Townsend, Pennsylvania.
Early the next morning, a persistent knock echoed through the house. After several seconds, heavy footsteps approached the front door, followed by an annoyed voice from inside.
"Who the hell keeps knocking this early in the morning? Don't you people have anything better to do?"
Madison pulled the door open, still wearing an irritated expression.
The moment she saw who was standing on the porch, every word caught in her throat. She froze in place, staring at Henry with wide eyes as if she couldn't believe he was actually there.
Henry gave her a tired smile and slowly spread his arms.
"Well, Madison... I'm back."
Madison opened her mouth, and for a brief moment Henry thought she was about to throw her arms around him. Instead, her hand swung across his face with a loud slap that snapped his head to the side.
Henry blinked a couple of times before looking back at her in confusion.
"What the heck was that for?"
Madison folded her arms, though her eyes never left him.
"Sorry. I thought you were another one of my hallucinations."
Henry rubbed his stinging cheek and gave a small nod.
"...That's understandable."
Before he could say anything else, Madison slapped his other cheek just as hard.
"That one was for being a selfish dick and making me cry."
She immediately raised her hand again, ready to land another slap, but Henry caught her wrist before it could reach his face.
"Can we stop with the violent reunion?" Henry asked with a helpless smile. "I know I deserved those two."
Madison tried to pull her hand free, but Henry's grip didn't budge. She glared at him for a long moment before her anger finally cracked, her eyes beginning to water.
"You have no idea how worried I was," she said quietly.
The anger on Madison's face finally gave way. Without saying another word, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms tightly around Henry.
Henry smiled and hugged her back.
The moment she squeezed him, a sharp pain shot through his chest.
"Hss..."
Henry couldn't stop the pained hiss escaping his lips.
Madison immediately pulled away, her expression changing.
"Wait... you're hurt." Her eyes narrowed. "Where?"
Before Henry could answer, she grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head.
The bandages wrapped around his chest were already soaked through with fresh blood. Beneath them, the wound over his heart was only partially healed.
Madison's face went pale.
"Oh my God..."
Henry glanced down at the injury before looking back at her.
"Don't worry. It'll heal. Just give it some time."
Madison looked from the wound back to his face, clearly unconvinced.
"So..." she said slowly, folding her arms again. "How long are you disappearing this time?"
Henry let out a tired sigh.
"About a month. This time I'm actually taking a break."
He managed a weak smile despite how exhausted he looked.
"So... would you mind letting me inside? I really just want to sleep."
Madison stared at him for another second before stepping aside without another word, silently making room for him to enter the house.
***
"Then wake me up in the afternoon," Henry said as he dropped onto the bed. His body ached from head to toe, and within seconds he had pulled the blanket over himself.
Madison let out a quiet sigh.
She knew there was no point telling him to quit hunting. If Henry walked away, whatever had come after him before could simply come looking for them instead. She hated the life he lived, but she also understood why he couldn't leave it behind.
"What about breakfast?" she asked.
"I'm skipping it. Just don't wake me until the afternoon."
With that, Henry disappeared beneath the blanket.
Madison shook her head before quietly leaving the room and closing the door behind her.
---
[Angel Eliminated.]
[Reward: 50 SP.]
[Legendary Gacha Triggered.]
My first Legendary Gacha... and fifty SP.
Henry's consciousness lingered just enough to read the notifications.
I guess that's expected. Angels are among the strongest beings in this world. They're capable of killing almost every monster out there, so it makes sense the System gives such a large reward.
Another notification appeared.
[You have obtained: Holy Sword of Judgment Fragment (1/3).]
Holy Sword of Judgment...
Henry frowned.
I already have one fragment... don't I?
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, a broken piece of a golden sword emerged from within his body. At the same time, another fragment materialized out of thin air, as though it had been stored somewhere outside normal space.
Henry stared at the two pieces in surprise.
Since when could I do that...?
The fragments floated toward each other. The moment they touched, they fused into a larger piece before dissolving into streams of golden light and sinking back into his body.
Henry watched the process without moving.
I'll figure it out after I wake up.
The exhaustion from his fight finally caught up with him, and within moments, he fell into a deep sleep.
The sun climbed higher into the sky, and before long, afternoon arrived.
Henry remained buried beneath the blanket until someone suddenly pulled it off him.
"Rise and shine, golden boy. It's afternoon."
Bela's voice reached his ears.
Henry slowly opened his eyes and found Bela standing beside the bed with her arms crossed and an amused smile on her face.
He pushed himself into a sitting position, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Bela, isn't it a little too early to start your nonsense?" he asked with a yawn.
As he looked at her more carefully, something felt off.
There was no trace of magic surrounding her.
Henry frowned.
Wait... shouldn't she still be under that witch's love spell? Wasn't that the reason she became infatuated with me?
He looked at her suspiciously.
"Bela... don't tell me you were never affected by the witch's spell."
Bela's smile widened into a smug grin.
"No."
She tilted her head slightly.
"When was I ever?"
Henry stared at her for several seconds before slowly raising his middle finger internally.
This damn cunning woman...
She'd fooled him completely.
*****
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