Dorian crossed the distance so fast it almost felt like he flash-stepped, an ability that only Light Mancers should have had. But he had poured so much Mana into his legs that the lengths of his pants splintered apart, a ripping energy jetting out of him.
Theron blocked, or so it seemed. His wrist twisted just the slightest bit, his short sword parrying Dorian's blade to the side.
His movements seemed almost heavy, labored. Yet his dagger was as swift as darkness swallowing the light. Akin to one burying one's head under dozens of meters more of water, it streaked across the blinding red gold in the shadows.
Dorian barely curled his body out of the way, but the overextension of his arm in his first attack left him wide open. Theron's dagger missed, but his short sword slipped into Dorian's guard, slicing a gash right across his chest.
The Valebane genius tried his best to pivot to the side, but it wasn't fast enough, the blow leaving blood and bone exposed.
Pain spiked in Dorian's senses, but it did nothing to deter the rage that filled his mind. His fury pressed against his skull like pressurized steam looking for an escape.
From the moment Theron appeared, he knew that he was outmatched. No normal Bronze Mancer could kill a Fourth Resonance Mancer in a single blow, taken off guard or not. It was made even worse by the fact Vaeilina was actually in the Seventh Resonance and had all the skills, bodily strength, and reflexes of one.
Whatever Theron had done to himself, he was on a level even beyond Dorian right now. The only way to win was by taking risks.
But it would be enough.
As Dorian fell back and to the side, trying to curve out of the way of Theron's blade and fall to the lava at the same time, he knew that he would die. He didn't know how Theron had done it, but entering the lava with their cultivation should have been impossible. Concentrating enough Mana to protect their feet was already taking everything he had. Protecting his entire back was a pipe dream.
But he would take Theron with him. That he was certain of.
Dorian's mouth opened, his tongue flickering. It looked like he was bellowing out yet another enraged roar, but a needle as a tenth the thickness of a single strand of his hair shot out.
Too often, people looked at the structures of his and his wife's bodies, seeing how fit and stout they were, and forgot that they were truly Poison Mancers.
Unfortunately for him, Theron never forgot.
It was only a slight tilt of the head, an action so subtle and fluid that it seemed as though he had already seen ten steps ahead.
The needle whizzed by him before its Mana ran out. Unable to hold out against the heat, it was incinerated to ash.
Dorian's back collapsed into the pool of lava, his eyes opening wide. He had wanted to see the needle go through Theron in his final moments. So long as he could see that, it would be enough. Just a small nick, even…
But the opportunity he had wasted his life for failed.
He tried to pour more Mana into protecting his back, but he had known that it would be useless from the very start.
The bits and pieces of his cobbled-together Mana shield shattered on impact and then his body was swallowed whole.
Theron never even sent a third attack. It was like he knew the moment the first combination was finished, the battle would likewise be over.
He sent a glance toward where Thessa was still running and then, slowly, he sank back into the streams of lava. One would hardly know that he was in a quasi berserk state. Even the redness of his face was only slight.
So far, everything was going as planned.
He and Thessa got here first because he was both familiar with the tunnels and had her as a guide. If he was only concerned with getting here, he would have gotten here even faster.
Dorian and Vaeilina got here second because they had familiarity with the tunnels as the Thistles had already mapped everything out.
Which meant… Selena would get here third as she was the one with the best Fire Mana senses of them all.
And then finally… there would be Ironvale.
The top of Theron's head vanished, his eyes having reached an impossible state of true focus.
Thessa's heart was beating out of her chest when she first noticed Dorian and Vaeilina. But the end result left her almost wanting to stop and vomit on the spot.
Her stomach was doing flips in her body, her heart thrumming so wildly it almost felt like it might shatter her ribcage just to escape.
She couldn't believe what she was seeing at all, so much so that she had no idea how her feet had continued to carry her forward. She believed it even less when she finally got to the location of the Fire Soul and Theron still didn't appear.
Half of her felt like he might suddenly appear beneath her, taking her head off just the same way he had taken Vaeilina's.
But that didn't happen.
Did he… was he actually giving her such a chance? Didn't he… didn't he understand what it meant?
Thessa grit her teeth.
Thessa's Fire Soul bloomed, coming out of her forehead like a spinning lotus.
Sensing the new source of Fire Mana, the ignorant, immature second Fire Soul shot out of the lava of its own accord, hovering before Thessa's forehead curiously…
Thessa focused everything on this moment. If she died, then she died.
But if Theron made such a mistake in his calculations, allowing her this opportunity, she would make sure he suffered for it.
The lotus suddenly expanded, swallowing the second Fire Soul whole.
Thessa's dantian felt almost like a heavy stone had fallen into a calm sea.