Power of Runes-Chapter 82: Rage Mode (1)

The moment Ash's foot touched the ground, his body turned into a streak of golden-white lightning.

A deafening sound of thunder exploded across the hall, powerful enough to make the very walls shudder under its might.

In a flash of golden brilliance, Ash reappeared beside the two demons.

From his perspective, enhanced by his state, he could see them still staring blankly at the spot where he had stood just a moment ago.

He gripped his sword with both hands, the sheath already tucked away in his space ring.

The sword felt almost like an extension of his own body — perfectly balanced, neither too heavy nor too light — as if he had wielded it for countless years.

It feels so natural to hold, Ash thought silently, tightening his grip until his knuckles turned white, a testament of the anger he was feeling.

Gathering all his strength, he shifted his weight, letting the momentum of his speed drive the blow. His sword flashed, aiming straight for Zerak's neck.

Golden lightning crackled along the sword's surface, not wild and rampant like uncontrolled magic, but focused and precise.

It was not sword aura in the traditional sense, but rather a manifestation of his mastery over his own mana, refined to a razor's edge thanks to the effect of Omni Thought.

SCREEECH!!!

The sword clashed against Zerak's hardened skin with an ear-piercing screech, the sound reverberating through the entire hall like a war cry, setting the air ablaze with tension.

Zerak barely had time to react. His eyes widened, but a thin line of blood was already blooming across his neck.

Sensing the danger, he leapt back, but the damage was already done. It wasn't deep enough to be fatal, but the sharp sting of it was enough to freeze him for a split second.

Even then, Ash didn't lose his momentum.

Many tiny magic circles manifested in the air beside him, focusing on a single point, forming a Multi-Core Lightning Sphere — golden, different from the usual blue.

Without missing a beat, Ash swung his sword like a baseball bat, smashing the sphere forward with all the momentum from his previous strike.

The golden sphere tore through the space between them like a comet.

Without a sound of thunder, the sphere shot toward Miraak, who stood frozen in shock, his mouth agape as his body refused to move. His eyes were wide, too slow to recognize the impending disaster.

BOOM!!!

The orb exploded right in Miraak's face, sending him flying across the hall.

Not giving him a second to breathe, Ash transformed into a streak of lightning and appeared just above Miraak, who was still midair.

H-How... can he use Sword Aura...?!

Zerak questioned what he was seeing, disbelief tearing at his mind.

Magic and sword... together? A Dual Class...? But how...? He's just a lesser bug... not a demon... not even one of those annoying angels.

Blood flowed down Zerak's neck, staining his chest. Though the cut wasn't deep enough to threaten his life, his instincts screamed to stay away from this human.

For a moment, he lost track of the situation. Cold sweat broke out across his back.

Zerak's blood ran cold as the scene unfolded before him. His speed, his power, his expression, his aura, it was inhuman.

The scene before him was turning into a nightmare. Ash's body was releasing an aura so intense, that felt so ancient and Raw

What is this aura around him...? It feels like... something forbidden has awakened...

In a blink, he saw Miraak flying helplessly — and Ash, a streak of golden lightning, right above him.

Shit, Brother!!

Ash's sword swung downward — a merciless cut that would cleave the demon in two.

Miraak, still dazed by the earlier blast, wasn't even aware of the blade descending toward him.

But just as the blade was about to connect, a massive claw shot out from the side, aiming straight for Ash's head.

But within his gray world, Ash saw the incoming claw moving in slow motion.

He twisted his neck back, planted one foot firmly on the ground, spun with the pivot of his heel, aiming his kick straight at Zerak's already wounded hand.

Zerak let out a strangled growl of pain as Ash's foot connected with his hand, causing his hand to lose momentum.

Ash didn't stop. His sword glowed a fierce gold, leaving afterimages in the air as he pressed forward.

PUCHI!!!

The blade sliced through flesh and bone like a hot knife through butter.

A severed hand flew into the air.

But Ash didn't stop.

Zerak tried to scramble away, his body weakening from the blows, but Ash was relentless.

His anger, his rage, was growing with every second. His thoughts were consumed by the images of her suffering.

Hatred churned inside him — hate for the demons who caused her pain, hate for himself for failing to protect her.

Almost instinctively, as to vent his anger he punched Zerak in the face.

BOOM!!!

The impact sent Zerak flying — but in a direction where no students were nearby.

Even in his fury, Ash was careful not to hurt anyone else.

"Lightning Step!"

He activated his movement skill, vanishing like a thunderclap, and reappeared next to Miraak, who was struggling to stand.

"Lightning Kick!"

A magic circle formed at Ash's feet, lightning coiling around his leg. He kicked Miraak under the chin, sending him flying into the air like a rag doll.

"Lightning Step!"

Again, Ash vanished — reappearing next to Zerak, who had just crashed heavily onto the ground, the impact shattering the floor beneath him.

This time, Ash didn't use his sword.

He didn't want to kill them like this — not yet.

He wanted them to feel despair, pain, to taste suffering.

Flipping his sword into a reverse grip, he rained down punches on Zerak's face.

Ash was punching Zerak in the face with such force that his knuckles were on fire. The demon's face contorted with pain as his swollen features grew more unrecognizable with each strike.

Fifty punches landed on his face within mere seconds.

Zerak's face swelled grotesquely.

What is happening...?

Zerak's mind reeled.

He couldn't even react —he went to save Miraak, lost a hand, got punched across the hall, and now, endless fists hammered him.

What is this absurd speed...?!

His entire sense of reality shattered.

Ash left him there, broken.

But before Zerak could catch a breath, dozens of first-circle magic circles appeared around him.

"STORM SPEAR!!"

Ash's voice echoed like a decree of the God itself.

The golden spears slammed into Zerak's body, each one piercing through flesh, creating holes and shredding his torso.

Zerak's screams tore through the air, his voice rising in sheer agony as the magic pierced deeper and deeper—A chilling sound drowned only by the relentless roar of thunder.

"AAHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

Even as the sound of Zerak's pain echoed around them, Ash's fury did not subside.

He disappeared once more and appeared, below Miraak who was falling to the ground.

Miraak, more alert now, saw Ash below him and hearing his brother's scream, he roared in fury:

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!!!"

"TAKE THIS"

"DEMONIC TORNADO!"

Miraak shouted, summoning a massive tornado of swirling demonic energy that spiraled around him, growing ever larger, stronger with each passing second.

Ash didn't panic.

He took a deep breath, widened his stance, gripping his sword with both hands.

Golden arcs of lightning cracked violently across his body — like an overloaded battery about to burst.

His skin cracked and healed repeatedly, releasing more and more arcs of energy, coiling around him like living serpents.

His eyes burned golden, shining with raw power.

Through his vision, he saw something between the black tornado—a thread of weakness.

It's true... I can see the weak points of spells through Omni-Thought.

Confirming another effect of his skill, he didn't hesitate, instead felt confident.

He poured even more mana into his sword.

The blade began to vibrate violently from the sheer force of it — the lightning around the sword distorted as if short-circuiting.

Then—

He swung.

The golden lightning erupted from the blade, forming a curved arc that cut straight through the tornado as if it were paper. The vortex splintered apart, the winds dissipating as Ash's attack cleaved through them effortlessly.

Miraak's eyes widened in pure disbelief as the golden lightning surged toward him.

"No!"

As the lightning bore down on him, for a brief moment, he saw his whole life flash before his eyes.

But suddenly, a stone flew toward Miraak, striking him with surprising force, knocking him off course just as the lethal lightning strike was about to hit him. The strike collided with the black barrier, sending ripples through it, causing it to hum with a deep, vibrating resonance.

Ash's gaze snapped to the source of the stone. Zerak, his body covered in wounds, stood firmly with his hand extended, as if he had thrown the stone himself.

"Lightning Step."

Ash hadn't spent time learning flashy swordsmanship.

Instead, he focused on a solid foundation, he believed that basic sword strikes—parries, swings, stabs—should be perfected before moving to Sword Art.

Even in VR games, executing a skill just required calling its name, but the real world wasn't so simple.

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The concept of power and strength in this world required more than a flashy name—it required a body that could endure and strike with purpose.

So, while others wasted their time chasing elaborate sword arts, Ash focused on something far more basic: his footwork, his balance, his lower body.

Every strike, no matter how simple, had to be deadly. Every move had to be deliberate.

In a heartbeat, he appeared next to Zerak, poised to deliver a decisive blow that would end this fight once and for all.

But then, his eyes caught something out of the corner of his vision—a wave of black thorns racing toward the unconscious students.

The sight sent a wave of hatred and anger crashing through Ash's chest.

"This bastard!!"

He roared internally.

In a blur of motion, he veered off his original path with a steep turn, appearing in front of the incoming attack.

His sword became blurry as golden lines bloomed in the air, they cleaved through the black thorns, each one disintegrating on contact.

"If you want to die this badly, let me kill you first," Ash growled beneath his breath, the words laced with an almost primal anger.

His face contorted with rage, his emotions so raw they burned through every fiber of his being.

***

📢 Announcement: Future of Power of Runes

Hey everyone! ✨

I just wanted to let you all know that Power of Runes will soon be moving to an exclusive publishing platform.

Because of this, I will be unpublishing the story from Scribble Hub and Royal Road.

First, a huge THANK YOU to everyone who read, supported, and encouraged me here. 💬🖤 Your support has meant the world and helped me reach this next step.

If you'd like to continue reading Power of Runes, you'll soon be able to find it on Webnovel, where it will be updated regularly.

I hope you'll keep following Ash's journey with me there! 🌌

Thank you again for being part of this adventure.

This isn't goodbye — it's just a new Chapter. 📖✨

Stay amazing.