[The Council Chambers] Anticipation began to mount in the Council Chambers, an awkward silence dampening the building’s already dimly lit, moody walls. Around the large table sat High Ruler Enor, his mate Elenor, and his High Grades, Commander and Elenor. Kneeling before them was another High Grade, a slim-bodied Ethisian named Elyssara. Wounds healing, the Ethisian opened her mouth and began to lament the news she had for her superiors. Now that no other species were present in the room, she began to freely give out this crucial information that, if executed well, would most likely lighten the mood of her superiors and ultimately, her fellow soldiers. "Thanks to my double defeat against Grim," she spoke, her purple eyes pulsating a faint glow while the last of her wounds finally sealed, "I was able to increase in strength and upgraded my skills in Eneraflux greatly. It cost me a lot. My body shrunk, my muscle mass shredded and withered, but it was all worth it for I advanced from a simple Elite Warrior to a High Grade in a short amount of time. "My efforts didn’t come without any challenges. I remember how I was scrutinized by my peers for ’using the dark arts’ to increase my strength. Many thought I used magic, others thought I had somehow possessed the body of a dead High Grade which explained my sudden weight loss. Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹✦𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✦𝓷𝓮𝓽 "I remember plainly how you, High Ruler and High Grade Commander, questioned whether I was fit to lead the Bastion Planet. You didn’t trust that I’d be able to do something great with my new talents and I did not blame you. But alas..." She paused with a gentle but cocky smirk growing on her face. The Ethisian parted her arms to her sides, her tail swinging left to right as she rightfully bragged; "...I’ve managed to do what none of you could. I’ve disabled a Blood Mutant and not just any Blood Mutant. As of now, the male Blood Mutant with orange hair cannot use his Blood Powers, nor can he transform, nor can he summon his Blood Army to assist him in War." ""Impossible!!"" they all muttered in disbelief and utter shock. This news truly was incredible. So incredible that it was... "A lie," Empress Elenor sneered, "that is an obvious and blatant lie. How could you have possibly disabled the Blood Mutant? Yes, I know you have the strength to go toe-to-toe with it but not even you can kill him, not with Grim protecting him." "I didn’t say I killed him," Ely smirked once more, her purple eyes gleaming with pride while she stared down her Empress, "I simply disabled him. Now he is as useful as any of his species. He cannot control blood, he cannot summon it, he cannot wield, weaponize, or manipulate it to his will. He is absolutely powerless." Enor, Elenor, Commander, and Elenor looked at the High Grade in disbelief once again in utter shock. They couldn’t believe for even a second that what the High Grade had done was true. No, it couldn’t have been done. Could it? There was no way of proving whether what she had done was true or not. "This can’t be true," Empress Elenor disagreed again, "maybe your head got hit so hard that you imagined this. It happens a lot in war, especially to small-bodied warriors such as yourse..." Enor nudged his mate before turning to the High Grade. Unlike Elenor, Enor was more patient with Ely and waited for her to explain herself clearly. "Do you have any way of proving to us that what you’re saying is true?" he asked, hoping that the High Grade was in fact speaking the truth and not spitting lies to find favor in her superiors’ eyes. "At least show us how you did it." "Gladly..." she answered but then went quiet. Since Enor wasn’t a Blood Mutant, there was no way Ely could "block" his Blood Aura. She had to find something else to block, something to show that Blood Aura could be blocked too. "High Ruler Enor," she spoke with her arms folded by her sides, "I’m going to ask you to increase your energy output greatly." Without giving it a second thought, Enor did as the High Grade said and unleashed his strength. A bright, whitish-purple aura consumed his body and flowed outwards. It was smooth and tranquil, peaceful like the Ethisian’s temperament. Unlike the others’ auras which were often wild, agitated, or intense, Enor’s was smooth, almost like hot steam rising from a cup of hot liquids. Ely smirked and unleashed her aura. Separate from Enor’s, hers was bright, large, and wild, flowing as it wished. It did so for a while until the Ethisian conjured it into a small dome shape. Slowly, the dome shrunk into her body until she released it only far enough to touch Enor. The dome slowly disappeared once it passed through Enor and then, something odd happened. The Ethisian’s white aura vanished, almost as though it never existed. It didn’t look like it was deactivated. Instead, it looked as though something came and snatched it from under his feet. "Err...wha...what happened?" Enor’s eyes widened, his mouth trembling while his mind struggled to come up with what to say. Commander, Empress Elenor, and High Grade Elenor also had the same reaction. They didn’t understand what exactly happened to Enor’s aura so they encouraged him to activate it once more. "I can’t," he replied, "I...can’t increase neither my input nor output. It’s like...it’s like it’s gone. I don’t feel any ounce of energy in me." The four of them gazed at the High Grade who cockily stood motionless with pride wearing itself on her face. She had done it, she had proved what exactly she had done to the Blood Mutant. "For now," she answered while taking her energy from Enor’s body and placing it back into her own, "only I can revert the effect of the skill by manually taking out my energy. I didn’t steal your energy. All I did was conceal it and limit it with my own. "That way, you weren’t able to use Eneraflux whatsoever. No matter how many times you tried, you were never going to activate it. As we speak, that orange-haired male Blood Mutant cannot and will not be using his Blood Abilities anytime soon, High Rulers." The High Grade concluded as she bent the knee. Looking down, she pleaded saying, "I ask that you grant me a ship and travel privileges to do the same to the other Blood Mutants. Once we do, I believe the morale of all our soldiers will increase. "Imagine how they’ll fight knowing the Blood Mutants won’t do a thing to them?"