Chapter 750 (2/2)

Without any warning, the faceless spear-spirit attacked. This time, to Alta’s delight, he aimed for Lyra. But quick as a flash, the woman had drawn a thin rapier from her waist. As the spear was thrust forward toward her, Lyra spun out the way and drew a sharp line through the air aiming for the spirit’s eyes.

Of course, he ignored it. He didn’t have eyes. The spear smashed into Lyra’s thigh and sent her stumbling. The spirit followed up with a thrust toward her collar bone but Lyra proved extremely slippery. She shimmied sideways, that thrust.

Or at least, Alta thought she did. The attack was so fast that her eyes couldn’t even follow it. But on pure instinct it seemed, the spirit leaned back and the attack missed.

“Are you just going to fucking watch?” Lyra asked, sounding extremely annoyed. As much as Alta appreciated that condescension beaten out of her, overcoming the spirit was the goal. So She worked her way forward with her arms raised. She had no weapon, but she was pretty confident in her ability to hit things.

Years working with machinery had given her an impressive amount of upper body strength.

The spirit scored a light hit with his spear across Lyra’s stomach and the woman hissed in pain. But instead of backing off, her rapier flashed out, faster and faster. Even the hyper-athletic spirit slipped a little as it moved backward out of the trajectory of her strikes. Which was just the chance that Alta was waiting for.

With a roar, she simply rushed forward. As she neared the spirit, she raised her hands, ready for anything.

Graceful as a cat, it spun around out of Lyra’s thrusts and managed to smash his spear toward Alta. But instead of dodging, Alta simply raised her hands in an attempt to grab it.

Of course, doing such a high-speed maneuver without practice was impossible. Alta spent all day in the lab. Things occurring at speed was not her forte. The shaft of the spear struck her in the palm of her right hand, but her middle, ring, and pinky fingers of her left hand were caught and smashed downwards. She felt the bones snap like twigs as the spirit pulled back his spear.

Although Alta was knocked backward by the attack and swearing from the pain, that cold creature around her heart stirred. It’s icy influence spread down her arm to her right hand. Even if it should be possible… Alta’s gaze was vicious.

Fuck this world. If you don’t like the way I live, I’ll tear it all down.

Her right hand scrambled for purchase on the spear shaft and found it for a split second. The spear spirit hopped sideways and pulled again to dislodge her. But as it did so, the thin blade of the rapier rammed itself up through its jaw and into its head.

It dissipated like a bag of knocked over flour, coating them boat in a strange glittery substance that lingered for almost thirty seconds.

“Nice grab,” Lyra said, cautiously eyeing Alta. “I… couldn’t have managed that without you.”

“Hard to admit, huh,” Alta said sourly while cradling her hand. She looked down at the fingers. Without any of her healing serums, she would be forced to nurse the injury for as long as she remained in the dream world. Would the world truly subject her to the false pain for now reason?

Of course it would. It doesn’t even care about the real pain I’ve carried for four decades.

Alta looked up, dispelling the soft whispers. “Didn’t you say you had been here before? If you were so shit with a rapier, how did you get out of here?”

Lyra shrugged. “That was then. I had different methods. Believe me, I wish to rush her just as badly as you do. So why not work together?”

“Alright fine,” Alta said. She didn’t know if she truly believed that this woman wasn’t another part of the dream put here to fuck with her, but considering it was only due to her influence they beat the spirit, it seemed worth the risk. “But next it’s your turn to have a bone broken.”

Lyra smile was white and brilliant, even as her red-violent gaze was slightly sickening. “Deal.”