Cleaver Of Sin

Chapter 875: Ultimate State

Asher’s speed peaked yet again, his toes meeting Isaac’s jawline like a Bluetooth connection. Isaac’s body shot sideways, crashing into the bleachers at the side as they shattered into fragments.

Isaac landed on his feet. He touched the space where his jaw should have been, but it had been obliterated from his face by Asher’s foot. He tapped into his Biomancy ability for the first time since this battle started, and immediately a new jaw formed in place as he regenerated.

His golden eyes shifted towards Asher, who stood with calm ease, his breathing even as though the battle they had just fought was child’s play.

‘He caught me off guard with that last attack,’ Isaac thought to himself, but the moment that thought slipped into his mind, Asher spoke with a smile.

“I hope you’ve had your fun and are ready to take this battle to the next level,” Asher stated with a smile on his lips. “I will be turning this battle up a notch. I hope you start using your ability, or you might not even realize when you lose,” he added, his tone filled with eager anticipation as he itched to continue.

It was hard to find someone who was stronger than Ryaen when it came to pure hand-to-hand combat who wasn’t an instructor. And now that Asher had found one, he was happy. He was determined to end this battle without unsheathing Virelass even once.

As Isaac heard those words, his eyes narrowed slightly as his heart began to beat faster and faster. He could feel it. Asher was dead serious. He didn’t indulge in cliché thoughts about Asher looking down on him by saying such words. No, he was a man of action, so he simply sprang into action.

His Astra energy rumbled as his Biomancy ability activated. Flesh, skin, bones, muscles, blood vessels, cells, and ligaments all squirmed and stretched as, from Isaac’s sides, two more arms extended with effortless ease.

His muscle mass increased, his muscle fibres strengthened and tightened as his raw strength tripled in real time. Every nerve in his body fired with intense chemical activity as he boosted his speed, veins bulging down his legs as his feet seemed to transform for peak motion.

His brain sharpened, his eyes and ears refocused as his perception shifted. The world slowed, the speeding trains reduced to a crawl before him as his entire physiology seemed to enter another dimension.

His lips parted as he spoke,

“Ultimate State: Destructive Form.”

With a booming explosion, his Astra energy and Battle Intent roared into the air, shaking the entire upper floor as he now stood like a new man. At this moment, he was even taller than Asher, now standing at seven feet in height in his new form.

All Asher did was smile. He didn’t call out any ability, skill, or Ultimate State. He simply entered a martial stance as his smile widened into a grin before he spoke in an eager tone.

“Come.”

The moment the word left his lips, Isaac was already before him, as though Time itself could no longer keep up. With Astra energy cloaking his four fists, he unleashed hundreds of punches at point-blank range, each one aimed to kill Asher where he stood.

Asher snapped into motion as his reflexes peaked, his own fists blurring as he met every punch head-on. The air thundered as everything within a six-kilometre radius was erased through the sheer power of physical might. Trains were thrown backwards, their rails ripped from the ground as the bolts anchoring them could no longer keep them in place. The entire upper level collapsed in that single instant as everything was torn down towards the lower ground.

Isaac’s expression flickered with shock. He couldn’t believe what he had just witnessed. Asher had taken on his full-powered assault without even using Astra energy for augmentation or drawing upon any of his elemental affinities.

But Asher didn’t wait for his shock to settle. He simply moved. His arm snapped backwards before surging forward like a cannon blast. It thundered into Isaac’s chest like heavy artillery striking head-on. With a deafening boom, Isaac shot backwards, the entire right side of his chest obliterated as two of his right limbs were blown clean off. Blood splattered through the air as flesh and severed body parts struck the ground with soft, silent thuds.

Isaac landed on his feet. He felt no pain, as he had deactivated every part of his brain responsible for processing it.

Astra energy burned as his regeneration kicked in, restoring his chest and upper limbs within a single second.

Isaac didn’t hesitate. From that single attack alone, he knew Asher still possessed far more power, so he immediately augmented his defence. His Biomancy came alive once more as his bones shifted, an exoskeleton growing in real time until it completely encased his body, even covering his fists as short, razor-sharp bone spikes emerged to grant greater punching and tearing power. His strength and defence increased without sacrificing any of his speed.

“Shall we test your new defence?” Asher’s voice rang out once again.

The moment Isaac settled into a defensive stance, all he heard was a sharp cracking sound. His eyes widened in utter shock, his head snapping to the side. He hadn’t even heard or seen Asher move despite enhancing both his hearing and vision. All he saw was Asher’s fist crashing into his ribs with maddening force and terrifying precision.

With a titanic blast, his body shot sideways once again, becoming a streak of motion as he tore through wall after wall before crashing into a clothing store within the underground train station. His bone exoskeleton shattered into numerous fragments, only to snap back together instantly through Biomancy.

Asher surged forward once more, his fist shooting towards Isaac’s abdomen like a bullet. This time, however, Isaac managed to react. His own fist shot outward as he met Asher’s punch head-on. The entire clothing store was ripped apart. Glass exploded into shards, metal supports burst apart, and the building collapsed around both of them, yet they vanished from where they stood before the debris could bury them.

Isaac could feel the numbness running through his entire arm after exchanging a single punch with Asher. He truly couldn’t believe what was happening. In this form, he could dominate even Rank 6 beings easily, yet at this moment, he couldn’t even perceive his opponent’s movements.

He appeared in a blur before Asher and lashed out with a kick aimed at Asher’s head with wicked force, as though intending to blast it clean from his shoulders. Seeing the incoming attack, Asher didn’t dodge. Instead, he stepped in instantly and drove his head forward in a brutal headbutt, meeting the kick with his forehead.

But Asher didn’t stop there. The instant he blocked the attack, he moved. His right hand seized Isaac by the popliteal region once more as his body shifted, his footwork a masterpiece of martial precision. His centre of gravity flowed seamlessly with his movement as his left elbow tore towards Isaac’s head with the force of a falling comet.

The attack connected with terrifying ease, the strength and force behind the blow absolutely brutal in every sense. Isaac’s body shot backwards once again, ricocheting violently across the ground before his back slammed into an elevator door. His consciousness threatened to fade into darkness as even his absurd defence failed to fully protect his brain from the devastating impact.