Chapter 22 : Fight

"Why is he coming after me? Is he concealing something?" Isaac stared at Joffrey, his mind racing to make sense of the situation. Initially, he had no intention of engaging in a real fight, merely drawing his sword to assert dominance. But things took an unexpected turn. 

"Upon reflection, it's clear he's hiding something. His escape from the battlefield and the ship's diverted path are not mere coincidences," Isaac contemplated. The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that something peculiar was at play. 

Despite Joffrey's despicable nature, being part of the Navy granted him significant advantages. The protection and reputation he enjoyed served as a deterrent to anyone seeking revenge, as killing a marine officer carried grave consequences.

"I believe it's time to test my power against a Rokushiki user," Isaac declared, sheathing his sword and removing his jacket. Joffrey's curiosity was piqued as he observed Isaac's unusual actions. 

When the jacket came off, a series of peculiar belts adorned Isaac's body. They were small metal sheets, and Joffrey immediately recognized them as the same type of belt he once used during his Rokushiki training. 

"Ho-ho-ho, do you think you can defeat me by shedding a few kilograms? Go ahead, take them off, let's see what you're made of," Joffrey taunted with a big laugh. In his mind, he believed that the maximum weight Isaac could handle was a mere 300 kilograms.

Isaac paid no attention to Joffrey's taunts and proceeded to toss weight carriers to one corner of the room. Each carrier he threw added a few hundred kilograms to the pile. 

Isaac was unfazed by the potential threat of Joffrey's ego, as he was confident he could defeat him at any cost. As he discarded the weights, Isaac felt an incredible lightness, as if he could even fly. 

"Shall we begin the game?" Isaac challenged Joffrey, both of them assuming fighting stances. Suddenly, Isaac charged towards Joffrey, but midway through, he disappeared from sight, leaving Joffrey bewildered as he scanned his surroundings. 

Within moments, Isaac reappeared behind Joffrey, holding his sword against his neck, poised to end it all with a single swift strike.

In that moment, Joffrey sensed an intense chill creeping from behind, a chilling premonition of impending death. Reacting swiftly, he raised his hand as a shield to protect his neck, but even this quick move proved insufficient. 

The sword sliced through his hand, causing blood to splatter all around. Feeling the urgency of the situation, Joffrey attempted to reinforce his body with Tekkai, but his slight hesitation allowed the blade to reach his hand. 

With blood now staining his hand, Joffrey swiftly turned around and launched a Shigan attack at Isaac. However, Isaac managed to evade it by leaping back and dodging the attack. 

As he landed on the ground, he was taken aback by Joffrey's sudden appearance behind him, launching another Soru attack to catch him off guard. Isaac quickly jumped to the other side to avoid the assault. 

Upon regaining his footing, he checked his head and found a small scratch, a close call even though he had managed to evade the full impact of the attack.

"Hmmm, you're stronger than I anticipated." In a flash, Isaac disappeared once more, reappearing behind the bewildered Joffrey yet again. His sword struck with a similar attack, aiming for Joffrey's neck. 

A bone-chilling sound echoed as the sword made contact with Joffrey's bones, creating a gruesome spectacle. Joffrey found himself trapped in a dire situation, and in a desperate attempt, he sent a powerful kick to push Isaac away.

But Isaac skillfully evaded the attack and leaped back, putting a considerable distance between them. 

With an air of astonishment, Isaac dashed towards the other side of the ship. As he moved, he caught wind of a voice, which raised his suspicions that someone else might be on deck.

...

( Jeffrey POV )

From Joffrey's perspective, he stared at Isaac with a smirk, a touch of sarcasm dancing on his face. 

"Well, well, what a surprise. I heard some odd noises, but I never expected to stumble upon you," he remarked with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

Despite their narrow escape from the navy ship that had passed by earlier, Joffrey couldn't shake the strange feeling that someone else was lurking nearby. He heard faint footsteps echoing through the silence, sending a chill down his spine.

Joffrey continued to observe Isaac, feeling genuinely curious about him, especially after witnessing how effortlessly Isaac blocked his initial attack. 

However, when Isaac removed his jacket, revealing a set of weights, Joffrey finally understood that those metal pieces were the reason his attack had been repelled. 

Then, something peculiar occurred. Isaac darted towards Joffrey with astonishing speed, but in the blink of an eye, he vanished from sight. The sudden disappearance sent a chill down Joffrey's spine, filling him with unease. 

Moments later, an intense coldness emanated from behind him, a chilling sensation that seemed to foreshadow imminent death. Although Joffrey's instincts urged him to reinforce his body with Tekkai, the speed of Isaac's sword left him no opportunity to do so. 

Fighting on instinct alone, Joffrey quickly raised his hand in a last-ditch defense. However, the chilling sensation persisted, leaving him feeling vulnerable and at a loss for what to do next. The dark and foreboding atmosphere only heightened the sense of impending doom.

Slashhh! 

The sickening sound of metal slicing through flesh filled the air as drops of blood splattered around. In the midst of the gruesome scene, a human hand soared through the air, severed from its owner. 

The pain of losing his hand was so overwhelming that Joffrey momentarily lost his senses, but he quickly regained clarity and retaliated with a swift Shigan aimed at Isaac. He wanted to put an end to the dangerous threat before him, as the feeling of impending doom closed in. 

Joffrey's mind raced with rage and frustration, his ego wounded by the fact that someone he perceived as a mere novice had managed to inflict harm upon him. 

The intensity of his anger surged, and he vowed to exact brutal vengeance, envisioning Isaac's decapitated head displayed as a grim trophy. 

Joffrey's Shigan aimed at Isaac's chest, but to his surprise, Isaac agilely leaped backward, evading the deadly blow. 

"This is my chance," a small, sinister smile crept across Joffrey's face as he swiftly employed Soru to appear behind Isaac. He aimed his Shigan at the back of Isaac's head, relishing the anticipation of victory. 

In that fleeting moment, it felt as if time slowed down, allowing Joffrey to witness the impending strike in excruciating detail. 

However, what occurred next sent a chill down Joffrey's spine. Isaac partially turned his head and glanced at him with an unsettling look, akin to that of a ravenous, bloodthirsty beast. 

The intensity of Isaac's gaze unnerved Joffrey, fueling a desire to eliminate him even more. In a desperate bid to end the fight, Joffrey launched another attack, but Isaac deftly evaded the blow with another nimble leap.

Joffrey's entire body trembled with fear and adrenaline as he raised his hand to inspect the few drops of blood on his finger, He managed to scratch him a little.

"Hmmm, you are stronger than I thought," Isaac's chilling words echoed in Joffrey's ears, and before he could comprehend what was happening, Isaac appeared behind him once more, his sword poised to deliver a fatal blow. 

Joffrey desperately tried to determine if Isaac's incredible speed was due to Soru or some other technique, but his mind was too clouded to make sense of it all. 

Summoning all the strength he had left, Joffrey used Tekkai to reinforce his left hand as he tried to fend off Isaac's attack. But even the reinforced hand wasn't enough to stop the blade from piercing through, touching his very bone. 

In a final act of defiance, Joffrey sent a kick towards Isaac, hoping it would be enough to create some distance between them and escape the clutches of this formidable monster.

Isaac's swift retreat towards the ship's deck left Joffrey feeling a chill down his spine. He realized he wasn't alone on the ship; three of his loyal followers were also present. 

Isaac must have sensed their presence and went to deal with them. Fear and anxiety overwhelmed Joffrey as he imagined the gruesome fate that awaited his comrades.

...

The air is heavy with the metallic stench of blood, and Joffrey's vision blurs as waves of pain crash over him. 

He clutches his mangled arm, his fingers sliding across the crimson puddle forming below him. As his consciousness starts to fade, Isaac emerges from inside the ship, covered in blood.

"Fuck This!!!! If not for this kid's interference, I would have become a king. All my efforts will be in vain now, and I'm dying in the middle of nowhere at sea. Even if I die here, I must kill him. 

I'll use Soru to get behind him and then strike one of his vital points with Shigan. I'll give up on defense to create an opening to kill him with me."

Joffrey's mind was a whirlwind of emotions, yet amidst the fog, a devilish smile appeared on his face, exuding a deadly intent. But no matter the thoughts that raced through his mind, Isaac gazed back at him with a smile even more sinister, as if he could read Joffrey's intentions. 

Then, with a single sweep of his sword, Isaac unleashed a blade of air that cut through everything in its path. As it approached Joffrey, he couldn't help but lament his folly. 

"Damn you, Isaac Mangus!" Those were Joffrey's final words before the blade of air sliced through him, scattering every piece of him in different directions.

...

"A dog's life and a dog's death," Isaac mused silently, his expression remaining cold and unchanging as he observed Joffrey's split body and the spilled viscera on the floor. 

Despite feeling a sense of disgust, he couldn't tear his eyes away from the gruesome scene. Killing was a path he had become accustomed to, and in his world, it seemed normal to him.