The Snake God with SSS Rank Evolution System

Chapter 398: Void Kittens

Alice’s dark violet eyes gleamed with cold amusement as she watched the Solarian soldiers’ resolve burn itself out. Her voice carried a sharp, mocking edge, cutting through the chaos.

"Heh. How amusing. You lowly humans truly are eager to die."

She raised her hand, and void energy began to gather around her—dark violet tendrils swirling and coalescing into dozens of small, sphere-like forms. Each one pulsed with devouring light, their surfaces rippling like living shadows. They took shape as tiny cat-like creatures, their bodies composed of condensed void energy, their mouths splitting open to reveal rows of razor-sharp teeth.

"[Void Kittens]."

They hovered in the air around Alice, their glowing eyes fixed on the soldiers with predatory stillness, waiting for the command.

Azrynn’s voice cut through the tension, sharp and focused. She drew her bow in one fluid motion, a rune arrow already nocked, its shaft blazing with concentrated silver light.

"I’ll handle the mages."

Alice’s lips curved into a sharp, approving smile.

"That would be helpful."

Hans’s voice rang out, raw and commanding, as he raised his greatsword high.

"CHARGE! FOR SOLARIA!"

The soldiers surged forward, their weapons raised, their battle cries rising above the chaos. But Alice’s smile only widened.

The Void Kittens shot forward.

They moved like living missiles, streaking through the air with terrifying speed. They crashed into the front line of soldiers, their tiny forms exploding into bursts of void energy that tore through armor and flesh alike. Soldiers screamed as the creatures latched onto them, their jagged teeth sinking deep, ripping and tearing at exposed skin. Limbs were torn from sockets. Flesh was shredded. The Void Kittens left nothing but shredded bodies and broken screams in their wake.

One soldier’s arm was torn clean off, the Void Kitten’s teeth ripping through muscle and bone before moving on to its next victim. Another soldier collapsed, his chest a ruin of claw marks and bite wounds, his voice reduced to a wet, gurgled whimper.

"AAAGHHHH—MY ARM!!"

"SOMEONE STOP THESE THINGS!!"

"GODS, THEY’RE EATING US ALIVE!!"

The Void Kittens were relentless, their tiny forms weaving between the soldiers with unnatural speed, their jaws finding throats, eyes, and limbs with savage precision.

"AAAAAAHHHH—!!"

"DAMN IT—STOP—!!"

"MY FACE—!"

Hans’s voice rose above the screams, ragged and desperate.

"Hold the line! DON’T BREAK!"

But the soldiers were already breaking. The formation crumbled under the assault, their earlier resolve shattered by the sheer brutality of the attack.

Neil’s face contorted with fury as he watched his comrades fall. His grip on his blade tightened, his voice a ragged snarl as he surged forward.

"YOU BASTARD—!"

He charged at Alice, his sword raised high, his eyes blazing with grief and rage.

Alice’s gaze shifted to him, her dark violet eyes cold and unimpressed. She didn’t move. She simply watched him come.

Neil’s blade swept toward her throat, his voice cracking with fury.

"I’LL KILL YOU—!"

Azrynn’s voice cut through the chaos, sharp and precise.

"Not today."

Her bow sang, and a silver arrow streaked through the air, striking Neil’s shoulder. The impact spun him sideways, his blade carving a shallow arc through empty air. He stumbled, his hand flying to the wound, his teeth gritted against the pain.

"AAAGHHHH—!"

Alice’s dark violet eyes gleamed with cold amusement as she watched him struggle. Her voice carried a sharp, mocking edge as she gestured lazily toward him, the Void Kittens already shifting their attention toward the wounded soldier.

"Finish him."

The Void Kittens lunged—but before they could reach him, Hans’s golden aura blazed to life. He crossed the distance in a blur, his greatsword sweeping in a wide arc that intercepted the void creatures mid-flight. The blade carved through two of them, their forms dissipating into wisps of shadow.

Hans’s voice rang out, sharp and commanding as he positioned himself between Neil and the Void Kittens.

"Calm yourself, Neil! Don’t let your emotions control you!"

The remaining Void Kittens circled, their glowing eyes fixed on Hans, but his aura held—a dense, shimmering barrier of golden light that pushed back against their void-touched forms. They hissed and retreated, unable to pierce his defense.

Neil’s breath came in ragged, sharp gasps, his hand still pressed against the wound. He forced himself to focus, to push the pain down.

"...Yes, sir. Forgive me."

Hans’s voice was sharp, but carried a note of grim resolve as he kept his eyes fixed on Alice and her creatures.

"I’ll deal with you later. Right now, I need you. I can’t hold this line alone—I need your strength."

Neil’s fist clenched. His hand dropped from the wound, and he reached up, his fingers closing around the arrow shaft. With a sharp, gritted grunt, he pulled it free in one swift motion—blood spraying from the wound. He didn’t flinch. He pressed his palm against the wound, and a faint golden light flickered beneath his hand, the flesh beginning to knit together. The bleeding slowed, then stopped.

He rose, his blade already in hand, his eyes blazing with renewed focus.

"Give me your orders, sir."

Hans’s voice was sharp, commanding as he raised his greatsword, the golden aura around him flaring brighter.

"Protect the mages. I’ll handle the cat."

Neil didn’t waste a single breath. He threw himself into the gap, his sword sweeping up to meet the first Void Kitten before it could strike. His blade swept in a wide arc, intercepting another creature before it could reach its target. It dissolved into shadow, but more were already circling.

Hans turned to face Alice, his golden aura blazing, his greatsword held ready.

"Your fight is with me, beast."

Alice’s dark violet eyes gleamed as Hans’s challenge cut through the chaos. Her lips curled into a cold smile, her tail swaying slowly behind her.

"Good. I’ll make sure you die pathetically."

She lunged forward, her claws extended, dark violet energy flaring along their edges. Her form was a blur of shadow and motion, her strike aimed at Hans’s throat.

But Hans was ready.

His golden aura flared, and his greatsword moved with practiced precision to intercept. He had been watching her movements since the battle began, studying the way she flowed, the rhythm of her attacks. He had seen the pattern, and he had already calculated his response.

His blade met her claws mid-swing, deflecting the strike and redirecting the force. Alice’s momentum carried her forward, off-balance, and Hans drove his shoulder into her chest.

The impact sent Alice flying backward. She tumbled across the blood-soaked earth, her claws scraping against the ground as she fought to regain her footing. She came up in a low crouch, her dark violet eyes blazing, her tail lashing with irritation.

"Tch..."

Hans’s voice was cold, steady as he raised his greatsword, the golden aura around him pulsing with renewed intensity.

"Speed is a weapon, but it’s also a trap. The faster you move, the easier it is to see where you’re going. And you, beast, have been running in circles since this fight began."

Alice’s ears flattened. Her tail lashed once, her voice carrying a sharp, irritated edge.

"This is starting to get annoying."