“W-what happened!?”
“I dunno! But it’s bad!”
There was a thundering roar, an explosion, and a streak of light.
Hercus was hit by an impact when magic energy was flung, and when it passed and he yelled with a panicked tone, Angel responded to him with an air of tension.
Everyone was on alert because they sensed something abnormal just happened, and Melt whispered with her face turning pale.
“Was that magic energy the magic sword…!? Why…?”
She saw that stream of dark red magic energy when she took on Cross with Yuugo, and now, she shook her head in disbelief, while seeing that same magic energy in front of her, and yelled towards the arena.
“Yuugo!? Answer me, Yuugo!!”
“…Don’t worry, Melt. I’m fine. But…!!”
After the dust settled, Yuugo responded to Melt without turning around.
It was fortunate that he got down to protect himself from the incoming impact, meaning he did not take major damage… But the threat was not gone.
Yuugo saw Isaac with twin swords in his hands, and a dark red magic energy gushing from his body with crackling sounds. Yuugo was on high alert, and Isaac yelled while laughing like a madman.
“Hihihihihi! Hyahahahahaha! This is the best! This is the power lying dormant within me! And the power of the magic swords!! I have never felt such power!!”
“Isaac…! Where did you get those swords!?”
Once Yuugo heard the words ‘magic swords’ come out of his mouth, he was certain.
It was the magic sword stolen from the guards. And with a mad smile on his face, Isaac responded to the question of why he held weapons with similar power.
“Hi, hihi! It doesn’t matter. Someone that’s about to be cut to pieces doesn’t have to know!!”
“…!?”
Isaac’s bloodlust swelled and exploded.
Yuugo was pushed back by that pressure, and with a smile on his face, Isaac cleared the distance between them in an instant.
(No way!? That’s way too fast!)
He was multiple degrees faster than he was at the start of the duel, when he was in peak condition.
It was hard to even follow him with his eyes, to the point where Yuugo felt he might be teleporting. Yuugo felt he was about to swing his twin swords, as he approached rapidly with a mad smile, and just barely dodged by throwing himself to the ground and rolling.
“That was close…!! What’s that…!?”
Isaac’s moves seemed broader than before, but his speed was still a huge threat.
But he was not just fast. There was something dangerous to it that felt like it would end the duel if his attacks hit.
Yuugo broke out into a cold sweat in his armor, surprised by this development during a duel he thought was over, when Isaac spoke to him with a mad, amused tone.
“Close, close…! I thought that’d hit…! But it’s fine! I’m the best. I’m not gonna lose to anyone. I’ll cut you to pieces for looking down on me…! Hihihihihihihi!!”
“…He’s like Cross. Completely swallowed by those magic swords.”
In return for that incredible power, the cursed magic item crushed his heart with madness.
Yuugo remembered what Jinba said, and what he saw when Cross used it, and gulped painfully as he understood that Isaac was also swallowed by that power.
Yuugo did not know how Isaac got the magic swords. Or rather, he had no time to even consider it. Not with Isaac in front of him, who had considerably more skill than Cross and held twin magic swords.
Isaac swung them with strange movements, sending a slash the color of blood flying towards Yuugo at an incredible speed.
He dodged, and somehow managed to continue dealing with Isaac, who sounded amused.
“How’s that? This is my true power! I’m the strongest anyway, but with the power of the magic swords, I’ve evolved into the strongest life form! A true unbeatable hero!”
“You got the power of the magic swords? More like you got swallowed by it! You’re not using them, they’re using you! You’re not a hero! You’re just a monster getting thrown around by his emotions!”
“Shut up! You’re just jealous of my power you scum… Oh?”
“…!?”
Isaac looked down at Yuugo, drunk on his own power, but… When he noticed his nose was bleeding, he looked surprised.
He wiped it with his finger, but gave up on stopping it when it kept running. And then he laughed, as if he ceased to think.
“Hahahahaha…! I got a nosebleed ’cause I got too excited. Whatever! I’m in peak condition!”
Isaac said with a laugh, but then his eyes started bleeding.
He clearly did not appear to be in peak condition, but he himself was unable to comprehend what was wrong with him.
Yuugo gulped when he saw that. He was not backing down against this person that seemed filled with madness and abnormalities. He felt Isaac’s life could be in danger if he left him like that.
It was getting an advance payment on his life… Was the best way Yuugo could describe it.
Isaac’s stamina was at its limit just before he went crazy. He was supposed to be spent both physically and mentally.
But the moment his heart was swallowed by the magic swords, his physical abilities exploded.
This was not just the power of the magic swords making him stronger. The magic swords were forcing his limiters to be removed, pushing his body past the point of exhaustion.
But… With those limiters destroyed, Isaac was not considering the strain this put on his body one bit.
That blood pouring out was an alert sounded by his body, showing him he would not be able to endure the recoil of that dramatic increase in physical abilities… If he continued fighting, his body that was already over its limits would break.
Since he had good abilities to begin with, the magic swords were drawing out more power than expected. Not only that, but being a twin swords user meant he swung twice as many magic swords. Surely that meant a bigger strain.
“Isaac, stop. Your life will be in danger if you keep going!”
“Hi, hihihi…! No~! I’m the strongest. I got the power to not lose to anyone. I can do anything. Like I’d let go of this power…!”
Isaac’s heart was completely enamored with the magic swords, and he would not listen to Yuugo’s warning.
He failed to notice his own body screaming, and continued to get drunk on his strength… And as he saw that, Yuugo made up his mind, and yelled towards Angel.
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He wiped it with his ginger
Finger*