Narrator POV
Isagi stood up even as blood continued dripping from the ruined stump of his arm. The red liquid hit the ground with a wet, steady sound. He looked at the devil. A tight smile formed on his face, a vein slowly bulging on his forehead.
—It hurts… it really hurts. I don't like feeling pain. Even if I can do this… I really don't like feeling pain. I'm not a masochist.
As he spoke, the process began.
First, the bones reformed from within, extending like white branches growing at an unnatural speed. Then the muscles wove themselves around them, red fibers rebuilding layer by layer. Finally, skin sealed over the new limb, closing flawlessly without leaving a scar.
It all happened in less than five seconds. Isagi opened and closed his regenerated hand, testing its movement.
—Alright. Good as new. —He exhaled, then lifted his gaze. His dark blue eyes gained a faint electric glow.
He had activated Quicksilver.
—Regeneration without external blood? —the devil laughed, tilting its head.— It seems you'll be a durable opponent.
It began walking toward him. Each step triggered an explosion beneath its feet.
The ground shattered in its wake, sending debris and shockwaves through the alley. Isagi smiled again—but this time, it was different.
Sharper. Focused.
When the devil launched itself forward with another detonation, Isagi saw everything more clearly. The trajectory. The shoulder angle. The tension building in the fist before impact.
Everything felt slower.
He moved smoothly. Extending his left hand, he grabbed the devil's wrist just before the punch connected. He twisted his torso, redirecting the arm to the right with precise control.
At the same time, with the katana in his other hand, he executed a clean, rapid slash. A compressed blade of air shot forward. The cutting gust struck the devil square in the chest.
The air burst in invisible pressure, launching it backward several meters, dragging it across the ground before it stabilized itself with a small explosion beneath its feet.
Isagi lowered his sword, surprised.
—Huh. Usually that attack kills devils.
The Wind Breathing form he had created himself hadn't been enough.
—This is the first time… someone has managed to injure me.
The devil slowly looked down. A diagonal cut ran from its left shoulder down to its waist. The wound began to part gradually, as if the air itself forced it open.
From the gash, a thick, glowing yellow liquid oozed out, dripping onto the ground with a faint hiss when it touched the hot concrete.
The wound wasn't fatal. But it wasn't insignificant either. Isagi watched without changing his expression.
—That was for my arm.
With a thought, he stored the katana and the chain back into his inventory. The steel vanished in a subtle flash.
He interlocked his fingers and cracked his knuckles one by one, the dry popping sound echoing in the alley.
He adopted a looser fighting stance. He was getting used to fighting more with his fists than with a blade.
After all, Yuji's physique was built more for throwing hands than for swordplay. The Explosion Devil grinned, smoke curling between its teeth.
—You plan to face me with your fists? How entertaining! —Its flames flared brighter, as if fueled by excitement.
Isagi snorted. And vanished. He burst forward at brutal speed. The initial push left a small crater beneath his feet as the concrete gave way under the force.
In less than a blink, the distance was gone. The devil barely had time to process it. Its yellow eyes widened in surprise. Isagi twisted his torso and smashed the full instep of his foot into the devil's face without mercy.
The devil's head snapped backward violently. A shockwave rippled through its body as sparks and flames scattered into the air.
Isagi landed lightly in front of it.
—You're right. —He smirked, cracking his neck to one side.— This will be fun.
The devil rose from the ground with a low growl, spat out a bit of yellowish blood, and grinned while wiping its mouth with the back of its hand.
Both of them charged at the same time. The devil propelled itself with small explosions beneath its feet, each detonation carving craters into the ground and sending chunks of concrete flying.
Isagi simply ran.
Quicksilver coursed through his muscles like liquid electricity, enhancing every fiber, every stride, every contraction. The ground fractured beneath his steps without the need for explosions.
When they were dangerously close, the devil brought its hands together in a clap. The air itself detonated. A compressed explosion erupted directly in front of Isagi. The blast kicked up dust, fire, and enough pressure to tear apart a vehicle.
The shockwave hit him head-on. The edges of his clothes burned. His skin scorched. The heat bit into his senses—
But he didn't stop. He ran through it. He burst from the smoke with a powerful leap and came down like a hammer.
His fist connected directly with the devil's face. The blow twisted its features and cratered the ground beneath them both.
With his body reinforced by cursed energy, Isagi gave it no time to recover. The beating began. One punch. Another. And another.
His fists slammed into the devil's face, chest, and stomach over and over again, each impact sending a dry shockwave vibrating through the air.
Isagi wasn't fighting coldly. He was venting. He still felt the memory of the pain from losing his arm—for the second time.
The devil began to stagger. Its explosions turned erratic. Isagi's blows were too strong. Too heavy. Small cracks began forming along its charcoal-red skin, spreading like fractures across a statue.
—For the shell-cracking crustacean! —Isagi twisted his torso and slammed his fist into the devil's chest with all his strength.
At the instant of impact, black lightning burst outward in every direction, branching violently around the point of contact.
The sonic explosion was brutal. The devil was launched like a bullet, breaking the sound barrier as its body tore completely through an apartment building.
Concrete, windows, and steel beams exploded into a rain of debris. A heavy silence lingered in the air… followed by the distant echo of collapse.
Isagi slowly lowered his fist, steam rising from his shoulders. And exhaled. His eyes suddenly widened.
From within the massive cloud of dust created by the building impact, debris began shooting outward in all directions. Chunks of concrete, twisted rebar, splinters of wood, and shattered glass spun through the air like projectiles.
His danger sense activated instantly. A cold jolt ran down his spine. Then every single piece of debris exploded at the same time.
Each fragment detonated like a compressed grenade, lighting up the smoke with orange and yellow flashes. The consecutive explosions shook the ground, raising even more dust and sending shockwaves ripping through the air.
Isagi crossed his arms in front of his face just before the impact. The detonations swallowed him whole. Heat burned the air. The roar thundered in his ears.
—Want me to tell you my ability? —the devil's voice emerged from the smoke. Its footsteps crunched as it advanced, stepping over broken glass and concrete fragments. Each step left small sparks beneath its feet.— I can make anything I touch explode. I am the Explosion Devil. There's nothing I can't blow up.
The smoke from the simultaneous blasts began to slowly dissipate, moving like a torn curtain in the wind. A silhouette stood within the haze.
Isagi. Still standing. The devil continued, enjoying the explanation.
—When you blocked my first attack, I managed to touch your arm… and that's why I could blow it up earlier. —It tilted its head slightly.— Amazing, right? In my hands, everything goes K-boom.
The smoke fully cleared.
Isagi slowly lowered the arms he had used to shield his face. His clothes were scorched in several places.
He looked at the devil with absolute boredom.
—(What a trash ability… so if he touches my face or any part of my body, I turn into walking C4.)
He swallowed.
That mechanic was annoying. If the guy touched him… he exploded. That meant he'd have to constantly avoid those hands. And fighting hand-to-hand against someone who turns contact into a bomb wasn't exactly comfortable.
Isagi exhaled through his nose.
—You know, you're like those guys who use the cheapest, most ratty abilities in a game. You're a scrub. Just like Yair 17.
—Very well… —the devil's grin widened.— Let me show you… my full potential!
With a brutal leap, it slammed both palms against the ground. The impact was sharp. One second later, its ability activated.
Isagi looked down just in time to see the asphalt beneath his feet begin to glow with a cracked orange radiance, as if fire were racing through invisible fractures in the concrete.
The light spread outward in a wide radius. Too wide.
—Oh, shit… here we go again.
BOOOOOOM!
The explosion was monstrous. The asphalt rose like a black wave. A pillar of smoke and fire shot several meters into the air, devouring everything around it.
But Isagi had already moved.
He jumped at the last possible instant, launching himself upward with all his strength just before detonation. The shockwave propelled him even higher, heat licking at his boots as he ascended through dust and burning fragments.
He absolutely hated that devil's ability. A shadow appeared above him. The devil was already there. Midair. Before Isagi could fully react, a burning hand slammed against his face and grabbed him firmly, covering half of it.
His eyes widened. They began falling. The devil twisted him violently in the air, positioning him underneath. It was using him as a human shield.
The impact against the ground was brutal. The area trembled slightly as they crashed into the concrete, Isagi's body absorbing most of the blow. The ground cracked beneath his back.
A grunt escaped his lips. But he reacted instantly. He tucked his legs and launched a double kick straight into the devil's stomach.
The impact was deep and solid. It felt like his heels churned the monster's insides. The devil was blasted backward, rolling several meters before stabilizing.
Isagi rolled to the side and stood up with slight unsteadiness, shaking his head to clear his vision.
He brought a hand to his face, covering it partially, spreading his fingers just enough to see through them.
His breathing grew heavier. Faster. Because he had felt it. The contact. The devil had touched his face. That meant it could make his head explode at any moment. Isagi's heart slammed hard against his chest.
—You son of a bitch… —his voice came out lower, heavier.
Pressure began to expand from his body. Cursed energy spilled out like dark vapor, slightly distorting the air around him. The atmosphere grew denser. Heavier. As if gravity had increased.
His eyes glowed with dangerous intensity.
—I'll kill you… —he stepped forward, the ground creaking under his foot— before you even get the chance to snap your fingers.
This time there was no laziness. No mockery. Only killing intent.
Because if there was one thing that made Isagi serious, it was the possibility of a fatal wound. Even with regeneration capable of restoring his head… he didn't want to feel that pain.
He didn't want to experience that.
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End of the chapter.
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Let's do something, this chapter is almost 2,000 words, so what do you think about me uploading longer chapters from now on?
If we reach the goal of 100 Power Stones, I'll upload longer chapters from now on.