Cain clenched his teeth as he tasted blood on his tongue, forcing his trembling body back under control. The strike had been monstrous, a blow only an Alpha-Omega Overgod could deliver, yet it had not landed cleanly. Two of his crimson wings had folded protectively around his torso just before impact, sparing his core from shattering.

Even so, the pain was excruciating. Every nerve screamed, every breath burned. But the Neo-Demon knew pain was a luxury he could not afford. This battle could not drag on. His endurance could not match the divine vitality coursing through Bradly.

He had to end it now.

With a snarl, Cain launched forward like a comet, tearing through the void as Imperium surged to life. Reality twisted around him as he harnessed every fragment of cosmic power within reach. Crimson light streamed across his blade, growing ever brighter, the very air screaming under the pressure of his power.

Bradly was already moving. The Neo-Angel's aura flared in turquoise brilliance, wings of searing light fanning out behind him. He met Cain's charge head-on, their power colliding with such violence that the Red Forest itself groaned beneath the weight.

Bradley knew he could not match Cain's mastery over Divergence of Redirection. But his command of The Flow was profound enough to perceive the subtle ripples when such techniques were used. He would not fight against the current; he would move through it.

If one of his blows was diverted, he would endure the counter to land his own. Wound for wound, he told himself grimly. Let the stronger will decide who breaks first.

Their clash became a storm. Each strike shattered air and crystal alike, their energies colliding in flares of light that devoured sound. The Red Forest's unique crystalline lattice absorbed the destruction, keeping their battle contained, unseen and unfelt by any who dwelled beyond.

Cain was driven backward by a brutal punch that cracked the air like thunder. Even through his folded wings, the impact made his ribs scream. He tasted blood again. But before the pain could slow him, Bradly was already there, his fist cloaked in turquoise fire, ready to explode.

Cain gritted his teeth and angled his sword just in time, diverting the strike away from his face. Sparks rained down like dying stars.

Bradly's lips curled into a confident smile. He drew back his left fist, ready to strike again, certain that no counter could truly harm him. Yet before he could move, a cold touch landed gently on the side of his chest, a palm, glowing faintly red.

His eyes widened as his instinct screamed in terror.

"Apocalyptic Blast."

The words were whispered like a death sentence.

A super-compressed surge of Neo-Demon Aura detonated point-blank. The world went white as Bradly was engulfed in a storm of annihilation, his body hurled backward through the crystalline towers of the Red Forest. He crashed through spires of red glass before slamming into the ground, leaving a crater of molten shards in his wake.

Pain erupted across his side, not a clean wound, but a burning, corrosive tear that gnawed at both flesh and soul. Still, the Neo-Angel's instincts took over. He forced his body upright, gathering turquoise energy into his fists until they glowed like miniature suns.

He would not fall here.

Bradly thrust his arm forward and unleashed a spiraling missile of turquoise flame. It shrieked through the air toward Cain, expanding with terrifying velocity.

Cain's golden eyes narrowed. He raised his left hand, ready to absorb and redirect the blast, but something felt wrong. At the last instant, his instincts screamed. He twisted aside just as the missile detonated prematurely, erupting into a storm of blue fire.

It had been bait. Bradly had adapted, creating an energy construct that exploded upon contact, bypassing the Demon's redirection technique.

The Neo-Angel pressed the advantage, firing one blast after another. Each explosion pushed Cain farther back, forcing him into the defensive. The sky became a whirlwind of turquoise and crimson light, energy waves carving deep trenches into the crystalline earth.

Finally, one of Bradly's missiles connected squarely. The explosion bloomed into a cone of azure flame that consumed Cain's form completely.

Bradly exhaled in relief, his smirk returning. "It's over—"

But his words froze in his throat.

The turquoise flames began to twist, spiraling inward as if devoured by a black hole. The vortex condensed, shrieking as the energy vanished into nothingness. Then, from the heart of the dying fire, Cain emerged — unharmed, his left arm glowing faintly.

He had absorbed it.

A cold smile crept across the Neo-Demon's face. The energy pulsed beneath his skin as he redirected it through his core and into his blade. The crimson sword blazed to life, veins of raw energy threading through it like veins of molten steel.

Cain's voice was low, almost reverent. "Redirection."

He thrust the sword.

The explosion that followed defied comprehension.

A column of red and blue fire tore through the sky like a divine spear, its radiance searing through the Red Forest's endless twilight. The very fabric of reality warped under the force, trees of crystal melting into slag.

Bradly roared, raising his fists, his divine power flaring to its fullest. He met the attack head-on, channeling everything into his counterstrike.

"RUMBLE!"

The collision was cataclysmic. The shockwave flattened the land for miles, fracturing the crystalline landscape into glittering dust.

Bradly's bellow of rage echoed through the firmament as he pushed against the infernal pillar and finally managed to pierce through the storm, sending the sword flying away.

Then he saw Cain.

The Neo-Demon had already closed the distance, appearing before him in an instant. His eyes glowed with a focus that made Bradly's heart stutter.

He had no strength left to defend. His arm was still extended from his last strike; his divine energy was spent.

Cain moved.

His hands flashed four times, fast, precise, almost delicate. Immediately, Bradley's body convulsed as invisible currents tore through him.

At each point Cain had struck, his life force and soul energy collided, their harmony shattered. They spiraled wildly within him, crashing into each other like collapsing stars.

Then, all four ruptured at once.

The explosion came from within, a soundless implosion. Blood burst from Bradly's mouth, eyes, and ears as his body convulsed under the impossible strain.

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