Rivers of the Night

Theron's eyes darted from side to side, his attacking poise showing elite patience as he withdrew a feint, slipping out of the path of a blade coming for his shoulder.

It looked for a moment that he was twisting right into another attack when his body phased, activating [Shadow Step] and yet not teleporting away.

Pieces of his body separated into three clones, only to snap back together in the same exact position.

BANG.

His foot slammed against Lilac, who was completely caught off guard. Her body bowed, being sent flying back like a sharp, whistling arrow through the air, the sounds of wind breaking and folding around her making it feel as though a meteor was crashing from above.

Theron's grip on his spear tightened, his kicking foot planting onto the ground hard as his other pivoted. His hips torqued, his torso flexing with an unimaginable amount of strength and power as he thrust forward as though he would pierce right through a mountain if he had to.

The force was overwhelming, and though Violet quickly blocked, it left her wrists and hands trembling in place. She skidded back, coming to a stop far too slowly for her liking, because by the time she looked up from her shaking palms, Theron was already upon her again.

Too far.

Violet realized that in a single exchange, Theron had separated her from her sister. He bore down on her like a beast with a raging flame in his chest, his spear's roar akin to an open maw. Its black mass snaked through the skies, feeling far thicker and heavier than it was.

Chi.

Violet felt her sword bow under the mass, her weapon moments from fracturing when Lilac finally caught up again.

The pair of twins roared into the skies, a chilling air roaring to life around them.

Theron casually tapped a foot, rapidly accelerating back in a series of foggy black afterimages. He cast [Shadow Step] so often now that what should have been a sudden escape technique was practically becoming a true movement technique instead.

[Shadow Flush].

A large amount of Mana rippled down his body, fading away into the ground as he stood tall, his hair whipping back.

White scales began to grow along the fair skin of the twins, their eyes turning to slits, and bat-like wings adorned with white leathery skin split their backs open.

Their robes shattered into the wind, revealing a backless, almost ninja-like uniform they hid beneath. Both uniforms were a delicate shade of violet, almost washed out like a diluted lavender. In a shocking display of Mana Control, even their once-loose hair began to braid itself, forming a single long ponytail that trailed down their backs.

But then tendrils formed from these ponytails, and they formed a connection with one another, tying both sisters together by their hair. The separation between them couldn't be any more than three meters now at most.

Theron's eyes narrowed. This was no superficial connection.

The sisters returned to a familiar stance, standing back to back as they faced off against Theron with both of their swords pointed toward his head.

This time, when they moved, their mannerisms and shifts were in such perfect sync that even the Mana in the air reacted in kind. It didn't seem to register that there were two different women acting right now. Instead, it was like there was just one powerhouse standing before them.

The pair of sisters were both at the Third Touching Cloud Resonance Realm. But together like this, they were easily the equivalent of a similar talent at the First Ascending Cloud Realm.

Theron crossed his spear over his body in a defensive stance, his eyes scanning.

BANG. BANG. BANG.

He was on his back foot, silky strands of his Dark Water Mana rushing through the skies.

Chi.

A sword line appeared across his cheek. It rapidly healed, but the blood that pooled from it stained his otherwise handsome features. And yet, he still felt a seeping chill enter his body nonetheless, needling at his soul as though a poison.

Another line appeared along his neck, this one deeper. The spike of chill was even more oppressive this time, and his eyes even crackled as it iced over for a moment.

His steps slowed, his exhale coming out in foggy, crystallized puffs of frost.

Theron's expression became colder and colder. The Mandate of the Hall of Ice and Heart was truly not bad. For it to make him feel this sort of chill despite his own went a long way toward proving that.

But it wasn't because their Mandate was stronger than his own. In fact, it wasn't even because they managed to target the soul while he couldn't.

It was because they had perfectly manifested their Echoes and strengthened them beyond Silver Mancy with their Laws, and then subsequently their Mandates.

The ultimate result was a synergy of a pair of things which, while individually nowhere near his own, together were far superior.

In fact, even his greatest advantage—his physical body—was mitigated when they fused with their Echoes like this. Not only were they not at a disadvantage any longer, their bodies were actually superior to his own now.

Theron took another step back, his spear trying to snake through a weakness he spotted, only for a similar scene to play out.

The twin he was targeting ignored his strike while her sister covered for her. At the same time, this supposedly vulnerable twin continued her strike, piercing at his own weaknesses and drawing blood.

This time, it was a particularly nasty wound, one that cut right at his ribcage. Barely a touch lower and it would have skewered his liver through. Instead, it cut a slash into his bone, causing a sea of blood to flood him.

Theron's lips turned blue as the chill was becoming only more pervasive, his steps slowing further.

And yet… his eyes remained as sharp and cold as ever.

Truly a great pair of whetstones.

BOOM.