Half of Henzo’s face underwent a grotesque transformation, turning into a horrifying amalgamation of flesh and an abyss-like pit. Viscous tendrils, reminiscent of creeping worms, covered the rest of his face. A crimson ruby floated within the abyss, replacing his eye, and emanating an intense glare capable of killing a regular man.

Despite the nightmarish transformation, Henzo retained control of the other half of his face, struggling to maintain dominance, a testament to the internal conflict raging within him.

As the black aura seeped out and condensed around Ric, it devoured the white protective aura surrounding him with voracious hunger. Like millions of tiny maws biting into a sugar cube, the abyss consumed the protective barrier with relentless determination, leaving Ric vulnerable to the malevolent force emanating from Henzo’s transformed half. The atmosphere crackled with tension as the clash between the opposing auras intensified, heralding a pivotal moment in their deadly encounter.

“This is not for your sake,” Ric spat blood. “Only I can save your host if I so desire. Back down, or next time we both die. Unless you can come back to life like me, I suggest you stay down.” With those words, Ric’s aura erupted, enveloping the entire area.

Henzo’s bond exerted its influence, coercing his parted flesh to knit together while Ric healed his cuts with minimum effort. Despite the temporary alliance, Ric’s strength waned, and he fell to his knees, drained by the expenditure of his aura.

In contrast, Henzo loomed over Ric with a surge of power more potent than ever before. The once intangible black aura now turned tangible, and with relentless hunger, it devoured chunks of Ric’s aura with each passing second. It crept closer, threatening to rip him into tiny bits once it reached him. Helpless and bewildered, Ric could only watch as his impending demise loomed ever closer, the once-present, ever-stubborn light of his aura fading into oblivion.

“Time for death,” Ric declared with a resigned smile, his gaze fixed on the malevolent bond hidden deep within Henzo. In response, the bond mirrored his smile with an intensity of malice, hatred, and death that surpassed anything Ric had ever witnessed, sealing his fate in the darkness that enveloped him.

“Darn this body,” Ric cursed, his frustration palpable as his fist pounded against the floor.

“That’s enough,” a much smoother voice flowed out of Henzo. In an act of defiance, he pulled back and suppressed the bond. “We are not killers,” he affirmed to himself.

“What do you want?” Henzo stared at Ric with emotionless, dead eyes.

“My... my, what monster did you make a contract with?” Ric asked, his mouth filled with blood.

“None of your concern,” Henzo replied, stepping away.

“Wait!” Ric vomited a mouthful of blood. “How do I get a bond?”

“You are past the integration stage,” Henzo explained. “The sudden weakness is the universe pulling away the gift. Now is the right time to sleep and reach the Arcane Sanctum. Relax and let the universe guide you through the process.”

Ric called it a hoax, yet he followed the process and closed his eyes. The next moment, he was whisked away into the depths of hell.

“Are you staying put to offer your assailant a second chance to finish the job?” Henzo’s bond’s voice grew smoother inside his head.

“I wasn’t aware you could communicate inside another person’s head.” Henzo smiled, remaining vigilant near Ric’s unconscious body.

“Don’t divert the conversation with me.”

“He is Mom’s shield. What do you propose I do?”

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“Eliminate the one who attempted to end your life,” the bond grumbled. “And he isn’t a mere tool spirit.”

“How so? Is it the aura?”

“No, I’ve encountered that contract holder before. He possesses a much stronger grasp, but that’s not what makes me wary of him.”

“You’re wary of someone! Geez... he’s quite something.” Henzo kneels to get a better look at Ric. “I assumed he had a single affinity, which would explain the absurd control and volumes of aura.” He pokes Ric’s head and he falls back against the tree like a lifeless doll.

A black tendril lashes out from Henzo’s shadow, aiming for Ric’s throat, but Henzo slaps it away at the last moment, causing it to stab into the trunk, leaving a fist-sized hole.

“Did you just try to kill him?”

“How did you do that?” The bond countered.

“Don’t you dare ignore my question...”

“Now you realize how it feels,” snorted the bond.

“Two can play this game.”

“You started it.”

“Okay,” Henzo admits defeat. “He somehow increased my stamina, which helped me counter and take control during the fight,” he confesses.

“We share the same body,” the bond reminded.

“Why do you think we can still move after that battle? We faint after one ultimate attack, and yet after several attempts, we can still argue.”

“He did that?” Bond sounded skeptical.

Henzo’s pupil turns crimson red while the iris and sclera get swallowed up by a pitch-black viscous aura, turning it into the abyss. Through the crimson dot, the bond scans Ric, trying to unveil his secrets.

“Got anything?” Henzo intrudes.

“He belongs to the light.”

“Everyone knows that much,” Henzo retorts.

“If you shut up for a second, I might get something out of him.”

Henzo frowns and waits for a minute before he intrudes during the process once again. “Anything?”

“No!”

“Are you going—”

“—I can’t perceive a thing from him except for the light and that he is human.”

“We all—”

“—Human!” Bond interjects again. “Not a tool spirit or any kind of spirit, for that matter. A simple Saint-born mortal.”

Henzo gaped at Ric, refusing to accept the fact. “Mom won’t... never lie. This can’t be true. We have to—”

“—Protect him,” Bond agrees.

“I was about to say kill.”

“Do you have to contradict everything I say and do, or did we mess up the contract at some point without me realizing?”

Henzo raised a trembling hand, and this time, a tendril held him back from delivering the final blow.

“You wanted him dead moments ago,” Henzo growled, his gaze shifting to the right as if there were someone there.

“And you didn’t,” Bond reminded. “I can’t pinpoint a lot of things about him, but we can use him to strengthen our contract.”

“I don’t care about all that.”

“I do.” Bond ties Henzo’s hands and feet with string made by aura. “Stay calm and be selfish for once. If he becomes the strongest light user, no one can stop us. Did you forget your dream?” Bond lashes out at Henzo, and he relents as memories of the promise flood back. The memory was so vivid that it took on a tangible form, enveloping Henzo as he relived the moments of his past.

“Good.” A crown materializes around Henzo’s forehead as both of his eyes turn crimson. “Once he bows, it will all be over,” Bond declares, fixing a menacing glare on Ric, a crooked smile curling his lips.

As time glides by, the aura around Ric distorts instead of multiplying.

“What is taking so long?” Bond’s smile fades into a frown.

“Ha!” Henzo chuckles.

“What now?”

“A demon does not bow,” Henzo replies, resuming control and slumping beside Ric. The realization of Ric’s true nature sinks in, prompting a shift in their plans and a moment of introspection amidst the unfolding chaos.

— — —<>|*|<>— — —

Ric slumps back onto the fluffy cloud, bored with the pristine white backdrop and the monotony of the color itself.

With a simple wave of her hand, the lustrous goddess creates trees bearing delicious fruits. A mere glimpse of them caused saliva to flood one’s mouth, tempting them beyond measure.

Another wave brought forth beds of clouds, crashing oceans, and the sounds of pure bliss.

“You look like a moron, waving your hands around like that,” Ric remarked with a snort. “Isn’t one wave enough for all of this poultry stuff?” He frowns at the heaven created around him. “Also, show more skin if you want to seduce me.”

The goddess wore a deep amber-colored dress that complemented her caramel complexion. The dress accentuated her chest and revealed her perfect measurements, yet Ric preferred his candy unwrapped.

As the goddess lunged forward to strangle Ric, another voice, infused with more divinity, intervened, preventing her from carrying out the deed.

“You still listen to your mommy,” Ric taunted as two other priestesses dragged the goddess away. “Come back soon. All three—” Before Ric could complete his vile comment, either he or the goddess were whisked away.

“Ah! My harem.” Ric groaned.

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