SSS Class Awakening: I Can Forge My Beast Soul Avatars
Chapter 33: Blood

Chapter 33: Blood

The monstrous beast recovered with unnatural speed, though the sudden, jarring collision into the reinforced arena wall had caught it completely off guard.

A thick, dark trickle of blood oozed from a fresh laceration near the base of its left hind leg.

It dragged itself out from the swirling dust and stone debris, limping heavily as if the sheer shock and trauma were about to force its body to give out entirely.

’So even an iron vault has a structural limit...’ Atlas grinned, a cold surge of confidence washing over him as he watched the grotesque creature stagger through the haze.

"Black, end them now!" Gregory shrieked from his side of the boundary, his voice cracking with an unmistakable edge of panic. "Don’t give them another second!"

Atlas flicked his eyes toward Gregory, immediately catching the sudden shift in the tamer’s demeanor.

The unhinged composure had shattered. The spatial redirection Skull had executed in that fraction of a second hadn’t just disrupted the beast’s momentum — it had forced genuine physical damage onto a creature that was supposed to be invulnerable.

’Skull’s spatial adaptability is its exact hard counter.’ Atlas adjusted his stance, his eyes darting between the limping monstrosity and the snarling, shadow-wreathed wolf at his side.

"Come on, boy," Atlas muttered under his breath, his previous dread melting into focused adrenaline. "Let’s finish this and claim the point for Class 5E."

Without another second’s hesitation, Atlas and Skull moved in tandem, sprinting across the damaged flagstones toward the wounded beast.

Atlas called out precise tactical adjustments, his voice steady as Skull executed every shift in position flawlessly.

After the chaotic escalation, he needed to ensure their soul sync remained absolute before committing to the final exchange.

’I just need to keep guiding Skull’s line of attack. If nothing breaks our rhythm, this match is ours.’

As the gap closed, however, Atlas noticed something unsettling.

The gray beast wasn’t limping out of sheer exhaustion — it was stalling.

The creature was intentionally holding its ground, luring them into close proximity while its dense, reptilian hide visibly knit itself back together.

It was utilizing high-level tactical patience, exhibiting a degree of calculated instinct far beyond that of a standard wild beast.

’This thing isn’t just driven by wild aggression... it’s calculating.’

Skull lunged, channeling every ounce of spatial affinity into his claws and jaws to brace for any sudden counter.

Atlas skidded to a sharp halt along the flank — close enough to maintain direct vocal and mental commands, yet far enough to avoid getting swept into the immediate strike zone.

The clash erupted instantly.

With the gray beast’s mobility compromised by the injured leg, Skull’s upgraded agility allowed him to completely dominate the exchange.

The refined bite force from his recent adaptation tore through the rubbery hide, carving deep gashes along the creature’s neck.

"Whoa! Look at that speed!" a student in the lower stands shouted, leaning over the barrier. "I thought Class 5E was done for!"

"This is insane!" another chimed in over the roaring crowd. "That shadow wolf is completely re-writing the match!"

Skull clamped his jaws hard around the beast’s shoulder, locking his teeth into the tough muscle.

When the gray monster swung a massive, razor-tipped paw in retaliation, Skull triggered a micro-portal beneath his paws, slipping harmlessly into the shadow realm and causing the strike to slice through empty air.

Unscathed, Skull re-emerged from the beast’s blind spot, tearing fresh wounds into its flank while the creature struggled to keep pace with the spatial assault.

"Yes! That’s it, boy! Keep pressing!" Atlas yelled, fully immersed in the flow of the battle.

Even the referee drifted several paces back, giving the two beasts ample clearance to settle the violent exchange.

High above, near the balcony where Mr. Crosswell had been standing moments prior, a shadowy figure moved past the stone pillars, catching Atlas’s attention.

It was Cassandra. But Mr. Crosswell was nowhere in sight.

Atlas quickly raised a hand, making a silent gesture inquiring about their instructor’s location. Cassandra simply shook her head in response, her expression shadowed.

’She didn’t find him? Where could he be? First Seraphine disappears, now Crosswell... What is going on behind the scenes of this duel?’

"Finish it, Atlas! Don’t let up!" Rex’s boisterous voice echoed from the Class 5E bench.

Atlas offered a quick, sharp nod toward Rex before snapping his focus back to the ring.

Suddenly, a bright bronze System notification flashed directly across his field of vision, obstructing his view of the fight.

Atlas violently brushed the mental prompt aside without reading a single word.

’Tch! Not now!’ he snapped internally. ’I need absolute focus or one mistake flips the momentum right back at Skull!’

The prompt flashed a second time, persistent and glowing brighter.

’Later! Save the logs for later!’ Atlas commanded harshly through his intent.

The interface flickered, acknowledging the priority override, and receded into the background of his consciousness.

’Much better.’ Atlas took a deep breath, stepping closer to the edge of the engagement to issue the final order.

’Skull, can you hear me? End this immediately. His regeneration rate is too high — we can’t afford a prolonged drag-out. Strike before it fully recovers!’

Skull let out a piercing howl that echoed off the high arches of the amphitheater.

Pushing off the stone, the shadow wolf dodged a concussive shockwave from the gray beast, coiled his hind legs, and leaped straight for the creature’s exposed throat.

But just as Skull’s jaws opened to deliver the bone-crushing strike—

A cold, agonizing sensation exploded through Atlas’s lower back.

It was a sharp, searing pain that sent a violent shockwave up his spine, paralyzing his central nervous system in a single heartbeat.

"What... what is..." Atlas choked out, his voice reduced to a raspy whisper as his vision violently blurred.

He brought his hand down to his abdomen, clutching his front.

When he pulled his palm back into his failing line of sight, his fingers were drenched in a thick, bright crimson fluid.

He was bleeding profusely.

’What... how...?’

The overwhelming, burning agony radiated entirely from behind his ribs. He forced his body to turn, his knees trembling as he clutched his stomach.

Standing directly behind him was Gregory.

In his hand, Gregory held a dark, narrow blade radiating an oily, black aura, its edge dripping with Atlas’s blood.

"Never turn your back on your opponent," Gregory whispered, his voice smooth, devoid of all panic, and dripping with quiet malice. "No matter who you think is watching... Let that be a final lesson for you. Assuming you survive the poison."

Gregory’s face twisted into a deep, sickening grin as Atlas’s legs completely buckled. He collapsed heavily onto the cold flagstones, his body seizing violently as the dark energy from the blade surged through his bloodstream.

Across the arena, the sudden, traumatic disruption in the soul bond hit Skull mid-air.

The shadow wolf missed the critical bite, glancing off the gray beast’s shoulder and skidding hard across the stone floor as his connection to his tamer frayed into chaos.

Through the haze of his failing consciousness, Atlas watched his own blood pool around his face.

Then, an unprompted, crimson System window forcefully ripped open across his fading vision, burning through the dark:

[CRITICAL: Host Vital Signs Rapidly Collapsing.]

[Rage Threshold Exceeded. Converting Residual Pain into Raw Essence...]

[WARNING: Activating Emergency Override — BERSERK MODE (Grade 10)]

[10... 9... 8...]

[MANDATORY SYSTEM DIRECTIVE: Evacuate All Nearby Units.]

Atlas saw the notification but was too weakened to give it a thought or retract the command. His attention was fully one his bleeding abdomen.

Across the floor, Skull’s crimson eyes slowly bled into a blinding, abyss-black radiance, the shadows around his body swelling into a chaotic, crushing vortex.

Atlas coughed, a spray of blood staining the white stone beneath his cheek as his consciousness slipped into dark water.

’How... how didn’t I feel him step behind me...?’

His vision went completely black.

’I’m done for...’