Chapter 112 Church of Science

Chapter 112: Chapter 113: Church of Science

Chapter 113: Church of Science

The Chainsaw Sword nearly tore itself from Axel Vance’s grip when Butcher Barlow forced it out of his chest, but the weapon was not what made Axel’s expression harden. The massive wound through Barlow’s torso was already closing, muscle and flesh drawing together with unnatural speed until the damage that should have killed him became little more than a shrinking tear. His ruined left hand was recovering at the same time, shattered tissue rebuilding rapidly as though the injury had happened minutes ago instead of seconds.

Barlow flexed the regenerating hand and smiled with obvious satisfaction. "See that? This is evolution. I’m a New Human now, someone who has seen the truth the Great Herald revealed, while you’re still trapped inside an obsolete body." His voice carried the smug certainty of someone who had completely accepted the cult’s doctrine.

Axel looked him over and shook his head. "You were a dockside thug shaking people down for money until somebody pumped you full of an experiment, and now you think you’re the next stage of mankind." His mouth curved faintly as he added, "Does the Great Herald hand out the same speech to everyone he turns into a freak, or did you memorize that one yourself?"

The arrogance vanished from Barlow’s face. His past clearly remained one of the few things capable of puncturing the grand identity the cult had built around him, and rage surged across his features immediately. "You’re asking to die," he snarled before charging again.

Axel was still dealing with the severed arm locked around his ankle, so he could not simply step away from the attack. He shifted just enough to avoid taking Barlow’s full impact while bringing the Chainsaw Sword down against the detached limb. The supernatural chain tore deeper through flesh that continued squeezing with mindless strength, as though the arm possessed no concept of pain.

Barlow came again before Axel could fully free himself, his restored hand already nearly functional. The giant threw his weight forward like a collapsing wall, forcing Axel to finish the problem immediately. With one final burst from the Chainsaw Sword, the severed arm came apart enough for its grip to fail.

Axel moved clear just before Barlow crashed down where he had been. The impact shook the suite and smashed another section of flooring, while Axel regained his footing several feet away. His ankle had already turned dark purple from the pressure, and the pain suggested the bone had taken more damage than he liked, but it was still usable.

Then Axel noticed the remains of the arm.

The shredded pieces were moving.

Small chunks of flesh twitched across the floor and dragged themselves toward one another with grotesque persistence, each fragment behaving as though survival belonged to the tissue itself rather than the body it had come from. Axel stared for a moment before quietly saying, "That’s more interesting."

Barlow hauled himself upright and glared at him, breathing heavily. Axel rested the Chainsaw Sword against one shoulder and finally asked the question that had been bothering him since the cult first appeared. "You people keep talking about your leader, your research, and your future. What is this organization actually called?"

Barlow paused as though the answer should have been obvious. "The Church of Science." He said the name with complete seriousness and obvious pride.

Axel’s expression briefly went blank.

After everything—the corpse soldiers, experimental monsters, hidden facilities, and endless speeches about transcendence—he had expected something more intimidating. Church of Science sounded less like an apocalyptic secret society and more like a cheap organization operating out of a rented office near a college campus. Axel pushed the thought aside before Barlow noticed his reaction.

"So what does your Great Herald actually want?" Axel asked. "Turn the whole world into things like you—hard to kill, impossible to reason with, and convinced you’re geniuses?" Barlow’s newly restored hand curled into a fist as the insult landed.

"You want to know too much," Barlow replied with a cruel grin. "It doesn’t matter. Once I take you alive and bring you before the Great Herald, he’ll show you what real science looks like." His eyes gleamed with fanatic devotion as he added, "After you understand his wisdom, you’ll become one of us."

Axel sighed softly and let the mocking expression disappear from his face. Barlow had already given him the organization’s name, confirmed the leader’s title, and made it clear that he knew nothing more Axel could extract through casual conversation. There was no reason to keep talking.

He brought the Chainsaw Sword across his body and began pouring far more Psionic Power into it than before. The weapon answered with a violent mechanical growl as supernatural energy flooded through its enchanted structure, and a pale white radiance gradually wrapped around the moving chain. Even Barlow’s expression changed when the pressure coming from Axel suddenly intensified.

The giant stopped advancing.

His body knew before his mind admitted it.

Fear had finally appeared.

Axel looked at him calmly and said, "Now let’s see where your limit is." The next instant, he moved.

Barlow barely registered Axel’s position before the Chainsaw Sword struck again. A rapid sequence of white-lit arcs crossed his massive body, opening deep wounds faster than his regeneration could respond. Every time torn flesh began knitting itself together, another strike ripped it apart again before the healing finished.

Barlow roared and swung wildly, but his enhanced body was too slow to match Axel’s movement. His attacks passed through empty space while the Chainsaw Sword kept carving into him from one side after another, stripping away the advantage he had trusted completely. The regeneration that had made him feel immortal was suddenly losing ground.

Blood covered the ruined suite.

Barlow’s breathing broke apart.

For the first time since the transformation, he understood that healing faster than a normal man did not mean healing fast enough.

Fear flooded his face as another wound opened before the previous one could close, and his confidence finally collapsed into panic. He tried to retreat, but even that was too late.

One thought overwhelmed everything else in his mind.

No. I’m going to die.

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