Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Beyol spun out of the way, the woman’s sleeve barely grazing the surface of his nose. He took a quick step back and watched her rocket past him. Her fist ripping through the air so fast he could hear the sound of the displaced air popping back into place an instant later. His eyes narrowed as she kept going, only stopping after gaining some distance from him. His fingers twitched around his knives as the others began to orbit around his head. The first time surprised him, but it wouldn’t happen a second time.

She doesn’t fight people very often, He thought, analyzing her stance as she turned to face him, her armored fists up. He took a step to the left and lowered his right arm while raising his left, the blade held up and at the ready. If she hits me unarmored, it’s over, there’s enough force behind those punches to turn me into paste. She’s nothing like the others, just as I thought, He frowned and twirled his knives again, considering her. She didn’t move a muscle, her eyes fixed on him as well.

Skill versus Power, then. He reasoned and with a mental gesture two knives floating around his head pivoted and launched in her direction, aimed at her right side. She was stabbed in the head and didn’t die, but does she still feel pain? He thought, darting to the left and to where she’d move. He zipped into position just as the blades hit, slamming into her arm. He didn’t have time to blink or think, he compensated as she turned in slow motion to look at him as her shoulder moved back faintly from the hit. He dipped low and swept his leg out.

Hit. Her foot moved forward a few inches but it was enough, she spun and he raced up to drive the knife towards her back. Her foot stretched up to the tip and she pirouetted like a ballerina, spinning fast enough to face him as his knife was driving up towards her. Her fist was already in the air again. Her eyes wide with absolute focus, he could see it coming like a slow moving truck though and he darted to the right, landing on one hand and throwing his foot out again to kick her in the side of the head.

She took the hit again, her face pressed against the heel of his shoe as she shifted and reared back for a kick of her own. He pushed off the ground and somersaulted back, landing on his feet and throwing out another barrage of knives at her face while using his telekinesis to pull the first two out of her. He darted back in as she was raising her arms. It had taken her a few seconds to get up after being stabbed in the head, she’s not unstoppable, I just have to disable her. He thought grimly as she swept her arm out in a wide arc with enough force to create a small burst of air pressure. His knives spun away and she kicked off the ground.

One moment she was there, the next, she was in his face again. He dipped low and rolled under her, throwing to knives up at her back. In the air she had no room to maneuver, nothing to kick off of, the blades wedged near her spine and she staggered forward with a grunt, trying to reach around to grab them and pull them out of her back. He grinned, Got you. He sneered, Guess I didn’t need my armor. He held his hand out and more knives lanced towards her back, melting and merging with the two that had stabbed her. With an effort of thought they formed into long blades, stabbing fully through her gut.

She let out a gasp and took a step forward, looking down at the silver weapons protruding from her abdomen. He twisted his hand, getting ready to cut her in half when she did something... terrifying. She reached down and grabbed the blades with her gloved hands and pulled. What the fuck? He knew she felt pain, he could see it, What is she, insane? He reeled as with a terrible scream she pulled the swords, hand guards and all, through her back and out through her abdomen. She gripped the swords in both hands and turned to look at him, the hole in her gut already starting to close.

Fucking monster! He howled internally and melted the knives in her hands and those floating around him, No holding back then. He snarled and the liquid metal formed into claws on his hands. His heart rate increased, new blood forming as more pumped out and onto his skin. He reached up and cut deep furrows across his own chest, grunting as the metallic armor spread faster, coating his entire body in a matter of seconds. She didn’t even move as he equipped himself, going as far as to cross her arms.

Mocking me now too?! He narrowed his eyes within his helmet and launched himself in her direction, moving far faster than he had before. His telekinetic control over the metal let him basically launch himself and control his body even better than when he wasn’t wearing it. He moved at the speed of thought, darting low again to force her to prepare for another trip only to bounce back up and go for her face. Just as he completed his feint he looked up into her eyes and saw her fist coming. She didn’t buy it.

WHAM!

He darted around her, throwing in light attacks, quick movements, anything to avoid her attacks. He felt his ribs grinding beneath his armor and forced himself to keep going, even as blood bubbled on his lips. He’d heal eventually, but he needed to get away first. I can take the pain. He snarled, Can you? He thought back to training as a member of the night society, weeks of torture to inure him to the pain, months of killing his fellow aspirant to inure him to the act of murder, years burning cold logic into his very being. All lost because of a fancy power.

This power is mine, not the other way around, He reminded himself. I won’t make the same mistakes again.

Blood, darkness, and silence filled the room, broken only by the grunts of pain as she endured every hit he landed on him. She was slowing down, occasionally gasping for air as she ripped another weapon out of her body only for him to pull it back into his armor soundlessly. With his knives in her he knew exactly where she was, he could feel their presence. He didn’t need to see, he didn’t even need to listen for her. He simply followed where a part of him was, cutting and stabbing and striking as he drove her further and further towards what he knew had to be some kind of limit.

That was when he felt it, a moment of hesitation, a flinch, her body tensing as a particular wound in her lower back set her off. A cold smile spread across his lips, Now! He darted towards her head, the blade in his hand turning into a sword. He drove himself forward with every ounce of strength he had left and felt the blade pierce flesh, drive through bone, and penetrate gray-matter. He followed through as she fell back, landing on top of her with a grunt. He took a deep, ratting breath as she felt her go still beneath him.

Skill always-

Her hand snapped up and grabbed his wrist.

What?

She felt her grip tighten, bones creaking beneath his armor as it struggled to maintain shape. No, let go! How are you even thinking with a blade in your head?! He tried to pull his arm away but it wouldn’t move, his bones creaking louder until a terrible snap drove white hot pain into his mind, he let out a scream as she reached up and grabbed him by the neck. He reached up with his good hand, grasping at her fingers. He couldn’t breathe, she kept squeezing, she was going to break his neck!

Let go! Let go! He snarled, drawing the last of his knives down into her body from above him. He slammed his fist into her face, dug the sword in her head around, anything to get her to release him. Fucking... monster... He tried to think as he felt a faintness wash over him. Bloodflow cut off... can’t get it... to my head... I can’t... breathe...

Beyol fell into darkness.