Jon stepped forward, crossing the distance between himself and Theodore in the blink of an eye. His speed was blindingly fast; pure physical enhancements combined with the mutative effects of his Seir-Glacial Heart and Murmur-Glacial Marrow.

Raising the Thulian Spellspear, he swung out in a wide-arc, its pink-coloured blade aimed directly at the blonde-haired man's throat.

The effects of [Helel] doubled all pre-existing physical enhancement effects. It quite literally doubled his strength, speed, stamina, and endurance beyond the limits of what a Mortal could withstand. While used in tandem with the effects of Princeps Of The Wandering Mutation, Jon had temporarily obtained a strength equal to that of a Knight.

And well-.

"Dodge Theodore!" Itsumade shouted, prompting his blonde-haired summoner to lower his centre of gravity, grinning as he watched Luin slash through the space where his head once stood. Even with the natural agility and reaction time of a Knight, Theodore still noticed several blonde locks float aimlessly past his face.

His smiling expression faltered, replaced with one of caution.

With an explosive burst of fire natured spiritual energy, Theodore manifested another knife in his free hand. Fingers gripping around its handle and swinging it down in one clean motion. Flickering embers gathering around the blades edge.

[Behold Thy Scorching Knife, Birthed From Rose Light].

Without even having to chant, Theodore slashed towards Jon using fire-natured knife, launching a crescent-shaped wave of fire.

Jon felt his eyes widen before retreating backwards several steps, disengaging, and entrusting his safety to the White Lady Of The Winter Castle. Schwarz Eis, narrowly avoiding a strike from Itsumade, did not even have to turn her had backwards before tapping her foot twice manifesting a physical ice barrier between Jon and Theodore.

The sound of hissing and bubbling water echoed throughout the forest as the wave of fire crashed into the ice barrier. Steam filled the air, although not to a degree noticeable through the shadows and darkness.

Jon did not hesitate for a single moment before beginning another chant, flowing weave natured spiritual energy into his Fragment Of Horrors.

"I once heard a tale, of the yellow king who dwelled behind a curtain of horrors. Who wove nightmares from shadows, and fear from words. A yellow king cursed with the loss of his name, lest someone remembers the terror that accompanies truth."

"This is the tale of a king long forgotten. The Yellow King who stood upon the precipice of lies and madness."

[The False Weave Of The Yellow King].

Jon felt the cloud that sat upon his Fragment Of Mind exit his mental construct, manifesting itself in physical reality. His Hastor-Yellow Horrors were born from his Sea Of Knowledge, the congregation of specific emotions, experiences, memories, and thoughts.

Through the steam and haze, Jon watched as something formed beside him. Nothing more than an illusory figure lacking substance or matter but instead possessing something else perhaps even more perturbing.

[Monstrous Intuition] twitched as Jon swung out with Luin, flourishing the Spellspear to shatter several more crescent waves of fire natured spiritual energy. Each one of the sliced through the darkness, illuminating the forest for a handful of seconds.

The blonde-haired human glanced towards the figure that appeared beside Jon, noting the similarities between the original and the manifested image. In the corner of his vision, the appearance of a minor debuff caused Theodore to grin, knowing that his opponent was still just a Mortal.

[Thread-Spirit Corruption]: Reduces resistances towards weave-related damages, afflictions, and debuffs. Reduces resistances towards spirit-related damages, afflictions, and debuffs. This effect refreshes upon each glance at the Hastor-Yellow Horrors.

"You have illusions too old man! Great minds think-." Theodore found his words interrupted, seeing the Hastor-Yellow Horrors sprint towards him. A perverted version of the Thulian Spellspear thrusted towards his chest.

Controlling the Fragment Of Aura integrated into his Lies Mana Core, Theodore's aura ability surged, creating a circular environment around him saturated with lie natured spiritual energy.

[Façade Of The Truth].

The effects were unlike Avahni's Asherah-Shamrock Aura. This was an ability whose sole active effect was to transform a defined area around Theodore into one more suitable for the activation of his abilities. Lie natured spiritual energy bloomed all around him, preventing lies told by others from expressing themselves.

This was Theodore's method of dealing with opposing illusions.

And after a Fragment Of Denial was integrated into it, was even capable of preventing certain truths from being spoken within its defined range.

What he did not expect was-.

Refreshing instances of [Thread-Spirit Corruption] to appear in the corner of his vision.

[Thread-Spirit Corruption]: Reduces resistances towards weave-related damages, afflictions and debuffs. Reduces resistances towards spirit-related damages, afflictions and debuffs. This effect refreshes upon each glance at the Hastor-Yellow Horrors.

For the Hastor-Yellow Horrors to be born from a Fragment Of Horror, rather than a Fragment Of Illusion or a Fragment Of Mirage.

The metaphysical mutation sprinted straight through the effects of [Façade Of The Truth], ignoring it as if it did not exist. His eyes widened, as his arm instinctively moved to slash the approaching illusion, wielding the Luminous-Scarlet Knife in a reverse grip while doing so.

He did not understand the inherent nature of the Hastor-Yellow Horrors. Trying to limit the function of something that he did not understand prevented him from adding additional filters to the effect of his Fragment Of Aura. The moment his Luminous-Scarlet Knife came into contact with Jon's Fragment Of Horror, it just grinned at him, revealing a smile with far too many teeth behind it.

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Something in the middle of his forehead twitching as he slashed out with his free hand behind him, gritting his teeth as a tremendous amount of force collided with the Knight Ranked summoned weapon in his hands.

Even with the natural physical capabilities of a Knight with his own Fragment Of Marrow and Fragment Of Heart, Theodore could not match the sheer strength that Jon possessed using his own physical enhancements. Although Jon could not compare in terms of spiritual energy, Theodore's abilities did not suit a direct confrontation such as this one.

"Theodore! Use your Fragment Of Evolu-."

"Shut up Itsumade! Finish your own fight before lecturing me you old bat!" Theodore interrupted the Quiet Death Of Light And Virtue, snarling at him before activating his Fragment Of Aegis.

[Behold Thy Virtuous Shield, Delivered From White Purity].

A small shield construct manifested itself in the space around Theodore. His Fragment Of Aegis in a comparable manner to Jon's Fragment Of Armour, summoned a twelve-inch long heater shield which hovered in front of the blonde-haired man.

From just a glance of his Minerva-Sagacity Eyes, Jon could see that it possessed the same characteristics as Glaucus. Said Defensive Traits and Shield Traits caused his grip over Luin to tighten but went ignored as he launched another spear thrust towards Avahni's kidnapper.

His eyes widening as the Fragment Of Aegis moved at a blindingly fast speed, redirecting itself to move between Theodore and the tip of the Thulian Spellspear. The sound of steel striking against steel echoed throughout the forest and Jon felt himself rebounded backwards several metres, skidding along the ground while doing so.

It gave Theodore a moment to cast another ability, ignoring the Hastor-Yellow Horrors that continued to pester him with its illusory characteristics.

[Malignant Life Art; Profane Life Hex].

Jon immediately feeling the effects of several different debilitating effects.

[Curse Of Half Life]: Reduces natural recovery rate. Additional stacks have an additive effect.

[Curse Of Poisoned Life]: Inflicts a continuous life-natured damage over time effect. Life natured spiritual energy inverts itself, slowly decaying rather than growing and developing. Additional stacks have an additive effect.

[Half Spell Hex]: Increases the mana expenditure of the next ability with the Spell Trait cast. This effect does not have an additive effect.

[Poisoned Spell Hex]: The next Spell Trait ability cast will expend an equal amount of spiritual energy from a random Mana Core. This effect does not have an additive effect.

But not before returning the gesture.

[Envious Is The Beast That Lurks Within].

[Branded Envy]: Brands a target with a tainted war natured spiritual energy. Individuals affected by [Branded Envy] will have their movements tracked within five kilometres of the caster. Reduces resistances towards war natured damages, afflictions, and debuffs.

[Invidia Maledictum]: Prevents the usage of the most recent ability for a short duration. War natured spiritual energy whispers horrifying jealousies and suspicions towards the mind and spirit, corrupting them with the green taint of envy.

Both Theodore and Jon shared a knowing expression with the other.

The former having his Twin-Fire Avatars transfer the two debilitating effects away from him.

While the latter relied on both Archetype Green and Archetype Avarice to claim the effects of the profane life hex inflicted onto him. Neither one of them seemed phased by their Spells, grinning as the two rushed each other once more, crashing spears and into knives.

Steel sung and sparks flew as each interaction birthed light and shadows. Their figures trapped in a twisted waltz of murderous intent and negative emotions. Their strikes aimed at killing the other, something mirrored by each of their summoned companions.

Jon retreated backwards two steps, before spinning Luin in one hand and using the rotational force to slash downwards at Theodore.

His Life Protection Aegis moving to intercept the blow, while the Rose-Fire Knife sliced through the air in return, producing another wave of fire-natured spiritual energy. His Fragment Of Spirit surging at the same time, increasing the effectiveness of all abilities with the Life Trait.

Jon felt Glaucus shatter, producing a spiritual shield which resisted the effects of his Fragment Of Knife. The effects of the Heretical Chalk Pauldrons lasted for several seconds before getting overwhelmed by the Knight Ranked ability.

Jon was forced to manifest Assail once more, striking with both the Spear Of Verdant Cedar and Thulian Spellspear in order to get past the effects of Theodore's Fragment Of Aegis. The blonde-haired man wincing as Jon managed to slash deeply into his upper arm.

Despite the burst of pain that flashed through his mind, Theodore could not help but grimace, enveloping himself in a layer of knowledge natured spiritual energy and retreating backwards several dozen metres.

Theodore felt a bead of sweat trail down the side of his face, controlling the flow of blood and oxygen through his Fragment Of Heart while tightening the grip he had over both his Rose-Fire Knife and Luminous-Scarlet Knife.

Lifting his head, Theodore glanced towards Jon, peering at the older man and noticing that he appeared no different than when he had at the beginning of the fight. He did not seem to sweat, not did his chest pound from the exertion of fighting with his life on the line.

His senses could not hear the sound of Jon's heartbeat, but it was possible that it was being obscured or hidden from his perceptions.

Theodore suppressed the urge to tap his foot, a mortal shortcoming that he had carried into Knighthood. Despite the fact that he was a Knight and his opponent was a Mortal, he could not kill Jon with the same level of ease that he had previous Mortals before this.

'Am I hesitating because he is a human? No, what a stupid concept. Killing humans is what I am best at, so why is it that I cannot beat this one in particular?' Theodore felt his eye twitch but ignored it, shaking his head and letting out a small sigh.

He burned the memory of a Jon's face into his mind, wandering just what type of individual he was before being selected for the System Introduction. Despite his apparent age, Jon's physical capabilities matched his own and level of control he possessed over his movements and reactions would exceed him the moment he became a Knight.

There was no way he would let someone as dangerous as Jon continue to walk around this System Introduction, potentially following him back to Earth. Although most of abilities were not primarily focused on combat, just knowing that there was a Mortal capable of fighting a Knight, even for a short period of time left an uncomfortable sinking sensation within his stomach.

A threat like this… could not be allowed to live.

"Ah, screw this. After that interaction, I'm not so arrogant as to think that I can beat you in a fair fight." Theodore said, twisting his face as he had smelt something unpleasant.

"I have a hostage. And am no longer limited by my own Mortality. If anything I'll just decide to draw out the fight until the last remainder of your spiritual energy is expend-."

Theodore's eyes widened as several of his abilities activated all at once.

[Mine Is The Black Erasure Of Knowledge].

[Behold Thy Virtuous Shield, Delivered From White Purity].

[Providence Of The Third Eye].

[Ours Is The Blood That Colours Skies Red].

[Regrets From The Lord Of Ichor].

[Half-Fire Transformation; Sun-Incineration Titan]

[False Knowledge Art; Information Teleportation].

And-.

An eleven-pointed crown appeared atop his head, born from the effects of his Fragment Of Evolution.

[That Which Evolves Through Life].

Jon activating the effects of his penultimate combination of abilities.

[Lamentations Of A Frozen Affection].

[Ours Is The Blood That Births Winter And Ice].

[Requiem Of The White Star].

[Cometh Thy Red Horse Awaits].

[Wrath Is The Paradise Whispered On Thou Lips].

[Imperial Spear Art; Divine Spear Extinction].

Several of his abilities further enhanced through the effects of his Title and Fragment Of Superbia.

Princeps Of The Wandering Mutation.

[Helel].

The resulting interaction between Jon's and Theodore's abilities caused an explosion capable of being heard several dozen kilometres away. The sound of sleeping participants within the System Introduction were awoken by the sound of this devastating eruption.

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