Rivers of the Night

They moved in a flash. One clanging strike after another came in endless waves.

The crimson ribbons wrapped around Raan's body as though an ornament rather than an Echo. But Theron's senses could feel them tightening and loosening in relation to one another, some pulling and others pushing.

Raan's body seemed to have become the puppet of his Echo, and his speed, strength, agility, and power—every other one that same side of the coin of another—all skyrocketed.

But there was something that left all of the spectators floored, a realization buried deep within themselves that they were being forced to contend with now—a reality they couldn't ignore.

Just how was Theron keeping up?

The answer was becoming quickly obvious.

Raan had used his Reflection Law at the very start, seemingly thinking he'd be able to end the battle in an instant and go about the rest of his day.

But since then? He hadn't used a single Law again.

Theron, however…?

He used his Laws as though they were just another breath to him. They weaved in and out of one another, coming in pairs and trios that layered in complex webs.

He had only gained one new Law from Raan, and yet from the way the man applied it, his understanding of all of his other Laws seemed to have deepened along with it.

Who would ever think to use Laws of Reflection like Raan had? How could they be used to stack attacks across several volleys into one?

But that made Theron think. Were all Laws so flexible? Could you bend them at their edges far enough to force them to do anything your mind could think of?

What were the limits? Where were the boundaries? What truly distinguished one Law from another?

And that was when Theron noticed it. Or more accurately, he realized the difference after he failed to do the same with his Laws of Vibration, Concentration, and Density.

His Law of Reflection seemed to have surpassed all three of them, sitting on a level by itself. And it didn't take Theron long to understand why.

This wasn't just any Law of Reflection. It was a Law of Reflection that had touched the edge of a Silver Law. It had become one of the building blocks for a Law even more powerful, one that was far more in line with the ability to accumulate attacks.

In fact, if Theron was correct, Raan probably had more than just one Bronze Law that touched on this Silver Law. He was probably building himself up until he could comprehend this Silver Law completely.

If he succeeded, even if his rank was 79th on the Mandate Leaderboard, his actual strength would be on a tier all to its own.

Theron could faintly feel that Silver Law. It was out of his reach too, but after fully digesting the Law of Reflection, he knew why it was so odd.

He had stolen from Raan something that had probably taken him years to grasp the smallest inkling of. And yet, right this moment, Theron had already applied it in ways he couldn't fathom.

The moment the last doubt left Theron's mind, he seemed to have become a different monster entirely.

With his full mind focused on the battle, the tides shifted.

Literally.

Theron's blades blazed to life, one tidal wave after another forming. The Laws of Vibration and Reflection came together to create a new sword dance, one that played on the Laws of Water, its patience, and yet unrelenting ability to build up momentum.

His strikes layered onto one another, one sword stroke carrying the strength of the two that came before it, and then the three.

Laws of Vibration layered on top of it, increasing the blows' strength until Raan felt like his bones were creaking and his back was bowing.

And then Theron added the Law of Concentration.

He sensed it right there, just the slightest tinge of a change.

The Law of Concentration in its basic form was only able to take one volume of Mana, keep the same strength, and yet reduce the volume considerably. It was similar to the Law of Density, but rather than controlling mass, it controlled size.

When the Law of Concentration and the Law of Density worked together, the results were surprisingly shocking.

But what about when the Law of Concentration was instead used on an accumulating momentum of attacks, a continuous stream that was taking the power of previous strikes and forcing them into one?

What happened if you concentrated that even further?

Theron's improvement was simply relentless. As though he had stepped through a new door, he lost himself, the fervor in his eyes going beyond Raan and stepping into a new world entirely.

He wanted more.

This comprehension of Laws felt so much like the books he loved so much, but at the same time, there was something deeper.

These Laws…

He was snatching them from that Mandate.

From the Heavens.

He could take them, and the bloody Heavens couldn't do anything about it.

His blood boiled, an exhale of breath so hot the air almost caught fire coming from his lips. His body bent low to the ground, ducking beneath a slashing kick from Raan.

His palm slapped at the ground, [Pressure Burst] launching him up. But his Law of Concentration was so controlled that a crater as smooth as glass appeared beneath it as he was launched high into the skies.

Raan's head naturally popped up to follow him, but that unfortunately caused him to miss the [Water Wrap] that suddenly appeared beneath his feet, formed from the line of water Theron had only just now sent underground.

Water so tough it cut through the earth seamlessly.

But Raan's reactions were fast too, his body barely ducking out of the way as the usually harmless Bronze Resonance Spell became as sharp as a scythe.

That dodge, however, was exactly what Theron was looking for.

Theron fell from above, his eyes blazing with menacing intent as Raan stumbled back.

He slashed down as his body spun, all of the lines of water he had left with his continuous avalanche of fluid swordsmanship coming together as his Law of Reflection reached its peak.

The world felt like it had been cut in two.