Chapter 60 - Letting loose [2/2]

Pain exploded from her face when the cybernetically enhanced, myst-powered fist collided with Alita, lifting her off her feet and sending her flying. She yelped in pain as blood splattered and bones crunched. 

She flew towards the alley's exit, but rather than leave it, she crashed against a wall of shadows, back first. "Shit!" she cursed, slurring her words a little because her jaw had been dislocated. When she landed on her feet, she staggered, her eyes blurry from the facial reconstruction she'd just received. 

Up in the apartment, leaning out the window, Damian was twirling an elegant, ornate walking stick in his hand as shadowy myst twirled around his fingers. 

This was the catalyst he'd used to capture Luca back in Eryndor. He'd given it back to Ylva afterwards, but just before leaving, Ylva had given it back, along with a whole stash of other catalysts. 

"These are just a few catalysts I've made for fun over the years…" she said to him back then. "I've considered selling them, but… I'm sure you could find a better use for them. Just remember to think about me every so often, huh?" 

And, indeed, he would. This walking stick had now become his backup catalyst, and he had plenty more to give away to deserving allies. Now, with Alita using his sword, he'd used this catalyst to isolate the alley from the outside world… or as well as he could, anyway. 

He'd already noticed several other people peeking out from other windows around him, but he wasn't bothered by those. The main reason for doing what he did was so that the Rustborn wouldn't be able to escape. As Gutterborn without catalysts, there was no way they'd break through. 

Panning his gaze towards Alita at the bottom of the barrier, he could see her misformed jaw, somewhat caved-in face, and bleeding eye socket. "Well, this guy packs quite a punch," he chuckled softly, a hint of pride seeping into his tone. "Unfortunately, that won't be enough—not against my first real scion, hehe." 

Despite the pain, obvious concussion, and disfigured face, Alita's excitement barely died down. With the power coursing through her body, she felt like even this was merely a setback. She held one hand against her bloody face, but still aimed the sword at her enemies as more crimson lightning started to flicker around her. 

"She's wounded!" the Rustborn leader, brow solemnly furrowed, bellowed out as he charged after her. "Shoot her now! The head! The head!" He'd noticed the barrier of shadows but had no time to think about it now. Alita remained far too dangerous. 

The same went for the goons as they lifted their trembling hands to fire again. Yet, just as they were about to pull the trigger, they froze. In front of them, a startling, discomforting sight took place. 

The bloody, creepily grinning Alita started to recover rapidly. Blood stopped flowing; broken skin stitched itself back together; her jaw put itself back in place with a lot of creaking and cracking, and the indent in the side of her head looked like it was being refilled with air. 

In moments, all that was left of the leader's attack was some dried blood, and the Rustborn gang members all looked at the sight in shock. Even Alita appeared surprised. She felt her skin itch, her face squirm, and her jaw move. At the same time, a handful of bullets, big and small, squirmed out of some holes in her stomach, which quickly closed behind them. 

Blinking, she touched her face carefully. She wasn't particularly worried about her wounds before because she'd been drunk on power, but this was something else entirely. And yet, even as her body recovered and continued to be charged with myst, she also felt herself weakening…" 

From the window, Damian grinned. The ability to regenerate like this originally belonged to Moonkin, but… now it belonged to his kin as well. 

It was obviously a powerful ability, but it also cost a lot of energy, both of the physical kind and the myst kind. Plus, it wasn't infallible. If the heart or brain is destroyed, that's not something a Moonkin could come back from, and, based on Luca's fate, it was the same for Damian and his kin. 

With her sight restored and concussion gone, Alita was once again back in fighting shape. "This is… amazing…" Alita whispered, unable to stop herself from glancing up at Damian. Many thoughts entered her mind then, but they wouldn't last long… because she was still in the middle of a fight. 

"What the fuck are you?!" the Rustborn leader exclaimed, forced to halt in his tracks due to shock. To his knowledge, not even the Glowrats up in their towers could perform such a feat. 

"Hahaha!" Alita laughed. Her insecurities, suppressed sadism, and desire for power were all causing her to revel in this moment. The power she had over these comparative weaklings was addictive, as it spoke to desires she'd never dared to share with her big sister. 

"I don't know what I am," she exclaimed, grinning widely. "But it doesn't matter! Now die!" 

Once again, she jumped into a sprint and surged forward, straight at the remaining three Rustborn members. Before their leader could stop her, she sailed past him to take down the remaining two regular goons. 

"F— Fuck no!" one of the regular goons cried out and tried to back off, but that was when he finally noticed the wall of shadows, and his desperation skyrocketed. "Nonono!" he exclaimed, waving his hands at the incoming Alita. "I'm sorry! Mercy!" 

"I have none!" Alita laughed and sliced Nox Aeternum through the man's arms and legs before kicking him to the back of the alley. Crashing against the wall, this stump of a man screamed in pain, but Alita had already moved on, leaving him to bleed out. 

"I can't believe I had so much trouble with just three of you before!" she laughed out loud when she plunged her weapon into the stomach of the last goon before kicking her over to the alley's end as well. 

Finally, she turned to the leader. The man now looked at her with twitching eyebrows and fear as he slowly backed away in the direction of the shadow wall. 

"L—Listen, Alita… Let's be smart about this," he quickly tried to negotiate even as he kept his massive fists in front of his face in a boxer's stance. "Things got out of hand, but you don't actually want a war between Battle Surge and Rustborn, do you…?" 

His back hit the shadow wall, increasing his tension as he quickly steadied himself and continued trying to convince her. "I— If you let me live, maybe we can work something out…! You realize that, even with this new power, you couldn't beat the general and our other leaders, just with you and your sister!" 

But even if Alita knew this to be true, she wouldn't be stopped now. Her grin only ever widened as she approached him slowly, menacingly. "I don't care! I want you dead! I want you to suffer the despair that I felt last night!" 

Without another word, she charged her opponent with renewed vigour. Just above her, from the window, Damian looked on with an approving smile, walking stick casually twirling in his hand.