The Author's Extra: My SSS Skill Turns Souls into Anything!

Up in the council section, Augustus was leaning back with the comfortable expression of a man watching something that had already concluded.

"It’s four against one," he said, mostly to himself. "This should be over fast."

Seris said nothing.

Her eyes hadn’t moved from the field since Legion stepped between Alden and Daniel’s strike.

Legion dropped to one knee.

Alden caught his shoulder before he hit the ground.

He was still grinning. Barely holding it together, but grinning. "Got you covered..."

"Legion." Alden’s voice came out quieter than he intended. "Why did you do that?"

Legion looked up at him, the grin holding through the pain underneath it.

"What kind of teammate just stands there and watches?"

"You’re an idiot," Alden said.

The announcer stepped between them. "That’s enough, Legion. You’re eliminated, please leave the arena."

Legion nodded and pushed himself to his feet slowly, movements unsteady.

He started walking.

At the boundary, he stopped and turned back one more time.

"Don’t let it be in vain. Win."

Alden watched him cross the line.

"I’ll try."

Across the field, Daniel lowered his hands.

He’d expected Alden to be under them when they came down.

He hadn’t expected the person who’d been standing there to not be Alden anymore.

He clicked his tongue.

"Tch."

Nicholas looked at him. "It’s fine. You couldn’t have known. It’s four of us against Alden now. Don’t drop your guard."

Daniel nodded and moved toward the others.

Alden’s eyes swept the arena.

’Sierra and Roselle are already looking for the crystal in their heads even if they’re not moving yet. Nicholas and Daniel will pin me while the others search.

If I let them split, this is over.’

A black flame appeared behind him.

Pyrion stepped out of it.

The crowd went immediately.

"HE’S A TAMER?!"

"He was just using magic! how does he have a beast?!"

"WHAT CLASS IS THIS GUY—"

"Awoo!"

Pyrion sat beside Alden and looked up at him, eager and ready to be called.

Alden glanced down at it and gave one short nod.

"Go."

Pyrion was gone in the next second, a white-orange streak cutting into the treeline, disappearing into the terrain.

Roselle’s eyes narrowed.

"What is it doing?"

"Don’t worry about it." Nicholas raised his sword, golden mana beginning to move along the blade. "You and Sierra go find the crystal. Daniel and I will keep Alden busy."

"Got it." Roselle and Sierra turned.

They took two steps.

FWOOSH.

Fire erupted from the ground, simultaneously, spreading outward in a fast wide ring that ate through the grass and climbed into a continuous wall of flame. Within three seconds the circle had sealed completely, surrounding all five of them, the blaze high enough and dense enough to make the air inside it noticeably hotter.

Roselle pulled up short. Sierra’s eyes went wide.

Alden stood in the center of the ring.

"Like I said." He raised one hand and let the electricity run down his arm.

"No one’s going anywhere."

The crowd outside the ring lost their composure entirely.

"HE TRAPPED ALL OF THEM?!"

"Including himself?! Why would he—"

"He’s actually planning to fight four people alone in there—"

In the eliminated area, Leon, Legion, and Emilia watched from the same direction. Legion had his arm braced. Leon’s fists were closed. Emilia had stopped breathing for a moment.

Roselle looked at the wall of fire. Then at Alden.

"You’re a real piece of work."

"I’ve heard that before."

Daniel moved, disappeared from where he’d been standing and crossed the gap in two strides, fist driving straight for Alden’s face.

Alden’s head moved right.

The fist passed left, grazing his cheek.

He caught Daniel’s wrist on the way past, turned his own body into the momentum, and stepped into Daniel’s reach.

"Too predictable."

His shoulder drove into Daniel’s chest.

Daniel’s feet left the ground.

Alden twisted at the hip and threw him down.

BOOM.

Daniel hit the earth hard, a shallow crater forming around the impact.

Alden didn’t look down.

CLANG.

Nicholas swung his sword from the side, striking just as Alden looked up. Alden summoned his lightning blade to block, but the heavy clash showered sparks everywhere and pushed him back through the dirt.

Nicholas kept up the pressure, swinging again.

CLANG.

Alden parried. Again.

CLANG.

And again.

CLANG.

Lightning sparked every time their blades met. Nicholas drove forward while Alden fell back just enough to stay alive. Nicholas was in a different league than the other students, his skill wasn’t just about speed or power, but how every blow set up the next, slowly forcing Alden into a worse position.

’He’s not trying to end it in one hit. He’s trying to wear down my footing.

Every exchange I survive, I’m standing in a worse spot.’

Alden blocked another diagonal slash and the force pushed him back three more meters.

The crowd reacted.

"Nicholas is dominating the sword exchange!"

"Of course! the best swordsman in his year!"

"Alden’s been pushed back the whole time!"

’Fine.’

Alden’s eyes sharpened.

’If he takes the sword exchange, I change what the exchange is about.’

Movement in his peripheral.

Sierra had gotten herself together while Nicholas was pushing him backward. A bright yellow sphere burned in her palm, dense and close-range, already at the throwing point as she rushed in from his left to catch him between them.

"Take this—"

Alden’s hand snapped sideways without breaking from Nicholas’s blade.

SHING.

A thread shot from his fingertips.

It wrapped around Sierra’s wrist before the sphere could release.

"WHAT?!"

He yanked the thread, her whole body lurched forward and sideways, the throw pulling her completely off her feet. She hit the grass face-first, arms barely out in time.

THUD.

Before she recovered, two more threads shot out, one around her ankle, one across her midsection and pulled tight against the ground. She tried to push up and couldn’t.

"Damn it let go—!"

Alden looked at her for one second.

"You’re done." Nicholas’s sword came in from the right.

Alden spun back to meet it.

CLANG.

Then a notification floated in the corner of his vision.

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[Thread Used!]

[Spider Blueprint: 74% → 75%]

[New Concept Unlocked!]

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