CHAPTER 80: CHAPTER 14.2: THE CRIMSON AWAKENING PART 2

The workshop buzzed with activity as Jin hovered over the Crawler parts, his eyes—now streaked with red—examined the glowing chitin. Elena instinctively took a step back as the metallic smell of Crawlers blood.

**[CRAFTING INTERFACE ACTIVATED]**

**[ENHANCED MATERIALS DETECTED]**

**[NEW RECIPES AVAILABLE: CHITIN-REINFORCED QUANTUM BLADE, BIO-LUMINESCENT ARMOR PLATING]**

"The neural tissue is still fresh," Elena noted, her cybernetic eye analyzing the organic components. "If we hook it up with the quantum matrices, we could boost weapon responsiveness by, like, thirty-seven percent."

Jin’s fingers traced the edge of a chitin plate, feeling its structure vibrate in response to his touch. The whispers in his head grew louder, more tempting.

"Jin?" Clara’s soft voice broke through his concentration. She stood in the doorway, her glasses reflecting her worry. "You’ve been here for three hours straight. Maybe you should, you know, take a break?"

"I’m fine," Jin replied, his voice carrying that weird harmonic quality that sent shivers down Clara’s spine. "Everyone needs better gear."

"You need to chill out," Sera cut in, marching into the workshop with her usual military bearing. Her amber eyes locked onto his increasingly red gaze. "Look at yourself. You’re covered in blood, your eyes are practically glowing, and you’re talking like—"

"Like what?" Jin turned to face her completely, and for a second, Sera saw something predatory flash across his face. "Like someone else?"

Shūmei smoothly stepped between them, handing Jin a clean towel. "Sera-san worries too much," she said sweetly, though her red eyes held a warning. "Jin-sama is just evolving to help us."

Rosa bounced into the room, trying to ease the tension. "Hey, whatever you’re making, can you make me one of those glowing swords? That would be so cool!"

Jin’s expression softened at Rosa’s enthusiasm, his protective instincts momentarily pushing back the entity’s influence. "Sure thing, Rosa. I’ll make yours next."

**[EXPERIMENTAL CRAFTING MODE: ENGAGED]**

**[WARNING: UNKNOWN RESULTS POSSIBLE]**

He started working with an intensity that bordered on obsession, combining the Crawler materials with quantum alloys in ways that defied normal physics.

Clara watched with growing fear as Jin’s eyes glowed brighter with each successful fusion. "J-Jin, please... you’re freaking me out."

The fear in Clara’s voice made Jin pause. He really looked at her—and for a moment, the red in his eyes faded. "Clara, I..."

But then he caught his reflection in the polished metal of the forge, and what he saw made him freeze. His eyes were now mostly red, with only flecks of his original brown remaining. His features looked sharper, more angular.

**[WARNING: PERSONALITY ALTERATION DETECTED]**

’Asha,’ he thought desperately, ’what’s happening to me?’

’What I’ve been trying to tell you. The entity—it’s trying to become part of you.’

Shūmei moved closer, her hand gently touching his arm. "Jin-sama’s transformation is beautiful," she whispered, just loud enough for everyone to hear.

The workshop fell silent except for the hum of the forges. Jin stood in the middle, torn between who he had been and whatever he was becoming, surrounded by people who cared about him but were increasingly scared of what he might turn into.

"I need to finish this," Jin said finally, his voice mixing determination with desperation. "One more weapon. Then I’ll rest."

But even as he went back to work, everyone knew that resting wouldn’t stop his transformation. The question wasn’t if Jin would change anymore, but whether any part of the man they knew would be left when it was over.

**[MEMORY RECOVERY: CRITICAL TRAUMA EVENT]**

**[GENETIC MEMORY ACTIVATION: REIKA TSURUGI FINAL MOMENTS]**

**[WARNING: PSYCHOLOGICAL STABILIZERS COMPROMISED]**

---

*The memory unfolded with crystal clarity, more real than any dream...*

Earlier that day, thirteen-year-old Jin had been practicing his katas in the family dojo, his mother watching with approval. Her long black hair was tied back in a traditional style, her movements graceful as she corrected his form.

"Your stance is too wide, Jin-kun," she said, gently adjusting his position. "Power comes from balance, not brute force."

"Yes, Mother," he replied, trying to mimic her perfect posture.

She smiled, ruffling his hair. "You’re improving every day. Soon, you’ll be better than I am."

"Never," he laughed. "You’re the best sword master in all of Japan."

Her expression softened. "And you’re the best son. Remember, Jin-kun, our family has protected others for generations.."

Later that evening, Jin woke up to raised voices coming from the main hall. Curiosity pulled him from his bed, and he found himself crouching behind the paper screen doors, listening as adult voices carried through the thin walls.

"The Phoenix Protocol research needs to be handed over to federal oversight," a cold voice announced—Jin would later learn this was Director Yamamoto from the Department of Genetic Security. "The Tsurugi Zaibatsu can’t keep developing human enhancement tech on their own. It violates the Genetic Purity Accords."

His mother’s voice remained calm despite the threat. "The Phoenix Protocol belongs to the Tsurugi clan. We developed it with our own money to help people. You have no right to take it."

"Lady Reika," another voice spoke—one Jin recognized immediately. "Be reasonable. If you cooperate, your family will stay prosperous. If you resist... well, bad things might happen."

Jin pressed closer to the screen, his young mind struggling to understand why his father’s voice was siding with this stranger.

"The Phoenix Protocol stays with the Tsurugi clan," his mother said firmly. "Our ancestors protected these bloodlines for twenty-seven generations. We’re not handing them over to bureaucrats who don’t understand honor or responsibility."

"Then you choose the hard way," Director Yamamoto replied. "Unfortunate, but not surprising. Your family pride has always been your downfall."

The sound of weapons being drawn—high-tech energy weapons, not the traditional swords his family cherished—filled the air with electronic whines. Jin wanted to rush in and protect his mother, but fear kept him frozen in place.

"Jin-kun," his mother called out, somehow knowing exactly where he was hiding. "Remember what I taught you about protecting others. Remember why our family exists. And remember..." Her voice caught, love and pain mixing together. "Remember that some people will betray those they claim to love for power."

"Mother!" Jin tried to scream, but only a whisper came out.

The energy weapons fired with sounds like thunder compressed into a split second. Through the paper screen, Jin watched his mother’s silhouette collapse, the graceful form that had taught him everything reduced to nothing.

"Secure the research data," Director Yamamoto ordered. "And the boy—he has the bloodline. The Phoenix Protocol will work best with Tsurugi genetic material."

"The boy wasn’t part of our deal," his father protested, and Jin’s heart broke as he finally understood. His father—his hero, the man who had taught him about honor—had betrayed them. Had traded his mother’s life for empty promises from government officials.

"Your wife’s defiance requires... insurance," Yamamoto said coldly. "He’ll be safe as long as you keep giving us access to Tsurugi resources."

"You said Reika would be allowed to live if I gave you the security codes," his father’s voice cracked with what might have been real pain. "You said—"

"I said a lot of things. Adults understand that words mean different things in different situations. Your wife’s cooperation was necessary. When she refused, we had to adjust our plans."

Jin covered his mouth to stop the sobs from escaping. His father—whom he had trusted more than anyone except his mother—had sold them out. Had traded his mother’s life for lies from federal agents.

"The boy goes into the Phoenix Protocol immediately," Yamamoto continued. "We’ll freeze him until we can study how the bloodline works. When he wakes up, he’ll serve the government his mother died fighting against, and he’ll never know his own father made it possible."

"Please," his father begged. "Let me talk to him. Let me—"

"You’ve done enough," Yamamoto cut him off. "Your son will wake up in a world where his mother’s ideals are dead. He’ll serve the government that killed her, and he’ll never know you helped make it happen."

After the men left, Jin finally found the courage to move. He crawled to his mother’s side, tears streaming down his face as he cradled her head in his lap.

"Mother," he whispered, "please wake up."

Her eyes fluttered open slightly, focusing on him with difficulty. "Jin-kun," she breathed, her voice weak. "Remember... remember who you are. Remember... our purpose. Protect... others..."

Her hand squeezed his once, then went limp.

"Mother? Mother!" Jin shook her gently, but she didn’t respond. He stayed there for hours, holding her until the soldiers came to take him away, his small body shaking with sobs that echoed through the empty estate.

*The memory shattered like glass, each piece cutting deeper than the last...*

---

Jin found himself back in the workshop, but everything looked different now. The edges were sharper, the shadows deeper. His hands shook as he gripped his katana, the quantum blade humming with energy that matched the rage building inside him.

**[TRAUMATIC MEMORY INTEGRATION: COMPLETE]**

**[PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS: DESTROYED]**

**[ENTITY SYNCHRONIZATION: 31% → 45%]**

**[BLOODLINE AWAKENING: 32% → 40%]**

**[EYE MANIFESTATION: 65% CRIMSON]**

*Now you see the truth,* the entity whispered with satisfaction. *The people closest to you will always betray you. Trust gets you killed. Power keeps you safe.*

The team stared at him in stunned silence. While he was lost in his memories, He have cold eyes, Jin had apparently been talking—muttering names, dates, accusations against people who’d been dead for over a century.

Clara cautiously approached him, tears in her eyes. "Jin? Are you... are you okay?"

The weight of centuries-old grief hung in the air as the team struggled to comprehend what he had experienced. Jin stood at the center of it all, caught between his past and present, his humanity and whatever power was consuming him from within.