Rivers of the Night-Chapter 322: Silhouette

Theron’s breathing was even and calm. As though he had a timer in his head, he reached down and patted the Alpha after a while. When this happened, the Alpha’s speed took a bit of a hit, and it seemed to the outside world that it was getting tired.

Only Theron knew that, let alone getting tired, the Alpha hadn’t even shown off its true speed just yet.

The beauty of Blood Mana seemed to be in its capability of removing the usual limiters on the body, almost as though the Alpha had a perpetual [Blood Escape] that it could tap into whenever it so pleased.

Though this put a great amount of strain on its body, when controlled, it was a devastating ability because it essentially meant that this Mancy Path, by definition, allowed the Alpha to display strength beyond what its cultivation level suggested.

But things also weren’t so simple either. Although using this path meant straining the body, because of the uniqueness of Blood Mancy, it also gave the Alpha ample room to heal itself as well.

Because it was a natural [Blood Escape], it also meant that the Alpha could cultivate to replenish and heal its body in ways that Water Mancers, Lightning Mancers, or even specialized Soul Mancers couldn’t hope to fathom.

And that was all before considering any Bloomstones.

However, Theron had his own plans.

Just escaping wouldn’t work to begin with. While he had waved Elder Black off for the moment, if she saw that he was truly about to slip away, she would just take action again, and this time a few words alone wouldn’t be able to change things.

And it also didn’t even seem to be clear what Theron would do if he escaped in the first place.

But these were all things that Theron had already accounted for.

The Alpha moved through the city with a sharp agility. Its speed had plummeted, but its maneuverability didn’t quite take a hit just yet. It weaved through alleys, leaping over buildings, and leaving nothing but cracks of wind and air in its wake.

In the dead of night, the streak of crimson was conspicuous, and the flapping of clothing more so.

SHU. SHU. SHU. SHU. SHU.

The Alpha came to a halt on a rooftop, its claws skidding across the hard surface, subtly digging in and leaving shallow marks.

Across from Theron, he found shadowy, robed figures, but he recognized them instantly. The one in the very middle was Aetherion, the one to the left was mostly an educated guess, but he assumed it to be Morelle Sangun, the Crown Prince of the Sangun Clan.

That left two more to the right, one of which was the Crown Prince of the Gold Clan, Marcel Gold, and… well, one more figure Theron had to guess at.

This one should be the Auran Clan Crown Prince.

Theron could feel the subtleties of their Mana, and this was the main reason he could see the difference between them. But… his first thought was that he was honestly surprised they would send their Crown Princes to die like this.

Slowly opening his eyes, Theron stepped off of the Alpha’s back, his expression much the same.

All things considered, though… this was probably the smartest thing they could have done. And that was simply unfortunate.

"Theron Ga—"

SHIIING.

Theron didn’t say a word, the unsheathing of his blades howling like the night wind, so sharp they cut Aetherion’s words off. There was a glint of indifference in his blue eyes.

Now was no longer the time to play the role of dutiful citizen. He neither had the patience nor the time for it.

Now was the time to kill.

There was a flicker in Theron’s step and he vanished. In that instant, his shadow reacted, thrusting toward where his back had just been. But as though the darkness had latched onto him, becoming one with a projection of himself, it followed his movements.

As fast as Theron was moving, it was moving just as fast, and it seemed that if Theron paused for even the slightest moment, death would be all that awaited him.

But Theron didn’t seem to notice the Dark Mana attack at all, his movements smooth.

He appeared before Aetherion in a flash.

If he was a normal cultivator, he would have been thinking about the last time they met in battle like this. How easy it had been for Aetherion to look down on him, to casually attempt to save someone he wanted to kill, how Theron had only been spared that day because Aetherion had decided that there were other matters that were more important.

But Theron was no normal cultivator.

Things like pride, like self-worth and a desire for personal revenge weren’t what drove him. He had long since said that he wasn’t living for himself.

If Aetherion never stepped in front of him again, Theron would never give him the time of day.

But since he was here—

He would have to pay for that.

There was a flash and Theron’s silhouette came to a stop, only for the spike of shadow to rip right through him…

Aetherion’s pupils constricted as the [Water Clone] shattered into a rain of Water Mana. He instantly took a step and rushed back. He had already seen Theron’s battles before; he wouldn’t make the mistake of assuming he couldn’t convert the Water Mana into another form like others had in the past.

Unfortunately for him, Theron knew this, and the burst of water wasn’t for him.

The [Water Clone]’s remnants surged toward Morelle and Marcel.

In the distance, a silhouette of Theron appeared outlined by the full moon’s light, still standing by the Alpha as though he had never moved. All the while, Aetherion was racing back as though his life depended on it, while two of the Crown Princes braced themselves for impact.

The only one that seemed to be just fine was Crown Prince Auran.

Until his head slowly fell from his shoulders.