Chapter 41: Shears
Benedict watched the massive fireball hurtling toward him.
Time seemed to slow. His mind wandered, when had everything gone so wrong?
Was it when he stopped Cain earlier? Was it because he had brought Jack the Ripper here? Or... was it simply because he was a bastard son.
He shut his eyes tightly. Behind him, Regy was still shouting.
Boom!!
But after waiting for death to claim him, he didn’t feel the heat devour his flesh. He didn’t feel the familiar sting of dying like in his previous life.
Slowly, Benedict opened his eyes, tears threatening to blur his vision.
What he saw was a massive wall of ice shielding him from the flames.
The ice began to melt away, revealing Jack the Ripper standing there, looking genuinely baffled at the sudden appearance of the wall.
Crack!
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The sound came from all around. Benedict turned to look behind him—and his eyes widened in shock.
Dozens of pitch-black portals had opened, each one deep and endless like the starry night sky. One by one, people began stepping out.
"I-Is that... the Solas Academy uniform?"
Benedict instantly recognized them—final-year students from Solas Academy.
A grin tugged at his lips.
Reinforcements had arrived.
The wave of students poured out of the portals, from those he knew personally to those who were merely nameless background characters in The Chronicle of Enzo.
And then, after the last of the students emerged, a figure appeared—a girl with crimson hair and golden eyes.
Alice.
Jack the Ripper smiled broadly upon seeing her, casually healing the exhausted Charlotte.
"You seriously brought the Academy students to fight me?" Jack asked in disbelief.
Alice hovered in the air, her cold, expressionless eyes fixed on him. But unlike the first time Benedict had met her, her gaze now carried a faint light.
"Everyone. Capture him," Alice commanded in a low voice.
The Solas Academy students surged forward toward Jack the Ripper.
One boy swung his long sword in a clean arc aimed straight for Jack’s head—
Slash!
Jack slipped out of range with ease. "Too slow," he taunted.
But even as he retreated, a mirror suddenly materialized behind him. From it emerged a girl wielding a massive axe, already bringing it down in a deadly swing.
"Flame Leap!"
Boom!
Jack reacted instantly, his body bursting into flames as he leapt high into the air, the fire spreading across the rooftop where he had been.
The two students who had attacked were blasted back, only to be caught midair by shimmering barrier-like bubbles.
But in the air, Jack suddenly found Alice charging toward him, her ice-forged Gungnir aimed straight at his chest.
"Fire—"
Before he could finish the spell, ice had already crept up and frozen his arm solid.
Slash!
Alice’s gungnir cut across his chest, staining his pristine white suit crimson.
Thump!
Jack fell to the ground with a grunt. The wound wasn’t deep, and he rose again with a faint chuckle.
"This is unfair. All of you ganging up on me... where’s your honor as students of the most prestigious academy?"
Before he could recover, Benedict appeared behind him, slamming his skeletal palm into Jack’s back.
Bam!
(Coin Flip Result – Head! You dealt 20 damage, reduced by 10% due to enemy passive)
Even with the reduced damage, Benedict knew Jack had taken a beating. The man staggered slightly—only to be met with another strike from Regy.
Jack caught the blade with his bare hand, blood instantly welling up from his palm. But with a flick of his arm, he hurled Regy straight into Benedict.
Benedict caught him, grunting under the weight.
"You alright?"
"Yeah," Regy replied.
Jack’s gaze sharpened. "Hellflare Arrow."
A blazing bow materialized in his hands, an arrow of searing white flame nocked and ready.
Shit!
Benedict and Regy prepared to dodge, but before Jack loosed the shot at them, his aim shifted upward.
The arrow streaked into the air—
BOOM!
It exploded mid-flight, colliding with another arrow. The blast echoed like thunder.
"This is getting annoying. Just how many people did you bring, Alice?"
Alice remained silent in the air, staring him down. Benedict frowned—why wasn’t she pressing the attack? She could end this quickly if she wanted.
Then Jack summoned a weapon—a pair of white shears flecked with black stains. His eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Time to get serious," he murmured.
Alice’s eyes widened. "EVERYONE! ATTACK JACK THE RIPPER!"
The students who had been engaging Charlotte turned toward Jack, forcing her to frantically summon glass shards to hold them back. But against dozens, her efforts barely slowed them.
Alice led the charge, striking in unison with the others, only for Jack to vanish just as their blades closed in.
Everyone froze, scanning the area.
What?! Since when could he disappear?
Benedict turned rapidly, True Sight active—but no sign of Jack. Then he felt a shift in the air.
Behind me!
Jack’s blade was a hair’s breadth from his neck when instinct forced Benedict to tilt his head back—just enough to avoid a fatal blow.
He leapt backward, one hand instinctively checking his throat. No blood nor wound.
Alice appeared on his right, unleashing a barrage of exploding ice shards at Jack.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The street filled with mist from the blasts. Alice slashed through it—only to find empty space. Jack was gone again.
"Tch." She clicked her tongue.
Chaos reigned. Charlotte’s relentless assault was distracting multiple students.
Benedict made a decision—he had True Sight. He should handle Charlotte, freeing the others to focus on Jack.
But Jack was already gone.
"Annie!" a girl’s voice cried—the axe-wielding student from earlier.
Benedict spun toward the sound, just in time to see Jack drive his shears into Annie’s chest.
But oddly... she didn’t bleed. She didn’t collapse. She just stared, wide-eyed, as Jack withdrew the blade.
Annie frantically checked herself while her friend lunged at Jack—only for her attack to slice empty air as he vanished yet again.
The axe-wielding girl grabbed her friend’s shoulders.
"Are you okay?! Annie?!"
Annie’s whole body trembled, her face drained of color. Her eyes shook violently as she looked downward—likely at her own Essence System.
Her expression shattered. Tears welled in her eyes. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed.
"A-All... all my skills... they’re gone..."
Benedict’s face hardened.
What?