chapter 11:The Shaddow Man

The man who had been fighting Lucas suddenly woke up in a dark void. His mind raced with questions. What happened to me? How did I die?

He heard a voice—one without a specific tone. It wasn't describable. It had no emotion, no frequency, no pitch. It was just... there.

"Zaul Morningstar... You really thought you could kill him, and I would let it slide?"

The voice chuckled.

"And after I let you live, you try to take the soul of my vessel? My only ticket to freedom?"

Zaul's eyes widened in shock. How does this being know my real name? He had never told anyone. The only ones who knew were his siblings, his parents, and Lucifer. But this... this wasn't any of them.

For the first time in his life, he felt true fear. His hands trembled, his heart pounded in his chest.

"W-who are you...?"

The voice responded,

"I am the man... The Shadow Man."

Zaul was confused. The Shadow Man? What does that mean?

"How did I get here? What happened to me? How did I die? I was supposed to be immortal!"

The voice replied,

"Well, that's a story for another day. But unfortunately for you... you won't live to see that day."

The moment the voice finished speaking, Zaul dropped dead—instantly.

---

Meanwhile, in Heaven…

Another meeting was being held by the Buddha.

This time, every god was present, seated in their respective places. Even Lucifer had shown up, though he simply stood at the entrance of the temple, watching from afar.

The Buddha slammed his hand on the desk.

"Welcome, everyone. As you may know, this is another emergency meeting."

He paused before continuing.

"In the human realm, a mortal has shown signs of demonic power. Not only that, but they also exhibit godly properties. And this human is not of royal blood."

Lucifer's eyes widened at the news, as if he knew something. Just as he was about to take off, the Buddha's voice stopped him.

"Lucifer, if you take one step out of this building, you are declaring war on Heaven."

Lucifer smirked nonchalantly, as if he didn't care.

"I could take every single one of you if I wanted to, Buddha." He sighed. "But since we have a peace treaty, and I'd rather not deal with Michael's intervention, I will consider obeying some of your commands… for now."

Zeus suddenly stood up, his voice booming.

"MORNINGSTAR, WATCH YOUR MOUTH WHEN SPEAKING TO THE BUDDHA!"

Lucifer smirked.

"Don't make me flick you out of existence, Zeus. Know your place."

Some of the gods chuckled at Zeus's humiliation.

Before Zeus could retort, the Buddha's voice cut through the room like thunder.

"ENOUGH!"

He let out a deep sigh.

"This is not what we are here for."

He then raised a hand, conjuring a 3D projection in the air. A young boy's image flickered into view.

"This is the boy—Lucas Gidion. A mere peasant child from the eastern part of the human realm. Yet, he possesses not only demonic power but also angelic abilities. And he has apparently killed a banished demon."

The Buddha turned to Lucifer, his eyes sharp.

"Tell me, Lucifer. Who is that child?"

Lucifer shrugged.

"I don't know, Buddha."

The Buddha's gaze darkened.

"Lucifer, if you do not answer that question, the Council of Gods will temporarily dismiss you. Not only that, but we will decide on a punishment for you and your people."

Lucifer smirked.

"Go ahead, Buddha. Do your worst."

The Buddha exhaled, shaking his head.

"I was hoping you would cooperate. But as of now, you are exiled from all realms except your own. You and your people will be cut off from all resources supplied by the other realms and gods. If you or any of your kind violate these restrictions, you will not face punishment from me… but from the Archangel, Michael Morningstar."

Lucifer rolled his eyes, irritation flashing across his face.

"Fine by me, Buddha."

With a snap of his fingers, he vanished—teleporting back to Hell.

The Buddha stared at the empty space where Lucifer had stood.

"...What am I going to do with you, Lucifer? What am I going to do with you..."

—TO BE CONTINUED—