Blood God Reborn as the Mudblood Heir

His weak body followed the pattern without standing. Even lying on the blanket, his blood started moving in the shape of the technique. Brant felt the air change and took one step back.

Jenny held Jake close.

Jake whispered, "Is Peter doing it?"

Lucard did not look away. "He is beginning."

Peter’s aura path trembled.

The crack that had opened during the three days began to widen.

Pain returned to Peter’s face. His teeth clenched. His hands shook. The modified white blood cells responded to the new pressure and moved toward the opened path like workers strengthening a bridge while a storm hit it. Lucard guided them. Too much pressure would break Peter. Too little would fail.

"Breathe," Lucard ordered.

Peter breathed.

"Again."

Peter breathed again.

"Remember who stands behind you."

Jenny’s fingers tightened around Jake.

Peter’s eyes opened.

They were red from pain, but clear.

He looked at Jake first.

Then Jenny.

Then the old fear inside him changed shape.

It did not disappear.

It became a wall.

A faint red light appeared around Peter’s chest.

Brant’s eyes widened. "Aura."

This time, it did not vanish immediately.

The red light flickered like a candle in wind. It moved over Peter’s skin, then sank back into him, then appeared again near his shoulders. Peter groaned and tried to sit up.

Lucard said, "Do not move with muscle. Move with blood."

Peter stopped forcing his arms. He changed his breath instead.

The red aura answered.

It spread slowly from his chest to his shoulders, then down his arms. It was thin and unstable, but it was aura. Real aura. Not the short spark from before. Not a dying flash caused by pain. This was power following a path.

Brant stood frozen.

A Rank Four knight knew the feeling of aura better than anyone in the room. What Peter had awakened was not common. Normal aura had many colors depending on technique, body, and will. Some were pale gold, some blue, some gray, some brown. Peter’s aura was red because Lucard’s sword art had opened it through blood rhythm.

Red aura.

Crimson Guardian Sword.

Peter’s body lifted slowly from the blanket.

Jenny stepped forward. "Peter."

Lucard raised one hand to stop her. "Let him."

Peter sat up with shaking arms. His face was pale, and sweat still covered him, but a thin red aura surrounded his body like mist. He looked down at his own hands as if they belonged to someone else.

"I feel it," he whispered.

The words came out broken, but full of disbelief.

Brant’s voice became low. "He crossed."

Jake’s eyes widened. "Peter is Rank Four?"

Lucard watched the aura carefully. "Newly crossed. Unstable. Weak for Rank Four. But yes."

Peter heard it.

For a moment, he could not speak.

Then tears fell from his eyes.

He had been stuck for years. He had carried shame until it became part of his bones. He had asked to leave because he thought the only way forward was to abandon the people he wanted to protect and chase strength in unknown places.

Now the power he had wanted for so long was burning around his arms.

Red.

Weak.

But real.

Peter lowered his head toward Lucard, but his body almost fell forward.

Brant caught him by the shoulder.

Peter still forced the words out. "Young Master... thank you."

Lucard stood. "Do not thank me yet. You have a path, not mastery. Your aura is open, but if you use it like a fool, it will scatter. If you train wrongly, it may damage your blood. If you become proud, Brant will beat you until you remember you are only newly Rank Four."

Brant blinked. "I will?"

Lucard looked at him. "You are the elder retainer."

Brant immediately straightened. "Yes. I will."

Peter gave a weak laugh, then winced from the pain.

Lucard continued, "For the next seven days, you will not fight unless the house is attacked. You will practice only breathing, standing, and drawing aura around the arms. No full sword swings. No showing off. No sparring with Ash Wolf fools who want to test you."

Peter nodded quickly. "Yes, Young Master."

Lucard looked toward the wooden practice sword near the wall. It moved suddenly as a blood thread wrapped around it and pulled it into Peter’s hand.

Peter caught it weakly.

"Use the first stance," Lucard said.

Jenny looked worried. "Can he even stand?"

"He only needs one breath."

Brant helped Peter rise.

Peter’s legs shook so badly that Jake looked ready to run forward, but Jenny held him back. Peter stood with Brant’s support at first. Then slowly, he moved his feet into the stance Lucard had sent into his mind. One foot back. One foot forward. Knees slightly bent. Sword low, close to the body. Shoulders relaxed. Breath held deep.

The red aura flickered again.

This time, it followed the sword.

A thin red line covered the wooden blade.

It was faint, but everyone saw it.

Peter stared at the sword.

His lips trembled.

"I can use aura."

Lucard said, "You can begin to use aura."

Peter corrected himself at once. "I can begin to use aura."

"Good."

Jake could no longer hold himself back. "Peter, you look strong."

Peter turned his head slowly. "Young Lord, I will become stronger."

Jake nodded hard. "You have to. I ordered you to live, so now I order you to become strong too."

Peter lowered the wooden sword and bowed as much as his body allowed. "Then I obey."

Jenny wiped her eyes quickly before anyone could say anything.

Lucard looked at Peter’s red aura and judged the result. The breakthrough was rough, but useful. Peter had not become a great knight in one night. He had become a Rank Four seed. If he practiced Crimson Guardian Sword properly, his aura would grow thicker, his body would adapt, and his loyalty would become a weapon that protected the house.

A useful result.

Inside Lucard’s mind, a system message appeared.

[Target Peter has awakened aura.]

[Rank Advancement Confirmed: Rank Three Knight → Rank Four Knight.]

[Aura Attribute: Blood-Linked Crimson Aura.]

[Technique Seed Detected: Crimson Guardian Sword, First Layer.]

[Note: Target’s future growth will depend on practice, combat pressure, blood stability, and oath strength.]

Lucard read the notification without showing it.

Peter’s aura trembled once more, then sank back into his body. His legs gave out immediately. Brant caught him before he fell.

Jenny stepped forward this time. Lucard did not stop her.

Peter looked almost unconscious, but there was a peaceful expression on his face. Pain still held him, but despair no longer did.

Lucard turned toward the door. "Put him in bed. Feed him broth, water, and soft meat when he wakes. No wine. No heavy food. Brant, teach him basic aura control after two days, but do not touch the sword art itself. That is mine to correct."

Brant bowed his head. "Understood."

Peter’s weak voice came from Brant’s arms. "Young Master."

Lucard stopped.

Peter opened his eyes slightly. The red aura was gone, but something in him had changed forever.

"I will protect them."

Lucard looked at him for a moment.

"Then practice until that sentence becomes true."

Peter closed his eyes and smiled faintly.

For the first time since House Vardros had fallen, its loyal knight had crossed the wall.