“Infinite White!” Claira gently said with a stern face. Instantly with her at the center the air chilled and the ground froze turning a pure white. At the same time, the clear blue sky darkened as think clouds formed, and snow started to fall. The landscape had transformed into a winter wonderland.
While I might look beautiful, Chris could feel the danger within. When the wave of white reached him, Chris felt his body stiffen and his strength slowly draining from him. The cage bramble protecting him also was affected, becoming brittle.
‘It's not going to hold out much longer’ Chris thought watching his only defense show signs of shattering any moment. A faint smile again appeared as Chris praised each of his wives. Their strength was abnormal for their current rank, it was because of the level of teamwork that they managed to press as hard as they did.
Indeed, Chris hadn’t looked down on them for a second, but to push them he acted arrogantly. If he praised them from the beginning, that wouldn’t mean anything. Sure say good job would make them feel good, but that wasn’t the point of this match, it was for them to meet a set stander. If Chris, merely encouraged them with kind words would they really give it their all?
No, they wouldn’t, because while they didn’t reach the goal they would still have received some kind go approval. Even if they would do I subconsciously hearing praise would limit their effort, so Chris instead told them that it wasn’t good enough.
Although Chris didn’t like being this harsh on them, he knew the effect it would have on them. Helina is prideful as well as stubborn, instead of being dejected by Chris’ condescending attitude it instead fuels her to push herself harder. Sara is someone that if you tell her she isn’t good enough, she will work until she is and Claira always puts in more effort when confronted with a difficult challenge.
Instead of backing down or being depressed by Chris act it instead his something to help drive them. This is something Chris understood only because of how much he knew of the three. The best way to put is tough love.
Finally, the cage of bramble crumbles under the power of the two-pronged attack. All three girls grin when they see that they had managed to break through Chris’ last defense.
“It's futile.”
Even through the roar of flames and ice Chris’ sharp words came. Just before the two attack were going to hit roots burst from the ground instantly halting to two attacks. The three girls faces paled and changed to horror when they saw that the roots were slowly pushing their strongest attacks back with ease.
“What!”
“No way!”
Claira and Sara shouted seeing that their last effort was stopped so easily. However, Helina didn’t give up, in fact, the fire like will in her eyes burned ever brighter.
“Blazing Snow Serpent!” Helina roared, and the other two eyes turned firm in response with nods.
Instantly the eight-headed snake and Phoenix vanished as the three retreated. Only Claira’ Infinite White skill was still active as they regrouped. At the same time, the roots stopped their advance and instead drew back to surround Chris.
Chris stared with narrowed eyes at the girls’ new formation. Helina and Sara had switched making her the front, but that was odd. Why would they have Helina in the back where she couldn’t adequately defend Sara if need be?
However, Chris quickly got his answer. All three had closed their eyes. Claira and Helina had their palms pointed at Sara, who had her own palms facing each other only a few inches apart.
Suddenly Chris felt a surge of mana and to his surprise faint runes appeared on all three girls each one different with Helina’s being a reddish gold, Claira’s a pure white, and Sara’s Black. From Claira, a pure white stream of energy shot out hitting Sara in the back at the same time a reddish gold stream of energy came from Helina’s.
When the two streams of energy touched Sara, more runes just like Helina’s and Claira’s appeared flowing from the points the streams touched and moving down to her hands. In between her hands, a black orb had appeared.
Chris shook when he realized the orb was made of pure condensed mana! Chris watched as the runes traveled to Sara’s hands and seemed to be absorbed by the black orb. The orb grew large, and the pressure that came from it even started to make Chris feel nervous.
What surprised him, even more, was that he was currently restrained by the coldness produced by Claira’s skill. His roots would freeze and shatter if he tried to move them. Even if he had them move underground, the result would be the same. It wasn’t his choice to simply stand there and wait to be attacked he didn’t have another option!
While it could be said that if he really wanted to Chris was capable of interrupting them, he would have to break his own restraints he placed on himself, and that was to directly fight. He didn’t put that restriction on himself because he looked down on the girl. Instead it was because it would be too unfair.
Chris’ level had already reached over 800 nearly double theirs if he used his full abilities there would be no chance that the fight would last more than a minute let alone himself being injured. So instead he focused on defense since the biggest problem, no rather the only issue they faced would be Roe Victon, who specialized in defense.
Chris felt if they could injure him when he focused on defense they would be capable of defeating Roe.
Coming back to the fight at hand, Chris saw that the black orb scratch forming the body of a massive snake made of black ice. Reddish golden flames violently surged around the snake while snow gently danced creating an odd contrasted that could be described as breathtaking.
Chris smiled wryly as he looked at the ice snake and said under his breath, “impressive it’s power has alright broken into SS rank!”
Indeed, the black ice snake that was surround by snow and flames was already equivalent to an attack of an SS rank of the lower realm. The problem for Chris was its power was still growing at a terrifying rate.
As the snake continued to grow in size and strength, it reached an astounding 100 meters in length! By then its slithered through the sky like some divine beast all the wide eyeing its target. Still Chris wasn’t too nervous because when it finally stopped it power was equal to an SS rank of the middle realm.
Inwardly he was both surprised and overjoyed. His expectation had been entirely blown away. Actually, if the three girls had managed to attack with the power of a lower realm SS rank he would have passed them since that enough to fight equally with their upcoming enemy. Even though Roe is an SS rank of the late realm, he was still defensive based at most his attack power would be of an SS rank of the middle realm not surpassing the 1st stage.
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At the same time while they couldn’t defeat Roe with any attacks because he was a defensive type, with the offensive power of an SS rank they could at least stand a chance if they could somehow attack the enemy leader.
The snake glared at Chris with endless, mindless bloodlust as it waited for its masters to release its chains so It could devour him whole.
Chris calmly looked at the three who had finished their chants and were now staring at him with confidences. When their eyes meet that seemed to be the signal, Sara stretched her slender white hands forward and shouted, “Blazing Snow Snake, devour him!”
Within the raging storm created by the enormous mass of mana above her voice came to Chris’ eyes loud and clear as well as the snake flying above. Having finally received the command it was waiting for it let out a roaring hiss of joy as it descended.
Chris’ eyes yet again narrowed as he watched the black ice snake approach. A cold, savage smile suddenly appeared as Chris raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
The entire stadium began to tremble and convulsed like it was a living creature. Around Chris plants started to grow with unbelievable speed and in seconds, a miniature forest had formed. The forest continued to grow. However it didn’t spread out but instead its grew upwards.
The various trees and plants quickly turned into a violent surge of nature as they rushed to meet the snake. When the two monstrous powers collided shockwaves cause their pure destructive force came in waves. The stadium had been built to withstand power far beyond what was happening at the moment, but it still trembled and creaked under the intense pressure.
*
down below the people could feel the ground shake slightly causing some panic.
Within the palace, everyone felt the huge surge of mana that came from above. When Roe felt this power he paled, this was something that even he would have trouble stopped he could only hope this was the emperor’s power and not one of the three women he would be facing tomorrow.
In the quarters give to the ambassadors of the Magical Alliance they were current having a meet when the violent shockwaves hit. Each one of them exchanged glances and could help up stare at the ceiling.
The only people who were more surprised than everyone else were the ones that knew what Helina, Claira, and Sara’s mana felt like and could only gape in astonishment knowing that Chris was only half of the surge of power coming from above.
*
Above the World Tree, the two forces clashed in the air. The snake and tower of constantly moving vegetation fought pressing against each other like a reverse version of tug of war. Neither side was giving the other a millimeter of space to advance. However, there was a clear difference between to two sides.
Mana
Chris had several times more mana than them not to mention the cheat like skill World Tree Connection that allowed him to draw mana from the World Tree itself as well as other power and cheat like effects.
Already on the other side the mana flow was weakening, and the three gives each had pale faces. Chris would have already ended the struggle of power they were in long ago if it wasn’t for their gazes filled with fighting spirit. It told him they had more power to spare and for some reason, it excited him. Could they actually exceed his expectation again?
By now he had already decided to pass them even if they hadn’t injured him it was impossible from the beginning, both sides knew that. He had placed an impossible task in front of them for the same reason he acted so condescending, to push them to their limits.
Eye the three that had yet to give up Chris smirked and shouted, “you're so close, but so far!”
By now each of them had discovered what Chris was trying to do, and it worked! Seeing him continuously act high and mighty made each of the three’s blood boil pushing them even farther than before.
Without the endless explosive shockwaves, Sara shouted, “Everyone first stage!”
In response to her cry, the other two nodded.
All Chris saw was a blinding light. When the blind faded before Chris was three pillars one of swirling golden flames, one a flurry of snow, and one a blizzard of black ice. Within the pillars, Chris saw something that nearly made him stop all thoughts.
Helina now had two large reddish gold wings coming from her back, and her hair had become a stream of furious flames. Four flaming birds the size of sparrows flew around her giving off a fierce aura that threatened to turn anyone that close to ash.
Claira had two beautiful butterfly wings that looked to be made of snow and had a crown snowflake that slowly spun over her head. Little white butterflies hovered around her like little snow fairies surround their queen.
Sara’s transformation was the most drastic. Two snakes made from black ice protruded from her back slowly moving while eye Chris with venomous anger. Scales had appeared on her cheeks and hands, claws appeared on her now scaly hands. Finally, a tail grew from her waist and slowly waved back and forth.
Though he should have been taken aback by the change in their appearances instead a huge grin formed and he chuckled, “they actually went beyond my imagination again!”
He finally realized the reason they had gotten so powerful so fast which made him once again laugh while thinking how amazing his wives were.
The massive snake that had been clashing with the mass of vegetation suddenly retreated into the sky. It let out a roar like hiss and runes just like the ones on the three girls appeared over its body. The snake once again grew in size its scales changing to become more armor like and savage looking. The flames and snow moved condensing into two sets of wings.
Chris now wasn’t looking at a simple snake but a mighty creature that reminded him of a Quetzalcoatl from Aztec legends. The beast’s aura had completely changed to the point that even Chris felt worried.
‘So this is their limit, huh?’ Chris thought to himself unable to control the grin that had long been on his face.
In the distance, Sara shouted with confidence, “This is the finale!”
Chris returned her confident words with a smirk while thinking, ‘I might have to be serious with this one.’
All three girls shouted battle cries and the snake dived with new vigor and its desire to destroy Chris with every ounce of its wrath.