Lucifer: Godless Reawakening

Not many things frustrate William simply by doing nothing. And yet, this creature was one of those rare exceptions.

The silver-furred monkey standing nearly seven feet tall was not something a student should be facing during an exam.

The prism ape might be ranked as a Grade C threat, but everyone knew that rank failed to capture the destruction it could unleash on a battlefield, especially when faced alone.

The beast could deflect any attack infused with aether. Paired with its overwhelming martial prowess, a prism ape was nothing short of a perfect killing machine.

And once, it had cornered William so completely that he lost his sanity and did something that destroyed the entire dungeon.

’They mentioned something about a weakness...’ William grinned. They had clearly thought this through and chosen something that could actually challenge him.

But unlike last time, William was not exhausted. And this time, he carried a clear intent into the battle.

Revenge.

William cracked his neck as a professor erected a barrier around the arena to shield the other students.

Despite the toothy grin on his face and the ferocity burning in his eyes, William remained sharply aware of his surroundings and the limits he had to follow.

Don’t levitate too high. Do not use Nyx under any circumstances. And do not go overboard. Alright, understood.

"Alright, come at me," William muttered, challenging the monster to make the first move.

The creature’s red eyes glinted before it charged, not head-on, but veering sharply to the side.

William’s gaze flicked right, and in the same instant, he twisted on his toes.

DHAK

Few were able to catch it. The ape unleashed a strike so violent it carved through the air itself, an invisible slash aimed straight at William. But the blond was already prepared. He met it head-on and split it apart with a Cleave.

Dust erupted across the arena, swallowing everything in a hazy veil. Then, two figures burst through it, fists drawn back, murderous intent clinging to them like a second skin.

A single breath of silence.

Then—

Boom

Their fists collided at the same moment. Neither gave way. Neither yielded.

William reinforced his body with telekinesis, while the ape’s natural aura reflected the aether crashing against it. But where the beast deflected, William overwhelmed. Faster than the aura could neutralize it, he poured in more magic, fortifying his limbs without pause.

"Not this time, you shit face." William pushed forward, driving more force into the clash, forcing the monster to feel the gap between them.

Suddenly, the inhuman creature swung its other hand toward William’s head.

William raised his free arm to block, but the attack was a feint. In a flash, the ape caught his wrist and yanked him in, slamming its forehead straight into his.

Crack

The sound echoed across the arena.

Gasps followed. The cheers died instantly, replaced by a heavy silence as William’s head snapped back, his body going still.

Natalie glanced at Emma and found her standing there, eyes cold, her expression tight with irritation.

But Emma wasn’t worried. She knew better.

This wasn’t nearly enough to bring him down.

And right on cue—

"Huh?"

"Is he... levitating?"

"Isn’t that a sign of... bad news?" The students began to murmur, unease creeping into their voices as they recognized the sign.

Because when William left the ground, it only meant one thing.

His opponent was fucked.

William’s eyes burned red as a smirk formed on his lips. He pulled his head back.

The monster tried to retreat, but William caught its other wrist, his grip crushing through fur.

And in the next instant—

DOOOOM

"GHUOOO!"

Blood burst from the creature’s nose as the impact landed with the weight of a boulder.

William didn’t stop there. He conjured his telekinetic body, the same one he unlocked during his battle with the ranked devil.

In an instant, an invisible armor wrapped around him. His feet rose four feet above the ground, while large, unseen arms and legs came under his command.

William wiped the blood from his lip and glanced at Emma.

Their eyes met.

He winked.

Emma’s shoulders relaxed for a moment before her gaze sharpened, clearly telling him, ’Stop messing around.’

William sighed and looked at the staggering beast.

"Sorry, bud. Playtime over."

His feet touched the ground once again, and William raised his left hand.

He would be a combatant the next time. Let’s finish this the old style.

His finger pointed toward the ape as the aether began to gather at the tip.

And then, it began.

A sharp inward pull distorted the space before him, dragging dust into the orb forming above his finger.

The ape snarled, baring its sharp fangs as it sprinted to the side on all fours to build momentum. But the outcome of the battlefield had already been decided the moment William was told to end it quickly.

"Ughoo?" The ape faltered mid-step. The force acting on its body was no longer just forward, but sideways as well, an external pull imposed by William.

Its steps broke, its momentum collapsing.

Crackle

The barrier began to tremble, dents forming across its surface as the force intensified, growing heavier with each passing moment.

Instantly, the vice-headmaster rose from his seat. "We need to stop this before the other students get hurt."

The headmaster, however, remained calm and pointed ahead. "Look, things are back in control."

The bald man followed his line of sight and saw a certain silver-haired figure had cast several barriers around the arena, shielding the students from the absurd spell William had unleashed.

Emma’s barriers weren’t strong enough to withstand the suction force of that small black hole on their own, but she had far too many at her disposal to let the battle be interfered with.

William grinned at the support as he watched the ape claw at the ground, trying to drag itself away from its inevitable end.

"As I thought, I am better off being a mage in battle."

And with that, he erased his opponent, its existence vanishing from the fabric of reality.

As everything settled, William took out his hourglass. Not even half the time had passed.

He gave Emma one last glance before bursting into a sprint.

Let’s finish this trial soon.

...however, at that moment, he had no idea this day would become the longest of his life.

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- It felt meaningless to extend the battle when he could end it instantly.. thanks for reading.