Fallen opened his eyes.
The world around him was still, foggy… but his body felt sore, bruised. His head throbbed with emptiness—like he had been floating in silence.
And then—
He saw him.
No.2 stood a few feet away, arms folded, eyes locked on him.
Fallen's heart immediately ignited.
Without a word, he lunged forward, throwing attack after attack, fists wild with rage.
But No.2 didn't flinch. He dodged effortlessly—calm, precise.
Then he spoke, voice deep and steady:
"It wasn't me who killed her."
Fallen froze mid-strike.
His body trembled, rage still bubbling—but something about No.2's tone stopped him.
"...That attack," Fallen growled. "You said it belonged to my mother. What was it?"
No.2 took a slow breath.
"It's a high-level spell. Something that works on both demons and angels."
Fallen narrowed his eyes. "But how can a demon use it?"
"Only angels can use it," No.2 explained.
"But... there are two exceptions."
He looked straight into Fallen's eyes.
"Me… and your father."
Fallen blinked. "My father? He's a demon?"
"Not just a demon," No.2 said. "He was known as the No.1 of hell."
"What's that mean?"
No.2 gave a slight grin.
"In hell, the strongest doesn't become king. The one who has balance—rage, control, knowledge—they get the throne."
"The numbers? They measure brute force, raw power."
"Your father was No.1. I'm No.2. The demon king—Algol—is No.3."
Fallen's eyes widened. "Wait, the king is ranked lower?"
"In raw rage and physical strength? Yes."
"But Algol is far more intelligent than both of us. His knowledge of curses and spells is beyond anything you've seen."
Fallen paused, letting it all sink in.
"And that attack... The 'Guards of the Gates'?"
No.2 nodded.
"It's a powerful twin-dragon spell. One white. One black."
"The white dragon suppresses demons—puts them into a state of nothingness."
"The black dragon kills angels in one shot. Because they can regenerate, you don't get a second chance."
Fallen frowned. "So why did you only use the white one on me? I'm a mutant. Shouldn't both work?"
"Because at that moment," No.2 said, "your angel side was suppressed. Rage had taken over your body—pure demon energy."
"To survive the white dragon, you must be brighter than it."
"To survive the black, you must be darker than it."
"You weren't balanced. You were full rage. That's why the white dragon worked on you."
Fallen exhaled. "…Makes sense."
"Can I learn that spell?"
No.2 smirked.
"In your current state? You can't even control your own rage."
"But… if you train under me, maybe."
Fallen grinned.
"Heyi heyi, sensei."
No.2 blinked. "What?"
Fallen glanced around, panicked. "What time is it?"
"9AM."
Fallen's eyes widened. "WHAT?! I'M LATE FOR SCHOOL!"
He dashed off without another word.
No.2 just stood there, confused, arms crossed.
---
To be continued.