Rei stood at the edge of the ravaged city, his crimson eyes gazing out at the aftermath of the battle. The ground was littered with the remnants of the celestial soldiers and their divine armor, glowing faintly even as the blood-soaked earth swallowed their light. The air felt thick, oppressive, as if it too could sense the shift within him.
A low growl escaped from Kael, his first blood soldier, who stood beside Rei. The creature—once a protector, now a weapon—surveyed the destruction with a sense of admiration. Rei had never known such power before. It was different from the shadow warriors he had once summoned. This was his blood, his creation, and it was obeying his will, bound to him in a way he could never have imagined.
"Rei," Kael said, his voice deep but respectful, "the battle was... too easy. Are you certain of this path? The blood we spill—it's irreversible."
Rei's lips curled into a smile, but there was no joy in it, only a deep, hollow satisfaction. "This path doesn't matter anymore, Kael. You're right about one thing—it's irreversible. But that's exactly why it's the right choice."
The wind swept across the desolate field, carrying with it the faint scent of death. The sun, setting low on the horizon, cast long shadows, as if the very world was beginning to lose its light.
"I used to believe in justice," Rei murmured, his voice distant, as if he were speaking to himself. "I thought I could fix things. Bring order to the chaos. But I was wrong. The gods... they're the ones who've brought us to this point. They control everything, twisting the rules for their own gain. No, Kael. This is my choice now. And this world... this world will bow to my will."
Kael remained silent for a moment, his eyes flickering with something Rei couldn't quite place. It wasn't fear. It was understanding.
"Then, what of mercy?" Kael asked quietly, his voice soft as if testing the air.
Rei paused. The question hit him harder than he expected. Mercy. It was something he had once believed in—before everything had crumbled. Before the gods had taken everything from him.
"Mercy?" Rei repeated, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. "Mercy is for the weak. For those who still hope they can make a difference in a world that only punishes them. But I've learned the hard way—there's no place for mercy in a world like this."
Kael's gaze softened. "But mercy is what separates us from becoming monsters. The line between power and tyranny is thin, Rei. If you lose your humanity in the pursuit of strength, you'll never be able to come back."
Rei's eyes flashed. There it was—the truth Kael had hinted at earlier. The same truth that had been clawing at the edges of Rei's mind since he first began using his powers. The truth that had kept him awake at night, staring at the crimson moon hanging in the sky.
"I've already crossed that line," Rei said, his voice low but filled with conviction. "I'm not looking for redemption. I'm not trying to save this world anymore. I'm going to remake it. And if mercy doesn't fit into that plan, then so be it."
The wind howled louder, as if reacting to his words. Rei's blood began to stir beneath his skin, thrumming with power, as if in agreement with his resolve.
He turned away from the battlefield and began walking toward the city's ruins. "The gods will fall," he said. "And everything that stands in my way will burn."
As he walked, Kael followed, his footsteps echoing through the silence that had settled over the city. The sound was haunting, a reminder that the world was changing. And Rei Kisaragi—now the Blood Sovereign—was at the center of it all.
The price of mercy had been paid long ago. Now, the price of power would be the only thing that mattered.