CHAPTER 34: THE CAPTURE OF THE CENTIPEDE HOST
The school courtyard was still shaking from the last blast of energy that had come from Max's awakening. The air was hot, carrying the smell of burnt concrete and smoke.
Students who had been recording stood frozen in shock, their phones still raised, their faces pale. Grace sat on the ground, her eyes red from crying.
And in the middle of the courtyard, standing over the cracked tiles, was Darius... the S ranker tracker of the government. His golden wings stretched wide behind him, glowing with faint light that scattered dust into sparkles.
Max was standing a few meters away, his shirt half burnt, his breathing heavy, his eyes still glowing white. The ghostly form of the centipede spirit flickered faintly behind him.
Darius looked at him with calm, piercing eyes.
His voice was deep and cold when he finally spoke. "So this is what has been hiding under the government nose . A monster walking freely in a school."
The students gasped. Cameras zoomed in. Every eye was on Max.
"I am talking to you," Darius said again, his tone like someone commanding a dangerous beast. "What are you, boy? A cursed artifact user? A failed experiment?"
Max clenched his fists. "I'm just… a person. I didn't do anything wrong. They attacked me first."
Darius tilted his head slightly, his gaze sharp and unblinking. "Is that what you call this?" He waved his hand toward the bloodied bullies still lying unconscious across the field. "You burned half of them alive. You nearly killed six students."
"They were hurting me," Max said, his voice cracking. "They hurt Grace too. I didn't mean for this to happen."
The crowd whispered.
"Liar," someone said softly.
"Look at him. He looks possessed."
"He's not human anymore."
Darius stepped closer. "Then surrender. If what you say is true, come quietly. Let me seal your power and hand you to the government. They will decide what happens next."
Max looked around. All he could see were scared faces. No one was defending him. Not even Grace. Her lips trembled, but no words came out.
"I don't want to fight," Max said again. "Please. I can control it."
Darius's eyes narrowed. "That's what every monster says before they distroy everything like an animal ."
His wings flared open, golden light scattering across the broken courtyard.
"Do not move," he said, his voice echoing like thunder. "You are under arrest for the possession of a forbidden creature and for endangering human lives."
The students gasped again. The energy around Darius began to rise like a storm. His divine aura spread across the schoolyard, crushing the air and making everyone's knees buckle.
Max's chest tightened. He took a step back. "No… wait—"
But Darius did not wait.
In a flash, his wings released a storm of feathers. Each feather glowed like a miniature sun as it shot through the air. The attack looked beautiful and terrifying at the same time; a rain of golden light descending like divine punishment.
Max reacted instantly. His centipede spirit flared to life. Invisible slashes cut through the air, slicing the feathers before they could hit him. Each slash exploded the moment it collided with the divine feathers.
The courtyard shook. Massive waves of air burst outward, shattering glass windows and tearing through walls.
Students screamed and ran for cover. Phones fell to the ground. Smoke and dust filled the air.
Darius shielded his face with his wings and smiled slightly. "So you can fight after all."
He dashed forward with incredible speed, appearing behind Max in an instant. Max barely turned before Darius struck him with a punch that sent him crashing into the side of the school building.
The wall cracked and collapsed as Max rolled to the ground, coughing blood.
But he stood up again, his glowing eyes filled with fury. His centipede spirit wrapped around him like armor, its many legs twitching in response to his rage.
He thrust his hand forward. A flurry of invisible cuts shot toward Darius, slicing the air with sharp sounds. The ground exploded in multiple lines of impact, dirt flying everywhere.
Darius dodged easily, his wings folding and spreading with perfect precision. Each time he flapped them, more feathers launched like bullets of light, curving through the air to surround Max.
Max spun, his slashes cutting through them one by one. Each explosion lit up the yard like a battlefield.
The students hiding in classrooms screamed as the shockwaves cracked the walls and shattered windows.
Grace was crying again, covering her ears.
Max shouted as he attacked, pushing his new power beyond its limit. The invisible centipede spirit grew larger behind him, its body coiling through the smoke. Its roar echoed like thunder, shaking the sky.
Darius raised his hand and created a barrier of light to block it. The centipede's spirit smashed all it's legs against it, sparks of white energy flying in every direction.
The ground was breaking apart under the pressure of both powers.
"You're strong for a rookie," Darius said, his voice calm even as he blocked another barrage of invisible slashes. "But strength without control is destruction."
Max gritted his teeth. "You don't understand! I never asked for this!"
Darius's eyes glowed. "Then let me take it from you."
In one blinding movement, Darius vanished from sight. The air rippled, and before Max could react, Darius appeared right above him, spinning in midair. His wings folded inward like blades, and he dived straight down.
The impact was devastating.
The shockwave tore through the entire courtyard, sending debris flying in every direction. The invisible centipede screamed as its form shattered under the divine pressure. Max was thrown backward, rolling across the ground as blood poured from his mouth.
Darius landed softly on his feet, barely breathing hard.
Max tried to stand, but his body was trembling uncontrollably. His vision was blurry, and his muscles felt like they were tearing apart from the inside.
The centipede's spirit tried to reform, but Darius pointed a finger forward, and a beam of light shot out, piercing through the ghostly image and dispersing it completely.
"Enough," Darius said quietly.
Max fell to his knees, panting heavily. His body was smoking from the heat of the fight. His shirt was torn, and his back glowed faintly where the centipede had fused.
Darius walked closer, his wings folding behind him. "You have potential," he said softly, "but potential like yours is what destroys cities. You are too dangerous to be free."
Max looked up weakly. "Please… I didn't mean to hurt anyone."
Darius reached out and grabbed him by the collar, lifting him slightly. "Tell that to the students lying unconscious because of your little tantrum."
He turned his gaze toward the crowd that was still recording, his voice booming. "Everyone, listen. You are safe now. The threat has been contained."
His words echoed through the broken courtyard.
But the truth was far from safety. The entire school was half destroyed. Dozens of students were wounded from the shockwaves, the explosions, and the falling debris. Some were bleeding. Others were unconscious.
Grace crawled toward Max, tears streaming down her face. "Stop… please… he's just a student."
Darius did not answer her. His eyes glowed faintly as he raised his hand. A golden seal appeared, floating above his palm.
The seal spread open like a circle of light and wrapped around Max's body. Chains of golden energy formed, binding his hands behind his back.
Max gasped as the seal tightened around his spine, covering the exact spot where the centipede had fused with him. The pain was unbearable.
"Ahhh!" he screamed.
The seal glowed brighter. The centipede's spirit appeared one last time, screeching as if it was being pulled out of him. But instead of leaving, it was trapped inside the seal, silenced and locked away.
Darius watched quietly as the glow faded.
Finally, he let go of Max's collar, letting the boy fall to his knees again.
The government's armored vehicles arrived moments later, hovering above the broken schoolyard. Dozens of agents in black suits rushed out, surrounding the area.
One of them saluted Darius. "Sir, we received your signal. The containment unit is ready."
"Good," Darius said without turning around. "Seal the scene. No one leaves until the recordings are confiscated. The incident is classified."
"Yes, sir."
He looked down at Max again. "You will be taken to a secure facility. Until we know what you are, you are not to speak to anyone."
Grace tried to run toward Max, but two agents held her back. "Please, let me talk to him!" she shouted, crying. "He's not a monster!"
Darius didn't even glance at her. "Take her away from the site."
The agents pulled her back as she struggled and screamed.
Max looked up weakly, his vision fading. His eyes met Grace's one last time. Her voice echoed in his ears, faint and broken.
"Max! Don't give up! I'll find you!"
But her voice grew distant as his consciousness began to fade.
The last thing he saw was Darius spreading his wings and looking toward the horizon, his expression unreadable.
"Another one touched by forbidden power," Darius murmured. "The world is changing too fast."
He turned to the agents. "Move out."
They lifted Max, his hands chained, the golden seal still glowing faintly on his back.
The government vehicle's door closed with a metallic sound, and the convoy rose into the air, flying away from the ruined school.
Students watched in silence as the smoke rose higher into the sky.
The monster was gone.
But deep inside the sealed boy, the centipede spirit was still awake. Waiting. Watching.
And somewhere far away, Kelvin felt a faint pulse in his mind.