Blood Vision

'How the hell am I supposed to find that fucker?' Kai thought as he dashed through the ruined streets, leaping over rubble and weaving past burning wreckage. His body ached, his ribs throbbed, and his bloodlust was growing more rampant. But none of that mattered now.

He needed to think.

'Okay. Let's start with what I know. I can sense blood when I'm using my ability. Don't need to see it or touch it to wield it. It's just… there. Like it's tethered to my mind.'

He paused briefly behind a crumbling wall, chest rising and falling, mind racing even faster.

'Which means, if blood's in the area - spilled, fresh, sprayed all over the damn place - I can find it. I can move it and so on. But that guy… I sensed him appear. Not his footsteps. Not a sound. I felt something shift - like I had a sixth sense.'

He narrowed his eyes, the gears in his head turning.

'Which means… I didn't sense his movement or presence. I sensed his blood. That's the key to finding him. But then again, he has to be nearby and sensing his blood with all the surrounding blood would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack.'

Then it clicked.

'Wait, wait, wait. Back when I lost my mind in that berserk state - that red vision. Everything that bled? It lit up like a damn firework. I could see it all. Veins. Arteries. Hearts pumping like drums. If I could tap into that again…'

The memory was faint, and he wasn't in control of his body when the bloodlust took over, but he could recall being able to merge his sight and his blood senses. If he could do it unconsciously, he assumed he'd be able to replicate it if he tried hard enough.

He clenched his fist, the blood blade in his hand pulsing in response.

'Then it wouldn't matter if the bastard turns invisible. Blood doesn't hide. And if he's using some sort of serum to cause the monsterfication, he has to be nearby to stick them with it.'

Kai's eyes lit up with new focus.

He looked up at the highest rooftop in sight - a partially crumbled clock tower at the edge of the town square.

'Alright then. Let's make this easy.'

Without hesitation, Kai sprinted forward, scaling a shattered fire escape and parkouring his way up cracked stone until he reached the top. From here, he could see most of the surrounding district - burning homes, shattered roads, and pockets of monsters tearing through the streets.

He crouched low, scanning the town, heart thudding.

'Next time a monster shows up, I'll be there. And I won't care about the monster… I'll be looking for the one who turned them.'

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes.

'Blood's everywhere and within us all. If I can just reach out a little further, dig a little deeper, maybe I can see through the red again.'

His grip tightened on the blade.

'Alright, ghost. This next one will be your last...'

-

Moments later, another monster emerged with a sickening burst of flesh and bone in the distance. Screams followed. Shattering glass. A building collapsed beneath the beast's first steps.

Kai didn't hesitate.

He sprang from his vantage point, a cloak of wind trailing behind him as he bolted across rooftops and rubble, heading straight toward the chaos. But this time, he wasn't just charging in.

He focused.

His attention narrowed to the pulse of blood all around him - the splattered pools, the thick scent, the steady rhythm of beating hearts. He closed his eyes mid-run, trusting his instincts to guide him.

And then… he opened them.

His irises were now a deeper, burning red, and even the whites of his eyes had been stained with his own blood. The world in front of him shifted instantly - washed in a crimson hue.

Everything became clearer.

He could see it. Blood. Everywhere. In veins. In lungs. In hearts. It burned bright in his vision, like flickering firelight - every human, every monster, every dying soul pulsing red through the haze.

'I'll call this… Blood Vision,' Kai muttered to himself, stunned by the terrifying clarity of it all.

He landed hard on the street leading to the newest monster, dust and ash exploding around him. His eyes darted across the area, scanning through the silhouettes of fleeing people… and then he spotted him.

The man responsible.

There - leaning casually against a crumbling lamp post, arms crossed, eyes focused on the freshly transformed creature with detached curiosity.

Kai's eyes narrowed.

He hadn't even moved to flee from the destruction. Instead, he simply reached into his coat, checking one of the remaining syringes, already preparing for the next conversion. His posture was calm, disinterested - just another day at work.

But then… he stopped.

Something prickled at the back of his neck.

He straightened slightly and began slowly scanning the street, head tilting with mild confusion.

'Must be imagining things…' Phantom V thought to himself. His gaze passed over Kai's position once - then doubled back.

And that's when he saw him.

A red-eyed figure, sprinting with terrifying speed. Veins bulged around his face like a demon born from carnage, eyes glowing unnaturally bright in the blood-dyed town.

'Can he see me?!'

The thought hit Phantom V like a punch to the gut.

Although he wasn't using the full extent of his mutant ability, he should still be invisible. He looked down to confirm that was the case. But even if it hadn't been, no one should've paid him much attention. Not like this. Not with that much rigour.

He blinked, trying to process it.

It made his stomach twist.

'That's not normal… this wasn't part of the damn deal.'

The man turned; his mind was already spiralling.

'I only took this commission because it was supposed to be easy. A clean sweep. Monsterfy some poor bastards, collect my pay, and bounce before any real threats show up. In, out, done. That was the plan.'

He exhaled through his nose, annoyed.

'I knew I should've thought twice about accepting a commission this big. Nyx's games are never clean. Always some weird freak show shit hidden under the surface.'

But he didn't dwell on it for long and made a move.

With a sudden burst of speed, Phantom V bolted away from Kai, vanishing from sight just as he was closing the distance. He melded into the surroundings as his mutant ability kicked in further, turning him into a ghost among the flames.

Kai skidded to a halt, watching the blur of red vanish into the mess of blood glowing around him.

But unlike before… he now had something more.

'Doesn't matter if he hides. I can still see his blood now.'

The ache behind his eyes deepened, the strain building as crimson tears streamed down his face - but he ignored it.

He had a target. He had a trail.

And this time… there was nowhere left to hide.