Character from cradle-wintersteel by
Yerin's Blood Shadow — no longer a parasite but a person, with her own name, personality, and feelings. She merges with Yerin in the tournament finals, becoming part of a Herald.
Ruby was born as a parasite — a fragment of the Bleeding Phoenix that latched onto Yerin as a child. She should have consumed her host and become a mindless blood construct. Instead, Yerin's willpower and the Sword Sage's training forced the Blood Shadow to adapt, to grow, to develop alongside Yerin rather than consuming her. By Wintersteel, Ruby has become a person. She has a name she chose. She has opinions (she likes Lindon, she finds Yerin's social awkwardness both endearing and frustrating). She has combat instincts that complement Yerin's rather than copying them. She is, against all precedent, a Blood Shadow with a soul. The merger is not a death. Ruby doesn't die when she joins with Yerin — she becomes the foundation of Yerin's Herald advancement, her independence woven into Yerin's spirit permanently. The Sage of Red Faith, who has spent his entire life studying Blood Shadows, recognizes this as the most significant event in the history of blood madra cultivation.
Identical to Yerin but with red-tinged features — the same sharp face, the same sword-scarred hands, but with a warmth and expressiveness that Yerin rarely shows. She wields Netherclaw, a black sword, and her madra is blood-aspected sword aura. When she manifests separately from Yerin, she is a complete, independent being.
Also known as: Ruby, Yerin's Blood Shadow