SSS Awakening: I Can Class Change at will

Chapter 546: Ace Vs ...

The dagger descended toward Selene’s skull.

Unfortunately, she had no time to block the attack.

Moon watched the scene from afar. His expression remained calm, and for a moment, their eyes met.

Seeing his calm gaze on her, Selene’s tense body suddenly relaxed.

’He would never watch me die... I’m safe.’

Despite all the odds, despite the dagger being just inches away from effectively killing her, Selene’s trust in the boy watching her exceeded all limits.

And... that trust was well placed.

At the last moment, one of Alaric’s team reached her. She arrived like a shadow, landing a roundhouse kick toward the assassin’s head.

BAM!

Her leg slammed into the assassin’s head with enough force to crush the man’s skull. The assassin never saw it coming. The blow launched him across the arena, his body bouncing violently off the ground several times before finally crashing into the nearest wall. He crumpled to the floor in a motionless heap, his fate uncertain.

Before the other attackers could react, Selene’s protector moved through the pack like a river’s current. Swift, graceful, and unstoppable.

Two of the black-clad figures dropped in her wake before Selene noticed that help had arrived. The rest followed almost immediately after.

Selene lowered her guard. She turned toward her rescuer.

"Thank y—"

A strike caught her at the base of the neck. Her eyes went wide for a fraction of a second before shutting down, her knees giving out beneath her.

Her wolf tried to bark and help, but it was also struck unconscious.

Alaric’s team member caught her under the arms before Selene’s face hit the rubble. She moved Selene gently onto her shoulder in one smooth motion, adjusted her grip, grabbed the wolf too, then turned back toward the eastern exit at a fast walk.

This was Alaric’s order.

He knew his sister. He knew Selene wasn’t going to leave the venue on her own. She would stay, she would find Moon, and she would burn herself down to the last ember trying to help him hold the line. So Alaric had made the call for her before she’d had the chance to make it herself.

Alaric arrived next to Moon in a flash.

His eyes glanced at Selene for a moment. He watched his sister being carried away over the shoulder of his trusted aide, the two of them disappearing into the eastern corridor between one blink and the next.

Then his gaze returned to the man standing just a dozen meters away from Moon on the arena floor.

"Are you going to reveal your power, or are you still going to act like a fool with no idea what’s going on?"

Ace Morgan’s smile widened even further.

"Oh? It’s Alaric Sky. The strongest Surpasser. I’m very pleased to meet you. I’ve been a fan of yours for a long time now. You’re an inspiration to the new generation, and your recent discoveries speak volumes about your talent." Ace said, ignoring Alaric’s question completely.

Alaric remained unfazed by the praise. In fact, if anything, a small trace of disgust crossed his stoic face. He had heard these words plenty of times before.

Alaric dashed forward without warning.

His sword appeared in his hand between one step and the next. He was so fast it appeared as if he had teleported across the arena.

In an instant, his sword was flying at Ace’s head.

Moon barely had time to blink.

~Clash~

"That’s a rude way to greet someone talking to you." Ace’s voice came through the impact, still amused and smiling.

A dagger had appeared in his hand at the last possible moment, catching the descending sword and holding it in place. The blade was small, almost casual in its design, but it was clearly holding against the full weight of a peak Surpasser-level strike without any visible strain on its wielder.

The force of the collision rippled outward.

The arena floor beneath their feet cracked until it reached Moon’s feet, a spiderweb of cracks radiating from the point where their weapons met.

Moon’s eyes widened. He leaped back, content to watch for now.

Ace glanced at Moon for a brief moment. His smile lingered on Moon’s retreating figure for a fraction longer than it should have, an almost fond expression, before returning to Alaric.

Their blades were still locked together.

Moon landed near Kael’s pillar, putting distance between himself and the two combatants.

"What’s going on with him?" Kael asked, staring at Alaric’s battle against Ace.

"We believe he’s part of the attackers."

Kael nodded his head. Two men clad in black lay next to Kael’s pillar, having tried to kill him but failed.

"You know," Ace said, his voice relaxed despite the immense pressure Alaric was imposing. "I wasn’t planning to fight you today. Not personally. My schedule was quite full already."

"Your schedule just got emptier."

"I noticed."

Alaric’s blade pressed harder against the dagger. The steel groaned, but the dagger held. The two of them stood locked together, neither one giving an inch.

"Reveal it," Alaric said quietly. "Whatever you’re hiding. I want to see it."

Ace’s smile widened.

"Are you sure? You might regret asking."

"Try me."

Ace pivoted on his heel and pushed Alaric’s sword aside, breaking the deadlock. The two of them moved apart in a single fluid exchange, blades still raised, both bodies settling into fighting stances.

Then they clashed properly.

Alaric moved first. His feet slid across the arena floor and he activated Blade Aura, a golden light condensing along the length of his sword.

The blade extended visually as the aura sharpened its edge, its cutting range doubling in an instant. Alaric swept the sword horizontally, the golden arc slicing through the air toward Ace’s stomach.

Ace didn’t dodge.

He raised his dagger and a thin sheet of pale silver light coated it. The golden arc of Alaric’s Blade Aura struck the silver light.

For several moments, gold and silver battled it out against each other, the winner difficult to predict.