The Scum Emperor's Redemption System - Chapter 108

Chapter 108: Paradox (6)
The shadows hissed louder, surging toward her.

“Okay, okay, I got this,” she muttered, cracking her knuckles. “No magic? No problem! It’s just me and my bare fists. One-on-one—uh, I mean… one-on-like-a-hundred. Oh, gods, I’m so screwed.”

The first shadow lunged, and Argider ducked, swinging wildly. She managed to land a slap that sent it dissipating into a puff of smoke. “HA! Take that, you creepy smoke demon! Who needs fancy magic when you’ve got these guns?!”

She flexed her arms dramatically, only for another shadow to tackle her from the side.

“GET OFF ME, YOU OVERGROWN INK BLOB!” she shrieked, wrestling the shadow before managing to kick it away. She stumbled back to her feet, her hair a mess and her clothes smudged with soot.

“Pro tip,” Alvator called lazily from above. “The fire spell works better if you actually focus.”

“I am focusing!” Argider shouted, dodging another attack. “It’s just hard to focus when I’m being mauled by nightmares!”

Another shadow charged her, and this time, she threw up her hands and shouted, “FIREBALL!”

A decent-sized flame burst from her palms, smacking the shadow square in the chest and sending it flying back. Argider froze, stunned. “I… I did it! I ACTUALLY DID IT!”

The shadows paused for a moment, their hissy growls turning into what could only be described as collective annoyance. Then they all charged at once.

“Oh, come on!” Argider wailed, running in the opposite direction. “Alvator, do something! At least throw me a weapon or something!”

“You don’t need a weapon,” Alvator said with an infuriating grin. “Just use your brain.”

Argider skidded to a stop, glaring at him. “My brain?! Have you met me?!”

Before she could get an answer, the mob closed in again. With a resigned groan, Argider planted her feet and summoned every ounce of courage she had. “Alright, you smoky jerks! Let’s dance!”

And so, the battle continued – Argider hurling awkward fireballs and lightning zaps while occasionally slapping or kicking a shadow into oblivion. Each victory was punctuated by triumphant but decidedly ungraceful shouts, like, “Take that!” and “Not today, shadow scum!”

Somehow, through sheer stubbornness and a dash of luck, she managed to inch closer to Elira.

“I don’t get it! If I was the one who sent her here in the first place, why can’t I interfere?!” Argider’s voice was tinged with frustration, her arms flailing dramatically as she tried to dodge another shadowy swipe. Around her, the fiery chaos of Elira’s internal world crackled and burned, casting eerie light on the grotesque figures stalking her.

Alvator hovered nearby, his expression as unimpressed as ever. “Well, obviously because you’re still weak,” he said, inspecting his claws as if the chaos below was no more interesting than a cloudy sky. “You still need more time before you can manipulate their internal workings.”

Argider’s jaw dropped. “Weak?! Excuse me? Who just fireballed their way through a crowd of creepy nightmare blobs? Me! That’s who!”

“And yet here we are, you still fumbling around while your life hangs by a thread. You’re a real inspiration to weaklings everywhere.”

“Ugh!” Argider groaned, sidestepping another shadow’s lunge. She spun on her heel, delivering an awkward kick that made contact, sending the creature puffing into smoke. “If you’re not going to help, at least keep your commentary to yourself!”

“Well, I would help,” Alvator drawled, floating lazily in the air, “but you’re the one who got yourself into this mess. So right now… you have to face the consequences.”

“Consequences?” Argider barked, throwing her arms up. “For what? Trying to survive? This is literally my JOB—AHH!” She ducked as a particularly nasty shadow with claws longer than her patience swiped at her head. “Okay, fine! Consequences. Got it. Can you at least tell me how to get out of here alive?!”

Alvator smirked. “Simple. You fight. Or you die. Your call.”

“Great advice, Alvator!” Argider grumbled, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Really motivational. Love the pep talk.” She turned back to the encroaching crowd, clenching her fists. “Alright, you overgrown blobs of evil. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

The first shadow leapt at her, claws bared. Argider ducked, rolled to the side, and shot a crackling bolt of lightning from her fingertips. It fizzled mid-air, barely enough to singe the creature’s misty form, but it backed off with an unearthly hiss.

“HA! That’s right! Fear the spark!” she shouted, brandishing her hands like they were mighty weapons. Then her face fell. “Wait. I’m running low on mana already? How does that even—AAHH!”

Another shadow lunged, forcing Argider to scramble backward and grab the nearest object—a flaming stick from the ground. She swung it wildly, yelling, “Back! BACK, I SAY!” like an amateur lion tamer in over her head.

The shadows hesitated, but only for a moment before closing in again.

“Why are there so many of you?!” Argider shouted, swinging the stick with all her might. One shadow caught fire, puffing into ash, and for a fleeting second, she felt victorious. That feeling didn’t last long.

The shadows charged en masse, their gnarled forms blotting out the fiery backdrop. Argider screamed, throwing herself into the fray with a combination of wild swings, awkward punches, and desperate dodges.

“Take this! And that! And—ow, my foot! Wait—no, you don’t get to bite me!”

One shadow grabbed her ankle, and she kicked it off with a high-pitched yelp. Another reached for her hair, and she slapped it away like an angry cat. “Personal space, you jerks!” she shrieked, her fiery stick reduced to smoldering embers.

Suddenly, a surge of energy coursed through her, and Argider remembered Alvator’s earlier words. “Wait a second. I can use magic here!”

She planted her feet, summoning every ounce of focus she could muster. “Okay, fireball, don’t fail me now!”

A decent-sized orb of flame burst from her hands, rocketing toward the nearest group of shadows. It exploded on impact, scattering them into wisps of smoke.

“YES! Finally!” Argider cheered. “Who’s weak now, Alvator?!”

“You, still,” Alvator deadpanned from above. “You’re fighting hallucinations in someone else’s head. Congratulations on being marginally less pathetic.”

Argider groaned, but she didn’t have time to retort as another wave of shadows surged forward.

“Alright, you want some more? Come get it!” she shouted, summoning another fireball. This one fizzled out before reaching its target.

“Oh, come on!” Argider groaned. “Is there a refund policy for magical stamina?”

The fight raged on, a chaotic mix of fireballs, dodges, and comically exaggerated battle cries. Argider’s movements grew sloppier as exhaustion set in, but somehow, she managed to hold her ground. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the crowd of shadows began to thin.

Panting, bruised, and covered in soot, Argider spotted Elira at the center of the chaos. The woman stood atop a makeshift podium of rubble, her expression unreadable. “Argider…” Elira’s voice was soft but cold, cutting through the noise. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“Yeah, well, it’s not exactly by choice!” Argider called back, stumbling forward. “Look, I’m just here to talk—OW!” She tripped over a stray piece of debris, landing face-first on the ground.

Elira blinked, her cold demeanor faltering for a moment. “Are you… okay?”

“Just peachy,” Argider muttered, pushing herself up. “Listen, can we not do the whole kill me on sight thing? I’m tired.”

Elira’s gaze hardened. “You shouldn’t have come here.” She raised her hand, and the remaining shadows turned toward Argider, their forms sharpening into something even nastier.

“Wait, wait, WAIT!” Argider shouted, waving her arms. “Can’t we talk this out?!”

“Pounce,” Elira commanded, and the shadows lunged.

The chase was a blur of fire, smoke, and panic as Argider sprinted through the burning cityscape, dodging shadows at every turn. She finally cornered Elira in a crumbling alley, her breath ragged but determined.

“Elira, please!” Argider shouted, stepping forward. “I’m not here to fight you. I’m here to—”

Elira spun, a dagger glinting in her hand. She lunged, and Argider barely dodged, grabbing her wrist and pinning her against the wall.

“Elira, stop!” Argider shouted. “Listen to me!”

“Why should I?” Elira hissed, struggling against Argider’s grip.

“Because I’m not your enemy!” Argider said, her voice cracking. “I’m not going to report you, or hurt you, or anything! I swear!”

Elira froze, her eyes searching Argider’s face for any hint of deceit.

“I’ll prove it,” Argider said softly. She released Elira and dropped to one knee. “I will marry you and you will become my wife. And I will treat you well, I promise.”

Elira’s eyes widened, her face turning a deep shade of red. “W-What?!”

“I’m serious,” Argider said earnestly. “You’ve suffered enough. Let me be there for you.”

For a long moment, Elira stared at her, stunned. Then, the fiery landscape around them began to fade, the real world bleeding back into view.

When Argider opened her eyes, they were back in the apothecary’s room, with Kian staring at them in wide-eyed confusion.

“You two okay?” he asked hesitantly.

Argider glanced at Elira, who was still blushing furiously. “Yeah,” she said with a small smile. “We’re okay.”