Jacob saw Frederick use Void Nova, a Spell he didn't teach the kid.
Frederick's body instantly became pale, and his skin started cracking.
Energy-starved.
The principal's son's hands transmitted an explosion to the neck of the Mantis realm Charybdis. The problem was that, even though Void Nova was supposed to be a terrifyingly strong attack, Frederick had still been too weak.
F*CK!
He saw Frederick's body drop on the ground, finally released from the insectile leg. And the Charybdis barely had a dent in its own neck; and it was already starting to regenerate.
Void Nova was a complex Spell and, even though Frederick's talent had been insane, it still required a lot of practice to be mastered. Frederick had thought he could pull it off based on some feelings, but reality had been brutal with him.
"Juliet! Bring Helena and Frederick away!" Jacob shouted toward Juliet.
F*ck, Frederick, f*ck, you fu**ing idiot.
Jacob felt his heart constrict and bleed, but the most important thing at the moment was eliminating the monster in front of him. He had a technique he could use to kill it, but he had really wanted to avoid its use. It wasn't even a real Technique, nor was it a Forbidden Technique at that.
He saw Juliet land at his side, covered in charred grime.
"Frederick's gone. Save Helena and take his body. I'm going to do something."
Again, it wasn't exactly a Technique, and he wasn't sure he wouldn't die after using it. However, he had no choice since Helena had fainted and Juliet had to take care of the rest of the horde. If he asked Juliet to use her Forbidden Technique, she would be able to kill off the Mantis realm Charybdis, but she wouldn't be able to clean up the horde, which would then move to St. Peter next and jeopardize all their effort.
Jacob raised the sword in front of him and tugged at something he had restrained so far.
His Sword Aura.
The Sword Aura was even greater than his Soul's power. It was the coalescence of all his expertise with the sword. It was what had allowed him to fight with the Black Dragon and not die instantly. He had slain Dragons and Hydras with it, even terrifying Charybdes.
Once again, he was called to use it to resolve a conflict. But with his current body, he could only use an infinitesimal fraction of it. Cultivation was a game with exponential returns; a person at the 7th realm was several times stronger than one at the 5th.
Jacob had been close to the pinnacle of strength in his past life, a step away from the Black Dragon's 10th realm.
The sword was pointing toward the Charybdis, and the monster looked at him with a comfortable posture. Its eyes could not transmit feelings, but its pose was relaxed and happy.
"Juliet, back off a few steps."
Juliet was still shocked after seeing Helena fainted with a huge hole in her abdomen and a lifeless Frederick lying on the ground.
Jacob felt the energy course through his Meridians like a million needles. He immediately coughed up blood; Jacob had barely tapped into the power, and his body was already breaking down.
Great.
But he did not stop.
Frederick had just died to try and save them, and he would finish what he started.
The pain got unbearable.
"OHHHHHHHHHHH!" Jacob shouted with the full might of his lungs to focus on the sword aura.
Juliet, on the side, felt something cut her skin open like paper. She had not backed off, too caught in her stupor. But, as soon as she felt the terrifying aura from Jacob, she jumped back a few meters.
And it hit her again.
Juliet backed off again.
"OHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Jacob's throat was bleeding, and his Meridians were threatening to implode.
The power he was reaching for did not belong fully to him now; it belonged to the Sword Saint he had been in his past life. But he couldn't give up on Juliet like this, on Frederick, on mankind.
"OHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Jacob's aura started leaving deep gashes in the ground, and he started contracting it, taking it closer to his body. He needed the atmosphere to enhance his sword attacks, not to rampage.
He focused on the memories of his past life, on the control he exerted naturally on the sword. However, in this one, he had not yet deserved the title of a Sword Saint, even though he was trying to reach for its Aura.
It's slipping away! F*CK!
Jacob felt his own aura starting to fade, too strong to be dominated by this current body. If he couldn't wield it against the monster in front of him, they were all doomed.
With bloodshot eyes, he tightened the grip on his sword and shouted with the full might of his aura.
"OHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
An explosion took Juliet off her feet, and the Mantis realm Charybdis had to plant its insectile legs through the ground not to suffer the same fate.
The wind started coiling around Jacob, forming spirals around him and whistling as if a micro-storm was engulfing him.
His aura had finally become dense enough to enhance his fighting capabilities, and it manifested itself as a thick red halo all around Jacob. Moreover, it tinted Jacob as a whole in red, as if that was the only color he had ever been. With different shades, yes, but just red.
Aura Synchronization, 0.000001%
Sword Aura
Jacob slowly lowered the sword and searched his pocket. His clothes had instantly become rugged and torn. He fished out a piece of Charybdis carapace and smashed with its hand.
In the background, all the Formations he had inscribed on buildings and strategic points lit up. He had created a concoction with Juliet's Sacred Queen Phoenix Constitution and the foul Charybdis blood.
The Formation was a variation of a strong Inferno Formation, a fire Affinity one that meant to burn everything and everyone down.
An inescapable ring of fire surrounded the inner part of Fort Mountain, where all the rest of the Charybdes were.
The air immediately became thick with smoke, and it blazed, filled with sparks and flying embers.
"Round two," Jacob said with red eyes.