From the darkness, a figure lunged at Haydon, fist cocked back, ready to strike the back of his head.
But Haydon, sensing the incoming threat, Haydon raises his hand over his shoulder. A surge of energy cut through the air, slicing cleanly through the figure's arm. The figure recoiled, their severed limb dissolving mid-air. Haydon turned to catch a glimpse of his attacker, only to be met with a blinding flash as a second arm, wrapped in flames, thrust forward, sending a fiery blast straight into his solar plexus. The impact hurled him backwards, knocking him to the ground.
As he lay sprawled on his stomach, Haydon lifted his head, wincing against the fiery pain. The building around him began to catch fire, flames forming up the walls, casting an ominous glow that illuminated the attacker. In that moment, he recognised her…. Sylvia, The Hellfire Queen, the left hand of Lucifer himself. Her face was burned into his memory from Agency files that warned of dangerous demons, each threat more sinister than the last. But instead of the fear most would feel, Haydon's heart raced with excitement.
Here was a legend, a challenge!
Sylvia glanced at the stump where her arm had been severed. With a chilling calmness, she flexed, and in an instant, her limb regenerated. Haydon's eyes narrowed, a feral glint sparking within them. This was no ordinary demon, this was a true adversary. He knew he was outmatched, but the thought only intensified his drive to bring her down.
Sylvia's red eyes glinted as she placed her hands into the pockets of her scarlet robe, the colour an exact match for her blazing hair. She tilted her head toward the ceiling, her voice dropping to a whisper, "Hell Flame."
In an instant, an inferno burst forth, flooding the entire building in a wave of blistering heat. Haydon barely had a second to react. He bolted, darting through the doorway just as the flames engulfed the room. For a moment, he thought he'd escaped her reach, but as he emerged outside, Sylvia's next spell launched him off his feet, sending him crashing through a nearby building.
Amid the rubble and dust, Haydon rose, slowly marching out from the destroyed wall, eyes full of rage and a frenzy for a fight. His eyes met Sylvia's with an intensity that mirrored her own…a lethal cocktail of rage and exhilaration. But in her crimson gaze, there was something else, a glimmer of unease.
To her, it was unsettling that a mere human had been able to overcome their instinctual dread of her and instead found excitement in the face of danger. He did not fear nor falter; instead, he seemed to thrive on the danger, a spark of primal excitement lighting his expression.
Before Sylvia could react, Haydon appeared before her, charging a punch infused with his cutting magic. The air around his fist shimmered with a dark, ominous aura. In that heartbeat, something shifted within her, a sensation of fear unlike anything she had felt before, a primal instinct that only the likes of Lucifer and his elite Assassin D had ever invoked in her.
Sylvia's instincts screamed at her to step back, but she was too late. The punch connected, slicing across her jaw with brutal force. The impact reverberated through her skull and launched her backwards, her body smashing through yet another building in an eruption of bricks and dust, a thunderous noise that echoed across the battlefield.
For a moment, everything stilled, her world spinning as she lay upon the wreckage, processing what had just transpired.
"Who is this…?"
she muttered, struggling to her feet. Fury and disbelief stumbled in her voice as her wounds closed in seconds. Outside, Haydon watched, his grin widening as Sylvia staggered from the wreckage.
"You're stronger than I thought,"
he called out, his voice filled with exhilaration.
Sylvia's eyes narrowed, fire dancing within her gaze.
"But strength alone won't save you," she spat, her excitement and anger sharpening her focus.
Haydon smirked, preparing for her next move.
"Maybe not," he replied, voice laced with defiance.
"But I'm not backing down."
The battlefield was set, The air crackled with tension as they squared off, a clash of wills.
The Hellfire Queen V Wrath's Incarnate. Sylvia clenched her fists, flames igniting along her knuckles as she drew back. With a furious yell, she punches the air in front of her, a torrent of fire that roars toward Haydon like a dragon's breath. The searing heat shook the ground, but Haydon held firm, slicing his arm downward to cut through the flame. The flames hiss and crackle as they split around him while leaving him unscathed in the eye of the inferno.
Sylvia's irritation only fueled her fury. She pushed her hands forward, manipulating the air to shove Haydon back into the wall of the building. Sylvia lunges as Haydon dodges just in time as the wall gets pulverised by Sylvia's punch. Haydon retaliated, throwing a jab, but Sylvia caught his fist, only for her hand to shred under his cutting magic.
They fought with relentless ferocity, exchanging blow after blow. At one point, both swung their fists, colliding in a clash of heat and force, creating a shockwave that rippled through the surrounding area.
As the dust settled, Sylvia's form reassembled, her wounds knitting together.
Haydon whose arm had destroyed
"aha cool trick I can do that too"
He uses his ability 'Black' which heals all wounds just like what Sylvia had done.
Sylvia, realising the danger Haydon poses at close range, decides to take things to the next level. She calls on her fire magic at full output, igniting her aura until it radiates an intense, blistering heat that distorts the air around her.
Haydon squints, assessing the situation. He can sense she's putting everything she has into this, and he knows that she can't hold this form for long…maybe five minutes at most.
Haydon thinks to himself.
"Five minutes…that's all the time I need, I'll win this,"
But then, a grin spreads across his face as his ego kicks in.
"Nah. I'll beat her at her best." his ego and confidence flare even brighter than her flames.
Sylvia, expecting Haydon to back off and keep his distance, shifts her stance and closes the gap with a swift, powerful lunge. She believes in her current state she has an advantage.
"He's making a grave mistake by staying in striking range" she mumbles under her breath.
Haydon plants one leg forward, standing his ground with a stance almost… calm.
She falters, just for a split second, curious as to why he isn't retreating. But her curiosity fades quickly, replaced by the burning dive to end this. Haydon raises one arm, positioning it in front of him while his other arm hangs loosely by his side. Without even moving his raised hand, he begins to manipulate his aura, sending out slashes of cutting energy. They're weaker than his usual attacks, spread out and more scattered, but they create a relentless storm of energy, forcing Sylvia to navigate through a constant barrage.
It's a battle of endurance now.
As Sylvia pushes forward, flames roaring with each step, she notices small cuts forming along her body, stinging and slowing her advance. She grits her teeth and presses on knowing that her flames would incinerate him if she could get close enough. Haydon, meanwhile, begins to feel the searing heat radiating from her aura, small burns appearing on his skin as he holds his ground. But instead of showing pain, he looks focused…eyes closed as if listening for the perfect moment.
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With each passing second, his cuts begin to grow stronger, little by little. They're still not enough to deal serious damage, but if this continued, she knew she'd be sliced apart.
Her flames start to flicker and wane under the relentless barrage of cuts, thinning and evaporating.
Then, his eyes snap open. He spotted it, a falter in her flames.
They both realise it at once.
Whoever lands the next hit will end the fight, There's no room for error.
With a simultaneous burst of speed, they both launched forward, closing the final gap. Haydon's aura flares around his fist, dark energy swirling like a storm, while Sylvia's fire surges.
Their fists collide with an explosive force, fire and darkness swirling together, creating a shockwave that rattles through the battlefield and sends debris flying in every direction. The impact radiates outwards, a raw, cataclysmic eruption of strength.
The energy from the collision erupts outward, hurling them both backwards, engulfed in the blast.
As the smoke and dust settle, both figures are revealed lying a distance apart, each one struggling to rise. Sylvia's flames flicker faintly.
Haydon Drags himself to his feet, every muscle fighting against him.
Sylvia, still on the ground, looks up at him, her expression a mixture of anger, respect, and something else…. Maybe she wasn't quite sure. She fought countless foes but rarely encountered one who could match her at her peak.
Breathing heavily, Haydon stares at her, a look of fierce satisfaction in his eyes.
"Hellfire Queen, huh? Not bad," he says, his voice hoarse.
Sylvia manages a small, bitter smile. "You're no ordinary human."
As she struggles to her knees, a red magic circle suddenly appears beneath her. In an instant, she vanishes.
Haydon stumbles, exhaustion finally taking its toll, and collapses to the ground as darkness edges into his vision.
The battlefield was quiet around him, the fiery storm of their fight leaving only scorched ruins in its wake.
As the clock on the phone turned to 7 pm Willow called Ethan.
"Is Haydon with you," Willow said.
"No? I thought he was with you." Ethan replied.
"No, he's not here either," Willow responded.
"Okay, I'll try and find him," Ethan said as he ended the call.
Ethan runs into the agency looking for Haydon and enters the lounge and sees everyone surrounding the TV.
"Yoo Haydon where u at" shouts Ethan
"Isn't that where Haydon had his mission today?"
asked Fritz
Ethan looks at the TV and sees a ruin, a desolation.
…
Haydon's unconscious body was picked up by Tatsuo who had brought him back to the agency, Haydon was placed into the medical wing.
After a few days, he wakes. Haydon opens his eyes to see Ava perched on a chair, her posture tense as she waits for him to regain consciousness. The dim light of the room casts a soft glow around her, but her expression is anything but warm.
"Honestly, I was expecting a big cheer when I woke up, like a hero returning from battle," he says sarcastically, a smirk playing on his lips as he stretches, feeling the remnants of pain ripple through his body.
"Woooo! You almost got killed! Woooo!" Ava responds, her tone dripping with sarcasm, but there's an undercurrent of anger in her voice.
"Aww, you worried about me?" Haydon teases, trying to lighten the mood.
Almost instantly, Ava snaps back, "Hell no! You bailed on Willow!" The irritation in her voice is palpable, and Haydon can't help but chuckle despite the situation.
"Is she mad?" he asks.
"Nah, I told her you got hit by a car," Ava replies, crossing her arms defiantly.
"Tf? You could've just said I was really sick, y'know," Haydon protests, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Please, you think Willow would buy that? She knows you're not the type to just lie around," Ava says with a hint of a smile, her anger fading slightly.
"Alright, fair point," he concedes, running a hand through his hair as he tries to piece together what happened. "But really, you didn't have to dramatise it like that. I mean, a car?"
Ava rolls her eyes, but the corners of her mouth twitch upward. "It sounded better than saying you got your ass kicked by a demon. At least now she's just relieved you're not roadkill."
"Ay that demon definitely looked worse than me" Haydon chuckles, the sound filled with both relief and lingering pain. "Guess I owe you one then."
"More like you owe me a hundred," Ava replies, her tone lightening.
Tatsuo enters the room, a mix of relief and authority etched on his face. "Good to see you actually awake," he says, his voice steady but laced with concern. "Are you feeling good enough to talk?"
Haydon smirks, his usual charm flickering back to life despite the dull ache in his body. "What do you want to talk about?" he replies in a flirtatious tone, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Okay, you are good enough to talk," Tatsuo says, deliberately ignoring him. He pulls up a chair, leaning forward slightly. "The demon you faced, what was it, or who was it?"
"Sylvia," Haydon answers, the name slipping from his lips like a confession.
Ava jumps out of her seat, her eyes wide with shock. Tatsuo's expression shifts, surprise etched across his features.
"Lucifer's Guard!" Tatsuo exclaims
"Wait," Ava interjects. "You said the demon you faced looked worse than you, meaning Sylvia? Are you serious about fighting her?"
"Yeah, I went toe to toe with her," Haydon says, his confidence unwavering despite the memory of the encounter. "I may have been unconscious and brought here, but the same would've happened to her, so I'm guessing you guys didn't find her, meaning she escaped." His voice carries an edge of frustration, the implication that the fight was unfinished giving him excitement that there will be another time for them to fight again.
"The fact that she didn't kill you means you injured her to the point she couldn't," Tatsuo replies, nodding slowly as he processes the information. "That's impressive."
"Wow, you are equal to The Hellfire Queen, an unknown grade. Not long till you acquire that grade then," Tatsuo continues, his tone shifting to one of genuine admiration.
Haydon shrugs, trying to play it cool, but he can't suppress the swell of pride in his chest. "Next time, I'll kill her," he declares, his voice steady and resolute.
Ava crosses her arms, her brow furrowing with concern. "You do realise she's not just any demon, right? She's dangerous, Haydon. We can't underestimate her."
"I know," Haydon replies, the seriousness of the situation settling in. "But I'm not backing down. If I can take her on once, I can do it again. I'll be ready next time."
Tatsuo studies him for a moment, the mentor in him weighing the risks and potential rewards. "Good. Just remember, it's not just about strength; you need a strategy. She'll be expecting you."
Haydon nods, the gravity of Tatsuo's words sinking in, but inside, he thinks to himself,
"I can beat her without a strategy" The thought bubbles up, fueled by a mix of confidence and adrenaline.
Tatsuo continues, unaware of Haydon's internal debate. "Underestimating her could be your downfall. Don't let your pride cloud your judgement," he warns, his tone serious.
"I get it, I get it," Haydon replies, waving a hand dismissively, though his heart races at the thought of facing Sylvia again.