SSS-Ranked Evolution: Worlds Unbound-Chapter 58: Forge (dont buy)

The resulting explosion of energy sent shockwaves rippling through the clearing, a cloud of dust and frost obscuring everything.

For a moment, the battlefield was silent. As the dust cleared, Rami’s eyes scanned the space where White Rose had stood. But there was no sign of the assassin.

Was it over?

Her chest heaved as she took in sharp breaths, her eyes scanned the field and the assassin was nowhere to be seen. Had she escaped? Rami felt her stomach turn, tasting the blood in her mouth, but it was her body trying to warn her of something.

Someone.

"You are strong, but I never lose." That was the whisper she heard, in the wind and when she turned, White Rose was just about to cut her head off with a clean swipe. Her pupils constricted as the blade neared her throat. It was so fast.

But Reina held the blade with her bare hand, just in time, her eyes held an anger that couldn’t be comprehended, and the assassin could see it. Blood seeped from her hand, but she didn’t shift, with her free hand, in a swift motion, "force!" a tiger’s claw manufactured from beast energy was hurled into her body, sending the assassin spiralling away from them.

"My queen?!" Rami was out of breath, she expected Reina to 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

"The evacuation has begun, we distract her till everyone is out." her body slightly bent with her claws beside her. It wasn’t loud, but it was loud enough for her to hear, and she followed the stance of her queen.

White Rose was happy that the queen had brought herself out and her mission would soon be complete. Her countenance had changed, as she drew a stance too, now it was time to be serious.

Rami charged first, her primal instincts flaring as she bounded forward on all fours, claws extended, the ground beneath her trembling with her force. Behind her, Reina sprinted upright, a fierce determination etched on her face. Their movements synchronized, each attack seamlessly flowing into the other, but White Rose was ready.

With an effortless twirl, White Rose evaded Rami’s vicious swipe, her form blurring into a misty streak. Rami’s claws raked through empty air as White Rose vaulted over her, the assassin’s lithe form moving as though she were weightless. A moment later, White Rose darted past Reina, narrowly evading the queen’s clawed strike. Her speed was dizzying, leaving the tigresses momentarily stunned.

White Rose leapt into the air and landed gracefully atop a tree branch, her dagger gleaming like frost under the pale light. With a flick of her wrist, a storm of ice daggers rained down, splitting the tigresses apart. Reina veered left, her claws digging into the frost-covered ground for traction, while Rami darted right, springing off a tree to avoid the barrage.

In the chaos, White Rose lunged straight for Reina, her dagger aimed with the intent to kill. But Rami, always the protector, seized her discarded sword from the ground and hurled it like a spear. The weapon spun through the air, forcing White Rose to deflect it with her dagger, the clash of metal ringing out sharply. The interruption gave Reina just enough time to leap backward, narrowly avoiding the assassin’s strike.

Rami didn’t wait. She summoned her glowing stripes, sending them hurtling through the air like razor-sharp blades. White Rose’s movements became a symphony of precision as she twisted and danced, slicing through the oncoming attacks with her ice dagger. Her grace was unnerving, her focus unshaken. It was safe to ask if she were human at this point.

Reina seized the opportunity. While White Rose was preoccupied with the stripes, Reina charged low, feinting an upward slash before skidding along the frozen ground. Her powerful grip latched onto White Rose’s leg, and with a guttural roar, Reina flipped the assassin over her shoulder. White Rose hit the ground with a thud but sprang to her feet instantly.

Before she could recover, Rami closed the distance, launching into a spinning whirlwind kick. Her foot connected with White Rose’s midsection, sending the assassin crashing into a tree. The impact shattered the frost-covered bark, and the tree groaned under the force.

But the victory was short-lived.

When they looked again, White Rose was gone. A sharp gust of icy wind whipped through the clearing, and the assassin reappeared behind them, her form outlined in the thickening mist.

A deafening roar heralded her next move as a larger, deadlier storm of ice daggers surged toward them. The tigresses bolted, dropping to all fours and weaving through the trees like predators in the wild. They used the trunks as springboards, leaping and twisting mid-air to avoid the icy barrage. The air was so cold now that every breath stung their lungs, but neither woman relented.

Reina and Rami converged again, lunging at White Rose from opposite sides. Their claws aimed for her vital points, but White Rose’s reflexes were inhuman. She caught both their wrists mid-strike, her grip like iron.

Though her mask hid her expression, her eyes glinted with a mocking smirk. A burst of cold wind exploded from her, the force of it knocking the tigresses back. The wind carried a dense mist, obscuring their vision.

Out of the fog, White Rose struck. Her dagger plunged into Rami’s torso, the ice spreading from the wound as the tigress collapsed with a strangled cry.

"Rami!" Before Reina could react, White Rose was upon her. The assassin drove twin ice daggers into Reina’s arms, pinning her in place.

Reina screamed, the sound echoing through the frozen forest. The frost-bitten air seemed to feed on her agony as White Rose leaned in close, her voice cold and detached.

"Submit to the empire." she commanded, twisting the daggers deeper.

"I’d rather die!"

Reina hesitated, her tear-filled eyes locking onto his. "But Ren—"

"Go! She will kill us if we don’t move fast enough! Get out of here!" he barked, his tone brooking no argument.

Reina nodded, scooping up the unconscious Rami and staggering toward safety.

By now, White Rose was back on her feet. Her mask was smeared with crimson, blood dripping from her nose and the corner of her mouth. She reached up, grabbed her jaw, and snapped it back into place with a sickening crack. The sound echoed like brittle ice breaking underfoot.

Her icy blue eyes locked onto Ren, the power radiating from her freezing the ground in a widening radius. Even through the haze of blood and pain, she exuded an aura of deadly precision. She slowly got into her battle stance, indicating that the fight was about to begin

"You shouldn’t be here," Ren growled, he slowly mimicked her movement but in his mind, he knew he was the decoy, he needed to hold her back as much as possible.

"Neither should you."

Before he could respond, she vanished.

Ren’s instincts screamed at him. His body moved before his mind caught up, twisting just in time to block her blade with his own. The clash of steel sent sparks flying, illuminating the frost-covered trees in brief flashes.

She was relentless, her strikes swift and precise, each one testing his defences. Ren parried as best as he could, his twin blades moving in fluid arcs, but she was faster. Her attacks were like a blizzard, overwhelming and unyielding.

He leapt back to create space, but she anticipated the move. White Rose unleashed a storm of ice daggers, each one glinting like shards of death.

Ren roared, summoning a surge of energy that burst from his body in a wave. The two forces collided, creating a blinding explosion of smoke and frost.

For a moment, the battlefield was silent, the air thick with swirling mist.

Then she appeared.

Out of the smoke, White Rose dashed toward him, her blade raised for the kill. Time seemed to slow as their eyes locked—her icy blue gaze meeting his hazel one. Her expression was cold, merciless, and unflinching.

Ren reacted in the nick of time. He bent backward in a fluid, almost unnatural motion, her blade slicing through the air just inches above his face. The momentum carried her over him, her boots skidding on the frost as she landed a few feet away.

The space between them was fleeting.

Ren charged, his blade flashing in a series of quick, powerful strikes. Each swing was calculated, aimed to drive her back, but White Rose was like a shadow, slipping past his attacks with ease.

She ducked, twisted, and spun, her movements a masterclass in agility. With a sharp strike to his wrist, she sent his blade flying into the air.

But Ren didn’t falter.

His free hand balled into a fist, and he drove it into her stomach with enough force to make her stumble back. She groaned but quickly recovered, her cold breath visible in the freezing air.

Ren snatched his blade mid-air with his left hand—his dominant hand—and without hesitation, he plunged it into her shoulder.

White Rose let out a pained hiss, her knees buckling slightly as she clutched the blade.