Gabriel woke up on the cold floor.
Again.
His entire body ached as if he had been crushed by a mountain.
He slowly pushed himself up, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. His ribs still throbbed. Whatever Alex had just gone through… it must have been brutal.
Gabriel leaned against the stone wall and closed his eyes.
"So… somewhere out there…" he muttered quietly,
"…my brother is fighting."
The word brother felt strange in his mouth.
Until yesterday, he didn't even know Alex existed.
Now his life was chained to him.
Every wound.
Every broken bone.
Every drop of blood.
Gabriel would feel it all.
He clenched his fist.
"Lucifer…"
Just saying the name filled him with anger.
A curse like this wasn't just cruelty.
It was control.
Lucifer didn't need to watch Alex.
He only needed to watch Gabriel suffer.
And if Gabriel ever broke…
Alex would lose the only shield he never knew he had.
Gabriel exhaled slowly.
"I won't break."
But before he could stand up—
Pain exploded through his body again.
His shoulder felt like it had been torn open.
Gabriel fell to one knee, teeth clenched so hard they almost cracked.
"Damn it!"
Blood spilled from his mouth again.
Whatever Alex was fighting… it wasn't normal.
Meanwhile — Hell
A massive demon collapsed to the ground with a thunderous crash.
Its head rolled across the black battlefield.
Standing over the corpse was a young man with black hair and glowing crimson eyes.
Alex.
His sword dripped with demon blood.
Around him lay dozens of dead monsters.
But Alex himself looked barely better.
His arm was badly torn.
His ribs were cracked.
And blood ran down his forehead.
Yet he was smiling.
A cold, fearless smile.
Another demon slowly stepped forward.
A massive creature with four arms and burning horns.
"Half-blood," the demon growled.
"You dare invade our territory?"
Alex spun his sword lazily.
"I'm not invading."
The ground beneath him cracked slightly.
"I'm conquering."
The demon roared and charged.
Its massive fist slammed toward Alex.
BOOM!
The ground exploded.
But Alex was already gone.
A flash of black lightning cut through the air.
SLASH.
The demon froze.
A thin red line appeared across its chest.
Then its body split in two.
Alex exhaled slowly.
His body trembled slightly from exhaustion.
But his eyes burned with excitement.
"Too weak."
A voice echoed behind him.
"Still playing with insects, little brother?"
Alex turned.
Standing on a cliff above the battlefield was a beautiful woman with crimson wings.
Long white hair.
Golden eyes.
A smirk full of mockery.
Asmodea.
One of Lucifer's heirs.
She looked down at Alex like he was a toy.
"You've been killing low-class demons all week."
She crossed her arms.
"Trying to impress father?"
Alex wiped blood from his cheek.
"I'm not here to impress him."
"Then what?"
Alex pointed his sword toward the horizon.
"The throne."
For a moment…
Asmodea went silent.
Then she burst into laughter.
"You?"
She jumped down gracefully, landing in front of him.
"You think you can become King of Hell?"
Her eyes glowed dangerously.
"You're barely strong enough to survive the outer sectors."
Alex's smile widened.
"Good."
Asmodea frowned.
"What?"
Alex lifted his sword again.
"If Hell were easy…"
"…it wouldn't be worth ruling."
The ground trembled as demonic energy erupted from his body.
Even Asmodea's smile faded slightly.
"Interesting…"
She leaned closer.
"Maybe you'll survive long enough to entertain me."
Then she spread her wings and flew away.
Leaving Alex alone again.
He slowly lowered his sword.
Blood continued dripping from his wounds.
But Alex didn't care.
He stared toward the dark towers of Lucifer's palace in the distance.
"Just wait…"
His voice was quiet but full of determination.
"I'll take that throne."
Somewhere Far Away
Gabriel collapsed again.
The pain had finally stopped.
His body was shaking violently.
"Just how many injuries did he take…?"
Gabriel laughed weakly.
"He's insane…"
But then something strange happened.
For a brief moment…
Gabriel felt something else.
Not pain.
Not suffering.
Power.
A dark energy slowly stirred inside his body.
Born from pain.
Growing stronger every time Alex fought.
Gabriel's silver eyes narrowed.
"So that's how it works…"
"If I'm forced to suffer…"
"…then I'll use that suffering."
He slowly stood up.
For the first time since learning about the curse…
Gabriel smiled.
A cold smile.
"Lucifer."
"You made a mistake."
"If Alex grows stronger through battle…"
Gabriel's shadow stretched unnaturally across the ground.
"…then I'll grow stronger through pain."
And one day…
That power would be used to break the curse.
Even if he had to destroy Hell itself.