Blood Iron

Smiling staggered up and slashed at Dreyfus who quickly dodged and jumped sticking to the ceiling. "Still got some fight in you I see? That poison should be kicking in double time now" he gave a guttural chuckle and puffed on his pipe. Smiling could feel the burning inside him. 'I feel like I swallowed hot lava. I need to get this poison out somehow or get some antidote. He then concentrated on his blood seeing that he was slowly being poisoned as it moved through his veins. When he was waiting for the Red Demon. He didn't just take the time to work on weapons in the forge. 

He also sought to use Iron Blood Art, being able to use his blood in combat while controlling the iron in it. The process was a lot. He had to work on creating spots on his wrists that the blood would pour from. Like a gland over an open wound. He had developed them but they were small. He couldn't do much and still needed more time to practice. But this seemed to click for him. He then fell to his knees faking weakness to keep Dreyfus stationary. He then concentrated on the poison that was flowing in his blood. He pushed all the poison slowly at first and then sped it up all flowing to his wrists. Black veins seemed to be moving down and up his body all flowing to one location. Soon the glands started to turn black and like string tainted blood began to flow out and coated in chi. This would be very dangerous cause normally the art would require absorbing the blood back through the wrist to avoid a blood loss. After this he would suffer blood loss and it would weaken him. But part of him liked the fact that weaponizing his only blood to kill this toad man would be worth it. He then shot adrenaline pumping as he pushed more tainted blood out; it was now taking the form of a whip. He spun around and grabbed the toad wrapping him up with poisonous blood. He then made the blood flow down the toad's throat. He brought him down with a slam and continued to feed his blood into Dreyfus who was now choking. 

His eyes bulged as he struggled against the blood snaked around him. His sword was laying away from him along with his pipe. He then began to kick and Smiling remedied that by wrapping blood around his legs. The blood whip got tighter and seemed to be cutting into his skin. He then started coughing up blood as the blood then turned to spikes impaling his body. Smiling could feel the poison free from him. But he felt weak the minute he cut the tether but he kept his concentration on the blood that was now inside Dreyfus. From his chest erupted a black blood spike then another in his abdomen. Spikes appeared all over his body; he then gurgled and moaned. Then he went still Smiling staggered over to this body pulled out the vial and staggered over to the sword. He picked up staring at it, "Nice craftsmanship" he mumbled. He then carried it out as he walked out of the shop towards the family. He had more of a pep in his step as he ran slowly. The man was lying still but he could see the two kids and mother were still breathing. He rushed over, opened their mouths and poured the antidote down their throats. 

Their color started to return. He rushed over the man but he was stiff. Smiling's head slumped down in defeat. "Dammit…" he looked over as the kids and wife were coming too. Although the weather regained consciousness and became alert. "Mommy…" the little girl said weakly. She rose up slowly and held her daughter and then her son. She started to cry and then looked at Smiling sitting next to her husband's body. She got up weakly and walked over slumping to the ground next to him. "I'm sorry. I wasn't fast enough to get the antidote to you all" he couldn't meet the woman's eyes. He felt shame and failure. 'You can't save everyone' Taive would say that back in the day. But even he knew it never got easy, unable to save someone. "Don't be. This isn't on you. You succeeded in saving our children. That's what he would have truly wanted" she patted his big shoulder. He finally looked at her and then the kids who were crying next to her were staring at their father. "You need to get your kids to safety and hide," Smiling warned her. She understood his meaning. "What of my husband though…he deserves a proper burial" she wasn't wrong.

The man was innocent and he didn't deserve how he went. "Do you have any clothes I could use?" Smiling. The woman looked at him with confusion. She then pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to him. "Thank you. Now I can't say this is proper but I have the ability to shrink and grow things. I can shrink your husband down and you can transport him with you till you can bury him. Granted he will remain small unless I do it. But I dunno what's going to happen tomorrow or the day after. So would you be opposed to that?" She looked at him with surprise and her husband. She silently nodded but held a hand out before letting him do so. She bent down and kissed his forehead "I love you. Our kids are safe" she gave Smiling the nod of approval. Smiling put a hand on his chest and the body shrank to the size of a pen. He then set the small gently on the cloth and wrapped him up and then respectfully handed the cloth to the wife. She put it in her blouse next to her heart. "Thank you. Good luck" she warned him. She gathered her children and ran down an alleyway. Smiling was not alone; he could hear explosions and ran towards it. He found soldiers shooting up a shop. Their guns were wretched from their hands by an invisible force. 

Smiling cut them down with his scythe. More showed up and began slaughtering them all. He was done with his realm and ready to finish their business. Now it was time to dish out some payback before doing so. 

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Ghost Demon and Tilla were locked in battle as she was again slashed in the back. She was weakly standing her ground as she stared at him with an angry face. "Are you going to answer the question?" Ghost Demon asked. She caught her breath and then stabbed with her spear. It passed right through him and she grunted in frustration. She was then slashed through the arm causing her to drop the spear. She staggered back and cradled her arm. "…he does…he loves me…" Ghost Demon then slashed her through the neck killing her. "Good then this will sting" he sheathed his sword and turned leaving her to bleed out on the street alone.