The Dawn of the New World

"The end of days begins with a rain of blood."

*Crackle*

Lightning slowly grumbled in the sky once again, serving as a sinister backdrop to Hao Xuan and Baracus's conversation.

Hao Xuan carefully examined the red puddle in the palm of his hand that only seemed to be getting bigger.

"Is it actually blood?"

*Beep*

The series of circular lights in Hao Xuan's hand blinked twice, analyzing the liquid instantly.

"Affirmative. A 93% match with Suid blood, or to be specific, domestic pig blood. Note: 0% iron concentration."

Hao Xuan's brows were tightly knit together. A rain of pig blood was surely not a good sign either way but the lack of iron was another indication that it was something 'otherworldly' since it was considered to be a bane to most infernal beings.

If it was just a blood-colored rain then there could have been any number of possible explanations for it. Even back on earth the so-called "blood rain" was observed many times but its color was caused by aerial spores from a type of algae.

But this was real blood, pouring from the sky without an end in sight. And pig blood to boot. Pigs were considered to be unclean creatures in most religions and were often used in satanic rituals even back on earth.

There most probably was a connection even if it wasn't what Hao Xuan thought it to be.

He fell deeper into a myriad of thoughts, considering each and every option at hand. He could just walk away and no one would really blame him for it. He already had more than enough on his plate.

But at the mere thought of walking away a strange feeling similar to that of a metal ball in the pit of the stomach made him feel extremely uneasy.

Hao Xuan couldn't help but mumble in a self-deprecating tone, "Is this what guilt feels like? Or is it my long lost conscience finally acting up?"

Hao Xuan had never thought of himself as a good or bad person. He didn't commit evil deeds but he didn't go out of his way to do good either, especially if it didn't have anything to do with him either.

If Baracus knew of this he would probably remind him about the handful of people he had consumed, quite literally, not all of which were bad.

His mind was telling him to just turn around and walk away but the feeling in his gut was warning him that he would not be able to have a good night's sleep if he did so.

It was the same reason he was here in the first place, to venture to the depths of the prison and kill or at least injure a creature even Celestial God's couldn't destroy.

Deep down he knew it probably wouldn't work but he still had to try, not for others but for himself.

There was nothing rational about what he was going to do next.

With a deep sigh, Hao Xuan called out the glaive.

It vibrated within his grasp, spreading a warm, comfortable sensation throughout the body. The unclean feeling of the cold bloody rain lessened significantly and half a smile slowly crept onto Hao Xuan's lips.

"Hey bud, this one probably won't be easy to handle," he whispered brushing his fingers along the length of the hilt. He was unsure of himself and quite scared.

The entire glaive vibrated once again as if responding to everything Hao Xuan was feeling, increasing the intensity of that same warm sensation to a searing hot one.

It felt like his blood was on fire but the feeling was neither uncomfortable nor foreign. It was quite pleasant and liberating if he was being honest.

A sudden notification popped up at the edge of Hao Xuan's vision.

"Warning! Current body temperature at 112* Centigrade and rising!"

With a sizzling sound Hao Xuan's body dried up in an instant and any new raindrops that got even close evaporated before making contact with his body.

Hao Xuan was speechless and understandably so.

He wasn't aware of this but the connection between a living weapon and its owner went beyond the realm of comprehension.

It was said that living weapons and armors lived only for their masters which was true in more ways than just one.

Once they had been together long enough, they would become extensions of one another. There was a reason living weapons rarely changed owners. The emotional connection between them could be akin to a parent and child, to brothers and sisters, to best friends or even eternal lovers. What their connection would be had yet to be decided.

And sensing what Hao Xuan was feeling, the weapon spirit within the glaive almost stirred awake.

If it wasn't still too early it would have shown its true form but right now, doing this was much was the most it could do and it was more than enough.

The feeling of having someone by his side was enough to bolster Hao Xuan's spirit.

"Let's go have a looksy then, shall we?" Hao Xuan chuckled.

All those unnecessary thoughts and emotions were forced aside, replaced by a thirst for blood that could swallow the entire sky.

With a whooshing sound, Hao Xuan exerted some force on the muddy ground and jumped straight into the air.

If "it" knew about him already then there was no reason to hide. With just a few leaps he landed right in front of Tomas's cabin.

But as he reached out to open the door, a strange feeling of being watched came from behind him. He knew for a fact nobody was there but it felt like someone was looking over his shoulder.

He faltered for a short moment but still continued to act ignorant, opening the door with steady hands.

Lighting cackled in the sky, almost as if it was laughing at his foolish behavior.

Tomas's figure came into sight. He was still laying in the same exact position as Hao Xuan had left him.

***

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