Thea was snapped out of her stunned state by the concerned voice of Karania next to her, “Thea? Are you okay? What happened?”
Blinking a couple of times to clear her glazed eyes and refocus on reality, Thea looked over at her squadmate, who had scooted over on her chair, ever so slightly.
Not quite sure how to answer the question, Thea simply held up her data-pad to Karania, “Just take a look yourself…”
Taking the data-pad with a slight hint of apprehension, Karania read through the message displayed on the screen, her eyes widening in shock at the information.
Karania only managed to mutter one word in response, “Oh.”
“Yeah... tell me about it. I honestly completely forgot about the whole AI thing. I hope this isn’t going to become a problem for us going forward,” replied Thea, worry evident in her voice.
Shaking her head vigorously, as if to clear her thoughts, Karania returned to her usual, kind-looking smile, “Ha! Never! We’re Alpha Squad, remember? We’ll figure something out, no worries! Although, if you want to show me that Ability, we better do so in either your or my room - Just in case.
“We don’t want anyone to randomly see it looking over our shoulder out here. Who knows what the Sovereign will do if we mess up her direct orders…”
Recalling Major Quinn’s display during the graduation ceremony, Thea couldn't help but shudder at the thought of what an unfeeling AI would do to her if she disobeyed a direct order, considering a human being like the Major was so quick to react to an interruption of her speech.
“Yeah… You’re probably right. Let’s do it later then in my room, after the squad meeting?”
With an even wider smile, Karania nodded enthusiastically at Thea’s proposal.
Suddenly realising what she had just nonchalantly done, Thea was inwardly ecstatic, 'Did I just invite someone to my room?! Does this mean we’re friends now…?—No! Don’t get ahead of yourself, Thea. It’s a good first step, but you need to stay focused! Slow, steady steps. Build trust - Find commonalities - Spend time together. Patience, Thea.'
Inwardly clenching her fists in triumph at this first step towards potential friendship with Karania, Thea’s mood improved tenfold.
Remembering that their break time was limited, Thea quickly pulled out a small package from her backpack, gesturing it towards Karania, “We should probably get some of that ‘sustenance’, as the Professor called it, before the lecture continues. I’m glad you recommended we take some extra breakfast and pack it for later, Karania! You’re so damn smart sometimes…!”
With a smug smile, Karania replied, “What do you mean, sometimes?” before grabbing her own prepared package from her bag.
Giggling at her squadmate's antics, Thea had to admit, it was a fantastic feeling to share such lighthearted banter with someone.
Biting into her breakfast leftovers, which consisted primarily of a grain-based loaf and a sweet, sticky spread that somewhat reminded Thea of the bright violet-coloured falberries from Lumiosia, a local treat she had rarely gotten to partake in but had loved nevertheless, she felt at ease with her current situation, a warm sense of belonging gradually settling in.
Happily eating and chatting with Karania, Thea quickly pushed the thoughts about the looming, potential repercussions of the Sovereign’s attention to the back of her mind.
----------------------------------------
Karania and Thea spent the entire break-time chit-chatting about different, mostly unimportant topics while eating their breakfast leftovers. As their data-pads chimed with the notification that the lecture was about to continue, they started preparing themselves for the next session.
Re-energised from the enjoyable break, Karania filled her desk with the usual data-pads and notebooks, while Thea simply cleaned her own desk of any leftover crumbs.
Professor Pierce entered the lecture hall just as they had both finished their preparations. Quickly moving towards his usual spot at the front desk, he activated the audio system again and explained the future plan for the rest of the lecture.
“Ahem… Welcome back, everyone. I trust you are rested and ready to take in more information by now. That said, as I had feared, there are too many questions on the message board that seem to require my direct input to answer, so we won’t be delving into the Class or Build discussion today.
“Rest assured that we have more than enough time to get to those topics in future classes however, as you are all very far away from really having to think about these things anyway. So, going forward, I will be going over a lot of the asked questions from the message board.”
Thea shot a disappointed look towards Karania, who mirrored it back at her.
They had just talked about their excitement about the Class and Build discussion during their break, hoping to glean some further insight into the System’s workings, so the announcement that it was being postponed definitely put a damper on their overall demeanour.
Thea tried to pump herself up internally, albeit with mixed success, thinking, 'Ah, well. Maybe there are still some nuggets of new information hidden inside the Q&A…'
----------------------------------------
Three hours later, Thea and Karania finally left the lecture hall side by side, for the first time in a little over eight hours.
While the Professor’s Q&A had featured some interesting tidbits here and there, Thea had a lot harder of a time following it than the more interesting parts of the overall lecture before the break, ‘I might have to ask Karania for her notes on the Q&A at a later date…’
Stretching herself, to get her stiffened muscles to loosen up a bit after the continuous sitting, as they walked through the hallways of the Sovereign’s education area, Thea casually addressed Karania, “Next up is ‘Practical’, huh? Any guess what it’ll be about?”
Thinking to herself for a moment before answering, Karania replied with a devious grin, “No idea, but I hope we get to beat some people up. ‘Practical’ sounds to me like we might get to use our Abilities, or see someone else do so?”
Unable to hide her own eagerness for some action, Thea's heart pounded just a bit faster at the thought of getting some practical experience with System-enhanced combat, "That would be great! I really need to stretch my muscles... and let off some steam!"
“Still annoyed by the message board, eh? I still can’t believe you… you know, got lucky like that. Think ‘it’ will give you an advantage if we do get some combat, or…?” Karania probed carefully.
She had slowly been trying to find out what exactly Thea’s Passive Ability entailed throughout the entire break and the Q&A session of the System 101 lecture, obviously unable to contain her curiosity.
Thea gave an exasperated sigh and answered her squadmate with an exaggerated role of her eyes, “Nooo, Karania! I don’t think so… Listen, you’ll get to see it in a couple hours, just let it rest already. I understand it’s exciting, but come on…”
In response, Karania put her hands together in a praying gesture, while making big puppy eyes at Thea. With no possible retort to give but another, deeper sigh that was accompanied by a helpless shrug, Thea continued leading them towards their ‘Practical’ class.
----------------------------------------
When they finally arrived at the classroom for their ‘Practical’ and walked inside, Thea and Karania shared an excited look between them.
The room was designed somewhat like a dojo, a design that Thea had come to be intimately familiar with due to its frequent appearance in myriads of arcade games, where it was generally used as the tutorial level.
With an expansive open floor plan and high ceilings, it provided ample space for movement and exercise. The walls were adorned with training equipment and various weapons, indicating the potential for a variety of combat scenarios.
The most striking feature of the room, however, was the presence of 13 large arenas, each specifically designed with physical combat in mind. Each arena was roughly 100 metres long and wide, with plenty of space for spectators to walk between them.
They were further separated by semi-transparent, slightly blue-tinted barriers, allowing spectators to observe the battles within, while remaining safe from any stray projectiles or forceful impacts.
Everyone could tell right away, that without the DDS, the setup of the room would never have been possible to achieve, as the inside of the room was easily tens or even hundreds of times more spacious than the footprint of it inside the Sovereign.
The flooring of each arena was made out of what seemed to be a durable, shock-absorbing material that Thea hoped would be able to withstand the rigours of System-enhanced combat. The lighting in the room was bright and even, ensuring that no shadows or dark corners could provide an advantage or disadvantage to the combatants.
Several observation decks were positioned around the room, allowing potential instructors to monitor and evaluate the progress of each individual battle from a vantage point that offered a clear view of the entire room.
It was clear that this environment was designed to allow them to hone their skills and test their abilities in a controlled, yet challenging setting. The prospect of engaging in their first ever System-enhanced combat, whether friendly or competitive, only served to heighten Thea and Karania’s excitement as they found themselves a free pair of seats amongst the already assembled group of Marines.
As they waited for the rest of the Marines to trickle into the room and for the class to start, Thea overheard a lot of hushed, yet excited chatter from the already seated Marines, thanks to her heightened Perception.
"Think we'll get to see a bunch of Ability descriptions? I'm really curious about what other people got for their starting one..."
"I hope so! I'd love to know that too. I just had to end up with a completely useless Ability for combat, huh... sigh..."
Another conversation caught her attention, as Thea heard the mention of 'Alpha Squad' in the hushed whispers and animated chit-chat behind her.
"I'm so excited to finally test out this new body! Just look at these muscles, they're raring to go! I even got a 4 in Strength, I bet I'll be one of the best out there, ha! Maybe I can even get into Alpha Squad by doing well here...?"
"Get into Alpha Squad? You'd be lucky to even make it through the class without severe injury. Did you not see that cyan girl dodge the Major's bullet at point-blank range during the ceremony? What's your 4 Strength gonna do against that kind of monster? You think your fists are faster than a gun or something?"
"Pah. That was all fake, and you know it! I bet the cyan girl somehow got the Major to put on a show, so she wouldn't be bullied. Probably had an influential sugar daddy strong-arm her into the Corps too. There's no way that A, anyone at our level can dodge a bullet at point-blank range, and B, a cyan from a mid-world undercity would be able to get into Alpha Squad like that. I call bullshit on the whole thing."
"I mean... I get where you're coming from, but at the same time, I don't see Major Quinn, of all people, bowing to some kind of influential guy, y'know? All I'm saying is that you shouldn't be too overconfident. You heard Professor Pierce, those Alpha Squad guys have a 5! Who knows what a 5 in, say, Finesse could do! Just don't ruin your own shot at this whole thing, Alex."
She had never been an overly patient person, and though her anxiety in social situations might have led some onlookers to believe so in the past, it came as no surprise to Thea herself when a familiar surge of anger bubbled up inside her at the blatant lies and downright slanderous allegations of the Marine behind her.
Unfortunately for her, she had no real recourse at the moment, as the conversation wasn't directed at her, as she had simply eavesdropped on it. Still, she hoped the class would provide her with a potential avenue for venting her rapidly overflowing frustrations soon.
First, Desmond, a member of her own squad, had insulted her to her face in front of the whole of Alpha Squad. Then there was the ordeal with the message board just hours before, which still bothered her, despite realising it had been her own misunderstanding causing the issue. And now another bigoted piece of trash was blatantly lying and questioning the sacrifices she made to get here and her overall capabilities?
Thea had to forcefully swallow the words that were threatening to escape her throat, in order to present a mostly calm front. With her fists clenched tightly, she eagerly awaited the start of the class, hoping she might be able to meet this 'Alex' inside one of the arenas in front of her.
Thea decided that, for the rest of the waiting time before the class finally started, she would continue to practise Sergeant Kaelin’s advice and not eavesdrop further. Some things were best left unheard, lest she might end up doing something she would ultimately regret…
----------------------------------------
After about ten more minutes, it appeared that all the Marines had assembled in the room, as the doors to the classroom closed with a surprising force, culminating in a loud crash. Startled by the sudden and loud noise, the class of Marines fell silent, their eyes turning towards the source of the interruption.
Upon the sudden silence, an imposing looking man, clad in the UHF Marine Corps’ typical Lieutenant uniform, strode towards the front of the assembled Marines with a brisk step.
Broad-shouldered, with a chiselled jaw and a stern expression, the man’s appearance left no doubt that he was a seasoned warrior who greatly valued physical prowess and combat. His close-cropped hair and the various scars adorning his face told tales of numerous battles fought and victories earned.
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
As he came to a stop in front of the Marines, his piercing gaze swept across the room, assessing the gathered company with a critical eye. The Lieutenant’s imposing figure and formidable presence demanded the full attention of every Marine in the room, nobody daring to make even a single sound.
"Now that I have your attention," Lieutenant Eifang began, his deep voice echoing throughout the spacious room, "we can get started with this class. You will address me as Lieutenant Eifang or Sir exclusively from this point onwards. I expect each and every one of you to give this class your all. There is no room for half-hearted efforts or excuses. Am I understood, Recruits?"
The way the Lieutenant emphasised their rank left no room for interpretation as to how he saw the assembled Marines before him: low-ranking Marines who needed to be taught from the ground up.
As one, the company of Marines answered, "Yes, Sir!".
Without wasting even a single second, Lieutenant Eifang went on to explain the class.
"This class will be bloody, brutal, and deadly. You will go inside these arenas behind me and fight each other, testing your new bodies and Abilities against one another. Combat will be focused on CQC, with no firearms available. You can request any UHF-standard weapon inside the arenas themselves. Victory is only possible through the death of your opponent, so don't hold back.
“For the squeamish among you, firstly, you have chosen the wrong path.
“Secondly, the arenas are set up to employ the DDS' filter function, to save you from any psychological harm as a result of your timely death. I have disabled the physical filter function for your pleasure, however. Failure should hurt, so that you may learn not to fail again.
“The front five arenas will be seeded with a starting combatant, but you may choose which arena you want to join if you're the challengers. The remaining eight arenas in the back will be open for anyone to join. Each fight will last for three rounds, with two wins required for a total victory. You will not be getting any resets in between each round, so any damage you take will carry over for the next one, until you die or win the whole fight. You will be reset after the whole fight’s done, of course. I don’t expect fresh meat like you to be able to last for hours.
“Death will reset you to your pre-fight state. The winner of each bout will stay in the arena, while the loser must find another arena for a new challenge. At the end of the class, we will have the remaining people inside the arenas fight each other, to see the best of you duke it out. Everyone not in those fights at the end better pay close attention, you might even end up learning a thing or two from your betters.
"Lastly, banter between fighters is encouraged as you rip each other to shreds. You're here to learn and have fun, after all," Lt. Eifang emphasised his definition of 'fun' with a savage, toothy grin that made him appear utterly unhinged in Thea's eyes.
At the Lieutenant's overt display of sadistic combat fever, Thea briefly wondered if all the Lieutenants inside the UHF Marine Corps shared a certain level of insanity, as she thought back to Lt. Frost’s and Lt. Kane’s behaviours she had managed to observe in the past.
Interrupting her brief thought, Lt. Eifang continued his explanation.
“The following Recruits will seed the five arenas in the first row from left to right, ending in the arena right behind me: Zarael Mol'Buk, Atlas vir Skyfire, Nyx Celias, Karania Faulkner, and Thea McKay. Get to your arenas now and prepare yourselves for the rest of the Marines here to challenge you.
“For the rest of you, I will allow no questions, but I got a few more pointers..."
Inwardly excited at the prospect of testing her new body and Abilities, Thea was still somewhat shocked by the rough tone of the Lieutenant and the downright dangerous training conditions he described for the upcoming class. While it was true that the DDS' filter function was effective at its job, dying was not something anyone would want to experience regularly.
Being seeded as the front-and-centre Marine, right in the middle of the room, did not help her anxiety, as she felt the stares of over a hundred Marines at her back. Regardless of her rapidly beating heart, however, Thea quickly got up and briskly moved towards her designated arena.
The prospect of letting off some much-needed steam and venting her bottled-up anger, resulting from continuous disappointment in her fellow Marines and the bigotry levelled against her, easily overpowered Thea's initial apprehension and anxiety at having to be a figurehead for the Marines once again.
As she passed Karania, who was heading for her own arena, they shared a brief glance accentuated by an excited yet focused smile. After all, they had both been hoping that the 'Practical' class would feature some combat, and Lieutenant Eifang's description had certainly delivered on that expectation.
Upon entering her arena through a door-like cutout in the barrier, Thea quickly gravitated towards the rack of weapons and armour on the right side.
She eagerly donned the provided standard-issue light armour, which, much to her elation, felt exactly as she remembered from two years ago. Grabbing two vicious-looking combat daggers from the weapon rack, she made her way to the centre of the arena, awaiting her first opponent with anticipation and a hint of nervousness.
'I really hope I don't utterly embarrass myself here... But as long as I don't get completely out-Attributed or outplayed when it comes to the Active Abilities, I should be fine. There were barely any Marines during basic training that managed to stand out in CQC, after all... I'll just focus on my own game.'
Thea watched as the assembled Marines finally rose from their seats and apprehensively walked towards the different arenas scattered around the room. She noticed how a couple of eager Marines rushed to claim the free arenas in the back, likely attempting to stand out for the instructor.
The majority, however, were slowly approaching the different, already seeded arenas, as they were clearly waiting for somebody else to take the first step, doubtlessly wanting to gain a glance at her Ability, before they stepped into the arena themselves.
At the sight, Thea was briefly reminded of the fake graduation ceremony, where the exact same scenario had played out in front of the gate to the second ceremony hall. To her, the memory felt like it had happened a lifetime ago, yet in reality, it was only the day before.
Smiling to herself at the recollection and the realisation of how much had changed in those few hours, Thea cracked her neck and began jumping on the spot to warm up her muscles. Adding a few stretches into the mix, she made sure that her body felt as ready as it could be before the first Marines finally decide to walk into her arena.
James had drilled into her the importance of always properly warming up if she knew she was going to engage in rigorous physical activity. The old man had never been wrong with his advice, so it was a no-brainer for Thea to follow it, even now.
Just as Thea was about to get annoyed at the time spent waiting on her first opponent, a fairly buff-looking man walked into the arena, accompanied by a plethora of encouraging words from his friends.
“Go get that mid-worlder low-life, Lan! Show the UHF what a mistake they made by letting those people in here!”
“Can’t wait to see the Major’s face when her beloved star-pupil gets beat up during the first Practical, ha! Go get her, Lan!”
Waving away the encouraging words, as if to swat an annoying fly, Lan walked up to the weapon and armour rack. He quickly and efficiently donned a suit of standard-issue heavy armour and grabbed a pair of one-handed chainswords from the weapon rack.
Chainswords had become a fairly popular type of weapon among many forces in the galaxy, as they provided nearly unparalleled anti-personnel capabilities.
The Allbright System vastly strengthened the resilience of each and every participant in the war, some even reaching a level where they could shrug off bullets entirely, ultimately necessitating the development of a new type of weapon for hand-to-hand combat.
The result of years of research and development was the creation of many different variants of the chainsword.
This portable weapon was capable of reliably slicing and stabbing through even the most highly resilient targets, thanks to its perpetually running chain that replaced the blade of a traditional sword. The chain would bite, tear, and rip its way through anything it touched, as long as power was running through the actuators inside the chainsword’s hilt, making it a formidable choice in close-ranged combat.
Seeing her opponent's choice of equipment, Thea's anxiety spiked once again. 'I really can't mess this up now... Not only am I going to look stupid, but it's also going to hurt a ton while I do...'
As Lan slowly walked towards the centre of the arena, positioning himself about 30 metres away from Thea, she carefully examined him, hoping to gain insight into his overall combat style.
He cut an imposing figure in his heavy armour, the suit's bulk making him appear even more formidable than he already was. Despite the weight of the armour, Lan moved with ease, leading Thea to surmise that his Strength was likely at a 4. This made him one of the more dangerous opponents she was likely going to face, as he would possess both greater strength and speed than her in a blow-to-blow exchange.
Taking a closer look at Lan's armour, Thea couldn't help but marvel at the UHF's equipment quality, even for something as low-tier as standard-issue heavy armour.
The metal plates covering his body were designed to withstand significant punishment, yet the way they seamlessly fit together, interlocked, and flowed into one another made it seem like the entire suit was crafted from a single layer of rubber.
She couldn’t even imagine what level of technical expertise would be required to design a full suit of armour to this standard.
Suddenly, the sound of revving engines inside the chainswords caught Thea's attention as Lan tested the throttles on each sword's hilt. She glanced at his hands, each confidently gripping a one-handed chainsword with an air of practised ease, suggesting deep familiarity with their use. The deadly chains emitted a soft, menacing hum as they rapidly spun at his command, ready for action.
The menacing combination of his seemingly impenetrable heavy armour and dual chainswords made it clear that Lan was going to be a real challenge for Thea, especially without knowing his System Ability.
She continued to scrutinise his every movement, trying to discern any potential weakness or vulnerability in his approach. Despite her rising anxiety due to the many eyes focused on her arena, Thea knew she needed to concentrate and stay alert. She couldn't let her fears cloud her judgement or impair her reactions.
With a confident smile, Lan addressed Thea across the 30-metre distance between them, "See, I was originally going to wait for someone else to go first, give you a bit of a chance to show off. Turns out they're all scared out there. Alpha Squad this, Alpha Squad that. Who cares!
"I can tell your Attributes aren't up to par with mine when it comes to combat. Given that, I imagine your Ability must be pretty impressive for you to be hailed as the one to watch by the Major. I'd recommend not holding back, or this will be over a bit too quickly for my taste."
Thea couldn't help but feel a strange sense of deja vu, as if she had been transported back to the early days of her competitive galactic-net gaming career, 'What is this low-level banter? Is this his first time shit-talking someone, or something…?'
Feeling slightly more at ease with the familiar sensation of a competitive environment settling in, Thea retorted, "It looked to me like you were just hoping someone else would go first, so you wouldn't have to be the first one to get embarrassed out here.
"But look on the bright side: When I'm done schooling you in front of everyone, you can claim that my Ability was overpowered, even though we'll both know the truth – you're just not good enough."
Taken aback by Thea's sharp retort, Lan stared at her for a moment, his surprise quickly giving way to anger. He stomped his right foot on the ground, steadying his stance and gestured for her to come at him with a wave of his hand.
'Looks like he's ready to go now...'
Thea mentally confirmed her readiness, prompting the countdown to begin. She assumed a low, nearly crouching, stance that she had been working to perfect for nearly two years. While most onlookers might not recognize the specific posture, those familiar with recordings of Thea's assessment would immediately identify it as Lt. Frost's own combat stance.
The moment Thea settled into her starting position, the world around her seemed to grow quiet, and the anxiety that had plagued her heart up until now dissipated. In Thea's perception going forward, only the countdown and Lan's every move mattered.
As the buzzer sounded and the first round officially began, Thea wasted no time, forcefully kicking off the ground and dashing towards a stationary Lan at high speeds.
‘Let’s see how he handles feints…’
Thea's approach was like a bullet, closing the distance between them in mere seconds. Lan, seemingly undaunted by her rapid approach, revved his chainswords, ready to meet her head-on. As she neared him, Thea feinted to the left, only to suddenly change direction and lunge towards Lan's exposed right flank.
Lan, however, was quicker than she had anticipated. With a swift, powerful swing of his right chainsword, he managed to block her attack just in time. The whirring blades of his chainsword bit into her knife, nearly disarming her on their first clash. Thea, not missing a beat, disengaged and aimed a low sweeping kick at Lan's legs, attempting to unbalance him.
Lan's reflexes were equally as impressive however, as he managed to sidestep the kick, retaliating with a backhand strike from his left chainsword. Thea barely managed to duck under the spinning chain, feeling the wind from its movement whip past her face.
Jumping backward to gain some distance, Thea took a moment to assess the engagement. 'He's even faster than I thought... This Strength 4 is no joke, damn. If that chainsword hits me, I'll probably die instantly. The force behind each strike could rip through half a dozen people… Is that his Ability… or just his Strength?
'However, he's been quite stationary so far. It's likely that he wouldn't be able to keep up with a more mobile duel, but there's no way I can force him into that... I can't deny, though, this is kind of fun. It's like coming up with a strategy on my Freya! I just need to find his weak spot...'
Deciding to test her theory, Thea began to circle Lan, maintaining a safe distance while fainting attacks from various angles.
Lan appeared to grow increasingly frustrated as he attempted to strike her with his two chainswords, but consistently missed by mere inches. Thea, making full use of her 4 points in Finesse, contorted and twisted her body at seemingly impossible angles, managing to dodge even the fastest of Lan's swings over and over.
Thea continued to carefully observe Lan’s every move, specifically waiting for him to use his unknown Ability, as she continued her deadly dance in which a single misstep would likely lead to her death, ‘Everyone has a tell… Everyone has a bias… Where is your pattern…?’
As the fight continued in a similar manner, Thea finally began to discern a pattern in Lan's attacks. With every third swing, he was leaving a small, vulnerable window for her to exploit.
It was barely noticeable, but when he swung his right chainsword, then the left, and switched back to the right, he seemed to overextend himself ever so slightly, goaded on by her continued evasions of his strikes. Thea knew she had to act fast, or Lan would eventually adapt and close off that opening.
Carefully timing her next move, Thea feinted to the left, drawing out one of Lan's powerful right-handed chainsword strikes. Dodging that one by twisting her upper body to the right, she drew out Lan’s follow-up strike from the left. Deflecting the chainsword with her knife, she prepared herself for the third follow-up.
Just as Lan switched his weight back onto his right leg, to put his muscle mass behind the third strike, Thea’s plan sprung into action.
In that split second, she darted to the right side, using her incredible agility to slip through his defences by kicking off the ground and twisting her body past the revving chainsword in his left hand.
Just as she had predicted, the momentary gap in his attack left him exposed, for just long enough to get past his longer reach, and she lunged forward, thrusting her knife towards the weak point in his armour, which was located right below the left shoulder.
Lan's eyes widened in surprise as he realised the sudden danger he was in. He hastily attempted to parry Thea's attack, but his chainswords were too far out of position to intercept her lightning-fast strike. The knife connected, and for a moment, the sound of metal scraping against metal filled the air as the blade found purchase.
Lan roared in pain, as Thea pulled back her bloodied knife from the weak point below his left shoulder and rapidly disengaged with a series of quick dashes and twists, to dodge Lan’s retaliatory strikes.
“You bitch!” he roared, before charging towards Thea with incredible speed, making full use of his 4 points in Strength.
Realising that she had successfully struck a significant blow to Lan, Thea decided to capitalise on her advantage. The injury to Lan's left arm had rendered it less effective, and she knew she had to exploit this weakness to secure her victory.
‘Just like the simulations… Never thought my experience with Freya would come in handy in a scenario like this, but here we are. Whether in-game or reality, everyone has a tell or a bias, after all… Seems that you aren’t willing to reveal your Ability yet, either.’
As Lan charged at her, his movements now more aggressive and reckless, Thea nimbly dodged to the side, anticipating his advances. Her agility and superior reflexes allowed her to avoid Lan's increasingly desperate swings, despite his raw speed advantage.
Thea continued to focus on Lan's left side, targeting her attacks on his injured arm. She didn’t even need to pierce the armour, as simply hitting the arm with enough force was bound to aggravate his wound over time.
Each time she struck, Lan winced in pain, his movements becoming slower and more laboured. The heavy armour, which had once been his greatest advantage, now became a hindrance, as his left arm became less and less responsive with each of Thea’s strikes.
Aware that Lan's stamina was rapidly depleting, Thea patiently bided her time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike the final blow. As Lan launched yet another wild attack with his right chainsword, as if it was the only move in his gameplan, she saw her chance.
‘Game over.’
Ducking beneath his swing, Thea dashed in close, tossing one of her knives at Lan’s face, briefly distracting him while forcing him to block the knife with his chainsword. Using her now free hand to grab his injured arm and yank it down, she caused him to stumble off balance, falling onto his left knee before her.
With her opponent now vulnerable and exposed, Thea plunged her knife into the side of his neck without hesitation, aiming for the gap between the helmet and the chest plate.
The impact was decisive; Lan crumpled limply to the ground, his chainswords falling silent as their throttles were disengaged.
Breathing heavily, Thea stared at the body of her fellow Marine in front of her for just a moment, before she wordlessly turned around and walked back to the starting spot in the middle of the arena, readying herself to take on Lan for the second round…