'Shit… Where is the dragon bloodline, you piece of shit?!' Vex howled, writhing on the ground in unbearable agony.
The pain radiating from his mutilated lower half was like a wildfire in his nerves—exacerbated by his incubus heritage, which had naturally heightened sensitivity in his crotch region.
The searing torment wasn't just physical; it clawed into his consciousness, threatening to drag him into oblivion.
Only his dragon bloodline kept him tethered to life, keeping him conscious when any ordinary human would have blacked out.
Yet, that same dragon bloodline failed to protect him in the most crucial way.
He clutched at the mutilated area, panic sharpening the pain. Yet even in panic, he clearly remembered the words of the System, where it claimed to give him the powers of a dragon and incubus.
'How?' Dragon skin is often depicted in fantasy stories as one of the toughest materials—resilient enough to repel even legendary weapons.
But his… his manhood had been severed like it was made of paper. No trace of scales. No resistance. Just blood.
'Damn, did it scam me again?!' And at that moment, a doubt crept into Vex's mind that maybe that dirty system had lied to make him read those descriptions.
'....' Aphastius stood over him, blade still slick with crimson, gaze cold and calculating.
"Dragon skin and incubus charm… what are you?" he muttered, eyes narrowing.
The blade in his hand hummed faintly with a dull glow—subtle but unmistakable to anyone who knew its true nature.
The moment it had struck, he had felt it: that specific vibration, that deep, resonating tremor of the blade's hidden enchantment reacting.
It had only one trigger.
The activation of its dragon-slaying property.
Which meant...
"A dragon and incubus son? How is this possible," Aphastius said slowly. Even though within the black gleaming armor, his eyes seemed to give away a slight surprise, considering both the races were known for possessing completely opposite traits.
Dragons—they are known for their eternal love bondings, sticking to one partner their whole life—while incubi were clearly disgraceful wretches who preferred lust over anything else—so, clearly impossible to have both as parents.
But here he was.
'!'
Vex's eyes widened. The pain was overwhelming, but those words pierced deeper than any blade as he understood, at least, what the system claimed was true—coming from the man who had just cut off his dick.
"W-wait—urgh—" He tried to speak, to make sense of it, when suddenly a cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind:
[Host, the man who attacked you is a Dragon Slayer.]
'What…?!' Vex's mind reeled, his reddened eyes lying there without even being able to say anything. He slowly tried to lift his gaze only to find the black blade slowly lifted in their hands, gripped at the hilt before it slowly descended.
Not the hollow strike, but a strike with a firm and cruel voice from the man.
"Let's cut off your limbs first to see if you are in morphing state or not."
'!'
"S...stop—" Vex's voice was met with nothing but fear as the blade directly descended upon his arm.
Or at least that was what he thought.
SHHLIK—
The blade began its descent—merciless, precise—
BOOOOM!
A sudden explosion rocked the entire ship. The floor heaved violently as if the sea itself had punched the vessel from beneath.
A deafening blast split the air, followed by the groan of iron and shattering glass.
Aphastius recoiled slightly, caught mid-strike, instinctively shifting to shield the princess behind him with one arm.
The princess, thrown off balance by the shockwave, stumbled forward with a gasp. Her heel slipped against the trembling floor.
"Ah—!" she cried, bracing for impact.
But before she could fall, a strong, black-gauntleted hand caught her firmly. Aphastius pulled her close against his side, steady as a mountain despite the chaos erupting around them.
His other hand still held the sword—now lowered, but ready.
'What the—?!' On the floor, Vex flinched violently, his half-ruined body convulsing as the explosion reverberated through the room. Blood smeared across the shaking floor as he tried to push himself up, only to slump again, clearly stunned, blinking wildly.
'What the hell was that?!' he thought, mind spiraling through panic and pain.
The princess clung to Aphastius's armored chest, eyes wide, heart racing.
"U-Uncle—what just happened?" she stammered, dazed by the sudden quake.
Aphastius's gaze narrowed beneath the black visor. For a second, he said nothing—listening, sensing, and calculating—his senses clearly covering the area around the ship.
Then, his voice came low and razor-sharp:
"Princess, we are under attack."
'!?'
"Wh-What!?" Asperia was clearly taken aback, her eyes widening as she turned to look towards a small window nearby, only to see the visible flames rising. Soon enough, the screams and the sound of yelps filled the air.
"D-DRAGONS!" a soldier screamed, wild-eyed, his armor scorched and dented. "Wyverns! Metal beasts in the sky—THEY'RE BREATHING FIRE!"
Another voice followed from the hall, shrill and cracking with terror:
"They're not normal—THEY'RE MECHANIZED! Those things… they're made of STEEL!"
BOOM!
Another explosion rocked the ship, this time from the upper decks. A blinding flash lit the corridor as something large crashed through the outer wall, tearing metal like paper.
One of the guards was sent flying, his scream cut short as his body was flung out into open sky.
'!'
Through the window, Asperia saw everything—yet still not believing—her eyes clearly horrified.
"Calm down, Princess." Aphastius turned from the shattered window, his armor glinting with embers, and grabbed Asperia's hand.
"Please stay behind me," he said sharply. Then, for the last time, he glanced toward the naked man lying in the blood pool—clearly weak.
'No...' Vex, for a little instant, after meeting the gaze of Death Man, felt a slight chill as he saw him tightening his hand around the sword, clearly gulping as he knew death was just in front of him.
"Let's go, Princess." However, Aphastius ignored him before sprinting into the corridor, boots striking the trembling floor, the scent of smoke thick in the air.
"Haah... Urgh..." Vex trembled, clearly feeling the pain as his eyes seemed to be getting blurred, losing consciousness due to blood loss as he tethered near, losing consciousness—before, for the last time, hoping to at least get some favor, 'System....'
[Call me daddy.]
'Fuck you, asshole...Urgh'
[ Blood loss will kill you within 5 minutes; however, you lose consciousness due to blood loss within 20 seconds. ]
'Daddy, save me.'