A catastrophic knee drop descended from the heavens, slamming into his gut and shattering his ribs with a brutal, primal force. The impact carved a deep crater into the ground beneath him, dwarfing him within the cold, unyielding grip of concrete.

  The demon gazed down with a malevolent expression, its fists winding back for a devastating barrage.

  But Akuma's mind hadn't processed a lick of it. The strength that once surged through him ebbed away, and he sensed the fragile thread of his life snapping before him. He couldn't even muster the energy to breathe.

  Yet, amidst utter despair, a determined angel flapped his wings, intent on preventing his demise.

  He looked to be ten or so, wearing a tattered prisoner’s uniform with a single shackle around his left wrist. He was a boy Akuma thought to be a mere apparition. But soon, he would learn he was much more than that.

  “This is bad…” The child angel muttered, observing the fight from a distance. “Akuma wasn’t supposed to struggle like this. But at this rate, he’ll die. Again... That could only mean one thing…” His gaze sharpened from the realization, “Someone is trying to defy fate.”

  With a dramatic flourish, he raised his left wrist to eye level, the three chains attached to it swaying like loose threads.

  “I guess I have no choice then...”

  Taking a deep breath, he flicked the lowest chain hanging from the shackle.

  “First Seal. Break!”

  At that moment, it was as if the entire earth rumbled beneath them.

  The air itself shuddered as raw power erupted from Akuma, sending the demon hurtling backward with its limbs flailing like a shattered puppet. White-hot energy crackled around Akuma, the glow swallowing his body whole. He began to slowly hover, regaining his footing. Stepping forward, two magnificent arms of light unfurled from his back, and a shackle-like halo burned above his head. His crimson eyes snapped to the demon, burning with the ferocity of molten stars.

  But as strange as that was, he was currently dazed by a surge of information flooding through his mind.

  “The underworld… Ah, so you’re a demon… Can’t believe those actually exist. Then again, I’ve met two angels already, so I suppose it isn’t that crazy. I’m more surprised by the fact that I suddenly know all this.”

  The demon crept back in terror, its instincts howling one primal code resting within all living creatures.

  “Run.”

  In its dismay, the demon fired off another blast of light, only for it to be effortlessly swatted away, and with his damaged arm no less. Panicking, it rushed at Akuma, its arms igniting with crimson light.

  Watching the steam intense heat hissing from the demon’s arms, Akuma stepped to the side, dodging the creature with little difficulties. Expecting this, the demon fired a right hook only for it to phase through Akuma.

  In truth, he’d only feinted stepping to the right when actually stepping to the left.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  He started off by smashing its right liver with his left fist, causing the monster to bend on his right side while letting out a painfully sounding growl.

  “Mercury.”

  In that brief moment, Akuma drew the shape of circle, drilling his foot into the demon’s knee, causing it to drop down, finally leveling their heads.

  “Second Planet. Venus Series: Chained Combo”

  He followed with a barrage of punches aimed at every inch of the demon’s face. Then an overhand to its chin, and even a right hook to his temple. Grabbing its head, he kneed him with his right knee, transitioning into clenching his hands together and hammering it down straight into the demon’s head.

  Then he once again took a deep breath, gathering his strength into the tips of his fingers as he drew a circle then sketched a large star inside it before tracing it over once more.

  “Fifth Planet. Jupiter Series: Two Folds”

  It was as if thunder had struck. His fist ripped through the air, smashing into the demon’s head and reducing it to a gruesome spray of flesh and bones that scattered in all directions.

  The creature's body collapsed backward, blood pooling from its now severed neck.

  Akuma, however, found himself sinking to one knee, his breaths coming in rapid gasps and steam rising from his fist, having punched so fast.

  “The fourth shape. The star. It temporarily doubles the user’s physical capabilities and can be stacked to enhance it even further.

  Blood spurred from his throat, his vision beginning to blur.

  “But the physical strain is just too much for my body to handle… But I should be good. Demon or not, the head's always the weakness.”

  It was then that he noticed the enormous shadow looming above him. He looked up in horror and witnessed a truly cataclysmic sight. Something truly world-ending.

  The sheer size, the heat that seemed to melt the entire city away and the raw power it exuded. It was like witnessing a meteorite cast judgment.

  And the source of such might? A single desperate Dullahan.

  No, wait...

  The creature’s head, which should’ve been nothing but dust, had somehow regenerated.

  Akuma’s jaw dropped from the sight, his white hair slowly fading back to black along with the shattering of his wings and halo.

  (I’m going to die… Again.)

  In the distance, a bead of sweat trailed down the angelic child’s face, his hair dancing about from the incoming shockwaves.

  “A last-ditch effort, huh…” He muttered to himself as he guarded from the powerful winds. “This is bad. I can’t break another seal right now… I guess I’ll just have to improvise.”

  He dug into his chest, grabbing a glowing white book from the inside of his body.

  In bold, bright letters the cover read, “Uncertain”. At the bottom of the cover in smaller text was, “By: The AntiGod”.

  Then he tossed it right at Akuma and the book stopped just as it was in front of him.

  Akuma gazed at the unusual sight, the warm glow reflecting in his eyes. To him, it looked as if a firefly had taken the form of a thick book.

  For a moment, it felt as if the book was calling out to his soul, gently whispering his name.

  “AKUMA!!!!!”

  His body tensed up at the sudden roar, his extended arm recoiling from the fright. And as he turned to the source, he instantly pieced it all together.

  The reason he’d receive a sudden burst of power. The one who threw this book as his way of helping. It was all him.

  Is it really possible? Could that pesky apparition really have been looking out for him this much?

  No.

  It could no longer be called something like that.

  Surely by now he’s earned it. A much more comforting name.

  A friend.

  “TAKE IT AND USE THE POWER OF YOUR DESTINY!!!”

  Without a moment’s hesitation, Akuma grabbed a hold of that book, his wings and halo reappearing as well as his snow-white hair. With two flaps of his wings, he darted through the air and swam through the crimson light.

  The heat licked against his skin, scorching down to his bones. At least… that’s what should’ve happened. His flesh was steaming, and his bones were boiling from underneath. But strangely, there were no burns. Nor was there any pain to speak of.

  In an instant, he flew right through the demon, ripping out his entire torso in the process.

  “This… can’t be...” It said in its final hours. “You should’ve been reduced to ash.”

  Akuma turned back as the demon’s body crumbled into dust.

  "Tell me..." He smirked. “Are you certain about that?”