After school…
Ren waited for Souta at the gate but eventually gave up and started walking alone.
Just as he turned the corner
Souta appeared behind him, throwing an arm over his shoulder, drenched in sweat.
"Sorry I'm late… Training ran long. Couldn't even find the exit door."
Ren laughed. "Tch. Alright."
The two walked off together as the sun set over Sanc
Evening at the Dorms
After a long day, the boys returned to their dorm. Ren flopped on the couch, visibly exhausted despite barely doing anything. Souta, in contrast, was already dressed with a sword in hand.
Souta:
"I'll be right back."
Ren (half-lazy):
"Yeah, yeah. When are you coming back? Don't forget to buy fruits."
Souta (smiling):
"Alright, BRB."
Ren waved him off and grabbed his book from class. He flipped through the pages on "Seishin" even though the instructor barely explained it.
A strange beeping sound filled the room. Not from a machine but like his own heartbeat thudding in his ears.
Ren gripped his head, dizzy. Then noticed his arm the tattoo glowing red, pulsating like blood under the skin.
Pain struck like a spike. His body trembled as he tried to stay conscious.
The pen he held dropped and pierced his glowing arm by accident. A scream escaped as blood gushed, staining the floor.
But then...
The blood moved.
Tendrils of crimson twisted and crawled up into the air, floating like tentacles.
Ren (shocked):
"What... what the hell...?"
Before he could react, the blood hardened into a bullet shape and launched.
BOOM it shot through the wall, right into the neighbor's house.
Ren (nervous, then grinning):
"Wait... I have a superpower now?!"
Joy hit him like a wave. He fired another. Then another. Until
He collapsed. Blood loss overtook him. Ren passed out, a smile still lingering as the room went dark.
Souta trained alone, his blade moving in precise, quiet patterns. Then a rustle. His senses kicked in.
Bushes shook nearby. Souta readied his blade and crept forward.
There, a cloaked figure face hidden, clothes torn stood with hands raised. Souta froze.
The man's arms split apart, revealing a red orb between them. A demonic chant echoed.
Then it appeared.
A 7-foot demon, body laced in sharp metal, eyes nonexistent but a single red core pulsed from its forehead.
Souta whispered to himself:
Souta:
"What... kind of monster...?"
Suddenly the demon's head snapped toward him.
Souta (panicking):
"No way it sensed me?!"
The bush snapped. Souta rolled back. The demon leapt crashing into the earth where Souta had been.
A fireball burst from its mouth. Souta sliced it midair, splitting it into two burning trails that incinerated nearby trees.
From a distant tower, a holy knight helper saw the flames
DING. DING. DING.
The alarm bell rang across the city.
Holy knights burst from buildings, weapons in hand, scanning for the threat.
Souta (nervous):
"Shit. This is bad."
The demon duplicated itself two images now charged him. Souta, cornered and unsure, gripped his blade tight.
As the place was on fire, Souta stood there, looking nervous while holding his sword.
The demon stared at him with fearful eyes.
Souta analyzed the situation.
"There are 12 demons looking at me," he said. "If I try anything shady, I'll die in an instant."
Souta looked serious as he stared at the main demon.
Then the demon raised his hand, and the others moved with full speed.
Souta watched as they disappeared in search of blood.
Letting his guard down for a moment, the demon struck with a blood sword.
Souta dodged just in time, swinging back with his sword and slicing the demon's skin.
He jumped back, eyes wide, as he noticed the demon regenerate.
Souta, shocked, said, "How can I fight this? I can't win…"
Until he snapped and shouted, "Shut up, Souta! I'm gonna kill this thing… even if it takes my life!"
Souta dashed forward at full speed.
The demon rushed to meet him.
As they clashed, Souta jumped back and yelled,
"Full Counter!"
His sword glowed with Seishin as he fired a 5-hit strike at the demon with intense speed.
The demon formed a shield, blocking the attack.
Souta used the chance to escape.
But the man from before appeared, kicking Souta in the face and sending him flying.
Souta looked up, coughing blood. "Why are you doing this, demon?!"
The man replied, "It's this world that made me like this."
Souta, in shock, asked, "Who are you…?"
The man began to laugh, then looked at the demon and said,
"You can go. I'll kill him."
The demon dashed away at full speed.
The man turned to Souta and said,
"Why become an exorcist… when you can be one of us? Join us, and we can change this world make it our world."
Souta kicked him, backflipped, and shouted,
"It's my dream to save lives! Demons have no place in this world!"
The man dropped his hands and said, "Suit yourself."
He activated his Demon Seishin and suddenly punched Souta without even appearing to move, beating him mercilessly.
He kicked Souta toward a building Souta, covered in blood, coughed it out.
The man laughed, cut his hand, and formed a blood sword.
"I'll kill you now… and use you as a vessel for my community! Hahaha!"
As he was about to strike the final blow, he suddenly stopped eyes wide as he sensed a strong power from more than a mile away.
Shaking slightly, he smiled.
"I wanna know where that's coming from…"
He shot blood traps, locking all four of Souta's limbs his hands and legs.
Souta, in his mind, thought, Why is he going to my hou
Before he could finish the thought, he screamed,
"REN!!!"
And the man dashed away toward the aura.
---
Back to Ren.
Ren lay on the floor, waking up to see the sky turned red.
He looked at his arm it was still glowing red.
Ren tried to shoot blood, but nothing happened.
He remembered what had happened earlier and ran to the kitchen.
He grabbed a knife…
And sliced his arm.
The pain was sharp one tear fell from his eye.
But this time, the pain faded.
He tried again this time it worked.
He pressed on his arm, blood filling it, and it transformed into a blade.
Ren's eyes widened in shock… and he smiled.
Then a massive blast shook the house destroying it.
Ren, stunned, stared at the smoke and fire.
He saw the same man from before bloody and smiling.
"Finally," the man said, "the weapon we've all been looking for… After Shira took you away. You've grown up well."
Ren stared in disbelief.
"You know Shira? My father?"
The man walked up and tapped Ren's chest.
"That man isn't your father… He only tried to use you. I am your real father. And now I've found my son."
"We'll take over the world my blood demon."
Ren, furious, punched him in the face, launching the man into the main street.
As they flew through the air, Ren screamed,
"YOU BASTARD! DON'T YOU DARE INSULT MY FATHER!!!"
His fist glowed red with blood turning into a full counter.
He slammed the man down to the ground with explosive force.
The man's body hit the ground with a violent crash, cracking the pavement beneath him.
Dust filled the air.
Ren landed, breathing heavily, blood dripping from his knuckles.
The man slowly stood up, blood pouring from his mouth, but… smiling.
"Heh… So you do have it in you," he said, wiping his lip. "That power. That rage. That's my blood."
Ren narrowed his eyes. "Shut up."
The sky grew darker, the clouds swirling violently.
The red in Ren's arm started glowing again brighter this time. A sharp, burning pulse ran through him.
The man grinned.
"Let it out, son. Don't resist it. If you do… it'll eat you alive."
Ren clenched his fists.
"I'm nothing like you."
Suddenly, Ren heard a faint voice in his head.
"Ren… protect… them…"
His eyes widened. It was Shira's voice.
The man laughed.
"You hear him too? That pathetic fool. He thought raising you would change fate. But your blood speaks louder than his lies."
Ren raised his hand and the blood sword formed again. This time, longer, sharper.
The air around him cracked from the pressure.
"You're right about one thing," Ren said, stepping forward.
"My blood does speak."
He raised the blade.
"But it's screaming to kill you."
The man's smile vanished.
In a flash, Ren moved.
Clash!
The two met in a high-speed collision shockwaves exploding through the streets.
Ren's blade slashed forward, missing by inches.
The man ducked, grabbed Ren's leg, and slammed him through a wall.
But Ren flipped mid-air and shot blood darts from his fingers each one sharp like steel.
The man blocked with a blood shield, but one dart pierced his shoulder.
"Gah!" He stumbled back.
Ren appeared behind him.
"You're wide open"
Slash!
A clean hit across the back.
The man howled and dropped to one knee.
"You're… improving too fast," he growled. "But this isn't over…"
He slammed his hand on the groundsummoning a blood portal underneath him.
"I'll be back… my son."
And he vanished into the blood-red portal.
Ren stood in silence, breathing heavily.
The sky began to return to normal.
But his arm still pulsed… glowing with that same red energy.
He looked at it, worried.
"What… am I?"
Back to Souta.
Souta, still pinned by the blood traps, tried to move.
He gritted his teeth, blood dripping from his mouth.
He whispered, "Ren… please be okay…"
Suddenly, the blood traps faded.
Souta collapsed, barely able to move.
But then
Footsteps.
A figure walked toward him, wearing a dark cloak.
Souta opened one eye.
"Who…?"
The figure knelt beside him.
"You've seen it, haven't you?"
"What…?"
"The blood power."
The figure pulled back his hood revealing glowing white eyes.
"You'll need help if you want to stop what's coming."
Souta looked up, confused and weak.
The figure stood.
"We are Kesshō Kikan the Crystal Order. We protect this world from what lives in the blood."