The black-armored figure didn't speak—just swung.
The blade grazed Akira's cheek, leaving a line of heat that sizzled against her skin. Her fangs pulsed. Her hunger spiked.
The Sentinels turned on the newcomer, sensing him as a rival predator.
Good. Let them fight each other.
Akira's eyes flicked to Rin—still bleeding from her earlier wound. That scent… sweet, rich, alive. One taste and she'd leap to Rank 8.
But then—another scent cut through the air. Stronger.
From the shadows, three human mercenaries appeared—hired guns, probably bounty hunters after her head. They grinned, clearly underestimating her.
Big mistake.
Akira stepped forward, letting the streetlight catch the curve of her lips, the red glow in her eyes.
"Boys," she purred, voice silk-wrapped steel, "come closer."
One smirked. "You don't look dangerous."
She was on him in a blur.
Her fingers curled into his jaw, tilting his head just right.
"Then you're not looking hard enough."
Her fangs sank in.
The rush hit like fire and lightning—power flooding her veins, her aura exploding outward. Rank 8. Her nails sharpened into onyx talons. Her senses sharpened until she could hear the heartbeat of every living thing in the block.
The mercenary crumpled, pale and gasping. She let him live—not out of mercy, but because leaving him breathing sent a message.
The other two froze, caught between fear and… something else.
Akira smiled, slow and dangerous.
"You can run," she said, "but I'll still taste you later."
One bolted. The other stepped forward.
"Oh, I'm not running," he said, voice low.
The Sentinels screamed, cutting the moment short. They dove at her, claws slashing. But Akira was faster now—vanishing in a blink, reappearing behind them, tearing through armor like paper.
The black-armored figure locked eyes with her, finally speaking.
"You're not the same as before."
She licked the blood from her lips. "No. I'm better."
Rin's voice cut in from behind. "Akira… your eyes—they're not just red anymore."
Akira tilted her head, catching her reflection in a shard of broken glass.
Her irises were now a swirling mix of crimson and gold.
A new power burned in her chest—something beyond just leveling up.
Something the Architect might fear.
The black-armored figure's smirk widened.
"Good. Now you're worth killing."
🔥 Cliffhanger: Akira's reached Rank 8 with enhanced speed, lethal talons, and a new hypnotic charm over men, but the black-armored assassin is clearly on her level… and about to test her new limits.