The city below the cathedral was silent, as if it knew something monumental had just shifted. Akira flexed her fingers, watching the faint pulse of energy from the ritual fade—but something remained. Something hidden.
Rin stepped beside her. "You're… glowing differently."
Akira's red-and-gold eyes narrowed, scanning the shadows. Then she saw him—Takumi, one of the Architect's own lieutenants, standing nervously in the corner, avoiding her gaze. His loyalty had always been unquestioned… until now.
"You… you're helping her?" Rin hissed, realizing the tension in the air.
Takumi swallowed hard. "I… I can't… she's… powerful."
Akira tilted her head, smile curling dangerously. "You want power?" Her voice was velvet and steel, hypnotic. "I can give you that… if you're willing to pay the price."
He nodded, trembling. "Anything… please."
A single drop of Akira's blood hovered in the air, glowing. It pulsed, and Takumi instinctively knelt, offering her a small vial from his pocket. Inside… a Blood Bloom Bean, hidden away for centuries, rumored to grant a vampiric warrior unparalleled growth.
Akira laughed, sharp and thrilling. She took it, tossing it to her mouth. The moment she bit, energy exploded through her veins.
Level Up: Blood Infusion – Rank 10
The air vibrated. Reality shivered around her. Streets bent further, neon lights tearing into spirals. Her aura flared—a massive red-and-gold storm that made the cathedral itself groan under the pressure.
Rin's eyes widened. "Rank 10? That's… insane."
Akira's fangs gleamed. She flexed her enhanced talons. Her senses expanded until she could hear every heartbeat, every whisper of the city, every movement of the Architect's forces across the horizon.
And then she felt it—a surge of new ability.
Not just strength or speed…
Blood Manipulation. Every drop of blood in the area answered her command. She could shape it, move it, even temporarily animate the fallen Sentinels around her.
Takumi's eyes widened. "I… I didn't think it could… she's beyond anything we've imagined."
She stepped forward, chains of energy coiling around her like serpents, feeding on the chaos of the ritual and the city's energy.
"Watch carefully," she purred.
A Sentinel lunged from the shadows. With a flick of her wrist, the blood in its veins erupted, freezing it mid-air before shattering it into shards.
Rin gasped. "She's… not just fighting anymore—she's rewriting the rules."
From the rift above, the Architect's voice thundered, furious.
"Enough! You will not—"
Akira's aura exploded further. She leapt into the air, spinning, her red-and-gold storm spiraling outward, picking up momentum with every heartbeat. She was untouchable—at least for now.
But in the corner of her vision, a faint glimmer betrayed movement. A figure… watching, calculating, waiting.
Akira smirked. "Oh, this is just getting fun."
🔥 Cliffhanger: Akira reaches Rank 10, unlocking full Blood Manipulation, and has just received the first secret power-up from the "Blood Bloom Bean." But someone is watching—and the Architect's wrath is coming. Betrayals, new powers, and enemies lying in wait… the next chapters will push her even further.😈