SSS Transmigration: I Can Extract And Evolve Overpowered Shadows-Chapter 32: The New Nishikawa Hinata (2)

Tamara seemed taken aback by the attacks initially. She struggled a bit to counter most of the clones, but after getting into her flow she was able to create multiple smoke attacks while protecting herself at once.

Seeing his clones being beaten to the ground one after another, Hinata’s expression twisted into a grimace.

’I can’t believe I didn’t think that far ahead!’

Even if his clones had now become tangible, they neither had his brains, cunningness, obsession, nor his infinite stat points.

Since he was still an Aspirant, all his clone levels were capped at the Aspirant stage with an Aspirant state of mastery.

If he could have made Tamara believe he was stronger than he was, then maybe his clones would have been stronger. However, since Tamara’s perception of him was just that of an Aspirant, his clones had to carry that same rank.

Hinata clenched his jaw, sat cross-legged, and began circulating his mana instead of making more clones.

From the looks of things, it seemed Tamara had begun to suspect the realism of his clones. If her belief changed and he wasn’t prepared, then he would be dead for sure.

Hinata began forming each layer of his clothes, stacking them with different enchantments.

After shaping the layers of clothing into a black kimono with faint purple lining, he used ’The Fool’ to exempt his body from all pain.

This type of fighting was dangerous on his part, but Hinata didn’t have a choice at that point. If he truly wanted to beat Tamara, he needed to pull out all the stops.

When he opened his eyes, he noticed that many of his clones could no longer attack Tamara. Once she realized that only those she observed could strike her, a smirk pulled at the corner of her lips.

"Nice trick, kid! If this was someone at the Aspirant or Squire rank, you would have surely won!" She immediately let her crimson mana surge, causing all the clones to dissolve into nothingness.

Hinata forced out a shaky grin. "She’s a monster."

If it wasn’t for his infinite stat points, ’The Fool,’ and his knowledge of magic from Earth’s media, Hinata doubted he would even be able to survive a minute against Tamara.

He drew in a deep, unsteady breath and jumped out from the dark corner of a building’s roof, landing with a soft thud.

"Is this the real you or another clone?"

Hinata cracked his neck to the side, a katana with a glowing purple blade forming in his grip. "Don’t worry, it’s the real me."

After a brief pause he added, "Though from the looks of things, I guess you’ve already figured that out."

Tamara raised her tobacco pipe to her lips and took a slow drag. "You’re a very strange person, you know? Does your ability come from people’s perception or something?"

Hinata lowered his posture, one hand on the hilt and the other on the scabbard of his blade. "I don’t think it’s a good idea to ask about others’ abilities in a fight."

"True," she replied, several spinning drills of smoke forming around her. "I can find that out once I beat you."

In the silence that followed, the smiles slowly faded from their faces, replaced by blank expressions. Hinata moved with a straight dash, drawing his blade mid-stride. Tamara didn’t wait for him to finish his sequence before sending several drills flying at him.

"Shit!"

Hinata immediately twisted his body, dodging one attack before dashing in the opposite direction.

’Did she hold back her strength while fighting the clones?’

Several dozen drills were now overhead. He dodged left, then right, each drill planting a massive crater wherever it struck.

Hinata skidded to a halt as five drills materialized in front of him while several others closed in from behind.

Activating Mana Master, he tried to deflect as many as he could, only to be sent flying into the tenth floor of a towering building.

Blood spurted from his mouth, but with the help of exemption he was able to avoid feeling the pain of his bones shattering.

Hinata hauled himself to his feet and walked toward the hole he had been thrown through. The room he was flung into was completely dark, which he hoped might give him a moment to think.

That was only an assumption, though.

Several crimson lights flared to life inside the room, with more flickering outside as well.

Hinata swallowed hard. "Fuck!"

The drills outside the office window shot toward him, shattering the glass and sending loose fragments flying in every direction.

Hinata bent his upper body at an unnatural angle as a drill whipped past him, his hair fluttering wildly in its wake.

Straightening in a sharp burst of motion, he rushed toward the nearest window as several drills spun toward him.

He crossed his arms in front of his face and leaped. The glass didn’t just break; it gave way with a thunderous crash, followed by the sound of countless shards raining onto the ground below.

Hinata lowered his arms from his face only to find a massive crimson ship made of smoke looming above him.

The battered vessel, looking as though it had endured far too much, came crashing down toward him.

"Damnit..."

With almost no room to maneuver, Hinata twisted his body to face it, a gauntlet formed over his hands.

The ship fell like a war hammer. Hinata held it in place with everything he had. Even without feeling the pain, he could feel his veins straining beneath his skin.

He gritted his teeth and fought to stop the ship from burying him, or at the very least use it as a platform to escape.

"Stop! Just fucking stop!"

The ship’s momentum began to slow the more force he poured into it, but before he could take any satisfaction from that, he noticed several glowing crimson shapes drifting around him.

Hinata cut a wary glance to the side. Staring back at him was exactly what he feared most in that moment.

Tamara stood atop one of the several spinning drills now orbiting him, her expression composed and unhurried.

She smirked, and with a casual wave of her hand, the drills all surged toward him.

Hinata covered his outer skin with mana, pushing out as much as he could to absorb the incoming strikes.

The drills slammed into the improvised mana shield. Within seconds the barrier shattered, letting the drills rain down across his body.

Hinata’s figure was driven deep into the ship. The drills bored through it after him, and within moments the vessel was reduced to ruin, crashing to the ground and splintering into fragments.

Tamara took a slow drag from her pipe, eyes drifting over the wreckage. "Did I take it too far?"

Her gaze shifted from the ruined ship to a figure waving at her from some distance away. The figure had blue hair and red eyes, her body riddled with injuries.

"Lilith?" she murmured, tilting her head. "What is she saying?"

The figure was shaking her head, one hand pointing directly at her.

"Wait..." A sudden coldness crept up her spine as she slowly deciphered what the girl was mouthing.

"Above me?"

Before she could whip around, a soft, low voice sounded in her ear. A hand settled over her head and the cool press of a dagger found her throat. "You really shouldn’t underestimate me, Miss Dragonforge."