Terpsichore and Laura fight and flee the battlefield; the enemies were too numerous, and Laura was exhausted.
Laura: "We need to find Vati."
Terpsichore: "Alright, do it."
Laura: "What, but there are too many of them, we need to..."
Terpsichore: "It's better this way. With your ability, you'll be able to find him faster, so go ahead !"
Laura: "… Okay."
Laura gets into a running position and activates her psychic ability, instantly disappearing from the spot where she was.
...
Vati and the smiling blood spirit propel themselves onto the walls of the alley and have been facing off for several minutes.
Despite his mental fatigue, thanks to his experience, Vati remains calm and focused.
The spirit of blood had its eyes wide open, fixed on Vati with a slight smile.
Vati: "I'm not feeling well.
I need to retreat, but every time I try to escape, he blocks my path. Yet I don't get the impression that he wants to eliminate me; he's a powerful spirit, if he really wanted to, he could have killed me quickly. I have more the impression that he is trying to study me.
I'm starting to understand.
It's because of my mastery of blood.
To use the abilities and knowledge of a spirit, one must make a contract with it in exchange for biocapital. But thanks to my white sword, I can absorb the memories and experience of weakened spirits without needing a contract.
If he understands it, he will eliminate me and destroy my white sword. I have to run away, but I have no solution...."
Barely after finishing his reflection, Vati feels something grab him and move him at full speed. When his vision clears up, he sees Laura, breathless, sprawled on the ground.
Laura: "Vati, Terpsichore is in danger..."
Vati: "Me too ! But let's go !"
Laura: "I will be paraplegic for a while."
Vati: "Alright, I'll carry you."
Vati follows the direction described by Laura to reach Terpsichore. Laura could walk again, but where they were, there was no one anymore. When suddenly Terpsichore fell from the sky and landed on her feet, she was a bit dirty with disheveled hair.
Vati: "How are you?"
Terpsichore: "I still can't do it!"
Vati: "?"
Terpsichore: "I CAN'T AWAKEN MY ABILITY HAAAA!!"
He said while holding his head.
Vati: "Mmmh, that's problematic.
Terpsichore, listen to me! If you can't awaken your ability through Stimulation, then use constraint! Impose yourself a rule so strict that you will be forced to surpass yourself to follow it!"
Terpsichore: ".... Alright!"
He stands upright, arms raised and eyes closed. His concentration intensifies, and as time passes, the surrounding psychic energy rushes in and accumulates within him. An aura of power emanates from him and repels everything that is close to him.
Terpsichore: "I made a choice, I decided that from now on I will only use my power to neutralize my adversaries.
I will never kill again !"
The determination and the denial emanated from his voice. Upon unlocking this new power, Vati thought of several support plans, as he had indeed understood that Terpsichore's strength would only be useful for neutralizing enemies. He therefore decided to wait to finish off the defeated enemies.
He therefore strengthens his body with his psychic energy and runs after Terpsichore, leaving Laura behind.
Terpsichore preparing her fist to strike, Vati did the same when suddenly.
Splash!
Terpsichore pierces the priestess and tears out her heart.
The confusion and dismay were evident on Vati's face; he did not understand what had just happened.
"... Terpsichore, didn't you tell me that your rule to be absolutely respected was not to kill?"
"yes, of course, why this question?"
He said with his heart still beating in his hand.
"What did you just do then!"
"I just confiscated his heart, I'll give it back to him at the end of the fight!
It's not fatal, I can very well live without a heart, so why not the others ?
I'm not that special."
".... He hehe HAHAHAHAb! very well, keep going, you won't need me. I am proud of you, son !"
Terpsichore smiled with joy at the praises and the confidence expressed by her mother and turned to face her enemies.
Terpsichore: "Very well, I don't want to kill you, I'm just going to confiscate your hearts until there's no more danger to my mother!"
Sure that everything is fine for Terpsichore, Vati turns back knowing that the blood spirit is about to catch up with them.
But he had underestimated the speed and power of this deceptive spirit even more. Indeed, he found himself already facing Laura, strangling her and immobilizing her with his blood tentacles.
"I'm going to die and there's nothing I can do about it.
I'm scared..... I will soon no longer have any oxygen, I will lose consciousness.
.
.
.
There might be hope. But if I do this... If I do this I...grrr... It's better than dying."
Fear and dread, two emotions leading to flight or paralysis, diffuse through Laura's brain, but her will remains strong and blocks defeatism.
"DO EVERYTHING TO SURVIVE"
Here is the thought that kept her conscious, proving that she is worthy of being a superhuman.
"I sacrifice my legs forever ! In exchange for the speed of light for one second."
Thanks to a new field of possibilities opening up for her. She manages to free herself from her bonds and picks up a large knife from the ground, which she uses to slash and dismember the spirit well for the final blow, decapitating it.
she heads towards where Terpsichore is but finds herself paralyzed on the path and falls.
Vati: "Laura !"
.
.
.
[POV spirit of blood]
The young girl has not only disappeared but she also managed to decapitate my head. It's impressive.
But in the end, it's just one of my many bodies.
I need to focus on this superman named Vati, he is their leader and he is the one using my abilities without having a contract with me.
I hate cheaters and fraudsters, so when I extract all his secrets, I will eliminate him.
Oh, speak of the devil.
The vision of the mind allowed him to detect and analyze the vascular system of his victims, then manipulate their blood with the aim of granting them superhuman abilities, healing them, or infecting them with any blood disease and much more.
At a speed that seemed instantaneous, he covered the distance that separated him from Vati with his hand poised to grasp her neck.
When suddenly a hand firmly grabs his wrist. In front of him was no longer Vati but a creature emanating an energy similar to his own.
Terpsichore, who had finished with her adversaries, was ready to fight against this new enemy.
The two exchange blows imperceptible to Vati, then disappear only to reappear several times in a row. Vati carries Laura off the battlefield while watching the fight behind him.
"Who are you !?"
said Terpsichore in an unexpectedly deep and serious voice.
The spirit tilted its head as if to think and said, "I am the spirit of blood and I will now move out of my way."
With a simple flick of her fingers, Terpsichore was thrown aside, clearing the way for the spirit.
However, it only lasted a few seconds. Terpsichore was already back in front of the blood spirit.
He therefore made several finger movements again, tossing Terpsichore around in all directions. Despite everything, he managed to resist sporadically with difficulty when a flash of genius struck him.
He controls my blood to move me. So if I don't have any more blood, he won't be able to push me away anymore!
Without hesitation, he opens his mouth wide and bites his two wrists.
The blood splattered in all directions and surprisingly, the force exerted by the spirit of the blood diminished.
Terpsichore then propelled herself with all her might towards the spirit of blood, landing a punch in the face, sending it flying.
It hurts, how is it possible ?
Only the power of another spirit can truly damage another spirit.
Is he a spirit too?
The spirit of blood was crouched in a position of reflection and stood up, watching Terpsichore approach him.
The two were looking at each other with deep and anticipatory gazes when suddenly the blood spirit moved its hands.
Spirit of blood: "let's talk"