At the start or end of chapters would you rather see progress of favorability meters or mc's stats? I've been intentionally leaving the stats out so this fanfic is not just a game log.
I was tempted to age mc a bit through this power up but decided against it.
Giliath demands your power stones!
*
[Blood Drink - Lv1. 0/100
Allows Player to consume blood. Provides a nourishing effect, leaving Player's hunger satisfied. Further raise in level will allow Player to recover Mana and Stamina at a quicker rate.]
[Child of the Progenitor Lv1
Player Naoto has consumed the blood of the Progenitor and has successfully assimilated into her kin. Grants the following perks:
-Creation of Blood Spheres increased by two.
-Undying Will-Lv1
-Mind Resist Up]
[Undying Will Lv1
Grants Player a boost in regenerative healing. Further boost in level will allow Player to act like an Immortal, granting an Undying Will. Even lost limbs will heal over time. Does not protect Player against damage taken directly to the soul.]
[Roselia's Blessing
-Familiar Slot Increase: 1/2
-Fire Resistance Lv1
-ATS Up]
[Ding! Due to increasing the Kin of Fire's Leader's favorability to the max level, Testa-Rossa now sees you in a more favorable position.]
[Ding! Testa-Rossa is now looking forward to you completing the Vermillion Trials.]
[Ding! Due to becoming closer with the Kin of Fire, the Kin of Earth now sees you in an unfavorable position.]
…
…
…
That seemed to be the last of this flurry of notifications, all to which I now felt brimming with both power and mana inside of me. The blood-like aura that was covering my body also went under control, only leaving behind a thin layer, and a circle of it beneath my feet.
The urge to groan also faded, which caused my strength to return as well. It allowed me to stand back up easily. Seeing me return to normal, Roselia continued to speak.
"How do you feel now, boy?", Roselia asked, obviously showing interest in her eyes.
"I feel like a new me. This power will definitely take some time getting used to, but it's never been better.", I replied with a smile.
After I said that, I immediately felt two soft mounds press against my back, only to give me a hug. Of course it was Emma who had a worried look in her eyes after seeing me.
"Naoto! Are you alright?", Emma asked with worry.
"Of course I am. I've never felt better.", I replied, giving Emma a headpat. She puffed her cheeks out a bit in embarrassment but I took this time to grip my fists a couple times, feeling strength flow through me.
Sherryl saw this happen and did another comparison of Emma to herself, only to stay in silence. Tio also saw this at a glance and looked at Sherryl.
"You have a long road ahead of you.", Tio retorted since she saw Sherryl looking down at her own chest again.
"Shut. It.", Sherryl retorted back at her, having an anger mark appear on her forehead.
"Haha. I guess it went smoothly seeing nothing happened to Young Master.", Lechter said, seeing me unharmed.
"Indeed. It looks like you're raring to go now, Your Highness.", Rutger said, only to retrieve his glaive that he launched into the sand beside him. He started to swing it around effortlessly.
"That's right. But first...", I began to say, only to brandish my Radiant Starlight again. Though unexpected to everyone, I reached toward my hand, and sliced it with my rapier. A stinging sensation started to burn on my palm as blood started to flow out.
"Naoto?", Emma asked, confused in seeing me do this.
"Go.", I said, ignoring Emma. The moment I said that, the blood pouring our of my palm started to move on its on. Fwoosh!
After a moment everyone saw blood start flying out in front of me, only to quickly enter a spinning rotation. It then started to condense itself but at the same time, split apart even more. The more it condensed the more a shape became visible. Three blood red spheres soon became visible before everyone. Among those, Sherryl blinked her eyes seeing these blood spheres form, which flew on over my head.
"A Blood Sphere? And Big Brother created three this time?", Sherryl asked in wonder.
"This is what we saw back when we were down there....But there's more this time.", Lechter also said.
"Right? So this really is a skill of yours, Naoto? Weren't you limited to making one?", Van asked confused.
"I was, yes.", I replied, revealing a smile.
"This...", Vita began to say curiously. She then looked back over to Roselia. "Isn't this one of your personal skills, Grandmother?", Vita asked.
"Umu.", Roselia said, nodding her head. "Let's just say...there are certain requirements to achieve this.", Roselia continued to say, explaining a bit to Vita.
"And that's not all these babies can do.", I continued to say as well with a smile. After saying that, I moved my hand, releasing some blueish mana. In response to this, the three spheres began to move around me.
"Form: Needle. Go.", I simply declared, causing the three blood spheres to coagulate. All of a sudden, sharp ends started to form a needle-like figure, only to quickly shoot out from their centers Fwoosh!
Three blood needles quickly made their way toward Rutger's position. But seeing this he still remained calm, and raised his glaive to block. Tink!
Three blood needles struck his weapon fast, lodging themselves into it. It did not cause much damage to it, and the blood needles began to vanish shortly after.
"Haha, You're gonna have to do a lot more than that, Your Highness.", Rutger said, swinging his weapon down which caused a big blast if air sent our way.
"I know, that was just a little welcome gift.", I replied to him.
When Rutger and I exchanged that, Vita squinted her eyes a bit.
"To think a Jaeger could blast away a mana infused construct so easily...That weapon of his is pretty scary.", Vita uttered to herself.
Seeing both of us ready ourselves, everyone had a quick look at each other, only to cause Emma to go to the other side where the rest were. Sherryl had one quick look at her, only to let out a scoff and look the other way back at me. This only confused Emma more while earning a laugh from the others.
As for Vita, she walked over to Roselia and Tamamo.
By this point the sun had now set, and it was now dark out. It was approaching dinnertime but that wasn't stopping us from this clash.
Approaching Rutger, only several feet kept us apart. I now took this time to look upward, only to see a bright moon out tonight. It appeared to be a full moon too. The moment I kept my eyes on it, excitement started to spread throughout my body. Thump. Thump. Thump.
"A full moon...", I uttered, drawing Rutger's attention my way. I could feel both blood bumping and mana surging through me. Even this attracted Rutger.
Unexpectedly, Rutger began to let out a dense, pitch black aura, which immediately attracted the rest of Zephyr.
"D-Daddy?", Fie questioned, seeing Rutger release this qi-like aura.
"The Boss's Battle Qi? Does he seriously think this brat is a threat?", Killing Bear said in surprise as well.
"I am not sure. I am feeling uneasy.", The Behemoth said.
"It's almost like that royal brat and the Boss are trying to end it in the next strike...", Firebird mused to herself.
However, as for me, I let out a smile seeing Rutger start releasing his Battle Qi.
"So you are taking me seriously. I like that.", I said back at Rutger.
"Life's everything on the battlefield. The moment you slip up once, life can come crashing down at you like a bitch. Even if you are of Liberl's throne, don't blame me if you perish from this, Your Highness.", Rutger said, squaring his stance downward a bit.
"I'd expect nothing less from you, Jaeger King. If I die here, then I might as well not say I'm fit for the throne, let alone in protecting anyone.", I replied.
"Haha! Well said, Your Highness. How do you want to do this?", Rutger said, readying his glaive.
"It will be all or nothing in this next strike of mine which hopefully you can take, Jaeger King. I do not know how powerful it is.", I answered him. Squaring away myself, I planted my two feet into the sand. I took a different stance compared to the normal one my Master taught me.
Instead, after widening my legs out a bit, I raised my Radiant Starlight high up in the sky, which drew Rutger's eyes toward it. At the same time, I let my mana roam free inside of my body.
"O to the one wandering in the skies above...", I began to chant, letting mana rush out. This created a bluish-violet glow around my body, which slowly navigated its way upward. Seeing this, Vita was surprised.
"A chant? I am not familiar with this one. Did you teach him this, Grandmother?", Vita asked, unsure.
"I did not.", Roselia said, continuing to look at my rapier pointed above me right now.
"Kyuu?", Tamamo also asked as she hadn't seen this either.
"So you do have something then. I will take it all.", Rutger said, changing into a more defensive stance. His black Battle Qi started to swirl around more. I ignored them and continued my chant.
"I sing to thee an ode as a child of your shadow. Let this blade dance in your moonlight, as it has been blessed by the stars' radiance...", I continued to chant. I could feel more of my mana start converging into a single direction, which was all the way up. It left my body, and started to cover the blade, surprising everyone. It didn't end there, my mana continued its way until the tip at the very end, which started to shine bright in a big blue sphere.
All of a sudden, I switched my stance up, swinging my blade down. It was now in a diagonal position, and I started to spin my rapier around and around. At the same time, the blood spheres also reacted to my mana, and they converged with the drawing of the rapier, going around the magic-like circle, turning it into a mixture of red and blue. It didn't take long before a large crystal-like ball formed in front of me, dyeing it with hints of red from the blood spheres. They could still be seen attached in its radius.
Unlike when my Master infuses this skill with blue lightning created from his Combat Orbment, I am infusing this crystal sphere directly with both mana and blood magic. It looks much more red compared to how Master's looked like.
The three blood spheres formed into another shape on their own, becoming three dark red rings around this crystal ball of mana. Whoosh. Whoosh!
With my mana projecting complete, I slowly moved my rapier. The crystal ball formed as well, and it moved along with me. I pointed my rapier directly at Rutger.
"Here I come.", I declared.
"Come.", Rutger declared, readying himself.
"Haaah!", I roared out, letting out more mana.
With my rapier pointing toward the crystal sphere, everyone saw me do one hard, quick thrust straight at it. Clang!
A light metal sound struck our ears as if a mirror broke, and the sphere suddenly launched itself right at Rutger.
"So that's your aim huh?", Rutger said, seeing it incoming. "All right then.", He continued to say, lifting his glaive up with ease.
With one simple swing down as he leaked his black battle qi, Rutger tried to slash the sphere coming at him in two. Unexpectedly, his attack didn't work, and the sphere didn't get cut. It only phased through him, which caused Zephyr more surprise.
"The Boss failed to cut that thing?", Firebird uttered.
"Hmph. This is a much more complex construct of mana. Of course it wouldn't get torn apart that easily.", Vita said, retorting her.
"Hmm.", Rutger simply said only to see himself engulfed by the bloody crystal-like sphere.
At the same time, I didn't stop my momentum. While the rest were distracted by the crystal sphere forming a prison of sorts, they realized the Jaeger King was soon to become trapped in it.
In that moment, I started to hop left and right quickly, only to raise my speed to its max. If one looked closely, they could already see shadows left behind in my trail. I suddenly dashed right toward the Jaeger King, covering myself in a blueish-red light, almost as if I became an arrow.
In the next moment they all saw me vanish from sight. The moment they did, they heard a large shattering sound of crystal being torn apart while the Jaeger King remained trapped inside of it. I reappeared on the opposite side, only to brandish my rapier the other way.
"Crimson Hearts.", I declared, finishing my move on the Jaeger King.
*
Familiar suggestions?
I took a spin on Phillip's S Craft.
Do keep in mind many characters in Trailsverse have more than 1 S Craft.