Rivers of the Night

Theron took a breath, sinking into a stance. His movements seemed incomparably slow in comparison to Raan's, but his mind was moving like lightning.

"Okay."

The words were buried beneath the silence, the world having become Raan's stage. But Theron himself had made a decision.

Right now, there were certain things he still had to hold back on. But there were others that would be more foolish to hold back on than anything else.

If Raan thought he was the only one holding back… he was sorely mistaken.

In an instant, Theron exhaled a misty rainbow of energy, his hair instantly transforming into streams of delicate pinks, lavender purples, and cotton blues.

The array of colors looked more fantasy than reality, his hair resembling streams of silky fabric dancing in the depths of the ocean, while his eyes became an even fiercer blue.

His body sank further into the ground as he became momentarily heavier.

Chi.

[Water Prison].

The spell was cast so fast it looked as though it had always been there. Never in his life had Raan seen a casting so smooth, so unhurried, and yet so instantaneous that it seemed as though the laws of the world had bent around it to force it into existence.

Tyre Imperial City was a hub of Light Mana, a place where Light Spells were cast faster than anywhere else. And yet, Theron seemed to have flipped that ideal on its head.

It didn't matter where he was or what the circumstances were.

Water would heed his call.

Chi. Chi. Chi.

The spinning blades of Raan's kick met the [Water Prison]. The churning waters spun in counter, and Theron stood amidst them, his blades sheathed and his body in a focused stance.

His arms flexed, his quads bulging against his pants as if to rip free.

The sharpness in his eyes only grew. One measure, then two, then three. Every moment that passed, his energy accumulated all the more, his focus reaching a point where icy tendrils left his lips.

Chi. Chi. Chi.

Raan's momentum slowed just slightly before ripping through the [Water Prison].

But at that instant, in a cascade of gold and sparkling blue, Theron moved.

He was like lightning, his icy breath flashing into a dense heat as he activated [Songful Blade].

The power was so great that even he felt the heavens tremble for a moment, the strength of the blade pulling on his soul so fiercely that it felt as if his short sword would collapse beneath the force.

And then his body flashed forward.

Chi.

Theron suddenly found himself higher in the air than Raan, with a long way to his back.

A deep gash ripped into Theron's chest and collarbone, blood flowing down his lips. And yet, his gaze was unmoved, his breathing unhurried as a stream of icy wind billowed out, filling the air with a misty coolness.

And then there was Raan.

His ribbons shook, and he fell from the sky as well. Looking down slowly, he pressed a palm to his lower belly as streams of volatile Gold Mana shot out.

The world shook as he collapsed to the ground, falling heavily to his knees, then face-planting moments later.

Theron fell from the sky, landing with a heavy boom!

However, he was on his feet.

New wounds scattered across Theron's body as he looked at the blade once more in his hand. He had been using a low-quality short sword, unwilling to reveal his father's sword in a place like this for the time being, and it seemed he had paid the price for that.

[Songful Blade], with his improved Third Eye, was far more powerful than he had expected. He had been forced to hold back lest he rip Raan in two. But because of that, he had not only suffered backlash, but his own weapon hadn't been able to hold up and had ended up harming him as well.

He coughed up a mouthful of blood before tossing the weapon's hilt aside. However, it crumbled to ash before hitting the ground.

Looking up, Theron met Ott's gaze for a brief moment, his eyes a measured icy blue. Then he turned to look at Ippe as if he was ready to fight again, if necessary.

But Ippe only held his hands up, as if this matter had nothing to do with him. He tapped a foot against the tree he was in, then accelerated back, creating more distance as a silent sign of peace.

Theron didn't say anything, turning toward Raan's bleeding form. He kicked the latter over and then began rummaging through his belongings. Soon, he found what he was looking for—the Mandate Badge.

He would take his time studying it.

'Hm?'

Theron's eyes narrowed as he saw something else. Located in the same hidden compartment, he took out a plaque.

The moment he held it, Theron felt an odd sensation. It was as if he wasn't holding an inanimate object, but rather… Raan's heart.

He didn't know why he felt that way at first, until he understood.

'This is the core of the direction he's taking his… Laws? They called it. Was he learning from this thing?'

The plaque didn't carry any Laws, but what it did have was an imprinted feeling. If Theron had to guess, you probably meditated on this plaque and used it to guide your comprehension.

"They call it a Law Mandate Plaque. It contains a vague Path of Law. Depending on whose hands it's in, it can either be a useless piece of wood or the greatest treasure," Ippe explained from a distance. "I bet you can feel it. But whether you want to spend time on it is another matter. Most people carry it around for a lifetime to unearth all its secrets, so you should probably choose wisely."

Theron stood up, holding his two prizes in a single hand.

"I would also advise you to think twice. You can probably get away with taking the Mandate Badge as spoils of war, but those plaques are considered the property of the Mandate Guild—they're rented. They'll hunt you down for that."

Theron looked down at the plaque for a moment, then stored it away as if he hadn't heard Ippe's words.