Chapter 1621 Impact 2/?

Against even the wildest of expectations, the bout between Theo and Jack was neither one-sided nor the pretentious exhibition many had expected it to be. Instead, it was an intense battle where, against all odds, the comparably petite Theo was able to go blow-for-blow against a man known to shatter mountains with his bare fists. Even more ridiculous was the fact that, while she was pushed back a number of times, the person sent crashing into the walls of the arena, time and again, was actually Jack.

Though he wasn't really sustaining any serious injuries, Jack was unable to exercise the full extent of his power for fear of critically injuring, or even killing, Theo. As a result, he had been unable to find the sweet spot between Theo's defenses and her actual durability. Even breaking through her aura took an extraordinary amount of effort, and, though he hadn't noticed it at first, subsequent strikes had revealed there was a thin mesh covering her entire body. This paper-thin membrane, against all expectations, was actually harder than most metals he had struck, and, due to its flexibility, the vast majority of his attacks were completely mitigated...

In an effort to confirm his suspicions, Jack took advantage of the moment when Theo had leaped into the air to generate a massive shockwave with his aura. As a result, she was blasted high into the sky, but, once again demonstrating a surprising degree of combat proficiency, Theo actually 'bounced' off of thin air before flickering through the void like a phantom. He recognized this as the advanced movement technique, Koku Shundo, but, as it often took years just to master the basics, it was quite a surprise to see Theo bounding around freely.

Sensing an impending attack, Jack crossed his arms as an appreciative smile spread across his face. This looked like a defensive posture to most, but, just as Theo's figure appeared in front of him, his own vanished. In the next instant, his hand had been spread wide, and, like a top suspended in the air, Theo was left rotating rapidly before her body inevitably crashed into the ground, hard.

Jack realized it would be impossible to end the fight without injuring Theo, so, in an effort to try and end things before they got too far out of hand, he resolved himself and decided to apologize after the fact...

Though she hadn't sustained any actual damage, Theo felt the wind forced from her lungs by the unexpected impact. Despite this, she was able to recover almost instantly, an excited smile on her face as she attempted to sweep Jack's legs out from under him. To her surprise, however, a wispy golden aura pulsed from his body just as her foot was about to make contact with his tree-like legs. The pulse acted as a cushion of sorts that perfectly dissipated the force of her own blow. As a result, there was a brief moment where her movement had ceased completely, and, in that exact moment, Jack's fist, which was larger than her entire head, smashed into her impromptu guard.

For the first time since the start of the match, Theo experienced what it was like to be bounced across the arena's floor like a rock skipping across a lake. At the end of her relatively short journey, her body crashed into the incredibly durable barrier surrounding the arena. She learned that it was actually much harder than the floor itself, but, before she could even lament this fact, Theo opened her eyes to see another fist barreling directly toward her face...

With very little time to dodge, Theo attempted to raise her guard as she craned her flexible body to the right. In the same motion, she kicked outward with her left leg, but, from just the air pressure of Jack's fist alone, she was sent smashing back into the barrier as his fast made direct contact with her arm. She felt her own first smack into her face as an overwhelming force surged into her body, pain emitting from the bones of her left arm as it seemed to conform to the shape of Jack's fist.

Surprising them both, Theo's arm didn't actually break from the impact, and, though it felt like she had momentarily blacked out when her head slammed into the arena's barrier, she hadn't sustained any visible injuries. A ki-infused shockwave had clearly passed through her body, but, as if she was completely immune to damage, it dissipated almost instantly. In its wake, replacing the momentary pain, a feeling of exhilaration swelled up inside Theo that made it impossible to restrain the smile spreading across her face...

Jack sensed there was something very wrong with the current situation, but, even faster than his superhuman reactions, Theo managed to grip the thumb of his right hand. He was suddenly seized by the feeling his digit had been trapped in an unbreakable vice. By pure instinct, he succeeded in pulling away his hand and creating some distance between himself and Theo, but, in the process, all the flesh from his thumb had been less-than-cleanly removed...

Even Theo was surprised by her own strength, but, rather than show any perturbation, she crushed the surprisingly 'grilled' piece of flesh in her hand. Then, kicking the ground with enough force to cause a literal eruption, Theo turned into an extended blur as she attempted to capitalize on her advantage. She knew Jack could regenerate from such wounds without too much difficulty, and, if her Master's words were to be believed, which they always were, it might not even be possible for him to die. Thus, without questioning why the ground around her had started to turn into magma, Theo continued to rain down meteoric blows on an uncharacteristically serious and focused Jack...

Though Theo seemed completely oblivious to the fact, Jack, and everyone else observing the fight, had mixed reactions to the changes occurring in the arena. To their amazement, confusion, and a wide range of other emotions, Theo's horns had actually started to branch. At the same time, three more horns had sprouted from her head, two above the original pair and one from her crown. They had the same ivory white color as usual, but, instead of a gentle curve, they became more angular, and, even from a distance, the crowd could tell they were inordinately sharp.

It if had just been her horns, the crowd wouldn't have been too surprised, but, from the small of her back, just above her butt, a rather thick white tail had sprung from Theo's body. Her hands and feet had also visibly transformed, and, though her clothes and mesh kept most of the changes hidden, a peculiar pattern that glowed like a yellowish flame began to spread from her hands and feet, slowly snaking its way up her arms and legs...

Perhaps the most notable change, at least from the perspective of Jack, was that the once-white sclera of Theo's eyes had turned completely black. As for her eyes, they had lost their pristine blue color, shifting into a glistening amber that, like the smile on her face, exhibited an incredible thirst for battle. She seemed to be completely enthralled by the battle, but, rather than appear drunk on power, Jack was surprised to find clarity within Theo's draconic visage...

Hoping to confirm his suspicions, Jack stepped backward slightly faster than Theo had delivered her blow. At the same time, he did something he would undoubtedly receive several complaints about later, grabbing Theo's horns and pulling her off balance. To some, this was akin to hitting below the belt or targetting the butt or bosom of a woman, as, even more so than other parts of their bodies, the horns of a Hellasian could be very sensitive.

Even Theo hadn't expected Jack to sudden yank her by the horns, so, without any suspense, she ended up slamming face-first into the ground with enough force to create a small crater. Despite this, she was more distracted by the painful throbbing emanating from her horns, and, though she was actually fond of small amounts of pain, Theo couldn't help but tear up slightly as she held her head and sobbingly muttered, "You asshole...I hate you..."

Jack obviously felt guilty for what he had done, but, as he 'needed' to confirm Theo's state of mind, it was one of the best methods available. She didn't seem like she was going to stop attacking him any time soon, so, in an effort to buy some time, he had to resort to the rather shameless method just to calm her down. This earned him a shower of booing from the crowd, but, without worrying about them, Jack adopted an apologetic smile as he said, "Sorry, kid. I needed to confirm you were still with us. Have you noticed the state of your body?"

Hearing Jack's words, Theo inspected her own body, but, unlike the crowd, she didn't show any particular surprise. Instead, she adopted a glowering look as she said, "Y