Jon could see Avahni engulfed within Theodore’s aura-type ability. Rippling waves of lie natured spiritual energy enveloping them both, figures swiftly obscured beneath Nicolai and Raflea’s combined barrier-effects.

  [Reflective Light Art; Rainbow Shield Barrier].

  [Imperial Mountain Art; Shifting Earth Upheaval].

  Regulus and Shamael continuing their twofold assault. Both activating their transformation-type abilities saturating their claws, fangs and breath with a potent and damaging spiritual energy. The Hades-Draconian Shadow fighting against the Son Of Wolves And Hunger, while his Carcosa-Fear Horrors fought against the Legionnaire Of Virtuous Pestilence.

  It was then that Jon wished he waited until his spiritual energy has restored enough to at least summon Song Lian Yu back into existence.

  Assail shooting forward, expanding in both length and size towards Raflea several dozen metres away. The neon-green tip carving a brightly coloured line through the air, swiftly interrupted by the effects of Nicolai’s Fragment Of Shadow.

  [World-Shield Art; Imperial Shadow Barrier].

  The wood natured summoned weapon striking the shadow-tinged barrier with a loud clang, deflecting its piercing thrust and causing it to strike the ground in front of Raflea. Jon commanding Assail to retract its length back to its original size only for Nicolai to activate his Fragment Of Prison.

  [Timeless-Shield Art; Paused Motion Prison].

  A thick-bubble of shield natured spiritual energy manifesting around the extended spear, engulfing it a barrier where time moved slower in comparison to the outside world. The Spear Of Cedarwood Transformations retracting at a length of one centimetre every few seconds.

  ‘Shit!’

  Luin in his other hand forced to deflect another barrage of rot-natured spiritual bullets, manifesting a thulian-coloured cloud of spear mana above the Vessel Of The Metallic Mountain. Blood spurting from a wound on his shoulder as he felt Regulus’ claws brush up against his fear-mutation.

  The corner of his vision filled to the brim with debuffs and debilitating effects, all of which were ignored or subsequently transferred away to his Archetype Twinleaf. Fragment Of Avaritia on its last legs, barely ten percent of its originally stored lifeforce still contained within.

  [Golden Treasure] and [Avaricious Protection] continuing to manifest around him, regenerating expended lifeforce and granting him one-time protections from physical or spiritual attacks.

  War natured and ice spiritual energy enveloping the Thulian Rainspear in his hands. Fragment Of Ira and Fragment Of Spellfrost Destruction activating in unison.

  “I proclaim this battle to warrant the blood-red sin of wrath! The painful chains of virtue shall restrain thine desires no longer! I prostate myself before the heretical altar adorned with blood and skulls. The blasphemous pleasure of war shall become a paradise for the sinful and the decadent!”

  [Wrath Is The Paradise Whispered On Thou Lips].

  [Frosted Requiem Of The White Spellstar].

  Causing him to disengage his [Le Mat Avancement], regenerating minuscule amounts of spiritual energy across all six of his Mana Cores.

  Physical strength enhanced even further, causing the warm air that escaped his lips to turn white. The excess spiritual energy that Jon intended on storing for another frozen end art used instead on channelling his [Stance Of The White Spellstar].

  The hardened biomass beneath him crumbling as he launched himself forward in Raflea’s direction.

  ‘Aim for the weakest link! She might lack offensive measures, but she is no doubt buffing both Shamael and Regulus beyond their usual strengths!’

  Ignoring the abandoned Spear Of Cedarwood Transformations, Jon activated his Yaochi-Mudra Prana, adopting a three-fingered hand sign.

  [Naraka Raurava]: Quiets the spirit. Three-fingered hand-sign. Increases resistances towards spirit-related damages, afflictions and debuffs. Increases the effectiveness of abilities with the Self Trait.

  Hades-Draconian Shadow and Carcosa-Form Horrors growing stronger while channelling his lifeforce-mutation, expanding their size and striking their opponents with an even greater amount of force. Raflea and Nicolai responding in kind, activating both their Fragment Of Victory and Fragment Of Protection on the lernaean-spell hydra and starless-wolf transformations.

  [Prideful-Victory Art; Conquerors Violet Blessing].

  [Mountainous-Strength Art; Protection Of The Nine Peaks].

  The corners of Jon’s mouth curving upwards watching as their attentions were momentarily focused on Regulus and Shamael.

  ‘Other than Shamael the other three lack mental constructs to order their thoughts and control their emotions. If I possessed a mental-disruption ability, now would have been the best time to use it!’

  ‘Unfortunately for them, I possess something just as good.’

  Jon slamming his dominant foot into the ground before him, throwing Luin up into the air and catching it as though it were a javelin. Murmur-Arhat Marrow reinforcing the bones, muscles and tendons within his shoulder and arm, tightening his grip around the Thulian Rainspear for a single moment.

  Before leaning forward and hurling the object, towards the Decadent Princess Of Beautiful Luxuria.

  The spear-natured summoned weapon shooting through the air at tremendous speeds, alerting Nicolai, Regulus and Shamael through their sensory-type fragments. The lone floresiensis gritting his teeth before dropping the protection he placed on Regulus, maintaining his concentration over the shifting earth upheaval around Avahni and Theodore.

  [Twofold Metal Art; Wall Of Brass Thorns].

  A pseudo-spiritual construct manifesting itself before Raflea, liquid metal hardening in a matter of seconds, transforming metal natured spiritual energy into a surface harder and denser than mortal steel.

  An ear-piercing metallic scraping sound echoed throughout the Hive-Womb Capital. Luin carving a long, jagged cut into the surface of the wall of brass thorns. Nicolai smirking as he watched Jon abandon his second weapon, hearing it clatter onto the ground.

  Argentum surging around his chest and face, capable of imbuing him with the same level of protect-.

  [Eyes Through The Looking Glass].

  A thick, bludgeon-shaped spiritual construct formed from knowledge mana shattering his non-existent mental defences. His breath hitching as writhing tendrils and shapeless tentacles creeped in through the newly created hole in his mental defences.

  [Shapeless Kingdom Of Horrors And Yellow].

  Carcosa-Form Horrors expanding endlessly throughout his subconscious mind, tearing through memories and feelings with zero remorse and drowning any and all emotions with an overwhelming sea of horrors and fears.

  Nicolai felt something burst within his mind. Something that laid at the crux of his self-identity and consciousness, was crushed beneath the formless might of Jon’s Carcosa-Form Horrors.

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  Nostrils and right-eye dripping with blood as his form collapsed onto the ground beside him. All of the strength in his arms and legs vanishing as all of Nicolai’s brain activity came to a sudden and dramatic halt. His expression distorted into one of fear and horror, eyes wide with fright as shapeless tentacles crawled from his ravaged mind.

  Shamael, Regulus, and Raflea staring at Nicolai’s lifeless corpse with varying degrees of horror on their faces. The lernaean-spell hydra allowing the Hades-Draconian Shadow to get two good hits in before snapping out of his trance.

  Jon on the other hand, earned a new Title Fragment as a result of killing the Vessel Of The Metallic Mountain.

  Knight Title Fragment “Mind Killer”: Infinitesimally increases all damage done against abilities with the Mind Trait.

  His palm extended outwards, allowing the Spear Of Cedarwood Transformations to return back to his hand. Despite suffering from instances of [Virtuous Red Sin] and [Arrogant Red Sin], Jon had found that his war natured spiritual energy had regenerated enough to resummon the Heretical Chalk Protection.

  [Behold Thy Heretical Armour, Adorned In Chalk Light].

  Ice natured spiritual energy gathering around the length of Assail as his accumulated instances of [Requiem Charge] had reached its maximum threshold.

  [Requiem Charges]: Infinitesimally increases stamina regeneration. Additional stacks have an additive effect.

  His eyes glancing in the direction of the Legionnaire Of The Virtuous Pestilence before his eyes turned back towards Raflea’s rainbow barrier shield. Assail humming with the violent amount of mana as he slashed outwards, producing myriad copies of the summoned weapon alongside additional instances of [Spellstar Destruction]!

  [Spellstar Destruction]: Launches crescent-shaped waves of ice natured spiritual energy towards enemies. Successful hits will generate instances of [Requiem Charges]. Requires three [Requiem Charge].

  Almost a dozen waves of freezing ice launching forwards in unison, crashing into the Fragment Of Barrier and shattering it in an instant. Spear natured spiritual energy, now less than twenty percent of his maximum.

  Break.

  Avahni sprinted out in a wide arc, manifesting her Knight Ranked Harmonic-Strength Banner and Knight Ranked Blazing-Fire Rune, imbuing both into the Wind-Void Sword Scripture.

  Xuanyuan as a result had his physical capabilities strengthened further, and each of his attacks imbued with a potent fire natured spiritual energy. The homo adonis flickering throughout the battlefield, his form unable to be observed through the swirling whirlwind of pale-green air.

  The Quiet Death Of Light And Virtue was a true Knight Ranked summoned companion. Although Jon had once informed her that it was weaker than both Schwarz Eis and Song Lian Yu, one was a Memento Source wielding ice devil spirit while the other an epoch-heart dragon that once ruled over a planet.

  His standards for strength differed from most, to say the least.

  Xuanyuan and Jibril both struggled against the blood-night acerodon tyrant.

  Although Jibril was capable of flight, she was unable to muster even a tenth of the same physical strength that Itsumade possessed. Ein, her Memento Source Item was capable of storing echoes of spiritual items that she had created, giving her a flexibility that both Ler Setanta and Xochitl lacked.

  Without a Fragment Of Heart or a Fragment Of Marrow to form a powerful physical foundation for the fire-souled messenger, she could do nothing but fight defensively or switch to her Knight Ranked Luminous-Flare Wand or Knight Ranked Scorching-Arrow Bow in order to provide mediocre sources of ranged damage.

  Even her actual abilities could do nothing but assist Xuanyuan with a range of supportive Spells.

  [Fragment Of Seraph]

  [Jibril; Virtuous Flame, Grand Creation]

  (Summon, Fire, Seraph, Memento, Throne, Creation)

  Effect (Mortal): Perform a ritual to summon Jibril; Virtuous Flame, Grand Creation. Jibril is a fire-souled messenger created from within the Tri-Coloured Suns, a unique Wonder born in the Realm Of Scorched Red. Jibril dwells within the left-eye after being summoned.

  Jibril is capable of flight and using lifeforce or fire natured spiritual energy in order to cast either [Seraphic Fire], [Virtuous Extinction], or [Golden Flare].

  [Seraphic Fire]: Launches waves of fire natured spiritual energy towards a target. Deals fire natured damage.

  [Virtuous Extinction]: Accumulates fire natured spiritual energy in a single point before launching it in a searing beam of destruction. Deals fire damage.

  [Golden Flare]: Fire natured spiritual energy manifests into a spherical construct. Can be hurled towards a target. Deals fire damage.

  [Ein; Throne-Creation Fire]: Manifested through the combination of a Fire Mana Core, Fragment Of Creation, Memento Source Fragment, complete Mortal Title [Virtuous Flame, Grand Creation] and a Mortal Ranked life-flame.

  Ein is capable of storing echoes of spiritual items. Spiritual items possess the same effects and limitations as their originals although can be re-summoned after being destroyed. Ein is capable of storing a number of echoes equal to the number of Traits Jibril possesses.

  Can perform minor amounts of fire manipulation.

  Stores excess mana regeneration up to a maximum threshold.

  Versatile, and perhaps the most flexible of all her summoned companions other than the Father Of Spirits and Souls but lacking the physical capabilities to make full use of her summoned echoes. Jibril best fought when fighting alongside Ortlinde, the Three Daughters Of Destruction able to best support her while fighting high up in the air.

  “Avahni! I request another baptism!” Xuanyuan shouted, Avahni nodding her head in response.

  [Thou Art The Monarch Of Ash And Life].

  [Baptism Of Fire]: Manifests an impenetrable spiritual shield of fire natured spiritual energy. [Baptism Of Fire] will withstand a single blow before shattering.

  Xuanyuan lifting his Imaginary Severance and slashing forward while Itsumade swung its enormous tail towards him. The fire natured spiritual shield preventing the homo adonis from suffering any forms of physical or spiritual damage but sent him flying backwards more than dozen metres as a result.

  His physical strength, even with all of Avahni’s buffs, paled in comparison to the raw strength of the Quiet Death Of Light And Virtue. Both possessing the same unnatural mutation which increased their strength and natural size.

  The Wind-Void Sword Scripture switching from his [Void Sword Scripture] to his [Wind Sword Scripture], enhancing his speed and agility and imbuing his Memento Source Item with wind damage. Kong, the half-broken sword in his hands swung out in a series of blindingly fast slashes, each producing long, piercing waves of wind natured mana.

  Half aimed in the direction of the blood-night acerodon.

  Half aimed in the direction of the one who commanded it.

  Itsumade manifesting Kagami, Kagami in the space before Theodore, allowing it to absorb the damage. The surface of the Lightless Mirror Reversal cracking ever-so-slightly, but maintaining its shape and appearance, nonetheless.

  Instances of [Broken Wind-Vein] inflicted upon Itsumade.

  Theodore smiling from behind Itsumade’s Memento Source Item, grinning as his eyes roamed all over Avahni. Her Asherah-Shamrock Hair half resisting the effects of his Fragment Of Aura.

  “Why don’t you summon the Father Of Spirits And Souls?”

  “Or the Three Daughters Of Destruction, Avahni?”

  Her eyes narrowing in response to his question. She could see his eyes glance in the general direction of Rhidian and Ortlinde, knowing that the two of them were helping support Miyoung, alongside Wilheim and Sariel. The green-haired woman clenching her fist around her Harmonic-Strength Banner, trying her best to appear unfazed at the comment.

  “I don’t need either of them do deal with the likes of you.” She responded, in slightly accented English.

  Theodore humming, nodding his head as it enjoying the sound of her voice.

  “Xochitl is far too large for you to summon within the Hive-Womb Capital. If you were to summon anymore of your summoned companions, I’m afraid that your reserves of spiritual energy will not be enough to sustain your Memento Source wielding companions.”

  “The one Titled; Liver Of The Ginseng King is also assisting the wounded, correct?”

  Jibril and Xuanyuan sharing a glance, both glimpsing towards Shamael and Jon fighting several dozen metres away. The fact that this man knew so much about her summoned companions as well as their associated effects could only mean…

  ‘Someone has told him about the effects of Jibril, Xuanyuan, Xochitl and the rest…’

  Avahni’s face twisting into a grimace, half-glancing in the direction where Jon fought Raflea, Shamael, Regulus and that unknown Memento Source wielding Knight. She would have to finish this quickly or risk running out of spiritual energy before the battles end.

  Fragment Of Transcendence gleaming within her Fire Mana Core. Activated for the first time in almost a year.

  [That Which Is Born Through Fire].

  A crimson-coloured halo manifesting itself above the head of the Imaginary Princess Of The Round Table. Her flesh imbued with fire and heat, improving the effectiveness of all abilities that possessed both the Fire Trait, while also allowing her to-.

  “If you wanted to talk, then you shouldn’t have kidnapped me in the first place.”

  Sprout wings of searing flame from her back. Fire natured mana transforming into pseudo-spiritual constructs that allowed her to fly, even if only for a short duration. Her fire natured mana reserves trickling downwards by the second, still constrained by their Mortal limitations.

  Eris-Thieving Grin chuckling as Theodore smiled earnestly at her.

  “You remembered me.”

  “I’m flattered.”