Reincarnated With a SSS-Rank Hypnosis Skill in Another World-Chapter 47 - Fighting Off Against Alena

The blizzard she unleashed wasn’t just for show.

Tiny specks of frost exploded outward in all directions, sharp enough to cut through skin, hard enough to obscure vision. Most would’ve retreated, tried to defend.

I ran straight through it.

Her ice clung to my clothes, nipped at my cheeks, but I didn’t stop—not for a second. I knew what she was doing. It was a delay tactic. Her real attacks always came after the curtain of cold settled.

So I had to reach her before that happened.

I weaved left, then right, zigzagging through the storm of frost like a shadow dancing through snowfall. My eyes, half-lidded, narrowed with focus. Her figure emerged in the distance—a glowing silhouette of silver hair and outstretched hands.

There.

She extended her fingers toward the ground—

Crack!

Dozens of frozen spikes erupted from below, like teeth from a beast’s maw.

But I was already moving midair, flipping forward as the ice skewers burst just beneath where I’d been standing. One grazed my boot, slashing it open. Close.

She clicked her tongue.

"I told you. I’m not the same as before."

"I noticed," I called back, landing in a crouch. "You’ve upgraded from boring to mildly inconvenient."

Her eyes flared with anger.

She swept her hand sideways, and a solid arc of ice tore toward me like a wave.

I didn’t block.

I dashed straight through it.

It hit my shoulder, splintering as I tanked part of the blow with mana reinforcement—but I was inside her range now.

Her eyes widened.

I pulled my dagger, low and fast.

[Bloodbind]

I slashed upward toward her shoulder—not to kill, just to make contact.

She yelped and twisted, raising a shield of ice to deflect. It was smart, fast—but I felt the blade graze her arm. Just enough.

A pulse clicked in my chest.

Connection established.

Suddenly I could feel her heartbeat, fast and erratic. I could sense her intent—hostile, but underneath it... fear.

Got you.

"W-What did you do?!" she shouted, stepping back.

"Nothing much," I replied, brushing the ice from my hair. "Just made sure I’ll always know where you are. Always know what you’re about to do."

Her eyes trembled slightly, just enough for me to notice.

She fired three shards of compressed ice at my chest in response—projectiles shaped like jagged knives.

I ducked under one, twisted past the second, and parried the third with my dagger. It stung like hell. My forearm numbed instantly.

I needed to end this soon. Her stamina might be lower than mine, but her ice was relentless.

I switched my stance, dagger low again. My breath fogged the air.

Time to show her what Seraphina taught me.

I stepped forward—then vanished.

It wasn’t teleportation.

It was a technique.

Veilstep.

I moved low to the ground in a burst of unnatural speed, dragging the blade behind me in a tight crescent as my mana gathered in my legs and core. I pivoted, pulled the dagger across the ground—and then—

Crack—BOOM.

The entire floor beneath us cracked.

Alena stumbled as a crater erupted beneath her feet, catching her off guard. Shards of stone flew into the air as the ground gave way. My blade howled through the wind as I swept upward in a diagonal arc, aiming not for her chest, but her exposed ribs.

[Veinpiercer]

She raised her arms to block with a gauntlet of ice—

It shattered like glass.

Her eyes widened in horror as my blade slipped through, grazing her side.

A sharp hiss escaped her lips.

She collapsed to one knee, gasping, hand clutching her side. Blood seeped through her uniform.

I stood over her, the dagger pointed at her throat—not touching, but close enough to remind her that the match was over.

The announcer didn’t even need to say anything.

The silence from the crowd was enough.

Then it erupted.

Applause, cheers, shock.

I deactivated [Bloodbind] and stepped back as the officials rushed in to heal her. Alena looked up at me, not with hatred now—but with confusion. Confusion and something else... resignation?

"You... really did plan everything, didn’t you?" she whispered.

I said nothing.

Instead, I turned away from her and looked up at the royal booth once more. Elena met my eyes, lips curling into a smile.

Phase one: complete.

The next fight would be harder.

The anomaly... the boy who had crushed his way through the bracket with terrifying ease.

But I had a plan.

And I had Elena.

The match had just ended.

I could still feel the warmth of my mana flickering across my skin, the faint sting of exertion lingering from the clash with Alena. They healed her quickly, dragged her off the stage with whispered words and lowered gazes.

But I didn’t celebrate.

I walked off the arena floor in silence and made my way into the waiting room, where the remaining contestants sat behind polished stone walls, tension running thick in the air.

Four of us left.

Me.

Thomas.

The black-haired girl.

And one other—some noble kid who wouldn’t survive past his next match. His knees were shaking already. Irrelevant.

What mattered now was who I would fight next.

There was a screen on the wall—a crystal board infused with magic—where the draws would be announced.

I could feel the stares from the others. Some were curious, others calculating. Thomas leaned against the far wall, his spear resting at his side like it was an extension of his body. Calm. Confident. His dark blue uniform was spotless. His gaze never once drifted to me.

But I knew he was watching.

A bell rang through the chamber, echoing once.

Then the crystal glowed.

Everyone turned.

[MATCH PAIRINGS – SEMI-FINALS]

Line by line, the names burned themselves into the screen.

MATCH ONE:Jake Varell vs Thomas Valen

MATCH TWO:Nerissa Caelis vs Gideon Grell

There it was.

The room went silent.

Even the noble boy swallowed audibly.

I turned my head slightly. My eyes met Thomas’s across the chamber.

He didn’t smile. Didn’t nod. Just studied me—expression unreadable, posture relaxed.

But I could tell he was interested now. This wasn’t like the earlier rounds. This wasn’t about rankings or prestige.

This... was about respect.

He finally pushed off the wall and slung his spear over his shoulder. Then, without a word, he walked past me—slow, deliberate. But right before exiting the room, he stopped by my side.

Still not looking at me, he spoke, voice low enough for only me to hear.

"You fought well against the Ice Queen. But I’m not her."

I didn’t respond immediately. I just stared forward at the screen, then finally tilted my head a fraction toward him.

"You’re right," I murmured. "She had more creativity."

His eyes narrowed a bit—but only for a moment. Then he chuckled, the first real expression he’d shown since I got here.

"This’ll be fun."

And with that, he left.

The tension in the room dropped slightly as he exited, but I could still feel the weight of what was coming.

A spear user.

Not just any—the spear user. Quick, precise, aggressive. He was the kind of fighter that turned pressure into an art form, that made every movement feel like it was chasing your throat.

He was dangerous.

But I’d seen enough of his fights to understand the gaps too. He wasn’t perfect. He had patterns. He had a rhythm.

And I was going to break it.

I turned to the side of the chamber where Elena had snuck in earlier, disguised under a light glamour. She gave me a look.

I nodded once.

It was almost time.

The waiting room had emptied out.

Only one match remained before mine. From the other side of the stone wall, I could hear muffled roars and cheers—the second semi-final had begun. Nerissa versus Gideon. But I wasn’t paying attention to them.

They weren’t important.

Thomas was.

I sat alone on a bench, my dagger resting across my thighs, the cool steel humming faintly with anticipation. The same dagger Seraphina had trained me with. The one I’d nearly broken the earth with. That technique... I had kept it in reserve since the fight with the dwarf. And now, I’d need it again.

Because unlike Alena, who relied too much on control, Thomas had flow. Spear fighters always did.

He was fluid. Mobile. A predator in constant motion.

And that made him predictable.

A quiet knock pulled my attention to the side door. It cracked open, and Elena slipped inside under her illusion spell. It shimmered briefly as she passed the magical threshold, enough to make her features appear fully. Her eyes locked onto mine.

I stood.

Without a word, she crossed the room and pulled something out of her satchel: a small cloth-wrapped case. She handed it to me, hesitating as her fingers lingered on the fabric.

"The stimulant," she whispered. "You shouldn’t need it... but just in case."

I unwrapped the cloth and found the second vial I’d asked for—a pale orange liquid that shimmered like firelight.

[Adrenal Surge: Increases reaction speed, strength, and mana recovery rate by 30% for 60 seconds. Use with caution.]

Perfect for counters. Perfect for someone like Thomas.

"You’ve done enough," I said, tucking the vial into my belt pouch. "Now go back to the stands. You’ll miss the best part."