Prepared (I)

Blood Blade

A torrent of dark red blades made entirely of blood surged toward me, slicing through the air with lethal precision. Each strike was fast and deadly, but it wasn't enough to overwhelm me. I sidestepped and deflected them with calculated movements, my sword moving like an extension of my thoughts.

Akane wasted no time. She charged toward me with her twin axes, her arms swinging with unrelenting force. Her blows were heavy—each strike felt like it could crush stone. But where she used raw strength, I used finesse, redirecting her powerful strikes with subtle nudges of my blade. My focus wasn't just on her axes but on the particles of blood that sprayed from every clash. I had learned early on that her blood was incredibly acidic. Even a single drop could corrode flesh.

Akane, realizing she wasn't gaining the upper hand, hurled one of her axes high into the air. It dissolved into a crimson mist, reforming into countless droplets that hung ominously above us. With a wave of her hand, the droplets rained down in a deadly shower.

Sanguine Rain.

Dodging this would require me to go beyond the limits I had set for myself, using at least 70% of my power. That wasn't an option. Instead, I activated Future Sight, my observation haki extending to predict the path of each droplet. As the blood rained down, my skin turned black at every spot a droplet aimed for, my armament haki coating only the precise areas of impact. Full-body armament might have been easier, but it was inefficient. This technique was certainly better. But you need to be well versed in using observation haki.

Akane clicked her tongue, frustration evident as her attack failed to land. She knew as well as I did that the most dangerous aspect of her devil fruit wasn't just its acidity but the passive effect it carried: Hemorrhage.

This ability caused anyone struck by her blood to bleed profusely, far more than normal. The effect was insidious. Even those who thought they could endure the acidic blood would find themselves losing strength as their lifeblood drained away. At first, Akane had to concentrate to activate this ability. But after months of training, it had become second nature to her.

The Blood-Blood Fruit was terrifyingly effective against anyone who could bleed. Its only real drawback was that it consumed the user's own blood, making anemia a potential risk. But Akane's natural healing ability negated that limitation. Her body replenished her blood so rapidly it was almost as if she had an infinite supply of blood. This fruit was perfect for her, and judging by the manic grin on her face, she thoroughly enjoyed wielding its powers.

"Creepy," I muttered as I parried another of her attacks. I showed myself to be aggressive as I sent two successive sword slashes towards her.

She dodged a feint from me but failed to react to my real strike. The force of my attack sent her hurtling a hundred meters away, crashing through trees as she vanished into the jungle.

Fighting Akane was one of the few times I didn't have to hold back much. My strikes could seriously injure her, but they wouldn't kill her. And Pain? I've never met anyone with as much pain tolerance as Akane. If anyone could take a beating from me and come back smiling, it was Akane.

From the jungle, I saw her rise, battered and bleeding. Her left arm was mangled, blood pouring from the wound. Despite using armament haki to soften the blow, she was still worse for wear. But Akane didn't look defeated—if anything, she looked excited.

She clasped her hands together, blood flowing unnaturally from her wounds and pooling on the ground around her. Even the blood she had spilled earlier began to slither back toward her, as if obeying her will. She carried a container of blood with her at all times, and now she opened it, releasing another flood into her growing pool.

The blood formed a swirling ring around her, an acidic domain that threatened to dissolve anything that came near. I didn't interfere. This was something I hadn't seen before, and I wanted to know what she was planning.

The blood began to condense rapidly, enveloping her body in a crimson armor. Within moments, Akane was clad in a full suit of blood-red armor, her eyes glowing like embers through her helm.

"This is your big reveal?" I called out, unimpressed. "Flashy, sure. But what can it actually do?"

Akane didn't respond. She just grinned.

Suddenly, Future Sight screamed a warning. In the next moment, Akane was behind me, her twin axes swinging toward my throat with terrifying speed.

Her speed was nearly on par with mine. Nearly.

As the axes closed in, I realized I couldn't retreat—the blood around us was closing in, cutting off every escape route. So, I stepped forward instead, dodging her axes by a hair's breadth. In the blink of an eye, I was inches from her. My sword moved, coated in haki, my sword flipping into a backhand stance and I attacked.

Black Lotus Style, Fifth Form: Mirror's Edge

The clash was thunderous. My blade met her armor, the sheer force of the impact reverberating through the battlefield. Akane staggered back but didn't fall. Her armor had absorbed most of the impact.

"Not bad," I muttered, my grip tightening on my sword.

Akane's new form offered her incredible defensive and offensive capabilities, but she lacked something vital: experience in real combat scenarios. She had grown stronger, yes, but strength without practical application was meaningless.

"Akane!" I shouted. "I'm using advanced armament haki. If you don't want to be bedridden for a week, you'd better use Emission."

Her frustration boiled over. "What the fuck, Zephyr? You know I can't use it properly yet!"

"You'll learn on the fly," I replied with a smirk. "Or you won't. Either way, enjoy the hospital bed."

"Asshole," she muttered, but I could see her preparing.

I activated advanced armament haki, my sword glowing with a reddish hue. This wasn't just armament—it was destruction incarnate, capable of bypassing external defenses to attack internally. If Akane couldn't counter it with Emission, her insides would take the full brunt of my strike. Even her superior regeneration isn't enough to ensure her safety.

Akane condensed her blood armor into a massive axe, nearly twice her height, and coated it with armament haki. With a primal scream, she launched herself at me, her weapon crashing toward my head.

I met her attack with a technique was one of the oldest techniques of mine.

Black Lotus Style, 10th Form: Gentle Death.

My sword moved with elegance and precision, clashing against her chaotic and brutal swing. For a moment, we seemed evenly matched, her sheer force holding me at bay. But only for a moment.

My haki overwhelmed hers, and with a deafening bang, Akane was sent crashing into the ground. The impact left a crater beneath her, and her blood armor dissolved. She lay there, unconscious but smiling.

Even in defeat, Akane seemed content.

She should be. Even if it was only for a moment, she has successfully used Emission.

I sheathed my sword and walked over, examining her injuries. A fresh cut across my arm reminded me that she had managed to land a hit. Blood poured from the wound, refusing to clot.

"Still using your powers, even while unconscious," I muttered, shaking my head. "Impressive."

I didn't bother stopping the bleeding. It wasn't enough to kill me, and it proved one thing: Akane was ready.

It was time for her to leave this island and face the world.