Vael's metallic arms began skeletonizing into a simple black frame as the alloy strips ripping from her forelimbs writhed like worms.

Miya, seemingly unattached from her transformation, glanced over to the sealed exit hatch at the other side of the room.

If I can keep them occupied for long enough, the two survey teams should do a routine sweep-check and recognize the locked door to the pods. My main priority will be keeping the sesnir and mid-civ safe.

Miya’s eyes instinctively snapped to focus on Vael rushing toward her. Vael swiped her arms in the air, causing her strips to release glittering black specks that clouded the air like dandelion seeds.

Nano injectors. They’re usually used to infiltrate machines and break them down on a microscopic level, but these seem to have been weaponized for…

Miya’s eyes widened.

She swiped her blade around so that the thruster pointed in front of her and pressed a finger onto the middle chassis. With a thunderous roar, the thruster erupted with a fiery blue inferno that coated the air. The injectors squeaked as their small metal frames were burnt to a crisp, as the air became murky and hot.

Miya stopped her makeshift flame thrower with a breath, then stepped back with her eyes darting across the air for any more airborne injectors. Like a swarm of flies, several black specs moved in a straight motion from her right.

Orimi lunged in front of the sesnir with clenched eyes as the swarm grew closer. The corner of her eyes squinted harder for a few more seconds until she opened one eye, then another.

“Nnn..” Miya groaned.

Her out-ward reaching arm took the impact of the swarm. The nanodes began to dissect her pale skin into small grooves like a stripped rug as they dug deeper into her pores. Miya pointed her blade’s thruster near the growing gash and created a blue blowtorch-like jet that severed into her skin. With several squeaks, the black nanodes began to fizz then ooze out of her burnt skin.

Miya turned around, surveying Orimi and the sesnir while whipping her blade to the side. Orimi, despite being shackled, looked herself over and gave a reassuring nod. Her eyes then widened with a tilt of her head.

With a rev of her engine, Miya swerved to the side with a horizontal arc of blue blaze left in her wake. A split second after, Vael slammed their fist down onto the ground, causing the metal surface to shoot up like jagged teeth. They then spun around to see Miya several feet away.

“You seem irritated. Want to talk about it?” Miya vexed while twisting her blade to her front.

Vael, unperturbed by Miya’s taunt, raised her palm to reveal a silver orb built into the center of her hand. Her hand jolted, with a nearly transparent glow releasing from the orb that whisked through the air. Miya’s eyes attempted to track the apparition but failed, gritting her teeth while locking eyes with Vael.

—Plink

Miya’s eyes widened with surprise as her blade’s black-alloy surface rippled, while at the same time, an immaterial force caused her to stumble back. She then watched as Vael’s arm continued to jolt as several more transparent anomalies raced through the air.

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Her blade’s engine revved, and she propulsed from side to side. Though not knowing where each blast would hit, she thought being a moving target would be better than sitting still. A set of arrows and circles began to flash through Vael’s eyes as she began to predict where Miya would dash with her hand already being set in place. Miya looked down as a blast scraped off the side of her collar and clicked her teeth.

I can’t keep going on like this. They’re obviously learning whatever pattern I’m producing. I need to get closer.

Miya spread her feet apart and then buckled her ankles. She raised her blade to shoulder length as it propelled her forward with an endless trail of blue flames at her back. Vael balled her fist and immediately crashed it into the spot Miya was hurdling to. However, with a swift turn of her foot, Miya swiveled to the right and prepared a momentum-powered slice mid-turn at Vael’s abdomen.

Several diagrams ran past Vael’s eyes as she punched Miya’s incoming blade away, deflecting her attack. In the same motion, they grabbed onto Miya’s arm and drew her closer. Miya clenched her open fist and severed it into Vael’s side, only to be left with a reverberating clank as it bounced off.

"My impeccable physique effortlessly assimilates knowledge from every trifling, kinetic attempt hurled its way, promptly reinforcing itself tenfold. Regrettably, your feeble assault shall merely scratch the surface of my resilience, a pitiful and inconsequential gesture at best."

Miya’s eyes began to burnish to a full crimson red, along with her hair changing from its brownish tint to a snow white. Her bomber jacket began to disintegrate as well, revealing a monochromatic sheer body-suit with flaps on her outer arms, legs, and upper chest. Her boots began to melt away as well, revealing inched-heels with the backs glowing a phantom black. The flaps on her body began producing steam, the culprit of the melting fabric, as Miya’s hands and face began bulging with veins as she clenched her fist once more.

—CLANG

Vael’s entire body spasmed as Miya’s fist drove itself into their side. Unlike the prior attempt, this strike left a wide dent in Vael's exoskeleton that produced a splintering hole at the other end of their stomach. Vael stumbled back, their mask unclasped from their face, and released a wave of gas as they sputtered and gasped. Purple fluid began to spill out of their gash as they raised their hand, preparing their particle cannon once more.

An eerie screech rattled the air. Vael’s eyes widened as they noticed a slender trail of blue flames condensing at their side, along with a long silver slit cut down the side of their arm. Another screech, the sound of metal meeting metal, this time at their backside.

Though they couldn’t see their attack or the attacker, they knew they were under assault. Each time a slash stroked their body, it was followed by their own vibrating metal shell and a rumbling engine.

It was… It’s that… Where is…?

Then they saw it. For a split second, Miya glided across the floor with the propulsion of her blade. Before Vael could react, Miya carved another piece of their frontal exoskeleton and then disappeared from their vision once more.

Vael shook off the indicators clouding their vision, then lunged back. Miya reappeared at her side, her jump giving her enough distance to see her for a split second. She raised her hand, and the silver orb in her palm jolted as it fired another invisible blast. Miya stopped mid-turn and swiped the blade in front of her face. The blast bounced off her blade with a clang.

Vael released several more blasts, to which Miya continued to swipe at the imperceptible white shadows. Her blade began to shine with a black neon glow. Her engine revved as the chassis itself grew with the sparkling blue energy signature. Miya then dodged the next blast, her blade thrusting her to the side with a pump of azure exhaust. In the same motion, and using her built momentum, she spun to the side and sliced through the air. Her blade was carved through Vael’s arm, cutting it off from the rest of their body.

Miya then landed on both her feet and began jetting around Vael with small blasts of blue exhaust at her backside.

Her blade must’ve grown from my anti-particle shots. She wasn’t able to cut through my armor until now, and they seem to be moving quicker, meaning it's also using it as an energy source. Whatever genetic mutation she just performed made her quicker and stronger as well… I must… I must examine for further battle strategy… I must…