Origins of Blood[Has been republished]

It was merely a fist, devoid of a thumb. Burned and blistered, it gleamed a striking blue. On Gerlinger's disfigured forehead, an eye devoid of a pupil shimmered in the moon's amber hue. His followers scurried low and deftly behind the factory's barricades. Meanwhile, V stood with arms outstretched, forming a V against the night sky, his eyes glowing a vibrant blue. His voice echoed through the factory, loud yet eerily calm. "Who are you?"

In that instant, the twins surged forward like a reversed parable, their movements intertwining. From their pants, they drew elongated daggers, each glinting ominously. V merely regarded them, his deep blue eyes penetrating the core of A9. The blue sharks remained alert behind them, concealed yet poised, brandishing their revolvers like their adversaries, loaded with green-blooded cartridges.

Pow! Pow! Pow!

A flurry of shots rang out, the twins evading in a flash, Gerlinger absorbing the impacts as bullets merely ricocheted off him. "Now!" Gerlinger shouted, raising his finger, the violet blood forming a second ring within the iris on his brow. V stood still, his gaze locked onto Gerlinger. His lips, tinted a bluish hue, complemented his dark hair, which was closer to black, giving him an eccentric appearance. Yet Gerlinger paid him no mind; instead, he muttered something in German, his hand forming a fist. "Allmächtiger Gott der Kraft, gewähre uns die Essenz des Lebens selbst, damit wir uns auf ewig übertreffen mögen." Gerlinger clenched and released his fist as his heart beat steadily.

V continued to smirk, while the twins, with their narrow swords, deftly pierced through their adversaries. The blonde-haired woman drew her revolver, stepping aside slightly.

Pow! Pow!

She fired with a steady rhythm but only connected with every other shot. The bald man, tinted with a shade of blue, wielded a revolver in one hand and a long, slender sword in the other. Countless shots echoed through the air.

Peng! Pow! Peng! Click!

Most began to reload, as about an eighth of V's supporters had already been struck down, yet they held their ground. It was dark, especially now that the cigars had been extinguished; only two lay on the ground. Gerlinger absorbed the shots as if they were inconsequential, while the twins dodged every incoming attack in close combat. The bald man deflected the majority of the bullets with his sword, most of which missed anyway, though one grazed his shoulder. The somewhat wrinkled, blonde-haired woman noticed the light of a cigar on the ground directly before her, and in that instant, a clear shot tore through her shin.

Bang! Krrk! Krch!

The bullet penetrated flesh and bone. "Arghh!" she screamed, tears streaming from her eyes, yet she pressed on, more shots firing around her. This time, she evaded, lying on her side in the darkness, struggling to rise. The bald man rushed toward her, continuing to shoot and parry with his sword. Meanwhile, the young twins swiftly eliminated their opponents, Gerlinger implanting thoughts into the minds of the blue sharks. Now!

Without hesitation, the five—Chris, Elisia, trailing behind William and Elton—followed Bill. They saw nothing, guided solely by the shots reverberating throughout the building and the flashes they ignited. Bill's smile shone with every gunfire, his pupils dilating and contracting, except for those devoid of irises, their colors soaked in vibrant hues. The air was filled with gunshots and cries. "Arghhh!" they all screamed, yet they begged for nothing; their voices rose only in defiance. V observed in the darkness, his grin unmistakable.

Behind Bill, in a slightly broader formation, they advanced, their revolvers nestled against the shoulders of the ones before them.

Peng! Pow! Click! Click!

More reloaded as the number of foes dwindled. From three-quarters of their men, only half remained, but V surveyed the scene with an amused smile. As the bald man checked on the injured woman from A9, Gerlinger advanced steadily toward the enemy's ranks, deflecting bullets, until he struck his clenched fist into the faces of those who dared approach him. Blue and tinged yellow blood splattered as teeth flew from the mouths of the men he felled. It was a massacre; ten men or more lay on the ground, some struggling to rise, yet Gerlinger remained unyielding, not even the wind of a category-three storm could disturb him. He stood like a wall, continuing his march toward V. All attention fixated on Gerlinger, while the bald man tended to the woman and resumed firing.

The twins continued to stab into the ranks of their enemies, barely taking any damage themselves. Bill and his crew fired moments later, but they had little effect. They were only about 10 to 20 meters away, yet the blood already reached them in proximity. It was a scene of carnage, a dark tableau, yet the shots and screams persisted. Only a quarter remained, perhaps even less. Next to V, who wore a broad grin, stood four large men, all weaponless, relying solely on their arms and fists.

Slashhh! Kachiingg! Pow!

Fists, swords, and bullets collided. Sweat, blood, pain, and death lingered in the air, yet the battle showed no signs of concluding. Fists flew; the twins interjected into Gerlinger's fight but received a powerful blow in return. One twin caught his brother, only to let out a pained cry as a sword pierced through his leg, striking a tendon. As fists soared, the injured twin faltered, succumbing to a final blow that sent him crashing to the ground.

Peng! Pow!

The blue sharks also intervened, with Bill grinning widely as he fired his pistol, which narrowly missed one of the men. In an instant, he teleported to the missed position, revolver's muzzle pressed against the side of one of the men. He fired three times as Gerlinger continued to rain blows upon the faces of the enemies, untouched by any wounds.

Pow! Pow! Pow! Click!

Bill continued to shoot, his grin widening as blood congealed and heated around him. Blue blood streamed from his eyes and dripped from his nose, while sparks and crimson sprayed from the fallen men. The blue sharks stared in perplexity, glancing at one another and then back to the unfolding scene. "What was that?" Elton asked, puzzled, as they pressed forward. V's grin grew larger and more sinister. "Magnificent, truly magnificent! Oh, Divine Blue, is it not impressive?" His smile, reminiscent of Bill's, morphed into a hysterical laugh. All his men lay crumpled on the ground. V held a deep blue-gloved hand to his face, laughing maniacally. "Ahahaha! Truly impressive, is it not? Praise the Goddess of Blue Blood!"

Yet his laughter faltered as he moved his hand from his eyes to his mouth. V's eyes ignited with blue light, illuminating the entire factory with a blinding glare that narrowed his pupils, but only for a fleeting moment. The dazzling source of light faded, and the scene transformed abruptly before the astonished blue sharks. Every man who had fallen under V's command—each pierced, gutted, or beaten—rose to their previous positions. The few who had been smoking still clutched their smoldering cigars, and those who had been chatting resumed their conversations. V, who had been smiling the entire time, continued to do so, "Oh, Goddess of Blue Blood, you must witness their faces!"

The blue sharks gazed on in horror. Their surroundings had shifted; their comrades' positions were altered. The expressions of their companions had changed, save for Bill, who maintained his eerie smile. The others looked bewildered, disoriented. "Didn't we win?" Elton inquired. They remained puzzled until something else caught their eye—the five faces of the A9. One head lay severed from the body, while the bald one appeared charred and blistered. They were piled together like the twins, their own swords binding their heads. Their eyes were rolled back, blood pouring from them. Gerlinger, stripped bare, his skin resembling that of a wild beast, lay beside them. Blue flesh and veins were visible, along with bulging eyes and shattered teeth.

The four blue sharks stared in horror at the gruesome tableau before them, while Bill, still grinning with his heated body, drew his revolver once more, blood pooling in the open chamber. His own blood flowed into the magazine, spinning as it splattered, the blue liquid rebounding like water off a spinning tennis ball.

Click!

He held his revolver outstretched, his finger resting on the trigger. The skin on his hand and forearm began to peel, exposing swollen veins beneath. The heat intensified, and Bill's sweat poured down his brow, yet his grin widened beneath the dark circles encircling his eyes.

Bang!

The bullet spun, the casing falling to the ground. This time, it was the only sound reverberating through the abandoned factory. The shot echoed, and sparks flew. The bullet hurtled through the air toward V, who was surrounded by the men chatting away, all unharmed, as if the chaos around them had never happened. Suddenly, the world seemed to spin, and in the blink of an eye, the bullet was right beside V's torso, where Bill now stood next to him. His eyes were fixed on V, his otherwise smooth, slicked-back black hair disheveled, falling forward. His blue eyes shone, his face painted with blue blood, which splattered everywhere. His smile stretched impossibly wide, revealing teeth glistening with blue blood.

With lightning speed, he aimed his revolver at V's torso.

Bang! Pow!

He squeezed the trigger with a finger losing its skin, still clinging to flesh and blue blood.

Pow! Pow!

V recoiled, blue blood spraying from the wound in his side. His eyes widened in shock, but the smile lingered. "Ahahaha! Forgive me, Goddess of Blue Blood! I beg your pardon for my inappropriate behavior, divine one! Please, forgive me!" The blood disappeared, along with the holes the bullets had created in V's body. He smiled sheepishly, then erupted in laughter.

Click!

At the same time, Bill attempted to fire again, but the cylinder clicked empty. His smile remained, albeit overshadowed by laughter. The blue sharks continued to watch, disturbed. The men under V remained emotionless. Yet Bill and V laughed hysterically together. Bill attempted to strike V with his fists, but V merely stared back, his eyes glowing a deep blue. Blood congealed and dripped from Bill's wounds. He struggled to move, feeling weaker than before, yet his grin persisted, broad and wild. V kept his gaze locked on Bill's equally deep blue eyes, which seemed almost black now. Bill's veins threatened to burst from the pressure building within him. He gasped, his smile unwavering. Blood streamed from his eyes, nose, and mouth as the skin began to peel from his face, revealing more blue veins beneath.

The veins began to burst, breaking apart like the strands of a bridge. Blue blood flowed freely, his body disintegrating gradually. The grin on his face only grew wider. Small maggots began to emerge from his skin, multiplying by the second.

V watched the transformation unfold with fascination. "Now, that's what I call a successful metamorphosis. Oh, Goddess of Blue Blood, let this poor soul, who sacrificed his sanity and body for power, find peace! Allow me to redeem the souls that once indulged in sin!" He raised his arms toward the night sky, forming a V shape. But the only sound that filled the air was a series of sharp snaps, echoing in quick succession.

A man in black garb suddenly emerged from the chaos, violet eyes gleaming beneath raven-black hair.