72~ My Way of Having Revenge

Isaac smiled as his ability began to activate, while Elyes remained motionless in the sky, watching him from a distance.

He's smiling... That means he's started using his ability.

Even if his power is greater than mine, conserving his energy while copying mine is his best option.

Elyes narrowed his eyes slightly as he observed the bloody energy surrounding Isaac.

And it seems his ability only activates when he receives energy attacks... Which means I can...

Elyes vanished in a flash of light and appeared directly in front of his opponent, attempting to kick him in the stomach. However, a wall of blood formed at just the right moment, absorbing much of the impact.

Isaac pushed Elyes's foot away, then threw a powerful punch at him. But Elyes didn't retreat. Instead, he charged forward again, attempting to land a rapid series of consecutive strikes.

Blood continually formed in front of his attacks, blocking some and wrapping around others, while Isaac seized every opportunity to counterattack. After a rapid exchange of blows, Elyes finally pulled away.

Isaac smiled provocatively.

"Do you think you can overpower me with your physical strength?"

Elyes narrowed his eyes.

There's no point... I won't be able to defeat him without using my energy.

His body began to glow with light, and he charged forward once more.

Isaac met him with a punch, but Elyes dodged it at the last moment and struck him in the side. Isaac took a step backward, then unleashed a wave of blood from his arm toward Elyes, who pierced through it with a burst of light.

Elyes appeared above his opponent and fired a short beam, forcing Isaac to raise a wall of blood to block it. Taking advantage of his opponent's distraction, Elyes charged forward with a punch to his chest, driving him backward.

He gave Isaac no chance to regain his balance. Elyes gathered energy between his palms and unleashed an explosive sphere that struck Isaac directly, engulfing his body in an explosion for a few moments.

When the light faded, Isaac was still standing, with blood scattered around him.

He smiled to himself.

Two...

He leaped into the air and raised his hand. The bloody energy began swirling around it, gathering into a dense mass. But a brilliant light appeared above him, and he looked up to find Elyes descending toward him at tremendous speed.

Elyes extended his arm, forming a blade of light that sliced toward Isaac. The latter dodged at the last moment, but he couldn't avoid the attack completely. The blade left a deep wound across his body.

Isaac smiled again.

Three.

He waited for a moment, but nothing happened.

His smile gradually faded.

Wait... Has my ability been canceled?

He looked at Elyes, who remained in his Elemental form, ready to attack him again.

Isaac couldn't explain what had happened, but he didn't remain troubled for long. His smile soon widened again, and his energy erupted around him.

"I don't know what the hell you did, but... Come at me with everything you've got!"

The two charged at each other.

This time, Elyes didn't try to avoid the blood or rely solely on physical attacks. He exchanged punches and kicks with Isaac, then retreated just as his opponent tried to grab him, firing a short blade of light from his palm.

Isaac blocked the blade with a wall of blood, then transformed the wall into a spear and launched it toward Elyes. Elyes dodged it and appeared beside his opponent, delivering an energy-charged punch.

Isaac took the hit but used their close proximity to punch Elyes in the stomach before driving him away with a wave of blood.

Elyes had barely regained his balance when Isaac charged at him again, a long blade of blood forming around his arm. Elyes countered it with a blade of light, and their energies clashed as each pressed against the other.

They finally separated, but neither had established a clear advantage.

Suddenly, blood burst from Elyes's wounds and wrapped around his body before transforming into spikes that pierced him from multiple directions.

But his body vanished before they could reach him.

Elyes reappeared in the sky, far from his opponent, and extended his hand. Energy glowed in his palm before a blade of light shot out at the speed of light, pierced Isaac's foot, and vanished immediately.

This time, Isaac didn't smile.

"Wait, wait... Has my ability been canceled again?!"

He stared at Elyes in shock before shouting,

"What did you do?!"

Elyes smiled faintly and extended his hand toward him.

"Pay attention to what's coming next."

Another blade of light extended from his palm, slicing through Isaac's arm.

But Isaac no longer seemed as concerned as before.

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"I don't need to copy your energy, you scum."

In the next instant, his body reformed beside Elyes from the blood scattered across the ground. He had already prepared a blood spear and aimed it at his opponent's chest.

Before the spear could reach its target, an orange aura erupted around Elyes, destroying the attack.

Elyes spun around and delivered an immensely powerful punch to Isaac's stomach, sending him flying hundreds of meters before he crashed into the ground.

Isaac struggled to regain his balance, then raised his head toward Elyes, who had returned to his Elemental form.

He wiped the blood from his mouth and smiled again.

He plunged his hands into the ground, spreading his bloody energy throughout the battlefield. The scattered blood transformed into hundreds of spikes that shot toward Elyes from different directions.

Elyes dodged most of them and destroyed several others with his energy. When the final spike shot toward his head, he fired a small, concentrated beam of light that shattered it before continuing toward Isaac and striking his arm.

That's the first attack...

Elyes raised his hand, unleashing hundreds of small beams that rained down on his opponent.

Isaac formed a dense shield of blood and managed to block most of them. But Elyes concentrated his energy into a single beam, which pierced the shield and struck Isaac.

Isaac's eyes widened as Elyes appeared behind him.

Three energy attacks activate his ability... And it seems changing the nature of his energy through Reversed Transformation cancels his progress and resets the count.

Elyes recalled how Isaac's previous attempts to copy his energy had failed, then continued piecing things together.

So I need to change the nature of my energy at the right moment.

A sword of light appeared in Elyes's hand. Before he could strike, an orange Black Pulse erupted around his body. He reversed his transformation at the last moment and slashed Isaac across the back with the sword.

Then he placed his palm against his opponent's back and unleashed a burst of light that sent him flying.

Isaac's injuries were severe, but blood began flowing toward his wounds and wrapping around them, gradually sealing them shut.

Meanwhile, Elyes returned to his Elemental form.

He's attacked me twice while I was in my Reversed Transformation... It doesn't matter. His ability will be canceled again when I hit him in my current form.

The two resumed fighting.

Concentrated beams proved most effective against Isaac's bloody defenses. Rather than wasting energy on broad attacks that could easily be absorbed, Elyes focused it into small points capable of piercing through barriers.

He struck Isaac twice, yet his opponent continued attacking without pause. Blood covered Isaac's body, transforming into blades and spears whenever he needed them.

Elyes charged at him again, but the blood covering Isaac's body suddenly transformed into spikes that pierced Elyes from multiple directions.

However, the spikes struck nothing but a body made of light.

That body vanished, revealing the real Elyes behind Isaac. He reversed his transformation at the last moment and fired a beam that pierced his opponent's chest.

Elyes smiled.

"I've won..."

He formed a sword of light and raised it to cut off Isaac's head.

But Isaac suddenly grabbed his arm and turned toward him, his Bloody Eyes glowing.

"I already know your plan..."

His energy, eyes, and hair began turning orange.

Elyes froze for a moment.

"Impossible... How?"

He couldn't finish his question before a beam of light pierced his waist, followed by a brutal punch to the face that sent him flying a tremendous distance until he crashed into the castle wall.

...

Inside Isaac's mind...

The condition for activating my ability is receiving three attacks using the same energy as my opponent. But I don't have to count every attack I receive. I can choose which attacks count toward the total and which ones I ignore, provided I make that decision before they reach me.

Images of the battle appeared, showing Elyes reversing his transformation at the last moment before certain attacks, then returning to his Elemental form after executing them.

Elyes was changing the nature of his energy through Reversed Transformation without me realizing what he was doing.

The images stopped at the moment the attack pierced Isaac's chest.

He didn't know I'd figured out his plan. And when he hit me three times with the energy from his Reversed Transformation, my ability activated, allowing me to copy it.

...

Back on the battlefield, Elyes slowly rose to his feet as Isaac approached him with a provocative smile.

"Did you really think every attack with a different type of energy would cancel my ability?"

Elyes glared at him angrily but didn't answer.

Isaac continued,

"Idiot... I can choose which attacks count toward my ability and which ones I ignore. But I have to make that decision before receiving an attack. That's why I was watching you and choosing the attacks that suited me."

Elyes furrowed his brows.

"What do you mean?"

Isaac laughed.

"Simple. I wasn't counting the attacks you made in your Elemental form. I ignored them completely and only counted your attacks when you reversed your transformation. And you did hit me three times with that energy, which allowed me to copy it."

Elyes smiled dismissively.

"Fool... Do you really think you can withstand the side effects of the Black Pulse?"

Isaac laughed confidently.

"Nothing affects me when I copy my opponent's energy, you idiot!"

He raised his fist, which glowed with orange energy.

"I'll kill you now using your own power."

Elyes wiped the blood from his mouth and stood firm.

"You think I'm finished?"

The two charged at each other, their fists colliding and unleashing an enormous wave of orange energy that illuminated the battlefield.

The fight began anew. But this time, both possessed the same energy, used the same transformation, and could execute the same attacks.

Isaac threw a punch toward Elyes's face. Elyes ducked beneath it and countered with a blow to his stomach. Isaac stepped backward and fired an orange beam from his palm, but Elyes unleashed an identical beam that collided with it halfway between them.

They charged forward again, exchanging punches and rapid bursts of movement. Whenever one tried to gain the upper hand, the other countered with the same technique, until they seemed like reflections fighting one another.

Neither could bring the battle to an end.

Suddenly, the orange energy surrounding Isaac faded, and his Elemental Transformation began to emerge from beneath it. His hair returned to its dark red color as blood gathered around his arms, forming two long spears.

The spears shot forward at tremendous speed, piercing Elyes's shoulders and pinning him against the castle wall.

Elyes's transformation vanished, returning him to his normal form. His muscles began convulsing violently from overusing Reversed Transformation, and he could no longer free himself from the spears.

Isaac landed in front of him and looked at him coldly.

"I'll send you to your father now, you weakling."

Elyes didn't respond.

Another blood spear formed in Isaac's hand. He aimed it at his opponent's heart, ready to end his life.

...

Inside Elyes's mind...

There was nothing but darkness.

His voice echoed deep within him.

I won't die before I get my revenge...

I'll have my revenge...

I'll kill you...

I'll avenge my father...

Each thought grew stronger and angrier until Elyes appeared within the darkness, his eyes glowing with pale yellow light.

He smiled confidently.

"But I'll do it my way!"

An immense surge of energy erupted from his body and shot toward the sky, piercing through the clouds.

Isaac quickly retreated as smoke rose from his body.

"I would've burned if I'd stayed there for another second..."

He raised his head toward the energy, which continued to grow in intensity, and his eyes widened.

"What the hell is this? What did he do?!"

At the top of the castle, Vale turned as Elyes's energy tore through the clouds and surged into the sky.

"Interesting..."

The energy illuminated the area so intensely that Isaac was forced to shield his eyes. Then it gradually dimmed, gathering densely around Elyes's body.

His hair transformed into luminous yellow energy, and his eyes filled with the same light. The energy enveloped him tightly, as though his body itself had become its center.

Isaac stared at him in astonishment.

"What is this form? I've never seen anything like it..."

Elyes answered,

"Manifestation... A transformation born from my own training and ingenuity in mastering my energy. Even your eyes can't copy it."

Isaac's smile widened, excitement burning in his eyes.

"There's nothing I can't copy! I can't wait to see what this power can d..."

He didn't finish speaking.

A white beam covered his right arm. When it faded, the arm was gone. It had completely vaporized.

Silence fell for a moment.

Then an arm formed from blood in its place, and Isaac's eyes glowed once more.

He smiled.

One...

Elyes vanished.

In the next instant, hundreds of blows rained down on Isaac from different directions, moving too quickly for him to locate his opponent. He was hurled toward the ground and slammed into it with tremendous force.

He tried to rise, but he had barely managed to lift his head when an enormous beam appeared above him and shot downward, piercing the ground and leaving a deep hole that extended far into its depths.

Isaac managed to escape the center of the attack before it swallowed him completely, but his body was covered in burns and severely damaged.

"Damn his power... Just one more attack, and I'll have the chance to experience this enormous amount of energy!"

He raised his head toward Elyes, then shouted with a laugh,

"Hahahaha! Come on, Elyes! Attack me with everything you've got!"

A blade of yellow energy appeared in Elyes's hand. He raised his arm, and a faint smile spread across his face.

"Here comes the third attack..."

Isaac stood firm, ready to receive it.

Elyes brought his hand down.

At that instant, the blade extended at tremendous speed until it surpassed the height of the castle itself.

Isaac's eyes widened, and he formed a shield of blood above himself. But the blade cleaved through the shield and reached him.

So this is what you meant, Clay...

...

Years ago...

A young Isaac was training under Clay's supervision.

"We won't always be the strongest. One day, someone stronger than you will appear, no matter how powerful you become."

Clay looked at him seriously before continuing.

"One day, you'll realize that you're not strong enough, little one. That's why you must become stronger, so that day never comes."

...

Back to the present...

So this is the day you meant, Clay.

The blade struck the ground, carving an enormous fissure that stretched far beyond the point of impact.

Isaac's body appeared, split in half by the attack...

Elyes landed, and his transformation gradually faded as he continued staring at the two halves of his opponent's body lying on the ground.

Then he fell to his knees, gasping heavily. His power had been exhausted, and his body could no longer endure any more.

Even so, he smiled.

"Finally... I did it, Dad..."

His consciousness began to fade until he collapsed onto the ground.

...

Elsewhere, the battlefield had been reduced to ruins. Almost nothing remained intact. Rocks were scattered everywhere, the surrounding structures had collapsed, and a large portion of the area had been reduced to dust and rubble.

Kyle stood holding a rock in his hand. It gradually crumbled until it became dust that slipped between his fingers.

Across from him stood Wail in his Reversed Transformation, his body enveloped in red energy.

Suddenly, an enormous blade of energy rose into the sky in the distance. It was the attack Elyes had unleashed moments earlier.

Wail spoke coldly.

"It seems your companion is finished..."

Kyle smiled.

"He wasn't strong enough... That's the fate of the weak."

Their battle had already begun, but even now, neither had managed to gain a clear advantage over the other.