The Price of Power and a Fateful Encounter

“The higher the black blood concentration, the higher the Black Bloodkin’s rank naturally becomes… Lord Titan, you must be well aware of this.”

“Should you be willing to entrust that item to me, then, congratulations, the path to becoming a [High-Tier Bloodkin] will unfurl before you.”

“If you fear my word holds no weight, we could even sign a [Covenant], binding us by our very lives.”

“…”

Titan, uncharacteristically, fell silent. Just as Chongyun had stated, while the gem possessed immense power, it remained, at its core, an external object.

‘To rely on it indefinitely… was that truly appropriate?’

Yet, the prospect of becoming a [High-Tier Bloodkin] while retaining his own self truly stirred thoughts within him that ought not to have arisen.

‘If only he possessed that power. That extraordinary, transcendent power. A power he could wield as he pleased, entirely under his own command…’

‘Then, he might just be able to rescue…’

“I refuse,” Titan declared.

“Might you elaborate on your reasons?”

“The power I seek is not one honed by the passage of time. Rather, it is the mightiest strength attainable within the shortest possible span.”

“Why such a desperate pursuit of immediate gains?”

“That is none of your concern.”

“A true pity, it seems this transaction is destined to fall through…”

Chongyun wore a look of regret, then his tone shifted markedly: “However, I will not relinquish what you possess. Perhaps our next encounter will find us as adversaries.”

“Hmph. If you desire it, come claim it yourself. I shall await you at any time.”

With negotiations having collapsed, Titan turned to depart.

“Might you pause for a moment?”

Suddenly, a crisp female voice interjected into their exchange. A girl, clad in black, her face obscured, blocked Titan’s path of departure.

“Indeed, precisely as in the photographs. You are the one they call [Titan], aren’t you?”

Xiu Lan scrutinized the red-haired youth from head to toe, her voice brimming with excitement as she delivered her conclusion.

‘This truly is…’

‘To search high and low for something, only to stumble upon it effortlessly.’

She had assumed today would be a day of ill fortune, yet it had unexpectedly transformed into a rare stroke of luck. The vexation wrought by the blue-haired lass vanished instantly, leaving the girl in a state of soaring spirits.

‘Simply by defeating this fellow and seizing his gem, the Bloodkin would be left without a leader.’

This game of contention, revolving around the [Gem], was finally due for its conclusion.

She already relished the thought of the astonished expressions on everyone’s faces when she dramatically presented the final gem upon the table.

“Sister, he…”

“Stop your incessant babbling.”

Empowering herself with shadow, Xiu Lan firmly pushed away the blue-haired lass who had been holding onto her. This was no time for childish games; adults had adult matters to attend to.

Taking another step forward, allowing shadow to flow into her right hand, Xiu Lan raised her Shadow Sword, pointing it at Titan with a sneer.

“Those who commit many wrongs are bound to perish by their own hand. Bloodkin named Titan, it is now your turn to atone.”

‘Atonement, then…’

Titan recalled his experiences after accepting The Doctor’s invitation to become a Bloodkin. Though it might sound like boasting, he truly hadn’t personally committed any grave misdeeds…

His role as the Bloodkin leader was merely that of the strongest individual chosen by The Doctor to maintain order; most of the Elder Council’s agenda, unless his presence was specifically required, had excluded him.

As for the trials concerning vampires, he had only learned of them after The Doctor and Irina had been apprehended.

‘Indeed, that must be my sin.’

‘The evil of inaction, holding a position of power.’

‘Allowing the Bloodkin to harm ordinary people.’

Having clarified his thoughts, Titan unexpectedly found his fighting spirit wane. He asked softly, “Have those close to you also suffered at the hands of the Bloodkin? If so, please allow me to offer them my sincerest apologies here.”

“Precisely.”

Xiu Lan answered with righteous indignation. As a firsthand witness to the vampire incident, she felt she possessed every right to seek vengeance for those who had perished.

“Cease your crocodile tears and false compassion! Hand over the gem at once, then meekly accept death by my hand, and I might hasten your journey to meet those who perished because of you.”

“My apologies, but I still require the gem’s power and cannot surrender it to you just yet. Rest assured, however, the history of the Bloodkin will soon draw to a close…”

“Whoosh!”

The Shadow Sword sliced through the air with a resounding whoosh.

An impatient Xiu Lan was the first to launch an attack.

“What an impatient individual.”

Titan shifted subtly to the right, narrowly evading Xiu Lan’s strike. His right fist, faintly glowing crimson, shot out to his left, intercepting the Shadow Sword as it swept in for another horizontal slash.

“Boom!”

Energies collided, unleashing concentric rings of air currents from their epicenter that rapidly propagated across the street.

“Ouch, my table, my… my… back…”

Caught in the maelstrom of their clash, along with tables and chairs, was the barbecue shop owner. He now found himself suspended in mid-air, carried relentlessly by the surging air currents, drifting further and further away.

“…”

“…”

Their gazes met, each harboring their own thoughts.

Xiu Lan was inclined to rescue the man first, yet this utterly wicked Bloodkin stood before her. If left unchecked, there was no telling what heinous acts he might commit, acts that would outrage both gods and men.

‘What if he decided to blow up the entire street?’

Amidst her wild conjectures, Titan suddenly lunged at her with a punch.

Xiu Lan neither dodged nor retreated. Not naturally skilled in combat, her preferred tactic was to rampage about, relying on her shell-like defense, then capitalize on her foe’s astonishment for a swift, decisive kill.

Titan’s attack, therefore, played directly into her hands.

She concentrated her power, shadow boiling around her, and brought her sword down upon the approaching Bloodkin.

“What?”

Titan vanished.

He reappeared, however, directly behind her.

Xiu Lan instinctively swung her sword backward, only to find it met empty air.

‘Could his target be… the hostage?’

Xiu Lan hastily spun around, only to witness Titan having rescued the barbecue shop owner, placing him safely on the ground, and now engaging in a seemingly pleasant conversation with him.

“…”

“Sis~ter~”

The little lass, having been pushed away, tugged at Xiu Lan’s pant leg with an angry expression. Listening closely, one could even faintly discern the sound of fabric tearing.

“Stop pulling, stop pulling! You’ll tear them!”

Xiu Lan tenderly touched her pants, one of the few garments still intact.

As the shadow covering her entire body diminished, the clothes she wore beneath naturally became exposed.

Only then did Xiu Lan feel a surge of gratitude that she hadn’t relied so heavily on shadow as to forgo wearing clothes when leaving home; otherwise, she might currently be streaking through the streets. The mere thought sent shivers down her spine.

As for whether incomplete shadow coverage would reveal her weaknesses, Xiu Lan’s answer was—she simply didn’t know. After all, the shadow possessed its own will, and the defensive aspect had always been [its] responsibility.

She merely needed to issue commands during combat, much like the ‘Minor Damage,’ ‘Major Damage,’ or ‘Critical Damage’ prompts in some Japanese games, allowing the [Shadow] to allocate its power accordingly.

“Aier, there you are. Is this your new friend?”

Chongyun stepped forward, calling the name of the blue-haired loli, and curiously scrutinized the black-clad girl.

‘To engage Titan, who possessed that item, in combat, even for a brief moment, was certainly beyond the capabilities of an ordinary human. Was she a high-level hunter, an anomaly connected to black blood, or perhaps…?’

‘Regardless, this girl before him might well prove to be an asset.’

With this thought, he calmed the foul mood brought on by Titan’s uncooperativeness and spoke: “A pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Chongyun, and this child’s name is Aier. We are travelers from [Heihai].”

‘So, the blue-haired lass is named Aier.’

‘Still, claiming to be travelers—wasn’t that treating people like fools? What kind of travelers would show up late at night to confront the Bloodkin leader?’

Xiu Lan cast a skeptical gaze over the man who called himself Chongyun. He appeared to be in his late thirties or early forties, his attire largely identical to Aier’s, both wearing similar blue and white coats.

The sole difference was the absence of the headphones that adorned the blue-haired lass’s head.

“You’re this brat’s guardian? Hey, hey, don’t climb on me!”

Xiu Lan forcefully pulled Aier, who had clambered onto her back, down and, amidst the child’s struggles, tucked her into her arms, finally prompting the little lass to quiet down for the moment.

‘She’s so heavy. Without shadow, I wouldn’t be able to carry this lass.’

“…Heh heh, I never imagined Aier would be so affectionate towards you, Miss. This is truly a rare occurrence.”

‘You call this affection?’

Xiu Lan’s cheeks flushed crimson; the little lass in her arms had just touched a place she shouldn’t have.

To divert her attention, she glanced at Titan in the distance, then leaned toward Chongyun and inquired, “I gather you possess some capability. How about we join forces to take down that redhead?”

Upon hearing the black-clad girl’s suggestion, Chongyun was tempted. While it might be considered somewhat dishonorable (TL Note: A Chinese idiom referring to a lack of martial ethics or fair play.), for the sake of acquiring the gem, such details were merely trivial. At most, he would spare Titan’s life.

After careful deliberation, he replied, “But…”

“No.”

Both their gazes turned to the girl in Xiu Lan’s arms.

“According to [Grimoire]’s predictions, as long as that item remains, even if you were to join forces, your chances of defeating Titan would still not be high.”

“What in the world is [Grimoire]?”

“I see…”

Unlike Xiu Lan’s bewilderment, Chongyun quickly grasped Aier’s meaning. He expressed his regret and apology, stating that he would no longer pursue a joint effort.

“Hey, hey, do you really trust this troublesome lass so completely? If she told you to die, would you actually do it?”

A disgruntled Xiu Lan gave the girl in her arms a sharp pinch on the waist; the mischievous imp who had ruined her plans deserved punishment.

“Even if what she says is true, it only means the chances aren’t high, not that defeat is guaranteed… Eh… Ugh… *Ying~*”

‘Ah, ah, ah, ah!’

‘That lass actually dared, actually dared to bite her with her mouth.’

The half of Xiu Lan’s face obscured by shadow had turned a ripe crimson, and the lingering sensation on her chest left her seething with shame and indignation.

To vent her fury, she tossed Aier onto the ground, reformed the Shadow Sword in her right hand, and, ignoring Chongyun’s attempts to stop her, stormed furiously towards Titan.

“I have no interest in fighting you at this moment.”

However, the enraged Xiu Lan clearly had no intention of listening to him. Left with no alternative, Titan could only evade the black-clad girl’s attacks, guiding her towards a more open area.

“Are you alright, Aier?”

Helping Aier to her feet, Chongyun felt he had uttered a rhetorical question; as a comrade capable of acting alongside him, in some respects, this child was even stronger than he was.

“Sister is one of us.”

This was something he had long anticipated, yet hearing it from Aier’s own lips still filled Chongyun with a wave of emotion.

“It seems we are to gain another companion. I never expected to encounter two awakened [Kin] within such a short span of time.”

“Another one? Who is it?”

“She currently resides in a nearby school. She appears to have readapted to life as a human, and though much time has passed, I recognized her at a glance,”

After a pause, Chongyun continued:

“Truthfully, I had not intended to draw her into this at present, but to contend with those [Demons], we must unite every available force.”

‘Power, then…’

‘If only I had possessed greater power back then, would everything have unfolded differently…?’

Aier gazed at the moon in the sky, remaining silent.

****

“Bang!”

Pushing open her room door, Xiu Lan wearily sank into the chair before her computer desk.

Her pursuit of Titan ultimately proved unsuccessful; aided by the gem, he had easily shaken off Xiu Lan’s persistent entanglement and vanished into the nocturnal city.

However…

Xiu Lan meticulously drew a small figure impaled by a sword in her notebook, then affectionately inscribed Titan’s name beside it.

Heh heh heh… Just you wait. Our next encounter will mark your demise.

Having vented her frustration, Xiu Lan opened her computer and clicked the game icon. The familiar logo flashed by, and as the opening cinematic and grand music began, she eagerly picked up her controller, ready to play.

A little while later…

The girl’s exasperated voice echoed throughout the room.

“Twenty frames on all low settings, what the hell am I playing, Super Little Tao!”