SSS Awakening: Conquering Worlds with My Cupid System

Back at the battlefield, Argent Heights was beginning to struggle.

The three A-Ranks had finally entered the fight. One charged toward the center of the formation, while another began launching massive metallic quills. The third circled the group.

The auras of the three A-Rank monsters were suffocating. The team was actually doing pretty well withstanding that kind of pressure.

Leonard gritted his teeth.

”Everyone! Fall back!”

A student hesitated.

”Captain, the mission-”

”Forget the mission!”

He raised his sword.

”Survival first!”

The largest A-Rank suddenly raised its back, and every metallic spike stood upright. The green poison coating them began glowing.

Leonard’s pupils shrank.

”Everyone...” He took a step backward. ”...run.”

The creature fired.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The forest disappeared beneath a storm of metallic spikes.

Trees exploded, branches shattered, and the ground was ripped apart. The Argent Heights team scattered in every direction. Leonard barely avoided the attack.

He rolled across the dirt and came to a stop, his breathing becoming heavier.

”This is...” He looked around. The forest was covered in metallic spikes. ”...a nightmare.”

Then he heard footsteps. Leonard immediately raised his sword, but no monster emerged. Instead, a young man stepped between the trees. He had pink hair, pink eyes, and wore silver-and-blue armor with two daggers hanging at his waist.

Silas.

Leonard’s expression changed.

”You.”

Silas smiled.

”Hey.”

Leonard’s eyes narrowed.

”What do you want?”

Silas glanced around.

”Honestly?” He pointed at the monsters. ”Their cores.”

Leonard stared at him.

”You waited for us to fight them.”

”Yep.”

”You watched us nearly get killed.”

”Yep.”

”And now you want the rewards.”

”Yep.”

Leonard’s grip tightened around his sword.

”You’re shameless.”

Silas placed a hand against his chest.

”I’m hurt.”

”You should be.”

”I’ll recover.”

Leonard almost laughed despite himself. Then another voice came from behind Silas.

”Are you two seriously arguing while there are three A-Rank monsters right there?” Alpha walked out. Chloe followed, then Damien, Alicia, Neil, Emma, Rihanna, and Godfrey.

The entire Valecrest team emerged from the trees. Leonard looked at them, then at Silas.

”You’ve been watching us this entire time.”

Silas nodded. ”Pretty much.”

”Why?”

”Research.”

”Research?”

”Yeah.” Silas pointed toward the monsters. ”I wanted to know what everyone could do.”

Leonard’s eyes narrowed.

”And now?”

Silas smiled.

”Now I know.”

A low growl echoed.

Everyone turned. One of the A-Rank Metalspine Ravagers was staring directly at Silas. Its metallic spikes began rising.

Silas’s expression changed.

”Oh.”

Chloe tightened her grip around her spear.

”What?”

Silas slowly drew one dagger.

”It’s angry.”

Damien lifted his war hammer.

”At you?”

Silas nodded.

”Apparently.”

The monster roared. Its body lowered, but Silas just smiled.

”That’s fine.”

He looked toward his team.

”Everyone.”

They immediately became alert.

”Let’s finish this.”

Leonard looked at the monsters, then at Valecrest. For several seconds, he remained silent. Finally, he raised his sword.

”Argent Heights.”

His team prepared themselves.

”Valecrest.”

Silas rolled his shoulders.

For the first time since entering Blackridge Expanse, both academies stood side by side, not because they trusted each other, or because they suddenly became friends, but because three A-Rank Metalspine Ravagers, a B-Rank leader, and thirty-two other monsters were standing between them and their objectives.

The largest A-Rank raised its quills. Silas lowered his stance, Leonard raised his sword, and Chloe stepped forward, frost vapor exuding from her.

Damien’s gravity began distorting the ground; Alpha’s hand moved toward his daggers, a faint pink light covering his body. Alicia tightened her grip on her massive buster sword. Neil’s gauntlets locked into place.

Emma spun her revolvers, Rihanna drew an arrow, and Godfrey raised his shield.

Then...

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

The first A-Rank Metalspine Ravager charged, and both academies charged with it.

Silas and Chloe instantly disappeared from their positions, shocking the rest, including the monsters. Before anyone could react, they heard a loud bang, and right in front of their eyes, they saw Silas kick one of the A-Rank monsters squarely in the face.

The monster’s nose caved in, followed by its whole face, as it shot straight into the surrounding trees, clearing them like a clearing them like a bulldozer.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

Several trees snapped in half.

The enormous Metalspine Ravager rolled across the ground before finally crashing into a rocky outcrop.

For a moment, everyone stared. Silas looked at his foot, then at the trail of destruction.

”Oops.”

Neil’s eye twitched. ”Did you just kick an A-Rank monster?”

Silas glanced at him.

”Yes.”

”With one kick?”

”Yes.”

”You’re insane.”

”Thanks.”

Before Neil could say anything else, a second roar shook the forest. The remaining A-Rank Metalspine Ravager charged, except it wasn’t charging at Silas. It was charging at Chloe.

Chloe’s expression remained completely calm. She raised her spear, and a thin layer of frost spread across the weapon. The monster opened its enormous jaws.

Chloe disappeared.

BOOM!

The monster’s jaws snapped shut on empty air. A trail of frost appeared across its head as Chloe reappeared above it. Her silver-and-blue armor shimmered beneath the light filtering through the trees.

She brought her spear down.

The spear struck the monster’s skull, and the ground beneath the creature collapsed. The A-Rank monster staggered, while she landed lightly.

”Too slow.”

The monster roared and whipped its enormous body around. Its metallic quills suddenly rose. Chloe’s eyes narrowed as hundreds of poisoned spikes launched toward her, but she didn’t move.

Instead, the temperature around her plummeted. A wall of ice erupted from the ground, and the metallic spikes struck the ice barrier. Most shattered.

Chloe tilted her head, and the spikes stopped in midair, while frost rapidly crawled across them. Every remaining spike shattered into fragments of frozen metal.

She lowered her spear. ”Your turn.” She vanished. The monster barely had time to react. Her spear struck its shoulder. Another strike hit its ribs. And a third slammed into its jaw.

Every impact released an explosion of frost. The creature’s movements became slower and slower as ice spread across its body.

Meanwhile, Silas had already caught up with the A-Rank he had kicked. The enormous creature shook its head and stood. Its nose was completely flattened, and it looked furious.

Silas smiled.

”You survived.”

The monster answered with a roar, its quills standing upright. Silas’s eyes narrowed.

”Ah.”

The creature fired. Hundreds of metallic spikes tore through the air, but Silas disappeared. The spikes passed through where he had been standing.

A second volley followed, and Silas ran forward. His body moved between the spikes with ridiculous precision. One passed beside his cheek, another flew between his legs. A third grazed his armor. He ducked beneath another.

His feet barely touched the ground. Then he accelerated. He appeared directly in front of the monster. The creature swung its enormous head, but he ducked, while his dagger flashed.

A deep cut appeared across its eye, causing the monster to roar in pain. Silas spun around its head and slashed again. He wasn’t trying to overpower the monster. He was dismantling it.

Threads wrapped around its legs, causing the creature to stumble. Silas pulled, and its enormous body slammed into the ground. It immediately attempted to rise.

”Stay.” His threads tightened. The monster’s legs were pinned. It roared and attempted to fire its quills, but he simply jumped. The quills exploded outward.

He landed on one of the creature’s massive spikes and ran along its back. His dagger plunged downward. The blade entered between two armored plates, causing the monster to scream.

Silas pulled the dagger free.

”Found it.”

His threads immediately spread beneath the creature’s armor. They searched, analyzed, and located the monster’s weak point.

Silas smiled. ”Good night.”

He thrust both hands forward.

THREAD SPEAR!

A bundle of compressed threads shot through the creature’s body, and the A-Rank Metalspine Ravager went limp. Its enormous body collapsed. Silas jumped away as it crashed into the ground. Dust erupted. Silas landed several meters away and casually sheathed his dagger.

”One down.”