F-Rank Soul Eater-Chapter 188: So... Understaffed

Yes... that was not all.

After all, wigh so many people battling each other, the Sponsors were watching.

With how things eventually turned out in Soren’s previous loops and everybody died, it was clear that the goal was to remove attention from its head.

It had already attacked and killed a few cadets which was an issue.

However, the top three parties fighting and killing themselves, all while the Sponsors were watching would be much worse.

So many deaths. So many casualties of promising seeds.

Attention would shift from it.

Plus, the assumption that it was no longer a threat simply because it remained in the false Glass would back it up.

Soren remembered the Shade Stealer gathering all those Glasshearts.

Their Soulbound warriors were dead, and while that meant the Shades within were injured—they were still very much alive.

For all the freedom the Shade Stealer talked about, those shades would havd to spend their lives in their Glasshearts.

It was a known fact that Shades could not survive with their physical bodies in the human world.

Unless...

Soren looked around. The false Glass was made to be like that world.

So maybe they could stay here.

However, that would conflict with the entire idealogy of freedom.

They would just be inmates of a bigger prison.

Once again, something clicked in Soren’s mind.

The thought absurd when he thought of it, but he just could not shake it from his mind.

"You... you want to reenact the bond!" The words came out fast and heavy from Soren’s lips."

The Shade Stealer’s gaze narrowed.

It did not need to say more, Soren knew it was true.

It is said that the bond between a soul and their soulbound warrior was forever. This was the same thing for the bound of the Shade to its warrior.

But what happened when death was the separating factor?

Was rebonding possible?

Soren did not have enough knowledge for this.

Once again, he was really missing Tommy. After all, this was a question the Bald boy most likely had an answer to.

While such a process was currently very debatable, Soren could tell that the Shade Stealer was willing to try it.

Of course, it won’t be with cadets as they already had bonds.

Cases of more than one bond like Cynthia were quite rare, or plainly abnormal—special cases.

Which would mean that...

"You have a method of breaking out of the False Glass heart. No... out of the academy into the outside world, don’t you?

If at all rebonding is possible, it can only happen with unbounded humans.

This time around, the Shade Stealer smiled. Genuinely smiled, and it clapped for Soren.

Really clapped for him.

Then it gave the order again.

"Kill them!"

Of course, Cynthia was not going to allow this.

She stood like a fortress before Soren.

The first cadet leaped over, plant vines as thick as pillars growing out of its body to form a hammer.

But it shattered on meeting Cynthia’s fist.

Those that could tried to leap for Soren.

He could not move much, but dodging was not impossible.

His head moved to the side as he activated his Blackfield, a decision he immediately regretted.

Soren felt like he had rammed into a charging bull.

Headache.

Blackfield amplified one’s senses. Meaning that the pain from the injury running diagonally across his chest had increased dramatically.

He staggered a bit, but quickly got himself together—using the walking stick to balance himself.

Using Blackfield was out of the matter. And Cynthia needed both arms to fight.

Too many enemies.

—with a wide range of abilities.

This was not like fighting antibodies on a giant eldritch-soul-whale’s back.

Those ones acted on instincts.

While these ones could think, plan, and attack while exploiting blind spots or heels need to protect Soren.

Which at the moment prevented ger from going all out.

Staying close to Cynthia meant more safety, but he would restrict much of her movement.

A perfect equilibrium had to be maintained.

Also, Soren had to observe the battle field.

The last time he fought the Shade Stealer, it had been a very miserable battle for him.

If it were to join the battle, Soren knew they were good as gone.

His eyes darted around, thinking of a solution.

Soren had a feeling that just killing the Shade Stealer would end all the problems.

The problem was in ending it.

Soren felt greatly under staffed.

Wvvvvmmm...

He suddenly felt his movement stiffen.

He turned. A Shade in the distance was responsible.

Another mistake of his. He did not have fore knowledge about the abilities of these dead cadets.

One got too close qhile Cynthia was busy and soren side stepped left, and waved the walking stick, smacking the opponent at the back of the knee.

It lost balance and fell.

Allowing for Cynthia to hurry over in time to kick it like a ball.

Soren took several steps back again.

Just then, another leaped at Cynthia, but she grabbed that one by the head mid air—smashing it face furst into the ground.

Instantly turned into meat paste.

A blue misty essence flowed from the body into the sky.

The body moved no more.

Soren saw this and understood.

Their heads.

"Cynthia, aim for the—"

CLAM...

A giant Triplex Rot Hound had taken a chunky bit, from the midsection up.

The last memory soren had was of a tongue as rough as a million 3 inch knives tenderising his flesh before the long teeth finished the work.

[You died]

....

...Not the first time he had died by being eaten. But that one had been a shocker.

He opened his eyes. Another Shade threatened to leave just embrace.

But unlike last time, Soren did not rush into the false Glass.

He intensionally released it into the academy.

Of course, this was a disaster. Sophia freaked out and ran away.

And those that sighted the soul in the sky alerted the Instructors.

But Soewn could not be bothered.

"Cynthia, take me to Doctor Kaya..."

(Author’s note: Like I said. Back to two Chapters a day. Was rough getting into it again. But I want to believe that I am getting it)