F-Rank Soul Eater-Chapter 163: Soren Doesn’t Want To Be Used

Those words made Soren lean further, eyes wide. "How did...?"

"The entire academy knows about it..." She interrupted. "...You are the only one to have survived the Shade Stealer. I bet you want to kill the son of a bitch for what happened to your friend. However, you won’t be the only person after his head."

Soren was still trying to wrap his head around what she was saying. But then she clicked a few buttons on her wristwatch, sending him a file.

Ding.

Soren clicked to open it.

It was a flier, signifying the qualification requirement for this year’s winter games, as well as the subject of the hunt.

The Hunt: Shade Stealer.

This was a shocker. Soren pressed a button, forwarding the details to Bloodshine and Cynthia.

The two read through it.

"This," Soren began. "what’s going on?"

"They know." Sophia replied. "The instructors know that the Shade Stealer is targeting the cadets at the winter games. However, efforts to find and capture the Shade Stealer as of late has yielded no fruit."

Soren’s gaze suddenly brightened. He remembered that only a few hours ago, they had met Vass grumbling as he left the admin building.

Considering what he just heard, Vass must have been hit with a dismissal of opinion.

With what he remembered of Vass, the bully never took rejections well.

But this news, it was not public yet.

"How did you get this?" Soren asked.

Sophia didn’t say anything, her eyes simply fell on one of her simple brothers.

"Its really difficult to imagine you and your brothers would suffer so much with the kind of skills you have."

Sophia snickered. "You only say that because you have never entered the Hunting grounds." Her fingers tightened around her plate, as if holding back pain. "In that place, only power has true meaning."

Soren wanted to refute. He wanted to say that he had been in the Glass and understood how power worked, but he held back.

However, his mind drifted to more concerning things.

There was effectively an assassin in the school.

Instead of the authorities to make effort to capture the threat—they decided to make Sport of it.

The Imperial Soulforge Academy was really on a different level of education.

"...Whether its the hunting grounds or the winter games, you can’t participate if you are still a clown.

Like I said, I’ll help elevate you from your clown status. After your friend." She gestured towards Cynthia, "...kicks Aegon’s ass for us in the hunting grounds, I’ll do it. Si what do you think?"

Soren turned to Cynthia—she nodded.

Then he turned to Bloodshine. She also nodded.

Soren sighed. "Deal."

Even though Soren had won his battle against Goldsworth, the rules remained.

The only way to shed off the Clown status was if he challenged a senior Cadet and won in battle.

As expected Soren sent the challenge to Sophia through his wristwatch.

She accepted the challenge and a date was set for the battle. It was to happen in two days time.

Cynthia also carried the status of Clown, and so sent a battle request to Jo, Sophia’s brother.

"After the battle, you will enter the hunting grounds." After saying this, Soren nodded towards her.

With Bloodshine’s help, he stood to his feet and the three walked out.

The moment they left, Sophia’s eyes glowed mischievously.

....

They had barely taken a few steps into the snow towards their own dormitory when Bloodshine spoke.

"So you do know its a trap, right?"

Soren nodded. "Most definitely a trap."

Cynthia released vapour from her helmet in acknowledgement.

"And what are you going to do about it?" Bloodshine asked.

"Fall into it, of course."

She paused.

His answer surprised her.

Yet, she could tell that he was serious.

Soren did not plan to elaborate.

Her eyes moved to Cynthia—expecting a rebellion of his decision, but there was none.

Of course, they could set their traps. In fact, Soren would be disappointed if they didn’t.

Just a few more agonising steps to his dormitory, a figure was seen running out of the base.

That direction was the dormitory’s cafeteria.

That person.

It was Pencil.

He was practically naked, using his shirt to cover his private as he hurried past them.

The smell of piss followed him. They were tears in his eyes and he did not notice Soren and the others.

Soren froze.

Then he heard the laughter.

His eyes turned.

They landed on a group of boys also exiting the cafeteria.

Those boys.

Before the loop Soren remembered the way they looked at pencil when he stepped into the bathroom.

Because of the situation with his wound, he had not paid attention to it.

His frown deepened, gaze fixed on the three boys.

The moment they saw him, they froze.

One of them coughed awkwardly.

Soren wanted to do something about it. He had to.

Cynthia took a step forward.

But.

Soren raised a hand to stop her.

"Let it go." Soren whispered then he walked away.

Bloodshine was puzzled—observing.

The others followed through the reception.

Hector waved at them as they passed by him.

Bloodshine said her fairweather as she went to her room, allowing Cynthia escort Soren all the way to his.

By the time Soren got to his room, Vass stood there, waiting for him.

The huge red haired boy did not waste time. "I want to learn Blackfield."

Soren paused. Then he sighed, moving past Vass towards his door.

"I can’t teach you." Soren gave him a paticular look then slammed the door behind him.

Soren laid on his bed.

Things did not feel like they were moving the way he wanted.

His injury.

The Shade Stealer.

Dr Kaya.

And now Sophia.

He pulled himself to the sink of his bathroom.

Turning on the tap, he rinsed his face with the warm water.

He felt as if he had been thrown into a battlefield with minimal control.

At least when he was in prison and even when he faced Ivory, it was straight forward.

Can’t do it?

Start again.

But with the traps and obstacles before him, the advantage he relied on was taking a back seat.

Especially now that Chronovore was injured and the other Shades within him were practically rebelling.

One could say that he had an incredible advantage but using it was not possible.

But why?

While having an injury held him back, it was not the crust of the issue.

At his core, he could tell.

It was him.

From the very beginning. When Dr Kaya had invited him to that room, he shouldn’t have trusted her and kept his guard up.

When he fought against Goldsworth, he should not have allowed his emotions get the best of him.

They were other moments too, but for now, these were the major ones.

Soren leaned against the sink.

What was his problem?

His eyes raised to the mirror.

Was he just over thinking it?

He wiped his face with a towel went to his room.

On his bed, at the far corner was the book.

Discipline of Sorrow.

He had not read it for a while. But he still remembered the last scene.

The first pilot had been invited into a home by a rock like Soul.

After dinning with them, he woke up the next day only to find himself over the pot of Soup.

Soren frowned.

Was that not the same situation he was in?

Of course, not literally the same, but was ut not similar?

He had trusted Dr Kaya, and she ended up trying to use him to test the Shade Stealer’s drug.

Instructor V, lending a helping hand, bit also having her own agenda.

The sponsors and Goldsworth trying to use him to put down Commoners.

And now Sophia attempting to use him too.

The only reason Soren had agreed to their deal was because he did not think they was anything they coukd throw against Cynthia and she would not be able to take.

But was he not a little too trusting?

In people.

In others.

At the same time, he felt a certain push against using Chronovore’s ability since he discovered that the serpent had other plans concerning him.

At this point, everybody was either trying to use him, or cooking up something with him I the center.

Soren dug his fingers into his head.

I’m I a stupid fool?

This words were not because he was, but because his actions as of late had only displayed foolishness.

Soren knew he was smarter than this.

Then why was he letting himself...

An image flashed in his mind.

His father —Machos.

That man.

A memory flashed in his head.

There was a time when the town had issues with constant stealing.

Considering the fact that the town’s people had very little anyone would consider valuable, a thief was a very big issue.

Of course, the person’s target had been food.

A trap was set to catch this person.

While it worked, the result of that experience was devastating.