Pain and suffering marked Sabrina's path through the trials that would make her the one true master of the Twin Blades of Hell. Her black, heavy blades, forged from the purest Hellstell, were engulfed in dark flames born from the depths of the Abyss. In Sabrina's hands, they had become weapons of mass murder, paving the way for Lucifer's rise.
The spear in Asmodeus's hands was even more powerful. The Spear of Destiny, a family heirloom that could only be wielded by those truly loyal to Lucifer. The Angel Slayer. In Asmodeus's grasp, it was imbued with the sinister energy of the purple lightning.
These were no ordinary lightning bolts. Born in the Valley of Sorrows, they are the physical manifestation of the screams of agony from those condemned to suffer eternally. Lightning charged with malice, obeying only those who embrace pain and revel in their enemies' torment. Asmodeus, a sadist with a twisted mind, is one of the greatest masters of the purple lightning.
Two of the greatest generals the Abyss had ever seen, face to face, on the verge of a death match. The air grew dense, charged with the power radiating from both Archdemons. Sabrina made the first move, in an instant, her blades were already within reach of her brother's throat.
No theatrics. No grand speeches. No unnecessary prolonging of the battle for the thrill of combat. Only precise, fatal strikes. Her blade aimed straight for the vital points, one accurate blow was all she needed to end that duel.
But her opponent was no ordinary foe. She was faster, yes, but the purple lightning sped up her brother's movements to nearly match her speed. She was stronger, her technique sharper, but Asmodeus's weapon was more powerful. The Spear of Destiny, a family heirloom that was meant to be Sabrina's, but their father gave it to Asmodeus. Lucifer never trusted Sabrina's loyalty, and he wasn't wrong.
In battle mode, the bodies of Archdemons become masses of pure mana. Physical damage becomes almost irrelevant. A severed arm soon returns to its place. Not even decapitation is fatal. But, of course, this is no perfect technique. While physical damage doesn't matter to the body, the damage to the mana core with each strike cannot be ignored.
A hit to a vital spot might not kill, but the backlash to the mana core could end the fight with a single blow. And that put Asmodeus at a disadvantage in close combat. Using his purple lightning to speed up his own movements caused constant damage to his body, keeping his mana core under permanent stress. If the fight stayed in close range, Sabrina's victory was certain.
An untrained eye would see only blurs, black flames, and purple lightning clashing. But to the trained gaze of a seasoned warrior, it was a battle that resembled an elegant dance. A graceful martial ballet, executed by two masters of a technique refined over centuries of grueling training.
Sabrina was truly a weapon of war. Her elegant movements guided her blades in arcs of black flame through the air. The Black Rose of Death, the name given by her father to her technique. A reference to the majestic image formed by the many arcs of black flames when seen from above.
Asmodeus was at his limit. He needed to take the fight to long range. The problem: spells powerful enough to hurt an Archdemon require long incantations. Only the most powerful primordial beings can grant access to such power.
To confuse Sabrina, Asmodeus summoned multiple clones, surrounding her with a coordinated attack, intended to create just enough distraction for him to gain some distance. But Sabrina was an experienced warrior, not easily fooled by such tactics.
The trick was simple, really. The clones were perfect copies, telling the real Asmodeus apart would take time, which was exactly what he wanted. But the Spear of Destiny was a legendary weapon, impossible to replicate with magic. Asmodeus would never part with it in a duel against Sabrina. He knew the spear was the only thing leveling the playing field.
So all she had to do was follow the spear. The Asmodeus holding the true weapon was, without a doubt, the real one. His plan fell apart before her eyes, producing none of the intended results. He was running out of options and resorted to a riskier strategy.
Asmodeus channeled mana into the Spear of Destiny. The purple lightning it emitted grew increasingly intense. Sabrina knew what he intended, to overload the blade and cause an explosion. He would be hit as well, but it would buy him time to shift the fight to long range.
Sabrina had no choice but to reinforce her defenses and brace for the explosion. A flash of purple light, followed by violent shockwaves, flung her far from Asmodeus. Before she could even react, she heard him reciting his incantation:
"Oh, great Lord Beelzebub, lord of despair and suffering. Ruin of the heavens, executioner of the Archangels. Infernal father, answer the plea of your humble servant. Grant me the honor of bearing your will. Grant me the power to bring ruin upon our enemies."
As Asmodeus completed the chant, a giant with a goat's head, formed entirely of the purple lightning from the Spear of Destiny, began to rise from the ground. And Sabrina had only just begun her own invocation:
"Oh, my beloved Queen Lilith. The Serpent of Paradise, who guided Eve to the discovery of pleasure. The ruin of Adam's tyranny, the temptation of the Fallen Angels. Grant this humble servant the glory of your pleasurable embrace."
Even before Sabrina finished her plea, the Queen had already answered. The infernal flames of her twin blades flared with renewed intensity. The goat-headed giant, formed entirely of purple lightning and summoned by Asmodeus, had fully emerged, and was preparing to strike.
A colossal axe hurtled toward Sabrina at unreal speed. Dodging wouldn't be hard, but even if she did, the shockwaves from the massive blade's swing would still strike her. But before the giant could land its blow, a serpent of black flames, born from Sabrina's blades, bit down on its arm, halting the attack.
Soon, other serpents emerged. In moments, Sabrina was surrounded by a crown of black-flame serpents, which both shielded her and lashed out at the giant and Asmodeus simultaneously.
The battle between the two siblings had reached its apex , and had ascended to an even more epic scale.