Fight (3)
I stared straight at Kara as she assumed her battle stance. The blue lightning flickering in her hand had already spread up to her elbows.
Tatars worshiped the god of destruction, Gulrak, and one of his signature powers was thunder. Just as Porori had gained strength by offering tributes every day, Kara must have been doing the same consistently.
'Looks like she's finally ready to get serious.'
Kara usually fought with weapons. But her true strength wasn't in weapon techniques. It was the power of lightning combined with her raw combat prowess. She had a signature weapon, but she didn't rely on it. She was strong and fought skillfully. That was Kara's real power.
'Winning will be tough, though.'
Unfortunately for her, fighting Porori had taught me how to resist lightning. In Soul World, there were almost no ways to counter electrocution from lightning. You either endured it or struck back. I couldn't use the esoteric techniques of Eastern hermits, but I had a sturdy body. Still, it was best to avoid getting hit if possible. Even static stung—lightning would hurt like hell.
'She knows how tough my body is now, too.'
Just moments ago, Kara had slashed my hand with her mana-infused curved sword, but my palm was perfectly fine. Considering she was a battle-hardened warrior in the prime of her growth, that was impressive. In other words, the early story could be cleared without much effort. No need to rack my brains.
'Except for the academy collapse—that's the exception.'
That episode was designed not to be cleared from the start. It was also the story's biggest branching point.
Pzzt!
In the meantime, Kara slowly approached me. The lightning now coiled around both arms like gauntlets. As she drew near, I quietly took my stance. I was curious to see what she'd do next.
Even in Soul World, Kara was a beast in combat. A veteran player would struggle to beat her as a first-playthrough character.
Swish—
Once she was close enough, Kara pulled her right arm back. She was near, but still too far to extend her arm fully. I immediately glanced at her legs.
Crackle!
'As expected.'
Not just her arms—lightning wrapped around her legs too. Just a moment ago, there had been nothing there. Lightning boasted immense destructive power and blinding speed. Lightning struck first, thunder rumbling after—that's why.
Pzzt!
And wielding it well allowed terrifying bursts of speed.
Whoosh!
Kara, who had been at a distance, closed in right before my eyes in an instant. Her fist shot out immediately. I barely dodged by stepping back a little.
Wrapped in lightning, her speed was far greater than before.
Pzzt! Pzzt-crackle!
She pressed relentlessly with rapid punches, not letting me go. She mixed in kicks too, cornering me. For now, I could still see and evade them. But the problem was that it was lightning.
'Even static stings.'
In Soul World, lightning was one of those infamous "broken" abilities. Blocking it led straight to electrocution, and even if you managed to parry, you'd take damage. So you had no choice but to dodge every time. To counter lightning, you needed a specific technique or a tougher body.
'That's why I hate lightning.'
Thud—
As I kept retreating, my back hit a tree. The forest terrain limited my evasion. While I glanced back to check my position, Kara's fist flew like lightning.
Krunch!
I twisted away just in time, but the tree was shredded by her punch. Not figuratively—literally splintered. Wood chips and sawdust flew everywhere.
To use lightning, you needed body hardening as prep. No one could withstand its power barehanded.
'But how did that squirrel Porori endure it?'
Well, my body was inhumanly tough too, so I had no room to talk. I stopped my stray thoughts and focused on the fight. Time for me to strike back.
"How long are you gonna... run...!"
Kwak!
As Kara irritably shouted, I grabbed her collar. Now that she was going all out, I'd match her ferocity with my own.
Thud!
I shoved her toward the tree—the one whose middle had been shredded by her own fist.
"Guhk!"
She exhaled roughly from the impact to her back. I didn't miss the opening and threw a punch.
Kwaduduk!
Kara barely ducked under it. Naturally, my fist pulverized the innocent tree further.
She ducked low and smashed her fist into my shin. No pain, but the lightning stung a bit.
Shhkk—
While I flinched slightly, she zipped behind me in a flash. Her speed was insane thanks to the lightning.
Suddenly, she grabbed my waist. Wondering what technique this was, my vision flipped upside down. Not poetically—literally inverted.
Bam!
A suplex, brutal in difficulty and power. Gravity, hard ground, and the user's skill—combine them right, and it hits like a truck. Kara nailed it perfectly. Of course, it meant nothing to me. A normal person would've had their neck snapped.
Bang!
As I fell from the suplex, a follow-up came. Kara tried to stomp my head. I anticipated and dodged. Even I would've felt that one.
"Try provoking me again."
By the time I stood, Kara smirked confidently. Her successive attacks had boosted her ego. But she'd only been attacking—I was completely unscathed. She hadn't landed a solid hit yet.
Pat— Pat—
So I brushed off the dirt on my body. I'd wash later, but it felt grimy. Even living in the forest, I'd kept clean.
"......"
To Kara, it looked like provocation. My dismissive reaction probably irked her. I slowly walked toward her frowning face. She'd attacked enough—now it was my turn. Time to corner her and force out everything she had.
Pzzt!
As I approached, Kara struck first with a lightning-charged fist.
Before, I'd have turned my head or twisted away. But not anymore.
Thwap!
I read her punch's path perfectly and blocked with my palm. Kara didn't panic when I caught it. She just grinned.
Zzzzzzt!
At the same time, the lightning coiling her fist seeped into me. Normally, I'd be electrocuted. That's how it was in Soul World.
Kwak!
"Gek?!"
Not me, though. Lightning or not, I seized her careless neck and hoisted her up. Her eyes bulged in shock. It was hard to move, but not impossible. Getting zapped by Porori so much had built resistance.
Thud!
I hurled her at the tree hard enough to disrupt her balance. She crashed into it. Before she recovered, I charged like a battering ram.
Bam!
"Aak!"
A shoulder tackle—Porori's favorite Iron Mountain Lean exploded on her. Her pained scream pierced my ears.
I could smash through trees and barrel straight if I wanted, but that'd be too much for her. I'd go easy. Against Porori, I'd have plowed through like a tank.
Plak!
Ignoring the pain, Kara elbow-struck my nape. I ignored it and pressed on. She was pinned between me and the tree, helpless. That gave me the advantage.
Kwak!
First, I gripped her neck hard to immobilize her. She thrashed desperately to break free, but my fist came first.
Thuk! Plak!
Two punches to the face, then I tossed her at another tree. The two hits dazed her; she leaned against it, struggling to rise.
I closed in without pause and stomped down hard. Or tried to.
Clack!
"Urghuk...!"
She grabbed my foot with all her might. Lightning crackled fiercely from her hands. Keeping her wits after clean face hits showed insane mental fortitude. No wonder she'd grow so strong later.
But that was that, and this was this. I swung my extended leg like shaking off dirt.
Kudang!
Kara toppled helplessly. She struggled back up. Deciding it was time to end it, I took a step.
Thud!
"Hm?"
But after one step, my leg buckled, forcing me to kneel. No warning—I looked puzzled at my leg.
Pzzt!
Blue sparks flickered on the leg I'd tried to stomp with. That was it. The effect must've triggered right as I lifted my foot. Like when your leg gives out suddenly from fatigue.
Sheer coincidence layered on top.
'Truly broken.'
Broken in the game, broken in reality. I expelled the lightning and straightened my leg. By then, Kara had recovered and stood.
Had she aimed for my leg? Probably not. She was struggling to block—no time for strategy.
"Hahk. Hahk. Not even a bear... no, even bears aren't this tough..."
Kara wiped blood from her mouth, muttering in exasperation. I heard it all. She knew it too. The tide had turned to me.
She had one option left.
'Last gasp.'
Maxing out her lightning had drained her stamina sharply. Plus, those solid hits had piled on damage. Cornered, she'd pray for one final blow.
"Huu..."
Kara took a deep breath, steadying herself. She assumed her stance again.
Pzzt-crackle!
The gauntlet-like lightning intensified. She'd maxed her remaining mana and faith. This would be her last attack.
Or so I thought briefly—then I kicked off hard and charged. Even as I closed the gap instantly, she showed no panic.
Whoosh!
Her punch followed as always. But this time, she ducked my counter and burrowed inside, uppercutting my jaw with a lightning fist.
Crack! Thuk!
After the uppercut to my chin, she hooked my leg—like she had with Luna—to throw off my balance. I didn't fall, but maxed mana shook me slightly.
Kara seized the moment.
Thwap!
The hand that uppercutted now gripped something else. Shockingly, the curved sword I'd snapped in half.
Not fit to call a weapon. Magic? No—a Tatar ability.
'Oh right. Weapon recall...'
Before I finished the thought.
Pzzt-crackle!
Vivid blue lightning coiled around the broken sword. More dangerous than before.
I steadied and retreated. But she closed first.
"Hraaaah!"
Gripping the sword two-handed, Kara roared fiercely.
Shiiing!
She swung with all her might. I reached desperately to grab it, but...
Slash!
The broken blade sliced my hand first.
I admit it. No, I had to admit it.
Fighting Sivar head-on, Kara conceded inwardly. He was leagues stronger than her.
Even using lightning's power, even burning all her mana, she couldn't match his physicality. No technique mattered. The moment he grabbed her, lethal blows followed.
Unfair—way too unfair.
Still, Kara fought on stubbornly.
'It's been ages since I got crushed this bad.'
Tatar teemed with far stronger warriors. Hector was prime example. But she'd lived there long, so defeat was familiar.
Not at the academy. Among freshmen, none rivaled her. Even some professors—she could seize the advantage at full power.
But not Sivar. Technique be damned, his overwhelming strength dominated her throughout.
'If we teach technique to a guy like that...'
How much stronger would he get? How much greater?
How much more...?
'No. Snap out of it.'
No time for distractions. He was still a wild man who could barely speak. First, make him human. But before that, end this fight. Win or lose didn't matter.
Slash!
The lightning-wrapped broken sword—curved blade—sliced Sivar's hand. This time, she felt it cut.
A sensation she'd never forget.
Panting, Kara looked at Sivar. He stared at his hand with mild surprise. Then he met her eyes and slowly extended his hand.
"...Ah."
Blood. It trickled from Sivar's massive palm. A meager wound, but it counted as a hit.
"Blood."
As Kara buzzed with strange elation, Sivar spoke in his usual gruff tone. He clenched his bleeding fist, smirked, and said two syllables.
"Me. Win."
Smack!
His fist slammed perfectly into her toned abs. She couldn't even react. If she'd seen it, maybe. But this was invisible.
"...!!"
Her eyes widened as she gasped emptily. Body hardening was active, yet she couldn't breathe. That alone sealed it, but Sivar didn't stop.
Bam!
He grabbed her slumping neck and slammed her down. Overused pattern, but effective. Amid cascading agony, her mind faded—but before she could dwell, his fist plunged in.
Crack!
"Kuhk!"
She barely guarded, but it felt like her bones would shatter. Lightning was gone. Remaining mana barely sustained hardening.
Plak! Thuk! Thuk!
Sivar mercilessly hammered punches. Kara tried blocking desperately, but it wasn't enough. As the barrage continued, her mana depleted fully.
Crack!
"Aaak...!"
Without hardening, she blocked barehanded. Her arm bone snapped. Sivar immediately yanked her up, gripped her neck with one hand, supported her rear with the other, and hurled her like a two-handed toss.
Kudang! Kudangtang! Thud!
She tumbled uncontrollably before stopping. Not unconscious. She gasped, then pushed up with her broken arm, burning with defiance.
"Ughhh... Aaaah!!"
Roaring fiercely, she rose. Eyes blazing, she glared at Sivar—who was suddenly nose-to-nose.
"Come... kuhk! On. Thunder."
"......"
"Not... over... yet?"
Even striking a fighting pose with her broken arm. Sivar stared blankly, then extended his hand.
Kara flinched but saw his palm.
"...Huh?"
Perfectly healed. Just faint blood traces. Her full-power strike regenerated in under a minute.
Dazed, she looked up.
"Cheat. Bastard."
Meeting his gaze, Sivar grinned cheekily.
"All. Done?"
"......"
Like a kid asking "Did I do good?" Despite the savage fight, his pure question drew a hollow laugh from Kara.
"Wow... seriously..."
His actions were infuriating.
"Fuckin' way too much..."
But oddly, she couldn't hate him. His purity made every move endearing.
"Seriously... human...?"
Kara spat the words she'd bottled up.
Thud—
Then collapsed backward, sprawling on the ground.