Mass release In honour to the support {17/10}
The three stood there, the tension between them rising like a surging tide, threatening to swallow them whole. Axel, fists clenched at his sides, could feel the familiar heat of rage crawling up his spine, consuming every rational thought. His jaw tightened as he faced Williams, his former best friend—no, former brother-in-arms.
They had once been inseparable, but now, betrayal weighed between them like an unbearable burden.
Williams, standing casually with a cocky smirk, raised his hands in mock surrender. "I didn't rape her, Axel. Hell, it's not like she didn't enjoy it," he said with a shrug, his eyes dark and void of remorse. "She screamed so loudly, I had no choice but to give her all I had!"
The words were venom, slicing through Axel's composure like a hot blade. Without a second thought, his fist flew through the air, aimed squarely at Williams' smug face. The sheer force behind the punch was enough to shatter bones, but Williams—ever the S-rank—reacted with practiced speed. His hand shot up, perfectly positioned to intercept the blow.
But something happened in the split-second exchange. Before Williams could fully comprehend what was happening, Axel's fist blurred out of sight, moving faster than the eye could follow. The impact was brief but undeniable; Williams felt the light tap on his forehead, his expression instantly dropping from arrogance to astonishment.
"Damn..." Williams muttered under his breath, his mouth hanging open. His mind struggled to process what had just occurred. Axel had pulled his punch back in the blink of an eye, but in that instant, it had already grazed him. He dropped his hands, feeling the weight of the near miss. 'He's faster than I thought... much faster.'
Williams bit his lip, his confidence faltering, and he wisely chose his next words more carefully.
Before the tension could escalate further, Sarah, her voice sultry and playful, cut through the air. "Boys, always fighting over nothing," she purred, stepping forward with an alluring sway. Her presence was like an intoxicating perfume—dangerous, enticing. She was the embodiment of provocation, and she knew it.
"Axel, right?" Her lips curled into a smile as she addressed him, but Axel didn't spare her a glance. His focus remained on Williams, his fists trembling, ready to explode again.
Sarah's eyes narrowed, displeased with his lack of response. Her gaze shifted toward Trisha, who stood silently beside Axel, her posture rigid and tense, like a drawn blade. Sarah saw an opportunity. "I hope you've satisfied him enough, Trisha," Sarah began, her tone biting, dripping with malice. "You don't look all that cute anymore. I hope you told him what you are—just used flesh.
A slot, a butch, a harlot—"
***
A week after Axel's mother had passed, the secret Trisha had been hiding was revealed. She was pregnant—had been for months. Axel remembered the moment they found out, how it felt like the world had collapsed around him. He was furious with her, with the deception, but more than that, he was furious with Williams.
That's when the truth came out. Williams was the father.
The revelation had nearly sent Axel over the edge. His first instinct was to hunt Williams down, to kill him for what he had done. But as rage clouded his thoughts, a strange clarity had emerged. Axel's own father had never been there for him—neither in his past life nor in this one. In his first life, his father only cared about sending him to school, turning him into an asset.
In this world, after Axel had failed his binding, his father had simply abandoned him. Axel had grown up without the love and guidance he needed, and he refused to let Annie's child endure the same.
He wasn't sure what the future held, but he knew one thing: he wouldn't let the sins of the father destroy the child.
The baby, born outside of the traditional "Birth-Day," had come into the world under strange circumstances. Dark Mana had intertwined with the child at birth, a consequence of Annie's reckless use of Cell to hide her pregnancy. The boy was a mystery—born as a shadowy figure, only to reform into a human baby hours later.
Despite being only a few months old, the boy already looked like a two-year-old, his growth unnaturally rapid. Axel and Trisha feared what that might mean for his future. Would he grow too fast, burning out before he even had a chance to live? Would he age rapidly, only to die young? These thoughts haunted them both.
Trisha, too, had her own struggles. She had begged Cell to reside in her for a few weeks, though Axel couldn't understand why. She had become more clingy, more emotional, and it unsettled him. But Axel had too many other things on his mind to dwell on it for long.
His thoughts were interrupted as they arrived at the facility grounds. His eyes scanned the vast open space, where stage lights illuminated the area. Cameras were set up to record every moment of the trials, and in the distance, chairs were arranged for the various important members of Kyota who had come to witness the awakenings.
Anxious children—those who were being tested for double awakenings—stood in clusters, their faces pale with fear and excitement. This was it—the moment of truth.
Axel took a deep breath. His fate, once again, hung in the balance.