Extra Borne: Transmigrated Into A System Apocalypse Soulsborne Novel

(Celia's POV)

The Crimson Knight's towering form loomed over us like an executioner. His tattered, dark armor pulsed with energy, faint trails of mist bleeding from its every crevice. The great mist sword in his hand swung with a blurred ferocity, carving through the air with an audible howl.

The first strike came with no warning.

A crescent wave of thick mist shot toward me, cold and suffocating as it hissed across the battlefield. I darted to the side, my icy blade gripped tightly in my hand. The mist sliced into the ground where I'd been standing, leaving jagged cracks webbed with frost-like residue.

"Pathetic," the Crimson Knight's deep voice rumbled, reverberating like a death knell. "You claw at salvation with trembling hands, yet your strength falters."

Jess surged forward, her great sword blazing with crimson flame energy. Each step she took melted the ice beneath her, the heat of her weapon leaving a fiery trail in her wake. She swung hard, a vertical arc aimed at the Knight's side. The flames roared, promising devasting destruction.

But the Crimson Knight was faster.

He twisted his massive form with unnatural grace, the mist sword parrying Jess's fiery strike. The collision sent a shockwave rippling through the air, the mist coiling around her flames, suffocating them as if the mist itself were alive.

Uvan moved in next, his speed amplified by the crackling electrical energy coursing through him. He darted around the Knight like a streak of lightning, his blade aimed for weak points in the dark armor.

But the Crimson Knight merely raised his free hand, releasing a wave of mist that spiraled outward. The mist seemed to sense their every move, driving Jess and Uvan apart while forcing me to stay on the defensive.

"Your sparks fizzle Wanderer," The Crimson Knight sneered at Uvan, "your flames waver," he growled, turning toward Jess. Then his helmeted head shifted to me, his voice heavy with disdain. "And you, little shard of frost, what hope can your brittle blade hold against the tide?"

I gritted my teeth in frustration, tightening my grip on my blade. I tried to channel my energy, calling forth the ice that had always been my ally. Frost crept along my sword, and I dashed forward. But before I could close the gap, the Crimson Knight's great mist sword swept horizontally, sending another slash of dense deadly mist toward me.

I threw myself backward just in time, the edge of the mist grazing my wall of ice. The force cracked it instantly, shards raining to the ground as I staggered to my feet.

"This mist," I muttered to myself, panting, "it's… relentless."

Jess and Uvan were fighting just as desperately, but the outcome was clear. No matter how hard we tried to strike, the mist would always intercept. Each attack was smothered, each plan unraveled by the Crimson Knight's unyielding presence.

Our movements began to slow. Fatigue weighed on us, the battle stretching beyond our limits. Yet none of us stopped. We couldn't afford to.

Even as the Knight mocked us, his voice cutting through the air like the final toll of a bell.

"Your defiance amuses me," he said, his words laced with venomous mirth. "Fight, struggle, drown in a deep despair. It matters not, for in the end, the tide will consume all."

I felt my legs trembling, exhaustion creeping into every muscle. Jess's flames flickered weaker with every swing she did, and Uvan's movements, once swift and precise, grew sluggish though still fast.

Then, I felt it.

A strange warmth bloomed in my chest, foreign yet it felt familiar.

Green smoke, faint and ghostly, began to swirl around us. It seeped into my body, igniting the larvae deep within.

"Celia!" Jess shouted, her voice sharp with alarm. "What the hell is this?"

I turned my gaze toward the source of the smoke. My breath hitched.

There, where I'd sealed Agon with a protective barrier, the green smoke was flowing outward like a quiet storm. His still figure, previously lifeless, began to fade slightly.

"No way…" I whispered, a faint smile tugging at my lips.

A screen appeared in the air before us, glowing faintly with a familiar chime.

[EVOLUTION]

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FIRST EVOLUTION (100%) – EVOLVING

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I laughed softly, my grip on my blade tightening with a strength derived from joy. "You could've woken up sooner. I was already getting tired."

The mist churned violently, the Crimson Knight's head turning toward the disturbance.

From the swirling haze of mist, a figure began to materialize. A silhouette, faint at first, grew sharper and more defined with every second.

Grey-black hair, wild and unruly. Yellowish-brown eyes, sharp and focused.

Agon stepped forward, a confident smile spreading across his face.

"Don't worry, Princess," he said casually, his voice steady and calm. "Next time, I'll make sure to show up earlier."

Jess let out a disbelieving laugh. "Took you long enough!". Uvan couldn't help but smile...

But the Crimson Knight remained unmoved, his imposing form emanating cold fury.

"So, the broken pawn rises," he said, his voice dripping with disdain. "Do you believe your strength will tip the scales? Foolish Wanderer."

Agon's gaze didn't waver as he stepped closer, the green smoke now trailing behind him like an aura.

The battlefield shifted. The mist that once suffocated us now seemed lighter, less oppressive. Power surged through me, through all of us, filling the gaps that fatigue had left.

The Knight raised his sword, pointing it toward Agon. "Come, then. Show me the strength of your pitiful evolution. I shall break it, as I have broken all before you."

The ground beneath us quaked, the very air trembling as the Crimson Knight's presence surged. His great mist sword glowed brighter, the mist around him coiling tighter like a predator ready to strike.

But this time, I didn't feel the crushing weight of despair.

This time,

The tide was about to Turn....