Mael gritted his teeth, staring down into the camera lens before him. His head turning towards the young human reporter beside him, shaking his head and gesturing towards an undamaged section of the airport.

  He noticed that the man was still staring blankly towards his ears, something that he had seen many floresiensis’ and humans do before. Mael momentarily glanced towards the camera still pointed at his face before shaking his head and gripping tightly onto the straps hanging down from the roof above him.

  “You need to get out of here! It’s not safe for uninitiated mortals!” He shouted, watching as the reporter and cameraman duo merely stared at him, shocked and confused at how he managed to teleport into the helicopter.

  The Spiritus Ensis Sanctus furrowed his brows, shaking his head from side-to-side.

  “You all have to get clear of this location! We cannot fight effectively if we are worrying about protecting ordinary mortals!”

  “Get away from here while you still have the chance!”

  Mael let out a short sigh, stabilizing himself despite the helicopters chaotic ascent. Hair whipping around across the front of his brow, not quite long enough to brush up against his eyes. Solais Verte still gripped tightly in his other hand, as he turned his attention back towards the problem at hand.

  The hydra-turtle creature currently fighting against a group of Veinless and First-Veined Knights. Several Mortals with Shield Mana Cores, Protection Mana Cores and Earth Mana Cores swiftly moving to erect barriers of woven stone and concrete, trying to prevent the creature from advancing towards the retreating groups of uninitiated Mortals.

  One Knight whose name escaped him, informed him of the Lord Ranked Title of their Sixth-Honoured opposition. One that did not give away as many hints into his abilities as what he might have preferred.

  ‘The Primeval Ruler Of Violent Deluge… doesn’t tell me much does it?’

  The abundance of water natured spiritual energy that swirled around its enormous form informed him that it was in possession of a Water Mana Core. Igraine through the use of her Fragment Of Threading-Observation, had similarly told him that it had also integrated its own Shield Mana Core.

  One of its abilities somehow reinforcing the shield-effect that swirled around its body, potentially a mutation-type ability or perhaps even a unique aura-type ability. Given the sheer mass and size of the creature, Mael had also suspected that it had integrated some sort of Mountain Mana Core, Food Mana Core or Behemoth Mana Core.

  Something which often led to abilities that either promoted physical growth or possessed size-manipulation-type effects.

  Mael could infer several other things, considering the position that the hydra-turtle had taken up along the airstrip, in addition to its slow but inevitable movements. It had been about an hour since it made landfall, but it had barely moved more than two hundred metres away from the bay.

  ‘It’s slow, which is something that we can use to our advantage. David specializes in close-quarters combat, primarily from a defensive position. Igraine on the other hand is closer towards a pure offensive spellcaster, with minor supportive buffing abilities.’

  ‘The others are… not from any of the Safe Zones that we had encountered.’

  There were four other Knights present, a vermiton, floresiensis and two nadians. All of which possessed a wide-variety of Mana Cores, ranging from Fire Mana Cores to Water Mana Cores, from Darkness Mana Cores all the way through to Wind Mana Cores.

  Each used their abilities without regard for the retreating mortals, launching Fragments Of Eradication and Fragments Of Extinction towards the Primeval Ruler Of Violent Deluge, hoping to land a fatal blow on the beast.

  ‘Greedy bastards the lot of them…’

  Not a single one of their abilities had managed to even so much as put a dent into the spiritual shield. Raging firestorms possessed all the strength of a flickering candlelight against its water natured shield, while tendrils of all-consuming darkness crashing against its pale-blue surface, unconsciously activating its retaliation-based attack.

  [Aqua-Desgate Art; Reflective Water, Imperial Shield].

  Spherical constructs of water natured spiritual energy manifesting around the various points of impact. Their disordered appearances might have meant nothing to the eyes of an uninitiated human, but Mael was more than aware of what their chaotic nature suggested.

  “David!” Mael shouted, watching as the Guardian Of The Honoured Shield nodded his head, activating his Fragment Of Marrow in conjunction with his Fragment Of Wall and Fragment Of Victorious-Protection.

  [Ours Is The Blood That Births Salt And Envy, Water And Sin].

  [Daemon Water Art; Crashing Tide, Pandemonium Wall].

  [Bellum-Invidia Art; Victory Is The Birth Of Envy].

  The twenty-eight-year-old human man overloaded the dark-blue armour that covered most of his upper body. Spiritual energy overflowing from his Envious-Sapphiric Armour, strengthening any of his activated abilities that possessed either the Envy Trait or the Water Trait.

  Igraine and Mael used their teleportation-type abilities to displace themselves from their current positions, the former appearing behind the Guardian Of The Honoured Shield. Mael on the other hand, once again recited the chant associated with his Fragment Of Divide, displacing himself closer towards the group of uninitiated humans still firing upon the hydra-turtle.

  His sudden appearance causing on the humans to unconsciously move their guns in his direction, forcing him to manifest Fuco Gladius; Multicoloured Sword-Brush in his other hand. The Fragment Of Painting-Sword slashed through the bullet sent towards him, cleaving it in two before it was able to reach him.

  His brows furrowed as several other human police officers turned their weapons towards him, one of them in particular shouting at him, red-faced and moustache twitching.

  “You! Unidentified creature! Drop your weapons and place your hands behind your-.”

  “You need to leave,” Mael interrupted, “Your weapons are ineffective against something that has attained Lordship. You all should leave before it decides to turn its attention towards you.”

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Mael allowed his eyes to sweep across the two dozen-or-so human police officers before him. Most of whom were dressed in some sort of ceramic body armour, and with weapons that he had learnt were called “guns” or “firearms” here on Earth.

  He was familiar with the concept, considering that Gun Mana Cores were exceptionally popular with certain humans and floresiensis’. Their offensive capabilities were quite extraordinary at Mortality, although required more spiritual energy in comparison to Bow Mana Cores or even Knife Mana Cores.

  He even had one Knight Ranked firearm-type spiritual energy within his storage space, although had not touched it since Wilheim had gifted it to him.

  “The Lord will continue advancing if we cannot stop it here. If we have to fight, worrying about how our abilities might crash into wandering mortals then we will not be able to fight properly-.”

  The moustached man stomped one of his feet onto the floor, maintaining his weapon in Mael’s direction. Several other police officers around him mimicked his actions, while a few faltered, turning their gazes towards the hydra-turtle creature.

  Watching as one of its heads slowly started to turn towards them.

  “Listen here you long-eared shmuck! I don’t know where you came from or why you brought that thing along with you but-.”

  Spiritual energy gathering in the centre of its expanding maw-.

  “Shit!” Mael turned his head towards the humans behind him.

  “Get out of the w-!”

  [Light-Speed Instincts].

  [Mine Is The Conscious Light Palace].

  [Flickering Lightspeed Art; Linear-Light Travel].

  [Mine Is The Subconscious Sword Palace].

  [Ours Is The Blood That Births Reds And Yellows, Blues And Violets, Greens And Oranges].

  Mael's Light Mana Core, Sword Mana Core, and Colour Mana Core exploded, producing a ferocious burstof spiritual energy. Each flowing into one of seven different fragments. His figure momentarily transforming into a haze of flickering light as he launched himself forward towards the group of uninitiated humans.

  It took Mael approximately point seven seconds to move twenty-two metres from a stationary position. Sword Of Vanishing Wood Light and Multicoloured Sword-Brush manifested in each hand, one gathering light natured spiritual energy.

  The other, sword natured spiritual energy.

  If it was not for the combined effects of his Conscious Light Palace and Subconscious Sword Palace he never would have the concentration needed to activate so many abilities all at once. Even with his unique-dual imaginary mental constructs, he could only just reach the same level that Jon had attained with his singular Fragment Of Mind-.

  ‘Stop thinking about such unnecessary thoughts!’

  His arms unconsciously raised upwards, clenching onto both longswords as he observed the approaching projectile. Solais Verte and Fuco Gladius swinging downwards as he activated both his Fragment Of Virtuous-Annihilation and Fragment Of Dividing-Sky.

  The surprised gasps of the human police offers behind him drowned out as four abilities clashed against the might of the Lord’s triple-fragment pathway.

  [Behold Thy Sanctified Sword, Clad In White-Wooden Brilliance]

  [Behold Thy Multicoloured Sword, Painting With Pale Crimson].

  [Imperial Light Art; Destined-Virtue, Fateful-Annihilation].

  [Aer-Severance Art; Dividing Firmament Sword].

  More than half of the spiritual energy contained within his Light Mana Core and Colour Mana Core vanished in an instant. The cleave-type effect born from his aer-severance art was inherently designed to slash through spiritual constructs and non-physical existences.

  The unfathomably powerful beam of superheated water singed his cheeks and exposed skin, forced to angle the swing of his Fragment Of Dividing-Sky so as to protect the uninitiated mortals behind him. Two unlucky police officers failed to retreat back behind him, immediately transformed into seared, bloodless corpses.

  ‘Not yet! I’m not done yet!’

  [Suffering Of The Heart-Annihilation].

  [That Which Is Born Through Colour]

  Kali-Transcendent Heart activated in unison with his Fragment Of Transcendence. Annihilation natured spiritual energy flowing from the pseudo-physical organ within his chest, pulsating throughout Knight-Ranked flesh, corroding it at the cost of extreme physical enhancements.

  Colour natured spiritual energy manifesting in the form of a seven-jewelled crown above Mael’s head. Seven different buffing effects were imbued into him all at once, knowing full well that he would have to deal with the consequences after its forced deactivation.

  His crown expanded outwards, engulfing the humans behind him.

  Each one unwillingly received a minute portion of his buffing effects, strengthening their physical capabilities, mental faculties, and healing speeds. Not a single one of them could observe the way Mael’s colour natured spiritual energy interacted with their flesh, minds, and spirits.

  The weight of the hydra-turtles Fragment Of Piercing-Steam was outrageous, debilitating almost. The ground beneath Mael’s feet crackling, pushing him deeper into the shattered remains of the tarmac below.

  Solais Verte; Sword Of Vanishing Wood-Light humming with an extraordinarily potent amount of light natured spiritual energy, containing within it the full force of his Fragment Of Virtuous-Annihilation. Mael was waiting for the exact moment when the hydra-turtle’s superheated water stream would end but could not hold on any longer-.

  [Leviathan Shield Art; Crashing Daemons, Swirling Waves].

  [Shielding Ward Art; Fractal-Space Protection].

  His eyes widening as he felt the manifestation of Igraine’s Fragment Of Fractal-Shield and David’s Fragment Of Leviathan-Protection manifest around him. The corner of his vision filled with close to half-a-dozen different buffing effects, causing him to smile as he dismissed his Multicoloured Sword-Brush.

  Solais Verte gripped in both hands, longsword gleaming with a green, effervescent light. Light natured spiritual energy physically condensed along the edge of the construct, glittering with the light of a shooting star as-.

  A literal shooting star of virtuous-annihilation launched forth from the sword.

  Ignoring the Fragment Of Piercing-Steam that was still being launched towards him.

  Despite there being more than a hundred metres between himself and the Primeval Ruler Of Violent Deluge, his Spell effect crossed the distance in the blink of an eye, crashing into the alligator snapping turtle head with a glorious and overwhelmingly bright explosion.

  Scales incinerated under the radiant light of his dual-fragment pathway.

  Flesh wrought from bone, severed by rays of piercing light.

  Blood bubbling under the intense heat; nerve endings crackling and coiling as though a fish placed in boiling water. A bestial, almost draconic roar escaping the lips of the hydra-turtle’s dual heads.

  The latter head almost completely slashed through, nothing more than a few bones and tenacious-looking muscles keeping the head still connected to the rest of the body.

  Mael could not help but flash a triumphant grin, glancing towards Igraine and David standing on either side of him. Several of the Mortals that tried to assist in halting the Lord’s movements cheered, standing atop their manifested constructs or earth-woven barriers.

  The other four Knights at the scene turned their gazes towards Mael, observing him with a newfound fear in their eyes. The might of his sword-slash seemed to beyond the inherent limitations of an ordinary Fragment Of Eradication or Fragment Of Obliteration.

  Even the humans standing behind Mael looked at him with a strange combination of fear and awe on their faces. The humanoid-elf creature that they had just pointed their guns at was not only capable of cutting through a bullet mid-flight, but also capable of unleashing a searing burst of light that matched the destructive power of a tank.

  It was… beyond remarkable.

  News reporters torn between focusing the target of their cameras on Mael and the Primeval Ruler Of Violent Deluge. The two headed-creature was so large that it was almost impossible to miss, but the lone man that had nearly cut off one of its head was another thing indeed.

  One reporter in particular, continued to focus on the hydra-turtle, watching with narrowed eyes as the flesh and bones around the wound started to shift, flowing and churning with an unnatural grace.

  Flesh wriggling and squirming, akin to parasites placed under ultraviolet light.

  The grin on Mael’s face faltered, eyes slowly beginning to widen as he quickly turned towards Igraine and David.

  “Shit! It has a-!”

  [Ambrosius-Vita Hydra Art; Two More Grows Back].

  Hydra natured spiritual energy spilling out from the wound that Mael had inflicted.