Rivers of the Night

Theron's eyes narrowed as he appeared around the wall, another cloud of crimson appearing beneath his feet as he slammed down.

It was then the three Core Disciples finally got a good look at this so-called Demon Chosen, but rather than a face, all they saw was an icy mask of silvery blue sparkling beneath the sunlight.

Everything about Theron was as chilly as night's air, a frost hanging in the air with such menace it made the hairs that stood on end freeze over themselves.

"Silver Mancer?"

They all spoke out those words at the same time, their eyes widening. Quite frankly, they couldn't believe what they were sensing. How could a Silver Mancer display this level of strength?

Or, could it be…

Despite their thoughts, their reactions weren't slow. And that was especially so for Ilyssia, who had quickly begun to form hand seals, an amulet around her neck dancing in the wind, lifting up to radiate outward with a light of white gold.

Serenya slapped her palms together, the wall of earth collapsing and falling in heavy bronze balls that smashed toward Theron, slowing his forward path down.

Reacting in kind, Blackmaul's grin widened, grinning as though a madman and stomping a foot.

He catapulted himself at Theron with all the menace in the world, not caring about the avalanche of bronzed iron falling around him. He might not have cared for Serenya's appearance, but he knew her strength and control well.

There was a reason she was the number one disciple of a Sect with an eight-to-one ratio of men to women.

And it wasn't by accident.

As expected, Theron was forced to dodge twice, then thrice, one cloud after another appearing beneath his feet and slowing his forward progress down several measures.

By the time he was prepping to dodge a fourth time, Blackmaul had already appeared before him, his club swinging down. But this time, he didn't seem to have any intention of using a spell at all.

Despite the heft of the weapon, it swung with the speed of a dagger, bending in the air and causing the winds to whine and howl beneath its heft.

Right at that moment, Ilyssia completed her spell and Theron felt a wave of emotion hit him. It came out of nowhere, so sudden that Theron paused for a moment.

It seemed to swipe through his emotions as though swiping through a Rolodex, spinning through them so fast until it locked onto one that seemed to affect him the most.

Rage.

Theron's eyes reddened and his heart rate skyrocketed. His Mandate Path of Heat activated and the ice mask on his face began to rapidly thaw as though it just might—.

Chi.

Ilyssia took a step back, blood trickling down the corner of her lip. She looked up to find an icy gaze landing on her, and from head to toe, it felt like she had been plunged into the depths of hell.

There were over a dozen meters that existed between herself and Theron, while there was still Blackmaul and Serenya protecting her, and yet it felt like none of it mattered.

A single look was enough to make her shiver, and all the emotions she had been pulling at from Theron were suddenly reversed onto her.

She keeled over, vomiting.

BOOM.

Theron looked away from Ilyssia, Blackmaul's club having descended fast enough to crush over his head. However, in that instant, there was a flicker in his [Entangling Blood Vein Pupils]. He tied his momentum to that of Blackmaul's club, and suddenly, they canceled each other out.

Blackmaul had adjusted the swing of his club to match Theron's forward speed. But the instant Theron suddenly came to a stop, it could only mean that he would hit nothing but air.

A dagger appeared in Theron's palm, dancing with an intoxicating black fog. And yet, the instant Blackmaul focused on its shocking aura, it was another blade that suddenly cut through him.

Chi.

Theron's father's short sword suddenly extended in a line of blue, piercing right through Blackmaul's chest.

The eyes of the First Core Disciple of the Nightingale Sect opened wide, not having expected such a thing. There was nothing overly shocking about Theron's methods, and his strength, though powerful for a Silver Mancer, was still far weaker than theirs by a good margin.

And yet, in a sliver of a window to take advantage of, he could have his chest pierced through.

Blackmaul only barely managed to dodge to the side, avoiding a blow to the heart, and yet failing to stop his lungs and ribs from being torn in two.

Just as Theron was about to slash down, Blackmaul activated a teleportation Dark Mana spell and flashed away a dozen meters, leaving Serenya's rain of bronzed meteors to protect his retreat.

Blackmaul grabbed at his chest with a free hand, his palm soaking through with blood. But Ilyssia somehow seemed far worse off. She hadn't even regained her bearings, and she was still vomiting to the side.

Suddenly, in a situation of absolute control, it was only Serenya that was left.

Rather than panicking, Serenya displayed her prowess as a Core Disciple well.

She slapped her belly and a howling echo of bronzed Mana surged out in all directions. The earth pulsed with life and shocking vitality for a brief instant before one tree after another began to crumble to ash.

Theron's eyes darted around, not understanding what was happening instantly.

However, by the time he grasped an inkling, it was too late. Serenya had suddenly pulled all of the Earth Mana in the surrounding 200 meters toward her.

Her skin turned a shocking bronze-to-brass color, her body increasing in size as large amounts of fat seemed swallowed up.

In an instant of time, her clothing was sagging on her and she had become a beauty maybe even more delicate and precious than Ilyssia herself.

Well, she would have if not for the fact she had also grown to over three meters tall.

She unleashed an almost gentle roar, the first sound she had made since coming here.

With a slap of her palm, a wave of concentrated Earth Mana solidified into a metallic hand, slamming down on Theron.

At the same time, gravity spiked and Theron's knees buckled beneath him.