Chapter 789 (1/2)
With Skarch looming in front of her, Helen simply chuckled. “Get fucked.”
Skarch’s spear hit Helen’s stomach with enough force to crack a few ribs even as the long spearhead slid between them to inflict the most worrisome wound. Helen grunted, feeling the sharp flash of panic and the fiery waves of pain as though she was just an observer. But just as quickly as those feelings had arrived, the black flames of rage devoured them to grow larger and higher.
Twisting her wrists, Helen’s barely controlled spear ripped through Skarch’s bicep. Then she twitched her hands and sent the spear skittering up across Skarch’s face. The other woman was too shocked to react to the first attack, but she leaned back to avoid the worst of the second attempt. All that she received was a shallow gash across her cheekbone.
Step forward, damnit, Helen urged her uncooperative, trembling legs. For all that her mind could endure such a wound, her body was much less resilient.
With a worried expression on her face, Skarch took a step backward. What was particularly infuriating was that she didn’t seem worried for herself. “Helen, your wound-”
After a hesitation that felt cavernous, Helen stepped forward after Skarch. Such was the other woman’s shock that the spear slid right back into the deep wound in Helen’s side. This time, however, it was accompanied by another burst of worrisome pain as Skarch twisted the spear to disentangle it. Some of Helen’s shattered ribs complained painfully.
Strike. Helen whispered to herself. It was difficult to focus. Helen didn’t dare check her Health, lest she lose her nerve.
Whatever else it did, a few things were certain: Skarch’s Overdrive on her spear increased Skarch’s Agility and Strength much more than Helen’s Tides of Blood Domain improved her own. Continuing the fight normally wasn’t an option. Skarch was scrambling. It was perverse, but it seemed like Helen holding her own life hostage was giving the other woman pause.
It was a dirty trick. Almost cheating to win. Taking advantage of the other’s good intention to win, but…
I want to win. STRIKE!
Skarch was too close to properly get her form together, so the best Helen could manage was wielding her spear like a club and whacking Skarch upside the head. To her pleasure, this ripped open the small cut above Skarch’s eye and caused a cascade of blood to roll down. Very soon, Helen knew that a huge blind spot would open up in Skarch’s vision.
This time when Skarch stepped backward, Helen didn’t attempt to follow. Instead, her eyes were locked on the gush of blood from her own side. It wasn’t drops that fell out of the wound, but full handfuls of blood. The red globes fell and splattered in strange patterns. Steam wafted upward, a reminder of her own body’s vitality. Slowly, Helen raised her gaze and pressed her hand to her side. She needed to slow the bleeding.
But Helen still had the presence of mind to summon the Tides of Blood Domain. Somehow, it seemed easier to summon and more powerful than ever; the coloration of the Domain was much closer to true blood, as well.
In a somewhat amusing irony, Skarch seemed furious.
“You fool,” She whispered. “What have you done. You will die.”
“Haven’t yet,” Helen grunted. She felt the burning and freezing flow of energy from her connection to Randidly. It was rushing through her to fix the gash in her side. Blood oozed out between her fingers. Blinking rapidly, Helen did the best she could to focus her vision. Perhaps… perhaps this had been a very dumb decision.
Her wound began to ripple painfully as the energy arrived and did its work. Luckily, Skarch looked just as bloody with a would across her arm and head. But Helen understood such wounds were largely superficial; combined with Skarch’s still glowing spear…
From heat, suddenly the wound was cold. And with that chill came clarity once more to Helen. Suppressing a pang of fear, she took stock of herself. Her breath came in rattling gulps. Thank god she had held onto her spear through the onslaught of shock… fucking bodies. Trying to lose her the match.
“I will not ask again,” Skarch said. “Yield. Without treatment, you will die.”
Helen grinned. The coldness was such she could barely suppress a shiver. But she moved her hand away from her side and no further blood pumped out onto the stage.
Thanks, Randidly. Feeding Frenzy. Burst of Speed.
With the two buff Skills roaring through her veins, Helen rushed forward. Skarch’s right arm tightened on her spear and she raised it. Rather than waiting, Skarch advanced. In addition, her attack was still so fast that Helen could only throw herself to the side in order to be impaled on the spear.
Twisting around, Skarch angled the spear to point at Helen. It looked like the kid gloves had come off. With only one arm, Skarch wasn’t willing to take chances.