The Presence of True Fear Normally, Blood Mutants were always on the side of showing and instilling fear in their enemies. The title that came with being a Blood Mutant made them feel powerful, using it to their advantage when faced against their enemies. It was well-known across the Akrina Galaxy that Blood Mutants were dangerous, bloodthirsty entities driven by an unhealthy lust for blood. The fact that they manipulated the one substance almost every living being possessed solidified their reputation. However, it was a rare occasion for Blood Mutants to be on the receiving end of fear. Usually, they were the ones accustomed to striking that element into their enemies. Yet, experiencing the same effect directed back at them wasn’t a pleasant experience, especially if the one inflicting the fear possessed similar abilities. In this state, the two Blood Knights, Anya and Jim, found themselves on the receiving end of fear, for they were in the presence of true power and fear. All around them lay the bodies of incinerated Ethisians and a few Granians, all consumed in an instant by scorching orange flames. Those who still survived inched closer to the Blood Knights, hoping they would protect them from whatever ignited the flames. Among those seeking protection from Anya and Jim was Lily, the ’human impersonator’ assigned with keeping an eye on the Humans to ensure no harm befell them. Assessing the situation, Lily immediately had two ships on standby, ready to collect the Blood Knights in case either one of them needed to escape quickly. "Where did these flames come from?" "Please, Mutants. Protect us. Protect us from those things. Whatever they are, protect us." The questions flooded in; fear and panic gripping the Granians, leading to hasty decisions. Unbeknownst to them, the cause of the scattered Ethisian guts and orange flames was another Blood Mutant. The roar and flame type were familiar to Jim and Anya, who could differentiate between Blood Mutant roars and those of other creatures. Moreover, the flames had a distinct intensity and smell, reminiscent of molten iron and ash. "This isn’t the work of those Blood Mutant siblings, right?" Anya panicked, hoping it was all a prank or some twisted joke from the others. However, seeing Jim’s response to the situation dashed those hopes, affirming they were in a dangerous position. "It must be...could be Cherry’s. She’s got orange hair and it matches the flames, right?" "This isn’t one of ours," Lily interjected, having a faint idea of what was happening. "Only two of the four of you can make flames right? I-if that’s the case... this... this must be the work of..." Emerging from the flames was another Blood Mutant, just as the Blood Knights suspected. The two could discern the difference in strength between them and it just from its appearance alone. Fınd the newest release on 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵⚑𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⚑𝓷𝓮𝓽 "Finally, the Granians and their Blood Mutants have come out of hiding," the Blood Mutant spoke, possessing a more feminine voice and shape. Its silhouette in the flames shifted into a more defined image of itself. Like the others, it too had blood for skin, stood at eight feet, and had a horrendous face with large and long teeth and claws. The distinct appearance it had was orange blood for skin, accounting the color of its flames. "My god!!" Anya froze in fear while Jim tensed his body. Judging from the Mutant, he could sense its incredible speed just from the way it attacked their forces at once. Also, the way it used all the Ethisian bodies to its advantage was another cause for caution. "Look at that thing...." "We can’t.... we can’t beat it..." Jim admitted. There was no need for them to test that theory out. If they tried, they wouldn’t know if they’d survive what would follow. "It belongs to the Ethisians," Lily shuddered, her body pulsating with tremors. "It’s one of the Ethisian’s Mutants but... I’ve never seen this one before?" "What the hell do you mean?" Anya angrily asked, wondering what the Granian insinuated. "Don’t the Ethisians have two?" "They do, but none were this color..." Lily froze, realization dawning on her. "They’ve done it too... they went back to Earth and acquired more Humans and turned them into...." The most fierce and tormenting blow any of the Mutants ever faced sent their bodies through the hard ice with blood spewing from their bodies. In one moment, the orange Mutant was a few meters away, and in the next, it had attacked both of them at once. Jim and Anya’s bodies shut down momentarily, their eyes waxed and faded into multiple shades of black and red. Breathing became unbelievably hard, muscle memory shut down temporarily, making it hard for them to move. Their bodies remained motionless, stunned, and drenched in pain. The Blood Knights had been subjected to pain before, but none of it compared to what they were experiencing now. "I...I’d...I’d rather... have those...damned symbiotes... injected in... me than be in this... PAIN!!" Anya complained, coughing up her own blood as she forced herself up. Thankfully, the Blood Knight had stored enough blood which she consumed to let her body heal. In a few moments, she and Jim climbed out of their holes and witnessed the Mutant holding Lily by her neck, draining the blood from her body slowly and painfully. Reluctantly, they both rushed to her side, Anya forming a Blood Spike in her hands while Jim generated his special aspect, Electric Blood. The Mutant’s body was zapped, immediately causing it to drop the Granian. Quickly, the Blood Knights grabbed the Granian and fell back at a safe distance. Meanwhile, Jim intensified the voltage of his attack, another aspect he perfected during his training sessions with Lord Grania. "I can’t believe it... it’s... melting?" Before their eyes, the Humans, Lily, and a few surviving Granians witnessed the Blood Mutant’s body melt into a thick orange pool of sludge. It seemed that Jim’s attack broke down its coagulative abilities, turning it into a sludgy mess. But it didn’t make sense. How was it possible that a Blood Mutant much stronger than they was defeated that easily? It didn’t account for or make any sense whatsoever, unless... it had to be something else. "No bones... no flesh... no nothing..." Anya approached the sludge. Sticking her finger in it, she didn’t feel any solid material to show that it was at least human. "This isn’t a Blood Mutant... it’s a clone..." "Makes more sense," the realization hit, making perfect sense as to why the Blood Knight was able to do so. Despite that, the fact that the original was able to give its clone autonomy was a testimony of its strength. Neither of the Granian’s Mutants had the ability to create countless clones, let alone give them autonomy, speech, and the ability to fight on their own. "This is just a slap in our faces..." Anya complained. "...no, the right definition would be an insult to us and how weak we are..." "If this is a clone, then the original must be nearby," a weak and fainted Lily declared, calling the Granian ships to her side. Their job was done. The planet was eradicated and liberated of the Ethisians, keeping it in Granian control once more. There was no need for them to stay any longer, especially after what had just transpired. "If we stay any longer and another shows up, none of us will leave here alive." Quickly, the Granians left the planet faster than they arrived. What was once expected to be a glorious victory was one of shame. They did come out victorious but once again, they were reminded of the Ethisians and their strengths. Just their soldiers alone were strong, and their Blood Mutants were capable of creating sentient clones capable of creating and having conscious thoughts. If they didn’t take the chance to leave and report what they saw, they stood at risk of losing the war. In the ship, making their way back to one of the many Granian colonies to make reports, the two Blood Knights remained dumbstruck at how strong the clone was. Even though they didn’t experience its full strength, they couldn’t get over its speed and conscious actions but what was most frightening was that it wasn’t the original. "If the clone was that strong, how strong is the original?" Anya posed the question, dwelling deeper into the threatening situation they managed to survive. "That’s the least worrying thing about it," Jim declared. "That clone had more strength than we did. It could speak, move incredibly fast, and it also had that Blood Fire Skill Ace and Cherry have. We haven’t learned it, they haven’t perfected it, but a clone did. But it brings me back to your question. How strong is the original?" "That shouldn’t worry you two anymore," Lily approached them, carrying a Blood pack next to her to replenish the amount the clone took from her. "The possibility of any of you two encountering the originals is slim. We analyzed and learned the way the Ethisians handle their Mutants. Unlike the way we treat you, they treat their Mutants as trump cards..." "They’ll only release them when we’re about to win this war. We’ve seen it before and it’s sure to happen again. However, they could change at any moment and for that reason, we’re having some of our Elite Warriors escort you in battle." No amount of reassurance would amount to anything compared to how petrified the Blood Knights were. Now they realized just how strong the Ethisian’s Mutants were and why the Granians cried and bellyached ever since they lost control over them. On the plus side, this experience was the birth of a new resolve for Anya and Jim. To get to that level of strength was their new goal. The important question was how quickly would they get there before another encounter.