Lucid processed the statement. The word efficient hung in the quiet space unanswered.
He looked at her dark eyes. They reflected the deep violet glow from the window.
He did not know how to categorize the compliment.
It felt raw and strictly practical.
'She views boundaries as obstacles.'
'And I just bypassed the obstacle.' Lucid thought.
He rested his hands on his knees. The iron wheels of the carriage continued their rhythmic grinding beneath the floorboards. The vibration traveled up through the legs of the bed.
"Most people prefer a knock," Lucid pointed out.
He kept his voice low.
"Most people waste time," Ayame countered smoothly, she uncrossed her legs. She shifted her weight closer to him on the narrow mattress. "Time spent waiting at a door is time lost. You recognized a necessity. You acted upon it. That is the nature of a weapon. A blade does not ask permission to cut."
Lucid watched her move. Her dark garments rustled softly against the heavy blankets. The collar of her robe had loosened during her meditation. The fabric draped loosely over her shoulders, revealing the smooth, pale skin of her collarbone. The chill of the room seemed completely irrelevant to her.
"I came in here to figure out our supply problem," Lucid reminded her. He wanted to maintain a grip on the immediate tactical situation. "Arthur is starving. Valen is useless."
Ayame closed the remaining distance between them. She stopped when her knees lightly brushed against his leg. The proximity forced Lucid to tilt his head up slightly to maintain eye contact.
"I am also empty," Ayame stated. Her voice dropped into a lower register. The blunt admission carried an undeniable weight.
Lucid studied her face. He noted the faint tension in her jaw. He saw the subtle, predatory focus sharpening her dark eyes. She was an Oni. Her physical strength and her ability to manipulate fate essence relied directly upon him. The carriage held no food. The void offered nothing to normal humans. If they needed to hunt the entities drifting outside the reinforced glass, she required fuel to create the metaphysical platform. She needed his blood.
"You did not mention your hunger in the lounge," Lucid observed.
"They do not need to know the mechanics of my survival," Ayame replied. "They only need to know that I am capable of protecting the group. Announcing a weakness to a thief and an untested knight is a profound tactical error."
She reached up with her right hand. She grasped the edges of her dark robe. With a single, smooth motion, she pushed the heavy fabric off her shoulders. The garment pooled around her waist. Her upper body was left completely bare in the dim light. The purple luminescence from the void washed over her pale skin, highlighting the lean, dense musculature of her torso.
Lucid forced his breathing to remain entirely steady. He did not look away this time. He understood the profound trust inherent in her vulnerability.
"You need energy to build the platform," Lucid said. He stated the fact plainly.
"Yes," Ayame confirmed. She leaned forward. Her bare chest hovered inches from his shirt. "Building a physical structure outside the carriage requires a massive expenditure of fate essence. My internal reserves are completely depleted. I cannot manipulate the void without sustenance."
'She is asking without asking,' Lucid realized. 'She is presenting the logic.'
He raised his hands. He placed his palms gently against her bare waist. Her skin felt cool to the touch, yet a deep, dormant heat radiated from beneath the surface. He felt the solid ridges of her abdominal muscles under his fingers.
"Take what you need," Lucid commanded softly.
Ayame did not hesitate. The efficiency she praised in him existed perfectly within herself. She shifted her body upward and moved over him. She pressed her bare chest against his clothed torso, her weight pressing him backward onto the mattress. Lucid adjusted his position, allowing his back to rest flat against the blankets.
She straddled his hips. Her dark hair cascaded downward like a curtain, enclosing them in a private shadow separate from the purple light of the room. She lowered her head toward his neck.
Lucid felt the brush of her lips against his skin. The sensation was immediately followed by the sharp, precise puncture of her fangs. He drew in a sharp breath through his teeth. A brief flare of pain radiated outward from his collarbone. He closed his eyes and focused on the ceiling.
Ayame began to draw his blood. Her swallows were slow, heavy, and deeply rhythmic.
Lucid felt the familiar drain on his system. The Chain of Heart pulsed softly within his chest. It worked to replenish the fate essence she was rapidly extracting. Without Alice present to moderate the flow, the transfer felt raw and unrefined. A dull ache began to build behind his temples, but he ignored the discomfort. He kept his hands firmly planted on her lower back, anchoring her to him.
The physical reaction within Ayame was instantaneous. As she consumed his blood, her body began to change. Lucid felt the muscles beneath his palms thicken and expand. Her physical density increased. The cool temperature of her skin rapidly vanished, replaced by a searing, intense heat that burned through the fabric of his shirt. Her Oni heritage processed the raw divine essence, converting it immediately into physical power and metaphysical reserves.
She pressed heavier against him. Her breathing grew ragged and deep. The sharp sting in his neck transitioned into a strange, numbing warmth. The charged intimacy of the moment completely saturated the small cabin. The sound of her feeding and the distant mechanical grind of the carriage wheels were the only noises in existence.
'She is getting heavier,' Lucid noted internally. He felt the increased pressure on his ribs. He adjusted his grip on her back, his fingers tracing the rigid line of her spine.
Ayame continued to feed for several long minutes. She drank with a focused, desperate intensity. The lack of regular food had clearly taken a significant toll on her supernatural frame. She was taking more than usual, ensuring her reserves were completely maximized for the upcoming hunt in the void.
Eventually, the heavy swallowing slowed. She broke the connection.
Ayame pulled her head back. She let out a long, shuddering breath. A thin trail of crimson marked the corner of her lips. She wiped it away casually with the back of her wrist. Her dark eyes no longer held the flat, detached calm from earlier. They glowed with a vibrant, fierce red light. The energy rolling off her frame was palpable. It felt like standing directly beside an open furnace.
Lucid looked up at her. Her face was flushed. The lean muscles of her chest and arms looked significantly more defined. The physical transformation was a direct testament to the potency of his essence.
"Is that sufficient," Lucid asked. His voice sounded slightly raspy.
Ayame looked down at him. She rested her palms flat against his chest. "It is more than sufficient. My core is completely saturated."
She did not immediately move off him. She remained seated astride his hips, her bare skin glowing in the dim light. She tilted her head, observing the twin puncture wounds on his neck. The marks were already beginning to close, his enhanced biology working quickly to repair the minor damage.
"You did not resist the drain," Ayame noted. Her glowing red eyes locked onto his face. "You allowed me to take a dangerous amount."
"You said you needed to build a platform in the void," Lucid replied simply. "I provided the necessary materials. It is a simple transaction."
A very faint, almost imperceptible smile touched the corners of her mouth. "You categorize it as a transaction. I categorize it as a bond."
She pushed herself up off his chest. She moved with a newly restored, terrifying grace. She stood beside the bed and reached down to the floorboards. She gathered her discarded dark robe and pulled it fluidly over her shoulders. She fastened the fabric quickly, concealing her enhanced physique beneath the heavy material.
Lucid sat up slowly. He rolled his shoulders, testing his own energy levels. The dull ache in his head persisted, and a wave of fatigue washed over him, but he remained perfectly functional. He wiped a fresh drop of blood from his nose, confirming that the unguided use of the Chain of Heart was still exacting a minor toll.
He looked at her for a second.
"This brings back memories..." He whispered.
Ayame only looked at him.
"Yes... Memories." Her lips curled upward to a smile.
Lucid observed her, it was... an elegant smile but also chilling.
"Are you ready to hunt," Ayame asked. She turned her back to the window, facing him completely. The red glow faded from her eyes, returning them to their normal, impenetrable dark state.
"I am ready," Lucid confirmed. He stood up from the mattress. He adjusted the collar of his shirt to hide the fresh marks on his neck.
"We will need to exit through the rear maintenance hatch," Lucid instructed, moving toward the cabin door.