Chapter 46: Souls-Game Boss (Bonus Chapter)
Benedict stared wide-eyed at Charlotte flying in the sky, her six wings beating and sending gusts of wind toward him.
He racked his brain harder, there was no way he could fight Charlotte now. Which meant he had to call for help.
He got to his feet and quickly moved toward the celebrating Academy students.
"Everyone! The real Charlotte is here!" Benedict shouted loudly.
Instantly, the Academy students who had been celebrating turned toward him. Their eyes widened in shock when they saw Charlotte’s appearance had transformed into something truly terrifying.
Benedict looked back at Charlotte again. She still held six weapons in her hands. But... something about her expression was strange.
Her once expressionless face now looked... shaken. Her mouth hung open, her grip on her weapons slackened, and her eyes widened, staring directly at Benedict.
Benedict frowned, wondering why Charlotte was looking at him like that.
The Academy students he had called out to quickly gathered together and launched an attack on Charlotte all at once.
One student formed a whirlwind at his fingertip, aiming to fire it at Charlotte. A red-haired woman wielding a massive axe also charged, leaping from below with tremendous force.
A white-haired woman atop a tower closed her eyes tightly, folding her arms as she muttered softly, conjuring hundreds of blue bubbles.
Charlotte, seeing all this, simply moved her six wings to cover herself completely.
Clang!
Boom!
In an instant, every attack sent her way was blocked by those glass-like wings. The Academy students all froze in shock.
"Lena, get back!" the student who had fired the whirlwind shouted, apparently to the red-haired woman with the axe.
Lena, the axe-wielder, couldn’t land her strike. She quickly leapt backward, using the blue bubbles as stepping stones in midair.
Charlotte, having blocked all the attacks, suddenly spread her wings with a fierce sweep, flinging all nearby students backward.
One was slammed into a wall. Another was thrown into the air but caught by the blue bubbles. Lena herself was sent crashing into the ground.
Benedict could only watch helplessly from the sidelines. The only thing he could do now was protect himself.
That strange look in Charlotte’s eyes earlier gave him a bad feeling about fighting her again.
Why had she looked so shocked after transforming into something resembling a seraph?
Was it because I survived being pierced by her spear?
He shook his head. No... there had to be another reason.
Scanning the area, Benedict spotted a nobleman he had hypnotized earlier, conveniently carrying a steel shield.
He quickly approached him.
"Protect me with your life," Benedict said coldly.
The hypnotized nobleman nodded instantly, raising his shield to cover Benedict’s back.
Benedict felt a surge of satisfaction at the usefulness of his hypnosis ability. Now he just needed to find Alice, who had been dealing with Jack the Ripper.
Boom!
An explosion roared behind them. Benedict turned just in time to see shards of glass erupt from Charlotte’s six wings.
The nobleman shielded him at once, his steel shield absorbing the impact.
Shards tore into the nobleman’s legs, but he stood firm.
Peeking around him, Benedict saw something shocking, a student was impaled through the shoulder by a glass spear, struggling to pull it out.
Before anyone could help, Charlotte raised her sword and struck, cleaving the student’s head clean off.
Splat!
"LAPOOO!" Lena screamed, watching her friend be decapitated.
A chill stabbed down Benedict’s spine. The sight was horrifying.
I need to get out of here. Better to find Alice, maybe she’s already defeated Jack the Ripper.
Benedict bolted, the nobleman shielding him.
After darting across rooftops in the noble district, Benedict glanced behind him, only to see Charlotte suddenly appear right on his tail, eyes wide.
"Protect me!" Benedict barked at the nobleman.
The man raised his shield again as Charlotte landed on the roof with heavy steps.
Thud!
"Don’t run..." Charlotte’s voice was low, almost inaudible.
Benedict already knew his fate, it was only a matter of time before she killed him.
Thud!
"Don’t run," she repeated.
She advanced, but the nobleman rushed forward to intercept, shield raised.
Charlotte lifted her massive battle axe and brought it down.
In an instant, the steel shield split in two.
Damn it! I have to run!
Benedict fled, leaving the nobleman behind. Charlotte barely glanced at him before smashing him aside with a giant hammer.
Splat!
Turning again, she saw the Academy students trying to tend to the decapitated victim from earlier. Her face remained blank as she refocused on Benedict.
She launched herself into the air, wings beating furiously, and charged at him.
Benedict ran faster, heading toward the sound of an intense battle.
Boom!
It had to be Alice and Jack the Ripper.
But before he could reach them, a glass wall appeared in front of him.
He veered left, another wall.
Right, another wall.
No way out.
Well... i’m fucked
Benedict gave a nervous grin. Should he beg for mercy?
Taking a deep breath, he looked at Charlotte.
Her expression wasn’t blank anymore. There was... surprise. And relief.
Her lips trembled, as if trying to form a smile.
She descended slowly from the sky, her six wings and six arms folding in.
She stopped five meters away.
Benedict took a step back.
"Don’t run," Charlotte said again, her voice almost gentle.
Damn it! What does she want from me?!
She stepped closer. He stepped back, until his back hit the cold glass wall.
"Don’t run... please." Charlotte repeated, almost like a parrot.
"What do you want?" Benedict asked, his voice cold from the lingering hypnosis effect suppressing his emotions.
"Please... could you repeat what you said earlier?" Charlotte asked, dismissing the weapons from her six hands so he wouldn’t feel threatened.
What sentence?
"The fuck?" Benedict blurted out, recalling what he’d said when thousands of glass shards were absorbed into her body.
"The one after that," Charlotte said, her breathing growing heavier.
"...Am I fighting some kind of Souls-game boss right now...?" Benedict repeated, remembering his reaction to her transformation, which looked exactly like a multi-phase Souls-game boss.
"A-ahhh..." Charlotte let out a trembling sound.
She stepped toward him faster. He backed up until there was no space left.
Three glass walls surrounded them, making it look to Benedict like there were three Charlottes in front of him.
Charlotte reached out with her six hands, cupping Benedict’s head, and drew her face closer.
Her hands were icy cold against his skin.
"A-are you... a transmigrator too...?" she whispered. Soft, but ringing loud in Benedict’s ears.
Benedict’s heart stopped.
His eyes widened, mouth hanging open, unable to utter a single syllable.
What...?