SSS Ranked Awakening: I Can Rewind Time!-Chapter 34: She Had Been Tricked.

In that moment, my eyes widened in sheer terror and fear. However, removing all sorts of distractions from my mind, I fell on my back just as the pair of stygian claws scraped past my face, drawing blood.

With a stifled groan, I rolled left just as the aberration’s claw tore through the ground.

As the ground fractured from the strike, my eyes widened at the sight, a deep sense of dread rising within me. However, I was quick to shove down the emotions, along with the throes of pain I was currently in. It was hard, almost impossible, but amidst the harrowing situation, I was able to maintain a semblance of rationality.

Before the next attack could reach me, I was already moving. Scrambling to my feet, I slid across the ground, and dashed into the creature’s underbelly.

’Crap! Crap!’

I knew what I was planning on doing was every little bit crazy. However, it wasn’t as if I was left with any other choice.

From what I’d seen so far so... bad, every single part of the nightmarish aberration was too impregnable to be broken by mere dormant arcanists, almost as if it was enclosed in a hardened metal. Hence...

’I could only bet that the underside of its belly was its weak spot.’

The nightmarish creature seemed to realize what I was planning. Its eyes shone with cold, murderous intent as its pair of claws tore through the air at an astonishing pace, hoping to swat the fly away.

...How could I allow it to do such?

Just at the last moment, I slid across the ground, which threw the already imbalanced horror into an even more capricious situation. Continuing with the fluid motion, I thrusted the dagger forward with every ounce of strength I had within me.

I knew I just had to deliver the slightest of damage, to a potential weak spot of the awakened evil, and Mia would be able to take care of the rest.

’Hopefully...’ I grimaced.

As my expression darkened, the azure dagger connected, and a crisp sound echoed through the darkness. What followed after that, was a loud ear-piercing shriek, one that rattled my skulls, and caused blood to flow down my ears.

Disoriented and in throes of pain and agony, I distanced myself from the creature with every ounce of strength I had left within me. It was then that I glanced into the space behind the nightmarish aberration.

...From the depths of the darkness, a figure enclosed in light emerged. Rapidly approaching the nightmarish aberration still tumbling in a world of pain, the figure’s eyes shone with a bright, incandescent light, a fearsome aura radiating from their body.

Arriving behind the monstrosity, the ground she stood on cracked as she swung the golden sword forward, a bright immolating light enveloped the sword as it slashed through one of the aberration’s joints. In a quick flash of crimson, she twisted her body and slashed forward once again, attempting to put an end to the awakened evil.

But just then, a terrifying sense of danger suddenly overwhelmed her, making every hair at the back of her neck stand on end. In that split second, she knew she had gotten too full of herself.

’How could she hope to finish off an awakened evil so easily...’

As the sense of terror within her shot upward, she shifted her body, and raised her golden sword just as a terrifying force slammed into her. In that moment, she felt it, a mysterious, esoteric force enveloped her sword in an attempt to erase it from existence.

Her face darkened at the sight as a chilling realization settled in.

’Sequence 9 of the assimilation pathway- Fader.’

The force from the strike sent her reeling backward. But before she could do so much as to breathe, the nightmarish aberration was already right above her.

’Just in time.’

With a grim expression, her body began to radiate a bright, pure light. The radiant energy was being infused into every part of her, from her sword to her armor. In that moment, it was as though she was being suffused with a purifying, immolating fire.

However, like all things in this world, it wasn’t without a cost.

Pain.

A terrifying sense of pain surged through her as her hands twitched around the golden sword. Moments later, in a clangor of sword and claws, she clashed with the awakened evil. Albeit barely, with the immolating fire burning away the fader bloodline ability of the nightmarish creature, she was able to hold her ground.

...Wreathed in crimson blood, and badly battered, she breathed through the haze clouding her mind. On the opposite end, the nightmarish aberration was broken, tired, and riddled with harrowing wounds. It was then that his eyes shifted, and stopped on... me.

In that moment, an all-consuming darkness ignited within its eyes.

’Crap!’

I thought in grim realization.

The abominable creature seemed to have realized my goal in all this. After all, despite the harrowing state my partner was currently in, I never once interfered in the fight. Added to the fact that I was able to merge with the shadows, the nightmarish horror was smart enough to connect the dots.

Mia also seemed to have realized this as she dashed towards the nightmarish creature. The nightmarish aberration on the other hand, who had shot towards me a few seconds ago, suddenly shifted its body just as the crimson haired lady neared it.

A grim expression darkened Mia’s features.

...She had been tricked.

However, before the thought could fully settle within her, a pair of claws wreathed in darkness shot forward, slamming right into her armor, and ripping some parts of her skin into shreds. Grimacing from the pain as blood rolled down her armor, the nightmarish aberration swatted her away with a dreadful swing of its claw.

The crimson haired lady was thrown into the distance, tumbling violently across the ground, each impact jarring her senses.

...It was also then that the horrifying creature turned to face me. In that moment, a solemn sense of dread rose within me as it shot towards me.