Chapter 155 29.9 Utility?

SHIZU

⬛⬛⬛

Shizu frowned at even the slightest hint of the term. Black fuel was dangerous. Poisonous and toxic, everything the substance touched seemed to wither and die just from its slightest touch. Its flammable nature proved to be destructive as it was powerful, and the Empire had deemed it too unsafe to use even as an energy source. Instead, their power came from solid fuel, their abundance of wood making for a safer and more sustainable source of power than wielding what could clearly annihilate anyone from even the slightest mistake.

"You're playing with something that's far too dangerous for any person to wield, Vestygian," Shizu coolly stated, her focus starting to sharpen as the introduction of the dangerous substance put her on edge. "Is using solid fuel not enough for you heathens?"

[*FWOOSH!*]

Instead of an answer, the man twirled his halberd, flames spewing forth as Shizu was forced to back off. Using her augmented sight, she tried her best to duck and weave through the flames, using the cover provided by the nearby kiosks to try and close the distance.

"Khh..."

She hissed through her teeth as she quickly stopped her attempts, however, the burns she now sported on her left arm proved that doing so again was a bad idea.

"As you can see, the utilization of black fuel is very much perfected by Vestygian technology," the heathen stated, a hint of smugness staining his usually cold tone. "The substance is far from dangerous if handled correctly, a concept that the Empire and the City-State couldn't seem to grasp."

"So you're telling me that Vestyge is running black fuel engines without a care in the world?" she pensively asked. "Are you all insane?!"

[*HISS!*]

Her ears perked up as the telltale sound of shifting steam rang across the bridge, her hairs standing on ends as she quickly changed cover. Sure enough, the man's halberd then proceeded to pierce through her previous location, its metal gleaming with death as it destroyed the kiosk she was hiding behind on.

"It isn't insanity if it is tamed. Controlled," the maniac reasoned, his halberd audibly shrinking once more. "The irrational fear of black fuel has only led to it becoming the dangerous substance you all perceive it to be today. It's illogical. Even now, more and more of Vestyge's machines are being powered more by black fuel than coal or any form of energy."

Shizu cursed under her breath. Just the thought of fighting off one of Vestyge's monstrous machines was bad enough, but to think that they were starting to use black fuel in them as well?! Wait... "Don't tell me..."

"Tell you what, Princess?"

[*HISS!*]

Her eyes widening, she pushed her fears back down in favor of refocusing her efforts on the fight. She was still on the back foot, and one mistake from her end would probably end her life right then and there.

Jumping up, she was just in time as his halberd crashed against her previous cover. The elongated weapon once more looked unnatural as it retracted back, but it also meant that it could be a window of opportunity that she could use.

Twisting through the air, she used the ceiling as leverage as she lunged back into the man's range. Her eyes glowing, she kept her attention on his halberd, quickly adjusting as she saw its internal systems shifting once more.

"Useless."

[*HISS!*]

"Tch.."

Clicking her tongue, Shizu flipped herself forward, narrowly missing the halberd soaring underneath her before grabbing hold of the weapon itself. Landing on the shaft, she ran across its length with her right fist aimed squarely at the one mechanism her [Code Watcher] saw as the weapon's point of failure.

"Oh no, you don't, Princess."

[*HISS!*]

But before she could make could reach him, the halberd suddenly shifted, pulling her into him at a speed that she didn't expect. Her face then collided with his readied fist, pain radiating from her cheek as she flew towards the nearest wall.

However, that wasn't enough to put her down.

"Not yet!"

Twisting through the air, her feet landed on the wall, using her agility to push herself back into the fight with her arms raised up in defense. Using her [Code Watcher], she waited for the inevitable counterattack. Either by flames, or by the halberd's mechanical means, she was ready for it.

[*FWOOSH!*]

Flames!

Focusing on her eyes, she forced her eyesight to filter out the flames, ones and zeroes making out the outline of his enemy as she braved through the searing heat and delivered her first punch right at the man's chest.

"UGHH!!"

"I'm in!"

Capitalizing on her advantage, she let out a flurry of blows against the man, not letting him move an inch as she made sure to end the fight right then and there. She didn't want to hear more about his blasphemous words, even if she was dying of curiosity about a lot of what he said.

"ENOUGH!"

[*FWOOSH!*]

"Hot!"

Shizu hissed as she was forced to back away, the burns on her arms starting to hinder her as she kept her stance up. In front of her, her opponent was glowing a dull blue as his cap seemed to give him an air of unnatural calm.

"Anger... Confusion... None of it matters against me..."

[*HISS!*]

Another thrust of his halberd. Shizu knew what to do against it now as she lightly dodged before stepping on top of the weapon still lodged onto the floor.

"My [Befehl] will always ensure that my thinking is clear, no matter how hopeless things might seem..."

Rearing her right fist, she aimed all of her power into the man's jaw, hoping that another [Move] would finally knock this man out.

"[Calm]"

Shizu blinked, all of her focus seemingly evaporating as her legs stalled right underneath her. Why was she fighting? Weren't they- Wait!

[*HISS!*]

Her eyes suddenly refocusing, she was barely able to dodge the deadly strike as she rolled onto the floor, the side of her abdomen bleeding as the weapon barely grazed her.

"W-What was that?"

"The ability to calm oneself is a powerful skill to have, princess," the man coolly stated, his halberd dripping with her blood as he aimed it right at her. "[Yield]."

⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛