SSS Ranked Shadow Monarch: Summoning Infinite Shadows

Shadow saw the millipede lunging at him and his heart froze for a moment, but then he smiled. "I'll take this power away from you." He roared, lunging forward as well, as if planning to meet the millipede and fight.

But when he was close, he suddenly activated Shadow Domain, trapping Aren and the millipede inside. Chains of shadow burst out from all around, wrapping around the two in the darkness that swallowed them, pulling them down.

Aren frowned at the sight of this, another of his ability used.

"Ram forward," he said, and immediately the millipede pushed. The chains of shadows dragged and dragged but were incapable of holding them back. They snapped, stunning Shadow.

This was the move that he had used to ensure all his victims never got away and that he always won, but he had forgotten this was Aren's Domain. His very existence changed how it behaved.

Shadow, seeing that the situation had turned dire, immediately turned and started running, but his wounded body could only get so far. Still, he ran.

The millipede chased after him with Aren on top, and when he was close enough, he made the millipede make the final lunge to end this. But then suddenly, Shadow stopped, turning around with a creepy smile on his face. "Sike," he said, before throwing a powerful punch. His fist slammed into the millipede, a shockwave exploded outward, and sent debris flying.

The millipede was blasted back a bit and Shadow was sent skidding back, his hands hanging in front like some sort of zombie. Aren leaped off the head of the millipede, shocked by this sudden show of power, and looked at Shadow.

Shadow's wounds started to heal at a visible rate. It kept healing until all was gone, then he stood straight, a smile on his face. He tilted his head and looked at Aren.

"I knew there was no way I could really reach your true strength from your abilities alone, so I made a little plan ahead, getting the abilities of a pure strength warrior and a healer, because with that, I'll be able to stop you now," Shadow said.

"I should have expected something like this, but regardless of what you do, you'll die. You harmed my friends. You used humans as tools," Aren said, taking one step forward, his eyes glowing red.

"I'll be your judgment. I'll be your execution," Aren said, taking another step and then vanishing.

Shadow started looking around instantly, his eyes darting as fast as he could, and then from behind, Aren came, spinning into a kick that Shadow only had time to lift his hands and block.

Boom.

He was knocked back, moving like a speeding car through the air. He slammed into the ground, spun many times, and while in the air, he summoned close to ten shadows to still rush and attack Aren.

He, on the other hand, was still moving through the air and right toward the millipede, which lunged high into the air, timed its attack perfectly, and came down.

BOOM!

It sounded like an explosion. Dust and debris rose into the sky, and so did the body of Shadow. He was in the air, covered in bruises, eyes barely open, but he forced himself to snap back, twisting his body as he landed on the ground.

The summoned shadows lunged at Aren at full speed, but tendrils shot out of the ground and latched onto them, snapping their bones instantly. Then he bolted forward at Shadow.

Shadow turned. "You have to be kidding me," he said. "I'll not allow you." He roared, using Shadow Domain again in hopes that it would slow Aren down for even a moment, and it worked, and that gave him enough time to lunge with an attack himself to end this. But right when he was about to hit, Aren vanished, only to be replaced by the millipede.

His fist slammed into it, but barely did enough damage. He turned around in a panic, only to see a massive bolt of black lightning flying toward him. There was no time to react. He crossed his arms as the lightning slammed right into him.

His body was thrown back through the air, smoking as it moved. He slammed into the ground hard and rolled for a few more meters.

Aren walked toward him in slow and heavy steps. Shadow tendrils shot from the ground and wrapped around him, ensuring he did nothing more and could not get away.

Cough, cough.

Shadow coughed blood. His entire body was charred. He could not move anymore.

Aren stood over him, looking down at him. "Why?" Aren asked, a single word, and in the next moment, he watched a tear form on the face of Shadow, sliding down his face and hitting the ground.

In a hoarse voice, Shadow spoke. "Because I was no one who wanted to be somebody, and finally, I saw a way.

Cough, cough. I guess that didn't work out for me. You are far stronger. I could try to heal, but it's useless now.

Sigh. I wish I could have really been something," Shadow said, slowly closing his eyes, waiting for Aren to end this.

. . . .

In the cold of night, a kid could be seen in an alley, knees curled up to his chest, his light rags barely covering him. He shivered uncontrollably.

"Hey, you there?" A voice cut through the darkness, reaching him. He looked up, his white, wet hair hanging low, his eyes sunken deep inside.

"You can't be here, brat. Get out," the figure barked. He flashed a flashlight at the kid as he approached.

The boy knew it was best for him to get out, so he struggled to his feet and wobbled his way away, using the walls to keep himself up.

He walked through the alleys, through a path he knew, and there a group waited for him. Young adults dressed like hoodlums, talking loud, drinking and smoking.

One even had a girl pinned to a wall, her screams muffled by his hands pressed right against her mouth. The kid ignored it. What's the point of even noticing? He was already walking to his own fate.

"Hey, Leo, you are back," one of them said, walking forward.

"So what did you make?" he asked, and the boy froze.

"Come on, Leo, talk."

"No, nothing," Leo stammered.

"Hahahaha, you joke a lot, kid. Now what did you get?" he asked another time, eyes flashing with pure killing intent. "Don't forget what I can do as an F-rank lightning mage," he threatened.

"I have nothing," Leo said.

"Hmmm, fine then," he said, and placed his hands on Leo's shoulders, releasing as much electricity as he could right into him.

"Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Leo screamed, collapsing to his knees and convulsing, tears streaming down his face. The others watched and laughed.

The guy went low again and did it a second time. Leo screamed, pissing himself in the process, which flowed and touched the shoe of the guy. He looked at this and frowned, lifting his leg up, and in anger, he kicked down, right into the guts of Leo.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

Kick after kick he landed. Leo curled in pain, crying.

"Come on, kid, why the hell are you crying? I'm teaching you how to survive, so smile," the guy yelled. He grabbed Leo by the neck and lifted him up. "Come on, kid, smile. Smile through the pain. No one wants to see you cry, so smile."

As he spoke, he tightened his hands on the neck more and more. Leo had no other option but to smile, and in that exact moment he smiled, something inside him finally died, his hope to ever smile for real.

"Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" He screamed suddenly, swinging his legs hard and kicking the guy right in the balls.

"Arghhh!" The guy collapsed and fell to the floor in pain, letting go of Leo, who lunged at a crazy speed and bit into his ear, ripping it off clean and running off.

While that one folded in pain, the others chased, and Leo ran like hell. And when it seemed like he was at a dead end, a door opened, and a man snatched him in, saving him.

The man's name was Nobody. He was no one, and he was nothing. But he offered Leo a new way to live from then on. Be no one until you can be someone, because when you are finally someone, no one can put you down.

Leo, Shadow, and many more, he had lived through a dozen names, but every show must come to an end, for an actor can only embody, but can never truly be a character.

In that moment, Aren used Claw Strike, decapitating Leo and killing him.

[End of the Second Arc. See you in the next.]