HPDBC Chapter 139: Flashback of the Artifact (6)
Chapter 139: Flashback of the Artifact (6)
Axis smiled, and with the faintest push of her will, her body rose effortlessly into the air.The vague shimmer of energy that had been lingering around her form began to shift and solidify, taking on a more distinct manifestation.
In the next breath, that aura unfurled completely, cloaking Ayu’s body like a second skin of radiance. It pulsed slowly, rhythmically, like the heartbeat of some colossal being—each beat releasing a sharp tremor that rippled through the air.
She hovered higher and higher, rising above everyone present, her figure elevated as though the world itself had chosen to lift her up. Her body was wrapped in a luminous veil of silver light streaked with shades of blue and violet, glowing faintly under the pale gleam of the half-moon.
That glow scattered into the night, painting the heavens with illusionary brilliance, until it looked as if the stars themselves bent down in reverence to her presence.
Fahruk was already there, waiting, and every subordinate of Axis followed suit. One after another, they dropped to their knees, pressing their foreheads to the ground in absolute submission. Their unified voices rang out in a booming chant:
"Goddess Axis. The Axis of the World. The Sovereign of All."
They repeated those words over and over, the rhythm echoing like an ancient incantation. Each repetition deepened the resonance, shaking the earth beneath their feet and making the very air feel heavier, as though their voices weighed upon the world itself.
Axis closed her eyes, stretching her arms outward with graceful poise as she welcomed their worship. Her smile curved with undeniable arrogance, silver hair fluttering in the night wind, granting her an air that was both divine and terrifying at once.
Meanwhile, Al stood apart, ignored entirely. In that moment, it was as if he were nothing more than a shadow, a lowly existence unworthy of attention. His silhouette lay pressed against the earth by the weight of the worship around him, yet his gaze remained steady, unshaken, untouched by the storm of reverence directed at Axis.
Now, Axis had become the centerpiece of the night. She tried to display herself as the pinnacle above all, the true being that towered even over Al. The moonlight fell perfectly upon her figure, as though the heavens themselves had chosen to spotlight her, turning her into the radiant star of a grand stage amidst the city’s darkness.
A cold gust swept through, tugging at her silver hair, which shimmered with faint blue and violet hues. At that moment, she looked every bit the goddess descended from a celestial throne.
"You will never understand what it feels like to stand at the center," Axis declared, her voice cutting through the silence like a decree etched upon the night. "To be the ruler of everything."
Her words boomed outward, echoing with the weight of divine command. The ancient walls nearby quivered ever so slightly, as if bowing under the resonance of her proclamation.
Al only smirked. He refused to be outdone. With a surge of energy, he too rose into the air. His body was engulfed in a dark blaze—black flames licked his form, writhing hungrily as the air around him grew suffocatingly hot. The sudden change scorched the ground below; dry leaves curled, blackened, and dissolved into smoke.
"Center of attention, huh?" His voice was casual, laced with mocking ease. "You’re still as narcissistic as ever."
By the time he finished speaking, he was already floating directly across from her, his presence leveling with hers. Two figures suspended against the vast backdrop of the night sky, with the moon looming like a silent witness behind them.
"And you," he added, tone sharp yet calm, "will never understand what it means to live side by side, in peace, within this world."
Axis let out a small, amused sneer, the corner of her lips curling with deliberate mockery. Her expression carried the arrogance of someone who found such an idea nothing short of laughable. Her eyes glinted under the moonlight, reflecting an icy brilliance that cut like a blade.
"Why should we live side by side with them?" she retorted, her tone dripping with disdain. "You’re too naïve if you think they would ever accept people like us. They never will. So why bother?"
She leaned into her own words, voice curling with derision, as if spitting upon the very concept Al had spoken of.
"I can’t even begin to fathom where such ridiculous ideals came from. Living side by side?" She chuckled, cruel and mocking. "Utter foolishness. Only fools would cling to such nonsense."
Her words were soon followed by laughter from the members of the Ordo Ferox who had just risen from their prostration. It was not the loud, triumphant laughter of victors, but rather a chorus of low, unsettling chuckles that multiplied as dozens of throats echoed together.
The sound bounced across the enclosed space like an eerie refrain, and though each laugh was small, the collective noise was enough to grate on the ears. That laughter, strange as it was, only served to feed Axis’s growing confidence.
The cadence of their laughter was like the hollow hymn of a broken choir, reverberating beneath the empty night sky, creating a haunting undertone that made the air itself feel colder.
"Disgusting," Al muttered under his breath. The mixture of Axis’s grandiose declaration and the sycophantic laughter of her followers irritated him, though not enough to shake his resolve. No matter what theatrics they displayed, what he believed in remained far more important than any of their noise.
He slowly scanned his surroundings. A sizable crowd now hemmed him in from every side, their gazes cutting sharp as blades. Each eye locked on him carried a murderous intent so dense it seemed to drip into the atmosphere itself.
The collective killing aura pressing down from hundreds of eyes suffocated the air, weighing on the night sky until it felt heavier than before.hey drew their weapons, taking up stances of battle readiness.
The collective pressure of their gathered energy made the entire area thrum with suffocating weight. Fortunately, the massive barrier enclosing the space contained it all, preventing any outside interference—or the escape of the terrifying aura that now churned within.
Al was already poised for battle. From his hand, a weapon manifested—an elongated blade of shadow, forged entirely from the infernal flames that coiled around his body.
The sword pulsed with a deep vibration, its edge wreathed in black fire that hissed and roared like a living creature. A low, resonant hum emanated from it, a sound disturbingly similar to the wails of tormented spirits, sharp enough to raise goosebumps on the skin of anyone who heard it.
Sacred Magic: Hell Fire Blade.
"Be ready," he said flatly, his voice steady and cold. Each step he took through the air left behind a glowing trail of black fire, as though the night sky itself was about to be devoured piece by piece by his flames.
Axis’s eyes narrowed, her gaze sharpening. Her pupils gleamed faintly, glowing with a violet light, twin embers polished to brilliance beneath the moon’s radiance. Her silver hair danced lightly with the unseen currents of energy swirling in the air, every strand shimmering with divine menace.
"Of course," she replied, her tone carrying a flicker of anticipation. "I’ve been waiting long enough for the continuation of our fight."
Her lips curled into a confident smile.
"I hope you’re not planning to rely only on that cheap energy of yours. Show me something more. Use the dark energy—you’ll only disappoint me otherwise."
"You talk too much for something that’s nothing more than a fragment of energy," Al retorted coldly, his crimson gaze piercing through her like a blade.
"Instead of worrying about me, you’d better think about how your followers are going to survive once this begins." His words were sharp, his tone weighty, and with them the very air seemed to thicken, as if even the atmosphere bowed beneath the pressure of his intent.
And then, without another word, both of them moved.
They launched forward with blinding speed, two storms colliding head-on. A shockwave rippled out from the instant of impact, the air splitting with the sound of miniature explosions as their powers clashed.
Black flame met violet light, and in their violent collision, jagged streaks of radiance tore through the night sky.
The heavens above were scarred by their clash, glowing lines of dark and violet energy gouging across the canvas of the stars, illuminating the battlefield with a brilliance that was both awe-inspiring and terrifying.
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