Ragnarok looked at Adam, his expression serious. "I'm here to make a deal," Adam stated, his own face impassive. Ragnarok smiled, a slow, chilling spread of amusement across his features. The amusement quickly turned to something darker. "You, a mortal, want to make a deal with a god?" His voice resonated with a power that sent shivers down Adam's spine. "Very well," he added, a grin stretching his lips, "I'll humor you." Adam found the casual arrogance annoying, but pressed on.

"Before I continue, I want to know your plans. When I spoke to you before, you mentioned having your own agenda. I want to know what it is," Adam demanded. Ragnarok's grin vanished, replaced by a cold, calculating seriousness. "Fool," Ragnarok sneered, his gaze piercing. "Do you really think I would simply reveal my plans to you?"

"Tch, you like fighting, don't you?" Adam said, his voice calm, unwavering.

"Of course," Ragnarok replied, a hint of challenge in his tone. "Don't you?"

"No, I don't. It's always my last option. I came—" Adam began, but Ragnarok cut him off.

"I'll tell you," Ragnarok said.

"What?" Adam said, a question hanging in the air.

"A part of my plan," Ragnarok said, a glint in his eye. "That is to destroy this world."

Adam was taken aback. "What do you mean, destroy this world?"

"You think I don't know? Remember, I can see what you see and hear what you hear anytime I want. I know this world isn't the real world. This is just a pathetic dimension created by you mortals. And I'm planning on destroying it."

"Why do you want to destroy it?" Adam pressed.

"That I cannot reveal to you," Ragnarok replied smoothly. "Destroying this world was the only part of my plan that I could tell you, since you wanted to know what I was about."

Adam frowned. "Why would you simply tell me this?"

Ragnarok smiled, a cruel amusement playing on his lips. "You wanted me to tell you a part of my plan, but now you're asking me why I told you about it? You mortals are funny beings, aren't you?"

Adam sighed, taking a step closer. "Let's discuss the terms of our deal," he said, his voice steady despite the unsettling conversation. Ragnarok replied with a taunting smile, "I'm listening."

"I've realized you don't just like fighting; you enjoy watching fights. You enjoy everything about them," Adam continued, his gaze unwavering. "So, I have a proposal. I want you to help us take down Michael. I'll let you take control of my body so you can have a fight with him. How does that sound?" Adam asked, his face betraying no emotion.

Ragnarok felt a surge of anger. The audacity! This mortal, this…child, thought he could make such a ludicrous deal. Adam clearly didn't understand the true nature of Ragnarok, the terrifying power he held. Did he think Ragnarok was merely some bloodthirsty brute who craved a good brawl? And to offer his body so readily… The sheer arrogance was almost comical. Yet, the idea of possessing Adam's body, of experiencing the world through his eyes, of unleashing chaos… the thought was undeniably tempting.

"Is that all?" Ragnarok asked, his voice dripping with disdain. "What do I get in return for that?" Adam was thrown off balance. He'd assumed the thrill of the fight alone would be enough to sway Ragnarok, but he was clearly mistaken.

"What do you mean?" Adam asked, his voice tight with dawning unease.

Ragnarok's face was contorted with barely suppressed fury. "Do you think I'm some child who just wants a brawl?!" he roared. A wave of raw power, emanating from Ragnarok, slammed into Adam, forcing him to his knees. It felt less like a physical blow and more like an overwhelming pressure on his very being, as if the air itself had become impossibly dense, his body struggling to support its own weight under the crushing force. His muscles screamed in protest, his bones ached, and he felt the terrifying sensation of his body failing him, as if gravity had been multiplied tenfold. "Don't come here again with such ridiculous demands!" Ragnarok spat, turning away and slumping against the glass walls of his prison within the void.

Adam, struggling to his feet, realized something with a jolt of icy fear. Did Ragnarok not know? Did he not know that Michael is a God-power holder?

"Michael," Adam said, and as the name left his lips, the crushing pressure on his body vanished completely. He was able to stand, breathing heavily, the lingering effects of the immense force still making his muscles tremble. "Once more," he said, his voice strained, "Michael... he is a god-power holder."

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As the words left his mouth, he saw something—a flicker of movement in the periphery of his vision. Ragnarok looked up, his expression shifting from anger to surprise. Then, as if he had teleported, he was standing before Adam, still contained within the glass cube, his eyes narrowed in thought.

"What is it you say?" Ragnarok asked, his voice low.

"I said Michael is a god-power holder. Did you not know that?" Adam asked, his own voice laced with a mixture of apprehension and triumph.

Ragnarok smiled, a slow, chilling spread of amusement across his features. "I think I accept this deal of yours," he said, a thoughtful expression replacing the anger. A small chuckle escaped him. Inwardly, a thrill coursed through him. Finally, he would face one of the Gods. He wanted to see how they had changed, how this long torture had affected them, and how furious they would be at him for what he had done.

"Really?" Adam asked, a surge of disbelief and hope mixing in his chest. "Then—" He began, but the sentence remained unfinished. A sudden, powerful force yanked him from the void, his eyes snapping open to the familiar ceiling of his bedroom.

"No," he breathed, his voice raw with panic. "I have to get back!" He squeezed his eyes shut, attempting to regain the focus that had transported him to Ragnarok, but nothing happened. He tried again, concentrating with all his might, but the void remained frustratingly out of reach. He slammed his fist on the bed, a frustrated curse escaping his lips. "Damn it!"

He stood, realizing with a jolt that time hadn't moved. It was still pre-dawn; the sun hadn't even begun to rise. He went to the kitchen, gulped down a glass of water, the cool liquid doing little to soothe his racing heart. Returning to his bedroom, he climbed back into bed, his mind racing with the implications of his interrupted deal and the looming threat of Michael.

He sighed, closed his eyes, and tried to go back to sleep. He woke almost immediately, the morning sun already painting the room in soft light filtering through the slightly open curtains. His eyes fluttered open, and he sat up, reaching for his phone. Two missed calls from Mary. He remembered she had wanted a DNA sample to determine his power type. He hadn't been sure about his power type at that time, but now, considering Ragnarok's intervention, it made sense. He was also a god-power holder, a fact he didn't relish one bit.

He went straight to the shower, the hot water a welcome relief to his tense muscles. After a quick change of clothes, he made some eggs, eating quickly. Finally, he grabbed his bag, ready to face whatever the day held.

He stepped outside, calling Mary. The phone rang a few times before she answered. "Hello?"

"Sorry I missed your calls," Adam said, "I was still asleep."

"Oh, no, it's okay," Mary replied. "But you should come to the academy quickly. I have some good news and bad news for you."

"Okay, I'm coming right away," Adam said, and with incredible speed, he ran. He reached the city limits quickly, slowing his pace slightly, though his speed was still remarkably high. He reached the academy in moments, ending the call as he neared the building. He went inside, took the elevator directly to Mary's floor, and opened the door to her lab. Mary was already there, in her lab coat, greeting him. He wondered how early she always arrived; she was already fully prepared for the day.

"Hi," Adam said.

"Hey," Mary replied. "That was fast."

Adam said nothing, his expression serious. "Yeah, I had to hear this quickly, because of the bad news, right?"

Mary nodded. "Yeah, about that. It seems you really are a flame-power holder, but we thought you were a superior power holder. The good news is that you're more than that. The bad news is... well, I haven't told anyone about this yet, but I think you may be a god-power holder."

Adam was taken aback. Mary knew. This was information only he and his closest allies knew, and if Mary told anyone, Adam could be in serious trouble. He definitely didn't want anyone else to know yet.

"Okay," Adam said, his voice tight.

"Wait," Mary said, "you knew about this?"

Adam nodded. "Yeah, but please don't tell anyone yet. If you do, this could get me in serious trouble."

Mary tilted her head, clearly not understanding. "What do you mean, 'get you in trouble'? This could actually raise your rank! You might be more appreciated if I tell them this!"

"No," Adam said firmly. "If you told them this, trust me, you'd get me in trouble. And I don't need that right now."

"Then what do you want me to do? We can just shut up about this? This is big! This is huge! You could actually become one of the founders of this place! You could join them!" Mary exclaimed.

Adam shook his head. "But I don't want to do that," he said, his voice low. "I know what they do."

"What do you mean?" Mary asked, her brow furrowed. "I know all about the absorption process." Surprise flickered across her face; Adam knew about this. If he told anyone about the absorption process, it could ruin Michael's soul plan. And if Michael found out Mary hadn't done anything about it, after Adam had clearly warned her… Mary would be in serious trouble. "How did you know about this?" she asked, her voice low, her expression serious—a serious face Adam had never seen before. She looked like a completely different person; it even felt that way.

Mary quickly walked past Adam, locking the door behind her. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice barely a whisper, "but I can't let you leave." Her hair shifted, turning a vibrant reddish-pink, the same color that now glowed intensely in her eyes.

Her lab coat instantly shifted, transforming into a black, radically different garment. Adam dropped his bag, his voice strained. "Mary, we don't have to do this."

"I'm sorry," she said, "but I need to do this. If I let you go, I don't know what they'll do to me." She pulled her phone from her pocket, seemingly about to make a call.

Adam reacted instantly, extending his hand and unleashing a fireball. It struck the phone, completely destroying it. Mary flinched, as if stung, but quickly recovered. "Okay," she said, a dangerous glint in her now reddish-pink eyes, "it seems you want me to do this the hard way."

Adam's heart hammered against his ribs, a familiar, terrifying explosion of sensation. He recognized the feeling instantly, a cold dread gripping him. It was Ragnarok.

Adam's hair blazed crimson, the change instantaneous and stark. His eyes followed suit, blazing with a hellish, blood-red light; his pupils became intensely bloodshot, the color a terrifying, crimson void. The gentle fear that had etched itself onto his features moments before was replaced by a predatory grin, cruel and chilling, a stark contrast to the man he had been. This wasn't Adam; a cold, brutal power radiated from him, the raw energy of Ragnarok thrumming in the air, palpable and suffocating. Mary felt it instantly, a visceral shift in the atmosphere, a change so profound it stole the breath from her lungs. The man before her was a predator, and she was prey.

Ragnarok took a deliberate step closer, each movement radiating menace. Mary felt the pressure as a physical blow, an invisible force slamming into her chest, crushing the air from her lungs. It wasn't just fear; it was a primal instinct, a deep-seated terror that resonated in her bones, a knowledge that she was utterly powerless against the force bearing down on her. The weight of his presence was unbearable, a crushing weight that threatened to break her. He took another step, and a shudder wracked her body, involuntary, uncontrollable. It wasn't just fear; it was a physical reaction, her body responding to some ancient, instinctual recognition of his power, a power that dwarfed her own. The color drained from her face, her lips turning white, her breath catching in her throat. The reddish-pink of her hair and the vibrant color of her lab coat retreated, draining away like blood from a wound, leaving behind the pale, sickly hue of her natural coloring. As Ragnarok stopped before her, a mere breath away, the full weight of his power descended, and she collapsed to her knees, the strength leaving her body in a wave of utter helplessness.

A flicker of slight disappointment crossed Ragnarok's features. "I swear, it's always like this with you mortals," he muttered, his voice laced with a weary amusement. "Frozen with fear every time you glimpse true power. Humans used to be different. They weren't so easily broken." He paused, then added, almost as an afterthought, "I'm not even using my dominance, you know." He leaned closer, a predatory grin spreading across his face. "Well, a little fun wouldn't hurt, right?"

Mary's eyes widened, pure terror reflecting in their depths.