Chapter 1.9/Overflow of power and the dark contract

The black aura around Lugas pulsated like a stormy night, swirling and bending reality itself. His body crackled with an energy too vast to contain, threatening to tear him apart from within. His eyes—once calm and calculating—now glowed with an eerie red and black mix, shifting with every blink. His hair grew dark, black as night, extending in wild, untamed strands. A menacing laughter bubbled from his throat, a sound that echoed through the ruined city like a twisted melody of madness. The devils before him flinched, sensing the sheer power emanating from his very being.

They had underestimated him.

Lugas launched forward, his hand flashing like lightning as he slashed through one of the demon's necks, severing its head in a single clean stroke. The decapitated body crumpled to the ground, lifeless, its black blood pooling around the remains. The second demon—foolishly attempting to escape using its dao wings—had no time to react. Lugas's claw-like hand shot out, the black energy surging from his fingertips as it cleaved the demon's body in half, sending both parts crashing to the ground in a mangled heap.

But even as the demons fell, something inside of Lugas snapped. The floodgates of his power were open wide, and his body—no, his very soul—could not withstand the torrent. It was too much. The overflow of power surged through him, distorting his flesh, his mind, and his thoughts.

I can't control it. His thoughts raced as he staggered back, clutching his head. This power… it's consuming me. If I don't release it, I'll…

His vision blurred, and his body trembled. The black aura continued to seep from every pore, twisting the air around him into suffocating waves. A gnawing fear crept up his spine. He was losing control.

Then, his eyes found her. Isuki.

Her unconscious form lay on the cold stone ground, her breathing shallow. Lugas's heart clenched with an intensity that startled him. His gaze softened, a flicker of concern flashing through his red-black eyes. He couldn't let her suffer, not like this.

With a single movement, Lugas knelt beside her and placed his hands over her wounds. His healing powers surged into her body, the black aura swirling around her, knitting her wounds back together. Slowly, her skin regained its natural color, and the blood ceased to flow from her injuries. But despite his efforts, she remained unconscious, her delicate features untouched by the world around her.

Lugas exhaled sharply, the weight of his power almost too much to bear. His body still crackled with raw energy, threatening to tear him apart. He thought for a moment about expelling all the overflow, releasing it into the world around him. But that would attract the attention of the demons… the monsters. It would make him a target—a beacon for destruction.

Suddenly, a scream pierced the air. A bloodcurdling cry that sent chills down Lugas's spine. His head whipped in the direction of the noise, his mind snapping into focus. There was something, or someone, in the carriage behind him.

Lugas didn't hesitate. He rushed to the carriage, his steps heavy, and threw open the door. Inside, amidst the shadows, sat a girl—a demon hybrid, her body a strange fusion of human and demon. She had horns that curled from her head, and her eyes were a glowing purple that seemed to pierce through the darkness. Her reddish hair cascaded down her back like a fiery waterfall. But what struck Lugas the most was the way she looked at him—dazed, confused, yet oddly calm.

She was asleep, but there was something undeniably powerful about her.

Lugas's thoughts raced as his heart hammered in his chest. This was it. He could feel the pull—an instinctual connection to her, a strange tether that he couldn't ignore. In a world where power was the only currency, this girl, this demon-human hybrid, could be the key to his salvation.

"Would you like to make a contract with me?" Lugas's voice was low, almost a whisper, yet filled with the weight of finality.

The girl stirred, her purple eyes locking with his. She didn't speak, but there was an unreadable expression on her face—something between curiosity and resignation. She was fully aware of the gravity of his words, but remained silent, contemplating her choice.

Lugas didn't wait for her answer. His body was on the verge of collapsing under the weight of his own power. Desperation surged through him. He had to act now.

Without a second thought, Lugas reached forward, his hand gentle but firm, and pulled the girl from the carriage. He didn't ask for permission. The overwhelming energy flowing through him needed an outlet, and she—whether she realized it or not—was the key.

Lugas leaned in and kissed her. The moment their lips met, an electric shock shot through him, the overflow of his power surging through his body and into hers. The girl's face flushed a deep crimson, her eyes widening in shock as she instinctively tried to pull away. But Lugas's grip tightened, holding her in place.

Her lips parted as if to say something, but Lugas placed his thumb against her lips, silencing her.

"Go and cultivate," he murmured, his voice heavy with an urgency she couldn't understand.

For a moment, everything was still. Then, as if she understood, the girl closed her eyes and nodded.

Lugas turned toward Isuki's unconscious form and began to build a barrier around them. He felt the weight of his actions pressing down on him. He knew that this could change everything—that this contract, this binding, would alter the course of their journey forever.

The demon-human girl knelt beside him, and they both began to cultivate. Lugas placed his hand on hers, their palms touching. He could feel her energy pulsing beneath her skin, and he connected to it with his own. The overflow of power within him began to flow through her, transferring the raw energy into her body.

In return, the girl's energy flowed into him. The dark, volatile power within Lugas was slowly tamed, stabilized, as the two of them became conduits for one another's strength. It was a delicate balance—one that neither of them fully understood, but both instinctively trusted.

Time seemed to stretch as they sat in silence, the air around them vibrating with the intensity of their connection. The barrier Lugas had created shimmered with an ethereal glow, protecting them from the dangers that lurked outside. It was a fragile cocoon—one that shielded them from the chaos of the world, yet tethered them together in a bond that could never be undone.

Lugas's mind drifted as he focused on the flow of energy, on the strange power pulsing through his body and into hers. This girl, this demon-human hybrid—she was more than he had anticipated.

With every passing moment, their connection deepened, and the raw power inside Lugas slowly began to settle. It was a temporary respite, but a respite nonetheless. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Lugas felt his mind clear.

Yet even as they cultivated together, the world outside continued to stir with danger. The monsters, the demons—they were all still out there, lurking in the darkness. But for now, Lugas and the demon-human girl sat in silence, bound by a contract that would change everything.