Chapter 22: The Message Wrapped in Blood

Chapter 22: Chapter 22: The Message Wrapped in Blood Akari didn’t lower her sword. But she didn’t strike either. After a long, brutal silence, she sheathed her blade in one fluid motion and stepped back. "You have three days," she said flatly. "To prove you’re not what they say you are." "To prove the gods are wrong." Kai exhaled like he’d been holding his breath for years. Then nodded. "Three days." [System Update: Divine Hunter Pact Initiated] Target: Kai Veyron Hunter: Akari Morimoto Trial Duration: 72 hours Victory Conditions: [1] Hunter changes allegiance [2] Hero willingly surrenders [3] Hunter eliminates the Catalyst Later that night, tension buzzed through the camp like static. No one trusted Akari. Especially Elira — who hadn’t taken her hand off her sword since the standoff. "She’s going to try to kill you," she said quietly, pulling Kai aside. "I know." "Then why let her stay?" "Because if I send her away," Kai said, "she’ll come back with divine permission to cut my soul in half." Yulia crossed her arms nearby. "I’d rather get disintegrated than play babysitter to an assassin." Virela shrugged. "I like her. Cold. Efficient. Repressed. She’d be a fantastic drinking partner." Lira said nothing. But her eyes stayed on Akari all night. Midnight — A Message Delivered The attack came without warning. One of the outer wards snapped in half. Then the screams began. Not from their camp. But from the forest. The group mobilized instantly. Lira vanished into the trees. Yulia and Elira formed a dual barrier around the main camp. Kai ran toward the noise, power pulsing in his veins. And what he found there stopped him cold. A body. Tied to a tree. Carved, not with weapons — but with messages. Burned into skin. Magic ink and blood. Not just torture. Art. A warning. The corpse wasn’t human. It had once been part demon, part construct — one of Hana’s Reclaimed. And scrawled across its chest, still glowing in red: "Three days is all you get. If you fall — we bury them with you." And below that, a single character Kai hadn’t seen in years: 花 (Hana.) He stepped back. Stared. Felt something cold curl inside him. By the time the others arrived, the body had already crumbled to ash. Elira looked sick. Yulia swore under her breath. Lira stood stone-still. Akari stared at the spot for a long moment. Then looked at Kai. "This is what’s following you." He nodded. "And still you think you can save it all?" He nodded again. "Then you’re an idiot." But she didn’t walk away. Back at camp, Kai sat alone near the fire. The message burned in his mind. If you fall — we bury them with you. That wasn’t just about him. That was about all of them. Elira. Yulia. Lira. Virela. Even Akari. "I won’t let it happen," he muttered. Then looked at the system interface. And whispered: "Show me what I’ve become." [System Access: Mirror Self Protocol Activated] Title: UNBOUND CATALYST Power Classification: Redacted System Alignment: Unstable Threat Level: God-Killer (Potential) Forecast: — 43% chance of worldwide collapse — 29% chance of divine reset — 15% chance of successful redemption — 13% chance of survival Kai closed the window. Threw up into the dirt. And sat there, shaking, until the sun rose. Somewhere far away, Hana stood at the edge of a mountain pass, wind catching her cloak. A scout approached. "Did the message reach him?" She nodded. "And if he still refuses to break?" Hana’s voice was quiet. Then firm. "Then I make the choice for him."