Arc 1 - Chapter 19 - Apex Bout

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------------------- Start of Pre-Chapter Author Note (Patreon-only) -------------------
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Hello everyone, LunaWolve here!

Welcome to the release of Chapter 19 for y'all.

Chapter 14 - Practical, has just released on RR.
There have been virtually no changes from the version on Patreon.

I would recommend heading over to read the Author Note, however, as there are a couple of pieces of information in there, that will likely be relevant to you going forward. Mainly the fact that the Discord will be public from now on and that I fixed an earlier mistake and reverted all Ability levels from 1 to 0. 

For Wolf Lord's, this chapter here has had the last four sentences removed, to make for a better transition between this chapter and the next. Outside of that there have been virtually no changes.

I'm looking forward to hearing your first impressions and opinions on this chapter. \o/

I hope you will enjoy it!

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Thea continued to observe Karania as she put on the rest of her equipment.

‘Her movements are extremely fluid… It’s clear that she has a lot more experience with her body than the other Marines I’ve fought so far, which makes sense, considering that she was also a seeded arena fighter… This won’t be easy.’

As Karania stepped up to the weapon racks, after successfully donning her medium-type armour, Thea’s eyebrows rose markedly.

‘A vibroblade and a crescent vibroblade? That’s… not something I’ve ever seen before. Two entirely different weapons… She really is a genius, isn’t she…?’

Karania twirled both weapons, decidedly different from each other as they were, in her hands, displaying a level of coordination and agility that Thea hadn’t even thought possible for someone at her level. After nodding to herself, confirming that her body was performing up to her expectations, Karania skipped to the centre of the arena, to face Thea directly.

With a big smile, brandishing her two swords and seemingly warming up her muscles, Karania asked, “Say… I probably already know the answer, but how many rounds did you drop so far?”

Thea had felt increasingly confident in herself, with each win inside the arena. It was something she was intimately familiar with, after all. A competitive environment, created to test your mettle and nothing else. That confidence was now permeating other aspects of her behaviour, gradually quelling her worries about not fitting into the Alpha Squad or the Marine Corps.

With a confident smile, something she hadn’t thought possible at the start of the Practical, considering her prior anxiety about these specific social situations, Thea answered with a teasing tone, “None. I couldn’t let anyone put me in the ground before our showdown now, could I?"

With a dramatic throw of her arms and a deep sigh, Karania shook her head at Thea before retorting, “Haa… I swear, every time I think I’m doing well, you just stomp in here and ruin it all… I promise, I’ll put you down. Mark my words, Thea! You’re not the only one around here that knows how to dance.”

Karania assumed a peculiar stance. She balanced on one leg, the other slightly raised, her crescent vibroblade held close to her body and her straight one pointed directly at Thea. Simultaneously, the holographic countdown appeared between the two combatants, indicating that Karania was mentally ready for the confrontation.

As the seconds ticked down, Thea could barely contain her excitement. She had not dared to hope for a chance to go toe-to-toe with someone from Alpha Squad so early into her career, let alone Karania specifically.

There was a definite spike in that excitement, solely based on the fact that she considered Karania something akin to a friend, something Thea had never really experienced before.

'Is this what the Major meant by “friendly rivalries”…? I thought I knew what that meant, based on the people that I often fought over the galactic-net, but this is a whole other level of exciting… I can see how this would be beneficial to have across the Corps, my whole body is just raring to go…!’

Forcing her thoughts towards the fight at hand, instead of her emotional state, Thea started to formulate a plan in her head.

‘I do wonder how I’m going to get close to Karania, though… She has a vast range advantage on me, with her two swords. Not to mention, the crescent vibroblade being an incredibly good defensive tool. If she’s even half as good as Astra, it will be a pain to try and get to her…

‘Based on her physique, she definitely does not have a ton of Vitality nor Strength. She’s probably similar to me in those aspects with a 3 at most in both. I’m guessing her 5 is probably in Dexterity or Focus… I don’t get the feeling the System would pump up her Stamina, considering her lacking physique… Maybe Perception…? I don’t think that would make much sense for what she has shown so far…

‘I’ll assume the worst-case and guess it’s Dexterity. She’s beyond agile, both with her hands and her overall body. I don’t know if I could even copy what she’s doing and I’m at a 4, after all. So she has the range advantage, as well as agility advantage… I have… Experience? Maybe? She did get a lot of hands-on in the past hours, so I can’t really rely on that either. She’s not going to fumble around like the other Marines have done so far, trying to get used to their new bodies.’

As Thea tried to determine her advantages over Karania in the direct matchup, she quickly realised she was at a distinct disadvantage instead.

'... Fuck… This is a really bad matchup, isn’t it…? I’ll need to just play it by ear, I can’t think of a foolproof way to get to her as is… I’ll have to watch out for her Ability too… Whatever Silver-rarity Ability she has, it won’t be easy to deal with, I’d imagine…'

A second later, the harsh blare of the buzzer signalled the official start of the fight.

Thea dashed forward by forcefully kicking off the ground, as she had done many times in the past hours, activating her Ability when she was about five metres away from Karania.

'Sensory Overdrive.'

As many times before, time seemed to slow down around her, allowing Thea a clearer look at Karania’s overall stance.

Karania's stance was poised and calculated, a true testament to her proficiency in controlling her new, enhanced body. She wielded her weapons with confidence, her eyes focused sharply on Thea, ready to react to any slight movement.

Thea's mind began to race, her heightened senses taking in every tiny detail. She could see the subtle tightening of Karania's grip on her vibroblades, the slight shift of her weight as she prepared to move, the controlled rhythm of her breathing. It was clear that Karania was not just a formidable opponent, but had also greatly benefitted from the prior arena fights, by honing her close-quarter-combat instincts to this degree.

'She's not going to make this easy,' Thea thought, her heart pounding in her chest. However, instead of inducing fear, the challenge before her only fuelled her determination. She tightened her grip on her own combat knives, her muscles coiling in preparation.

She had faced numerous obstacles before and this was just another one.

With a deep breath, she continued her lunge forward, opting for a straight attack, rather than trying any feints for the first exchange. Her eyes remained focused on Karania, watching for any signs of her next move.

With her combat knives leading the way, Thea closed the remaining distance between them. Her focus was razor-sharp, her eyes trained on Karania's subtle movements, each one providing valuable clues about her next move.

In response, Karania deftly adjusted her footing, her gaze matching Thea's in intensity. She held her vibroblades in a defensive stance, prepared to counter Thea's forthcoming assault.

Just as Thea was about to reach striking distance, Karania moved.

While the speed of her strike was slower than some of Thea’s prior opponents, the efficiency and accuracy of it surprised Thea, a blur of motion that she struggled to react to, despite her enhanced senses.

The straight vibroblade lashed out, piercing through the air between them like a bullet, its path inhumanly precise and efficient, aimed directly towards Thea's approaching form.

Thanks to her Sensory Overdrive however, Thea was ready.

She twisted her body, narrowly avoiding the blade, but Karania was already on the move as well, her crescent vibroblade swinging in an arc towards Thea's exposed side. Thea quickly parried, her own knife intercepting the incoming weapon with a resonating clash.

The impact sent a jolt up her arm, but Thea didn't falter. She used the momentum to spin away, creating some distance between them. She was panting slightly, her heart pounding in her chest. Karania was just as she had anticipated - a formidable opponent.

Thea was struck by the sheer precision and efficiency of Karania's movements - no superfluous gestures, no wasted energy.

‘Definitely a genius, alright.’

Despite the admiration for her squadmate in front of her, Thea was far from giving up.

She held her knives in a ready stance, her gaze never leaving Karania.

She had managed to defend against the first exchange of blows, but Thea knew that this was only the beginning of what promised to be a gruelling fight. Her adrenaline surged, the excitement of the challenge invigorating her. This was what she had been waiting for - a true test of her abilities.

‘This is so fun… I’m going to have to ask Karania for some sparring sessions in our training room later on…!’

Unable to hold back a toothy grin, Thea circled around Karania, trying to find a better angle of approach, as she dealt with the backlash from her Sensory Overdrive running out.

A sudden tightness in her chest signalled danger just as Karania sprang forward, shifting her weight onto her raised leg with a speed that belied belief. To any onlooker, she almost resembled a snake striking at its prey.

Although she had a slight period to react before the attack came, Thea was vastly outmatched in speed for this attack. She tried to step away, but Karania was already upon her.

Despite her best efforts to deflect Karania's uncannily precise strikes, Thea could barely redirect them from her vital areas, sharp pains exploding in her right shoulder and left arm as the vibroblades tore into her flesh.

Grunting in pain, she continued her retreat, twisting her body to prevent the crescent blade from taking her entire arm. Having finally managed to step far enough away from Karania's initial assault, Thea braced herself for the inevitable next attack.

To her surprise, however, there was none.

Karania had resumed her previous stance, her one leg slightly elevated, prepared to strike once more.

'I see... It's a stationary stance for quick strikes, but it loses its spring-like quality if she moves...' Thea mused, piecing together her opponent's gameplan.

Assessing her injuries, she was relieved to find that, while painful, they weren't debilitating. Blood seeped from her wounds, but it seemed no arteries were hit, and her mobility was undiminished.

'That strike... It's even harder to predict than Lan's Strength 4 attacks. With minimal weight shifting before she launches her attack, it's nearly impossible to anticipate... How in the Void do I counter this?' she thought, her mind racing.

Redirecting her full attention to her opponent, Thea resumed circling Karania, her eyes keenly searching for a weak spot in her defences.

Thea's mind whirred with the rapid-fire calculations of an experienced fighter. She knew Karania wasn't going to give her much time; the slight, anticipatory flex in Karania's raised leg was enough of a hint. It was a reminder that she was akin to a coiled viper, ready to strike at the faintest hint of vulnerability.

Taking a deep, calming breath, Thea centred herself.

The pain was a distraction, a buzzing fly to be swatted away in her mind. Her training kicked in, allowing her to push the discomfort into a small corner of her consciousness, locking it away for later examination.

She needed a strategy, and she needed it fast. 'What about feints?' she pondered. 'A series of quick, light attacks designed to throw her off balance, just like I did with Lan... Maybe that will force her to move, to lose that spring-like tension in her stance...'

The decision made, Thea allowed a determined smile to spread across her face. 'Let's dance, Karania,' she thought, her heart pounding with the heady mix of anticipation and exhilaration.

In the next moment, Thea darted forward, her combat knives weaving in a threatening dance before her as she closed in on Karania. Unfazed by Thea's sudden change in tactics, Karania keenly tracked each of her opponent's moves.

Just as Thea was about to reach what she assumed to be the edge of Karania's range, she pivoted sharply to the right, the ground thudding heavily beneath her as she maintained her momentum.

As abruptly as she'd changed direction, a sudden pang of danger warned her of a life-threatening strike.

Surprised at Karania's swift reaction to her feint, Thea threw herself backwards, all thoughts of offence forgotten as Karania's crescent vibroblade swept toward her in a deadly arc.

Narrowly, Thea managed to dodge beneath the lethal swing, her head pressed tightly against her neck as the vibroblade hummed viciously, missing her nose by mere inches as it passed above. Unable to halt her momentum, she twisted in mid-air, landing agilely on her feet to prepare for any potential follow-ups.

As she refocused on Karania, she scrambled to deflect the incoming vibroblade with her own knife, the metallic weapon aiming straight for her heart.

Yet again, Thea couldn't fully divert Karania's incredibly efficient and precise attacks, as the vibroblade drove into her left shoulder with a sickening thud, sending a renewed jolt of sharp pain through her body.

As she quickly widened the gap between herself and Karania once more, Thea couldn't help being impressed by her opponent's skill.

'This feels utterly impossible… I’m getting cut up left and right, while I haven’t even managed to get a single hit in… Why the fuck was she concerned about not being a good fit for Alpha Squad?'

Assessing her injuries again, Thea frowned as she noted the new wound on her left shoulder had compromised her left arm’s mobility slightly.

It wasn’t by much, but in a fight where she was already significantly disadvantaged, any reduction in arm function was tantamount to a death sentence.

Looking back at Karania, Thea was taken aback by her opponent’s face. Karania’s eyes had a new, feverish glare to them, her mouth distorted in a savage, downright feral grin.

“Try me again, Thea! Come on!”, the girl goaded on, a sadistic undertone audible in her voice.

Unsure of what to say or how to react to this sudden change in her squad mate’s demeanour, Thea tried refocusing her efforts on coming up with a new game plan, while circling Karania at a safe distance.

'Straight attacks don’t work. Feints don’t work. She's faster than I can react, never missing a strike. Every single one of her attacks is lethal, if I don’t actively dodge or deflect it...

'The biggest problem is the range, however… I can’t even try to trade blows, as I can’t get close enough to actually hit her with my knives…' Thea’s thoughts raced in her head as she grappled with the reality of her predicament.

Feeling cornered and without a strategy against Karania, Thea sought to glean more information through a series of further attacks, all of which ended much like the first two.

The only difference was Karania’s increasingly manic laughter at every exchange, as if the cuts, stabs and blood invigorated her very being.

At first, Thea had assumed that Karania’s behaviour had been a trick to unnerve her, but over the past couple exchanges, she definitely recognised that this was Karania’s true combat face, ‘Something is seriously wrong with her…’

After a series of renewed exchanges, Thea’s arms and shoulders were lacerated with cuts and stab wounds. Blood was starting to pour from her accumulated injuries, a grim reminder of the urgency of her situation.

'... I’ll lose like this. I don’t have the Vitality or Recovery to keep taking hits like this… I’m at my limit… Think, Thea! How do you beat an opponent who seems to surpass you in every way…'

A bolt of insight suddenly hit Thea, and a wide grin formed on her face. ‘That’s it! James’ golden rules!’

She vividly recalled James sitting her down at their cosy Lumiosia home, lecturing her once more on the virtues of his golden rules. “You see, these rules aren’t just for show, missy. They've been honed over centuries of victories, and even more losses. Winning a fight might teach you something, but losing one? Now that’s a goldmine."

"But remember," he had continued, his gaze earnest, "there are times when defeat is not an option. Keep this next rule close to your heart for such times: Golden Rule #9 - If you can’t beat someone at their own game, simply flip the table.

“Assuming you truly cannot win a fight, because the opponent completely surpasses you in every aspect and you’re out of options to consider, all you have to do is change the rules of engagement. You change the parameters of the battle, make it yours."

Armed with this memory, Thea felt revitalised, a fresh strategy unfurling in her mind.

'That’s right… If I can’t win playing her game, then I just need to flip the damn table!'

Karania, seeing the changed look on Thea’s face, visibly tensed up, before asking in a half sadistic, half goading tone, “Oh? You got a new plan, I assume? Come at me, Thea. I want to see your pretty blood some more!”

Thea briefly frowned at the exchange, before getting herself ready to enact her new game plan, ‘Really wish she wouldn’t say creepy shit like that…’

Taking a deep, steadying breath to clear her mind, Thea focused all of her attention on Karania’s form before her.

‘Flip the table…’

With a start, Thea dashed towards Karania at maximum speed, covering the distance between them in mere moments. Just as she was about to step into Karania’s attack range, Thea activated her Ability.

‘Sensory Overdrive.’

Time seemed to slow around Thea as she fixated her attention on the dual blades in Karania’s hands. ‘I need to get close enough to flip the table, so full defence it is…’

As anticipated, Karania struck out with her viper-like stance, her vibroblades aiming for two different lethal spots on Thea’s body. Struggling to match Karania's speed and precision, Thea relied on her Ability and her new defensive approach. She barely managed to deflect Karania’s precise strikes as she inched closer.

Karania’s eyes widened at the sudden change in Thea’s gameplan. She had fully committed to defence, seemingly indifferent to counterattacking. Launching a barrage of rapid strikes that made her weapons blur like water, Karania attempted to intercept the advancing Thea.

But each attack was either deflected or redirected to non-vital areas on Thea’s body.

A mixture of confusion and elation marred Karania’s face as Thea's blood continued to spill with each exchange, yet she was also drawing dangerously closer. When Thea finally managed to close the gap, a grin spread across her face as she stood a mere metre away from Karania.

‘I’ve always hated dancing anyway… Always preferred the arcade instead.’

Propelling herself forward with a forceful jump and using her knives to block the last two strikes of Karania's desperate defence, Thea lunged at Karania.

But she had once again underestimated Karania's precision; this time, her opponent hadn't aimed for her vital areas, but for her weapons.

With a swift flick of her wrist, Karania disarmed Thea just as they were about to collide. Devoid of weapons and no real way to inflict enough damage to win the round, Thea resorted to her only remaining option.

With a thunderous thud and the harsh crack of a visor, Thea drove her helmeted forehead into Karania, her arms fastened tightly around her opponent.

Disoriented by the abrupt impact, her vision blurred by the shards of her shattered visor and blood seeping into her eyes, Karania staggered, struggling to reclaim her equilibrium. As she tottered on the edge of balance, Thea swiftly hooked her foot around Karania’s legs, still tightly clinging to her.

Their bodies hit the arena floor with a booming thump, dust swirling around them.

Seizing the brief moment of disorientation, Thea mercilessly rammed her helmeted forehead into Karania’s face, her arms straining to constrain the writhing form of her opponent.

The sickening thuds of the repeated blows echoed in the silence of the arena, punctuated by the sporadic cracks of fracturing bone. Thea relentlessly pummeled Karania’s face with her helmeted forehead, determination and desperation fueling her onslaught.

Thea fleetingly contemplated reaching for her backup knives stashed at her waist, but quickly dismissed the idea. She had to employ every ounce of strength to keep the serpentine agility of Karania in check; her situation wouldn't afford her the luxury of a one-handed struggle. No alternative strategies presented themselves; she could only maintain her relentless, downright savage onslaught.

She gasped for air, the toll of restraining Karania while continually driving her forehead into the other woman’s face demanding an intense expenditure of energy.

Thea’s vision was a blur at this point, the chaotic scene around her lost in a fog of concentration and exertion. The faint, disconcerting sound of wet laughter, mingled with bouts of coughing, echoed around her, but her focus remained undeterred, entirely fixed on the writhing form beneath her.

Just as Thea began to sense a glimmer of control over the situation, Karania’s lower body contorted in a way that seemed utterly inhuman, twisting at angles that should've rendered anyone else incapable of movement. Abruptly, Karania’s legs coiled around Thea’s torso like steel bands, eliciting a distressed groan from her armour.

Fully recognizing the peril she was in, Thea redoubled her efforts, each headbutt aimed to shatter Karania’s skull. As the pressure from Karania’s legs around her armour increased relentlessly, and her armour started creaking in disconcerting ways, breathing became an agonising struggle, each gasp for air a hard-won victory.

Regardless, Thea continued her assault on Karania’s face, which at this point hardly resembled anything but a mixture of blood and bone shards, any identifying features long broken or covered in a sea of gore.

The only thing still visible to a minute degree, was the wide smile on her lips, as if she was thoroughly enjoying the moment.

Of this, Thea did not perceive anything. Despite her 5 points in Perception, her body and mind were at their absolute limit of what they could handle.

Finally, as her own armour surrendered with a final, resonant crack, and her ribs splintered under intense pressure, Thea felt Karania’s skull yield to her relentless assault. Her armoured forehead crashed through the bones, pulverising her adversary’s brain.

The vice-like grip around her chest immediately slackened, and the shrill buzz of the arena’s siren resounded, signifying her hard-fought victory in the first round.

Coughing up blood, struggling to draw breath, and sapped of energy, Thea lay in the gruesome aftermath of their brutal combat. A sense of dread washed over her as one crucial realisation surfaced, 'There’s still another round...'