Building My SSS-Rank Universal Empire: From Trash to Cosmic Overlord-Chapter 92: What should I try next

Seventy percent of Slya’s techniques were based on one formation, the one to forge shadow. And this went hand in hand with imagination: to imagine what one wanted and forge the shadows in its image.

Not everyone could do that. But there was one thing to know about Slya, she had wanted to be a Knight since she was young. Her head was filled with thoughts of battles, grand armor, and weapons.

In short, she had always had a big imagination. That turned out to be a problem when Vale had granted her power, because when she began training, she found it difficult to imagine something small and ordinary.

So her training had been focused on how to use her power in smaller ways and how to fight that way. She was glad to have the time to practice.

"Alright then. Let’s start fighting!" Slya said.

Mawion paused his attack and frowned. "What are you talking about?!"

The same words were repeated up above the stands, but with more laughter and mocking. They thought she was throwing up airs now that she couldn’t defeat her opponent. Vale ignored them all; he only watched Alyndra.

The Rank One was looking at Slya with a frown on her face. And Vale couldn’t blame her. Everything about Slya had changed. She seemed bolder... more like a Knight.

"Stop spouting nonsense. Why am I even talking to a dead person?" Mawion jumped forward and brought his metal storm down like a hammer.

Thick, dark chains grew from the ground around her, but Slya raised her hand and snapped her fingers. Her face changed, going from normal to one of disgust.

Ping!

Something dark, throbbing with a red glow, flickered out of the shadows. It darted in, struck the metal storm, and darted back again.

Mawion grunted as his storm was thrown back. He staggered with a curse, his eyes widening. "What is that?" His storm had hit something for sure, but it didn’t seem to take any damage.

"What do you think it is, you lowly human?" Slya said. The darkness surged around her, making her eyes the only things glowing in the darkness that was her face. She took a step forward, dragging the chains on the ground, the ends disappearing into the dark.

Mawion froze, and for the first time since the fight began, he felt sweat roll down his back, solidifying into metal. What is wrong with this girl? he thought. "You’re human too!"

Slya smiled. "Is that so? What about now?"

The darkness around her shuddered and moved, solidifying into a helmet that ended with curling horns and a face carved into a vicious howl.

"What the..." Mawion was left confused.

Up at the stand, Alyndra leaned back. "So it’s like this. Vale of the Steelclaw Alliance, you have shown me something dangerous today."

Vale didn’t say anything; he only sighed. The thing about Slya was that her imagination was so strong and vivid that she would get into character when she began to fight seriously. Honestly, what does she imagine herself as again?

He shuddered to think of what would happen when she reached the rank where she’d be able to imbue her Shadowforge Creations with enchantments like artifacts.

Mawion didn’t know what was happening, but he knew things had suddenly become serious. "Stop right there! I’ve already filled your surroundings with iron dust. I’ll rip it out of your lungs if you take another step."

She chuckled, raised her head, and took a step forward, then another, walking toward him.

Mawion twitched, raised his hand, and gestured... or he tried to. But the sound of something heavy dragging on the ground stopped him. He looked toward her suspiciously. Then he smirked. "As if I’ll wait!"

But he should have used his opportunity well.

Slya had reached behind her and yanked the chain forward. A thick black door, its middle rippling like hot coal, was dragged out.

She planted her right foot into the ground and spun, using her body as a hold as she threw the door forward, swinging it as if it weighed nothing. It whirled through the air, a blur of red and black.

Mawion swore and began to construct a wall of metal around himself, but with a crack like the tearing of a tree, the door slammed into his wall, and it crumbled like tin.

The door planted solidly into the ground facing him and flew open before the metal ball he was creating took shape. Red darkness bellowed out as a spear the size of a human jutted out of it.

Mawion caught it with bare hands, surprised when it made a dent in his hand. Then the spear and the door both vanished, throwing him off balance.

Slya frowned; the chains around her had disappeared. "That looked much better in my head. But it’s not practical. Maybe I should just make the door into a huge metal ball to swing around..."

"You...." The veins on Mawion’s head bulged. "Are you using me for practice?"

"Huh?" She looked up, made a spear in her right hand, and grinned. "Of course. Now, how about this!"

She swung the spear, and the tip flared, curved, and expanded. It crossed the distance in one go, cleaving through the air with the size of a building!

"Hey, hey, that’s too big.....!!" It was too fast to avoid and slammed into his stomach. It cut through his metal skin a little, enough to draw blood and send him smashing into the wall.

Slya frowned; her spear had returned to normal. "Let’s see... That certainly was how I imagined it, but not quite. It should be a blade that fills the sky. I’ll get there."

She changed the spear into a rod, then thrust it forward. Just like the previous attack, the tip swelled and grew bigger. It filled the room before slamming into where Mawion was.

The ground shook, the wall blasted out, and the sound of something hitting metal echoed like a groan. A grunt followed.

"Seems like I hit something. Now, what should I try next?"