SSS Awakening: Starting With Infinite Soul Copy

Those words were like a key, leading to the tight hold on her hands relaxing.

White released her hands and stood after, preparing to leave.

"I’m sorry."

She said to him, and he paused.

"I guess anyone would have been mad from hearing that."

"But you know what, Nova?"

White said, turning to her.

"I truly don’t trust you."

He said, and even though she already knew that, it still brought a stinging pain to her heart on hearing it.

"I try to keep you from harm. Try to make sure you’re safe from any of us, but not because I promised you loyalty, nor is it because I was trying to create a good impression. I don’t wish to be loved."

"It’s because I told myself I would try...and not doing so will be a betrayal to myself."

White said before he turned back.

His last words echoed clearly through the valley:

"So in the end, it’s safe to say...I only trust myself."

____

Nova watched him leave. Though he wasn’t running, he moved fast.

So fast he was only in her view for less than five seconds before his silhouette completely disappeared.

She could lie to herself that his words didn’t affect her, but her body knew the truth.

Her hands reached up, and she wiped her cheeks, a wetness hitting her fingers.

His words had made her cry, though she could swear it wasn’t because she was mad at him.

Perhaps it was due to the coldness, but she had heard more painful words, and none ever brought her close to sadness, speak less of tears.

But she didn’t dwell in her sadness for long.

She rose to her feet, the clouds shifting away in that moment and allowing the moon’s rays of light to shine down below, illuminating her figure.

It was the only one who bore the testament she made:

"That won’t stop me from trying to earn your trust. It’s not nearly enough."

____

[So, a good outing, no?]

The system panel flashed at the corner of his gaze as White slipped underneath his bed sheet, preparing to sleep.

"I don’t wish to speak about it."

He said, zipping his eyes shut, but sleep didn’t come.

His mind just kept drifting all over, and eventually, he tried to get it off by grabbing his device by the side.

Heading to the Cyberanking challenges, he accepted three challenges, scheduling all of them to happen tomorrow.

[What the? Hey, you sure you want to take on three of the strongest students, including the strongest, all on the same day?]

The system panel flashed as White returned the phone to the wardrobe, drifting back to the sheets.

’I’ve played it safe enough. It’s time I get back on track.’

[White. You’re on the proper track, and you’ve got to take this one at a time. You can’t rush through it.]

"From now..."

[Yes?]

"Call me MadWhite."

_____

"No way in hell this is happening."

"Tell me this is a lie."

"Gustav, Rukun, Shogun, Inumaki, Morgaine, Aster, Davinci, Alisson, Sunless, and even the new Rank 10, Novaelia, are all here."

"All top 10 here in the stadium."

"All on the same day."

"Why are they all here! Is it because of Gustav?"

"You didn’t see the Challenge leaks?"

"Challenge leaks?"

"Yes. White had issued a Challenge to take on Gustav, Rukun, and Davinci, all today!"

"WHAT!?"

"I know, right? Talk of disrespect."

The entire stadium was buzzing with incredible fervor, murmurs filling the arena.

All of the students were in attendance, filling it to the brim, but it wasn’t just the students.

On the higher arena situated behind the glass, one could see a glass hall which was protected with an anti-gaze covering.

And within it, oblivious to most of the students,

A total of 12 Instructors were sitting on chairs, looking down at the arena with quiet amusement.

"Surprised one little kid’s decision drove you all out of your desks. Tsk, are all of your lives so boring?"

The words resounded within the barrier coming from an exceptionally tall man, about three meters tall, who had his leg on the table as he reclined, both hands placed behind the back of his head.

He gave a cursory eye glance to the rest of the instructors, leaving some of them chuckling.

"Vice Rohan. You’re also here, too."

A female instructor said, loud laughter filling the room.

"As a Vice responsible for the Newcomers. It’s part of my job to be there when a disturbance is in the air."

"Safe to say, I’m just doing my job."

He denied as the rest rolled their eyes.

"Who’s this White anyway?"

Another teacher asked, he was a chubby teacher who just happened to have a huge bag of snacks in his hands, his hand dipping in and chewing more.

"You don’t know him, and yet here you are."

Another teacher asked, but he defended.

"Actually, I don’t. And it was Ulyss that dragged me here, promising it’ll be fun."

He said, pointing at a green-haired Instructor by the side.

"Who is White? Well, he’s a student."

Ulyss said, and they clapped their forehead.

"Of course, he’s a student. What else could he be?"

"A Limitless Boy?" 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Another Instructor answered.

"Wait, are we all here attending the everlasting beef of the Limitless and Malevolent Bloodline?"

"No. Rukun Malevolent is just one of the students that he would be dueling. And right now, I think he might actually be the weakest of them."

A teacher said.

"Who’s the real deal amongst all three?"

"Gustav obviously."

Another instructor said but then,

"No."

The words cut through the silence as all eyes turned back to him.

Vice Rohan.

"Gustav isn’t the real deal."

Vice Rohan repeated,

"Are you saying?"

He asked.

"Yes. It’s Davinci."

He said.

Seeing the Instructors’ debatable expression, he further asked,

"Do any of you know his full name?"

He asked, and all the instructors looked blankly before all quickly checking their runic watches.

"Davinci...Nietzsche?"

"Wait, Nietzsche?"

"Like the Lost Nietzsche Family!?"

An instructor called out, eyes widened in shock.

"There’s an Original Heir amongst the Newcomers!?"

________

Normally, there would have been a lot more challenges happening today, and things would have slowly progressed until they reached White’s and the rest of the challenge.

But the arena was completely free, and that was because all other fights had been postponed, leaving it all fully for the three main fights.

Time passed, the murmur lowering as it did.

"It’s already 15 minutes past the first fight schedule. If he isn’t here in the next five minutes, it will be an automatic cancel."

"Just where is he?"

"Don’t tell me he challenged all three just to dip?"

"If that happens, then you’ve gotta admit. It was a pretty good ragebait."

Some students joked amongst themselves, but every word all of a sudden fell to a chilling crawl when an aura suddenly descended onto the arena.

"What the hell is this?"

It was something that hit every single student in unison, and all snapped their gaze to the entrance where a figure could be seen calmly walking forward, both hands folded behind his back.

STEP!

STEP!

It was like a drum echoing through their chest, making their heart pound to the same rhythm as his legs hit the ground.

When he fully stepped out of the shadows and looked up to the arena, most of the students’ hearts spiraled out of control.

"What’s...what’s wrong with his eyes?"

White’s eyes, usually dark, had taken on a different color.

They were crimson, full crimson with a vertical, black colored, serpentine mark in the center.

It was almost like looking at an awakened serpentine beast, gazing lifelessly at every student in the arena.

It eventually locked on the glass, which had a clear anti-gaze covering that should have prevented even an awakener from seeing through, yet every instructor could feel White’s gaze landing on them.

"Now that’s interesting."

Vice Rohan said, his smile widening.

Taking his eyes away from them, White walked straight to the center of the arena and waited.

The instructor responsible for the fight finally focused, calling out,

"First Challenge!"

"Rukun Malevolent Vs White Sinclaw?"

BOOOOM!

The arena shook straight after that as a crimson-haired young man landed right on the stage.

It was none other than Rukun Malevolent who rose to his feet, turning at White with a callous grin.

"READY!"

The instructor shouted out as Rukun cracked his neck and shoulders.

"Ready? I’ve been waiting for this moment since forever."

White’s eye change didn’t bother Rukun, not even one bit.

Today, he will do one thing to the one who had stolen his prey from him and now mocked him by challenging him along with three others as if he could be easily dispatched:

Drag down hell upon him!

"BEGIN!"

The instructor said, and Rukun cackled evilly, both hands raised as the air began to shake.

"We finally meet White! Hope..."

The words froze in Rukun’s lips, his widening to saucers as he watched White’s image ten meters away from him, suddenly dispersed into motes of light.

A chill spread in his spine as he looked down and saw a shadow cast in front of him, from someone behind him.

"I’m MadWhite."