What exactly was an enhanced version of the Straw Bind?
After several rounds of strengthening, Barry's straw had evolved beyond simply being tougher and capable of draining flesh and life force. It now possessed a new ability—the power to absorb energy.
In other words, it used to drain blood. Now it drained mana.
During their earlier battle, Barry had been at a disadvantage—Carrie preferred to keep her distance, making it hard for him to close in.
But now, the tide had turned in his favor.
The straw that had wrapped around Carrie tightened while also extending outward, weaving itself into a sturdy cage.
Caught off guard by Barry's sudden sneak attack, Carrie tried to summon her magic to break free, only to realize she couldn't muster her strength.
Her body was wrapped in mana-absorbing straw, cutting off her energy flow. Her ability to channel magic had been severely weakened.
As her mana drained away, Carrie—still only human in body—went limp and collapsed inside the cage. The lion that once roared in her eyes faded back into slumber.
Within minutes, the golden straw heart inside Barry's chest beat furiously, pumping waves of regenerative power throughout his body, healing his wounds at remarkable speed.
He stepped up to the cage and looked down at Carrie's peaceful, sleeping face. He knew this unexpected incident was only half-resolved.
The other half depended on what he did next.
Carrie's condition had stabilized somewhat, but it could relapse at any time.
The real problem lay in her premature awakening of magical power—her body wasn't yet mature enough to handle it.
To fix that imbalance completely, they'd have to wait until she grew strong enough to match her own magic—or find an external force to suppress it.
Barry chose the latter.
Even though her excess mana had been released and absorbed, the source of the issue remained: Carrie's naturally powerful magical constitution. As long as she was alive, her mana would continue to recover and grow until it erupted again.
"Carrie, your power is too dangerous," Barry said softly. "Part of it's my fault, part of it's yours. But if I just let things be, you'll lose control again. This is the only way."
"If you agree, just nod."
The straw twitched, and even in her sleep, Carrie nodded three times in a row. She didn't resist.
Barry reached into the cage. The straw, reacting to contact with his body, became even more active. The mana-absorbing straw morphed into eight thick chains that wrapped around Carrie's limbs.
And then—they devoured.
Powerless to resist, Carrie's mana was drawn out in a steady stream.
The energy stored within the straw flowed directly into Barry. Because his own body had been modified to handle mana, he could absorb and convert it with incredible efficiency.
At that moment, his dark power surged. His straw body began to glow like burning embers, flickering as if it were about to combust.
The searing dark energy roared through him like a furnace, casting deep red light through his body. The air shimmered around him, warped by invisible heat.
Even the crushed grass scattered on the ground ignited, curling up in wisps of white smoke.
The immense power coursed through Barry's veins until Carrie was completely drained of mana. His face glowed red with vitality, as if he'd swallowed a powerful elixir.
He looked down at her, satisfied.
"Tsk tsk… what a treasure of a girl," he murmured. "One mana burst, and I just saved myself months of hard training."
A faint pattern, like ripened rice grains, shimmered across his forehead. His eyes flashed, firing twin beams of dark red light.
A surviving tree nearby exploded, its trunk pierced straight through. The dark flames spread, burning the remains to ash.
"I can shoot beams from my eyes! My dream came true!"
Laughing, Barry fired again and again, setting ablaze the trees that still stood. The forest was soon a sea of red fire and crashing explosions that echoed through the night.
He hadn't meant to start a wildfire. Once satisfied, he summoned his dark power again.
Invisible energy gathered in the air, forming a giant hand.
It slammed down from the sky. A powerful gust snuffed out the flames, flattening the scorched earth into a massive palm-shaped crater.
After several strikes, the spreading fire was completely extinguished.
"Ugh… my head hurts… I feel awful…"
Carrie groaned weakly as she stirred awake, the noise of the destruction rousing her.
"You're awake," Barry said.
"W-where am I? What happened? Why does my head hurt? I… I can't remember anything."
"Relax," Barry soothed. "That dizziness is normal."
After a few minutes of reassurance, he learned that Carrie had no memory of what had happened after she'd gone berserk.
All she remembered was eating some delicious fried chicken in the car, falling asleep, and then waking up in a forest torn apart by chaos.
Was she serious?
Barry stared into her eyes, trying to see if she was lying—but her gaze was pure, innocent, and confused.
That kind of unguarded look couldn't be faked.
He sighed. She truly didn't remember.
Maybe that was for the best. Turning from a sweet, well-behaved girl into a raging maniac wasn't exactly a pleasant memory. Probably her subconscious mind had chosen to block it out.
Barry decided not to tell her every detail of the fight—just enough for her to understand her current state.
In short: "Carrie, your power is too dangerous. You have to keep it under control."
He'd just have to "help" her by draining her excess mana from time to time.
Until she could stabilize her growing magic, Barry would need to siphon off the energy she couldn't control—otherwise, she'd pose a serious threat to everyone around her.
After hearing his explanation, Carrie finally grasped the situation—though she was still too shaken to fully accept it.
"This… this was all me?" she whispered.
"Kid," Barry replied, "not just you. I had my hand in it too."
Carrie stood frozen, staring at the scorched earth, the shattered trees, the deep scars of frost and flame all around them.
The forest was utterly devastated.
The destruction was so vast that it would take decades for the vegetation to recover.
Hearing the silent cries of the forest and imagining the displaced animals, Carrie felt a wave of guilt crash over her.
"I'm a monster," she murmured. "I'm just… a monster."
She staggered back, overwhelmed. Could someone who caused this really be human?
If not for today, she'd never have realized just how much harm her power could bring.
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