Chương 19: Isuka Vs. Boros
Durandal Island, Mines – Another Section
The narrow tunnel was filled with the sounds of clashing steel as Isuka faced off against Ironclad Boros, Griel's second-in-command.
His name wasn't just for show, his entire body was covered in thick, reinforced armor that seemed impervious to her strikes.
Isuka's saber sparked against his metal-plated chest, barely leaving a scratch as he smirked down at her.
"You think you can stop me with that little toothpick?" Boros taunted, his deep voice echoing through the cave.
Isuka gritted her teeth, refusing to back down. She had been assigned to take him out and disrupt Griel's command, and she wasn't about to let him intimidate her.
"You're going down," she said, her voice steady despite the doubt gnawing at her.
She lunged forward, aiming for a gap in his armor, but Boros deflected her strike with a swift backhand, sending her stumbling back.
Boros chuckled darkly, raising his massive, iron-covered fists. "You've got spirit, but you're out of your league."
Isuka quickly regained her footing, her mind racing. This wasn't just about strength, she had to outthink him.
Boros was slow, but his armor made him almost untouchable. She needed to find a way to bypass it.
She darted in again, this time feinting left before striking at his exposed knee.
Her blade connected, but the force of the impact reverberated through her arms, and Boros didn't even flinch.
He swung his fist in a wide arc, and Isuka barely ducked in time, feeling the rush of air as it passed over her head.
"You're starting to annoy me," Boros growled, slamming his foot down in an attempt to crush her. She rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the blow.
Isuka's breaths came in quick gasps. She was running out of options. Every attack she tried seemed useless against his armor, and she could feel her strength waning.
But as Boros advanced, a memory flashed in her mind, Finn, her Captain never giving up and always tackling foes that seemed impossible to beat.
His determination never wavered no matter what everybody else thought and did.
She had always admired that determination, that refusal to give up, no matter the odds. Now, she needed that same resolve.
Isuka closed her eyes for a split second, focusing on the rhythm of the battle, the way Boros moved, and the timing of his strikes.
She tried to sense something beyond the physical, something deeper.
Boros charged at her again, his massive fist swinging toward her. But this time, Isuka moved differently.
She didn't just dodge—she anticipated.
Her body moved before her mind registered the attack, and she sidestepped his blow with newfound precision.
Her saber flashed as she struck, aiming for a weak point she hadn't noticed before, the small, exposed joint at his elbow.
The blade connected, and Boros roared in pain, jerking back as blood spurted from the wound. Isuka's eyes widened in surprise. She had seen it—felt it—before it happened.
Boros glared at her, his eyes blazing with fury. "You little—!" He charged at her with renewed anger, swinging wildly, but Isuka was in the zone now.
She could feel the flow of the fight, the subtle shifts in his stance, the intent behind each of his movements.
She danced around his attacks, each dodge more fluid than the last. Her strikes were more precise, targeting the vulnerable spots in his armor.
Boros was slowing down, his movements becoming more desperate as Isuka's saber found its mark again and again.
Finally, with a swift, decisive strike, she slashed across the back of his knee, bringing the giant down to one knee.
Boros let out a bellow of rage, but Isuka didn't give him a chance to recover. She leaped onto his back, driving her saber into the joint at his neck, where the armor was thinnest.
Boros gasped, his strength leaving him as he slumped forward. Isuka jumped back, watching him collapse with a sense of disbelief.
She had done it. She had defeated him. But there was no time to celebrate.
The ground beneath her shook violently, and she knew the cave was starting to collapse. Dust and debris filled the air as rocks began to fall from the ceiling.
Isuka's heart raced. She had to find Finn. Her newly awakened Haki guided her through the chaos, it was like she could sense where he was and could tell by his breath that he was in trouble.
She ran through the collapsing tunnels, dodging falling rocks and navigating the treacherous terrain with an instinct she hadn't known she possessed.
Finally, she found Finn, trapped beneath some rubble, his arm hanging limply at his side.
He looked up at her, eyes filled with pain and exhaustion. "Isuka… You shouldn't be here. Get out while you can," he managed to say, his voice barely above a whisper.
"No way," Isuka said firmly, her voice brooking no argument. "We're getting out of here together."
She pulled him free from the debris, slinging his arm over her shoulder as she helped him to his feet.
As they made their way toward the exit, the cave continued to collapse around them.
Isuka's Haki guided her through the maze of falling rocks, avoiding the worst of the debris.
But the ground was crumbling beneath their feet, and they were running out of time.
Finn stumbled, nearly falling, but Isuka held him up, her own body trembling from the effort. "Come on, Finn," she urged, "just a little further."
Finally, with one last burst of energy, they reached the exit just as the tunnel behind them caved in completely.
They collapsed onto the ground outside, gasping for breath as the dust settled around them.
"You… saved me," Finn said, his voice weak but filled with gratitude.
Isuka smiled, though she was just as exhausted. "You're my Captain, Finn. I would never leave you."
As they lay there, catching their breath, Isuka realized what had happened. She had tapped into a power she didn't fully understand, but it had saved them both.
She looked over at Finn, who was already slipping into unconsciousness, and knew they had a long road ahead of them. But for now, they were alive.
And that was enough.
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