SSS Ranked Shadow Monarch: Summoning Infinite Shadows-Chapter 181: Avatar of Elton

A day had passed since the awakened had been sent into the Geisha ruins, and many had been eliminated. It turned out that this place was far, far more terrifying than any of them had imagined it to be.

The group had survived the first day and found themselves staying inside a somewhat okay building for the time being. They would move from here when they needed to find more resources, but for now they were fine.

Everyone sat around the fire that Aiden had made, everyone except Raze, who had stepped out for a bit. Aiden cooked all the delicacies that his ring could carry, and he fed everyone a hot bowl of soup with meat and some bread. It was genuinely delicious.

After he finished serving everyone, he realized that Raze had not been back for a while, and they all needed to eat it hot for the best flavor. He, as the chef, would not allow anyone to eat his food cold.

With that in mind, he decided to search for Raze.

"I’ll be back, gotta find Raze," he said to the group before stepping out from there into another ruined room. He looked around for Raze but could not find him.

He continued his search, moving room to room, but Raze was nowhere to be seen. Finally, he stepped out of the building and looked at the one across from it. That was when he felt a soft blow of energy. It was not soul energy, but something higher. He had felt it only when the angels came.

Curious, he walked toward it. He got to the doorway and peeped in, but he did not see anything, so he snuck in. He kept walking on to find a faint glow coming from a room, and when he walked there, he saw Raze floating midair, head hung back like he was dead, eyes rolled back, golden patterns lit up his body.

Seeing this, Aiden immediately entered panic mode. "Raze!" he yelled and rushed forward, but before his finger could touch Raze, he was blasted back by an invisible force.

Aiden shot through the air, slamming into a wall and breaking right through it. He landed roughly on the ground behind, letting out a groan of pain.

Raze dropped his head and his eyes suddenly opened. He dropped from the air and the golden markings vanished. He returned back to normal. He looked in the direction Aiden had been thrown and frowned.

He walked toward there to see Aiden climbing out of the rubble. Their eyes met.

"What did you see?" Raze asked.

"Was I meant to see something?" Aiden responded.

Raze smiled slightly, but his eyes held deep regret. "I wish we could have worked together and become the best swordsmen."

"Nothing is stopping that dream, or is there something?" Aiden asked.

"Sorry, Aiden," Raze replied and lifted his finger. Aiden reacted fast, leaping to the side as a massive blast from the finger ripped out, completely obliterating the building and everything behind it, stretching for several other buildings.

Luckily, Aiden had escaped. He immediately pulled his sword and lunged at Raze.

"What the heck is wrong with you, bro?" Aiden screamed as he slashed down. Raze dodged with one step and then summoned his blade, his eyes emotionless.

"You can’t understand," he said, and then slashed. Aiden blocked.

BOOM!

The power within the blast was so terrifying that Aiden, despite blocking, was thrown back, slamming into a wall and breaking right through.

He hit the ground outside and rolled to a stop on his knee, looking toward the building that Raze was inside.

"RAZE!" he roared. "Whatever it is, I’m sure we can find a way through it. Talk to me. What’s going on?" Aiden asked, his eyes pleading. His heart ached at the thought that Raze was never a friend.

"I’m sorry, friend," Raze said from inside, barely audible. He shot forward, his speed causing what was left of the Gospel to crumble as he attacked Aiden with an overhead slash.

Aiden, filled with disappointment and anger, rose to his feet. His sword glowed blue as he raised it above his head and performed a clean block.

BOOM!

The ground under him cracked and formed a massive crater. A shockwave ripped through the entire area, but Aiden blocked the attack. He looked Raze right in the eye.

"Raze, tell me what’s happening. Why are you doing this?" Aiden asked once again, but the answer he got shattered his heart.

"I was never here for you, or to make friends. I was here for Aren. The anomaly must die, and so must all of you, his followers," Raze said, then leaped backward.

By this time, the rest of the group rushed out, and there they saw the situation. Raze stood there, oozing with the purest form of killing intent.

Raze looked at all of them. "I’m sorry, you all must die, especially Aren."

"This is a joke, right? You can’t do this," Aiden yelled.

"You’ll break Aren’s heart," Zero said.

"Aren has struggled with accepting people. The him before didn’t care about people, and now he does. You’ll ruin it, everything he has built.

If anything, walk away. Let it be that you left. Don’t do this to him," Kira said, pleading. They all did not need a dictionary to know what was happening. Raze had played them.

"I’m sorry, but Aren must die," Raze said. The moment he uttered those words again, Athena had enough as she unleashed her chaos. The ground exploded and the force traveled toward Raze.

"Stay away from him!" Athena roared in pure rage.

Raze lifted his sword and the attack slammed into it, but he only skidded back a few meters until he came to a stop. He then looked up at them, took a deep breath, and then the next moment, two black angel wings shot from his back with golden tips. His body was instantly covered by a black, form fitting armor, and his face turned pale.

"I am the Avatar of Elton, messenger born of her, and instructed to kill Aren, the Anomaly, as well as you whom he loves."