Chapter 68: Berserker
Isaac gripped the hilt of his katana tighter, already feeling the first drops of sweat trickling down his forehead. Opposite him, Hugo still seemed imperturbable, calm and sure of his superiority. His analytical gaze studied Isaac’s every move, as if trying to anticipate all his possible strategies.
Isaac inhaled slowly, feeling his lungs fill with air, then exhaled softly.
"I can’t go on like this. He sees all my shots before they even go off. I’ve got to get something else out."
Without hesitation, he went back on the offensive. This time, he alternated brutally between his intangibility skill and his physical strikes, seeking to destabilize Hugo. He charged straight at him, his body becoming intangible at the last moment, letting Hugo’s counter-attacks pass, then becoming tangible again to strike with force.
- Impressive!" Hugo exclaimed, parrying a powerful blow that made his arms tremble. I recognize that you’ve mastered a skill that no one else in France has, but that’s not enough!
Isaac quickly followed up, sliding from a lateral strike to a swift estoc, using [Shidensen] coupled with [Vol] to accelerate further. Hugo parried each blow, but each time with a little less margin, his sharp reflexes tested to the limit.
At a precise moment, Isaac propelled himself violently forward, activating [Earthquake] at full power beneath his feet. The ground shattered, concrete debris flying all around. Hugo, off balance for a fraction of a second, dodged just enough to feel the cold blade graze his face, leaving a small cut on his cheek.
Hugo stepped back sharply, running a hand over his cheek in mild surprise.
- Not bad. Very good timing. But still not good enough.
Isaac stepped back, panting. He could clearly feel his mana reserves dropping, and worse still, Hugo still seemed to have a huge margin. A feeling of helplessness twisted his insides.
- You’re getting tired, Isaac. And yet you haven’t even pushed me to use all my resources," Hugo said calmly, but without arrogance.