The city groaned under the weight of Akira's presence. Streets folded like paper, neon lights flickered violently, and shadows moved with intent. Every heartbeat she took rippled through the world around her. She had mastered Rank 4, but mastery felt like a joke—the city itself was a living warning.
Then came the voice. Deep. Resonant. Not spoken aloud, but felt inside her mind, vibrating through her skull.
"Akira Kurohime… do you understand the power you've awakened?"
Her eyes snapped open. The shadows around her warped into a humanoid form—tall, cloaked in shifting darkness, neon-like veins pulsing across its body. The presence radiated authority, menace, and something she couldn't name.
Rin appeared beside her, eyes wide. "That… that's the Blood Architect. No one has ever been in their attention zone and walked away sane."
The figure tilted its head. "I am the one who governs the rules of your growth. Every blood-level up, every surge of power, every fragment of a mind you consume—it is under my observation. Continue, and the consequences are yours alone."
Akira's red eyes flared. "Then… what do you want?"
"I want to see if you can ascend without destroying yourself… or the city. Survive, and perhaps you may earn what you crave. Fail, and everything you hold dear will be rewritten."
A pulse of energy radiated outward. Reality warped violently—the city groaned, buildings twisted, and streets became labyrinths of light and shadow. Akira felt the surge inside her, Rank 4 abilities reacting to Rank 5 power being projected onto her by the Architect.
Rin muttered, "Every Level Up now… will be under their scrutiny. You don't just fight for survival anymore. You fight for control."
Akira clenched her fists, a grin spreading across her face. Chaos, blood, power—it was all part of the game now. And she was ready.
Level Up: Blood Infusion – Rank 5
Her aura exploded outward, warping the city further. Shadows screamed, neon shattered, and somewhere, deep within the folds of reality, the Blood Architect watched… and smiled.
Cliffhanger: Akira's powers now attract attention not just from rival vampires, but from the entity controlling the rules themselves—and the city reacts violently to her new level.