CHAPTER 42: SOUL REINFORCEMENT

[Death God System: Player Scan Activated]

[Target Identified: Jack]

[Affiliation: Player – Kharos, the Iron Sovereign]

[Soul Signature: Aggressive – Domination Type]

[Combat Rank: E-Rank (Initiate)]

[Level: 5]

[Class: Iron Vanguard]

[Threat Level: Moderate]

....

[Death God System: Player Scan Activated]

[Target Identified: Rin]

[Affiliation: Player – Silith, the Whispering Shade]

[Soul Signature: Stealth – Shadow Type]

[Combat Rank: E-Rank (Initiate)]

[Level: 5]

[Class: Shadowblade]

[Threat Level: Moderate]

....

[Death God System: Player Scan Activated]

[Target Identified: Morty]

[Affiliation: Player – Nergaloth, the Carrion Harvester]

[Soul Signature: Corrosive – Plague Type]

[Combat Rank: E-Rank (Initiate)]

[Level: 4]

[Class: Corruption Reaper]

[Threat Level: Low–Moderate]

"So the system works properly when I’m facing players from my world...?" Stephan thought, eyes narrowing at the floating screen. Interesting. Guess it’s not completely useless after all.

He scanned the information again and scoffed. "E-ranks. Just as I expected. Nothing worth stressing over."

He glanced at Yennefer. "Can you take the girl?"

Yennefer’s eyes were already narrowed at Rin. "Leave the bitch to me. I’ll scorch her into ashes."

Jack gave a mocking laugh. "You two sure talk big. Stephan King. Yennefer Brown. Why don’t you just give up? You’re outnumbered here."

"You’re the ones at a disadvantage," Stephan said calmly. "You lost the moment you decided to challenge me."

"All that high talk is gonna die in your throat when I corrode your soul," Morty growled.

Stephan smiled. "You’re not even going to touch me, buddy."

Rin’s attention drifted past him, toward Anna Mary, lying on the ground behind Grief and Fizzwigg. She tilted her head slightly.

"What’s wrong with her?"

"Oh, we ran into a Orc," Yennefer answered casually. "She happened to be on the wrong end of it."

"No," Rin said, eyes narrowing. "I mean her."

She was staring straight at Grief.

For a second, Yennefer said nothing. Then a small smirk appeared. "You’ve got good senses. She looks human, but she isn’t."

"So what is she?" Rin asked.

"A Soul Servant," Yennefer said. "Belongs to Stephan."

"I don’t follow."

"Then ask him yourself." Yennefer shrugged. "Though I doubt he’ll tell you. Try seducing him if you want...."

Rin smirked. "Oh, I will. Right after I cut you down."

Yennefer’s eyes flashed. "Good luck with that. He’ll probably kill you first... thinking you’re a man."

Rin’s smile vanished. "Then I guess I’ll just take my time killing you."

Rin vanished, no blur, no sound, just gone. One second she was standing there, the next there wasn’t even a shadow left behind.

"What the...." Yennefer’s eyes snapped open, her grimoire materializing in her hand. "Where the fuck did she go?"

She felt it a second too late, Rin’s soul energy flickering behind her. The girl’s shadow stretched...and a human form stepped out of it like ink flowing into shape.

Rin moved in one smooth motion. The Void Dagger slashed. Yennefer twisted on instinct, barely avoiding a fatal strike, the blade still grazed her arm, cutting a thin line across her flesh.

" Tsk...!" Yennefer hissed, stumbling back. Blood trickled down her sleeve.

Her page flipped. "Azrael’s Path of Death: Form A - Destructive Cannon!"

Nothing happened.

Yennefer’s eyes widened. What....?

Rin grinned. "Too slow." Her boot slammed into Yennefer’s stomach and sent her skidding backwards across the ground.

Before Yennefer could even rise, Rin stepped out of her shadow again, and drove her boot straight into Yennefer’s chin.

She was sent flying backwards, teeth rattling, crashing into a weather-worn tree. The dead trunk split in half under the impact.

Rin walked toward her slowly, twirling the dagger in her hand. "Well... this is gonna be fun. You’re not ready for me, bitch."

Yennefer coughed and forced herself to her feet, one hand pressed to her ribs.

What the hell was that just now? she thought. My spell vanished the moment her blade touched me...?

She wiped the blood from her lips, eyes narrowing at Rin as she stalked closer.

And she keeps appearing from shadows... Is that her ability?

My power disappeared for about three seconds... then came back, Yennefer thought, eyes narrowing. So there’s a delay. Let’s see if it works again.

"Azrael’s Path of Death - Form A: Destructive Cannon!"

This time the emerald blast ignited immediately, roaring forward and tearing across the ground toward Rin like a soul-infused artillery shell.

Rin didn’t even try to block it, she simply vanished again, slipping into the shadow cast by the broken tree behind Yennefer.

Yennefer spun on instinct. "Tch....!"

"Destructive Cannon!"

A second emerald beam thundered out from her palm, hitting the tree point-blank and obliterating it in a blast of cracked earth and green flame. Bark and dust flew everywhere.

But Rin was already gone. Somewhere in the settling dust, Yennefer heard a soft whisper behind her ear.

"You can’t beat a shadow."

The Void Dagger flashed again.

Yennefer spun in pure reflex, barely dodging it, but the blade still sliced a clean line across her back.

The moment it touched her, she felt it again.

Power nullified...!

It was as if someone had ripped her soul energy out of her chest. The grimoire in her hand flickered, its runes going dark for a heartbeat.

Gritting her teeth, she staggered back and forced some distance between them.

Rin tilted her head with a playful pout.

"Aww... why won’t you just let me stab you through the heart, hm?"

Yennefer’s chest heaved as she panted for breath, mind racing.

She nullified my power again... just like before. That dagger cancels out my spells the moment it lands a hit...

Yennefer narrowed her eyes, blood still trickling down her back.

It only lasts about three seconds...

My power disappears the moment her blade touches me, but it comes back right after.

So that’s it. Her dagger nullifies soul energy, but only for a short window.

She shifted her grip on the grimoire.

Which means as long as I stay out of her range, my magic still wins this fight.

I just can’t let that dagger touch me again.

Her gaze swept across the ground, the cracked earth... the twisted tree stumps... all the shadows Rin kept slipping in and out of.

I’ll keep her occupied with Form B... and strike the shadows directly the moment she disappears.

A small smirk tugged at her lips.

Alright then. Let’s see who disappears first.

"Azrael’s Path of Death - Form A... Spiral Destructive Cannon!"

A spiraling helix of emerald flame erupted from her grimoire, twisting like a living serpent of raw destruction. Runes spun around it at insane speed, crackling and snapping as the blast tore forward, zig-zagging unpredictably across the cracked earth, ripping it apart as it went.

Rin reacted the way she always did.

She slipped into the shadows and vanished.

Yennefer’s lips curled into a sharp grin.

"Not this time."

Her fingers snapped across the page.

"Form B - Soulbinder Bloom!"

The moment Rin reappeared from Yennefer’s shadow, she froze.

Rot-colored veins of spectral light were spreading out from the ground beneath her, blooming like a corrupted garden around her feet. For a split second she hesitated, confused by the unfamiliar formation.

"Got you now, bitch!"

An emerald chain shot out from the center of the bloom and slammed straight into Rin’s left eye.There was a sickening snap. Rin was launched backwards, crashing through a line of dried trees and kicking up a cloud of dust and splintered bark.

...

"Seems like the girls are having all the fun," Jack said, stretching his neck with a grin. "I’m starting to get jealous."

"Yeah, me too," Morty added, casually poking at his nose. "I can feel your soul itching for corrosion."

Stephan smiled darkly. "You two are in a rush to get yourselves killed, huh?"

Jack tilted his head, amused. "You really think you can beat us?"

"You’d be naïve to think otherwise," Stephan said, his voice cold. "Fighting me is suicide. You can’t step into my path and expect to survive."

He took a step forward, shadows curling faintly at his feet. "You’ll die here. Your role in this tournament ends now."

Stephan raised his hands.

A deep hum rolled across the cracked landscape as crimson and black soul energy began coiling around his fists, swirling like smoke caught in a storm. It thickened with every heartbeat, wrapping his knuckles in violent, pulsing bands of raw power.

Jack’s grin finally faltered.

Morty took a cautious step back. "T-That’s... soul reinforcement...?"

Stephan didn’t bother replying. He simply clenched his fists.

CRACK.

Black-red sparks burst across his forearms like exploding veins.

"There are a lot of things I haven’t tried since I was reawakened as a player," Stephan said, eyes dead calm. "One of them... is throwing hands. And you two are the perfect weaklings to test them on."

Jack’s face twisted. He drew the Iron Sovereign Blade with a harsh metallic scrape, the tyrannical runes glowing faintly along its edge.

"Did you just call us weak?"

"Yes," Stephan said softly. "You are. And please, do me a favor and stay on your toes."

He stepped forward once, soul energy flaring like a small explosion.

"I’m D-Rank. Stronger than both of you. So give me your very best...."

A cold smile crossed his lips. "....because I’d hate for this to turn into a one-sided fight."