Triple X System

’intercept contract? How is that even possible when she wasn’t aware in the first place!’ Kyle inwardly screamed lost on what was transpiring.

”Feeding off someone is bad, but feeding off my husband is a sin I cannot forgive.” Yua slowly muttered, more like an incantation chant. A deep crimson aura protruded from her body, thick and wet like spilled wine. It dripped down her arms and pooled at her feet, hissing where it touched the scorched ground.

”Great, now who’s starting fights.” Elara grumbled rolling her eyes. But her hand had already drifted to the dagger at her hip. Her usual sarcasm was thin. Too thin.

Just when it seemed there were some minutes for a moment of peace to regroup and strategize their way off the hell dump. An unwanted situation seemed to pop up.

’Don’t tell me they’re about to clash? Not that I’m worried but aren’t they like together.’ She thought, controlling herself not to puke at those last thought. The word *together* tasted like ash.

”You’re the one to talk vampire. Your whole existence is an abomination and plague to society.” The deer spoke out loud, sending ripples along the ground from the vibration of its tone. Its antlers were black now. Not bone. Charred. Veins of gold light pulsed under the bark-skin like something was breathing inside it.

”And so is your future with him.” Those last words hit Yua like a train making her pupils contort a bit. The crimson aura flared, and for half a second Kyle saw it — grief. Raw, ugly grief under the rage.

Without warning the blood cells in her arm wrapped together, tightening in a force bond thread. It sounded like wet rope twisting. Shooting out from her palm directly into Kyle’s chest with minimal effort, locking on to the red crystal etched at the center of both Kyle’s heart.

*Click.*

The sound echoed in his ribs.

”Get.. out!” Yua yelled, her grip on the thread connected to the crystal firm. Pulling with every ounce of her strength, trying to yank it off. Veins stood out on her neck. Tears cut clean lines through the blood on her face.

The cool air instantly turned hot with the expulsion of the two powerful auras. Heat and cold slammed together and the middle became a shimmer. Even the little insects noise was cancelled by the overwhelming force from Yua and the deer. Dust lifted and hung, suspended.

’W-what the hell is happening, I can’t move.’ Kyle grunted, sending brain signal to his body but no response.

His left hand twitched. Then rose. On its own.

Fingers curling. Not his command.

Panic flooded him. ’Hey. HEY. That’s mine.’

The once dormant red crystal in his heart no more than a middle finger length increased in temperature. Gaining undeniable heat similar to an evolution phase. It burned through his shirt, a red glow bleeding from his chest like he had a second sun trapped under skin. Sweat evaporated the second it touched him.

[No~ h-how is this possible?] Snow questioned with utmost doubt and disbelief. Its voice glitched. [Host. Host, can you hear me?]

’More bad news?’

[Worse. The deer, it’s overtaking 40% of your body function and growing rapidly.] A pause. [47%. 49%. Kyle, it’s learning your nerves.]

Kyle tried to scream. His jaw moved, but the sound that came out was wrong. Deeper. Layered.

”Pitiful insolence.”

It was his mouth. But not his voice.

The deer tilted its head, golden eyes delighted. ”Thank you for the vessel, little husband.”

Yua’s pull jerked harder. The thread went taut, vibrating. ”Let. Go. Of. Him.”

Elara finally moved. She was between them in a blink, but not to help. She grabbed Kyle’s glowing chest and slammed her palm over the crystal.

”Both of you, shut up for two seconds,” she snapped. Her eyes were sharp, calculating. ”Yua, if you rip it out now you’ll rip his heart with it. And Bambi,” she turned to the deer, baring fangs, ”you touch his brain one more time and I’ll mount your head above my bed.”

The deer laughed through Kyle’s throat. His body lifted an inch off the ground, feet dangling. 52%.

[Warning: Host vitals dropping. Crystal temperature: 900°C. Recommend immediate extraction.] Snow was basically screaming now. [Kyle, fight it. Remember the contract clause. You have override.]

’Contract... right.’ His thoughts were mud. ’Intercept... means...’

Memory hit like ice water. The night he signed in blood because he thought it was a joke. A failsafe. ”If any entity attempts possession, host may intercept and reroute.”

His fingers — his real fingers — twitched.

Kyle gritted his teeth against the deer’s voice and shoved every ounce of will he had into his chest. Into the crystal.

”OUT,” he hissed, and the crystal flared white.

Yua screamed. The deer bucked. Elara swore.

For one second the whole hell dump went silent.

Then the thread snapped. Eerie silence enveloped the surrounding, with a lingering scent of blood and metal burning in the air.

”Yua~” Kyle barely muttered, feeling the life sucked out from him. Even his legs struggled to keep up against gravity drawing him down.

”Heal.” A soft voice caught his attention, and it was none other than the blonde witch.

”Yu-”

”Shut up. She’s unconscious but fine, I didn’t think she’d be stupid to have a standoff with whatever that is in your chest.” Elara frowned, tying a piece of rope from her blue dress around Kyle’s bleeding chest.

And he didn’t need to touch his heart to feel the crystal still etched within his chest.

”Our location is compromised, we have to move before-” Her words were cut short, as her eyes drifted to a particular location behind some grey bushes.

”Allura inflamia!” Like a command, several small fireball materialized around Elara. Floating in the air, illuminating the spot they were.

Rustle! Rustle!

The growing wind swayed the tree branches gently, along with the snapping of a twig.

Swoosh!

Two of the dozen flaming fireball shot at the direction of the sound, hitting the figure dead in it’s track.

”Kyahhh!”

It cried out in pain before lifelessly falling to the dirt with a dull thud. Analyzing the intruder, Elara’s eye widened at the realization it was the green imps they’d passed a while back.

But that was the least of her problems, cause more of the little green imps emerged from the darkness. Frantically running towards her in desperate attempt to end her existence.

”Just what I needed. More threats.” Snapping her fingers, the remaining balls of fire split into smaller pieces. Shooting with great velocity at the head of each approaching unarmed imp.

’Thud! Thud!’

The last imp fell without a chance, it’s eyes rolled back white in defeat.

”That was easier than I expected.” She let out a sigh of relief, but karma wasn’t done yet.

”Arrrrr.. kyaa!”

More noises of what sounded like battle cries and the emergence of more green imps followed.