The air around him vibrated, charged with an almost electric tension. Sera's wings beat once, sending out a powerful gust that bent the trees. Her eyes locked on Gabriel with the cold, calculated focus that comes right before an attack.
She moved. But instead of dodging on instinct, Gabriel saw her motion as if slowed. Every wingbeat, every muscle contraction appeared to him with unnatural clarity, as if someone had stretched time itself. Yet he moved at normal speed.
She struck. He pivoted slightly, letting the blow pass just centimeters away, and countered with a spinning kick to her flank. Sera stepped back, surprised.
Gabriel's lips curled into a smile, not one of joy, but of pure ego, the kind that says he refuses to be dominated.
"Not so fast after all, huh?" he taunted.
Sera frowned.
"You dare…"
"A mere human managed to land a hit. Isn't that shameful?" he replied, his tone mocking.
The fight resumed, faster, more violent. But the longer it went on, the more Gabriel adapted. He read her strikes, dodging every lethal blow thanks to his eye. His martial arts mastery took on a new dimension: precise blocks, flawless evasions, pinpoint strikes. Slowly, it was she who began to give ground.
Still, one problem remained, his blows lacked the power to truly wound her. He could dodge, he could strike, but not finish her. His gaze swept the surroundings… and fixed on the weapon she held: a blade of pure light, its edge flickering like a white flame.
Sera lunged at him, but instead of dodging, he stepped into her guard, seized her wrist, and with a sharp twist, forced her to drop the weapon. She stepped back, startled, as he caught the hilt. The blade's heat pulsed all the way up his arm.
"Perfect," he murmured.
He attacked. The strikes came fast and merciless. Sera tried to defend, but every time she moved to strike back, Gabriel found a blind spot. His eye showed him everything, and he struck relentlessly, like a predator.
Finally, she lost her balance under the impact of a backhand slash. The sword she had lost earlier lodged itself into the ground beside her. She was bleeding, leaning against a stone wall, breath ragged. Gabriel stood over her, the blade in his hand, that arrogant smile still etched on his face.
"Not bad… for a human, right?" he said.
Breath heavy, Gabriel remained before her.
Sera was slumped against the wall, her wings folded and trembling, black feathers stained with dark blood. But that wasn't what stood out the most.
His right eye was literally burning.
Deep within the iris, a living flame twisted, moving with a will of its own, a fire that would only die once the prey was finished. His gaze had lost all trace of humanity; all that remained was the cold, unyielding resolve of a hunter.
A flash erupted behind him. The air warped, a sharp crack echoed, and a figure suddenly appeared.
Gabriel flinched, gripping the sword's hilt tighter. Jane had just arrived, as if out of nowhere. In her hand, a slip of paper burned away quickly, marked with strange symbols that vanished into the flames.
"…No…" she breathed, eyes wide.
She stood frozen, unable to look away from the scene.
"This is impossible… it was only supposed to activate with your blood…"
Gabriel glanced at her briefly, not understanding.
"What are you talking about?"
She stepped toward him, voice urgent.
"Listen to me. You've won. It's over. Leave her."
He turned his eyes back to Sera. Her breathing was shallow, barely perceptible. The flame in his eye still danced, brighter with each heartbeat.
"Hunters don't leave their prey alive," he said in a low voice.
"Gabriel, stop. You don't know what you—"
He moved. One step forward, a sharp motion. The blade pierced Sera's chest. Her breath caught in a choking gasp, wings falling limp like wet cloth.
For a split second, he saw something else.
In Sera's place, her. His girlfriend. Alive. The same gaze as before, that fragile smile he missed so much. She looked at him, motionless, before fading away like a mirage.
The vision vanished along with the flame in his eye. He let go of the sword, which dissolved in a pure burst of light.
Jane didn't move, her expression tense.
"You just made a mistake," she said coldly.
"She was a murderer. She deserved it."
"Maybe. But the stakes are bigger. She belongs to a clan. Killing one of theirs… is declaring war on all of them."
Gabriel said nothing. A cold wind swept through the alley, carrying the metallic scent of blood.
Jane looked away, as if she already knew what was coming.
"Lucky for you, it takes more than that to kill a fallen angel. She's only returned to her sanctuary to recover. But they'll come," she murmured. "And they won't give you a chance."