NOVEL NEXT Chapter 60: Vex
But before Kitsuna could finish, a sudden, violent impact struck her in the face. And blood instantly began dripping from her nose.
Miyuki's eyes widened in disbelief, a spark of hope flaring within her chest. The unexpected strike had broken the suffocating grip of helplessness.
"T-that's impossible! No one could be that strong!" she cried, her voice trembling and cracking with fear. Her knees wobbled, and she staggered back.
And then it became painfully clear — the one who had struck her was none other than Vex.
Kitsuna's breath caught in her throat as her eyes locked onto that face framed by a cascade of stark white hair. He was moving toward her with measured steps.
The air itself thickened with his aura — heavy, suffocating, pressing down on her chest until every heartbeat felt like it might shatter her ribs.
Kitsuna stumbled a step back, her heel digging into the earth. Her voice broke out in desperation, sharp and trembling. "Stay away from me!"
But Vex did not falter. He didn't even seem to hear her. His eyes, burning with a quiet intensity, never wavered from hers. The faint curl of a smile tugged at his lips, one that was neither kind nor mocking.
"If you plan to lay a hand on this beautiful lady…" he spoke, his tone smooth yet edged with steel, "…then you'll have to kill me first."
Kitsuna's breathing quickened, shallow gasps dragging through her throat as panic tightened her chest. She leapt upward, wings snapping wide, their golden tips catching the fading light as she tried to seize the wind.
But before she could rise, Vex lifted a single hand.
At once, something unseen clawed at her. From the veins of her wings, golden energy surged outward against her will, threads of light unraveling and pouring toward him.
The brilliance that once carried her now betrayed her. Her body jerked mid-air, her wings shuddering violently before refusing to lift her.
She stumbled back, her eyes wide in terror. "Go away!" Kitsuna cried.
Vex did not answer. He only walked closer.
Her wings flared once more, this time not for flight but for battle. Feathers snapped free, sharp as blades, propelled forward by a burst of her will.
But Vex's smile didn't fade.
Three feathers sliced through the air. They struck their mark with perfect precision — one burying itself deep into his stomach, while the other two pierced his chest.
The last feather drove straight through where his heart should have been. For an instant, the meadow trembled with the impact, the air ringing with the sound of steel meeting flesh. Kitsuna's pulse racing with a fragile spark of hope. No one — no thing — could survive that.
But Vex did not flinch. He did not even slow his steps. His pale shirt tore open under the force, golden light searing around the wounds… yet no blood spilled.
No pain crossed his face. Instead, he kept walking forward, his faint smile curling just a little wider.
"Impossible!" Kitsuna gasped, her voice breaking.
Vex closed the distance until Kitsuna could feel the cold inevitability of him pressing in on her. His eyes, glinting with a cruel amusement, locked onto hers, and every instinct in her body screamed for her to move — but there was nowhere to go.
"I hate it when someone touches pretty girls!" he snarled, the words dripping like venom. Before she could react, his hand shot forward, seizing her face.
The moment his fingers crushed against her skull, there was a sickening, wet crunch — the sound of bone giving way, of sinew snapping. Kitsuna's eyes bulged in instant terror, and the golden glow of her wings flickered weakly.
Blood splattered in a grotesque arc, painting the air and the grass beneath her in a thick, dark spray. Her scream erupted, raw and piercing, echoing across the meadow — a sound of pure, immediate horror.
Vex didn't flinch, didn't hesitate. With a merciless squeeze, her head gave way under his grip, collapsing like fragile porcelain. Her body slumped limply, wings drooping, blood pooling around her.
"Ah!" she screamed — and it was over in an instant.
Vex pivoted smoothly, his presence still dominating the space even after the horror he'd just wrought. He approached Miyuki. Then, in a motion both formal and oddly charming, he dipped into a deep bow.
"Greetings, madam," he intoned, his voice smooth and measured, carrying a strange elegance that contrasted sharply with the violence lingering in the air. "I am Vex, a pleasure to meet you!"
Miyuki's eyes widened as she took in the sight. She blinked rapidly, trying to process it all. Her voice came out small, trembling, but sincere. "T-thank you!"
Vex's lips curved into a smile, calm and almost polite — but the darkness behind it was anything but innocent. "How I'd love to f**k her" he thought. "But that would leave strong feelings, wouldn't it?"
Then he decided to ask her something. "Have you perhaps seen a girl with chestnut hair?"
Miyuki furrowed her brow, straining to recall anyone she had seen, but no image came to mind. She shook her head slowly. "No… Is she important?" she asked back.
Vex's gaze sharpened, his crimson eyes glinting. "Just my sister…" he said softly. Then, he took a step closer.
"It would bother me… if Kai and Mei found out about this," he added, his tone casual, yet carrying an unspoken threat. Without breaking eye contact, he extended his hand toward her.
"W-what are you—?" Miyuki started, her voice trembling, but shw couldn't finish. Her body betrayed her, knees buckling beneath her. She crumpled forward, landing face-first on the cold ground.
Vex leaned slightly toward her, his gaze scanning her as if assessing a fragile, broken toy. "You won't remember a thing now…"
For a brief moment, his hand twitched, moving instinctively toward her curves, but something in his mind snapped him back. A pause. A flicker of restraint. "No… I don't have time," he murmured to himself, almost like an afterthought.
Without another word, he stepped back and walked away, leaving Miyuki trembling and disoriented.
After about ten minutes, Miyuki slowly woke, blinking against the pale light of the empty meadow. "What… happened?" she whispered.
Her eyes immediately fell on Kitsuna's body. She lay still, sprawled on the grass. Miyuki stepped closer. She knelt beside the fallen girl and lifted her head. The face was gone, obliterated beyond recognition.
Miyuki's small, round, white tail twitched slightly — a subtle sign of alertness. She reached out and carefully removed the talisman from Kitsuna's neck.
"Was this what gave her power?" Miyuki whispered to herself, holding the talisman between her fingers. She brought it up to her neck, letting it brush against the smooth skin above her chest. But it refused to stay, slipping off and landing softly on the grass.
She picked it up again, her fingers brushing against its smooth surface, and tried once more. Still, it fell away, indifferent to her attempts.
She crouched gracefully, the sleek black fabric of her bunny outfit hugging every curve, the cut high on her thighs while the fishnet stockings shimmered faintly in the sunlight.
Her ears twitched slightly atop her head, giving her an alert and her small white tail flicked nervously behind her.
"I think I know who I'll give this to…" Miyuki whispered to herself, her fingers lightly tracing the edges of the talisman. Her eyes flicked back to Kitsuna's lifeless form, lying unnaturally still on the grass.
A shadow of curiosity crossed her face. "But… how did you die?" she murmured softly, tilting her head as she crouched beside the body.
Her gaze scanned Kitsuna from head to toe, noting the obliterated features, the unmoving wings, and the faint traces of golden magic that had once coursed through her.
Miyuki's fingers brushed lightly against the talisman again, the sunlight glinting off the metal as she contemplated the power it had once granted Kitsuna.
⬛ ⬛ ⬛
The massive doors of the dark hall groaned as they swung open, their echoes reverberating off the obsidian walls. A hush fell over the chamber as the final god entered — the God of Humans, Vex.
He walked toward the black stone table at the center, the faint gleam of his eyes catching the dim light. Without hesitation, he sank into the chair, crossing his legs on the stone table.
"I have arrived!" he declared, his voice smooth yet commanding.
Rhazir, God of Bloodbeasts, who had always carried himself with the utmost confidence, suddenly felt an unfamiliar sting of envy.
His eyes narrowed as he studied Vex, the usual swagger in his posture faltering just slightly. The raw, effortless command in Vex's every movement made even a being as fierce as Rhazir hesitate.
For the first time, he sensed someone who could rival, or even overshadow, his own strength and reputation.
Veylith, God of Elementals, fidgeted subtly, his fingers twitching. His gaze met Vex's for only a heartbeat before darting away, the chill of intimidation crawling along his spine.
Sareth, God of Demons, could not see Vex with his milky-white eyes, yet he felt the newcomer's presence. From the subtle sway of his posture, the deliberate calm in his movements, Sareth instinctively perceived the nature of this god — and it filled him with a deep, instinctual revulsion.
Feloria, Neko Goddess, on the other hand, regarded Vex with an entirely different reaction. A curious spark danced in her eyes, a mixture of intrigue and fascination. She tilted her head slightly, letting her ears flick in subtle amusement.
Nytherra, Goddess of Calamities and the foremost authority among the gods, observed him from her throne with an unreadable, neutral expression.
Vex, unfazed by her scrutiny, let his eyes sweep across the other gods, cataloging each one. Every movement, every gesture, every subtle nuance was noted — the posture of power, the flicker of insecurity, the traces of arrogance or fear.
Then his gaze landed on Feloria. His eyes lingered, despite himself, drawn to the curve of her form and the sway of her tail. There was something provocatively captivating about her stance, a teasing display he couldn't ignore.
He tilted his head slightly, a faint smirk tugging at his lips, and asked bluntly. "Are you always naked?"
Feloria laughed, a melodic, teasing sound that echoed lightly through the dark hall. She brought her hand up to cover her mouth, the motion both playful and deliberate, letting her eyes sparkle with mischievous amusement.
"Oh my, of course!" she replied, her tone dripping with teasing confidence. "I am the Goddess of Lust!"
Vex's lips curled into an unnaturally wide smile, sharp and predatory, his presence suddenly magnified as he shifted his position. Slowly, deliberately, he lowered his legs from the black stone table, planting his palms firmly on its surface.
He leaned forward slightly, never breaking eye contact with Feloria. Then, in a voice that cut through the heavy air of the chamber, he declared, loud and unflinching:
"I WOULD LIKE TO CRACK YOU!"
⬛ ⬛ ⬛
On the dark, jagged throne of the Dream Realm sat the Queen of Shadows. "My child is dead!" she roared, her voice echoing across the endless void. Her eyes blazed with grief and rage.
Rising from her throne, she spread her arms wide, and the shadows around her surged upward, writhing and lashing out as if the darkness itself obeyed her command. "The time has come!" she declared.