14 Kindness Always Lose

"Well, it's been fun, Adam Atlee. See you in hell~"

With the spear of freedom in his hand, Julian raised it triumphantly to the sky, poised to impale Adam.

But as the spear drew closer, it seemed to hit an invisible barrier, halting its advance just inches from Adam's body. Julian attempted another strike, only to be met with the same resistance, as if an unseen shield was protecting him.

"What the fuck?"

***

Goddess...Goddess Libertas, please, protect this lamb of yours. I don't want to die, I don't want to suffer... Please, help me.

With his last strength, Adam solemnly prayed while tears streamed down his face. Slowly, a light began to envelop his body, growing brighter and brighter until it pierced the sky, dispersing the sorrowful clouds.

"Shit, not this thing again!" Julian cursed as he shielded his eyes from the blinding light, recoiling from its brilliance.

Amidst the brilliance, a celestial symphony of trumpets resounded through the firmament. From the very fabric of the sky itself, a majestic creature descended. Its form was that of a magnificent horse, but its head bore the noble visage of an eagle. Its wings, vast and grand, spanned hundreds of kilometers, casting a shadow over the land below as it descended with regal grace.

Julian's gaze remained fixated on the majestic creature as it soared through the heavens, its movements graceful and purposeful. Instead of descending to the ground, the creature began to circle overhead, its powerful wings propelling it effortlessly through the billowing clouds.

With each beat of its wings, the creature left behind a trail of glowing runes, forming intricate circles in the sky. These magical sigils shimmered and pulsed with otherworldly energy, creating a protective barrier that enveloped the entire city of Desmont.

Within the confines of the circle, intricate runes resembling the hands of clocks materialized, each representing minutes and seconds in a cosmic countdown.

Within the confines of this celestial ring, Adam's wounds began to knit together, his torn flesh closing with a celestial glow. The droplets of rain, suspended in mid-air, defied gravity as they flowed backward, returning to the heavens from whence they came.

Those fuckers trying to rewind time!

"Alright, two can play this game-"

Julian reached into his pocket, pulling out the replica of the Necronomicon.

Hurriedly, he flips through the pages, skimming through hundreds of pages before stopping on a particular one.

Caym, one of the twelve presidents of Hell and ruler of thirty legions of demons, renowned as the demon of many voices.

With the spear in hand, Julian scrambled on the ground, replicating the sigil from the tome.

Ensuring the sigils were perfectly drawn, Julian completed the final step of the ritual. He bit his wrist forcefully, tearing off a piece of flesh.

As his blood flowed down, it fell upon the sigil on the ground. Instantly, the sigil glowed red, an ominous aura radiating from it before shooting through the sky, paralleled to the pillar of light summoned by Adam.

"Caym of Gehennom, heed my call. Your master has spoken: bring suffering upon my nemesis, purge wrath upon my enemy. Rise up from the first circle of the inferno, for truly this is a thousand voices of knavery above all truth!"

As the heavens dimmed, as though the sun itself had been devoured, thunderous screams echoed across the sky. From the wickded sigil, a creature ascended, emerging from the abyssal depths of the underworld: with wings as dark as midnight, talons sharp as vulture's claws, a form resembling that of a human, yet bearing the ominous visage of a crow's head.

Caym, amongst the twelve infernal presidents, emerges with a roar that could shatter eardrums.

"So, you are the one of whom they spoke... the herald of a new era, the chosen apostle..." With a voice like grinding stones, Caym pointed his razor-sharp claws toward Julian.

"Indeed, that's me and I need you to do some errands."

"Bwahahaha! What makes you think I would deign to heed the commands of a mere human?"

With a menacing glare and sharp gaze, Julian's voice tightened as he replied,

"You will."

A moment of tense silence passed as their eyes locked, until finally Caym shattered the stillness.

"HAHAHAHA! Interesting... Very well, it shall be intriguing to see how this unfolds. What do you need help with?"

Julian gestured toward the sky, where the divine creature circled the clouds, tirelessly etching the magic runes.

"An Albanum... they are the chariots of gods."

"What? Afraid?" With a smug sneer on his face, Julian taunted the demon before him.

"Afraid? HAHAHAHA! Watch your tongue, mortal. I, Caym, the mighty president of Hell, could vanquish even gods. Did you truly think I would be intimidated by a mere steed?"

"Then, what are you waiting for?"

"Tsk... Open your eyes wide and behold, for I shall make this donkey dinner for my children!"

Unsheathing a saber from his waist, Caym stomped the ground forcefully, propelling himself into the sky with great strength, leaving a deep crater beneath his feet.

Sped off faster than sound, the unsuspecting Albanum was caught off guard by a kick from Caym's claws, knocking him off its path.

The giant clock ceased its ticking, time itself frozen in place. Raindrops hung suspended in the air, frozen in time.

As Julian's attention became absorbed by the unfolding spectacle overhead, he failed to notice Adam's stealthy approach. With his wounds now fully healed, Adam launched himself toward Julian, knocking him to the ground.

"Guh, you dickhead! Get off me!"

Wrestling on the ground, Adam attempted to wrest the spear from Julian's grasp.

"Give it back!"

"In your fucking dreams!"

While their hands grappled with the spear, pulling it back and forth, suddenly it began to glow brightly, blinding them both.

"Aghhhh!"

"Shit, dafuq is this?!"

The spear erupted, unleashing an explosion of energy that blasted them both away.

Thrown backward by the blast, Julian opened his eyes once the smoke had cleared, only to see the spear back in Adam's hand.

"You... you will not get away with your plan. The goddess is with me, and evil will never triumph over righteousness!"

With smoke billowing from his body, Julian rose to his feet. With a maniacal laugh, he stared at Adam with sinister face.

"Hahaha, you got your toy back, so what? Do you think you've achieved victory? Soon, you will awaken from your delusion. In the end, you and your damned goddess will both end up in the same fiery pit! Your fate has been sealed!"

With weapons in hand, Julian and Adam locked in a tense standoff, their gazes locked as they anticipated each other's next move.

The real battle had just begun!

***

The Albanum neighed, and hundreds of lightning bolts fell from the sky, yet Caym single-handedly evaded them, maneuvering between the strikes.

Caym attempted to close the distance between them, but the Albanum fought back fiercely, attempting to blow Caym away with its hind legs. Caym, anticipating the attack, swiftly blocked the kick with his sword.

On the ground, Adam, fueled by his newfound power, felt a surge of confidence and charged forward. His speed and strength surged to unprecedented levels, causing Julian to be pushed back by the force of Adam's onslaught.

Fuck! This is not good, i gotta kill him asap.

Julian barely dodged the barrage of spears by mere inches, his eyes scanning for an opening. With a swift motion between attacks, he attempted to shoot his bullets.

*Clank*

Just a few centimeters before the bullet hit its mark, Adam blocked it with his spear, displaying abnormally fast reflexes.

Taking advantage of Adam's distraction, Julian grabbed him by the collar and slammed him hard to the ground.

*Guh!*

Julian fired a shot, but Adam rolled aside, managing to dodge it. He continued to roll several more times as Julian fired a few bullets into the ground.

Adam jumped from the ground, charging towards Julian, but Julian managed to block the spear with his dagger.

"Surrender! Righteousness will always triumph over evil!"

"When will you grow up? This isn't some cheesy novel!"

As they pushed each other back, Adam looked deeply into Julian's eyes, as if he were pitying him.

"I'm sorry, goddess, but righteousness and freedom shall prevail..."

"[Dei Virtus] (God's Virtue)

[Spear of Libertas: Ouranoú Pylóna] (Sky Pillar)!"

The spear glowed with a radiant light, illuminating the overcast sky. A tremendous power emanated from it, causing gusts of wind to blow, scattering leaves and branches in its wake.

Numerous intricate runes of magic encircled the spear's body, symbols of the unknown emanating an incredible aura of power.

"May the goddess forgive your sins. May you find the path of righteousness in your next life."

Standing in the path of the spear, Julian remained unwavering, a sinister smile playing on his lips.

He stood still, as if challenging the heaven's authority. 

With just a few seconds to act...

Julian opened a random page from his tome.

[Daemon Dolum]