If there was one positive thing about the Fall was that it eventually introduced Adam to his greatest passion.
Fighting.
Ever since the first time that he'd been forced to fight for his life against the beasts of Eden when they'd become savage, it'd awakened something within him.
A primal need in his very being, a fire in his soul, the rushing of blood through his body as his heart pounded in his chest.
The thrill of combat.
Adam's soul lit up with joy as he found his passion.
Don't get him wrong.
He loved his wife, and he loved his children and he made sure to protect him every day, but there was something about fighting, about the being on the precipice of defeat, teetering on the edge between life and death that had ignited a spark within him nothing could replace.
So whenever he was not doing his fatherly duties, he'd unt for the strongest beasts and creatures that existed, all for the thrill of the fight.
It was why he couldn't stand the thought of just dying in his sleep, and his children both understood yet mourned when he chose to fight to the death, battling demons from the first incursion into the Earth.
As Adam lay dying, he noticed a young girl with him, idly playing in his blood next to his sword.
"Who are you, little one?"
The little girl merely smiled at him, unafraid of the blood that adorned his body.
With a grin, he put his hand on her head and rubbed her hair.
One of his descendants? Separated from her family during the demonic incursion?
He supposed it didn't matter.
"Emily…your name is Emily…"
The girl smiled at him.
When Adam had found himself in Heaven, he'd honestly been slightly disappointed. Although he was happy to be among the angels once more, his love of fighting along with his new body meant that the risk of death, the risk of defeat…was no longer there.
Emily also had something weird going on for her, sometimes, she was a seraphim, the Joy Bringer, other times he was Emily, the little girl he'd met just before his death that hung off his shoulder and loved candy and fighting just as much as he did.
Though he welcomed the surprise when the first Archfiend had arisen from the depths of Hell, breaking through to the Earth.
At first, he thought it would fall just like the rest of the demons that plagued the Earth but no, this time…it drew blood.
"So, GREAT FATHER! YOU SEE THAT YOU ARE NOT INVULNERABLE, WHAT WILL YOU DO NOW!?" The Archfiend roared in laughter as it readied its next attack.
Adam looked at the blood that was trailing down his arm.
And began to chuckle.
And he laughed, loud and proud, a maniacal cackle as the Archfiend began to nervously stare at him in confusion.
"Yes…YES! FINALLY!"
"What?"
"I've been waiting for this for so long! Finally, someone that I can fight!"
"What the hell!? You shouldn't be laughing! You're an angel and I just cut you, shouldn't you be afraid of the pain? Shouldn't you be afraid of death!?"
Adam merely smiled, a rictus grin that revealed his fangs.
"Death and Pain are just a small price to pay for the enjoyment of battle! So I thank you, Archfiend! You've brought that joy back to me, a joy I've lost since the day I ascended to Heaven! NOW LET'S HAVE SOME FUN!"
With a roar, he attacked with his blade cutting deep into the Archfiend's flesh.
His opponent snarled and continued his onslaught, but it would soon be fruitless against his might.
That day, Adam created a title for himself.
Kenpachi as a means to designate himself as the one who constantly seeks battle, the strongest of winners and as a way to strike fear into the hearts of sinners and demons alike.
A message to all who resided in Hell.
To abandon all hope in the face of the Kenpachi.
Sometimes…Vaggie regrets it.
The armies of the Heaven were split into thirteen divisions. The Eleventh being the division that dealt with the Exterminations.
It had been her home.
The Exorcists were a rowdy bunch, and that was understating things. They were filled with the angels who desired combat above all other things.
None more so than their Captain, Adam, who if the rumors were correct, even limited himself in combat to make things more fun for him.
Sometimes she wonders why she spared that sinner child. A moment of weakness? Pity? Nowadays she looks back and wonders what her life would have been if she'd…completed her duty.
That day, she'd been arrested.
An angel who disobeyed Heaven's orders was a dangerous angel and sometimes she could still feel it, the shadows in her soul, apparently something that occurred to fallen, though it'd been millennia since the last time an angel had fallen.
It'd been considered an internal affair, as such, the Captain had sought fit to put her trial through combat.
Her success meant her life.
Under his gaze, she'd fought her lieutenant to a stand still and in the process they'd cut out each other's eyes.
"Enough."
Vaggie and Lute collapsed to their knees, their wings splayed about them, golden blood drenching the ground as they panted.
"You have proved yourself strong enough to survive on your own, as such, I spare your life."
Vaggie shakily raised her head to her Captain.
"You who would abandon us, will now be left for yourself. You are…banished, from Heaven."
She does not react as he takes her halo and with a wave of his hand, a portal is opened in front of her.
She stays still as her sisters leave, a few glancing back before sternly looking away. Lute glares at her in hatred and betrayal and grief before she too hobbles away to be healed.
Soon, all that's left is her and Adam.
He grabs her spear and plants it on the ground in front of her.
She looks up at him before grabbing on to it and using it as a crutch.
She hobbles forward to the unknown.
And forces herself not to look back.
Years pass, Vaggie finds a new purpose, a new beginning.
But of course, nothing is ever forgotten.
They're welcomed to Heaven and Vaggie gulps and shivers under everyone's stares.
And of course…they meet Emily.
At least it's the Seraphim version of her, she doesn't want to know how Charlie would deal with the kid version.
Vaggie shivers, she knows the chaos that little Emily causes.
Or, as she'd taken to call herself, Yachiru.
There was always an odd disparity between the two. Emily the Seraphim, the Joy Bringer who brought love and light to Heaven, who saw the good in everyone.
And Yachiru, the little girl who Adam had once found and was just as bloodthirsty as he was but hid it beneath a veneer of innocence.
Well…she says hiding but Yachiru didn't hide anything about her love of fighting.
The Trial is…nerve wracking, her former Vice Captain is the one leading the prosecution, if it could be called that.
Charlie, bless her heart, is trying her best but Vaggie knew in her heart that Angel Dustisn'ta good example, has he become better? Yes. But is it enough? No.
Her former Captain merely stares at them all, a bored expression on his mask.
Granted, nothing really got his attention unless it was combat related.
The trial ends in disaster with arguments and disarray as Charlie launches her accusations of heartlessness and cruelty.
And that's when Kenpachi finally expresses himself.
"Hey girlie…can you fight?"
"What? What does that have to do with anything?"
Kenpachi grinned.
"Cause I wanna know if Luci's brat has any fight in her, otherwise, things will get boring."
"Boring?Boring!?"
"Yeah…boring. Let me tell you something kid, I'm sure your parents have told you all kinds of stories about me, haven't they?"
Charlie gulped and nodded.
"That you're a monster, a bloodthirsty, savage monster who does nothing but fight and kill. They told me about how you hunted down the titans of Earth…how you slaughtered any one of my kind that sought a life on Earth."
Adam began to chuckle.
"Yeah…some of those guys gave me some good fights…let me tell you something, girlie. I couldn't care less about the exterminations…for me ever since I ate that damn fruit, that I faced my own mortality," A wide, toothy smile spread across his face. "I never felt more alive!"
Charlie began to back away as he loomed over her.
"And when I became an angel, I thought it was all over, but then those Archfiends came and they were fun!"
She found herself nearly losing her footing.
"So now I want to see just what the daughter of Lucifer can do!"
She shakily managed to meet his eyes.
"So please, don't disappoint me."
Charlie glared into his eyes and he grinned.
The battle of the hotel was frantic and bloody.
At first, she'd thought there was a breakthrough with angelic steel, but to her horror, the angels only started to laugh at their deaths, even demanding to know the names of their killers as they delivered their own.
A tradition born in the Age of Archfiends, when Angels were killed by the hundreds.
And Adam, the Kenpachi, as Vaggie called him, was an entirely different beast altogether.
Alastor had been the first to challenge him but had swiftly been cut down.
"I don't have time for weaklings! I want to fight the strongest there is here."
But Adam had ignored him as he went for Charlie.
The two clashed with their wills and blades.
"I've got to say, you've got a good amount of power in ya, Charlie…decent training too."
Charlie blinked in confusion.
"Uh, thank you?"
Adam stepped back with a grin as he slightly undid his robe and exposed his chest.
Charlie flushed in embarrassment.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"
"Relax kid, I'm giving you a free shot."
Charlie paused in confusion as she stared at the First Man.
"I'll stand here and let you cut me wherever you want."
"Wow Addy! You're the most generous Exorcist ever!" Yachiru exclaimed in joy.
"Aren't I? I'm just a walkin', bleedin' heart of generosity."
"What kind of joke is this!?" Charlie asked them. "And you! I thought you wanted to stop the exterminations Emily!"
Yachiru tilted her head.
"Hm…Emily does, but I'm not Emily silly! I'm Yachiru! And I'm having fun whenever Addy is having fun!"
Charlie shook her head before addressing Adam again.
"Either way, stop messing with me! This isn't a joke! I won't attack someone who hasn't even drawn their weapon!"
"No need to be so uptight…let's just have some fun! You're right though, it's a question of kill or be killed," Adam declared, sending a chill up her spine. "So go ahead, you can go for my throat, or for my gut, take out my eyeball if you want or if you're lucky you might kill me with a single strike."
Charlie was still frozen.
"STOP BEING SCARED! GO FOR IT!"
Charlie grimaced before deciding to take the shot.
With a roar, she brought down her weapon onto his chest.
She felt the impact shake her arms and glanced down to see blood on her hands from the grip she had on her trident.
'There's…there's not even a scratch on him…but…angelic steel?'
"Jeez…is that it? What a let down…" Adam said as he grabbed her trident.
Charlie leaped back in horror as Yachiru began to giggle.
"Silly Spots! You can't cut Addy!"
"Let me put it simply, every soul that exists emits something called spiritual pressure, it takes on different forms for different beings, Immanence for Angels, Superimposition for Demons."
Adam cracked his neck, his mask shining maliciously.
"When two spiritual pressures collide, the weaker is overcome. A natural effect when it comes to Angels vs Demons...only those strong enough can cut through an Angel's Immanence, even one as limited as I made mine. Simple as that…I'm honestly disappointed."
With that, he lunged at her and she barely brought her weapon up against his sword, the chipped edges grinding against the blades of her trident, pushing her back.
Her heart began to beat rapidly as she realized that she was in over her head.
Adam sighed.
"Well…at least do me the favor, and don't die so quickly."
With that they clashed again and again, with Charlie constantly on the backfoot as fear began to take root in her heart.
And before she knew it, her trident was cut in half and the tip of his sword was in her chest.
She froze before falling to her knees as blood began to pool out of her chest.
"Are you really going to let it end here, Charlie?" she heard Emily say as everything seemed to fade around her.
"...Why are you…?"
"Yachiru and I…we're two different aspects of a soul, one brings Joy to others, as originally intended for a purpose, the other brings Joy to ourself, but in the end, we're all one soul."
"What?"
"I know…it's confusing. So, are you giving up? Giving up on your life? Your dreams? Your friends?"
"He…he's too strong…I…"
"You are letting your own fear get you…and that's a terrible thing for a fight…especially because I can tell that you have the blood of a fighter within you."
Charlie looked at her in confusion.
"Despite your fear, I could sense the joy within you, the feeling of being pushed to your limits and beyond, something that you haven't had much of. You, who were at the brink of death, were at your greatest."
Charlie looked away in embarrassment.
She didn'twantto be a fighter, she wanted to resolve things peacefully.
"Do you know what Kenpachi means?"
Charlie shook her head.
"It's the title created for the one who desires combat above all else, who seeks to fight relentlessly, whether it's power to fight, or fighting for power, it matters not. What matters is the single absolute desire to test yourself against your foes and overcome them."
Emily narrowed her eyes at Charlie.
"Don't try to hide it, you enjoyed every second of that fight…but you are not the type of person to fight for yourself. To fight for the sake of fighting like Adam…you fight for others…and that's fine…like I said, all that matters is that you fight."
Charlie clutched the halves of her trident.
"So what's it going to be, Charlie? Are you going to sit there? Let your friends die? Or are you going to FIGHT!?"
A red aura emanated from Charlie as she stood on her feet.
Kenpachi paused before turning to face her in surprise before grinning in anticipation.
Charlie rushed forward the blades of her trident cutting deep into his flesh.
The entire battlefield paused as they saw the golden blood spray out of Kenpachi's shoulder.
Kenpachi himself trembled before laughing loudly in glee.
"Yes! YES! FINALLY! I CAN SEE THAT SPARK WITHIN YOU NOW, CHARLIE MORNINGSTAR! LET'S HAVE SOME FUN!"
"I'LL TAKE YOU DOWN MYSELF ADAM, NO! KENPACHI!"
"LET'S GO!"
Charlie huffed as she dodged a blow before using her trident to tear out a piece of Kenpachi's shoulder, the latter dodging at the last second before delivering another brutal blow that while she was able to block, sent her stumbling back.
She was bloody, cut, bruised and aching…but this was the most excited she'd ever been. If this wasn't a matter about the survival of her hotel, her dream, she'd be having the time of her life.
As it is, she wouldn't deny it any more.
"I see what you mean, Kenpachi! About having fun!"
"NOW YOU'RE TALKING, CHARLIE! HOW ABOUT-AGH!"
Kenpachi was interrupted by the fist that hit his mask and sent him flying into the sign of the hotel before crashing into the lobby.
"Sorry I'm late, Charlie." Lucifer said with a heroic grin but he yelped as she suddenly tried to spear him.
"Ch-Charlie!"
"DAD! YOU INTERRUPTED MY FIGHT! I WAS HAVING FUN!" Charlie roared at him.
Lucifer raised his hands in surrender as his eyes widened in surprise.
"OK, OKAY! Geez…don't tell me you've become a battle junkie like Adam…"
"So what? I discovered I like fighting," Charlie grumbled.
Maniacal laughter emanated from the hotel as Adam pulled himself up, his mask falling to pieces.
"I'm so glad you're here, Luci…I finally get my chance."
"Now now, Adam, you're in my house now, and I'm gonna make you pay for-"
Lucifer was silenced by the sheer amount of power that erupted from Kenpachi who merely smiled in glee.
"For so long, I've been waiting for the best fight of them all, all this time I've had to limit myself, using Heaven's R sector to create my mask that inhibited my power."
"Tch…that's cheating!" Charlie snapped in frustration.
"You got potential, Charlie…I can't wait to see it in the future, but right now..I'm gonna have the best day of my life!" Kenpachi placated her before facing his oldest enemy.
"Adam, you couldn't even cut-"
SLASH
Lucifer's eyes widened as he felt pain, a very foreign feeling to him and saw the golden blood on Adam's sword.
"I am the Kenpachi. There is nothing I cannot cut."
Lucifer began to tremble in rage and humiliation.
"You. Waste. Of. Du-AGH!" He grunted as Yachiru jumped on his head and leaped to Adam's side.
"YAY! ADDY ARE WE GONNA HAVE FUN TOGETHER NOW!?"
Kenpachi grinned.
"You bet, Yachiru! As if I'd let you sit this one out!"
His aura increased even more as Yachiru began to smile and bounce around.
Lucifer transformed as he readied for whatever trick Adam was going to pull out while the latter began to laugh in pure Joy.
"Drink, NOZARASHI!"
So, now we have Battle Junkie Charlie, wonder how that will change things.
Next Chapter is gonna be an outlier: Unohana Eve