"Claudius, Rebecca, tell me your battle abilities so I can more effectively assist in fights," I say as we walk back to the People's Communion.

"Well," says Claudius, "you've already seen Illusory Feint, Illusory Flurry, and Unblockable Blade. I was only trained in those three Battle Techniques."

"And you, Rebecca? I assume your methods of attack are more based around you having four arms?"

"Yes. My main technique is called Unseen Strikes. I infuse my blades with mana-" I almost interrupt her, but I decide to let her continue. "-and my attacks become so fast that they can't be seen with the naked eye. I also have Steel Defense, which allows me to spin my blades so fast that they deflect missile attacks." Interesting. "What can you do? We need to know what you can do as well in order to fight more effectively."

"Oh. Well, that's a hard question to answer. Attack me." They look at each other.

"What?" Asks Rebecca.

"Stab me. Attack me with full intent to kill." She reluctantly approaches me. I ready my mind.

"Unseen Strikes!" Her arms move incredibly fast. Not as fast as Hermes when I battled him, but steel obscenely fast.

I block every single one of her attacks by striking her wrists with the side of my open palm. I then kick her backwards. "Impossible! Even I can't predict where my attacks will land!"

"I have battled infinitely faster than you before. My body has no eyes, nor ears, nor nose, nor mouth, nor pain receptors. Sensory information is perceived directly by my soul. I am wholly unique in that way. That means that not only is there absolutely no delay between my eyes perceiving something and sending an electrical signal to my brain, but I can move any part of my body instantly in the exact way I want, provided it is physically possible."

"Were you going easy on us when we fought you?" Asks Claudius.

"Yes. Very easy. In the past, perhaps the two of you coordinating your attacks like that could have defeated me in swordplay, but I have had 60 thousand years to master my abilities. Were I attacking you seriously, you would both be dead within a fraction of a second. I can also regenerate flesh and increase the strength of specific areas of my body, but enough about my physical abilities." I gesture to the primal cutter sitting on my hip. "This spear is nigh-indestructible and can pierce any defense imaginable." I raise my gauntlet hand. "This may be my most powerful implement. The soul of a god resides within. By itself, the gauntlet allows me to harness the powers of said god, and manipulate... 'mana' in nearly any way I wish."

"By itself!?" They say in unison.

"See this small depression on the back of the hand? I have developed spell foci that massively increase the maximum power of a potential spell. My personal favorite is a new one I created recently. But enough small talk. We are almost at The Belfry."

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As we enter the town, Leviticus and Winter are there waiting for us. "More outsiders?" Asks Leviticus.

"Nay, Leviticus. These two are from Primis Mundus."

"Then I assumed you killed the goddess?"

"Nay again, Leviticus. You remember Hephaestus, correct?"

"I believe so. The one that lived within a volcano?"

"Correct. I resolved to settle this instance diplomatically as well. There was no need for bloodshed."

Leviticus looks perplexed, but his loyalty prevents him from protesting. I scan his media. He has no thoughts of betrayal. Not that I expected Leviticus to, but better safe than sorry.

"So are we going to go kill the witches or what?" Asks Claudius.

"Yes, but they are far South, and this was on the way. I looked at a scrying mirror for their location and I can warp us there, but I figured you two would like to rest up first."

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I was correct. The crimson cultists rest for another week, the local lodging providing free board because we saved them. The time in a somewhat normal world should boost their morale.

At around noon, we take off from The Belfry and enter the flux rift I open. It leads to the outskirts of the witches' camp. Dear God...

An enormous, silver aura emanates from the witches' camp. The energy is of an unidentified type I have never seen before. How have I never encountered this before?

The crimson cultists look around uneasily. Leland itches his hand on the Victus Conductor. Claudius and Rebecca draw their weapons. I snap and Winter comes to my side.

"Do not worry. If needed, I still have an army of golems in reserve. If the circumstances require it, I can call them out to assist us." This seems to calm everyone's nerves as we march on the camp. The silver aura grows more and more intense as we near a small group of tents. Outside the tents stand 8 people chanting in some language I vaguely recognize to be Latin.

"Halt, witches!" I shout. They all look up at me. Seven men and one woman make up the group. The woman's robe is lined with a gold trim. I take her to be the leader of this group of vagrants.

"An agent of Yana, hear to stop us?" Asks the woman. She holds up a human skull. "Look upon the fruits of your predecessors." I grow angry.

"I represent no deity, at least no deity that claims me in return. Are you aware your practice is one of the most despicable things a person can do?"

They all laugh. "Of course we realize we are conjuring evil! That's the whole point!" She says.

"Very well. I will have no qualms killing you all then." They look at each other nervously. I raise my hand in a signal for the crimson cultists to move back. They oblige. "3..." The witches draw their swords. "2..." I raise my left foot. The witches look at me, puzzled as to my plan. "1." I stomp my leg into the ground, kick-starting my Boots of the Traveler and launching towards them at speeds too fast to be seen. Within a second I have severed major muscle groups in all of their legs. They all fall to the ground at the same time, screaming in pain and spewing blood.

The woman, as she falls, cracks something in her hand and throws dust at the circle drawn in the dirt that they were all surrounding just moments ago. I recognize the circle to be a Seal of Solomon. It lights up red and begins spinning so fast it appears to be a solid mass. A green, muscular arm emerges from the now-formed "portal" and clenches at the air.