After Bardi devoured Trigon's projection soul and completely destroyed it, his mind fell into disarray.
It was chaotic, as if he were burning with a high fever. His thoughts became muddled, and he soon lost consciousness.
Deep within his body, his spiral genes began to disintegrate, but then the blood of the Raven flowed into him, triggering a violent restorative reaction.
His genetic makeup naturally lowered his resistance to magic, and his consciousness did not resist—he even cooperated. Now, the Raven's blood acted like a powerful force, forcibly stabilizing his genes without overwhelming them.
The genes within the Raven's blood merged into his genetic code, instantly altering Bardi's DNA.
Previously dormant genes, which had lost their ability to function, now began to stir once the Raven's blood was introduced.
Two different enhancers fused with transactivating factors, response elements bound to activated molecular signals, and excitosomes began regulating specific DNA sequences.
Amino acids activated within his ribosomes.
The two large ribosomal subunits attached to the smaller one, forming a stable complex and completing the initiation process.
The genetic ribosomes from the Raven's blood began assisting Bardi's ribosomes in reading the codons.
At last, the polypeptides released from the ribosomes underwent further processing and modifications, forming biologically active proteins. The peptide chains were altered—cleaved, hydroxylated, phosphorylated, acetylated, and glycosylated.
It was as if Bardi had been thoroughly purified. His previously shut-down bodily functions roared back to life.
Blood oozed from his body, reshaping into limbs. With the blood energy provided by Trigon, his genetic code was unlocked, allowing his body to regenerate arms and legs.
His primary genetic structure remained Kryptonian, and the Raven's genes did not take over. Instead, the fusion of the Raven's half-human, half-demon lineage with Bardi's Kryptonian genes formed a new genetic spiral. It appeared as though a shadowy structure underpinned his main genetic sequence, reinforcing its integrity.
In truth, neither Bardi nor Raven possessed the ability to precisely manipulate genes at this level. These changes were entirely driven by external forces—Raven's blood transfusion, Trigon's blood-engraved magic circle, and the ceaseless subconscious instructions from the depths of Bardi's soul.
Bardi's soul had already fused with his genetic information. This was an instinctual form of self-preservation, where his soul naturally adapted to ensure survival.
It was as though he had undergone hundreds of thousands of years of evolution in an instant, transforming from a primitive organism into a highly advanced being. The Raven's blood and Trigon's energy acted as environmental catalysts, accelerating his adaptation and forging a body perfectly suited for him.
This was more terrifying than simply breaking genetic limits. It was a unique characteristic of Bardi's soul, an innate survival mechanism.
Even Bardi himself wasn't certain if he could survive. He could only endure passively.
But one thing was clear: his soul, which had never given up, would fight relentlessly to stay alive as long as there was even the faintest hope. This was an unyielding battle for survival, a struggle that would use every possible means to strengthen itself and persist.
Just as Bardi's transformation was completed—his body restored, his firm, chiseled features reformed.
Suddenly, his consciousness began to flicker like a candle in the wind, burning itself away. Bit by bit, it faded, as if being siphoned away by an unseen force.
"How could this be?!"
Raven's already pale face turned even paler. Sweat poured from her forehead, soaking the corners of her eyes, dampening her eyelashes. The salty moisture stung as it trickled down, making her eyes feel sore and dry.
She was exhausted, her body weakened from excessive blood loss, her mind drained from maintaining the Trigon Blood Pattern Spell. She had been constantly feeding Bardi her blood, yet her magic recovery couldn't keep up. She was nearing total depletion.
And despite all this, she still couldn't completely save him.
Genetically, Bardi was stable now.
Though throughout the process, Raven had witnessed his body undergo bizarre transformations, at one moment liquefying into putrid sludge, at another combusting spontaneously, then turning to acid, petrifying into stone, freezing solid, mutating into grotesque forms—each grotesque change brought on by the fusion of their genes.
Yet, through it all, Bardi's soul had endured. He had fought through every unstable phase, and in the end, he had managed to save himself. His genes had stabilized, keeping his body from collapsing.
But even with his body restored, Raven could sense something terribly wrong.
Deep within, Bardi's consciousness was slipping away.
Their spiritual connection had never broken. Even during his genetic transformations, even when his body had shifted into unrecognizable forms, Raven had always been able to feel his overwhelming will to survive—a sheer, unrelenting determination that seeped into her own mind.
Yet now, even though his body had returned to its former shape, that presence, the sheer force of will that had burned so fiercely was fading.
It was disappearing.
"He's trapped within his own mental barrier. He hasn't fully returned from his spiritual realm. Instead, he's caught in a self-created cycle, an endless loop of reincarnation, repeating over and over again!
"If this continues… his consciousness will be completely erased!"
Zatara's eyes flashed as he immediately grasped Bardi's predicament. Bardi was trapped in a cycle of self-obstruction, endlessly burning himself within his own spiritual world.
He... couldn't return.
This body would eventually become nothing more than a corpse.
"I'll bring him back!"
Raven's eyelashes were damp, her bloodshot eyes wide with desperation. Salty sweat dripped into her pupils, stinging with a sharp, acidic burn.
Her breathing was erratic, her delicate body drenched in sweat as she climbed onto Bardi's motionless form. Her face was pale, yet she pressed her feverish, sweat-soaked forehead firmly against his.
A sharp cry—like the call of a bird—pierced the silence. A small, shadowy raven materialized on Raven's forehead and darted straight into Bardi's body.
"Are you insane?!"
Zatara's face changed dramatically. Before he could stop her, Raven's soul consciousness had already plunged into Bardi's body.
A man with a will as strong as Bardi's, once trapped in self-disorder, could only escape on his own. Anyone who entered his spiritual world would likely be dragged into the same endless cycle, ensnared in reincarnation with him—until they both perished.
———
Boom!
A deep bell tolled, its sound reverberating through the surroundings.
A bright light filled her vision, accompanied by dazzling halos.
She stood before a Western-style church, pure white, with towering Gothic spires and intricate, ornate detailing. It was elegant, magnificent. The area was peaceful, lined with lush green trees and quiet, well-maintained pathways. Flower beds flanked a clean road where well-dressed men and women in formal attire strolled toward the church.
Raven found herself standing among them, her gaze clouded with confusion. She moved forward with the crowd, dazed, until she finally stopped in front of the church doors.
She looked up.
A wedding.
The air was filled with excited murmurs, the warmth of sunlight scorching her skin. Her head spun, her thoughts muddled.
Then, a shadow fell over her.
A man stood before her, his back to the sun, his figure blurred by the dazzling light.
"What's wrong?"
In an instant, Raven snapped back to awareness.
(To be continued.)
***
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