[DING]
[HOST'S LIFE IN DANGER. WARNING: BLOOD LOSS DETECTED. INTERNAL INJURIES CRITICAL. MOBILITY REDUCED.]
[HP IS CURRENTLY BELOW 20%. VITAL SIGNS UNSTABLE. VISUAL DISTORTION AND BREATHING IRREGULAR.]
[CALL ON FAMILIAR: AMELIA ALEXANDER EARHART.... IMMEDIATE SUMMON RECOMMENDED]
[CONFIRM? YES / NO]
[CAUTION: FAILURE TO RESPOND MAY RESULT IN HOST DEATH]
Cough... Cough...
The massive hand that had slammed Minato's head on the supermarket floor suddenly let go.
Minato then crumpled to the tile floor, gasping for breath, trying to clean the blood from his eyes.
Slowly, He began to claw on the ground, dragging himself forward with the little to no strength he had left.
His every movement sent a massive wave of pain throughout his skull, chest and back, crushing and overwhelming him, yet he kept forcing his body to move forward. His fingers scraped against the cold supermarket tiles, leaving streaks of blood behind as he struggled to breathe or smell.
Minato didn't want to hesitate any longer. Survival was the only priority, and he knew his feeble strength was useless against this mysterious giant.
Immediately, the portal opened up wider, and a massive man, nearly twenty-nine feet tall, stepped through. His shoulders scraped against the ceiling of the supermarket as he emerged, the supermarket fluorescent bulb shattered on contact, and debris started flying out in all directions.
The giant muscles were like stones, and his eyes were bright green.
The floor around Minato shook beneath the weight of the giant, tiles cracking as his feet landed inside the supermarket.
Minato gritted his teeth and spat out a mouthful of blood. He then forced out the single, desperate command, focusing on the transparent screen in his vision.
"Yes... Summon her!"
[DING]
[NOTICE: I apologize for any inconvenience.]
[HOST RANK TOO LOW FOR IMMEDIATE SUMMON.]
[MANUAL SUMMON PROTOCOL ACTIVATED.]
[FAMILIAR: AMELIA ALEXANDER EARHART HAS BEEN ALERTED.]
[ESTIMATED TIME BEFORE FAMILIAR ARRIVAL: 5 MINUTES.]
[WARNING: HOST HP CRITICAL — CONTINUOUS DAMAGE MAY RESULT IN DEATH BEFORE ARRIVAL.]
[RECOMMENDATION: SURVIVE UNTIL FAMILIAR ARRIVES.]
[HP: 15%] — [TIME REMAINING: 5:00]
"Are you fucking kidding me!" Minato shouted, blood spilling from his mouth as he coughed. His voice was cracking, but the anger in it was clear and audible.
"Why did you show it to me in the first place?!"
[WARNING: STRESS LEVEL INCREASING. BLOOD LOSS SEVERE.]
The system's messages still flashed in his vision, cold and merciless, counting down his lifespan by the second. His body ached, his every breath tasted bloody and heavy, yet he forced himself to stand and glare at the giant in front of him.
The giant tilted its head to the right slightly, almost amused by his resistance, then raised its massive hand again to crush him.
Minato used all his strength to move to the side, avoiding the giant's hand.
Instantly, the supermarket was cut in half. This action made Minato's eyes widen in fear of what might have happened if the attack had touched him.
"System!" Minato shouted in desperation.
Still nothing popped up except for the glowing red timer floating in the corner of his vision.
[HP: 14%] — [Time Remaining: 4:30]
His throat went completely dry, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth as he swallowed it back in. Panic clawed at him, but he stood his ground, forcing his voice out louder.
"Eternity System...!"
This time, a low chime rang in his head, and the familiar red interface came to life in front of him, the translucent system windows hovering in the air.
[System Online...]
Minato's hands trembled as he scanned it. "What powers do I have now at Rank E? Tell me...!"
Another chime.
[You have a total of 3 Vampiric abilities]
[Activating abilities List...]
[Rank: E | Vampire abilities Available]
1. Bloody Control [E]
Manipulates own blood in small amounts.
Capable of forming simple weapons or barriers.
High stamina cost at current rank.
(Upgradable by ranking up)
2. Night Vision [E]
Enhanced eyesight at night or in dark environments.
Eyes glow red when active.
(Upgradable by ranking up)
3. Regeneration [E]
Accelerates healing of cuts, bruises, and light fractures.
Heavy damage heals, but still requires time and energy.
(Upgradable by ranking up)
[Which Power Will You Activate?]
Minato tightened his grip around his fingers, looking straight up at the system window. While his chest was intensely burning, his every heartbeat was sending pain throughout his heart and lungs.
"Blood Control...!" he declared while walking backward, away from the giant.
Then his palms split open as he forced his blood to flow out. His blood floated fluidly and unstably in front of him, trembling like jelly, before it hardened into a crude and jagged sword.
[HP: 10%] — [Time Remaining: 1:30]
His vision became clouded by his sweat and blood, as it was dripping down from his forehead.
Minato decided that the best option was to hold out until Amelia came, so he started running forward, forcing his legs to move despite the pain.
He briefly slid under the giant's leg, his blood sword flashing in the sun's reflection as it cut into the giant's thick flesh. It roared in pain for a few minutes, stumbling backward for a moment.
After seeing the giant's reaction, Minato then moved without hesitation, shifting and changing his blood sword.
Its shape liquefied and started reforming into a bow. Minato's hands vibrated as he pulled back the red string. Arrows of his hardened blood started firing out, one after another, into the giant's neck and back.
The air passed with a sharp hiss as the red blood arrows pierced the giant's flesh.
Minato narrowed his eyebrows in both pain and surprise; he was actually holding his ground.
But then...
"Somebody help me...!"
A female cry cut through his attention. His head turned toward the voice. Under a pile of broken debris was an elderly woman holding her son's hand.
Instantly, his heart sank.
That single second of distraction was all it took.
The giant swung its massive arm, slamming it into him with brutal force. Minato's body was thrown across the street like a football, smashing into two parked cars before finally collapsing on the street pavement.
Some of the streetlights were bent, while some building windows were shattered. His body barely moved.
[DING]
[HP: 5%] — [Time Remaining: 0:05]
Minato lay still on the two destroyed cars, gasping for air, his body barely responding to his commands.
The giant landed in front of him, its massive shadow appearing over Minato, raising its hands for the finishing strike.
Suddenly, the air tore open beside him; a violent surge of energy started flooding around the street.
Minato looked over his shoulder, only for him to see...
Amelia was standing by the other end of the street, her bloodlust-infused crimson aura flaring like fire.
Her eyes locked on Minato's beaten and bruised body, then shifted to the massive giant.
"How dare…" her voice echoed all around the street.
"How dare a mere titan..."
Before the giant's strike could land on Minato, she appeared right in front of him, one hand raised. With a single movement and motion, she stopped the giant's descending fist. Her fingers started sinking into its flesh like blades.
The giant's arm became strained against her grip, its muscles started bulging, but Amelia didn't move an inch. Her red eyes glowed even brighter this time; her fangs were completely visible.
Without a single word again, her aura erupted. Blood-red energy blasted outward, shattering the pavement and the nearby building windows. The sheer pressure forced the giant to step back; its roar became confused.
She instantly grabbed the giant's arm, twisting it downwards until its bone cracked, then she ripped it clean off in a single gesture. Blood sprayed into the air like rain.
Before the giant could even howl, Amelia became blurry....
Her body vanished in a streak of red lightning. She appeared on the giant's chest, her hand piercing straight through its ribs, crushing the giant's heart in her fingers.
The giant staggered backward, its eyes wide in fear and shock, then collapsed with a loud crash, shaking the street and its buildings.
Amelia landed gracefully on the cracked street, her aura fading away slowly, but her red eyes were still burning. She turned her head, looking directly at Minato... her face was unreadable.