The oppressive silence weighed down on the air, thick with the tension between Gershion and Astaroth. The swirling darkness of the rift pulsed violently behind them, feeding on the chaos and destruction it had birthed. The two warriors stood locked in a deadly stare, their auras clashing like thunder before the inevitable storm.

Gershion’s breath came in ragged gasps, his body pulsing with the immense energy that now coursed through him. The first seal of the Shadow of the Almighty had broken, and though he felt his power surging, there was a sense of incompleteness—an untapped potential that still lay dormant. Astaroth seemed to notice this as well.

The demon prince, recovering from the momentary shock, narrowed his eyes. “This power... it is not fully awakened,” Astaroth mused, his voice dripping with dark amusement. He flexed his taloned hand, embers of hellfire dancing along his fingers. “It seems I may still have a chance after all. But tell me, boy,” he sneered, “who are you to wield such a power? Darkness so deep that even the mightiest of us—Lucifer, Satan—never held it in full.”

Gershion’s mind raced, but he didn’t want to tell the truth.The raw energy coursing through him was foreign, unfamiliar, yet terrifyingly natural at the same time. He stammered, “I—I don’t know...”

Astaroth’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, and then his face twisted into a cruel grin. “You don’t know?!” he spat, incredulous. “You wield a power that could topple the highest thrones of the Dark Realm, and you don’t even know what it is?” His laughter echoed through the chamber, mocking and derisive.

“You fool!” Astaroth snarled. “That is no ordinary power. There is only one thing in existence that could have such a tremendous power. Its power is said to rival the Almighty Himself—the one thing that could make even archdemons like Satan tremble. And it was thought to be destroyed when Lucifer was killed by his own brethren.”

The realization hit Astaroth like a hammer. His smile faltered, his eyes narrowing with newfound fear. “It cannot be... The Supreme Darkness? But... that power was destroyed with Lucifer.”

Gershion's mind spun as Astaroth's words sank in. The Supreme Darkness? It was a name whispered in legend, a force thought to be annihilated during the rebellion of Heaven, a power so dangerous that even the celestial realms feared it. But how could he, a mere mortal, carry such a power within him? He recalled the voice that gave him this power said it is the shadow of the Almighty. Is it the same thing as the Supreme Darkness?

Before Gershion could process the implications, Astaroth’s demeanor shifted. The demon prince no longer looked at him with contempt. There was fear now, but it was tempered with the resolve of one who had no choice but to fight.

“If this power truly resides in you,” Astaroth growled, his eyes blazing with hatred, “then I will tear it from your corpse. If I cannot have it, then I will ensure it dies with you!”

With a roar, Astaroth charged. The ground cracked beneath his feet as he surged forward, his wings propelling him like a missile toward Gershion. Dark flames erupted from his hands, turning the air around them into a scorching inferno.

Gershion raised his sword just in time to block the strike, the force of the blow nearly knocking him off balance. His muscles strained as he pushed back against the demon’s strength, sparks flying from the clash of their weapons. The sheer pressure of the battle was overwhelming, and Gershion could feel his energy waning with every passing second.

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Astaroth’s attacks came fast and brutal, each one more vicious than the last. His movements were precise, refined from centuries of combat experience, while Gershion struggled to keep up. His lack of battle experience became painfully clear as Astaroth’s onslaught continued, each blow forcing Gershion further on the defensive.

“This is the power of a prince of Hell!” Astaroth boasted as he unleashed a wave of hellfire, forcing Gershion to roll out of the way. “You cannot hope to defeat me, even with your newfound power!”

Despite the overwhelming pressure, Gershion fought back with every ounce of strength he had. His sword clashed with Astaroth’s fiery claws again and again, but the demon was relentless. Each strike from the prince sent shockwaves through his body, and Gershion could feel the toll it was taking on him.

“I have to end this,” Gershion muttered to himself, gritting his teeth as he tried to regain his focus. But the sheer gap in their combat experience was staggering. Astaroth was an elite warrior who had fought in countless wars, while Gershion was still learning the full extent of his powers.

Just as Astaroth thrust his sword toward Gershion’s heart, aiming for the same fatal blow that had nearly killed him earlier, something strange happened. Time seemed to slow for Gershion. His heart pounded in his ears, and suddenly, his body felt... weightless. He watched as the tip of Astaroth’s sword approached, but instead of piercing his flesh, it passed through him—through the shadows of his form.

ALERT: Shadow Merge Activated. Duration: 2 minutes. Cooldown: 2 hours.

Gershion’s body had melted into the darkness. He didn’t understand how, but the system had triggered something inside him, allowing him to merge with the very shadows around him. For the first time since the battle began, Gershion felt a surge of confidence.

“What?” Astaroth gasped, his eyes darting around in confusion. “Where—?”

Before the demon could finish, Gershion reappeared behind him. His sword gleamed with dark energy as he plunged it into Astaroth’s back, driving the blade deep between the demon prince’s wings.

Astaroth howled in pain, staggering forward as dark blood poured from the wound. Gershion wasted no time. With a ferocious battle cry, he slashed at the demon again, each strike weakening Astaroth further.

The demon prince stumbled, his immense strength finally failing him as the dark energy within Gershion tore through his defenses. Astaroth’s wings faltered, and his body began to tremble under the sheer force of the attacks.

“I will not fall to a child!” Astaroth bellowed, summoning the last of his strength as he raised his hand to strike Gershion down once and for all. But Gershion was faster. The shadows around him twisted and surged, wrapping around Astaroth like chains.

With one final, decisive blow, Gershion drove his sword through Astaroth’s chest, impaling the demon prince on the edge of his blade. Astaroth’s eyes widened in shock, his body shaking violently as the darkness consumed him.

The rift behind them pulsed with one final surge of energy before going still. The chamber grew quiet, the once-vibrant flames of Astaroth’s power now extinguished.

Gershion stood over the fallen demon, breathing heavily as the weight of the battle finally caught up to him. His body trembled, both from the exhaustion and the realization of what had just transpired.

Astaroth’s body disintegrated into ash, leaving only the faint echo of his final scream. The prince of Hell was no more.

Gershion’s hand trembled as he lowered his sword, staring at the remains of his enemy. The power that had surged through him was still there, but it now felt distant, like a storm waiting to be unleashed again.

But this was only the beginning.

The first seal had been broken, and with it came a power unlike anything Gershion had ever imagined. Yet as he looked down at the ashes of Astaroth, one thought consumed his mind:

If this is only the power of one broken seal... what happens when all the seals are unleashed?

As the shadows of the rift faded, Gershion knew he would need to uncover the full truth behind the Shadow of the Almighty—and the true extent of his role in this battle between light and darkness.