Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage Chapter 625: Illusionary Gaze II

CH625 Illusionary Gaze II

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"I told you..." Alex uttered, shrugging his shoulders while staring at Dalton. "Don’t underestimate me."

"There is no enemy more dangerous than one who has nothing to lose. So go all out—and show me exactly where I stand."

Lowering into a combat pose, he positioned the war axe beside him—this time embracing a highly traditional stance ideal for such a weapon.

"I’ll be coming at you even harder now. Don’t hold back!" he proclaimed.

At once, OmniRune activated a flurry of enhancement spells over his entire frame.

[Featherflight]! [Featherfall]! [Body Strengthening Magic]! [Silver Body]! [Bear Strength]! [Buff: Strength Up]! [Buff: Agility Up]! [Buff: Defence Up]! [Buff: Endurance Up]! [Buff: Speed Up]!

Every spell was carefully selected and customized to match Alex’s bodily traits with perfect accuracy.

OmniRune also integrated superior variants of Mordor’s [Iron Body] and [Bull Power] buffs within the lineup.

As he clutched the long-handled war axe, Alex sensed its heft lighten dramatically. His form grew nimbler, more agile—shifting with effortless natural flow.

All-Weapon Intent.

Alex’s All-Weapon Intent held a straightforward yet cunning power: it turned every weapon in his grasp into a seamless part of himself.

Much like his limbs, no deliberate thought was required to control it anymore—they responded purely to his command.

Suddenly, without clear reason, a past battle flashed in Alex’s mind...

A clash where one lone warrior stood as an immovable shadowy fortress, utterly reshaping Alex’s view of raw power and unmatched fighting skill.

A mysterious impulse welled up inside him—yearning to mimic that dominant fighting approach.

Raising his eyes to Dalton, Alex flashed a wide grin before exploding into motion.

In a flash, his figure surged ahead, the velocity startling Dalton.

Dalton reacted with speed, driving his greatsword out to block and seal off any assault path from Alex’s path.

’Yes, you are fast, but...’ Dalton mused silently.

When Alex lunged for the blow, Dalton’s greatsword flowed abruptly—like a coiling viper—gliding precisely to jam solidly between the axe’s blade and handle.

’If your weapon is locked... what can you possibly do now?’ Dalton pondered to himself.

The idea barely formed when Dalton pressed on without pause. Right as his blade shifted course—trapping and redirecting Alex’s axe—his frame flowed right after.

Riding the swing’s force, he twisted into a whirling backfist targeted straight at Alex’s exposed visage.

Alex stayed utterly calm.

He let the greatsword’s block pull the handle from his first grasp, fluidly repositioning his hands down the weapon’s length.

The axe tipped off-balance for a second, its head drooping toward the earth.

Leveraging that tilt, Alex jammed the shaft down like a staff, leaping his body skyward smoothly—dodging the approaching backfist and unleashing a fierce counter-kick at Dalton’s face right as he dropped back.

Upon landing, he spun fiercely on his heels and waist, channeling the turn into a mighty chop toward Dalton’s abdomen.

Luckily, Dalton boasted experience from endless wars.

Though Alex’s maneuvers surpassed what he anticipated, he still discerned the assault’s rhythm. Retreating from the kick, he swung his greatsword up once more, shielding his body at the last moment.

A resounding impact echoed as Dalton parried the hit successfully—yet the sheer power shoved him backward a few paces.

Alex charged right after, aiming to keep up the onslaught.

Still, that short gap allowed Dalton to regain his footing.

Stamping his foot down solidly, he rushed ahead to clash directly with Alex.

The next moment saw the pair crash together in a furious storm of strikes.

Blows clashed against blows—every assault met with guards, deflections, and rapid ripostes.

The fight’s pace surged wildly, turning intensely compact and merciless where the tiniest error might seal one’s fate.

Any novice onlooker might mistake it not for a casual spar, but a lethal grudge match between sworn foes.

Curiously, Eleanore and Udara observed the frenzy with steady poise, betraying no hint of worry.

Rather, the BattleBane crew’s faces shifted markedly.

Initially, they figured their leader would claim a swift triumph.

But facts showed a different tale.

The foe facing them traded hits with their captain nearly evenly.

While spectating further, the BattleBanes sensed their veins ignite with fervor.

Win or lose, this foe had garnered their admiration. Indeed, quite a few spectators now itched to jump into the arena and clash head-on with him.

Alex and Dalton shoved one another back and forth over the arena floor. Cracks were starting to spiderweb across the ground from the unending storm of blows they traded.

The clash slowly devolved into a gripping tug-of-war pace, where neither combatant could claim a clear edge.

Until—

A shift happened.

Illusionary Gaze.

Right then, Dalton spotted a vulnerability. Trusting raw instinct alone, he lunged for it without a second thought.

His massive sword thrust ahead in a killing stab, meant to impale Alex and finish the fight.

Yet the gap he'd glimpsed... turned out to be just a masterfully crafted mirage.

The edge cut through empty air, halting only inches shy of Alex’s frame.

A trivial span—

But in fights this intense, it spelled the line between triumph and loss.

Dalton wasn't an idiot. Alex was too smart to flaunt a glaring fake right at his technique's debut. That sly two-inch gap was the widest buffer he could milk without tipping anyone off.

Still... it proved exactly the buffer he required.

Tucking the axe haft under his armpits, Alex rammed its butt into the dirt, making it his lever point.

In one seamless twist, he hoisted himself sideways into the air—his form lifting free as he unleashed a point-blank double-foot kick straight into Dalton’s gut.

That wasn't the end of it.

[Dragon Kumite: Blast]!

The second they connected, a sharp burst of mana exploded from Alex’s soles, ramping up the kick's devastating power.

Dalton got hurled rearward, doubling over like a cooked shrimp before smashing hard into the arena.

Alex wouldn't make the same blunder twice by giving his rival time to regroup.

No sooner had he hit the ground than he bounced back up like a loaded spring, propelling into a whirling pounce.

His frame spun flat, driving the war axe downward in a brutal sweep at Dalton.

Clang!

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