Professor Thaddeus stands firm, his muscles tensed for battle. With a series of neck pops that break the tense silence, he remarks, "I can't recall the last time I've been in such a difficult situation." His tone is serious, yet it doesn't fully convey the gravity of his words, hinting at an underlying confidence.
Lia, facing Thaddeus with an expressionless demeanor, responds calmly, "You cannot beat us, old man. With your limited abilities, it would be best if you hand over the key." Her stance is composed, exuding a quiet confidence as she stands alongside Nessa, Orion, and Kuza.
The storm intensifies around them, with lightning striking continuously and rain pouring down heavily. Lia glances upward, noticing the priest engaged in combat within the deep clouds. 'Why is he fighting? He should be able to easily defeat anyone here. He must have a plan,' she thinks, her mind analyzing the situation.
Orion, sprawled on the floor, smirks at the unfolding scene. "I can't believe we're bullying an old man," he comments, his tone laced with amusement. As he speaks, half a dozen clones of himself materialize around Thaddeus, adding to the complexity of the confrontation.
Professor Thaddeus, unfazed by the increasing odds against him, looks up and addresses his adversaries. "You blind, talented fools..."
Kuza, with a strategic wave of his finger, commands Itril, still gripped by the neck, to take drastic action. In an unexpected and gruesome display, Itril rips its own head off and retreats swiftly, creating a momentary pause in the battle.
Lia, seizing the opportunity, dramatically changes her appearance. She rips off her academy uniform, revealing a striking suit underneath, a blend of purple, black, and gold. The suit is not only visually striking but also signifies a readiness for a more intense level of combat. The others follow her lead, indicating a collective shift in strategy.
"You forced this death upon yourself," Lia declares, her voice cold and resolute as she charges at Professor Thaddeus. She vanishes from her spot in an instant, reappearing in front of him with lightning speed.
Professor Thaddeus, however, is not caught off guard. He skillfully grabs her dagger mid-strike and swings her back, demonstrating his remarkable reflexes and strength. "I am too old to care about death," he states, his voice echoing a deep wisdom and a disregard for his own mortality.
As the battle intensifies, Itril reappears behind Thaddeus, while Lia and Orion coordinate their attacks from the front and side, respectively. Thaddeus, in a display of incredible combat prowess, manages to grab both Orion's blade and Lia's dagger, absorbing the impact of Itril's attack. The force of the collision creates a significant hole in the ground, showcasing the immense power at play.
Lia then unveils a unique and deadly weapon: chains with daggers connected at the tips. The daggers are not just ordinary blades; they are artifacts, capable of moving at sound-breaking speeds and changing directions in sharp, angular turns. Professor Thaddeus immediately recognizes them as dual artifacts, a rare and formidable type of weapon.
As Lia hurls the dagger chains at Thaddeus, he engages in a high-speed exchange of blows. The daggers, moving with incredible agility and precision, attempt to strike him from all angles. Thaddeus, with his hands moving at a breathtaking pace, blocks and parries each strike, careful to avoid the sharp edges of the blades.
Each contact between Thaddeus's palms and the daggers creates powerful shockwaves, shattering the surrounding environment. His ability to counter these artifact-enhanced attacks speaks to his extraordinary skill and experience in combat.
In the midst of this frenetic battle, Itril attempts a stealthy strike from behind. But Thaddeus, ever vigilant, grabs the creature and entangles it in the chains. However, Lia, with a mere flick of her finger, instantly untangles Itril, demonstrating her precise control over the artifacts.
Kuza amplifies the intensity of the fight. With a snap of his finger, hundreds of magic circles materialize around Professor Thaddeus, each pulsating with arcane energy.
"What are you waiting for?" Kuza questions Nessa, who stands beside him, observing the unfolding chaos. She smirks, her eyes glinting with excitement and anticipation. "Well, the fight is still boring. I don't plan to join in until things start to get fun~," she replies, her voice laced with mischief and a hint of impatience for the real action to begin.
In the midst of this escalating confrontation, Thaddeus continues his high-stakes battle with the dagger chains. Lia, controlling the artifacts with remarkable precision, sends the daggers slicing through the air at breakneck speeds. The daggers zigzag and whirl, creating a deadly dance of sharp edges and lethal intent.
Thaddeus, his focus unwavering, moves with an almost supernatural speed. His palms strike and parry each incoming dagger, his movements a blur of efficiency and precision. Each time his hands connect with the daggers, a shockwave erupts, sending ripples through the air and shattering the ground beneath them. The sheer power behind each deflection speaks volumes of Thaddeus's mastery and strength.
Simultaneously, Lia engages Thaddeus in hand-to-hand combat. She moves with a fluid grace, her strikes a combination of elegance and brutality. Every punch and kick she delivers is aimed with lethal precision, forcing Thaddeus to split his focus between the physical assaults and the relentless barrage of daggers.
The battle between them grows more intense by the second. Lia's attacks become faster and more ferocious, her movements a whirlwind of aggression. Thaddeus matches her speed, his counters becoming more forceful and decisive. The clash of their fists and feet is like thunder, echoing across the battlefield.
The air around them crackles with energy as the fight escalates. Lia's dagger chains whip through the air at impossible angles, each turn sharper and more unpredictable than the last. Thaddeus, undaunted, meets each attack with a counter of his own. His palms strike the chains with such force that the impact creates visible waves of energy, distorting the air and sending debris flying in all directions.
Lia begins to channel mana into her raw power. Her movements, already lightning-fast, become even more potent and precise, her strikes charged with an extra surge of energy.
As Lia and Thaddeus exchange blows, the summoned beast Itril joins the fray in a unique and terrifying manner. Utilizing Kuza's array of magic circles, Itril darts in and out of the portals at incredible speeds, its movements a chaotic blur. It weaves through the portals, each emergence aimed at catching Thaddeus off guard while he's engaged with Lia.
Thaddeus, however, demonstrates why he is revered for his combat prowess. Even as Lia's enhanced strikes come at him with increased force and speed, he continues to parry and counter with astounding precision. His hands, a blur of motion, intercept Lia's punches and kicks, all while keeping a keen eye on the erratic movements of Itril.
The dagger chains, controlled by Lia, become even more deadly with her mana enhancement. They slice through the air with a heightened ferocity, their sharp turns and unpredictable trajectories challenging Thaddeus's defensive capabilities. Each clash with the chains sends out shockwaves, distorting the air and turning the battlefield into a scene of utter devastation.
Amidst this chaos, Itril makes its move. It leaps from one portal to another, each jump a calculated attempt to strike Thaddeus from unexpected angles. But Thaddeus, undeterred, showcases his extraordinary situational awareness. He dodges, weaves, and counters not just Lia's enhanced attacks but also the sudden strikes from Itril. His ability to handle multiple threats simultaneously without the use of mana is nothing short of remarkable.
Each time Itril bursts out of a portal, aiming to land a blow, Thaddeus is already a step ahead, moving out of reach or redirecting the attack with a swift movement of his hand.
The intensity of the battle peaks as Lia, her skills and mana combined, finally lands a solid hit on Professor Thaddeus. "For an old man, your reflexes are insane," she acknowledges, a hint of respect in her voice, even as she pushes him back with the force of her strike.
Professor Thaddeus, unphased by the blow, grabs the chains in his hands. "Your cultic techniques have lots of flaws," he comments, his tone analytical, dissecting the weaknesses in Lia's fighting style.
Orion, watching the exchange, summons his clones, which begin to circle Thaddeus menacingly. "Oh~ The techniques she used were the lowest ranked. Let me show you a real technique," he boasts. 'The broken moon,' he thinks, as each clone raises their sword, channeling corrupted mana through the blades. The energy flows outward, encircling Thaddeus.
The clones vanish, reappearing around Thaddeus in a coordinated strike. They slash at him with precision, the corrupted mana enhancing their attacks. Thaddeus, while taking the cuts, focuses on the sensation in his hand, opening and closing his palm. "The corrupted mana is burning my stamina. I'm being pressed down by it..."
With a burst of strength, Thaddeus jumps out of the area of effect in an instant, but not before Itril strikes him from behind. He blocks the attack, the resulting shockwave even larger than before. 'Does it not have a limit in how strong it will get?' he wonders, contemplating the creature's increasing strength. He punches it back, then bends his body to dodge a swift strike from Lia.
Thaddeus then leaps back, creating some distance. "For your age, your power is incredible," he comments, acknowledging Lia's formidable abilities.
Orion, his smile turning malicious, extends an offer to Thaddeus. "This is a gift from our lord. Why don't you join us, Thaddeus? Don't you wish to transcend?" he asks, reaching out a hand in a gesture of invitation.
Lia, her expression hardening, reacts instantly to Orion's proposal. With one eye open, she raises her hand and swiftly cuts off Orion's arm. "Don't disrespect our lord," she chastises sharply. "Thaddeus has disrespected our lord too many times to stay alive."
Lia begins spinning her chains, pulling them towards her. She accelerates their rotation, the chains whirling faster and faster until the air around them seems to stand still, a testament to her control and power. But, just as she prepares to unleash her attack, Professor Thaddeus vanishes from her sight.
'Where is he?' Lia wonders, her eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of Thaddeus. However, in a swift and unexpected move, Thaddeus reappears behind her. With a powerful punch to her back, he sends her flying, the force of the impact creating a large crater and breaking the sound barrier with ease.
Lia crashes through a building, debris scattering around her. She stands, pushing her hair back, a realization dawning on her - 'That could have killed me.' Gripping the dagger chains tightly, she closes her eyes and ignites her attribute, "Thousand-mile Chain." Her artifact glows a dark purple, vibrating with energy as it grows in size. The two chains merge, forming a single, razor-sharp dagger on a chain.
With a snap of her finger, the dagger takes on a life of its own. It begins to move with increasing speed, flying and twisting around the area at an incredible velocity. The dagger gains more momentum, becoming a whirlwind of destruction. Buildings, monsters, anything in its path evaporates upon contact, demonstrating the terrifying power of Lia's enhanced artifact.
Kuza, intently observing the escalating battle, makes a critical decision. "I should join in," he muses, his gaze fixed on the rapidly accelerating chain. With a deliberate motion, he lifts his hand, casting a series of overlapping magic circles on Itril. As he activates his attribute "High-Low," his complexion grows paler, a sign of the physical toll the technique takes as it drains his blood.
As the attribute takes effect, Itril undergoes a dramatic transformation. Its muscles swell, increasing in size significantly, and it begins to emit a white glow. Three new black lines appear on its body, marking a new phase of its power. With a single step, Itril vanishes, reappearing instantaneously in front of Professor Thaddeus, its speed and power now immensely enhanced.
The sudden appearance of Itril catches Thaddeus off guard. In an instant, Itril breaks through Thaddeus's defenses, landing a powerful punch directly to his face. The impact is so forceful it sends Thaddeus flying back at an astonishing speed.
Before Thaddeus can even touch the ground, Itril takes another step, appearing right behind him again. This time, the summoned creature strikes with even greater force, its fist connecting with an overwhelming impact. The blows from Itril are relentless and brutal, each one more powerful than the last.