Next Hero-God

Ji-Hye tried to step out from her hiding spot, but Soul grabbed her arm, pulling her back into the shadows. He drew a small blade and pricked his hand, watching as the blood welled up from the cut. Instead of dripping, the blood coiled and spun, moving with a life of its own. He concentrated, guiding it into a thin, swirling sheet that gradually formed into a mask-like shape.

The others watched as the blood began to twist and swirl, building a mask that seemed to have its own pulse. It looked like it might crawl off at any moment. Soul handed it to Ji-Hye, who hesitated about taking it.

"Put it on," Soul said quietly, but with a firmness that left no room for debate.

"Ugh... man, what?" Hyun-Ki said, his face twisting in discomfort. "Disgusting."

"We have to hide our faces," Soul replied. "I don't need to explain why, do I?"

Ji-Hye took the mask, and as she held it to her face, it seemed to come alive, wrapping around her skin, clinging tightly, and shifting to fit her features. She grimaced as the mask's cool, viscous texture pressed against her skin, as if the blood were still alive.

Soul formed masks for the rest of the group, each one a unique pattern of swirling blood that shifted as it settled into place. Nia wrinkled her nose as the mask adhered to her face, feeling the odd sensation of it adjusting, as if it were searching for the perfect fit. Hyun-Ki groaned, lips curling as the mask tightened, clinging to every contour.

"This is – awesome. But disgusting." said Hyun-Ki. "Wow."

"Indeed." Ōkora replied. "That's really, really interesting!"

"Hmm."

Ji-Hye moved silently through the dim chamber, her blood mask concealing her identity as she crept up to the nearest guard. He was oblivious to her presence, facing the other direction. She drew her blade and stepped forward, striking him with a fatal blow to the back. The guard collapsed, his armor clattering against the stone floor.

The noise startled the prisoners in their cells, and their fearful screams filled the room. The sudden commotion grabbed the attention of the other guards, who turned with their weapons ready, looking for the source of the disturbance.

"Who – what the!" one of the guards shouted, his voice high with alarm. "Who are you!"

Another guard squinted at Ji-Hye, struggling to make out her form in the dimness. "She has – wait, is that fucking blood? Fuck! Fuck!" he stammered, taking a step back. "She's a blood magic user!"

"What?" another guard yelled, his eyes darting around the chamber. "Blood magic user?"

"Gods!" a fourth guard shouted as he drew his weapon. "Attack her! Don't let her bleed you!"

One of the seven guards lunged at Ji-Hye, swinging his sword with aggressive force. The blade came at her in a low arc, aiming for her side. Ji-Hye reacted immediately, raising her sword to deflect the attack.

Ji-Hye changed her stance, blocking the guard's attack, and then thrust her blade into his stomach. The guard's eyes widened in shock as the blade pierced through his armor, blood spreading across his tunic. He staggered backward, clutching at his wound.

"Next one," she said, shoving him aside, allowing him to collapse with a cry of pain.

The group quickly made work of the remaining guards. Ji-Hye's efficiency in battle set the tone, each move sharp and decisive.

While all that was happening, Soul remained still, his dull expression unchanged as he watched the others dispatch the guards one by one. He didn't flinch as the guards fell, his eyes following the violence with a detached calm.

"We're done," Ji-Hye said, stabbing the last guard, pinning him to the ground. "Assholes..."

"That's all?" Hyun-Ki asked, exhaling deeply. "Phew."

"Please, help us!" said a prisoner. "God – please! Please! They are monsters!"

"Please!" pleaded another one. "I'm sick of praying… I can't sleep in this damned cell! I'm going crazy!"

"Calm down, people." Nia said. "We'll set you free."

Ji-Hye crouched beside the subdued guard, grabbing a handful of his hair and yanking him toward her. The guard groaned in pain, his eyes lighting with fear as he glanced at the others. "Now – tell me what you're doing here," she demanded, her voice like steel.

"I swear... we're doing it for our god! Ur! We worship him!" the guard sputtered, blood trickling from his mouth as he spoke.

"You force other people to pray in his name. You torture them. This isn't what Ur would have wanted!" Her blood mask reacted to her anger, the color darkening, its texture rippling as if boiling from within.

"What?" The guard laughed, coughing up more blood. "It's exactly what he wants! He's the supreme god! Controller of life and death!"

"Shut up, don't lie!" Ji-Hye slammed the guard's head against the floor, then yanked him back toward her. "Tell me who these people are!"

"They're not Ur-blessed! They're worthless! We make them pray to Ur!" The guard's words spilled out in a desperate rush. "The champion of Ur ordered us to kidnap them and make them pray! It might look bad, but this is what we have to do if we want him to become our next Hero-God Take!"

The moment he finished speaking, Lilith stepped forward and stomped on his face, the force of the impact crushing his skull. A gruesome mess of blood and shattered bones spread across the floor.

"Hero-God Take..." She clenched her fist, the anger flashing on her face. "Fuck your gods. Fuck your beliefs if you think this is okay."

Ji-Hye stood up, brushing off a patch of blood that had splashed onto her chin. She turned away, her gaze settling on Hyun-Ki and the others. After a moment, she turned back to Lilith and nodded with a deep breath.

"So… how do you plan on killing the gods?"