The wind shifted, rustling dead leaves as Rei stood before the blood-cloaked creature. It no longer looked like the mangled, divine-hybrid corpse that had just tried to crawl away. No—now it stood tall, body reconstructed by dark crimson threads of blood swirling around its limbs like armor.
Rei's hand trembled slightly.
This… wasn't a shadow resurrection. This was something different. The blood didn't just obey him—it linked with him. It pulsed with his heartbeat. It lived within his will.
> [Bloodbind Complete.]
[Name the Blood Soldier.]
A flicker of emotion crossed Rei's face. He could feel echoes of the creature's pain—its final thoughts before death. It had once fought to protect a city, only to be betrayed by the gods it worshiped.
"Your name…" Rei said softly, eyes glowing with a deep red hue. "Is Kael."
A faint red mark appeared over the creature's chest—the symbol of Rei's sovereign bloodline.
> [Kael: Rank D Blood Soldier Created.]
[Stats: STR C / DEF D / AGI C / Loyalty: Absolute]
Kael dropped to one knee. His newly-formed body still bore the scars of his past life, but his eyes were empty of pain. Only resolve remained.
"Command me," Kael spoke in a raspy tone, voice laced with raw energy.
Rei took a deep breath, absorbing the moment. This power... this bond... it wasn't domination. It was understanding. He hadn't just forced Kael into existence—he'd offered a second chance.
And Kael had accepted.
Rei stepped forward, touching Kael's shoulder.
"You'll be the first of many. But not just soldiers. You'll be warriors of will. Not shadows of death… but echoes of resistance."
In that moment, the ground beneath them shook. Rei turned as the horizon cracked open like glass. A blinding golden light poured from the skies, and from it descended a squadron of celestial beings—ten winged figures clad in white-gold armor.
> "Blood Sovereign detected. Purge Protocol Initiated."
Rei's eyes narrowed. "So… they've found me already."
Kael growled, stepping beside Rei like a loyal hound ready to fight. His crimson aura flared against the divine light.
Rei smirked. "Let's test this new bond, Kael."
He raised his hand, and the blood in the air thickened, taking the form of a long spear. Without hesitation, he flung it toward the sky—it pierced one of the divine scouts, dragging him from the heavens like a falling star.
Kael vanished, reappearing in front of the others in a blur of red and tore through the golden light with unnatural speed.
Blood rained. Wings shattered. The sky burned crimson.
> [Bloodbind Battle Synchronization: 7%]
[Skill Evolution: "Blood Echo" Unlocked.]
As the final divine scout screamed, Rei caught him mid-air and stared into his eyes.
"Tell your Creator," Rei whispered coldly, "the Blood Sovereign has awakened."
He crushed the being's head like glass.
And above them, the blood clouds twisted into a storm.