"Too late. You should have shouted louder!!"
As those words left the High Grade’s lips, a bright dome of concentrated Eneraflux energy left her body in an outward motion, passing through everything close to her within a ten-meter radius.
The condensed dome of energy passed through many bodies and shut them down temporarily after it drained them of all their energy. Even the electronic components of the machines it passed through were shut down but that wasn’t the High Grade’s intention.
Her goal was to hit Cherry with as much energy as she could and by the looks of it, it worked. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡✶𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚✶𝙣𝙚𝙩
By the time the dome faded out and its bright light with it, the High Grade opened her eyes to witness the state of her new victim. But something odd happened, something completely unexpected.
’My...body...it...hurts...’
The High Grade lowered her gaze and witnessed blood dissolving into the tendrils that had wrapped themselves tightly on her body. Earlier, the Crimson Knight wrapped her tendrils and began to drain Ely dry but...
’My energy connected...so how is she still...in her Blood Mutant form?’
The Crimson Knight, standing with her tendrils continuously draining the High Grade’s body, stared deep into her victim’s eyes with a grin as she said, "Did you seriously expect us to not have a contingency for your little trick?"
"We learned about your little trick, High Grade," Lord Grania spoke, his tone changing from one who was scared to a cocky one, "and based on what we’ve learned about you and your character so far, we managed to use it to lure you into a trap."
"It can’t be!!" Ely exclaimed in denial. She couldn’t believe that her new skill, one that not even the Ethisian High Ruler could withstand, was somehow canceled out by this mere human who didn’t even have the slightest clue about the skill’s mechanics and how it functioned.
"You got cocky, High Grade." Lord Grania smirked back as he saw the weight of the situation finally strike the High Grade’s conscious. She now understood what she had walked into and she didn’t like it, not one bit. "You thought your little skill would be enough to get rid of all my Mutants?"
"Your trick is an energy-based one," Cherry angrily muttered as the blood from Ely’s body flowed to her arms, "after you did what you did to Ace, we replicated a counter just for this moment. I blocked your energy with the little Eneraflux shield I got from a few experienced users...and I’m not the only one who did it."
"What’s that supposed to mean?" Ely’s eyes narrowed. "You’re not the only one? Who else did?"
Neither Lord Grania nor Cherry answered but it was pretty much self-explanatory.
"But I killed him," she began to scream in denial as more and more blood left her body, "I dug my fingers into his lifeless corpse. Even though you stopped me, you’ve still lost your strongest Blood Mutant so really, this has been a win for me..."
It was true. Even though the Granians were able to create a counter to the High Grade’s energy-suppressing skill, they weren’t able to do something to save Ace in time. In as much as she failed to kill Cherry too, Ely was pleased that her efforts allowed her to take one Blood Mutant’s life...
[A few moments ago...]
"Take my hand. Take my hand and all of my power will be yours. Or, you could refuse and remain dead...the choice is yours. Quickly now, Human. This offer won’t stand forever you know."
Ace found himself stuck in a crucial moment where a decision had to be made.
On one hand, he could remain dead and move onto the afterlife, a life free from the burdens of the Granians, the burdens of the Blood God himself, and the burdens of war.
On the other, he had the chance to come back to life with the power of a god as his own. There was one problem though. Ace didn’t know whether this entity could be trusted or not.
He did not believe in the existence of deities within this part of the universe but the fact that he stood before one said otherwise. Nonetheless, Ace wasn’t sure whether this one could be trusted.
’What’s in it for him? Why’s he suddenly willing to help me despite me forgetting to hold up my end of the pact we made?’
"Very well human," Vorathrax sighed as he withdrew his arm, having taken Ace’s silence as a sign of rejection, "have it your way..."
In a twist of events, Ace quickly extended his arm and wrapped his palm around the Blood Gods’. He wasn’t desperate enough to return to the realm of the living but he still had things to do, people to avenge, and his sister to protect.
It was just too soon for him to accept death for the second time and because of that, Ace decided to accept the Blood God’s offer, despite him not knowing what would happen to him and everyone else that affiliated themselves with him.
"I accept your offer," Ace spoke but made sure not to look into the Blood God’s eyes for he feared that his emotions would be read and taken advantage of, "and I will get rid of the Granian race, not just for you but for me and my people."
"Hahahaha," the Blood God laughed as his body spewed great and dark energy onto and into Ace’s own, "Sure you will, human. I’ll make sure of it..."
The blood-covered ground Ace knelt on started to rumble as the appendages of his fallen victims fell upon him.
Lifting his head, Ace failed to spot the Blood God anywhere but he did notice the changes taking place already. For starters, the ground shook violently as the blood lake’s levels increased.
What was once just an inch of blood began to expand, separating Ace’s feet from solid ground. Once more, the blood started to glow with a dark, malevolent energy seeping its way into his body.
Quickly, the blood flooded Ace like a flash flood, drowning him in an instant. The young man struggled to hold his breath as the blood pressed down on him as hard as it possibly could.
Eventually, his lungs gave in as they allowed blood to enter his body, causing him to drown...but at the same time, he didn’t. Despite inhaling and swallowing volumes upon volumes of blood, his body hadn’t gotten affected by it...not yet.
While this happened, the appendages continued to fall on Ace until his body was covered and crushed from head-to-toe in severed limbs. The overwhelming force of said limbs and the blood tortured Ace’s body, making him suffocate in the very thing that gave him power.
Despite this, his anguish came to an end with his system appearing before him with an ominous message that read;
[You have been Reborn in Blood]
[You have achieved ascendence]