Episode Five: Bad Blood

[Two days later... APR 15]

[Arkansas/ Pleasant Grove/ Fictor Estate/ Main Property] [Early Morning]

A man dressed in a light gray dress suit with only a maroon vast coat entered lord Fictor's office. His sleeves folded neatly up to his forearms and combed back hair with a razor-clean side, the man exuded confidence and discipline.

His perfectly polished shoes stepped onto a floor covered with this neon purple mist, filling this room with gloomy lighting. Emitting from behind the desk of his upset Lord, with the only source of light coming through the wall of glass behind the desk of the Lord.

"My lord I have to arrive upon request", he said bowing his head with his right arm across his chest. "Joesph... I am truly glad that you could make it", Lord Fictor said in a distressed tone, staring blankly out of the window at the moon in the clear sky. The man knew that his Lord was distressed, with his power alone altering the appearance of the room.

"My pleasure, my lord", he said straightening himself up. "I have heard about the fragment of the I.T. appearing in the...in your old residence", he added, crossing his hand behind his back. Lord Fictor sighed as he turned his being towards Joesph.

lord Fictor had his bright orchid color hair pulled back and his eyes burning with purple neon. A man in his late third century, but despite his old age. He had sharp features with sunken cheeks, wearing a white two-piece suit with a black shirt underneath. He crossed his fingers as he rested his arms on his table.

"I received a report from Jackle that Akane was seen in the [Otherworld], at the same time Oracle pointed out that the stationed Fragment of the I.T. started moving in that set direction...This leads me to believe that it is searching for her", Lord Fictor said, getting straight to the topic.

"Is it still holding grudge against her, even after 10 years?", Joesph asked and Lord Fictor sighed. "There were many things decided in the annual meeting including the Fragment. Making it clear that no families were to be involved in the active hunting, nor the Hoyaga Academy, nor the Council or their Agents. This law was made by the [King] himself, punishable by exile" lord Fictor explained, and hearing this, Joseph figured out why he was called here.

"Very well my Lord. I will lay rest to the Fragment and you will see Lady Akane again. Of course, I will make sure that she comes back safely", Joseph said with a smile. "I expect no less from you Joseph, also keep an eye out for Sotokei. She ran away trying to find Akane on her own". lord Fictor added.

"Yes, I understand my Lord", Joseph replied. "Very well, you can go know", lord Fictor said and Joseph bowed and turned around to leave.

...

[New Orleans/ Lakeshore/ Hoyaga Real Estate Apartment complex No: One/ Oliver's apartment] [Early Morning]

"Thank you, Dad. I appreciated that", Oliver said, holding his phone to his ear. "Hmm. This is unusual for you, asking me to make such a decision and on top of it all, thanking me. Are you alright in the head", Coner asked in an amused tone.

"Dad please, goodbye", Oliver said hanging up.

...

[Hoyaga estate/ Main Council building/ Agent's private room] [Early Morning]

A private room for agents was located behind the main hall, through a back door. A spacious room made just for agents to discuss and relax, with minor conveniences. Cupboards, shelves, appliances, stoves, and a large enough window to escape from if need be.

"Why can't we do this?", Nova said in an upset manner crossing his arms. "For the last time, no!", Gwen said as she stood in front of the stove and a pan filled with boiling water, brewing some tea for both of them.

"Why not, I am here and Mark is also coming here, and we have Akane as well", Nova said and immediately Gwen's head snapped towards him causing him to flinch. "No, not Akane. Don't you dare bring up this with her", Gwen said tuning back to boiling tea and sighing. "Also she doesn't know anything about the Fragment", Gwen added.

"Come on, I am sure she has gotten over it?", Nova replied while Gwen turned off the stove. "No, she hasn't, so don't bring this up in front of her", she said while she pour the tea into two cups. "Speaking of her, where is she", Nova asked Gwen as she severed him and herself two cups down on the acrylic table.

"She has gone to collect some Lacertae cores, she'll be back soon", Gwen said as both sat down to enjoy tea together.

...

[Hoyaga Real Estate Apartment commercial complex / Core Exchange shop]

Today since it was more of a personal venture in the early morning. Akane was wearing a bright pink jacket over an off-white top and dark-brown pants and shoes. She entered the Core Exchange shop, which looked like an old humble home, made completely out of Dream Wood and cheap plaster.

Inside was clean without even a single speck of dust. With a shoes rack on the side, Akane dropped her shoes off, depositing them in exchange for a pair of slippers from the rack beside it. Walking on the wooden floor, she went straight to the main room, with stairs beside it leading up to the first-floor bedroom. On the side, the left side was the kitchen, and on the right was a large bathroom.

Akane walked straight to the main room which acted as the main office for the Core Exchange shop. Which had a set of Shoji-style sliding doors closed and to call the attention of the ower, any [Shifter] had to ring the bell on the side. As Akane came close, she a rusting noise coming from the main office.

A woman whispers in a pleasantly annoyed tone, "No, stop. I am working". She said and the man responded, "So am I", he said moving and causing the woman to giggle slightly. "The meeting was so boring and I missed you all the same", the man added.

"Oh...well I am flattered, but I am still busy, Kitsu. I'm afraid I won't have time for you right now, maybe tonight?", she replied. "Or how about, I help you, and then we make some time for ourselves?", the man replied. Akane immediately recognizes the voice of Lord Tim from the Council and Ginny the Core Exchange shop owner.

Akane shook her head awkwardly and pressed the button, which made a buzzing sound. Loud enough to alert the couple inside, with a quick rustling sound, the woman cleared her throat. "Hmm...Yes, come in".

Akane turned slightly red with a little bit of lingering embarrassment, as she opened the door without making eye contact with them. "Go...good morning", she said, stumbling in her own words. "Oh, good to see you are well, Akane", Tim said. "Likewise, I almost forgot...you were coming", Ginny said with her cheeks turning slightly red as well.

...

Tim and Ginny were sitting on the floor with a long table in front of them and an opening on the far right. At the very back were tall wooden shelves reaching the ceiling, all with small drawers labeled with what type of Crystal Core was inside them. Other than them, there was a bookcase next to the curtained windows and a few other books and boxes next to the wide table on the ground.

Finally, Akane looked up at Ginny who quickly pulled on her dark grey button-up sweater over her sleeveless yellow top. She had long ginger hair flowing to one side, coming over her left shoulder, and freckles on her slightly red cheeks.

Meanwhile, Tim was still in his green bathrobe and shorts. Moving his blond hair back and giving Akane a warm smile. "What are you up Akane?", He asked. "I just came back from hunting the bunch of Cores", she replied.

"Oh yeah, of course. That was dumb of me", He said as he sat straight and crossed his bare legs. "Well so come on, show me what you were able to hunt", Ginny said tapping on the table in front of her. Akane nodded, coming in and sitting down in front of them. She pulled off her bag and opened it, emptying it on the table.

Placed 8 Lacertae Cores which looked like jellied eggs. These creatures were one of the rare sources of Regeneration crystals out there. Found in illuminating swamps, Lacertaes have foot-and-a-half long snake-like luminescent bodies. With small eyes and a pair of fins on either side of their face.

2 Elder Craniums, which were spheres of calcium. And 5 Giper Cores, which looked like fur cover lumps. Gipers had lengthy bodies like monkeys, with the head of tigers or lions and very long and sharp claws. They hunt in packs of 4 or more and are found in Dream Wood forest, living in the trees.

...

"Ah, very good. You might just be able to pay the rent this time", Ginny said with a smile. "Yeah", Akane said also smiling back. Ginny reached to her side picks up a rectangular wooden box.

"I could just, break them open", Akane said quickly. "No, no. You don't need to do that", Ginny replies placing the box and quickly pulling the string up, sliding up the lid in front of it.

"Alright, come out, Jeremy," Ginny said as fur cover slug, slides its way out, leaving behind a slimy translucent trail. Ever so slightly, Akane shoves backward. The slug looks around with its comically large bulbous child-like eyes. Eying the Cores in front of him, making his way to them.

He opens his toothless mouth and instantly swallows them whole. His body visibly bulges, as the Cores roll throughout and bulge shrinking down until Crystals pop from the back. "Oh, good work Jeremy", Ginny says rubbing her hand over Jeremy's head and him rubbing back.

"Isn't he lovely?", Ginny said looking at Akane, who smiles nervously at her, "Yeah". "He is right?", Ginny says turning to Tim, who already has a peaceful expression on his face. "Of course, he is lovely", He replied as Ginny turns to Akane with his approval, while Tim shakes his with a look of concern towards Akane.

Putting Jeremy back into his box, Ginny pulls out her laptop, "Alright let's see". While three of the drawers from three different shelves slide open and four long arcane legs come out, attached to a furball with a single bulbous child-like eye. They crawl out and onto the floor, moving towards the Cores on the table.

"You got 12 Lacertae's Cores, that would be 600 dollars, 4 Elder Cranium's Cores which would be 8000 dollars, and 7 Giper's Cores which would be 2100 dollars, totaling 10,700 dollars. Good, now deducting your apartment rent, I will send the remaining 700 dollars to your account", Ginny said as she entered the details on her laptop and then looked up. Seeing Akane sitting outside the room.

While the one eyes little workers crawl up to the desk, collecting the Crystals by sticking them to their fur bodies. "What? How can you be scared of them, they are so cute?", Ginny said raising her eyes and brows at Akane. Who again smiles nervously, "Oh, I am just...hmm...not good around bugs right now", Akane says grabbing her right arm.

"Oh, one day, I promise they will grow on you. Anyway, you are good to go, I will tell Nola about you paying your rent". Akane again smiled, "Sure, thank you for your time", saying that she gets up, as the little workers crawl back into their respected drawers. Akane got up, grabbed her bag, and closed the door on her way out.

As she leaves, Tim places his hand on Ginny's shoulder. "Don't worry too much, she is fine. She was attacked again by Edger this time", Tim said back. Ginnyeyes grew wide, "He did what?!", she said angrily. "Yeah, he is still not up to good, Allum might just go out of his way to kill him.

...

This was not the first time for her, that someone would have tried to kill her. Adopted by the Fictor household as an infant, she became a part of the inseparable family. But then it all melted down due to a tragedy that cost the life of the eldest daughter of the Fictor household, involving Fragment of the I.T. and Akane Bloodborne.

...

Walking away from the Core Exchange shop, Akane got to step inside the commercial street just before the lack of humans became apparent to her.

[Ability Activated] [Realilty Manipulation...Fantasy Garden]

Blue and purple flowers bloomed from the pavement and the mist warped the sky in a shade of yellow and orange. Akane stopped as a border of mist surrounded her. At once she knew who it was, causing nervousness and anxiety to shoot up. Turning around, he found Sotokei standing in front of her. "Sotokei?", Akane said not believing that she would show up like this.

Sotokei was wearing a purple coat and had her dark purple hair down over her shoulders. She looked miserable, making Akane worried. "I am here, Akane. I am going to take you home", she said with a determined look on her face.

"I...", "I don't care what they have to say, I will take you back one way or another", Sotokei said interrupting Akane.

[Sub Ability Activated] [Fantasy Monster Creation and Manipulation...Knight Centaurs]

Mist swirl upwards forming two pillars in front of Akane. Dissipating into silhouettes of Centaurs, their hoof tapped on the soft ground underneath. The Knight Centaurus stood at 8.5 feet tall with two sets of arms.

The human halves were covered with white iron armor, along with their faces hidden with a giant white iron helmet with eyes glowing black. While their horse was decorated in maroon ropes and cloth hanging from its back in front.

The Centaurs stretched their arms and Akane dropped her bag. With a distaste in her mouth, she knew that she had to fight back.

[Sub Ability Activated] [Blood Creation and Manipulation...Blood Blade]

Blood drew out of Akane's hand, taking the form of a blade and crystalizing. Seeing Akane taking a stand caused Sotokei to tear up. Akane stared back at her, clenching her teeth. "Why? don't do it, just let me take you", she said, but Akane shook her head. "I can't do that, Sotokei... I am sorry".

At that moment Akane was caught in between the authority of the Council owning her and Sotokei tearing her heart apart. Hearing her say that, Sotokei's eyes began to tear up, "As I said...I will take you home". Centaurs sprinted forwards, opening their arms in an attempt to grab her. Akane dragged her right foot back and swing her Blood Blade at one reaching for her while moving to her left.

Blood poured into Blade and it extended, reaching across and cutting cleanly through the centaur's abdomen. The upper body flew in the air, but turning, Akane came to face with the horse half moving on its own. Running at her, lifting its front two legs and bringing them down on her Akane.

She quickly dashed to her right, coming back into her stance. The half on the ground got on its hands, while the horse half turned around. The mist started pouring out of the severed halves and forming into new halves, making two new Centaurs. While the third one came clanking at Akane, mist compiling into its hands and taking the form of a two-sided spear.

"Nothing is going to work on them, they will catch you", Sotokei said from far as the Centaur brought down its spear down on Akane.

[Blood Creation and Manipulation...Blood Shield]

Blood poured out of her forearm into the form of Shield, blocking the attack from the Centaur's Spear. While she stabbed the ground with the Blood Blade.

[Blood Creation and Manipulation...Blood Spikes]

Spikes jutted outwards from the ground, going through the Centaur, stopping it in its place. The mist pour out of the middle of the Centaur and it pulled itself apart, becoming two. Akane took a few steps back seeing now four Centaurs and looked back. Seeing three more mist pillars formed behind her, making three new Centaurs holding spears.

Akane looked back at tears striking down Sotokei's face, seeing Akane resist. Akane paused for a moment with the thought of allowing herself to be taken. But the fear of confronting her step-father after what she had done, outweigh everything else.

Dark blue wines grew out of the ground and went to grab Akane.

[Blood Creation and Manipulation...Blood Piller]

A spiral pillar shot out of the ground from underneath Akane, Slight tilted backward. Moving her 30 feet off the ground.

[Blood Creation and Manipulation...Great Blood Warhammer]

Akane jumped off backward, bringing her both hands together. A large amount of blood escaped her hands, taking a form of a head of Warhammer with a short stub of a handle. Bringing it right onto the Centaur underneath her, crushing him to the ground.

Without missing a beat, picking up it back up and swing it around to bash it into one on her left. Breaking its back and launching him into the mist. Sotokei seeing Akane finally fighting back, made her feel frustrated and angry towards her won sister. "Stop fighting!", She yelled at Akane, while she gave another swing, bashing away the other Centaur on the side. Blowing him away into the mist on the border.

Her anger caused the Centaur's eyes, which were shrouded underneath the helmet, to turn red. The Centaur out of three remaining between Akane and Sotokei, on each side, raised their spear. Breaking them in two and pushing them into the ground.

"Why are doing this? Why don't you just come back home? He is also worried about you and...I want you to come home too! So...please stop this?", Sotokei yelled at Akane while sobbing. The sky started to become clouded and a raging wind started blowing.

The situation left Akane unable to see the blades extending out of the ground towards her. In the last moment of Sotokei being upset at her, Akane brought the Great Warhammer to her side, shielding herself from the two from her right. While not being able to dodge two on her left.

One blade cut into and across his arm and the other one caught right in her temple. Cutting into her skin and skull, towards her forehead. The jolt shook her head, causing intense nausea. The Great Warhammer liquified and splashed on the ground as began to bleed out from her arm and temple.

For a [Shifter] whose Ability falls in the Creation and Manipulation category, his or her greatest weakness would be his state of consciousness, as the Ability requires high concentration. If by chance there he or she would be stuck around the head of their opponent's Ability somehow can disrupt their concentration. They would lose control over their ability.

But in all this, there is a silver lining for Bloodborne and tribble news for its opponent. As this Clan had developed a Hidden-Ability to counteract this weakness. But before this could come to pass, Oliver intervened.

[Sub Ability Activated] [Weapon Summoning] [Darkness]

The middle Centaur came running to attack Akane, raising his spear in the air and bringing it down on top of her.

[Weapon Ability: Teleportation]

In the blink of an eye, Oliver appeared behind Akane and vanished with her. While Centaur's spear broke into the ground. He appeared on the other side, holding a half-conscious Akane.

Sotokei 's eyes widened seeing the stranger she had met holding a bloodied Akane. She gasped, seeing Akane having wounded deeply on her head and arm and then Oliver looking back at her.

His eyes turned all shades of green towards Sotokei, befalling the world's weight on her shoulders. Her lungs froze up, and immediately, the Fantasy Garden dissipated away, reviling pavement and a blue sky. Last Thing Akane stared at Oliver, relief washing over her, as she allowed herself to fall unconscious.

But the anger on his face softened, removing the effects of aura, "Don't worry, I will take care of her", Oliver said. Immediately, he teleported out of there with Akane, leaving a stunted Sotokei shaken and alone on the street.

[Hoyaga estate/ Main Council building]

"Welcome back, Master Negatio", Arnold said, bowing his head with his arm across his chest. Towards a man in his mid-thirties, wearing a large Hoyaga academy uniform. He had blond hair and light blue eyes. Wearing a light blue scarf with a dark yellow checker pattern going across it, wrapped around his neck in mid-summer.

"Thank you, Arnold. But you don't have to do that. Really, Mark would do", He replied awkwardly. "Ah, it's my pleasure", he replied as he and Mark started to walk through the gates leading to the main Council.

"So, anything new happened while I was away?" Mark asked. "Yes, the estate has a new resident who moved in just a few days ago. Perhaps you have heard of him?", Arnold replied. "Yeah, something... Oil..." Mark said, and Arnold shook his. "Oliver, his name was Oliver. the King's child".

"Cool...so what can he do?", Mark said loosely. "I not am certain of the specifics, but he has already harmed an outcast who came to harm him, and he also fought and defeated Edger Entomo", Arnold replied. "Edger!? That bugsworth bastard, I doubt that he was able to kill him. Escaping every god-dame time". Mark replied, and suddenly Arnold's phone started to ring.

Seeing his phone, he looked back up at Mark. "I am sorry, Master Negatio. You would have to excuse me I am being summoned by the Twins". "Oh, yeah...sure. Talk to you later", Mark replied, and a sudden surge of energy came through the ground, hitting Arnold, and he vanished.

Mark sighed and turned to face the main door, which swung open for him. Coming inside the main building, moving straight towards the private room, passing by the empty main hall. Twisting nob, he entered, "Guess who is back?", he said, announcing his presence.

Nova and Gwen turned their heads around, both drinking tea. "Oh, welcome back", Gwen said with a smile and Nova raised his chin at him before returning to his tea. "Well, good enough, I guess," Mark said casually as he closed the door behind him.

"So what are you two up to?", He asked, coming around to sit on the side next to Nova. "Nothing much. How did the meeting go?", Nova asked. "I'll put on another cup", Gwen said, picking herself up.

"Oh, the usual. A new law, bickering between the Council and Lords, and Tim skipping the meeting. Igarashi was pissed at him". Mark said, coming around to take a seat adjacent to between the two agents.

Nova let out a small chuckle in response and Mark Continued. "Anyway, heard a new guy came along and destroyed Edgar. Oliver, was it?". "

Yeah, but he didn't crystalize", Nova replied. "Yeah, that convenient little bastard as his way to escaping near death. Why, what did he do this time?". Mark asked. "He tried to kill Akane", Nova answered. "Oh", Mark replied.

As the pot finished boiling, Gwen closed the stove and poured it into a cup with a teabag. "So, what about the Fragment, you up for taking it down", Nova quickly asked.

"You still on about that?", Gwen growled at Nova, putting Mark's cup in front of him.

"Not to ruin your parade, but surprisingly, the King has forbidden it. Absolutely no one, from a family or Council or its Agents, is allowed to get involved with the Fragment. If anyone does, they will be exiled", Mark explained.

"King, huh? Well, he does come around from time to time. Now you don't have to worry about the Fragment", Gwen said picking her cup up with a sigh of relief. But this news left Nova in a state of confusion.

Long ago, an encounter with the I.T. killed Lord Fictor's eldest daughter. This resulted in Akane Bloodborne being taken away from the Fictor family and into the custody of the Council. On many occasions, Lord Fictor has pleaded and tried to get her back, but to no avail.

The law established by the King seemed almost a perfect opportunity to get Akane out of the Council's hands. However, his thought was quickly interrupted when Oliver suddenly Teleported into the room, holding Darkness and making eye contact with Gwen.

And she noticed it quickly, the blood staining Oliver's suit before anyone else. She jumped from their chair, seeing half of his suit and skin burning away due to the acidic blood. There was no doubt in there that this was Akane's blood. "What Happened" Gwen yelled, her face twisted with worry. Causing Nova and Mark to stand up as well.

Instead of replying, Oliver turned his attention to Mark, giving him a stern look, and then moving back to Gwen. Teleporting in front of Gwen and grabbing her arm. "Akane was attacked. I want you to go to her", he whispered, and hearing this, Gwen realized her worst fears. Immediately giving her consent with a simple nod.

...