Gabriele’s eyes widened as Castiel activated a [Divine Territory] of his own.

  He copied my Territory? Has his talent returned? No… the mana signature was different. He must have entered the zone. A pity—it might’ve meant something if he had done it earlier. She grinned.

  Despite Castiel's efforts, Gabriele’s Domain destabilised his Territory, leaving it crude and weakened. He struggled to maintain its structure as her Territory’s overwhelming presence steadily crushed it.

  What? My Territory…lost? Castiel clicked his tongue in frustration. No time to think. I need to act before her sure-hit activates. He immediately cast Ultimate Domain to counter Gabriele’s sure-hit effect.

  Gabriele’s [Divine Territory] unfolded as an endless maze of golden rooms, an infinite labyrinth meant to trap and disorient Castiel. Her sure-hit, [Numbers X Deuteronomy], amplified her physical and magical might while inversely punishing Castiel, intensifying the damage to his eyes and accelerating the burnout of his talent.

  The moment my [Ultimate Domain] collapses, it’s over. I have to hold out until my copy returns.

  He didn’t know the exact nature of her sure hit, but he knew its end result: his defeat. That uncertainty made him wary of doing anything that might destabilise his domain’s output.

  Gabriele lunged, aiming to finish the battle before his copy returned.

  Knowing he was outmatched in close quarters, Castiel attempted to retreat, but the limited space gave him nowhere to run.

  Damn it, this is—

  A punch slammed into his face, cutting off the thought. His soul crashed into the wall behind him, cracking it.

  Gabriele closed the distance in a blink, unleashing a relentless barrage that pummelled him so hard, his soul burst through into the next room.

  If this keeps up, my domain’s done for.

  He clenched his jaw, choking back a scream as his soul stitched itself together.

  Gritting through the pain, he forced himself up, just as Gabriele struck again.

  He rolled, barely dodging the blow.

  If I want to win, I have to hold her off, he steeled himself, taking his fighting stance.

  “Oh? Close quarters? Are you sure about that?” Gabriele laughed as she circled him. She stopped shortly after, her expression cold. “Not very smart.”

  She lunged. He deflected the first strike, but she twisted out and drove an elbow into his chest, then swept his legs and hurled him into the wall.

  His back slammed hard, cracking his ribs, and he dropped to one knee.

  She closed the distance before he could regain his composure and landed a knee strike to his face. The force broke the wall and launched him into the next room.

  Castiel’s eyes rolled back, and he blacked out momentarily.

  She grabbed him by the hair and hurled him upward with brutal force.

  But even as he rose, Castiel struck, driving a knee into her face. The impact cracked sharply, staggering her.

  Gabriele wiped the blood from her mouth, eyes cold, steps deliberate as she advanced like a predator.

  Her power… It’s unreal. Even with Perfect Guard…

  The ringing in his ears blurred his thoughts. He wiped blood from his nose, struggling to focus.

  I need a new plan.

  Gabriele attacked again, but he slipped her punch and landed a condensed light beam on her face, staggering her.

  Her injury instantly healed, and she went back on the attack.

  Castiel weaved away, launching a barrage of light spears to keep her at bay.

  Gabriele grunted, barrelling through the attacks, her wounds healing instantly.

  He kept retreating, firing as he darted across the room.

  Annoyed by his evasiveness, Gabriele narrowed the space, shrinking the room, cutting off escape.

  With nowhere left to run, Castiel was forced into close quarters.

  For every strike he dodged, he countered with a spear of light, forcing Gabriele to stay on the defensive.

  Good. If I can keep this up, I’ll—

  What the—?

  A wall erupted from the ground, blocking his next shot.

  Then, Gabriele’s hand smashed through it, seized his head, and slammed him straight through the floor.

  The world spun. He was dazed.

  “I’m not giving you time to recover,” she said, grinning.

  With brutal precision, she drove his head through fifty floors, leaving spiderweb cracks on the fifty-first.

  Only a loss of momentum kept it from breaking completely.

  She stomped down, shattering the floor, but Castiel rolled clear just in time.

  “You're quite relentless,” he muttered, staggering to his feet.

  “I’m honestly surprised you’ve lasted this long. I thought you were useless without your talent.”

  He growled but forced himself to stay calm. She was baiting him, trying to make him slip.

  Gabriele closed the gap in an instant.

  There are only two ways to break an [Ultimate Domain]: either overwhelm it with your Territory, or damage the user so badly they can’t sustain it.

  Both are easier said than done.

  I chose the first, cleaner, more efficient. My Territory’s almost finished crushing that domain of his.

  She drove a punch into Castiel’s ribs. He absorbed the force and immediately launched a counter.

  She caught his kick and hurled him sideways like a ragdoll.

  Castiel skillfully rolled, landing sideways on the wall.

  Even after absorbing her power… I’m still losing? Damn it. Am I really this helpless without my talent?

  Frustration fuelling him, Castiel unleashed a flurry of ranged attacks, hurling divine spears straight at Gabriele.

  She smirked and conjured a radiant wall, effortlessly blocking the barrage.

  Not bad… but it’s too late. Just a little longer, and victory is mine.

  Castiel sprang off the wall and hurled a punch the moment she lowered the wall. His [Divine Flash] connected, barely, driving her back into the wall with a crash.

  He smirked until he felt it.

  His domain flickered.

  Damn it… If I don’t act now, it’ll collapse, he realised grimly.

  Then, he remembered something Lord Samael once said:

  “Condensed chapters are stronger than uncondensed ones.”

  Without hesitation, Castiel compressed his domain, drawing it inward until it clung tightly to the outline of his soul.

  It worked.

  Thanks to mimicking Uriel’s expertise, the technique came easily.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  His domain, though smaller, became tougher to breach and more efficient to maintain, just enough to survive.

  Across the room, Gabriele’s eyes narrowed as she felt the shift. Her grin faded.

  She gritted her teeth.

  He isn’t making this easy.

  No matter—I’ll beat him until that domain shatters.

  She lunged at him, and he dodged at the last second to her shock.

  He can still fight? She questioned.

  Instead of countering, Castiel ran, slipping through the holes Gabriele had torn open during her relentless assault.

  Just a little more time, he thought with a faint smile. My copy’s almost ready—

  Then he crashed face-first into a wall.

  Another wall? This is getting annoying.

  He turned, seeing that Gabriele was already in motion.

  She spun into a heel kick. He barely ducked as her foot shattered the wall behind him in a thunderous blast of gold and debris. Without wasting a breath, he fired a beam of light, driving her backwards through the hole she’d made.

  Gabriele tumbled back, flipping mid-air to land in a crouch. Smoke rose from her scorched midsection. She wiped blood from her lip, golden eyes narrowing.

  He’s adapting too quickly. The hit didn’t do serious damage, but it stung more than it should’ve. She clenched her jaw, searing soul knitting shut.

  I wanted more time to grow my mana, but if I wait, he’ll recover that damned copy ability.

  Since activating her Territory, Gabriele had focused solely on regenerating mana. It had started at a mere 1%. That’s why her strength and speed were initially limited.

  Not anymore.

  Now, every drop of mana surged into raw power. Her speed spiked. Her strength multiplied. Her muscles thickened, her soul more toned, and veins bulged beneath her skin as her soul amplified itself beyond its limits.

  Gabriele launched back into the offensive.

  Castiel faced her towering form, her soul radiating raw, oppressive power. He knew a head-on fight was suicide.

  He moved to dodge, but he was too slow.

  Gabriele was faster now, much faster.

  Forced to block, he screamed as the blows shattered his arms, then his legs, each strike broke his bones with brutal precision.

  Then she struck his neck, blowing it apart in a single, brutal hit.

  Castiel staggered back, reeling from the blow.

  Before he could recover, Gabriele locked her hands and slammed them down on his skull, obliterating it.

  She moved to target his heart, but he vanished just in time, slipping underground using Asmodiel’s talent.

  He regenerated quickly and drove a full-powered punch downward, aiming to break through the floor to create a path to escape.

  Instead, his fist shattered on impact; the gold was too dense, too reinforced.

  He screamed out in pain.

  Gabriele didn’t hesitate. She crashed through the floor above, knee driving straight toward Castiel like a missile. But he activated Asmodiel’s talent once more, vanishing in a blur.

  He reappeared behind her, driving an elbow strike to her jaw, flashing gold on impact.

  She staggered, but only for a heartbeat. Spinning on instinct, she swung a vicious backfist.

  Castiel barely slipped past it. Too close. He exhaled, steadying himself.

  But Gabriele was relentless; she was already upon him, unyielding, merciless, giving him no time to breathe.

  He slipped her punch by a hair, but even the graze staggered him.

  Seriously? My divine flash didn’t even hurt her.

  Gabriele lunged, launching a brutal roundhouse.

  He ducked, cutting an angle, only for her to spin into a heel kick aimed at his jaw.

  He barely dodged again, keeping his distance.

  Then came her follow-up, a savage punch straight to his chest, landing a divine flash of her own.

  Castiel raised his reinforced arms, bracing. The impact sent him sliding back.

  She clicked her tongue. He’s absorbing my strength to reinforce his guard… clever.

  A faint smile tugged at his lips.

  “Finally… It’s back.”

  His copy ability had finally returned, but the cost of healing had drained his mana reserves, leaving his Domain’s output severely weakened.

  Outside the Territory, Uriel flinched, silently praying for Gabriele’s victory.

  The angels stood frozen, tense, their gazes locked on the battlefield, wondering who was winning inside the Territory.

  The members of Dead End watched with bated breath, caught between hope and dread.

  Inside, Castiel healed his hands, keeping the distance between them.

  As Gabriele’s Territory crushed his Domain, he suddenly clasped his arms together, startling her.

  It…failed? After all that trouble I went through? She gritted her teeth, lunging to stop him. But his casting speed outpaced her.

  “Divine Territory,” he muttered.

  But nothing happened.

  She exhaled in relief as a grin spread across her face.

  Good. It worked. Now this fight can finally reach its climax.

  What is going on? Why can’t I copy her territory? He ponders.

  Due to his fight with Gabriele, his copy ability evolved yet again, now mimicking not just skills or strength, but mana flow, thought process, and the very essence of a person.

  A glowing crosshair formed in his eyes, symbolising his new power.

  Castiel sensed the growth the moment his copy ability returned, which made it all the more shocking when the ability failed.

  His Domain trembled, on the verge of being overpowered. He tried again.

  Nothing, just silence.

  It has to be her. She did something. But what? Damn it… what do I do?!

  Panic crept in as Gabriele closed the distance.

  Desperate, he activated [Divine Mirror] to counter her punch.

  However, as their fist crashed, Castiel’s domain crumbled, and Gabriele’s sure hit landed.

  Castiel’s eyes overloaded, erupting in flames as searing pain consumed him.

  He screamed, channelling Gabriele’s copied mana to regenerate his eyes.

  The moment they opened, her fist crashed into his face, shattering his jaw.

  Then came a [Divine Flash] to the chest, launching him through yet another wall.

  He forced his soul to heal, but it was pointless, and he knew it. Only his pride kept him from surrendering.

  Gabriele’s sure-hit technique relentlessly overloaded his copy ability, scorching his eyes with each use. Inside her Territory, he was forced to heal just to keep his eyes functional, but he was slipping. Falling behind.

  I have to reopen my domain; I can’t take this pain. He tried casting it, but it failed just like his Territory.

  What? Again?

  Gabriele strode toward him, a sly grin on her face. “What’s wrong, Castiel? All out of tricks?”

  “Damn you… What did you do?”

  She pointed beneath him.

  He looked down and froze.

  A glowing infinity seal pulsed beneath his feet.

  His eyes widened. “When?!”

  “You didn’t think I came unprepared, did you?” she said smugly.

  “That seal has been waiting for you.”

  “Don’t jest, one seal can’t suppress this much power!”

  “Gabriele chuckled. “Of course not. Why do you think I threw you through so many rooms? The seals stack.”

  Castiel let out a weak laugh. “…Smart.”

  Then his gaze narrowed. “What about the Divine Flashes I landed before you activated your Territory? How’d you walk them off?”

  “Same way you did, [Perfect Guard]. Only, I tweaked mine a little… added Amplification. That way, it would counter any nullifications used.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Any more questions before I end this?”

  Castiel’s mind reeled.

  She reinforced it this far? I chose her for an easy path into Dead End… and now I’m about to lose

  “Not bad,” he grunted, dragging himself to his feet. “But I’m not done yet.”

  He met her gaze, defiant. His soul was in tatters. His mana, nearly gone.

  But pride still burned hot in his chest.

  Even with defeat staring him down, he refused to kneel.

  I have to do what Lord Samael taught us. Beat her before my mana runs out. Before her sure-hit finishes me off.

  A grim smirk tugged at his lips.

  His plan was simple enough, but the execution would be damn near impossible due to the difference in skill and stats.

  Still, there was a sliver of hope.

  Gabriele was starting to falter. Her circuits were reaching their limit. The constant Divine Flashes pushed her output so far beyond capacity that even her soul struggled to keep up. Her strength kept climbing, but her spirit was nearing its breaking point.

  Castiel wasn’t doing much better.

  But he stood tall, bloodied yet unbroken, and raised his fists.

  If I lose here, I won’t enter Dead End. I’ve worked too hard to lose to the weakest member of the group.

  “You still think you have a chance?” Gabriele scoffed.

  Then her expression darkened.

  “It’s time I ended this.”

  She lunged.

  Her punch slammed into his face.

  Castiel rocketed backwards, smashing through two walls before his mind even registered the pain.

  When he finally hit the ground, his vision blurred, and he felt heavy.

  What just happened?

  I can’t feel anything…

  Did she hit me?

  Blood poured from his nose as his thoughts spiralled in a daze of disbelief.

  Gabriele didn’t let up.

  She unleashed everything—every ounce of power, every drop of fury.

  Each strike was driven by the pain and rage she’d swallowed when she was losing at the start of the fight.

  Every memory ignited her pace, pushing her faster, harder, until she was tearing through his soul faster than his regeneration could keep up.

  Her speed kept climbing, fed by each flash of anger, each scar burned into her mind.

  An axe kick crushed him downward, his soul tearing through the floor beneath.

  She flashed below and drove a [Divine Flash] into his midsection, ripping it open, then launched him through another wall with a merciless kick.

  She caught him mid-air and smashed him through floor after floor. Grabbing his half-regenerated form, she sneered

  “You can’t hear me now, your head’s still regrowing, and you’ve got no ears. But I’m not done. This is for embarrassing me in front of the angels... and my squad.”

  She hurled him again. Another wall shattered.

  Then came the combo:

  Uppercut to the chest.

  Elbow to the jaw.

  Kick to the gut.

  As Castiel reeled from the barrage, she soared above him and slammed a Divine Flash into his back, sending him crashing through yet another floor.

  His regeneration sputtered, faltering with each passing second.

  But he kept pushing it, forcing his soul to heal, even as it resisted.

  Struggling, stitching it back together piece by piece.

  He forced himself up, and Gabriele kicked him in the face, then punched him in the spine, slamming him through the ground again.

  She zipped in front of him, another punch.

  Zipped behind, a kick to the back.

  Then again.

  And again.

  She batted him around like a ragdoll, a pinball of fractured bone.

  Each blow echoed the same words he’d heard his whole life: You’re nothing without your talent.

  Parents. Teachers. Comrades.

  By the time she stopped, he was a crumpled heap, shredded muscle, shattered limbs.

  They were right, I am worthless without my talent.

  Tears streamed down his face. Not from pain, but from the crushing truth: he was about to lose.

  The light from his healing flickered before faltering, his mana finally exhausted. Then flames erupted in his eyes, searing them from within.

  Echoes of his screams reverberated through her Territory.

  “You chose the wrong angel to underestimate.”

  Gabriele stood tall, grinning at the pathetic sight below her.

  Did you expect the ending