“Who will fight my students?”
The angels murmured among themselves. After someone had held their own against Uriel, courage stirred. But Samael’s price was still too steep.
All except one.
“I will,” said a calm voice.
Castiel stepped forward, golden hair catching the light, blue eyes locked with purpose.
Samael’s brow twitched. This is a problem. He’ll fight Gabriele. If she loses, the reputation of ‘Dead End’ will be stained. I can’t allow that.
Still, he kept his expression unreadable.
“And who do you challenge?” Samael asked.
Castiel’s gaze never wavered. “The weakest member.”
Adriel growled. “You coward. Why not fight me, your rival?”
Castiel flashed a crooked grin. “Because I don’t feel like losing. I’ll take the easy ticket into ‘Dead End’.”
Samael’s glare cut through him. “Not a bad strategy… for a coward.”
Castiel’s smirk faltered.
Fafniel clenched his fist. “Gabriele?”
“Yes?” she answered, eyes narrowing.
“Don’t lose,” he said flatly. “You’re not allowed to.”
Gabriele blinked. “That’s… unexpected from you.”
Jophiel raised a brow. “His pep talk needs improvements.”
Fafniel scoffed. “I can’t stomach weaklings who take shortcuts. It disgusts me.”
The members of ‘Dead End’ erupted in cheers as Gabriele stepped into the cage Samael summoned. Castiel entered next. The cage rose—and the fight began.
Gabriele immediately sized him up.
He’s too relaxed. He doesn’t even see me as a threat. She cracked her knuckles.
Castiel… the perfect copy. He’s part of Samael’s squad and dangerously strong. I can’t let my team down. I need to overwhelm him before he mirrors me.
She shifted into her stance—karate base, boxing hands. One guarding her jaw, the other extended forward.
Castiel didn’t move. Arms loose. Feet grounded. Smirking.
Gabriele lunged.
Jab—dodged.
Right cross—slipped.
Left hook—missed.
Uppercut—whiffed.
She spun into a question mark kick.
Castiel leaned back, dodging with a whisper of movement. Then jumped back from her spinning back kick.
“Is dodging all you can do?” Gabriele snapped.
He grinned. “Just giving you a chance. My turn.”
He exploded forward.
Jab. Her head snapped back—nose broken.
Cross. Her stance shattered.
Hook. Her jaw dislocated.
Uppercut. Her feet left the floor.
Fafniel’s eyes narrowed. Wait… those are her exact moves…
Others noticed too. The crowd murmured in realisation.
Gabriele crashed to the ground but forced herself up, casting [Job: Healing] to repair the damage.
Castiel smirked. “Let’s see you survive this.”
He launched a question mark kick, connecting with her temple. Gabriele staggered.
He followed up with a spinning heel kick, slamming her into the cage.
She coughed up blood, slumping down.
The audience was stunned. Gabriele hadn’t just been beaten—she’d been dismantled with her moves, enhanced by Castiel’s superior speed and precision.
Jophiel frowned. Unlike Amenediel, who copies at eighty per cent efficiency… Castiel replicates techniques at full power—and improves them.
Bloodied but unbroken, Gabriele stood, pondering how to beat this seemingly unbeatable opponent.
“Stay down,” Castiel warned. “Next time, I’ll be more brutal.”
She scoffed, Samael’s words echoing in her head:
Even in the face of defeat, unwavering resolve can carve a path to victory.
She surged forward.
This time, her attacks were rapid—each blow enhanced with [Divine Flash]. Castiel dodged smoothly, but with each strike, it became harder.
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She grazed his cheek, surprising him. Her speed snowballed, and strikes grazed his entire upper half, leaving him bruised.
She’s using [Genesis X Isaiah: Absolute Divine Speed], Samael noted with interest.
Castiel jumped back to regroup—but Gabriele was already ahead.
[Genesis: Creation]—Blades of light rained from above. Castiel dodged sideways, but Gabriele followed.
She throws a head kick, and Castiel dodges.
Drops down and leg sweeps, but Castiel jumped over.
Gabriele spun from the ground into another kick. He flipped above it. She follows up with a spinning back kick, but Castiel dodges.
Then, counterstrike.
Castiel mirrored all her [Divine Flash] techniques perfectly, landing them with ease before finishing up with a front kick to the chest. She flew back, coughing blood. Still, she healed.
Then activated:
[Deuteronomy X Chronicles: Divine Counter X Divine Nullification X Divine Absorption – Perfect Guard].
Light swords fell from the sky, piercing her soul.
What?! [Perfect Guard] nullifies all damage—how did he…?
She reeled in shock, allowing Castiel to land a head kick that snapped her head sideways. Before she could recover, he swept her legs clean of the ground, flipping her through the air.
As she twisted mid-fall, he spun and drove a vicious back kick into her ribs, launching her across the arena.
She slammed into the cage but bounced back and ate a cross to the chest. The impact flashed gold as Gabriele collapsed.
Asmodiel looked on in shock, “Isn’t that my move?”
“Yes, he can copy the moves of others perfectly,” Jophiel replied.
“What an impressive talent.” Asmodiel’s lips curl into a grin.
Castiel caught her hand and swept her leg, tumbling her head-first into the other side of the cage. She falls upside down into the bottom of the cage.
Blood drips from her mouth, there is a hole in her chest, and she is barely conscious.
“I told you I’d be more forceful,” Castiel sneered.
The crowd gasped. A ‘Dead End’ member had lost.
Fafniel’s fist trembled. “Damn that weakling… I told her not to lose.”
The rest of ‘Dead End’ burned with fury—not at Gabriele’s failure, but at Castiel’s audacity.
“Lord Samael, end it. She’s done,” Castiel declared.
<
Of course not. She replied, barely opening up her eyes.
<
“Lord Samael, look at her, she—”
Before Castiel could finish, Gabriele rose. Slouched. Shaking. Barely upright.
Castiel scowled. “I told you to stay down.”
Finally, he revealed his stance—narrow and sharp, reminiscent of taekwondo, fists loose.
If I take another hit, I’m finished. I can’t afford to lose. Her battered soul trembled, but her eyes burned.
<
Her eyes widened.
That means… I share Lord Gabriel’s talent.
A grin cut across her bloody face, and her aura swelled.
“First shock, now a grin,” Castiel scoffs, “How confused are you? No matter, I’m ending this fight now.”
He lunged.
Gabriele met him.
Her right cross landed flush on his cheek.
Castiel flew.
Crashed.
Bounced.
Slammed into the cage.
And fell to one knee.
Shock echoed through the arena.
Castiel stared at her, dazed. What was that…? That wasn’t a technique. That was pure power.
He rose, healing fast. “That...fluke won’t happen again.”
He charged and threw the same cross that Gabriele had just landed on him.
Gabriele slipped the punch while creating an angle and jabbed his jaw.
His eyes rolled back, and he dropped to a knee before regaining consciousness.
She followed with a brutal kick to the face, sending him flying again.
Blood dripped from his nose as he stared in disbelief.
How is she this strong? It makes no sense. There isn’t any aura in her eyes, so it isn’t flow. I doubt that flow could increase power and speed so drastically. How did she do it?
“What’s wrong? Is this all you’ve got?” Gabriele taunted.
Castiel rose to his feet, jaw clenched, eyes blazing with aura.
“Lord Samael,” Uriel asked, his voice sharp, “how did Gabriele get this strong?”
The rest of Dead End turned toward Samael, who smirked.
“I simply told her that angels born in the same region share talents.”
A collective gasp rippled through them. The realisation hit like thunder—Gabriele had just received an absurd boost in strength and speed.
Among angels, knowledge truly was power. Talent lay dormant until it was named; awareness alone awakened it. Now that Gabriele knew her divine gift mirrored Lord Gabriel’s—The Strength of the Lord—her spirit ignited, strength erupting from her like wildfire.
Her strength had now become unparalleled among her peers.
Aura shot out of Castiel’s eyes and sharpened his mimicry. He copied her power and speed in an instant, lunging forward.
His fist shot out, but Gabriele deflected it effortlessly. She countered with a [Divine Flash] aimed at his jaw—he ducked beneath it with a crisp boxing roll and fired back with a punch of his own. Gabriele blocked it with her knee, shattering his fist.
Castiel screamed and stumbled back. She didn’t hesitate.
A front kick to his lead leg, took it out, and then she surged forward with a rising knee that flashed gold as it crashed into his face.
The force from the blow launched him towards the ceiling. She chased him up, landing a clean strike across his face as he bounced off the ceiling.
Gabriele pummelled him into the ceiling until he caught one of her punches, surprising her.
She tried to throw another, but he twisted her arm sharply, and she cried out in pain. As she tried to pry his grip loose with her free hand, he landed a divine flash on her jaw, hurling her into the cage floor.
But she rose. Instantly.
Everyone watching froze in disbelief. She’d just taken a [Divine Flash] clean to the face—and looked unfazed.
Spitting blood, she wiped her mouth and thought, Interesting. He used [Perfect Guard] to tank my hits and bait a counter. Not bad. I’ll counter it just like he did, with a reversal of the technique.
She smirked and returned to her stance.
“What the hell are you?” Castiel muttered.
Gabriele didn’t answer. She lunged.
Their battle reignited—blow after blow, each movement more furious than the last. Castiel gained a slight edge, using her own copied techniques and augmenting them with his speed-heavy style. His plan was clear: copy, counter, overwhelm.
But it had a flaw—and Gabriele found it.
Castiel landed a clean punch, knocking her down. He dove in to stomp her, but she rolled away at the last second and sprang to her feet with a smile on her face.
They clashed again. Each time she struck, he mirrored it, layering his assault with [Acts: Double Impact] to throw her off balance, landing combo after combo. But then, she broke the loop.
She batted away his punch with her right hand, seized his wrist with her left, and yanked him forward into a vicious chop to the throat. Blood flew as Castiel staggered back, gagging.
“Got you,” she whispered, widening her grin.
She landed a cross to his jaw, then an uppercut that lifted him off the ground. A spinning heel kick smashed into his ribs, launching him across the cage.
Castiel steadied himself, trying to catch his breath. But Gabriele was already on him.
He put his hand up to block, but she slipped to the side and whipped a kick towards his flank.
Tracking her, Castiel threw up his right hand to intercept and launched a counter jab with his left. But Gabriele was a step ahead.
She leapt, spinning mid-air and crashed her heel onto the top of his skull with brutal force.
His head slammed into the cage floor, and he was motionless. Gabriele stood over him, a smile on her face.
The arena looked on in shock before erupting in cheers.
The Copycat’s Gambit was just the beginning.
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