CHAPTER 266: RUINED THE DATE [3]

Brandon exhaled, adjusting his stance so Astrid was shielded by his body.

The nearest B-rank aberrant, a quadrupedal beast with serrated bone protrusions along its spine, lowered its head and roared and the shockwave rattled loose glass from the nearby windows.

Astrid didn’t even flinch.

Instead, she grinned "Alright, let’s go, boyfriend! Show me what you’ve got!"

The aberrant lunged.

Brandon sidestepped just enough for its claws to carve through empty air, then his twin daggers flashed.

A precise upward slice severed its front tendon mid-charge and the beast collapsed to its side with a pained howl.

He pivoted without losing momentum, crossing his blades in an X-slash right under its jaw and blood sprayed as the head toppled.

Astrid whistled loudly behind him "Yeeees, boyfriend! You da best!"

Brandon ignored her tone and darted forward.

Another B-rank came at him with a gaping maw splitting its face into jagged halves.

Its claws came down, but Brandon was already inside its guard, ducking low.

His daggers carved two clean arcs across its abdomen, spilling viscous black blood before he drove one blade up through the roof of its mouth.

SKEECH!! "KRAARGH!"

The body dropped.

"Wooo!" Astrid pumped her fists like a spectator at a sports match, "That’s my boyfriend! Yes, boyfriend! Cut them all down!"

He shook his head helplessly and advanced again, his eyes locking onto another B-rank that had pushed past the line of female students.

The thing was mid-swipe at one of them when Brandon’s blades found its neck.

SLEECH!

A single step with a single twist, and the creature’s spine gave way with a crack and it crumpled instantly.

The surrounding students faltered for a second... not out of fear of the aberrants, but because of him.

"That was a B-rank..." one muttered.

"He just... killed it like it was nothing..."

Astrid heard them and her grin widened "See? Even your fangirls are impressed."

Brandon didn’t bother replying.

He was already moving toward the largest aberrant yet.

It swung its limb but he slid under it, his boots gently scratching against the ground.

His daggers became a blur, striking at exposed joints repeatedly.

SKEECH! SKEECH! SKEECH!

Three strikes. Four.

Then a final, decisive slash across the throat.

"GRURRGHH!"

The beast staggered, gurgled, and collapsed with a ground-shaking thud.

Astrid’s cheer was louder this time, almost genuine despite her playful tone "YEAH! That’s my man!"

But deep inside, behind that teasing smile, her eyes were sharp and calculating.

’He’s... beyond what I imagined,’ she thought with a small smile on her lips.

’These aren’t C-ranks... these are B-ranks, and he’s cutting them down like weeds. Even Clarisse when she was C-rank, would have to focus to clear them this fast.’

Brandon flicked his blades and glanced back at her. "Still enjoying the ride?"

Astrid’s lips curved into a fox-like smile "Oh, absolutely, boyfriend. Don’t stop now, you’ve got an audience."

---

THUD!

Brandon kicked the last B-rank off his blade, its carcass hitting the cobblestone with a wet thud.

Before he could even straighten, Astrid leaned up toward his ear.

"Mm, boyfriend..." she murmured, her tone playful as always, but her eyes scanned the battlefield with sharp precision, "that rupture’s pulsing irregularly."

He glanced at her briefly "Meaning?"

Her grin widened. "Meaning, something big is about to step through."

Hearing this, his gaze sharpened "And you didn’t think to say this earlier?"

"I was busy cheering you on," she said with a innocent look, then tapped the device strapped to her wrist.

A faint holographic grid flickered, showing waves of ether energy spiking in jagged patterns. "See that? That’s not a normal spawn sequence... it’s a nesting rupture. It’ll keep spewing until the core is destroyed."

Brandon’s eyes flicked toward the rupture "Can you pinpoint the core?"

"Of course I can. I’m a genius. For that we need to enter the rupture and ...whatever’s guarding it is probably stronger than a B-rank."

He slid a dagger back into its sheath and flexed his free hand "Stronger than a B-rank..."

Astrid’s grin widened and she turned her gaze toward the battlefield and caught sight of a crimson whirlwind "Clarisse!" she shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth.

"This is a nestled rupture!"

Clarisse’s head turned slightly, her white hair catching the light as her sword carved through the air.

And using the moment, another aberrant tried to strike her, but a rush of crimson petals swept it into shreds.

The petals dissipated, leaving only the sound of sizzling blood hitting the cobblestone.

Clarisse’s eyes narrowed "And it took you this long to notice it? With your skill?"

Astrid put a hand to her chest and smiled inoccently "I was awestruck by my boyfriend and didn’t notice it."

She shot Brandon a wink that earned her nothing more than a flat, unimpressed stare.

Clarisse’s expression didn’t change and she turned her gaze upward. "Sehra,"

High above, Sehra’s long hair rippled in the wind and she was still firing with precise, mechanical efficiency "Yes?"

"Take care of the situation here. I’ll enter the rupture and destroy the core."

Sehra gave a curt nod, shifting her stance as she readied another volley "Understood. I’ll keep the area clear."

Without another word, Clarisse dashed toward the heart of the chaos.

Her boots barely touched the ground before she kicked off again, each step sending a ripple through the shattered stone.

Astrid grabbed Brandon’s hand and pulled him "Come on, come on, let’s go, boyfriend. Can’t let the girls have all the fun."

He frowned, resisting slightly. "I’m not-"

"Yeah, yeah," she cut him off, already pulling him forward. "Save it for after we’re not in imminent danger of being eaten alive."

The three of them sprinted toward the rupture and the air around it crackled with warped ether.

Dozens of aberrants were pouring out, claws scraping against rupture as their twisted bodies forced their way through.

Their screeches were sharp enough to make the air feel thinner and the ground beneath their feet vibrated with each pulse from the tear.

Clarisse exhaled softly and then she vanished.

One moment she was there, the next she was gone in a burst of crimson petals, her form reappearing deep within the swarm.

Her sword swept outward in an arc so fast it looked like the air itself split apart.

The world caught up a second later.

A thunderclap rang out as a massive slash of condensed crimson ether carved a clean corridor through the horde, severing limbs, torsos, and heads in one fluid motion.

The ground trembled as bodies collapsed with the stench of fresh blood saturating the air.

"Path’s clear."

Brandon tightened his grip on his daggers.

Astrid practically skipped forward, still holding his hand like they were on an evening stroll instead of charging into the mouth of hell.

"Hmm.. hmm.. hmm..."