CHAPTER 153 — REBIRTH
Again.
The word settled into the arena, and flame followed it without pause, spreading across the fallen bodies before surging higher and folding inward, compressing tightly until bone reformed within the blaze and flesh followed, rebuilding under pressure as breath returned in sharp pulls and their eyes opened through the glow still clinging to them.
They rose together, but only one moved.
His foot met the ground, and the stone fractured beneath it, the sound trailing a breath behind him as he crossed the distance and drove his hand forward, the strike landing before her body had fully shifted.
The force breaking through her guard and sending her sliding across the arena while her heels tore through the stone before she forced herself to stop.
Her breath came short, her arms stinging as she lifted her head and found him already in front of her.
Frost gathered along his arm,tightening into a dense edge as it cut toward her with weight behind it, forcing her to twist aside as the strike tore along her ribs, splitting cloth and skin before bursting against the ground behind her.
Boom!
An explosion erupted, sending shards flying everywhere as Pain followed instantly, hot and sharp, but he did not slow, as the next strike came faster,
carrying more force as she raised her arms to meet it, only for the impact to drive through them and into her chest, lifting her slightly before slamming her back into the ground hard enough to fracture the stone beneath her.
Air left her lungs, but she forced herself up through it, her stance tightening as she rose and he arrived again.
This time his strike landed cleanly, catching her shoulder and sending her spinning before she hit the ground, the impact tearing through the stone beneath her before she forced herself back to her feet, her breathing uneven now as sweat dripped from her temple
Across from her, he stood still, watching, as the absence of urgency in him hinted at the irritating fact that he wasn't taking her seriously at all
Your...slow, his voice came low, almost thoughtful.
The girl named Frigga said nothing, her jaw tightening as she moved first.
Her foot drove forward, carrying her into range as she struck with precision, her body finally shifting into offense instead of reaction, and for a brief moment the movement aligned.
He adjusted with minimal motion, just enough to let her strike pass, his hand moving once as the impact folded into her center with controlled force, lifting her off the ground again before sending her crashing across the arena, her body tearing through stone before collapsing into a shallow crater.
Boom!
Another explosion followed as Something in her snapped, as irritation began to build.
She rose again, her breath dragging unevenly as heat climbed through her chest and into her throat, her vision narrowing as fatigue began to build
But she pushed forward anyway, this time without restraint, her movement sharpening into something aggressive as she closed the distance and struck again and again, abandoning rhythm entirely as she forced the pace into something raw.
Boom!
Bang!
Booooom!
Explosions followed as Her attacks came fast, but without structure.
He watched her approach, then moved once.
Her arm was knocked aside, her center opened, and the strike followed immediately, driving into her chest with enough force to send her flying again, her body lifting off the ground before crashing into the far end of the arena and breaking through the stone as she collapsed into it.
A breath later, his voice reached her again.
Too slow.
Silence followed, as dust settled slowly across the fractured ground.
Above, the woman watched without reaction at first, her gaze steady before her head tilted slightly and moved once in a small, deliberate shake.
Anger wastes what little control you have left.
Below, the guard stepped forward again, his pace unhurried as he crossed the distance, each step measured until he reached the crater where she lay, her body trembling as she tried to rise, her breath breaking, her strength no longer answering the way it should.
He raised his hand, and flame gathered into it, tightening into something dense enough to end the fight in a single motion.
Above, the woman turned away.
If she dies like this, she said, her voice calm, already dismissing the outcome, she will remain weak.
She stepped forward, her movement smooth as she began to leave.
But just as she turned, behind her, the air shifted.
The heat changed, and instead of spreading, it pulled inward, tightening sharply as something unstable formed within the pressure.
Her steps slowed.
In the crater, the girl's body stilled for a fraction of a moment before her chest rose again, and this time the heat did not disperse as it surged through her veins and snapped back toward her heart, dragging everything with it as her pulse struck once, heavy enough to echo through her entire body.
The flame gathered in the guard's hand flickered once, his strike beginning to descend before slowing as something in the space between them changed.
A faint glow surfaced beneath her skin, not fully red, not yet stable, something deeper pressing against the surface as it struggled to take form.
The woman stopped walking and turned back slowly, her gaze settling onto the arena as the shift in pressure became undeniable.
For a moment, she said nothing.
Then her lips curved slightly, the first trace of interest returning to her expression.
Now, she said quietly, that is more like it.