Chapter 108: Chainsaw Sword

Axel Vance tossed the ruined banana into the trash and turned back toward Dr. Seth Brundle with an unusually serious expression. “I’m warning you now, Seth. Until we know that prototype is completely safe, no biological testing.”

The memory of The Fly was still too vivid in Axel’s mind. If an ordinary banana had been reconstructed into a rubbery mass with its internal structure scrambled, he did not want to imagine what would happen to a living animal or human being. One bad transmission could produce something far worse than a failed experiment.

Seth blinked at the severity in Axel’s voice before looking almost offended. “What do you take me for, some lunatic mad scientist from a horror movie?” He pointed toward the crude prototype and added, “I wouldn’t test that thing on a lab rat right now, much less put a person inside it.”

He rolled his eyes and muttered, “Who would willingly step into a machine that disassembles them when I haven’t even solved the reconstruction problem?” Axel’s shoulders finally relaxed a little. Seth might be obsessed with science, but at least he was not reckless enough to let curiosity override basic survival instinct.

“Good,” Axel said, leaving Seth to continue studying the failed prototype. His attention shifted toward another workbench where he placed the enchanted chainsaw he had carried through several supernatural battles. It was powerful and could conduct his Psionic Power, but after using it against faster enemies, Axel had become increasingly aware of its limitations.

At its core, the weapon was still built like a heavy cutting tool rather than something designed for fast combat. It had tremendous destructive force, but its balance and awkward shape made it less responsive than Axel wanted whenever an opponent moved quickly. What he needed was something that retained the chainsaw’s supernatural power while behaving more like a true weapon.

Axel began stripping away unnecessary bulk and testing which parts were actually connected to the enchantment. Even after the outer housing and several nonessential components were removed, Psionic Power still flowed through the weapon and caused the chain to respond. That told him the supernatural effect was embedded deeper than simple surface material.

He experimented carefully with the remaining structure and soon reached another conclusion. Psionic Power could enhance and drive the enchanted mechanism to a degree, but it could not completely replace the weapon’s original mechanical force. The supernatural energy behaved more like an amplifier than an independent power source.

“So the core stays,” Axel murmured. “Everything else can be improved.”

Seth finally noticed what he was doing and walked over with immediate curiosity. “What are you building now?” Axel did not look up as he answered, “Something faster. The chainsaw hits hard, but it still handles like a tool.”

Seth stared at the half-modified weapon for several seconds before his expression lit up. “You’re trying to turn it into a sword.” For once, the idea seemed to excite him almost as much as the telepod prototype.

“Something like that.”

“That is ridiculous.”

Axel glanced at him.

Seth grinned. “I love it.”

From that point onward, Seth took over most of the physical fabrication using the industrial scrap and surplus parts they had purchased earlier. Axel handled the supernatural side, repeatedly checking whether the enchantment and Psionic Power conduction remained intact while Seth reshaped the overall weapon into something longer and better balanced. The exact mechanics mattered less than the result.

About half an hour later, the finished weapon rested across the workbench.

It no longer looked like an ordinary chainsaw.

The cutting body had been extended into a long, sword-like profile, while the heavier mechanical assembly had been repositioned to give the weapon far better balance around the grip. Instead of feeling front-heavy and clumsy, it now handled more like an oversized two-handed blade.

Axel stepped forward and wrapped both hands around the grip. The difference was immediate. The weapon still carried substantial weight, but that weight was distributed in a way that made it far easier to control.

He pushed Psionic Power into it.

Vrrrrm!

The engine roared to life while the enchanted chain accelerated around the extended cutting edge. Axel could feel his supernatural energy moving through the weapon more smoothly than before, merging with the mechanical force and carrying the destructive effect along its entire length.

A slow smile appeared on his face.

This was much closer to what he wanted.

“Chainsaw Sword,” Axel said.

Seth stared at him. “That’s the name?”

“It describes what it is.”

Seth considered that. “Fair.”

Axel tested the new weapon against an old metal cabinet scheduled for disposal. The Chainsaw Sword tore through the sheet metal with almost no resistance, leaving a ragged opening where the cabinet door had been. Axel immediately pulled the weapon back and inspected it, satisfied that the modification had preserved both its durability and supernatural responsiveness.

“Much better,” he said.

After another brief inspection, Axel shut the Chainsaw Sword down and stored it safely. Seth had already turned back toward the telepod prototype, muttering to himself about reconstruction errors as though the weapon project had merely been a recreational break. Axel left him to it and headed upstairs.

His next stop was Lionel Cosgrove’s room.

Lionel had taken the Blood Jade earlier that morning, insisting that he wanted to examine it using Spirit Binding rather than Seth’s scientific approach. Axel found him bent over a table, studying the dark-red heart-shaped stone with intense concentration.

“Find anything?” Axel asked.

Lionel looked up and scratched his cheek. “Maybe.”

He pointed toward the Blood Jade. “I’m fairly certain the inside of this thing isn’t structured like normal material. There are channels running through it that seem designed to carry supernatural energy.”

Lionel grabbed a pencil and sketched a rough diagram on a sheet of paper. “Think of Psionic Power like electricity. Your Chainsaw Sword is the machine using that power, while this thing acts more like an unusually efficient conductor.”

Axel looked toward the Blood Jade.

Lionel continued, “Energy seems to pass through it with almost no noticeable loss. I’m not completely sure yet, but there are signs it may even strengthen the flow instead of simply carrying it.”

That caught Axel’s attention immediately.

The Chainsaw Sword had solved one problem by giving him a weapon that was easier to wield against fast supernatural enemies. If the Blood Jade could improve the efficiency of Psionic Power flowing through that weapon, then the combination could raise its effectiveness again without requiring Axel to simply pour more energy into every attack.

“How do we combine them?” Axel asked.

Lionel’s enthusiasm faded slightly.

“That’s the part I haven’t figured out.”

He looked back toward the Blood Jade and shook his head. “I know the potential is there, but integrating it into another supernatural object without ruining either one is a different problem. I need more time to study it.”

Axel nodded rather than pushing him.

They had only recently recovered the Blood Jade, and rushing an unknown supernatural artifact into a weapon was exactly the kind of mistake that usually ended badly.

“Keep working on it,” Axel said. “We’ll figure it out when you’re sure.”

Lionel turned back toward the stone.

Axel left the room satisfied.

The Chainsaw Sword was finished.

Now all that remained was discovering what the Blood Jade could truly do.