An abandoned highway bridge stretched across a silent river.
Moonlight reflected off dark water below.
Standing at the center of the bridge, hands in his pockets—
Toji Fushiguro waited.
He could feel it.
A presence approaching.
Heavy.
Emotional.
Focused.
From the opposite end of the bridge, footsteps echoed slowly.
Red eyes. Long dark hair. Blood aura simmering.
Choso.
The Reason
Choso stopped ten meters away.
"You've been killing sorcerers."
Toji said nothing.
Choso's gaze sharpened.
"My brothers suffered because of this world."
A faint surge of blood energy coiled around him.
"I won't allow more pointless death."
Toji tilted his head slightly.
"Then leave."
Choso's expression hardened.
"No."
Blood gathered at his fingertips.
Piercing Blood
"Piercing Blood."
A razor-thin, high-pressure stream shot forward at blinding speed.
Toji leaned sideways—
The beam sliced through the concrete railing behind him like paper.
Impressive accuracy.
Impressive speed.
Choso didn't stop.
Multiple blood projectiles curved mid-air, changing angles unpredictably.
Toji moved like flowing water.
Minimal steps.
Minimal effort.
Each attack missed by inches.
Close Combat
Choso suddenly condensed blood around his arms—
Hardening it like armor.
He dashed forward.
Toji met him head-on.
Their fists collided.
Shockwaves rippled across the bridge.
Choso was strong.
Stronger than most sorcerers physically.
But Toji's movements were sharper.
More efficient.
He slipped inside Choso's guard—
Elbow to the jaw.
Knee to the ribs.
Choso staggered but retaliated, forming a blood blade across his forearm and slashing downward.
Toji blocked with a cursed tool—
Sparks flew.
Blood Manipulation Unleashed
Choso bit his thumb.
Blood spread across the bridge surface.
Suddenly—
It erupted upward in spikes.
Toji jumped back, coat sliced slightly at the edge.
Choso's breathing deepened.
He was analyzing.
Unlike others, he wasn't reckless.
"You're reading intent," Choso muttered.
"To fight you… I must erase mine."
He closed his eyes briefly.
Then attacked without emotion.
No anger.
No hesitation.
Just calculation.
For the first time—
Toji was pushed two steps back.
Instinct vs Precision
Choso launched a final combination—
Piercing Blood from distance while charging with reinforced blood armor.
Two angles.
Two threats.
One second.
Toji stepped forward—
Not away.
He deflected the beam with the flat of his blade—
Then drove straight through Choso's guard.
His fist slammed into Choso's chest.
CRACK.
Ribs fractured.
Choso dropped to one knee.
Blood techniques flickered unstable.
The Outcome
Toji held a blade near Choso's throat.
Silence filled the bridge.
Choso coughed, blood dripping from his lips.
"Finish it."
Toji stared at him for a long moment.
"You're fighting for someone."
Choso didn't respond.
But his eyes said enough.
Toji lowered his blade.
"I don't kill brothers protecting family."
He stepped back.
Choso's eyes widened slightly.
"Why?"
Toji turned toward the darkness.
"Because I failed mine."
He walked away without looking back.
Aftermath
Choso remained kneeling on the bridge, breathing heavily.
Defeated.
But alive.
He watched Toji disappear into the night.
This wasn't a mindless killer.
This was something far