Safari gritted his teeth, wiping the blood from his mouth. His body ached, but he refused to stop.
With pure determination, he launched forward.
"Devil Hammer Smash!"
His mighty hammer swung down like a falling star, aiming straight for Raven's head.
Raven tilted his head, dodgingâ
But Safari had already anticipated it.
"Devil Hammer Incineration!"
Flames erupted from the hammer mid-swing, expanding the attack's range.
Raven's eyes flickered in surprise as the fire licked at his arm, actually burning him slightly.
Angeleva didn't waste a second.
"Fairy Daggers!"
They shot forward, aiming for Raven's back.
Raven twisted his body, dodging most of them, but a few managed to slice across his shoulder and side, leaving faint marks.
Instead of getting angryâ
He grinned.
"You're finally making this fun."
He thrust out his hands, unleashing a shockwave of positive and negative energy. The clashing forces caused a violent explosion, forcing Safari and Angeleva back.
But they were ready this time.
"Devil Blast!" Safari roared, countering the explosion with a massive burst of dark energy from his physical power.
Angeleva soared through the air, her wand glowing brightâ
"Fairy Justice Beam!"
A concentrated beam of divine fairy energy shot forward, piercing through the explosion, aiming for Raven's chest.
Raven crossed his arms, blocking the attackâ
But this time, he was pushed back.
Safari charged in again.
"Jumping Hammer Blow!"
He leaped high, spinning mid-air before bringing his hammer down with explosive force.
Raven blocked with one arm but still staggered.
Angeleva followed up immediatelyâ
"Fairy Barrage!"
A rapid storm rained down upon Raven, forcing him back further.
For the first time in the battleâ
He was being pushed into a corner.
Angeleva's body shimmered with pink energy as she moved at blinding speed, twisting mid-airâ
"Blossom Kick!"
Her heel connected with Raven's back, sending a shockwave of magical force rippling through his body.
Instantly, flowers began blooming inside him, spreading through his bloodstream like an invasive force.
Raven's eyes widened for a fraction of a second.
But thenâ
BOOM!
A violent shockwave burst from his body as he forcefully expelled the invading magic, the flowers withering into dust.
He slowly turned his head, a sick grin stretching across his face.
Safari was already there, standing protectively in front of Angeleva, his Devil Shield raised. The dark barrier absorbed the force of Raven's counterattack, keeping her safe.
Raven chuckled darkly, stretching his arms.
"Not bad. Not bad at all."
His aura twisted and surged, his black and white energies swirling violently like a raging storm. The air itself grew heavier, pressing down on the battlefield.
He licked his lips, eyes gleaming with excitement.
"You've finally earned it... my 50%."
The ground trembled as his power skyrocketed, sending a massive shockwave through the ruins. Safari and Angeleva braced themselves, feeling the overwhelming shift in strength.
Thenâ
BOOM!
In a split second, Raven vanished and reappeared in front of Safari, his fist crashing into Safari's stomach with an impact that sent shockwaves through the ruins.
"Guhâ!!"
Safari was blasted backward, his body skidding across the broken ground.
Before he could recoverâ
WHAM!
Angeleva was struck mid-air by a wave of pure energy, sending her crashing through multiple stone pillars before she finally stopped, coughing from the pain.
Raven stood tall, his arms crossed, smirking.
"This is what happens when children think they can fight a god," he sneered.
Safari gritted his teeth, pushing himself back up. His breathing was heavy, but his determination didn't waver.
Angeleva wiped the blood from her lip, her Fairy Wand glowing, but even she was breathing hard.
And Raven wasn't even breaking a sweat.
He stretched lazily. "Come now. Struggle more. I haven't had this much fun in ages."
Safari and Angeleva exchanged a glance.
Safari clenched his fists. "Then we'll just have to fight even harder."
With a shout, Safari charged forward again, Angeleva right beside him.
As they charged,Raven sent them both flying back.
SMASH!
Safari and Angeleva crashed against the wall, their bodies cracking the stone as they slumped to the ground.
Raven sighed, shaking his head. "Pathetic. Maybe I overestimated you two."
He stretched lazily, then vanished in a blur, appearing behind Angeleva before she could react.
His clawed fingers grasped her delicate fairy wings, lifting her effortlessly.
Angeleva screamed in pain, her wings pulsating with energy, trying to break free.
"Oh? Did that hurt?" Raven sneered. "Good. Maybe this will hurt even more."
His eyes glowed with dark amusement as he leaned closer. "Did you know, little fairy, that I killed your uncle's entire family ten years ago?"
Angeleva's eyes widened in horror.
Raven chuckled, seeing her reaction. "Oh? You didn't know? Well, allow me to paint the picture for you."
Twelve Years Ago...
Angeleva was ten years old, standing in the lush gardens of the Angelica Palace.
Her uncle, a proud and noble warrior, knelt beside her, ruffling her hair. "Stay strong, little one. One day, you'll be a great fairy."
Her aunt laughed, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You should visit us more, Angeleva. You brighten our home."
And her older cousin, a respected young protector of Angelica, smiled warmly. "You'll surpass me someday."
They were her family.
Her closest bond outside of her parents.
Then one day, they left.
"We have an important battle to take care of."
Angeleva watched them fly off, their radiant wings shimmering in the sun.
She never saw them again.
"Those pests came in my way," Raven said, his voice dripping with amusement.
Angeleva snapped back to reality, her heart pounding.
"When I conquered Planet Angel for Lucifero, they stood against me."
He grinned, eyes glinting with sadistic pleasure. "A large group of Angelica fairies including your dear familyâthought they could stop me."
Angeleva trembled in his grasp.
"But they didn't stand a chance."
His fingers tightened around her wings.
"I burned them all like mosquitoes."
Angeleva's body stiffened.
"Your uncle? Screamed as I tore off his wings. Your aunt? Burned alive. Your cousin?"
Raven leaned in, his breath cold against her ear.
"He tried to avenge them. But I snapped his neck like a twig."
He laughed.
"And interesting they revealed they were from Angelica's royal family? My, my. What a delightful coincidence."
Angeleva's mind was spinning.
Her uncle, aunt, cousin...
All slaughtered by this monster.
Her breathing grew heavy.
Her hands trembled.
Something inside her snapped.
A burning light began to surge within her.
Angeleva's aura erupted, a blinding golden light bursting from her body. It wasn't just rageâit was grief, sorrow, fury, and the pain of loss all igniting at once.
The ground beneath her cracked as waves of raw fairy energy surged outward, shaking the battlefield.
"Tch..." Raven clicked his tongue, his grip tightening on her wings. "What's this? You actually have some bite in you?"
Angeleva's eyes glowed intensely, her pupils now sharp and fierce like a blazing star.
"You took everything from me." Her voice trembled, not from fear but from the overwhelming power building inside her. "I'll never forgive you."
She threw her hands forwardâher Fairy Wand glowed violently, pulsing with unstable energy.
BOOM!
A devastating shockwave blasted Raven backwards, forcing him to let go. He tumbled through the air but quickly flipped, landing with a smirk.
"Heh... now that's more like it."
Before he could react further, Angeleva rushed at him, faster than before, her Fairy Wand shining with celestial energy.
"FAIRY BLOSSOM STORM!"
A torrent of pink energy erupted from her wand, swirling like a raging hurricane, engulfing Raven completely.
Not far away, Safari groaned, pushing himself up. His body ached, but his instincts screamed at himâthis was dangerous.
"Damn it..." He clenched his fists.
The more emotional she got, the more uncontrollable her power became.
"I can't leave her alone like this."
Gritting his teeth, he forced his legs to move, stumbling at first but slowly regaining his stance.
"Come on, Safari... get up!"
He grabbed his Devil Hammer, using it for balance.
He watched as Angeleva continued her assault, her attacks far stronger now, each blow cracking the ground and shaking the air.
For the first time since Raven had used 50% of his power, she was actually matching him.
But Safari wasn't comforted by that.
If Angeleva lost herself in rage, she would be fighting blind.
And against someone like Raven, that was suicide.
"Hold on, Angeleva... I'm coming."
With sheer willpower, he pushed forward, determined to fight by her side.
Angeleva's attacks rained down like a celestial storm, her Fairy Wand glowing fiercely as she unleashed a barrage of Fairy Lances, Blossom Kicks, Fairy Pulse and Fairy Justice Beam.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Each attack shook the battlefield, and yet Raven was grinningâhis negative and positive energy fused together, forming a shield around him as he countered with dark pulses and radiant slashes.
"Interesting..." he mused, dodging a devastating Fairy Lance. He twisted mid-air and shot a concentrated beam of darkness, which Angeleva barely dodged.
Her wings flapped rapidly, her body blurring with speed as she reappeared behind Raven, aiming another Blossom Kick.
BAM!
The attack connected, a burst of flower-like energy blooming from the impact, sending Raven crashing through the ruins.
Safari had finally closed the distance, his Devil Hammer crackling with power as he prepared to assist.
"Angeleva! Don'tâ"
But before he could finish, Raven's eyes gleamed.
With a quick snap of his fingers, a massive energy blast erupted from the ground, hitting Safari square in the chest.
"GAH!!"
He was sent flying backward, smashing through multiple walls before finally collapsing into the rubble.
Raven smirked as he dusted himself off, looking at Angeleva.
"This is between us, little fairy." His aura flared. "Don't let that fool ruin our fun."
Angeleva's fists trembled as she watched Safari get blasted away.
But before she could react, Raven was already in front of her, his fist glowing with dark and holy energy.
"Now, where were we?"
And with a thunderous punch, he sent her crashing into the ground, creating a massive crater.