SSS Hypnosis: I Made the Heroines Beg for Forgiveness-Chapter 37: Solas Bridge Is Falling Down~~

The moment the blade pierced Ben Over from behind, crimson sprayed forward in a gruesome arc.

The man behind the strike, a white-haired figure Benedict recognized instantly as Jack the Ripper.

He didn’t flinch.

He casually wiped the blood off his face with one gloved hand, the other brushing at his spotless white coat as if the splatter was nothing more than dust.

The street had gone dead silent.

Every soldier, every civilian, every noble in sight seemed frozen in place, minds struggling to catch up with what had just happened in less than the blink of an eye.

Dressed head-to-toe in immaculate white, with eyes the color of fresh-spilled wine, Jack raised one hand as though greeting an audience on stage.

His smile was as sharp as his shears.

"Ladies and gentlemen–"

"PREPARE FOR BATTLE! JACK THE RIPPER SIGHTED NEAR THE SOLAS BRIDGE!"

The booming voice tore through the air, amplified by some skill.

Jack tilted his head toward the source of the interruption, his expression one of polite curiosity.

"Would you be so kind, as to let me finish speaking first?" Jack asked smoothly,

The warning cry traveled all the way across the bridge. Benedict’s gaze flicked back to Ben Over, who had collapsed to his right, mouth frozen open in shock.

Where did this villain come from? How could he be here?

Benedict forced the questions aside. Thinking wouldn’t help now. Acting might.

He clenched his skeletal fist, bones tightening with purpose. If he was going to strike, it had to be now.

(B-Tier Skill: Coin Flip Activated)

He lunged, skeletal arm driving forward in a brutal punch aimed straight for Jack’s skull.

Without even looking, Jack’s hand shot up, intent on catching the blow mid-air.

BAM!

The impact cracked through the air. Instead of cleanly catching the strike, Jack was shoved back, two whole meters, boots scraping against stone.

(Coin Flip Result: Heads! You dealt 20 damage, reduced by 10% due to enemy passive.)

Benedict grit his teeth. That wasn’t nearly enough. He needed to push harder and faster.

"Wow," Jack said, lips curling into a mock frown. "And here I was hoping to look cool."

"GET AWAY FROM HIM, BENEDICT!"

Marisol’s voice rang out from his right.

He jumped back instantly.

"Entangling Vines!"

Green light swirled around Marisol’s outstretched palm, and the ground beneath Jack erupted with thick wooden tendrils. They coiled upward in a blur, wrapping around his arms, legs, and torso with crushing force.

"Now!" someone barked, and the royal guards charged, silver-tipped spears glinting under the afternoon light.

From above, on a nearby rooftop, another figure leapt into action, golden light forming between their hands an attack spell, fully charged.

For a moment, it looked like they had him.

Jack only smiled.

Three spears hurtled toward his head, closing the distance in less than a second. The golden blast from above streaked toward his chest, ready to finish the job.

"Blazing Detonation," Jack murmured, almost lazily.

Benedict’s eyes went wide. He knew that skill.

He didn’t need to think. He already was sprinting toward Marisol, he grabbed her by the waist and tackled them both out of the blast radius.

A glowing red point bloomed in the center of Jack’s chest, pulsing with unstable energy.

BOOM!

Light and heat exploded outward, swallowing the street in a deafening roar.

Every strike aimed at Jack was thrown aside. Soldiers were flung into the air, landing hard. Or worse, crashing into the Solas River below. The rooftop caster was sent tumbling across shingles.

The vines binding Jack turned to ash in the blink of an eye.

Benedict and Marisol rolled to a stop, breathless. Around them, horses shrieked and bolted, wagons careening in panic.

"You okay?" Benedict asked.

Marisol winced, clutching her side. "I... yeah."

Both of them rose quickly, eyes locking on Jack, still standing dead center in the blast crater.

Damn it. How do I even beat this guy? No... this whole time he’s been holding back. If he wanted me dead, I’d be gone already. He could kill everyone here if he wished.

So why wasn’t he?

Benedict steadied his breath. Stay calm. If he’s here, he has a reason. And if I can figure out what he wants.

"Hey!" Benedict called out, voice carrying across the square. "What are you here for?"

Jack adjusted his mask, turning toward him with an amused glint.

"Ahem," he began, sweeping into a bow, "I merely have a small request for the fine ladies and gentlemen here–"

He didn’t get far. A green energy arrow screamed through the air, aimed straight for his head.

Jack turned just in time to raise his hand, but too late to avoid it entirely. The arrow pierced through his palm, pinning his hand mid-air.

Benedict scowled. Idiots! Let him talk first!

Jack looked down at his bleeding hand and sighed "Could you please not interrupt us? I thought noble folk like you understood basic etiquette."

"Marisol!" a voice cried from behind.

Marisol flinched and spun around. Her mother was waving urgently from a private carriage.

"Come! Quickly! We’re leaving!"

Jack’s gaze followed the voice toward the Solas Bridge.

In his right hand, a weapon materialized, the same pristine white shears, flecked with dark stains, that had ended Ben Over’s life.

With one fluid motion, he swung the blades toward the bridge.

BOOM!

The force ripped through the air, a shockwave screaming in its wake.

CRACK! CRACK!

The great Solas Bridge split apart like brittle wood, its stone supports crumbling into the river.

Benedict’s gut sank. There goes the only escape route.

Marisol’s mother froze in horror. The bridge was gone. No way out now.

Benedict leaned toward Marisol, voice low. "Go. With your mother. Back to your mansion. Now."

"What about you?!" Marisol’s eyes flashed with concern.

"Go. Or you’ll die. I can’t protect you. No one here can play white knight right now. The situation’s far too dire." Benedict held her gaze, his tone firm.

She bit her lip hard, then turned and ran, climbing into the carriage. Wheels rattled, hooves pounded, and the coach vanished into the distance.

Jack watched it go. "Ah... one got away. Well, doesn’t matter." Blood dripped steadily from his wounded palm.

"Charlotte," Jack said softly.

Shards of glass appeared in the air beside him, spinning and swirling like a cyclone. They drew together, forming the shape of a woman.

When the fragments settled, a dark-haired girl stood there, face hidden behind a mask, clothed entirely in black.

Benedict’s mind flashed through every memory. Jack the Ripper didn’t have allies, not in the original story.

Who the hell is that girl?