Bloody Odyssey

Chapter 77: Return III

At the center of an array of towering shelves, Hana sat surrounded by a sea of massive books. They rose around her like ancient walls, piled so high that the volumes nearest her feet nearly swallowed them from sight.

Though her hair was disheveled—strands loose and curling against her temples—she still looked beautiful, almost as if the beauty itself were a force she couldn't shake, a quality pressed into her features against her will. Her fingers moved with astonishing speed, flipping through pages so rapidly that each second consumed another handful of text.

I don't understand… the principles this artifact works on, she thought, her brow furrowing. It's able to communicate intent, yet someone might mistake it for a mythical artifact entirely.

What exactly is this AI? An entity capable of engraving information directly into my mind. Its properties… I never thought magic concepts could be broken down like this. To be able to create something like this—how vast must his understanding go?

Her face flushed crimson. She lifted her hand to her lips, curling them into a slow, seductive smile that lingered far longer than it should have.

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In the vast, desolate expanse of a darkened land, Dax battled hordes of grotesque creatures. Only him, his blade, and the massive green moon that hung low in the sky, casting the landscape in a sickly, unnatural tinge.

He did not seem to wield the usual overwhelming power he once commanded. Instead, his movements were restrained—almost human.

Since Madeka's return, my Killing Demon has permanently gained physical form through her. In a situation where she is occupied, I wouldn't be able to properly execute my Keller series.

Despite the limitation, Dax's body still leaked a significant amount of killing intent, an invisible pressure that made the very air feel heavy.

Cil hummed excitedly with every cut. He moved at vast speed, his form blurring across the battlefield. Everyone's life is in my hands now. The Church of Light will not sit idle when they notice the death of the angels. Then there's Blood River on the other hand. I see war traveling along the plains of this continent, and the bodies of many scattered across the vast land.

Even with the blessings of divinity, we are at a disadvantage… what should I do?

He hurled Cil into the air. On her own, she sailed across the endless field, her hums covering the outstretched landscape like a joyful scream.

While Dax's body was a weapon, he had reduced his strength to the limit, his goal to refine his body's experience through struggle.

I recall my battle with Ryker and Solos—how every time, they always managed to land devastating attacks against me. If not for my insane regeneration, they would have bested me. But now, I've lost all the defense and body modification of the past.

He moved his hand like a blade, piercing his pointed fingers into the side of a creature's torso. Hooking onto its rib cage, he yanked out its massive chest, exposing all its internal organs in a single brutal motion.

In this life, I have to reduce the deaths of those around me.

At some point, Dax began to use the Dankaku Art, moving nimbly through the plains like a death god. As moments passed, the world crumbled around him, revealing the tiled whiteness of the testing grounds.

He breathed softly, his gaze locked on Cil.

"Cil," he said, his voice steady. "Are you finally ready to be complete and gain your scabbard?"

Dax spoke to his blade, and it replied with a soft hum.

"You may not like the idea, but I assure you, it will suit you perfectly. Remember, I have the angel's corpse and a fragment of annihilation. Trust me—I'll use the finest materials. Though I have plans for the annihilation fragment, I can still break off a piece. It's not like the fragment I have is small."

Madeka materialized beside him, her form pressing gently against his body. "Your battle dance is as beautiful as ever," she murmured, "but something is terribly different from the past."

"Maybe just this execution," he replied.

"No." Her voice was soft but certain. "The past you had a certain level of emptiness when it came to killing and taking action."

"That still remains, my darling," he said. "But why do you sense that fresh anger from our younger days?"

She did not answer immediately. Instead, she placed her head against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. Her face turned red as she grew extremely comfortable in his presence.

"I love it, Dax," she whispered.

It was just like their time at the Galactic Institution. She remembered her first encounter with him—the curiosity that had been endless, the pull she had felt from the very beginning.

Dax brought his lips to her forehead in haste. But she raised her head, capturing his lips with her own.

Hmm! She bit me.

His eyes tensed, yet instead of pulling away, he indulged her. And Madeka, being the wild woman she was, began to suck on the wound she had just caused.

Unknowingly, her power grew, but she didn't care. Her grip tightened. I've finally gotten you, she smiled from within.

Just then, Dax noticed the shift. He pulled away from her.

"What's wrong, darling?" She leaned in once again, her voice softening. "I'm yours. Or is it that you don't want me?" Her refined tone grew low and seductive as she gazed into his eyes.

Their crimson pupils synchronized.

Dax's lips parted in hesitation, but it didn't take long for the black doctor to fall into her beauty. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer into his embrace.

"You are forever mine, Madeka." His tone held deep possessiveness, and neither did his eyes flutter with uncertainty.

He still loves me.

Madeka's mind screamed with a storm of emotions joy, desire, all tangled together.

With a wave of his palm, Dax and Madeka no-clipped into his chamber, leaving the testing grounds behind.