CHAPTER 163: [INSANE!!!]

"Kairo!" Eli’s voice broke into the chaos, a mix of disbelief and relief pouring out of him.

"Kai!"

"Captain!"

"You’re alive!"

The others’ voices followed one after another—raw, choked, overflowing with emotion.

Eli couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his bloodstained face. His chest felt too tight, his heart hammering so fast it almost hurt. ’I knew it... I knew it.’

He’d felt it earlier—the faint pulse through the blood sword, like a heartbeat calling back to its owner. It had grown lighter in his grasp, as if someone else was reaching for control. And in that moment, Eli knew.

Kairo was close.

He’d known exactly what would happen the moment he stabbed the octopus’s heart. The second the blue blood started to spill, Kairo would sense it—feel it—and come running.

Because Kairo’s power wasn’t just about blood. It was about connection.

And Eli was right.

As soon as the first splash of that shimmering blue blood hit the water, a blur of movement cut through the chaos.

One second Eli was falling, and the next—Kairo’s arm was around him, pulling him close like it was the easiest thing in the world.

"You really are a suicidal princess. Tch."

The words made Eli’s chest ache with relief, but this time, he didn’t even care about the insult. ’I don’t even care that he called me that again... he’s alive.’

Now, finally, it was their turn to fight back.

Kairo didn’t waste a second. His hand reached out, fingertips brushing against the flood of blue blood still gushing from the monster’s wound.

The reaction was instant.

The blood—all of it—shuddered as if it had recognized him. The veins of liquid light spread outward, streaking across the cavern floor and up the octopus’s body like veins catching fire.

Eli felt the energy surge through Kairo’s arm, through his grip, through the very air around them.

It was massive.

Waves crashed outward from the sheer force of Kairo’s mana, shaking the cavern walls. The octopus screamed again, but the sound came out strangled, broken—more panic than power.

Eli’s body trembled against him, but Kairo’s hold only tightened.

"Hold on tight," Kairo murmured, his voice low but steady, the calm before destruction.

Eli barely had time to nod before he felt it—the blood moving, alive, bending to Kairo’s will.

In front of them, the tentacles lashed out in fury, enormous and fast, cutting through the air with deadly speed.

But Kairo was faster.

Kairo moved like a blur of red and shadow. Three blades of blood formed in his hands—thin, sharp, deadly—and in a single motion, he sliced through the thrashing tentacle with brutal precision.

The cut was clean. Too clean.

The severed limb fell heavily into the water, sending up waves that crashed against the cavern walls. Before the monster could even react, Kairo twisted his body midair, landing briefly on a jagged boulder before pushing off again—his boots cracking stone under the sheer force of it.

He aimed straight for the spot Eli had already pierced.

And then, with one clean strike, he drove his sword into the wound again—deeper this time.

Eli’s breath hitched. The sound of the impact was wet and violent, followed by the sharp hiss of air escaping through the creature’s skin.

The cavern reeked of iron and salt. His chest rose and fell rapidly, lungs burning. Everything around him shimmered with the blue glow of blood—thick and luminescent, spreading like waves of liquid sapphire.

It splattered across Kairo’s face, his armor, the walls.

And still—he didn’t stop.

He dragged the blade down, cutting deeper into the same wound.

"Kairo..." Eli whispered, his voice cracking from awe and disbelief.

Blue blood poured in torrents, pooling beneath Kairo’s feet—until suddenly, it stopped spreading.

It was moving.

Not like liquid, but like something alive. The streams of glowing blue twisted together, swirling toward Kairo as though pulled by invisible strings.

"Uh oh..." Mel’s voice broke through the chaos from somewhere behind. It trembled, caught between amazement and pure fear.

Eli’s brow furrowed. ’Uh oh? What the hell do you mean uh oh?’

But before he could even ask, the atmosphere shifted.

The air thickened—heavy with mana. Eli’s Danger Sense pulsed once, twice—steady but strong, not warning him of danger, but of something powerful.

It wasn’t directed at them.

It was coming from Kairo.

"Kairo, the other hearts!" Eli shouted, his voice echoing through the cavern. "You have to destroy the others! I’m sure that’s the only way to kill it!"

But Kairo didn’t move.

Didn’t even look at him.

He stood perfectly still in the pool of blue light, his eyes locked on the massive creature trembling before him. His dark hair stuck to his forehead, dripping with water and blood, and his black eyes gleamed like sharpened obsidian under the blue glow.

Then, slowly, the corner of his mouth curved upward—somewhere between a smirk and a snarl.

"Not yet," he murmured, his tone low, calm, almost amused. "It’s still breathing."

Eli’s stomach twisted. "Lesson—? What do you mean by—"

Before he could finish, the world exploded into motion.

The blood at Kairo’s feet rose.

It lifted, defying gravity, swirling upward in a spiraling cyclone of blue and red. Each droplet shimmered, vibrating with energy, until the mass took shape—forming blade after blade after blade.

Hundreds of them.

They floated in the air like a halo of death, their edges glowing faintly crimson, their bodies translucent blue.

"Blood Arsenal," Eli breathed, the name slipping from his lips in awe. He remembered Kairo mentioning it once—an ability he’d never used in front of anyone.

But this... this was different.

This wasn’t a demonstration.

This was execution.

Kairo flicked his wrist.

The blades obeyed.

They surged forward all at once—hundreds of weapons slicing through the cavern air with a sound like thunder.

Each one found its mark.

The octopus’s flesh erupted under the impact, each hit bursting into splashes of glowing blue blood. The monster convulsed, its tentacles thrashing violently, striking the walls hard enough to make the entire cavern tremble.

The sound it made was unbearable—a guttural, broken howl that shook Eli’s bones.

"Captain—!" Mel’s panicked voice echoed. "Captain, at least put Eli down first—he’s getting drenched!"

Zaira’s voice followed, shrill and shaky. "Kairo! You’re going to drown him in blood!"

But Kairo didn’t stop.

He didn’t even hear them.

The air detonated with a thunderous roar—stone cracking, water churning, and the pressure so intense it made Eli’s ears ring. The cavern itself seemed to scream as the shockwave tore through it.

Chunks of glowing blue flesh blasted from the octopus’s body, scattering like molten glass across the water. Each fragment pulsed once, twice, before dissolving into nothing.

The entire cave shook. The walls bled dust. The ceiling groaned as fissures split across the rock.

"Holy—" Mio’s voice cracked as he staggered backward, flinging a thread upward to anchor himself before he could be swept away by the blast.

Eli barely managed to raise his arms, shielding his face as the heat and raw force struck him like a hammer. His hair whipped wildly, blood and mist spraying against his skin. "Kairo!" he shouted, voice breaking. "That’s enough! You’ll bring the whole cave down!"

But Kairo didn’t listen.

Or maybe he did—and just didn’t care.

Because when Eli dared to look again, the blood around Kairo was changing.

It rippled. Shifted. Moved.

The pools of blue around his boots began to twist upward, coiling like serpents, reshaping into new forms. Their shapes solidified—translucent wolves molded entirely from blood, their bodies faintly luminous and alive with pulsing veins of red light.

They emerged one by one, claws digging into the slick stone as they snarled—a chorus of low, rumbling growls that vibrated through the air.

And then came the wings.

From Kairo’s back, streams of blood erupted and spread wide, forming vast, crimson wings that shimmered faintly under the fractured light. Each flap scattered the mist, clearing the air in violent bursts that revealed the full horror of the scene.

Living Blood Constructs.

The wolves lunged forward, leaping across the water. Each impact sent sprays of blue liquid flying. They tore into the octopus’s tentacles, their jaws locking down hard. When their bodies burst apart, they didn’t die—they reformed from the sea of blood below, born again in seconds.

Kairo stood in the center of it all, surrounded by carnage and power, his every breath commanding the blood to obey.

Eli’s heart pounded.

His whole body trembled—not from fear, but from something else. Something he couldn’t name.

Kairo wasn’t just fighting anymore. He was performing.

The cavern had become his domain, every droplet of blood answering to his will. It looked less like a battle and more like a ritual—an offering of violence painted in shades of scarlet and blue.

’This... this is the Scarlet Domain,’ Eli realized, his throat tightening.

Kairo lifted a hand, slow and deliberate.

Every droplet of blood—every wolf, every blade, every ripple—stilled.

Then, with a curl of his fingers, they all shifted again, responding to him like a single living creature.

The octopus, now reduced to a thrashing mass of torn flesh, screamed—a deep, guttural sound that shook the cavern’s foundation. Its remaining hearts pulsed frantically beneath its translucent skin, glowing brighter and faster, as if trying to outmatch Kairo’s power.

"Kairo!" Eli’s voice cracked, his desperation cutting through the chaos. "Its hearts—you have to hit the hearts or it won’t die!"

But Kairo didn’t move.

Didn’t even blink.

Instead, he tilted his head, a faint smirk playing on his lips—cold, humorless, terrifying.

"I told you," he said softly, the sound of his voice somehow louder than the chaos around them. "Not yet."

And then—he snapped his fingers.

The blood obeyed.

The sea itself rose.

Massive tendrils of blood surged upward, coiling and twisting around the octopus’s enormous body like serpents constricting prey. They wrapped tighter and tighter, digging into its wounds, squeezing until the sound that left the creature’s throat wasn’t just pain—it was pure, unfiltered panic.

The monster’s body contorted violently. The sound of its bones—or whatever served as bones—cracked like thunder underwater.

Eli’s heart hammered as he struggled to keep up, half-soaked and clinging to Kairo’s arm as the man stepped forward.

Kairo’s expression didn’t match the chaos around them. It was calm. Too calm. His eyes—those pitch-black eyes—glowed faintly under the flicker of crimson and blue light.

He looked peaceful.

Almost satisfied.

Eli turned to look at him—and froze.

The grin that played on Kairo’s lips wasn’t one of victory. It was darker. Almost hungry.

’He’s... enjoying this?’

Kairo’s fingers flexed, and the blood responded.

The liquid crawled up his body, wrapping around his frame like armor, flowing in and out of shape—forming blades, dissolving, reforming again. It was alive, and it worshipped him.

He raised his hand. His smile widened.

"Let’s see how long it can scream."

Eli’s stomach twisted violently. His throat went dry.

And then the cavern erupted again.

Kairo’s constructs dove like beasts unleashed, his blades slicing through the monster’s flesh over and over. Every movement was purposeful—no wasted motion, no hesitation, no mercy.

He wasn’t just fighting. He was punishing.

The creature’s shrieks filled every corner of the cavern, echoing in waves that made the water quake.

Eli’s eyes darted to the scene—blood everywhere, blue mixing with red, water churning under the pressure of power too wild to be human.

It reminded him of that night—the ogre. The one Kairo had killed long after it stopped moving. Long after it stopped breathing.

Eli had thought that was a one-time thing. That it was a fluke of rage, or desperation.

But now...

’No. This isn’t rage.’

’This is who he is.’

The real Kairo.

He glanced again at Kairo, whose calm, composed face was lit with the faintest trace of satisfaction.

The realization hit hard.

’Both Caelen and Kairo... they’re insane.’