Encore 54 — BLOOD (I)

"You know, you shouldn't use conquer and unite in the same sentence. It doesn't make sense."

Yuichi told her, on his toes.

"That is of no concern to me."

"Who are you?"

The boy asked, hiding the rune in his hand. It was fidgeting towards the woman's direction. It meant that she was with Lucia, however...

(No Lucia in sight. There's nowhere to hide her in this alleyway too.)

She must have an ability which allowed her to shrink people or put them in a dimensional space of her own.

"I am a follower of BLOOD. I am Hoshi."

She said.

"Where's Lucia?"

"Lucia? Oh, you mean the girl with the grimoire?"

Ishtar reached into her pocket and took out a small ragged bag. It was trembling in her hand.

"She's in here. I'm taking her back with me, so if you would please excuse—"

The deafening sound of thunder rang out in the area. A lightning bolt struck down and highlighted Yuichi. His hair lost its colour and stood on edge. Veins appeared under his eyes like lichtenberg. Her eyes sparkled like lightning. Yuichi was encased in a cloak of lightning.

This was Sacred Lightning's current full power. Yuichi named it, Maximum Voltage.

"That girl is with me, so if you would kindly give her back to us."

"I'm afraid you don't understand... I am not giving her back to you. I am taking her."

"Then I'll just have to kill you."

He stepped forward and clenched his hand—lightning accumulated in his palm. As he pushed his arm forward, the lightning shot itself towards Ishtar.

She barely dodged it. It ended up grazing her cloak.

The woman attempted to escape but Yuichi cut her route off with another bolt of lightning, causing her to jump on the nearest dumpster.

In that single instant, Yuichi disappeared from his spot with a flash. He dashed like lightning. He jumped onto the wall and leapt towards Hoshi, grabbing the bag in her hand and releasing Lucia to remove whatever was holding her.

"You... I thought it was only your attacks which increased in power, but you got faster it seems. We have never seen this before."

"Y-Yuichi!"

Lucia hugged Yuichi, unaffected by his lightning cloak.

(They seem to know about our abilities. I wonder how...)

"Stay close. There's no telling if there's another around here."

(I have to defeat her. I could've left her in the bag but there's no telling what she could do with it since it was hers. Shit, I may have to use Tainted Wisdom...)

·———·

Meanwhile, on the sixth floor of the hotel, Shinobu and Ghost fought each other.

Shinobu did not possess a Singularity, however, to her, that did not matter. She came from a well-known aristocratic family, which caused others to doubt the Kurokage family's future.

On the other hand, Shinobu was still gifted, even without a Singularity. Without a Singularity, her magical aptitude and knowledge were incredible. She was talented enough to be able to use four elements without chanting.

With the help of a master Magus, Shinobu was able to learn Status Ailment. A technique which changed the conditions of an area or individual using artifacts.

Shinobu had a chain necklace, an earring and a bracelet, which allowed her to use certain statuses. The black necklace allowed her to use gravity, as displayed earlier.

"You're quite troublesome."

"Really? It's annoying having to fight someone who I can't attack. You can teleport around after all."

The girl had secretly called Kyrie on her phone, but there was no answer.

(They haven't been attacked, have they? Their room seems fine, unless...)

"Your comrades have been captured."

"!"

Shinobu widened her eyes upon hearing Ghost speak.

"If you want them back alive, you'll have to hand the girl over to us."

She glared at him, giving him a cursory glance. Shinobu was assessing him.

(He's telling the truth. Despite his deranged look, I can read his confident expression and attitude. However, I doubt he would kill Renya and Kyrie anyway. No matter who BLOOD are, killing two second-apostles, without reason, would draw attention to their organisation and could possibly breed a war between the two groups. They won't risk it.)

Her assumption was correct. BLOOD were an evil and bold organisation that did not care for casualties, however, as Hoshi mentioned to Yuichi, they wanted to unite the world. Although many feared and hated them, having big opponents was not to their liking.

"You're crazy, aren't you?"

She shoved her phone into her back pocket. Flames of light encircled her wrist with the bracelet.

"Do you want me to lose my job or something?"

The flames of light formed a shining bow and arrow, without a solid form, Shinobu brandished it towards him.

"Completing this mission is bound to bring in some good dough. I'm quite greedy, you see."

"Isn't greed among the seven deadly sins? Are you sure you want to sin?"

Ghost teased her.

She grinned.

"Too bad for you, creep. I'm a fucking atheist. I don't believe in the seven sins, besides, I think they're more like virtues than sins. I mean, if we don't feel these things, then we're not human, are we?"

The man seemed fairly interested in the girl.

"Your name was Shinobu Kurokage. I am Ghost, a preacher of the ways of BLOOD and the loyal follower of Lord Neferia. Would you like to join BLOOD too? You have the right—!"

"I couldn't care less!"

Shinobu drew the flaming arrow back and she fired it at him. As the arrow soared towards him, it split into multiple arrows, all of them still aiming for Ghost. He stumbled backwards in an attempt to dodge them.

As the arrows bombarded the floor, Ghost appeared behind the small crater.

"What is that? I thought that was a normal magical bow but..."

"I'll make quick work of you."

Shinobu's bow was made from flames of light which came from her bracelet. Her bracelet was an artifact that upgrade her Status Ailment. She was able to control the Holy Blaze.

"Fuck..."

The man grimaced.