Cronus' system: Against the gods

Lucius roared, his voice resonating with raw, dark energy as his aura pulsed outward in waves, casting a murky shadow over the entire arena. The once dark tendrils now shimmered with a hardened shell, forming into armor that radiated a wicked, cold gleam. Jefferson's silver eyes assessed every transformation as his opponent rose again, more powerful than ever, each flicker of dark energy threatening to unleash a storm.

"You really think pushing me this far was wise, Jefferson?" Lucius sneered, raising a hand as a long, shadow-forged spear materialized at his side, its pointed tip dripping with dark frost. "Now, you'll see what I'm truly capable of."

Jefferson stood firm, unfazed. "It's always a shame when strength gets wasted on someone without a purpose."

Lucius snarled, his grip tightening around the spear, and he lunged forward. This time, his speed was nearly doubled, and Jefferson barely dodged the spear as it streaked past him, shattering the ground where he stood. Lucius pivoted, his armor creaking with a ghastly echo as he thrust the spear again, this time clipping Jefferson's arm, leaving a stinging trail of frostbite. Jefferson flinched, but he channeled Aether to numb the pain, his eyes narrowing in focus.

{Threat Level: A+}

A flicker of surprise passed across Jefferson's face as he adjusted his stance. Lucius had indeed unlocked more of his potential, possibly more than any demi-god he'd ever faced. The situation called for caution and maybe a bit more power on his end.

"You wanted my best?" Jefferson growled, his voice cutting through the tension. "Then let's see how long you last."

With that, Jefferson activated his full Aether infusion, silver energy pulsing through his veins. His fists gleamed with crackling light as he charged, every movement now a blur as he launched into a series of calculated strikes, each one aimed to expose Lucius's weaknesses. Lucius met each blow, their attacks colliding with explosive force.

Lucius deflected the onslaught with his newly formed Eclipse Armor, shards of shadow and ice splintering off as he blocked. But Jefferson's rhythm was unrelenting; every attack pushed Lucius back, cracks forming along his armor.

"Predictable!" Jefferson taunted, eyes flashing as he analyzed Lucius's patterns. Right feint, then an Eclipse counter, left sweep next…

Just as he'd anticipated, Lucius swept low with his leg in an attempt to trip him, but Jefferson leaped above it, twisting mid-air to avoid the spear Lucius swung next. Jefferson aimed a punishing kick at Lucius's chest, and his boot connected, sending Lucius stumbling backward.

"Think you can read me?" Lucius barked, slamming his spear into the ground. The earth trembled as freezing shadow energy surged upward, forming massive, spiraling shards of ice that encircled the two fighters. "Try and see your way through this!"

The Frozen Abyss formed around them, an oppressive cold sapping the energy from the air and slowing Jefferson's movements as the shadows swirled. The ground beneath him turned to ice, anchoring him in place, and Jefferson gritted his teeth as he fought to keep his limbs from freezing.

"You're not the only one who can manipulate the battlefield, Jefferson." Lucius's voice echoed, disembodied, through the shadows.

Jefferson steadied himself, focusing his energy into a radiant silver glow around his body to keep the cold at bay. "Then I'll just have to make the battlefield irrelevant."

With a sharp intake of breath, he summoned an Aether shield around himself, a radiant, pulsating sphere of energy that radiated warmth and repelled the darkness. Slowly, the ice encasing his legs shattered, freeing him as he began to move again, albeit more slowly. Lucius appeared beside him in a blur, spear raised, but Jefferson spun, deflecting the attack with his shield and delivering a swift, Aether-fueled punch to Lucius's shoulder.

The force cracked Lucius's armor once more, but this time, Lucius responded with a frigid laugh. "So, you think breaking my defenses will be enough?" He stepped back, and in a single breath, the cracks in his armor sealed shut, the ice darkening, becoming more dense and fortified.

Iceborne Regeneration, Jefferson noted, frustration flickering across his face. His armor will just keep rebuilding itself.

Lucius saw the realization dawn in Jefferson's eyes and smirked. "Nothing I can't fix, Jefferson. But you? How long can you keep this up?"

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Jefferson exhaled, his eyes flashing silver. "Longer than you'll last." He clenched his fists, and suddenly, his omnipotent gaze penetrated deeper than before, registering not only Lucius's next moves but detecting a core vulnerability in his armor—the point where shadow met ice, the delicate bond that sustained Lucius's power. Jefferson's mind raced, formulating a plan as he charged forward, fists blazing with Aether.

Lucius swung his spear in a sweeping arc, but Jefferson sidestepped it, ducking low and sending a focused Aether strike to Lucius's side. Lucius gasped, his armor splintering, and Jefferson seized the moment, landing another punch that struck the same weak point.

Cracks spiderwebbed across Lucius's armor, and Jefferson pushed on, every strike intensifying as he drove Lucius back. Just when it seemed Lucius might shatter, he released a burst of shadow energy, creating a massive blast that forced Jefferson to jump back, barely keeping his footing.

The shadows dissipated, revealing Lucius's face twisted in fury, his breath labored. "You're infuriatingly persistent, Jefferson," he spat, gripping his spear tightly. "But I'm not done yet."

Jefferson watched as Lucius steadied himself, summoning a monstrous wave of shadow energy around him, his spear elongating, warping into a jagged, brutal weapon coated with frost. The air grew colder still, the ground beneath them crackling as ice spread from Lucius's feet.

With a furious yell, Lucius launched his new spear with lightning speed. Jefferson barely managed to dodge, the spear slicing past him with a bone-chilling hiss. Before he could counter, Lucius was upon him, a relentless barrage of punches and jabs each encased in icy shadows. Jefferson blocked as best he could, but Lucius's speed was overwhelming, the cold of each hit creeping through his defenses.

"Face it, Jefferson," Lucius growled, breathing heavily as he closed in with another attack. "Your power is fading. You're just another arrogant demi-god who's finally met his match."

Jefferson's eyes glinted. "Is that what you think?"

Suddenly, Jefferson's aura surged, an explosion of silver Aether that repelled Lucius and cracked the icy mist surrounding them. Lucius stumbled back, momentarily blinded, as Jefferson advanced with newfound vigor, his movements swift and deadly.

"It's you who doesn't understand, Lucius," Jefferson said, his voice like steel. "Power alone doesn't make a god."

He lunged, delivering a devastating uppercut that shattered Lucius's Eclipse Armor, pieces of ice and shadow falling away to reveal the man beneath, wide-eyed and exposed. Lucius attempted to reform the armor, but Jefferson moved faster, delivering a rapid series of Aether-charged strikes that prevented Lucius from maintaining his defenses.

"Enough!" Lucius screamed, summoning a final surge of shadow energy that blanketed the area in darkness. Jefferson's vision went black as Lucius's laugh echoed around him.

"You can't see anything now, can you?" Lucius's voice taunted from every direction.

But Jefferson's silver eyes pierced the darkness, seeing through Lucius's every move. He remained calm, waiting, his senses tuned to Lucius's steps, each flicker of movement. A shadow shifted to his left, and Jefferson turned, his fist connecting with Lucius's face, the blow radiating pure Aether.

Lucius staggered, his shadowy visage briefly losing form. "How… How are you still keeping up?!"

"You made one mistake," Jefferson replied, his tone deadly calm. "You underestimated someone who's fought worse than you, Lucius."

The air crackled as Jefferson gathered Aether energy into his hands, forming a spear of light, pure and blazing, a stark contrast to Lucius's dark creation. "This ends now."

Lucius's eyes widened, but he steadied himself, his own spear reforming, black and deadly, frost curling from its edges. With a defiant yell, he lunged forward, his spear clashing with Jefferson's. Their weapons collided with a blinding flash, both powers meeting in a violent explosion of energy that shook the ground and sent shockwaves rippling through the air.

For a tense moment, they were locked in place, each pushing against the other's weapon with all their might. But Jefferson's gaze remained steady, his grip unyielding as he pressed forward, inch by inch, forcing Lucius back.

Lucius struggled, sweat and blood streaking down his face as he fought to hold his ground. "No… I won't be beaten by you!"

But Jefferson's strength was relentless. With a final push, he broke through, his spear slicing through Lucius's defenses and striking his chest. Lucius gasped, the dark energy around him shattering as he fell to his knees, his body trembling.

"It's over once more, Lucius," Jefferson said, his voice quiet but resolute.

Lucius collapsed on the floor but raised his head up desperately. Even as he fell down, a smirk was visible on his face. "Mission... complete," he muttered faintly before he finally collapsed.

Jefferson was taken aback a bit. "Mission compete?" He muttered looking dazed. He knew something wasn't right. Assassins weren't supposed to launch a full-scale attack like this so just what the hell was their plan?

Lucius had previously stated that they needed the crystal of the leviathan-ranked beast. The beast that was killed in the last war between humans and monsters. It was guarded in the academy as a relic dedicated to the late founder of the school. He had killed the leviathan beast. Eating that crystal was enough to level someone from the basic to the advanced tier three rank at once.

"What if this was a distraction?" Jefferson mused as he turned around.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

A loud blast erupted from the city which caused even the academy grounds to rumble. "Shit!" Jefferson cursed as he fell down.

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