom. The immense divine energy contained within it subjected Nemu to pain, steadily pushing her soul to its limits until it was on the brink of collapse and death.

"Hold on, Nemu. Your brother will pull it out for you now!"

Lod's eyes glinted with determination as he reached for the white feather, intending to yank it out.

Sizzle!

The moment his hand touched the feather, it was like gripping a red-hot branding iron. His soul felt like it was being scorched in a raging inferno. An unbearable pain surged through him, as if every nerve, every cell, every inch of skin was screaming in agony.

"Argh!!!"

Lod's face twisted in pain as veins bulged and eyes became bloodshot. His entire body shuddered violently under the strain.

Yet, despite the searing torment ripping through his soul, Lod refused to let go.

However, reality wasn't on his side.

Even as he poured all his strength into it, the pure white feather remained unmoved.

Nemu's soul continued to grow weaker. Desperate, Lod thought of someone who might have a solution: Constantine.

John Constantine had dealt with heaven for years and was a skilled magician. If anyone could deal with this feather, it might be him.

With that thought, Lod used Shunpo to appear beside Constantine, holding the fragile Nemu in his arms.

"Save her!"

Lod's bloodshot eyes and hoarse voice were filled with desperation. All his hopes now rested on Constantine.

---

After sighing, Constantine glanced at the injured Nemu and the pure feather embedded in her chest.

'It's an angel's feather.'

Constantine had seen plenty of angel feathers before; he even kept a few in his collection as trump cards. But none of them compared to this one.

The feather was immaculate, radiating an intense holy aura. Just gazing at it gave the illusion of hearing the hymns of heaven.

This was no ordinary angel's feather!

A thought struck Constantine—a possibility so far-fetched it almost seemed impossible. 'Could this feather... be from a seraph's sacred wings?'

It was the only explanation.

Only the seraphim, the highest-ranking angels, possessed such pure and radiant divine light.

'A seraph...' Constantine's face darkened. A name flashed through his mind, one that made him grit his teeth in frustration. 'This feather... it belongs to Gabriel!'

There was no room for doubt.

In heaven, where angels were as numerous as stars, only eight seraphim existed at the top. Among them, only Gabriel had been assigned to watch over the mortal realm—and she was stationed in Los Angeles!

All signs pointed to Gabriel. Slowly but surely, a massive conspiracy began to unravel in Constantine's mind.

But one thing puzzled him: why would Gabriel collaborate with a demon lord from hell?

Looking at the critically injured Nemu and desperate Lod's request, Constantine felt a surge of helplessness.

Constantine sighed deeply. "The seraph's feather is a source of divine power and a pure manifestation of holy energy. No mortal can pull it out. Unless..."

"Unless what?"

Lod's eyes locked onto Constantine with his voice dangerously low.

"There are two ways."

Constantine exhaled a plume of smoke and met Lod's intense gaze. "First, the power in the seraph's feather comes from the seraph itself. If you kill Gabriel, you can remove the feather."

"Second, although the seraphim hold different roles, their powers come from God. Another seraph could theoretically remove the feather as well."

Still clinging to hope, Lod asked, "Can you summon a seraph?"

"Sorry."

Constantine shook his head apologetically. "I can't do that. Summoning a seraph requires unshakable faith—something only a pope or the devout can achieve."

Faith wasn't just weak in Constantine's case; it was nonexistent.

With the second option ruled out, Lod was left with only one choice: kill Gabriel.

Closing his eyes, Lod pondered for a moment before asking, "Tell me, if Gabriel loses her wings, will the feather lose its power?"

"In theory, yes," Constantine admitted in a split second. "Losing their wings would mean a seraph has been stripped of their rank and grace. Without that divine status, the feather would lose its power."

"I understand..."

Lod's eyes gleamed. He had a plan.

Gathering Reishi, Lod created a void-like space where he gently placed Nemu. He concealed the entire space within the shadows, ensuring her safety for now.

"Let's go."

Lod's tone was calm yet chilling. "We're going to stop Mammon and Gabriel."

"It's about time."

Constantine lit another cigarette and exhaled smoke with a grim smile. "Mate, Let's hope we both make it out in one piece."

---

After the two left, a sleek black cat padded gracefully into the room.

The cat approached the hidden space Lod had created for Nemu. With a flick of its sharp claws, it tore through the shadowy veil and entered.

"Meow~"

The black cat licked Nemu's face tenderly. Its golden, slit-pupil eyes shimmered with an almost human-like sorrow.

A single tear, glistening like molten gold, slid from the cat's eye and fell onto Nemu's chest.

...

Hospital.

"Do you mind waiting a bit?"

Constantine pushed open the car door and said to Lod, "Once we go in, we probably won't have any time left, so I want to enjoy one last cigarette."

"I don't mind," Lod said in a calm tone with his eyes fixed on the hospital's white walls.

"Thanks."

Constantine leaned against the car door and pulled out a cigarette from a pack. He handed it to Lod and smiled. "Want one? It's my favorite. The taste is great."

"I don't smoke," Lod declined, shaking his head.

"Good. At least you don't have to worry about lung cancer and dying from sighing too much," Constantine chuckled self-deprecatingly. He put a cigarette in his mouth, pulled out a Zippo lighter from his coat pocket, and lit it with a sharp flick.

Sizzle~

Holding the cigarette between his fingers, Constantine took a deep drag.

Almost a third of the cigarette vanished instantly.

He exhaled slowly and savored the fleeting pleasure of nicotine as wisps of white smoke curled upward.

"Do you think… we'll make it out alive?" Constantine's deep-set eyes carried a hint of ambiguity, as if alluding to something.

"I don't know," Lod answered simply, shaking his head.

"Cheh~" Constantine clicked his tongue, visibly annoyed. "How utterly uninspiring. Isn't this the moment to say something proper motivational, like 'We're definitely going to win'?"

Lod glanced at him and said seriously, "Reality isn't a fairy tale. Heroes don't always slay dragons."

"Well said."

Constantine grinned, tossing the cigarette butt to the ground and grinding it out under his shoe. "If we survive this, I'll carve that quote on my bloody grave."

With that, he retrieved a suitcase and a massive, exaggerated golden shotgun from the car.

The Holy Shotgun.

Its barrel was inscribed with prayers from the Bible, blessed by a bishop, and adorned with a crucifix. The ammunition cylinder resembled a large revolver drum, loaded with bullets filled with high-purity holy water and engraved with crucifix symbols.

This uniquely styled weapon was forged in the 15th century by an Italian craftsman using gold from a Catholic church. It was commissioned by the Roman Catholic Church to exorcise demons.

Although the Holy Shotgun's range was limited to a few meters, its damage to demons was immense.

Gunpowder + Faith = Physical Exorcism.

'Times have changed, my friend!' Constantine firmly believed that no half-blood demon could withstand a single shot from the Holy Shotgun.

And if one could? He'd simply fire again.

Besides that, his suitcase was filled with various tools: Screech Beetles, Holy Water Ampoules, Moses' Cloth Fragments.

The first set was for dealing with the lesser demons gathering at the church hospital, awaiting Mammon's birth.

"Let's move out!"

Constantine led the way, gripping the Holy Shotgun in his right hand and wrapping Moses' Cloth around his left. His pockets were stuffed with half a dozen Holy Water Ampoules.

The two entered the church hospital through the main doors. Inside, the building was eerily empty.

"Looks like those bastards are on the top floor," Constantine speculated. Since water was an essential medium, Mammon likely chose a pool as the site of his descent.

Why a pool? Because a demon king has standards.

A Hell Lord wouldn't crawl out of a toilet bowl, right?

"Let's take the stairs." Constantine turned to Lod. Taking the elevator was risky; if something went wrong, they'd be facing mechanical problems instead of demons. And Newton wouldn't be able to help Constantine solve those.

"Wait…"

Lod frowned slightly, turning his gaze to the far end of the corridor. "Looks like they've set up some surprises for us. Leaving won't be so easy."

Crackle~

The hospital's ceiling lights flickered, and a horrifying gnashing sound echoed from the hallway's depths.

Then, a skinned, humanoid demon crawled along the ceiling toward them, emitting a spine-chilling sound akin to a baby's wail.

"That's… a Deformed Infant Demon?"

Constantine's eyes widened a little. "A pure-blooded Hell demon?"

The Deformed Infant Demon originated in the Noahic era. It was said to be created by an evil sorcerer who broke and twisted the limbs of six-month-old infants, inflicting immense pain and suffering. These atrocities birthed this horrifying demon.

Unlike half-blood demons, the Deformed Infant Demon was a pure-blooded Hell demon.

"So, even the Sorcerer Supreme isn't omniscient," Lod remarked calmly.

"Heh." Constantine's lips twitched, he replied to Lod's remark, "Well, it's normal." Suddenly, he recalled something and hurriedly chanted:

"Ab insidiis diaboli, libera nos, Domine. 

Ut Ecclesiam tuam secura tibi facias 

libertate servire, te rogamus, audi nos. 

Ut inimictae Ecclesiae humiliare digneris, 

te rogamus, audi nos."

This Latin exorcism prayer revealed all traps to his eyes.

"Just as I thought!"

Constantine's eyes glowed gold as he gravely explained, "Every wall in this hospital is inscribed with symbols Gabriel personally crafted, forming a massive magic array that isolates this place from external detection!"

Lod stepped forward without looking back. "You head to the top floor. I'll handle this one."

"Got it!"

Knowing Lod's strength, Constantine didn't hesitate to turn and leave. Now wasn't the time for hesitation; stopping Mammon's descent was the priority—even at the cost of sacrificing allies or himself.

"Now... we can play properly," Lod muttered, his eyes glinting coldly as he approached the Deformed Infant Demon.

---

Bang!

Reaching the top floor, Constantine paused briefly before kicking open the door. Inside, he found a crowd of people packed tightly together.

All of them, regardless of age or gender, wore devout expressions, their gazes fixed on a door at the far end of the room.

There was no doubt.

Every human in the hospital had been possessed by these damned demons.

The sound of the door slamming open drew the demons' attention. They turned with their blood-red eyes filled with savagery and bloodlust.

"Constantine…"

Their cruel smiles suggested they were eager to devour him alive.

But this was Constantine.

He'd seen it all. A mere group of demons was nothing to him.

"Let the party begin!"

Constantine grinned, hurling all his Holy Water Ampoules into the crowd. "This is the Lord's blessing. Enjoy it, you bastards!"

Crack!

The Ampoules exploded and sprayed high-purity holy water across the faces of the demons.

Blessed by the Bishop, this holy water acted like a potent acid on the demons, corroding their skin and making them appear even more grotesque and terrifying.

"Ah—!" The demons howled in agony, their crimson eyes gleaming with fury as they charged at him in waves.

"Now! It's time to taste my big gun!" Constantine raised the holy shotgun in his hands and aimed at the nearest demon, and pulled the trigger.

Bang!

Flames erupted from the golden cross-shaped barrel as a golden bullet roared forth.

The divine power within the bullet exploded on contact and obliterated the hybrid demon into fragments instantly.

"Kill him!"

Demons surged from all directions and attacked Constantine.

But he stayed calm, adjusted his aim, and prioritized the targets that were closest to him.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The holy shotgun roared continuously. Golden bullets pierced through the air, imbued with concentrated divine power and torn through demons, reducing them to shattered remains.

Click.

Soon, the shotgun's clip became empty. The demons grinned hideously as they realized that fact.

"Hahaha, he's out of bullets! Get him!" a voice came from nowhere, and nobody could pinpoint which demon said it, but some demon initiated the charge, and the others followed like mad nonetheless.

Constantine smirked and retrieved another clip from under his coat, reloading. He pointed the holy shotgun at the first charging demon and, with a laugh that seemed to come straight from the devil, said, "Next time, don't believe a man's lies."

Bang!

A new round of slaughter began.

One shot per demon, Constantine forced dozens of demons into retreat by himself.

With two clips containing 24 bullets, he took down 24 demons.

Yet, over 40 demons remained.

"Constantine, out of ammo this time?" a female demon asked cautiously.

"Darling, peeking into someone's privacy is rude. You should change that habit." Constantine admitted he had no bullets left with surprising ease, tossing the shotgun aside.

"Kill him!"

This time, the demons were certain Constantine was unarmed.

"You guys are such trouble children, like I told you before..." Constantine smiled radiantly at the charging demons. "Never trust a man's words so easily!"

Clink!

A metallic sound rang out as Constantine flipped open a Zippo lighter.

Under the gaze of the demons, he lit the flame and pressed it against his left hand wrapped in cloth.

"Never tried this before... But no time like the present!" He raised his burning hand and shouted theatrically, "This is the power of the holy light sealed in my right hand."

Buzz!

In an instant, his left hand emitted an intense and dazzling light.

The blinding brilliance cut through darkness and illuminated every corner of the room. The divine power was so concentrated it nearly that of an low class angel.

The light left no hiding place for the demons.

It is said Moses, chosen by God, brought the Ten Plagues upon Egypt, freed the suffering Israelites, and climbed Mount Sinai where he received the famous Ten Commandments.

The cloth in Constantine's hand was part of Moses' garment during his ascent.

Ironically, Constantine couldn't fathom why Moses wore sulfur-coated clothing for such a journey. Yet, the effect was extraordinary.

"Ahhh—!"

Under the piercing light, demons screamed in despair. Their skin cracked, dried, and revealed decaying, foul-smelling flesh beneath.

And like before, every demons were reduced to dust under the holy radiance.

A single burst wiped out nearly all demons.

The last two demons were clever and hid behind tables or obstacles and narrowly escaped their annihilation.

"Kill him! He's out of weapons now!"

The remaining demons caught their breath and charged.

Naive...

Who said exorcists only chant spells?

Constantine slipped on a golden cross-engraved knuckle duster and delivered a straight punch to a demon's face.

Thud!

The demon's head collided with the golden knuckle and shattered like a watermelon before turning to ash.

At that moment, another demon closed in.

Crack!

A powerful hand seized Constantine's throat and hurtled him against the wall with force.

The hospital chandelier swayed as paintings fell from the walls. Constantine groaned in pain, feeling as if his organs were displaced.

"Die!"

The last demon's eyes burned red as blade-like bones extended from its arms, slashing toward Constantine's neck.

Whoosh!

The blade sliced through the air with a menacing and hum. Constantine's heart pounded really fast.

At the critical moment, Constantine pulled out a matchbox and shook it vigorously.

Inside were shrieking beetles, whose noise was harmless to humans but unbearable for demons.

Creak! Creak! Creak!

The beetles' eerie sound caused the demon to clutch its head, as if swarmed by bees.

Seizing the opportunity, Constantine lit his Zippo and tossed it at the demon.

After all, carrying a Zippo engraved with a Bible and cross seemed reasonable for an exorcist.

"Let the holy flame cleanse all evil!"

"May the Lord's glory shine upon the earth!"

"Amen!"

The flame engulfed the demon.

Under the holy fire's purification, the demon screamed in agony as its flesh and bones burned away, leaving only black ashes.

"Haah... haah..." 

Utterly exhausted, Constantine slumped against the wall and slowly slid to the floor. His disheveled blond hair and sweat-soaked white shirt painted a picture of someone pushed to their limits. 

Though the battle had lasted mere minutes, the toll it had taken on his body was immense. He was nearing his breaking point. 

But there was no time to rest. 

From behind the final door leading to the hospital pool, Constantine could sense an immense surge of magical energy being unleashed. It was the ritual—Mamon's descent was imminent. 

Using the wall as support, he dragged himself to his feet with great effort. 

His trembling hand reached into the inner pocket of his trench coat and retrieved a small vial of holy water. 

It was his habit to always keep some tools tucked away, but he only resorted to using them in the most dire of situations. This holy water was crafted by his late friend Beeman, and is one of his prized possessions. Beyond weakening demons, it could be consumed to restore a small measure of his strength and heal minor injuries.

"Goodbye, Beeman," Constantine whispered, a hint of sadness in his voice. He twisted the cap off the vial and downed its contents in one gulp. 

The icy liquid coursed down his throat, spreading a comforting warmth throughout his battered body. His exhaustion began to fade, and even his aching organs seemed to recover some vitality. 

... 

Bam! 

The last door to the pool burst open as Constantine stepped through, his gaze locking onto the woman floating lifelessly in the water. 

"Angela?!" Without hesitation, he dove into the pool, swimming toward her. 

Up close, Angela's condition was dire. Her skin had turned a ghastly shade of gray, her eyes were shut tight, and there was no sign of breath or heartbeat. She looked like a corpse. 

"Dammit... the descent ritual has started!" he muttered grimly, knowing he had to act fast. He pulled Angela toward the edge of the pool with all his strength. 

Dragging her onto the poolside, Constantine barely had a moment to catch his breath when Angela's stomach began to swell unnaturally. 

Her abdomen stretched grotesquely, the skin becoming almost translucent, revealing a twisted, snarling face and clawed hands pressing against it from within. The entity inside her was ready to tear its way into the world. 

The ritual was nearly complete. 

Mamon had possessed Angela's body, but the rules of the realms prevented him from fully manifesting. The final step required the use of the Spear of Longinus, to tear open Angela's stomach and bring the Hell Lord into the human world. 

Constantine knew where the spear was—Gabriel had it. But the angel's absence left him with no time to ponder. 

"Damn it!" Constantine straddled Angela, one hand pressing down on her grotesquely swollen stomach, the other gripping her neck. 

Angela's lifeless eyes shot open, revealing pale, iris-less orbs. She stared at him with a chilling smile and hissed, "You cannot stop me, Constantine!" 

"Let's see about that," Constantine shot back, and began reciting an exorcism: 

"Lord, deliver us from the traps of the wicked!" 

"In Your name, let this evil disperse!" 

"Release the living and the dead!" 

"Creator of all, cast this fiend back into hell!" 

"May Your kingdom remain untainted by their filth!" 

Angela's face twisted in agony, veins bulging as she let out an ear-piercing scream. She writhed under Constantine's grip, struggling to break free. 

"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I command you: return to hell!" Constantine roared and quicked the pace of his chant. 

But instead of retreating, Angela's lips curled into a mocking grin. 

"You're wasting your breath," she smiled widely. "My cries sounded convincing, didn't they? Did you enjoy the show?" 

Before Constantine could respond, a surge of power exploded from Angela's body, slamming him into the ceiling before he crashed back to the ground with a sickening thud. 

"Urgh!" 

Blood spurted from Constantine's mouth as pain wracked his body. 

Angela stood over him with her voice dripping with malice. "How does despair taste, Constantine?" 

"GABRIEL!" Constantine roared. He realized why his exorcism had failed. Angela's body had been blessed by the angel, making her an impenetrable vessel for Mamon. 

"That's right," Angela said while laughing eerily. "You can't defeat me." 

"Then how about me?" 

A cold voice cut through the air, drawing both their gazes to its source. 

A figure clad in a black uniform descended through the shattered skylight. The man tossed something toward Mamon with a casual motion. 

It rolled across the polished floor—a severed demon's head.

"It's you..." Mammon's voice suddenly turned ecstatic. "You've delivered yourself to me! Such great fortune I have. Hahaha." 

Lod couldn't be bothered with idle talk. Instead, he channeled his Reiryoku to his fingertips and unleashed four binding spells in quick succession: 

"Bakudō #1: Sai!" 

"Bakudō #4: Hainawa!" 

"Bakudō #9: Geki!" 

"Bakudō #30: Shitotsu Sansen!" 

Angela's—aka Mammon's—arms were instantly forced behind his back by an invisible force, and two Reishi ropes materialized, tightly binding him. 

Finally, three massive light-beam spikes struck Mammon and pinned his body firmly to the wall behind him. 

Despite being immobilized, Mammon didn't show a shred of panic. Instead, his face carried a mocking smile. "If this is all you've got, it won't hold me for long." 

"I know. That's why I'm not done yet." 

Lod's eyes glinted as he began reciting another incantation: "Carriage of thunder, bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six." 

"Bakudō #61: Rikujōkōrō!" 

A pure white light shot from Lod's fingers, splitting into six thin beams that arranged themselves into a hexagonal shape, locking Mammon in place once more. 

"That's cool!" 

Constantine looked at Lod's exorcism techniques—brilliant lights, radiant bindings, incredible effects—and compared them to his own spells. The difference was like night and day. "Lod, teach me those when we get out of here... please." 

"This is Kidō," Lod replied flatly. "If you're interested, I'll teach you later." 

"Deal!" Constantine grinned. 

Lod raised his arm and pointed the tip of his Zanpakutō directly at Mammon. "Well, now stopping you is simple. All I have to do is kill this human. Without her, you can't manifest in this world, right?" 

"Hahahaha..." 

Mammon laughed, utterly unbothered. "You're absolutely right. Killing this body would stop me. But the question is... can you actually kill her?" 

"Unfortunately for you, in this hospital, you can't kill this human no matter what you try!" 

The hospital was imbued with magic spells laid down by Gabriel. Not only did these spells block external detection, but they also protected Mammon's body from all exorcism techniques. 

With Gabriel ensuring the plan's success, she wouldn't let anything disrupt their scheme. 

For Mammon, working with an angel like Gabriel was a first. Surprisingly, it wasn't a bad experience. 

The best part? Watching Constantine's face twist in disbelief and despair gave Mammon a sick sense of satisfaction. 

"Want to test me?" Lod's cold eyes narrowed, and an overwhelming malice filled the room. 

His oppressive Reiatsu surged. The water in the nearby pool began bubbling violently, tiles on the floor cracked under the pressure, and the room seemed ready to collapse. 

"You're seriously going to kill Angela?" Constantine asked. 

"What else?" Lod said. "To save innocent lives, sacrifices are necessary. Isn't that the creed you've always followed?" 

"..." Constantine's face turned bitter. For a moment, he was speechless.

As a seasoned exorcist, he knew the truth: killing Angela would stop Mammon's descent.

Ultimately, "Okay..." After a second of thought, Constantine nodded. 

Lod was right—Constantine wasn't softhearted. His unwavering belief had always been that sacrifices were sometimes necessary for the greater good... And he believed himself to have the blackest of hearts that even an Outer God couldn't compare to...

Constantine suddenly froze and looked upward. "Gabriel..." 

Lod smirked and looked upward as well. "You've been watching for a while now. Are you finally going to show yourself, Gabriel?"

White feathers floated gently through the air. 

The real boss had arrived! 

A tall, beautiful blonde woman descended amidst radiant light. Behind her were two pure white wings, and her bare feet touched nothing but air. She radiated an aura of nobility and purity, making everything in the room pale in comparison. 

What stood out most were her golden eyes, devoid of any unnecessary emotion. 

"You've truly fallen, Gabriel!" Constantine said as he looked at her with pity in his eyes. 

"You're mistaken, Constantine." 

Gabriel's tone was calm. "The corrupted ones are not me but this filthy, unworthy world." 

Constantine took out a cigarette and lit it. He took a drag and asked, "Then why ally with Mammon?" 

"To fulfill my duty—to deliver a new revelation and test to foolish humanity," Gabriel said, her serene expression unwavering. 

"You call this revelation? Handing the world over to Hell?" Constantine retorted. 

"Exactly." 

Gabriel's gaze bore into him as she explained, "Our Father is far too lenient with humanity. No matter the sins committed, so long as they repent, they are forgiven and welcomed into Heaven." 

"Of all the worlds in the vast cosmos, only humanity boasts such privilege. But it is unfair... Constantine." 

"If God loves humanity so much, then I will make humanity worthy of His love." 

Constantine took another drag and looked at her with a piercing look. "And your solution is to hand the world to Hell?" 

"Precisely." 

Gabriel's calm demeanor remained as she delivered her words. "I will not allow humanity, such lowly creatures, to squander the mercy and compassion our Father bestows upon them." 

"So I've brought forth a new revelation. Only those who endure the trials will be worthy of His forgiveness and love." 

Gabriel's reasoning was straightforward. She believed it was too easy for humans to enter Heaven just by repenting their sins. They didn't deserve God's love and care without proving themselves. 

By allying with Mammon to unleash Hell upon Earth, she aimed to forge greatness through destruction and death. Only the truly selfless, those willing to sacrifice for others, would ascend to Heaven. 

It was a chilling logic. 

Even Constantine found it disturbingly familiar. 

"So you want to make the world follow the Rule of the Jungle, where the strong rule and go to heaven, and the weak to hell..."

Constantine sighed and asked her a direct question, "What gives you the right to decide who is noble or not?" 

"Because I am Gabriel," she replied, her tone as cold as ice. "It is my divine duty to guide humanity's future, but their despicable nature has shown me they must be corrected!" 

"Well, you angels are always like this." Constantine sighed again and took a step back. 

Lod stepped forward, his Zanpakutō gleaming in his hand as he pointed it at Gabriel. "There's no point debating right and wrong. Whoever survives this will determine the truth, won't they?" 

"And who are you?" Gabriel's golden eyes narrowed as she scrutinized Lod. "You're neither human nor demon. Who... or what are you?" 

During their previous encounter, Gabriel didn't care about Lod's true nature while he was in his gigai. But now, seeing him in his spiritual form, she felt something entirely different—a being made of death energy. 

Lod had no intention of answering. Explaining one's abilities to an opponent was sheer idiocy. 

He wasn't about to become another casualty of overconfidence. 

Silently, Lod focused his gaze on Gabriel's wings—the key to his mission. If he could sever her Seraphim wings, the feather embedded in Nemu's chest would lose its power. 

Gabriel noticed his intent and frowned in displeasure. "It seems I'll have to teach you a lesson to make you understand how foolish it is to defy me." 

Her pure white wings spread wide as she floated into the air. Her golden eyes glowed brilliantly as she declared, "Humanity's path to salvation begins now." 

… 

Constantine took a final drag of the cigarette and looked at Lod. "Can you defeat her?"

"No," Lod replied calmly. "But I will try."

"If I get defeated, the one who can defeat her is you."

"..." He only looked at Lod and said nothing.

Lod's gaze bore into Constantine as he said firmly, "You already know how."

"The choice is yours," Lod said softly. "I won't force you, but I can make you a promise."

"What promise?" Constantine asked.

"I'll bring you back from Hell," Lod said with a faint smile. "That's my promise to you."

"Heh, don't make promises you can't keep. It looks bad for your image, Mr. Soul Reaper." Constantine joked as he smiled.

"You decide. I won't force you." 

Lod's gaze was calm, and his tone carried no coercion, though his true intentions were anyone's guess.

Lod withdrew his gaze, turning back to Gabriel. He said, "I'll buy you some time. I hope you make the right choice and don't let me down, Constantine." 

Their conversation lasted only a few seconds. 

Though Gabriel overheard their exchange, she couldn't decipher their cryptic hints. She merely smirked mockingly at them. 

"You still won't give up? Do you really think you can stop me?" Gabriel remarked. 

"Let's find out." 

Lod took a deep breath. The moment his words fell, Lod's reiatsu skyrocketed like a rocket and white lightning crackled around him. 

Shunkō!

Using Shunkō twice in a single week put immense strain on the soul, but Lod had no choice. 

The opponent was Gabriel. 

There was no room for hesitation—he had to go all out from the start! 

"Bankai—Daiguren Hyōrinmaru!" 

An ice dragon coiled around him and formed his armor, and twelve frozen petals bloomed, Which pushed Lod's reiatsu to its peak. 

Performing Bankai twice drained almost all his reiatsu in an instant. 

But it still wasn't enough. 

To confront Gabriel, he needed more power! 

Taking a deep breath, Lod pulled out one of his trump cards. 

[Reiatsu Amplification Device

Description: Developed by the Soul Society's Research and Development Institute under Mayuri Kurotsuchi. This device greatly amplifies reiatsu but comes with significant side effects, including three days of complete exhaustion post-use. 

Cost: 5 medium-sized souls.]

This was one of the items sold in the system's special store. Lod had specifically exchanged for it in preparation for Gabriel. 

Though the cost of five medium-sized souls pained him, the reliability of the system's products gave him confidence. Surely, the device wouldn't disappoint! 

Lod exhaled and pressed the device against his chest.

Boom! 

The moment the device touched his skin, searing pain tore through his soul, and his reiatsu surged exponentially! 

A visible whirlwind of reiatsu exploded around Lod, shaking the hospital building to its foundations.

Gabriel stomped her foot, her holy power enveloping the structure to prevent its collapse. 

'So this is...' Feeling the overwhelming energy coursing through him, Lod muttered in his mind, 'What Captain-level feels like?'

The device's effect was incredible. It had elevated his reiatsu from a mere seated officer's level to that of a captain! 

Now, Lod finally had the strength to face Gabriel head-on. 

A flicker of seriousness crossed Gabriel's eyes. 

If Lod hadn't warranted her attention earlier, he certainly did now. 

Pure and radiant holy light poured out from Gabriel.

She exuded a divine pressure that was nearly suffocating. 

With her power surging like an unending ocean, the battle was about to begin!

...

A thick, dark cloud suddenly gathered over the hospital. Gabriel had already set up a magic array beforehand, its range encompassing the area around the hospital and separating the space into a replicated dimension. 

If Gabriel and Lod were to fight at full strength, the city might have been destroyed, and the resulting devastation to Los Angeles would have caused a global uproar. 

Violent reiatsu erupted and shattered the replicated clouds with lightning bolts, accompanied by thunderous roars that echoed across the sky.

Lod stood with his lightsaber in hand, silver hair flowing as his blue eyes glimmered. Surrounding him, the surging Reiatsu materialized into a fierce gale.

Sensing the sudden surge of pressure, Gabriel's golden eyes narrowed. Six radiant wings unfolded behind her which burned with divine flames of holy power. 

The frost dragon and six-winged angel clashed in sheer presence alone, creating unprecedented phenomena. On the sidelines, Constantine was fiddling with his lighter and trying to light another one of his cigarettes, but ultimately failing because of the spectacle.

"This battlefield isn't suitable for us," Gabriel said, as she glanced at Lod before she lightly tapped the ground with her bare toes. Her six wings fluttered gently. 

Whoosh! 

Gabriel's figure turned into a streak of light, and she soared hundreds of meters into the air. 

Her six wings unfolded majestically as she looked down at Lod, and her golden eyes silently signaled him to follow. 

"Fight me up here. Don't destroy the hospital." 

Until Mammon's descent into the human world was complete, the hospital couldn't be compromised. The magic formation creating the dimension around the hospital would collapse otherwise, and the Sorcerer Supreme would immediately sense their plans. 

With the Eye of Agamotto and the Three Sanctuaries in place, few things on Earth could escape that sorcerer's notice—especially at such a critical moment. Gabriel wasn't willing to risk complications. 

Lod sighed softly, knowing that destroying the hospital could have been an option. Unfortunately, he had already tested it while fighting the infant demon. 

The hospital had a structure far sturdier than expected, since it was blessed by Gabriel's holy power. Even the unleashed power of his Shinso couldn't effectively damage it. 

Unless the hospital's core structure was broken, the magic formation's shielding effect wouldn't vanish. Gabriel had accounted for everything. 

Taking a deep breath, Lod turned to Constantine and nodded.

"You try to take care of Mammon, and if I lose, you know what to do."

Constantine nodded back, and turned around, looked at the floating Mammon, and said with an evil smirk, "Hey, Mammon, is it true that you suck off other Hell Lords to keep your position?"

---

Lod's ice wings unfurled as he launched himself hundreds of meters into the air. 

"Let's start," Gabriel said with faint impatience, as she gripped the air with one hand. 

Hum! 

A dazzling burst of divine light lit up the night sky, resembling a sun. The radiating holy power distorted the space around her. 

"Face God's judgment!"

Gabriel's cold voice rang out as the radiant light compressed and condensed into a massive, pure-white sword.

'Huh, a lightsaber!' Lod exclaimed involuntarily. 

Burning faint golden flames adorned the sword's surface, and it emanated an aura of terrifying power, for this golden flame represented God's divine authority. 

'I want it,' was his immediate reaction after seeing the sword made of light instead of feeling fear. 

'But first, let's cut those wings of hers,' he thought as he got ready and took a sword stance on the rooftop of the hospital. 

There was no room for even a single moment of carelessness, for constant vigilance was required, and he knew she could possibly decapitate him in an instant if she went all out from the start. 

Gabriel's six wings vibrated slightly as the surrounding space shattered like glass as her figure vanished. 

In the next instant, she appeared directly before him. The pure-white sword came crashing down.

He managed to raise his Hyōrinmaru to meet the descending sword in a diagonal clash. 

Clang! 

The collision of the two blades produced a deafening screech. Visible shockwaves spread from the clash, which sliced through the air.

Even from a single exchange, Lod's hand shook from the struggle. Suddenly, one of his blood veins tore apart, leaving cracks on his palm.

Gabriel's expression shifted slightly, she was surprised that Lod had withstood her attack. 

"Hyōryū Senbi" (Ice Dragon Swirling Tail!) 

Lod slid his blade along the pure-white sword while using the momentum to attack her point blank.

"You're controlling ice?" Gabriel floated back and said mockingly as she faced the incoming crescent shaped slash. "Well, bad luck for you. Among the Seraphim, my domain is water."

Gabriel raised her hand, and the crescent-shaped slash stopped mid-air. 

"You're an amusing little creature..." Gabriel smirked with sarcasm in her tone. "It seems our compatibility is poor. Your power is entirely under my control. How do you plan to defeat me now?" 

'Yeah, give me more of those juicy details instead of sneak attacking me with them,' he mockingly joked in his mind as he shook away the frozen blood on the hilt. 

He had forgotten about the Four Seraphim having elemental attributes! 

According to Revelations, Gabriel, known as the Left Hand of God, was a Seraphim overseeing serpents and the Cherubim, delivering God's messages to humanity. It was said she would blow the horn to signify the Apocalypse upon Jesus' return. 

Additionally, in mysticism and astrology, Gabriel was associated with the star Fomalhaut and was granted dominion over Water by God. Michael was given dominion over Fire. 

This wasn't just bad compatibility—it was drawing the worst possible card! 

Hyorinmaru's ability was to manipulate atmospheric water molecules to create ice, but Gabriel's dominion was an outright concept of Water! 

In a sense, Gabriel's divine power possibly eclipsed his current sealed Hyorinmaru. 

"Water." 

Gabriel spoke softly. Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable will. 

The single word reverberated through the area as though all creation bowed to her command. 

Splash! 

The crescent-shaped slash was instantly reverted to water, its molecular structure altered by Gabriel's divine will. A massive tidal wave rose as it rushed toward Lod. 

Shunpo! 

Lod immediately retreated and slashed Hyorinmaru through the air. 

The surrounding moisture was quickly drawn away, forming a massive ice wall to block the wave and buy him time to escape. 

But the ice wall shattered effortlessly before the tidal wave's might, which surged toward Lod with undiminished force. 

Boom! 

The towering wave engulfed the sky like a collapsing dam and crashed down with earth-shattering momentum. 

The water surged in all directions and encircled him. Its sheer pressure distorted the surrounding dimensional space visibly. 

If retreat was impossible, then....

"Gabriel, you really talk too much—not that I'm saying you should stop talking... Okay, who am I kidding? I'm getting really annoyed at your incessant chatter..." Lod said as he halted his retreat and gripped Hyorinmaru tightly. 'You know, in any media, I've never seen someone shut up after they're told to.' 

"Also, counteraction is relative!" 

Water and ice are both elements, differing only in state. 

If Gabriel could command water to dissolve the ice, Lod could reverse the process, freezing the water again. 

Hyorinmaru... the strongest ice Zanpakutō! 

Lod's Reiatsu surged, stirring a violent gale around him. 

Swish! 

With frost-covered wings, Lod transformed into a streak of ice and charged directly at the tidal wave. 

"Ryūsenka!" (Dragon Hail Cross) 

"Hmph..." 

Gabriel looked down from above, golden eyes glinting with disdain. "You dare to tell me what to do and try to freeze the waters I command?" 

Crack! 

The towering wave froze instantly upon contact with Hyorinmaru.

Seeing this, her eyes widened, and she angrily growled. "Blasphemy against the divine... You deserve to die this instant!" 

She would make this thing understand the chasm between death and divinity. 

Boom! 

The heavens roared with storms and lightning as Gabriel ascended with as much power as her body could handle. She became a radiant meteor descending from the sky. 

In an instant, she was before Lod, raising her lightsaber and slashing down with divine might. 

This strike embodied divine judgment of time. It froze time and space momentarily, ensnaring all existence in a state of suspension. 

'Fuck, she's going all out,' Lod's pupils contracted as a chilling sense of dread washed over him, and his intuition screamed that taking this hit meant certain death.

Lod defied his intuition and raised Hyorinmaru to block the blow. 

Clang! 

The clash of the divine lightsaber and the Zanpakutō sent shockwaves rippling outward, and thunderous echoes resounded across the replicated dimension. 

With a cracking sound, his right hand broke, but the broken arm barely kept the sword from cutting him in half.

"You managed to block my strike. I commend you." Gabriel's eyes narrowed as her lips curled into a mocking smile. "But what will you use to block my next attack?" 

'I love when villains do that,' Lod's expression shifted slightly as he joked in his mind.

While maintaining the downward pressure of her sword with her right hand, she clenched her left fist tightly. Holy light coiled around her fist as she swung it straight at him! 

At that moment, Lod made a decisive move. 

Ice wings enveloped him entirely, layering his body with reinforced ice armor to forcibly withstand Gabriel's punch! 

With just one strike, Gabriel shattered the ice wings protecting Lod with ease! 

Her overwhelming strength tore through the surrounding air and instantly obliterated the ice armor shielding him! 

Boom!!! 

An earth-shattering explosion echoed as tangible, violent energy rippled in all directions. The resultant whirlwind swept through nearly a kilometer in all directions! 

Lod fell like a meteor with his body tearing through the pitch-black night sky and crashed heavily onto the replicated street below! 

Boom! 

The devastating impact shattered the ground instantly, creating a massive crater tens of meters in diameter! 

The shockwaves were visible to the naked eye, hurling tons of dirt and debris into the sky.

After the dust and noise settled, Gabriel's golden eyes gleamed faintly. Her gaze pierced through the thick clouds of smoke and found him at the bottom of the crater. 

After waiting a few minutes to confirm that Lod could no longer rise, Gabriel finally relaxed. 

A trace of disdain crossed Gabriel's face as she declared, "Ignorant thing, this is the difference between you and an angel!" 

Just as Gabriel was about to leave, a sudden alarm bell rang in her mind. A wave of danger surged through her being! 

Shing! 

Gabriel's six radiant wings flapped, which pushed her sideways just in time. 

Boom! 

A streak of azure light pierced through the air! 

The beam barely grazed one of Gabriel's wings. The streak of azure light eventually exploded within the clouds. 

Gabriel whipped around to face the source of the attack. 

It was Lod! 

Not only was he alive, but the shattered ice armor from her earlier strike had fully regenerated! 

"Sigh, why do people always do that? Did I ever do that? I forgot." He said as he threw away an injection.

Gabriel's golden eyes flickered slightly as she scowled. "What are you even talking about? Did you finally go mad from my attack?" 

Lod emerged unscathed and said, his voice calm, "Well, underestimating an opponent thing. And saying that it's over and getting shot at the back." 

"You... you're still alive?" 

"Hyōrinmaru... is the strongest conceptual weapon of the ice element." 

"Hmph, is that so?" 

A faint smirk played on Lod's lips as he said nonchalantly, "Well, that's all you need to know, I guess." 

Gabriel held her lightsaber, its blade tilted toward the ground. She replied coldly, "So your sword regenerates, even if it does, what of it? I'll just break it again!" 

"Feel free to try." Lod's tone was light. 

Gabriel's sharp gaze fell on the petals hovering behind Lod. "Those petals must represent your remaining time, don't they?" 

From the start, Gabriel had noticed the ice petals floating behind Lod. 

They were far too conspicuous. 

Who fights with twelve petals drifting behind them, especially as they wilt over time? 

It was blatantly obvious—a ticking clock for his power. 

The petals had dwindled from twelve to six. Gabriel deduced that his power would vanish entirely once all twelve petals wilted. 

"Is that so?" A peculiar smile tugged at Lod's lips. "Believe what you will, but know this, my true power will be unleashed when the petals are wilted." 

The true Bankai of Hyōrinmaru doesn't have ice petals. 

However, Lod's Bankai was incomplete, similar to Hitsugaya's back then. This limitation resulted in the twelve ice petals' time constraint. But it didn't stop him from bluffing Gabriel. 

Unfortunately... 

Gabriel seemed to have seen through his lie and replied, "Truth or bluff, I just need to wait a little longer to find out." 

Lod only smiled. 

Suddenly, Gabriel froze briefly, then realized she'd been deceived! 

From the start, Lod had been stalling for time! 

He slowly raised his Zanpakutō, blue Reiatsu surging forth and dyeing the blade an arctic hue. "Well, it wasn't nice knowing you... Goodbye." 

Buzz!!! 

The surrounding temperature plummeted instantly! 

An indescribable, chilling Reiatsu filled the area. Within a kilometer radius of Lod's presence, everything other than the Hospital became encrusted with visible frost. 

His gaze shimmered as he turned Hyōrinmaru horizontally and uttered two words: 

"Sennen Hyōrō!" (Thousand Years' Ice Prison) 

All water elements within several kilometers were forcefully extracted! 

Crack! Crack! Crack! 

Water vapor froze rapidly, forming massive ice pillars hundreds of meters tall. These emitted an overwhelming chill and encircled Gabriel entirely! 

Gabriel glared furiously and attempted to manipulate the ice pillars back into water. "Don't forget, I control water!" 

But... 

Instead of reverting to water, the ice pillars absorbed even the concept of water and created additional towering frozen structures! 

The entire sky was now filled with over a hundred ice pillars, which formed an unyielding cage around Gabriel and left no room for escape! 

Lod's Reiatsu surged, and the ice pillars closed in. 

Boom! 

Gabriel was finally trapped within the Sennen Hyōrō!

Crack!

Inside the prison, Gabriel's six wings emitted a dazzling holy radiance, with her power surging like a storm, which relentlessly pounded against the ice layers sealing her in.

Crack! Crack!

Cracks spread across the surface of the ice prison, accompanied by snapping and popping sounds akin to firecrackers.

As Lod thought, this massive ice prison could only hold Gabriel for a short time. Judging by the current situation, she would break free within a minute.

But that was precisely what Lod needed!

All he required was a single minute, as his true trump card was Schrift: X-Axis.

So far, the only known failure of X-Axis was when Chthon managed to block it directly.

Could Gabriel block it?

Probably, in her real body at least. This one is a vessel for her to descend into the world of the living without breaking the treaty, but in this body, Lod estimated there was a high likelihood Gabriel couldn't withstand such a conceptual attack.

However, the reason he used the thousand-year ice prison to trap Gabriel first was due to a major weakness of X-Axis.

The power of X-Axis must be channeled into a beam of Reishi, but the beam's flight speed was relatively slow. For most, it wasn't fast enough to react to, but not for Gabriel.

If she had prior knowledge and deliberately dodged, his X-Axis would never hit.

But now...

Trapped in the ice prison, Gabriel had no room to dodge, which ensured X-Axis would hit its mark!

Clink!

He loosened his left hand, letting a silver cross-shaped medallion drop.

He smirked and channeled Reiatsu into the medallion, transforming it into a silver revolver.

He aimed the gun at Gabriel, drawing on every ounce of Reiatsu he had and injecting it into the weapon.

Hum!

The sky seemed to crack, countless tiny fissures forming around him as streams of blue Reishi poured out, flooding into the silver barrel and condensing into a terrifying energy.

Origin: The Adjudicator's barrel.

Target: The clouds behind Gabriel. 

Two points, one line, X-Axis!

"Large-Scale Heilig Pfeil!"

Lod pulled the trigger, and the Adjudicator's barrel roared. A massive blue arrow shot from the weapon and streak toward the ice prison like a meteor which illuminated the dark night sky.

Carrying the conceptual power of X-Axis, the arrow was unstoppable, it pierced through anything in its path.

"Great Father, grant me strength!"

Gabriel roared, her six wings radiating brilliant light and released immense heat and energy which shattered the ice prison that bound her.

But...

The massive arrow was already upon her. Forced to act in desperation, Gabriel brought two wings in front of her as a shield and slightly shifted her body's position.

Boom!

The beam pierced through the ice prison, its unstoppable power tearing through Gabriel's defensive wings and spilling golden blood into the sky.

The enormous beam shot through Gabriel's body, her scream echoing before the light vanished.

Rumble!

The thick cloud layer exploded and unleashed a deafening roar and a powerful shockwave across the tranquil night sky.

Gabriel now had her six holy wings marred. Two bore fist-sized holes, an unmistakable mark of defeat.

"She brought the wings in front of her body..." Lod sighed after seeing that she dodged. X-Axis hadn't missed its mark; it only pierced Gabriel's wings and shoulder.

"I'll kill you!!!" Gabriel's enraged scream reverberated.

---

Undefinable language appeared all over the sky and vanished an instant later.

---

Her Seraph wings were her source of power and status in heaven. To have them scarred by a mortal was an unforgivable humiliation!

Gabriel's six wings unfurled, transforming her into a dazzling comet of holy light. But this time, she did not care if this body survived her full power or not.

Boom!

In a flash, she appeared before him.

Shing!

The lightsaber fell. Blood erupted like a fountain.

A deep gash crossed his body from his left shoulder to his right waist, shattering his ice-forged armor and wings.

"You've lost," Gabriel's gaze burned with fury. "For a thing like you to force me to use my full strength."

Blood rained down as Lod's vision dimmed.

He looked back at the golden, blood-soaked Gabriel.

"No other choice..." Lod sighed as he cast his gaze toward Constantine below. Then he blinked in surprise. Half of the hospital had been blown to nothingness. He saw Constantine seemingly unconscious, lying a little distance away on the ground. "Gabriel, look at what happened to the hospital."

Gabriel turned to look at the hospital and gasped in surprise.

Using this moment, Lod threw his Adjudicator straight toward Constantine.

'Take it from here...'

'After all... you don't want me dead either, do you?' Before losing consciousness, Lod's lips barely moved as he silently prayed in his heart.

the Hollow within him was one with his soul. If he died here, the Hollow would perish as well.

Thus, it wouldn't allow its host to die.

---

A couple of minutes earlier... 

After hearing Constantine's taunt for the nth time, Mammon roared and released all of its strength in one burst, breaking Lod's Kidō. 

"Hmm, it must have been a secret then," Constantine retorted. He lit the fragment of Moses' cloth with his Zippo lighter and lunged forward, aiming a punch at Angela's stomach, where Mammon resided.

A flash of light stopped his punch—the ritual barrier. 

"Alright mate, plan B it is!" Constantine said, pulling out his remaining Screech Beetles. He tossed them around the pool, and their screeches filled the air. 

The noise irritated Mammon, who let out a furious roar through Angela's body. 

Mammon began to take full control and twisted Angela's body in unnatural ways. 

With a guttural roar, Angela's body dropped to all fours and charged at Constantine. 

Constantine bolted out of the pool room and muttered another spell. "Odorem tollere, corpus purgare, spiritus mundi, nos invoca. Fiat lux, fiat puritas, fiat odor nullus." 

This spell would remove any body odor that could be used to track him. 

Mammon's distorted limbs slammed against the tiled floor which echoed behind him. 

"Ugh, creepy," he quipped, after he glanced back at Angela's body, which was chasing him on all fours. 

The corridor stretched ahead. The walls were sterile white, lined with rows of doors that had small observation windows. Signs with room numbers and department names hung from the ceiling.

After running aimlessly, to throw Mammon off, he found a pathway leading downward. 

"Constantine! I will tear your limbs off and put them on display!" Mammon's angry scream echoed from the distance. 

Finally, he reached the hospital's bottom floor. The hallway branched into several paths, and Constantine darted to the right. 

He entered another room. It was a well-equipped examination area with a patient bed draped in clean white sheets. 

He closed his eyes, stopped his breathing, and slowed his heartbeat. He heard heavy footsteps thudding past the room and heading further down the hall. 

After hiding for a while, Constantine crept out and sprinted down the sterile corridor. He passed several doors labeled with department names—Radiology, Pediatrics, Emergency—and rounded a corner toward a staircase marked "Lower Levels." A sign above read, "Basement Access: Staff Only." 

Without hesitation, he pushed through the heavy double doors and descended the narrow staircase. 

At the bottom, Constantine pushed open the door labeled "Basement Level" and entered a wide hallway lined with steel doors. 

"Okay, now where?" he muttered as he glanced around. 

A sign on the wall pointed toward various sections: "Storage," "Maintenance," and "Morgue." He followed the arrow toward the morgue. 

He reached a reinforced metal door with the word "Morgue" painted on it. He grabbed the handle and pushed it open. 

In the center of the room, a massive ritual circle covered the tiled floor, drawn with Enochian symbols and sigils. 

"Typical," he muttered with a smirk. 

---

Constantine's eyes darted over the ritual circle. "Enochian, layered with demonic intent. Bloody clever." His gaze locked onto the central glyph—a sigil of Mammon intertwined with Enochian script. 

He stood and paced at the edge of the circle. "Gabriel's power is what's keeping it all together." 

His eyes narrowed. "There needs to be a physical medium anchoring the spell, which is Angela." 

Then his thoughts shifted. "I need to remove Gabriel's power, the real problem. I can't brute-force my way through it, not with this kind of purity. I need something stronger. Something... darker." 

His hand instinctively moved to his palm. "What's better than the filthiest blood humankind can produce?" Without another thought, he cut his finger and threw blood onto the circle. 

When his blood touched the circle, it started to glow even brighter—so bright that the Enochian language became visible to the naked eye all over the basement walls. 

"Ah. Shit..." 

He stepped back from the circle and turned to run toward the hallway entrance. 

As he reached the top door, everything around him exploded.

(Go to next chapter)