Chapter 26: New Abilities 2
Minato’s blood aura broke out to life...deep, dark red energy, pulsing brightly around him. The ground cracked slightly beneath his shoes.
Amelia crossed her arms, watching closely. "Hmm... not bad," she said with a little grin. "A moderate amount of blood aura... You’re quite talented at using blood control."
Minato smirked, clearly excited...
He lifted his hand, and a single drop of blood floated upward, splitting into thin red strands that twisted and spun in the air. In seconds, they hardened... shaping into a humanoid figure made entirely of his blood.
"Blood puppet," he said, nodding to himself... "Rank D."
The puppet copied his every movement... step for step, hand for hand. Then suddenly, it blurred, disappearing from in front of him and reforming behind Amelia, its arm stretched toward her neck like a blade.
Amelia didn’t flinch. Instead, she grinned, her red eyes glinting with a mix of amusement and challenge. "Very clever," she said. "But it would have to be a lot faster than that to even scratch someone of high caliber."
"Yeah, I figured," Minato said with a shrug, snapping his fingers. The puppet dissolved into red smoke and vanished. "Still, it’s kinda cool, right?"
"Cool, maybe, but you still have a long way to go," Amelia said calmly.
"Hmm?" Minato asked, brows furrowed in confusion.
"It’s a very powerful ability," she replied, her tone patient but edged with pride. "If you’ve mastered it, it can change everything."
With a casual wave of her fingers, blood began to swirl around her like wine. In seconds, it took form... a towering Blood Knight, over nine feet tall, armored and kneeling before her as if awaiting orders.
Minato’s eyes widened, his mouth slightly open. The sheer pressure radiating from the figure made the atmosphere feel heavy.
Then, just as easily as it appeared, Amelia dissolved the construct with a flick of her wrist. The blood knight faded into nothing.
"Now you understand what I mean by ’you have a long way to go,’" she said, glancing at him with a faint smirk.
Minato swallowed hard. But instead of feeling discouraged, a grin crept across his face. He wasn’t afraid... he was inspired. If he worked hard enough, he could reach that level too.
"So... anything else?" she asked, raising a brow.
"Hold on... Minato cuts her off.... You could do this the whole time? Why didn’t you use it in the portal?"
Amelia paused, her expression unreadable for a beat. Then she sighed and crossed her arms.... "If I had used that ability back there, you wouldn’t be standing here talking to me right now."
Minato frowned. "Wait... what? Why would I die?"
She pinched the bridge of her nose.... "Because, genius, that kind of summoning drains blood energy faster than you can blink. And it’s not something I can control easily without consequences."
He tilted his head. "Consequences like...?"
"Like anyone below my rank getting cooked alive just from the energy release," she blotted out flatly. "Even at twenty percent of my powers, it would’ve killed every human within a hundred meters."
Minato blinked, dumfounded, then let out a short laugh. "So basically, you were holding back to keep me from dying?"
Amelia looked away, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I’ve told you, don’t make it sound like I did it for you. I just didn’t want to clean up this whole Realm crisis alone."
"So it’s more of a win-to-loss ratio, right..." Minato said with a teasing smirk, clearly enjoying himself as he noticed the faint pink tint coloring Amelia’s right ear.
"Exactly," she replied, her tone softening as she turned her red eyes away to hide her face. "Strength isn’t just about showing off what you can do. Sometimes it’s knowing when not to."
He chuckled under his lips, stepping closer beside her. "Alright, guess I’ve still got a lot to learn... so I’ll be in your care."
Amelia exhaled, pretending to ignore the playful tone in his voice. She turned quickly on her heel and started walking ahead. "Come on, I’m tired of standing here. Let’s go."
Minato grinned, falling into step beside her. "Alright..."
Minutes later, Minato finally reached the door of his apartment. Luckily, Portal 1 was only a few blocks away... unlike the other two still active ones scattered across the city.
He lifted the rug at his doorstep, retrieved the spare key, and unlocked the door with a tired sigh. The moment he stepped inside, the familiar scent of his small apartment hit him. Without even taking off his shoes, he staggered toward the bed and threw himself onto it face-first.
"God... I missed this," he muttered into the sheets, yawning as his body finally relaxed for the first time since he cleared portal 1.
He lay there for a moment, staring blankly at the ceiling, his mind moving between exhaustion and disbelief. Everything that happened in a span of just 3 days... the portals, the battles, Amelia... it all felt like some bizarre dream he’d wake up from any second.
But the lingering ache in his arms and the dull sting on his shoulders were solid proof it was really real.
Minato then turned his head toward his apartment window. The sky outside was still tinted purple, and little traces of portal-1 energy were still fading in the sky. He could also see the news drones hovering in the distance, scanning for any signs of activity.
He exhaled deeply. "One down... two to go," he whispered to himself.
Then Amelia slowly walked up in front of him, holding a white towel in her hands, her expression calm and at the same time serious.
"Minato..." she called softly, her tone carrying a mix of hesitation and a little bit of firmness.
He looked up at her from the bed, his eyes half-open. "Hmmm?"
"Can you come, please?" she said, shifting her hips slightly, as if unsure whether to wait or leave.
He let out a slow breath. "Fuuuu..." With a tired gesture, Minato pushed himself up from the bed and followed her toward the bathroom, his steps heavy, full of tiredness.
When Minato got to the bathroom, he stopped for a moment, scanning the room. Everything looked completely normal... the bathtub was already filled with warm water, steam rising gently into the air, and the soaps and towels were neatly arranged in place just like he showed her last time.
He frowned slightly. Then why did she call me...?
"I know it may seem like a bother," her voice overshadowing his thoughts...
She looked at him directly, her red eyes staring into his soul. "But... like last time, I would need you to bathe me."