The Phantom Riser

CHAPTER FIFTEEN - ISAAC’S FURY

Isaac scowled as he cringed his fingers. He had lost two of his team mates after being trapped. Being forced to watch without any means of doing a thing, that feeling of helplessness was something he never wished to feel ever again. And he would make Kiro and his team pay. He was hell bent on it. “Phantom Riser, I will make you pay!” he threatened.

Kiro knew the consequences of their actions. In truth, it was much better to face him alone, without having to worry about his team mates than face all three of them. The only problem was that they had exhausted their trump cards in order for their plan to work. Earlier, Kiro put Isaac off guard by pretending to activate his Force field zone. He spread a few force field spheres in such a manner that Isaac was bound to notice. He was probably aware that his zone skill was time bound, as are all zone skills, so Kiro gave him a false start. That way, his zone lasted longer than Isaac anticipated. But now they were stripped down to the basics and Kiro knew exactly what they had to do at the moment. Run.

***

System Update

Isaac Wayne

Special Skill Activated: Surge; the user emits a large amount of energy of energy that wipes out a specific radius.

Range: 100m

Usage: 3 times

***

Kiro noticed the amount of energy welling up within Isaac and even Karenia’s beast senses tingles. “Guys, run,” Kiro said grimly. It was apparent to them even Kiro hadn’t said anything. They took to their heels – the sounds of their footsteps drowning in the buzzing sound that Isaac’s energy made. But he wasn’t about to let them go.

“You can’t run from me coward!” Isaac, who at this moment was afloat, glided towards them, in a bid to keep them within range. And the glorious light burst forth from him. they turned back to see whether or not they had been saved, but even if they were to escape a direct hit, there was no way they could avoid its impact. Kiro was aware of this. He ran behind them, standing as a barrier between Isaac’s and his friends. They ran closer to him so that he could keep his shield as dense as possible. Kiro wrapped them in his force field sphere and all they could do was pray as they barely held on. Its shockwave from the ‘surge’ uprooted trees and the reverberations shook the earth to its very core. Kiro’s sphere continued to shatter as the impact from the explosion proved too much to handle. But as his shield broke down, Kiro put it back up immediately, leaving almost no time that they were exposed. It was difficult, but his years of experience gave him mastery of his ability. More than anything, he had to keep them safe. It felt like an eternity within the shield and it took everything Kiro had to keep them from burning to a crisp.

And finally, it was over. The wind had calmed down but the ground still shivered from the tremors it just experienced. Kiro was exhausted. So much so that he fell straight to ground the moment he let his shield up. Karenia and Victor beckoned upon him but he was barely conscious.

“Is that it? After all that talk, he could barely take one? How will you deal with the second?” Isaac challenged them. He was still far from satisfied but he felt some peace knowing that he took Kiro. It spelt the end for Victor and Karenia. They were out of ideas. Kiro always knew what to do and now, he was out of it. They looked on hopelessly as Isaac charged a second wave. Things were looking bleak and all they could do was hold hands. They cupped themselves around Kiro. A sort of a last stand. Isaac scoffed at their show of affection. Something he never got to feel. Something he would be never understand.

As the surge of energy raced towards them, Kiro got up to his feet effortlessly, Karenia and Victor were far too surprised to show any sort of reaction. He felt different, cold. He wasn’t the Kiro that Karenia knew. She felt it deep within her bones. His eyes were fixed upon Isaac with almost no sort of interest. Isaac grimaced at Kiro. Kiro looked at him like he didn’t matter. The very fact that he had failed to take him out in his first strike irritated him. No matter, there was no way he would survive the second wave.

“Be gone,” Isaac proclaimed as he released a second wave of his Surge ability.

“Move,” Kiro muttered under his breath. A large force field emanated from around them and completely dispelled Isaac’s Surge. Isaac manoeuvred to escape its range but didn’t come out unscathed. Kiro’s move defied all logic. It pushed Isaac’s ability like it wasn’t even there. Karenia and Victor held their breaths at the difference in their abilities. Was that really Kiro?

“Kneel,” Kiro muttered once more under his breath. Under the influence of some strange force, Isaac was brought forcefully to his knees. Blood dripped from his sides as he struggled from the injury, he sustained a few moments back.

“Break,” Kiro muttered once more and Isaac felt his bones creak like they were being impounded by two anvils on both sides. The excruciating pain he felt was what kept him conscious. The damages he sustained were otherwise enough to make him lose consciousness. But Kiro’s time had also run out. He fell back to sleep, giving Isaac some rest and his bones creaked no more. He too had seen enough for that day and he lost consciousness.

Victor and Karenia were not willing to stick around to see whether he too would miraculously get up, or whether his Surge would activate again regardless. They took Kiro with them and put as much distance between them as Isaac as much as possible. But Isaac still regained a bit of his consciousness. He smiled as he stared towards and empty sky which laid atop the lands that he had just destroyed. He smiled at the irrelevance of his existence and the revelation of his weakness. “So, this is what you meant, Ardan. This is the one to be feared,” he said in a fleeting moment, pursed lips were the only form of movement he could make and he too fell asleep.

A strange figure approached him, examining Isaac’s exhausted body. He seemed very intrigued. That man was Jovak! “You’ve done well Decimator. I’ll take it from here,” he grinned.