F-Rank Soul Eater-Chapter 161: Sophia Knows Her worth.

Soren’s question lingered in the cold air.

"Are there others!?"

The ponytail girl hesitated.

Then she nodded.

Not dramatically.

Just once.

That was enough.

Soren turned slightly toward Bloodshine.

She closed her eyes for a brief moment, letting her Blackfield expand outward like a thin veil across the snow-covered grounds.

A second later, she shook her head.

There was no one nearby.

The ponytail girl noticed the exchange.

"Just because they decide not to come after you," she said quietly, blood still at the corner of her lips, "doesn’t mean they won’t. Those bastards are just waiting for you to shed your clown status."

That made sense in Soren’s head.

From what he remembered, clowns could not be challenged for gauntlet matches by their superiors.

And first year cadets already feared him.

But the moment he earned his black tunic, it would be different.

But the really concerning part would be the hunting grounds.

A place were battles were free for all.

The girl’s eyes hardened. A cunning thought springing in her mind. "But... if you spare me, I can—"

"Break their legs." Soren’s voice interrupted.

Flat.

Cold.

The girl blinked.

"—Huh?"

Crack.

Cynthia moved without hesitation.

Her hand shot down and twisted.

The sound of bone snapping cut through the forest.

One of the brothers screamed—though no voice came out. Only a strangled, broken wheeze as his leg bent unnaturally beneath him.

Snow scattered as he collapsed.

The ponytail girl shrieked.

"Stop! Stop, please!"

Soren didn’t look away.

His gaze was steady.

Emotionless.

"Arms too," he added.

Bloodshine turned to him. Shocked.

She knew Soren was capable—but such decisiveness was perplexing. Especially because she had assumed he would spare them after hearing they were commoners who had suffered slavery, and even lost their voices.

For a second, she wondered if this was the same Soren that had fought so hard to save cadets he had only met a few days on that train.

Or—if he was the same one willing to go the extra mile to stop the Shade Stealer from hurting the cadets of the school.

’How could he be so Kind on one hand and ruthless on the other.’

She thought to herself.

Meanwhile, Cynthia obeyed.

The second brother tried to wrench free, but her grip was iron. She caught his wrist—

Crack.

The bone split clean.

The second struggled wildly, eyes wide with pain and panic, but Cynthia held him effortlessly, as if restraining children.

The girl had fallen to the ground.

But it did not matter. It was not like she could escape.

However, she crawled forward despite her injuries.

"Please! Please, I’ll do anything!"

Soren did not soften.

There was no mercy in his eyes.

Only calculation.

Only balance.

It was simple. You tried to kill me.

Now you understand pain.

The world had taught him harsh lessons.

And he had made even harsher decisions to survive this long.

When it came to people his mind had stamped as enemies, he would deliver punishment.

But then—

"I can... I can help you get healed!" the Ponytail girl screamed.

Cynthia paused mid-motion.

Soren’s hand lifted slightly.

"Stop."

The forest fell quiet again except for ragged breathing and the muffled groans of the brothers.

Soren stepped closer to the girl.

Slowly.

He crouched in front of her.

"What did you say?"

Her eyes flickered down to his chest.

To the faint red seeping through his white uniform.

"You’re looking for a healer, right?" she whispered. "You’re not fully recovered."

Soren frowned slightly.

Doctor Kaya had told him to rest after stitching the wound.

Instead, he had been walking around, even refusing Cynthia’s aid to carry him.

The little bleeding was the result.

He leaned closer.

"What do you mean?"

"There aren’t many healers in the academy," she said quickly, afraid he would change his mind. "Only four."

She swallowed.

"Three already belong to the three top parties. Their contracts prevent them from healing any other person. They won’t help you."

Her eyes locked onto his.

"But me... I know the last one."

Soren blinked.

For the first time since the ambush, something genuine crossed his face.

Surprise.

"Who?" he asked.

The ponytail girl held his gaze.

Her jaw tightened. She knew what she was about to do was simething she would eventually regret.

But she did anyway.

Slowly, she turned toward her brothers.

They were still trembling in the snow, limbs twisted unnaturally, breath coming in sharp, silent gasps.

She crawled closer to them and placed one hand gently over the broken leg of the first brother.

Her other hand hovered over the second.

Then—

She began to sing.

It was low.

Soft.

Not loud enough to echo through the trees.

But it did not sound human.

Not fully.

It was like listening to exotic birds calling at dusk—melodic, layered, almost liquid. Notes bent in ways that shouldn’t exist in a human throat. It flowed like wind through hollow bone.

In one word—

It was sweet to the ears.

The air changed.

A faint glow bloomed beneath her palms.

Pale.

Almost translucent.

It wrapped around the broken limb like mist.

And then—

The bone shifted.

Realigned.

The unnatural bend corrected itself as if time had reversed.

There was no cracking. No tearing. Just smooth, quiet restoration.

The swelling faded, and thee torn flesh sealed.

Within seconds, the leg was whole.

She moved to the arm.

The same song.

The same glow.

The same impossible correction.

The brothers stared at their limbs grateful, flexing fingers that had been broken moments ago.

Soren did not speak.

Bloodshine did not speak.

Even Cynthia, who rarely showed shock, stared openly.

Soren’s chest tightened—but not from injury.

When Doctor Kaya had told him that healers were nearly impossible to secure, that the top parties had monopolized them, he had accepted it as a fact.

He had believed recovery would be slow.

Painful.

Limited.

But here—

Here stood something that rewrote a person’s flesh like ink on parchment.

The girl’s song faded.

The glow disappeared.

Snow fell again like nothing extraordinary had just occurred.

She opened her eyes.

They were clearer now.

Bolder.

She rose slowly to her feet and stood in front of Soren.

"I am Sophia. I am an E–rank. A Healer."

Soren’s eyes narrowed.

And then, instead of relief— He stepped back.

Just one step.

Sophia noticed.

"So," he said quietly, studying her like she was a puzzle instead of a savior. "What’s the catch?"

Her brows lifted slightly.

"The catch?"

"Nothing comes free under the sun," Soren replied. His voice was calm, but there was steel beneath it. "What’s the catch?"

Bloodshine observed him even closer. She had been surprised by Sophia’s ability and also thought of using it to save Soren.

But here he was, thinking outside the box again.

For a second, Sophia hesitated.

Then the words rushed out of her.

"I’ll only heal you if you solve our situation with the noble bullies."

Her voice echoed like when she was singing that song.

The moment the sentence left her mouth—

A faint glow pulsed at the base of her neck.

It was subtle.

But unmistakable. A Neuralink runes.

Soren’s gaze sharpened.

"What just happened?"

Sophia swallowed.

"My ability... works on conditions. Rules." She spoke quickly now, as if explaining would stabilize the situation. "I just placed one. I will not heal you unless you resolve what’s happening to us."

The glow faded.

But the air felt different.

Binding.

Soren frowned.

Then—

Something dangerous flickered behind his eyes.

In one swift motion, he grabbed her by the neck and lifted her slightly off the ground.

Sophia choked, her hands flying to his wrist.

"W–wait! If you kill me, you won’t be healed!"

Her voice trembled now.

What she didn’t know—

What she couldn’t possibly know—

Was that Soren’s mind had already moved somewhere else.

If he killed her... 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Chronovore could devour her and assimilate her ability.

He did not know how strong the serpent was at this moment, but such a meal was not one it would pass off.

If Sorem absorbed Sophia’s ability, wouldn’t that solve everything?

A healer.

This would help him Permanently.

Under his control.

A new Shade in his arsenal.

His grip tightened slightly as the thought unfolded.

But then—

He noticed something.

A thin line of red trailing from the corner of her mouth.

She was still bleeding.

The injury Cynthia had given her when she smashed them into the tree.

It hadn’t healed after the earlier song.

Soren’s eyes flicked back to hers.

"Your ability," he said slowly, "it doesn’t work on you?"

He released her.

Sophia stumbled back, coughing, one hand clutching her throat as she sucked in air.

Fear was clear in her eyes now.

But she nodded.

Slowly.

"Yes."

Soren’s expression darkened.

That explained it.

No wonder the top factions hadn’t taken her.

A healer who couldn’t guarantee her own survival.

A support piece.

She was Valuable—

But disposable.

And from the way she had declared that condition without hesitation...

She was also stubborn.

Very stubborn.

The kind who would rather bind herself to a rule than beg.

She must have placed terrible conditions before the leading parties could use her.

This Girl... Sophia. She knew her worth.