The Glutton's body bounced up and then flipped in the air, his back landing heavily as he eventually glided to a stop.

Sylas didn't pursue. It wasn't because he didn't want to, but instead because he had felt something odd shift in the air when he decided that he had understood enough about the Glutton's combat style to press.

'His Will changed.'

The Glutton slowly picked himself up, snapping his leg back into place. A rolling brown energy came from him, his crimson gaze locking onto Sylas with a raging calm.

The fury within him was practically palpable, but it didn't feel like anything had changed at all. The others couldn't understand why Sylas hadn't pressed his advantage and ended it. This almost felt like it was giving the Glutton a chance to give up his right to challenge.

But how would that benefit Sylas at all?

However, it soon became apparent that the Glutton didn't have any real intention to leave this opportunity either. His hatred for Sylas was far too strong, and his desire to taste Sylas' flesh was even stronger than that.

Bark began to grow across the Glutton's feet. The stairs shook as roots began to grow into them.

Pulsing white gold veins arched across the Glutton's body. But he didn't even wait for his transformation to finish before he appeared in front of Sylas.

The punch looked like it would land short, but then the Glutton's arm became a whipping branch, slapping down toward Sylas' head.

Sylas' body swayed as he dodged, but a sweeping root was already aiming for his ankles.

He flipped in the air, his palms briefly touching the ground as he completed his backflip to land on his feet.

Suddenly accelerating forward, Sylas closed the distance between himself and the Glutton, his fist sizzling through the air.

But he was met by a weaving mesh of vines that made his knuckles feel like they were impacting clouds. The imprint of his fist was pressed into the mesh, and Sylas' arm was quickly swallowed up as it wrapped around him.

BANG.

A knee drove into Sylas' gut.

He was sure he had lowered his arm to block it. He hadn't seen it coming because of the mesh of vines, but he had felt it. His senses weren't anywhere near the norm.

But the mesh shifted and pulled him off balance.

A grunt left Sylas' lips. It was the first true direct hit he had taken and it felt like his inner organs had all been ripped to pieces in a single instant of time.

It wasn't lost on Sylas that he was fighting well above his strength level. He could bridge the gap with skill and Rune Mastery, but it was especially hard to use his Rune Mastery in this place because space was so restricted, and skill could only take you so far before it ran out of juice too.

It only made it worse that Sylas couldn't fly far away. The mesh of vines kept him locked in place, forcing his feet back to the ground.

BOOM.

Sylas clenched his fist and his telekinesis exploded around it, causing a small eruption that shattered the mesh.

His head weaved out of the way of a vine that tried to impale him, exploding out with a kick toward the Glutton's gut.

It was blocked by yet another mesh of vines.

A heavy scent filled the air, one that loomed with the thick fragrance of perfume and poison-but it wasn't real poison, at least not in the general sense.

Sylas could feel his Will being leached, a strong devouring energy eating at his thoughts and psyche. It was almost like stomach acid, but for Will instead.

That was when Sylas understood. The Glutton had decided to stop hiding his Madness affiliation. He was using his comprehension of Gluttony to power himself up.

He was using Madness.

Sylas had never seen Madness applied this way. He wasn't just using it as a boost to his Will, it was deeper than that.

Sylas' ankles were wrapped up and he was sent flying into the air. Yet, the vines never let him go.

They smashed him down toward the ground.

There was no way he was taking such a blow. It would rip him apart.

Sylas' eyes flashed with coldness.

Fine.

Sylas' Will flared and his body spun in a cyclone of darkness.

The vines were ripped to shreds as though by thousands of swords at once.

BANG.

Sylas landed on the ground, his knees bending only the slightest bit. In his palm, his scythe rested.

The Glutton wasn't as pathetic as the other Madness Disciples, but as far as Sylas was concerned... He wasn't going to lose to anyone beneath the B-tier.

No one.

Sylas took a step forward and his Madness Comprehension flourished as well. But the difference was obvious... Because the aura of his Mixed Chaotic Arts Comprehension didn't fade.

The Glutton's pupils constricted into pinholes, but the one with the fiercest reaction was Alpine.

Sylas vanished into streaking shadows. He could hardly be tracked, the only way to know he had passed through an area was by watching the vines and roots be sliced to pieces one after another, relentlessly and without pause.

Chi. Chi. Chi.

Winds kicked up and buffeted against the faces of the spectators.

The Glutton's hands and feet moved faster and faster, his body layering itself in one shield of brown after another as he fought from afar, trying to extend the time he had.

And then his lips parted as though he knew it would be useless in the end.

Sylas flashed by him, his scythe ripping into the Glutton's mouth and severing the top of his head from his jaw and ears.

Sylas landed on the ground, the butt of his scythe coming to a soft rest as he exhaled.

He looked down at his hand at the very thing he had come for.

The Glutton Madness Key.

It shook in his hands as though to rip itself free.