Chapter 81: Cutting Through Like Butter
Isaac moved silently, his breathing slow and steady in sharp contrast to the chaos of battle around him. His anger, far from a fleeting emotion, churned within him as a dark, primal force. It crawled under his skin, fueling his muscles and intensifying every pulse from his now blazing mana core. His irises glowed a menacing orange, giving him a look of unrelenting fury.
Before him, the dragon warrior straightened up with difficulty. Despite his obvious pain, there was still a cold pride in his gaze, the pride of a species long accustomed to ruling.
- "You’re impressive, human," he growled, his golden eyes gleaming in the dim light. "But your strength... it’s unstable. This rage will consume you from within."
Isaac remained silent and impassive. He didn’t bother replying, letting the searing glow of his eyes speak for him. The dragon’s words meant nothing to him. All he saw was an enemy to obliterate an obstacle to survival, a representative of a race he despised with every fiber of his being.
The dragon suddenly charged, his massive body propelled by a dark mana that seemed to swallow all light in its path. His black blade descended toward Isaac with terrifying power, aimed to cleave him in two without a moment’s hesitation.
But Isaac sidestepped effortlessly, as silent as a shadow, using [flight] without any unnecessary flair. Every dodge was crisp, clean, and efficient, as if he had purged all excess energy from his movements. His style had become cold, calculated, and deeply unsettling.
They exchanged blows without a word, each strike brutal, each motion precise. The hatred coursing through Isaac’s veins was like a dark drug, amplifying his reflexes, his strength, his combat instincts. With every clash, he grew sharper, colder, and his eyes more devoid of emotion, save for that absolute, consuming hatred.
The dragon warrior fought back with the prowess his lineage afforded him. His true strength shone through in each precise motion, each flawless block, each deadly counterattack. Yet, against Isaac’s chilling rage—against that nearly inhuman style even the dragon found himself subtly retreating, caught off guard and unnerved by the sheer, unrelenting force of an ordinary human turned into something far more dangerous.
Isaac saw a tiny opening in the dragon’s guard. Without a word, without naming any technique, he dove at the weak point with blinding speed. His katana slashed deep into the dragon’s arm, forcing a pained growl and a brief step back.
In that fleeting moment of hesitation, the dragon lunged forward with his other hand, aiming to grab Isaac by the throat. Instinctively, Isaac activated his intangibility, letting the massive arm pass harmlessly through his incorporeal form. As he turned tangible again, he reached out and seized the dragon’s arm in a crushing grip, his blue-scaled hand closing like a vice.
The dragon’s eyes widened in shock. He stared at the scales, a mixture of disbelief and primal terror flashing across his face.