Living since the time of the Third World War, Konstantin had survived the radioactive fallout that had decimated humanity. Through a phenomenon that the scientists of the time had never been able to explain, the radiation had not caused his death, but had instead recomposed his DNA at a molecular level, thus making him immortal. He was the only one to have known this singular destiny, the only being to have crossed this threshold that nature had never foreseen.

After wandering for decades through the smoking ruins of ancient civilizations, he finally settled in the south of the Yggdrasil continent, a region that would become known as Babylon. It was there that he built his dwelling.

He was the only one capable of opening the gates of hell, for by becoming immortal, he had accumulated knowledge without compare to that of simple mortals. He had assembled knowledge from the four corners of the world, from forgotten grimoires to ancient manuscripts, even piercing the mysteries of the constellations. He had even learned to communicate with certain of those distant stars. However, the assembly of all this knowledge had a terrible backlash: his mind gradually deregulated. His perception of reality altered, making him somewhat gloomy.

<Mystic Art: Lightning Spear >

With a sharp gesture of his hand, Konstantin released a discharge of lightning of absolute purity. The beam of light struck Lucifer full force at the level of the plexus. The impact was so violent that it expelled him from the room in a crash of broken stone. Lucifer was hurled through the forest, his body plowing the ground before stopping in a cloud of dust.

Aeshma started, her aura of death deploying instantly. "You... !"

Konstantin, ignoring her cries, began to execute a series of hand signs at a speed the human eye could not follow... The mudras chained together, creating a resonance with the basaltic ground of the fortress.

Suddenly, fissures opened under Aeshma’s feet and at the point where Lucifer was trying to get back up. Chains of black metal, engraved with suppression runes, burst from the earth like serpents... They wrapped violently around their limbs, immobilizing them in an iron embrace.

For a few seconds, silence returned, disturbed only by Konstantin’s muffled laughter as he observed his prisoners. It was the first time anyone had managed to restrain two entities of this rank simultaneously.

"What power... this guy is not a simple mage," thought Lucifer, his joints cracking under the pressure.

Lucifer and Aeshma simultaneously released their auras... A shockwave exploded from their bodies, shattering the links of the chains that flew into pieces. Lucifer stood up, dusting off his black coat with a calm that contrasted with the violence of the exchange.

"I see that knowledge is not the only thing you possess," remarked Lucifer, his eyes shining.

Konstantin still did not respond. He remained there, arms dangling, head slightly tilted to the side, as if listening to voices inaudible to the others... This silence made his appearance even more sinister amid the debris.

"You are really powerful, rare are those capable of holding us for a few seconds," added Aeshma, readjusting her bustier while staring at the sorcerer with a mix of respect and hatred.

Not wasting another second, Lucifer decided to go on the offensive. He used his maximum propulsion force.

In a leap, he propelled himself, covering the distance separating him from Konstantin in a heartbeat. He concentrated all his aura in his right fist, aiming at the sorcerer’s face for a devastating blow... But at the moment his fist was about to make contact with Konstantin’s skin, it was stopped dead by an invisible wall. The air solidified in front of him in a crackle of bluish energy.

Konstantin had not even raised his arms to protect himself. His mere presence created a barrier that Lucifer could not breach.

< Aura Repulsion >

A massive spherical shockwave exploded from his body. The discharge was so powerful that the surrounding stone pillars cracked... Lucifer was hurled backward by the gravitational force of the attack. He flew several meters, spinning on himself. However, he quickly regained control in mid-air.

Turning on himself with feline agility, he executed a perfect backflip. His boots met the ground with a dull thud, digging two furrows in the stone before he finally managed to stabilize... He was breathing slightly hard, his right arm still vibrating from the backlash of the barrier.

Aeshma seized the opportunity, taking advantage of the fact that Konstantin’s attention was constantly focused on Lucifer. She concentrated a powerful demonic energy before directing it at Konstantin, who exploded with a crash that kicked up dust. When the dust settled, Konstantin, standing there, simply adjusted his robe.

His gloomy smile never left his face. He tilted his head slightly to the side, and his eyes scanned Lucifer from head to toe with deliberate slowness.

"Your constitution is fascinating, young man..." murmured Konstantin. His voice sounded like the rustling of parchment. He took a step forward, and the sound of cracking echoed under his sole.

Lucifer clenched his jaws with such force that his molars grated under the pressure. He stood up, adjusting his position. Aeshma advanced in turn, her heels clicking against the ground. She raised her slender hands, and between her pale palms, a black energy scythe gradually materialized, condensing into a curved and sharp blade.

"It seems we must give him a glimpse of death so he can cooperate," said Aeshma, her icy voice cutting the air like a scalpel. She spun her scythe around her wrist, tracing a dark circle that left a trail of smoking darkness in its wake. "Because obviously, polite words are not enough to convince such a self-important fossil."

Konstantin burst into insane laughter. He placed a hand on his chest, as if to contain the hilarity shaking his emaciated body, and his shoulders twitched under his oversized robe. When he finally raised his head, his eyes shone with a fierce, almost carnivorous gleam.

"Death?" he repeated, his voice filled with amusement. "I forgot its face more than five thousand years ago, little girl!"