Kurogane Ryu - Sanguine

"Mmmm..."

"Should we wake him up?" Max asked, eating the third block of his calorie friend and sipping another 300ml of water slowly as Ryu taught them to do every 4 hours or so.

"I don't know... after showing that cool weapon, he suddenly began to convulse like he was having a seizure begging to die..."

"Now he's finally sleeping."

The three had done as Ryu taught them, slowly increasing their confidence and self-control in the apocalypse as he slept, dark veins pulsing under his flesh.

"Is it me, or does his body seem even more muscular and perfect?" Darren whispered, looking at the unclothed chest of Ryu with a curious voice.

"Dude, I didn't know you liked the boss. Shall we set you up on a date?" Chao mocked his eyes, looking like they were getting sleepy.

"Little bitch, don't make me tear off your last inch!"

"Hahaha, always size with you."

Max set up small alarms to warn them if any zombies or humans came close, as there was one on each side of the classroom.

Set at 2 metres away and 5 metres away.

"Shall we get some rest? The boss said resting our bodies as much as possible was more important than eating or sleeping."

"Ah... I'll sleep in 2 hours after you get some rest to ensure nothing comes."

The moment Max set down a pseudo bed using the camping tools they found in the survival club, a huge shudder, almost like an earthquake, followed by an explosion of light and the crumbling of a building, sounded.

"What!?"

"Huh!?"

"Shit!? The Gym is in tatters! The wall just fell, and a massive fat monster is roaming inside!"

"Quick, Wake boss!"

"Ngh, I am awake. Let me see, Chao."

Ryu didn't care about the smell of Chao's body odour. They were friends and fought all day to survive; a little smell was nothing as he pushed against his back to see the Gym's wall collapse and corpses gathering rapidly near it.

'Damn it!? What did those idiots do...'

Feeling frustrated, he began to run towards the Gym, his mind not quite fully awake; only the thought that Aya was there and the monster gave his spine chills even NOW! After reaching the 2nd Layer of the Earth Cycle.

Inside his abdomen was now a small crimson orb made of a beautiful glass-like texture, the Inner Core created from the 1st Layer, now protected by something called the Outer Core, wrapping around with a much larger but thinner shade of red.

"Shit... that stupid girl... Haa... You all wait here; I will be back soon!"

The increased speed and power from his upgrade now made him more than four times that of a normal human; the zombies seemed less active when the gates closed and may have been controlled by some higher being or order when the gates were active.

Ryu only noticed briefly as his body lept from the huge window leading to the emergency exit that faced the Gym with a loud crash of glass.

His body rolled, missing the wall and smashing onto the gym roof, his body bouncing and feeling pain from the concrete under his back.

"Urg... That hurt a bit more than I expected... aha."

His body sprung up, running onto the roof and jumping down with his hands, landing outside the Gym; the monster resembling an obese man was already shambling close to his area, but in this darkness, Ryu's body was almost invisible.

He stealthily snuck behind it before searching the Gym filled with several corpses...

A tight feeling filled his chest; Ryu initially worried that eating as his new race might give him indigestion, but that was him playfully deflecting his current emotional stress.

If he was meant to become a complete demon the moment, he got this system...

Then Aya and those three were his safety pins, with Aya being the main and those the emergency stoppers.

With his mind racing, Ryu rushed to the central part of the Gym, and his heart almost stopped.

"Aya... you fucking idiot... Haaaaaaa."

The Gym was filled with corpses, some torn into pieces, their heads splattered, and the others ripped apart, blood, limbs, organs, and bones splattered across the floor and walls.

But the clear indication of combat was visible... blade marks, burns and...

*Clang*

The sound of his foot hitting something echoed as the corpses all turned towards him, their eyes glowing in the darkness, seeming to be alert now and only a matter of time before he was caught.

'What was it...' Ryu bit his lips before looking down.

An eastern sword... Bent beyond recognition other than the signature on the handle...

[Shirogane Aya]

The handle was covered with blood and lay beside a female, with the upper half of her body destroyed.

"..."

Ryu's vision went blurry as his body moved, grabbing her remains and hugging her close to his chest, the lower body covered in blood and the organs dripping onto his chest, but it was a mere hindrance in Ryu's fury, his trembling heart...

Suddenly, the moon shone upon the Gym, argent light glowing through the broken wall as he felt his phone suddenly vibrate for the first time since the gates opened.

'What was that...'

The zombies seemed to be affected by the light, and Ryu's mind became somewhat clear.

His tears dripped upon Aya's corpse as his phone suddenly vibrated, the screen glowing and a message appearing.

From Aya, 4 hours ago.

[Ryu, now that things have gone to shit... and you are no longer here. I wish I could say the things that were so hard before.

I just wanted you to know, since we met and even after learning that we would be married due to our families... It made me so happy because you took my first time in such a romantic and gentle way...

But then you were so arrogant about making me beg for mercy... Idiot...

Anyway... I won't find a new man, nor will I seek romance.

From now on, I will remember the warmth and feelings you gave me and do my best to survive.

Ryu!

I love you]

"Haha..."

The silence was broken... a blood aura began to devour the entire body of Aya.

"Hahahahahaha...."

His eyes turned blood red, with no whites remaining.

"I didn't want to use this ability..."

Snapping his head to the zombies moving towards him, there was nothing but constant rage within his body, and he was happy those three didn't come... to see him transform into a monster.

Ryu stepped forward as his bloody aura deepened. His mouth opened wide, showing his sharp canines growing with his fury.

Bloody veins bulged beneath his skin as he invoked a special technique bestowed upon him.

"Liberate O' Sanguine!"

His cold, low voice uttering that word caused the world to turn red.

A blood demon was born on this wonderful night.

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AN:

Technique: Sanguine Burst (Chìhóng Bàofā)

Sanguine Burst is a formidable technique that harnesses the cultivator's blood and vitality to unleash overwhelming power.

Upon activation with a commanding shout of "Liberate O' Sanguine!" The cultivator's entire body becomes enveloped in a crimson aura.

In this state, the cultivator's combat prowess is vastly enhanced, and their strikes become infused with pulsating blood energy.

Their movements are agile and precise, and their senses sharpened, making them an agile and deadly force on the battlefield.

However, the Sanguine Burst consumes both blood and vitality at an accelerated rate.

The power unleashed drains the cultivator's life force, leaving them physically tired and drained after the technique's effects wane.

The cultivator must carefully manage the duration and frequency of the Sanguine Burst to avoid depleting their life force to a dangerous level.

Overusing or maintaining the technique for too long could lead to temporary weakness, leaving them vulnerable to counterattacks.

The technique is best utilised for short bursts of intense offense or in critical moments where a sudden surge of power is necessary to overpower an opponent.

Mastering the Sanguine Burst requires the cultivator to find a delicate balance between harnessing the surge of blood energy and conserving their vitality for a tactical advantage in battle.

But for Ryu who has a near infinite Vitality and blood production... What kind of tricks can he use?