Chapter 61 - Attack(7)
Natasha held her energy rifle in her hand, as her nano-tech suit gleamed under the sunlight as she prepared for the fight.
Jina, on the other hand, wielded a pair of daggers, her movements enhanced by mana as she prepared to close the distance between them.
Natasha's eyes narrowed as she took aim, her finger hovering over the trigger.
"You're fast," she said, her voice calm but laced with tension. "But dealing with fast people has never fully troubled me really. So let's see just how fast you really are shall we."
Jina smirked, her daggers gleaming as she channeled wind mana into her body. "You're not the only one with tricks up your sleeve," she said, her voice sharp. "Let's dance."
The fight began with a blur of motion. Jina darted forward, her speed enhanced by wind mana as she closed the distance between them in an instant.
Natasha fired a quick energy blast, but Jina dodged, her movements almost too fast to follow. The blast hit the ground behind her, sending dirt and debris flying.
Natasha adjusted her aim, firing another blast, but Jina was already moving.
She zigzagged across the battlefield, her daggers flashing as she tried to get within striking distance.
Natasha kept her cool, her movements precise as she fired shot after shot, forcing Jina to stay on the defensive.
Jina's frustration grew as the fight dragged on.
She was fast, but Natasha's aim was deadly accurate.
Every time she tried to close the distance, Natasha would fire another blast, forcing her to dodge or retreat.
Infact the only reason she could think of as to why she hasn't been hit yet is luck. Simple as that.
But then again she was never one to give up easily. She summoned a gust of wind, the force of it sending Natasha skidding back.
Natasha regained her footing quickly, her eyes sharp as she took aim again. "Interesting indeed," she said, her tone calm. "But you're still not capable of fighting me."
Jina growled, her daggers slashing through the air as she charged at Natasha.
But Natasha was ready. She fired a rapid series of energy blasts, the shots forcing Jina to dodge and weave.
And finally one of the blasts grazed her arm, drawing blood, but despite that, Jina didn't slow down.
She then managed to close the distance, as her daggers slashed at Natasha with deadly precision.
Natasha dodged, but not fast enough—one of the daggers grazed her side, cutting through her nano-tech suit and drawing blood.
She winced but didn't falter, her finger tightening on the trigger as she fired another blast.
Jina dodged, but Natasha was prepared for that already. She adjusted her aim, firing a shot that hit Jina square in the soldier.
The force of the blast sent her stumbling back, her daggers slipping from her grasp.
Natasha tho didn't even bother giving her a chance to recover.
She fired another shot, this one hitting Jina in the chest. The energy blast tore through her, leaving a gaping hole in its wake.
Jina's eyes widened in shock as she looked down at the wound, her body trembling as she fell to her knees.
Natasha then stood over Jina, her energy rifle still aimed at her. "It's over," she said, her voice cold but firm.
Jina tried to speak, but no words came out. Then her body slumped to the ground, her lifeless eyes staring up at the sky.
Natasha lowered her rifle, her expression unreadable as she turned and began walking back to where her unit was.
As she walked, she muttered silently, "I hope you don't take it too far, Nate."
**************
River and Renard clashed against each other in a dance of earth and light, raw power against ethereal speed.
Renard, the golden-haired elf, moved like a beam of sunlight, his mana-enhanced body leaving trails of shimmering energy as he darted across the battlefield.
River, grounded and unyielding, spun her mechanical staff in wide arcs, the earth itself responding to her calls.
Renard closed the distance, his movements blurred by mana.
His fist, glowing with searing light, shot toward River's ribs.
She blocked with her staff, the impact sending sparks flying as stone met radiant energy.
The force knocked her back, but she dug her heels into the soil, the earth itself stabilizing her.
"You're quick," River admitted, her voice steady despite the strain. "But don't forget, you're fighting on my terrain."
She stomped, and the ground beneath Renard's feet liquefied into quicksand.
He leaped backward immediately, but River was already on the offensive.
Her stone-tipped staff jabbed at his throat, forcing him to parry with a hastily formed light shield.
The collision cracked the shield, and Renard hissed, retreating to restrategize.
The elf's eyes narrowed. He then raised his hands up, and the air around him brightened violently—a flash of pure light erupted, blinding anyone nearby.
River threw up an arm to shield her eyes, but Renard was already behind her, a blade of light aimed at her spine.
Yet River didn't need to see. She felt the vibrations in the earth. Not to mention his intent to kill was quite clear.
Dropping low, she spun her staff in a sweeping arc, the stone spearhead gouging the ground and hurling a wave of debris at Renard. He staggered, his attack disrupted, and River pressed her advantage.
She lunged, staff whirling. Renard deflected the strikes with bursts of light, but each parry chipped away at his stamina.
River's geokinesis kept reshaping the battlefield—pillars of earth erupted to block his escapes, and fissures split the ground to disrupt his footing.
Panting, Renard summoned a colossal sphere of light above his palm, its radiance scorching the air. "Enough games," he spat, hurling it at River.
She planted her staff in the ground as she summoned a tsunami of earth to meet the attack.
The collision shook the forest, dust and light scattering in all directions. When the chaos cleared, River stood unharmed, her staff now a jagged lance of compacted stone.
Renard, drained and cornered, tried to rally—but River was faster this time.
She feinted left, then dropped and swept her staff upward. The stone spearhead caught him in the stomach, the force lifting him off his feet.
Before he could recover, River slammed the butt of her staff into the ground. A spire of earth erupted beneath Renard, pinning him against a tree, his arms trapped at his sides.
River stepped forward, her spearhead leveled at his throat. "Yield," she ordered, her voice cold.
Renard's golden eyes flickered with frustration, then resignation. The light around him dimmed. "...You fight well, Terran," he muttered.
River didn't lower her weapon until his mana dissipated entirely.
Exhausted but victorious, she dissolved the stone from her staff and turned away, leaving Renard slumped and restrained against the tree.
As she trudged back to regroup with her unit, she wiped blood from a cut on her cheek—a souvenir from Renard's light blade.
Her mind drifted to Nathan, Alicia, and the others. 'Stay safe out there', she thought, her grip tightening on her staff. 'All of you.'