The moon's calm illumination rested on the destroyed wasteland below, outlining two silhouettes atop a lone rooftop.
Clouds of grey dust drifted in the air around them, covering the night sky as a diagonal slit separated one.
Veera stood across from Art resting her fist in her palm.
A line was cut in the concrete behind her feet as her veins retained their dark red hue.
Art's stance was steady while she began to observe Veera's figure.
All her attacks are in diagonals…let's see if that holds true.
Her veins—
Pulsed.
With a white light.
Their glow—
Highlighted.
Her deep yellow eyes.
Veera raised her open hands before her, facing the palms towards Art.
That's right…come.
Art slipped into Veera's range, ducking her torso as she dashed in.
Her left—
Jabbed.
Throwing two strikes in quick succession.
Veera tilted her head to the side, avoiding Art's punches as she remained in the same place.
Art's right hand—
Dropped.
Swinging a hook towards Veera's torso.
The fist—
Stopped.
As Veera swung her hand from down low.
Art shifted back looking at Veera's right hand move from in front of her left shoulder.
It is all diagonal…
Her eyes—
Narrowed.
As she moved in close.
Another left jab—
Primed.
Reach to shoot forward.
…then I can—
Art's vision—
Turned.
Looking towards the wasteland to her right.
Her chin jolted to the right side as a burning sensation rested on her left cheek.
Art hopped back, resting her left hand on her cheek.
Did I just get slapped?
A large red handprint rested across her face, stretching above her eyebrows.
Veera exhaled through her nose, holding out her right hand as if she had just swatted a fly.
"The cuts are diagonal…I'm not. Try again."
She shook her hand out before returning it to her guard.
Art readied her stance, watching Veera check the bandages wrapped around her arms.
She's annoying…but maybe I should try those bandage wounds next.
Her focus—
Returned.
As she steadied her breathing.
Art returned her hands to her southpaw stance as Veera copied her, having the same guard.
Their eyes met as Veera glanced down towards her.
Art's hands—
Tensed.
As she darted forward.
The same motions exploded from her left hand, sending jabs towards Veera's torso.
Veera had—
Intercepted.
Catching both with an open hand.
Art's right fist—
Dropped.
Sending a hook towards the torso.
It had—
Connected.
Striking below Veera's elbow.
It's like punching metal.
Art's knuckles burned with pain as Veera didn't flinch, staying in the same centered position.
Veera's fist clenched as Art tried to shimmy back.
She was—
Too slow.
Veera's fist—
Exploded.
Faster than she could react.
A right jab—
Connected.
Blowing Art's guard apart.
Art's forearms trembled as she was pushed back towards the edge of the building.
Her heels stopped at the edge of the building as she continued to watch Veera.
She definitely reacted differently when I contacted the bandages.
Art's eyes—
Narrowed.
As her guard was centered.
She began—
Circling.
Looking for any openings around Veera.
Veera tracked her rapid movements with her eyes, following the counterclockwise motions Art was making.
Selena mentioned…rats like cheese.
A faint—
Smirk.
Formed on her lips.
She turned her right elbow slightly outward, creating a small gap in her tight guard.
Art's eyes—
Twitched.
As her veins pulsed with white light.
There's a gap.
Her right foot slid forward, shifting her way closer to Veera.
Veera turned her torso, turning her left shoulder to Art.
A left jab—
Shot.
Directly at Art's head.
It grazed her brown hair as she slid into it, gliding her right fist over the top.
A counter—
Landed.
Striking Veera's face.
Art's lip barely twitched up at the end.
Did I—
Veera didn't—
Move.
As if no one had touched her.
Her gaze—
Focused.
Completely on Art.
Art's eyes widened as her feet were picked up off the concrete ground.
Knuckles twisted on her abdomen as a fist had already collided before she could react.
Her breath—
Gone.
As she soared through the air.
Art barreled towards the end of the roof, flying completely off the building.
She gasped for air as her three fingers caught the cracked ledge.
I should run—
The thought—
Cut.
As if her body reminded her.
There was no escape.
Art's eyebrows furrowed as she gripped the ledge hard, pulling herself up to clasp it with both hands.
She flipped herself back onto the roof, seeing Veera standing unharmed in the center.
Veera's narrow eyes never left Art as she landed, slightly slouching over from the body shot.
Good…keep trying.
Her lip—
Twitched.
Exposing a few sharpened teeth.
She waited in the center, as Art stumbled her hands up.
Art slid her left foot slightly forward as her hand matched moving out from the right.
Veera—
Copied.
Doing the same motions.
She raised her hand towards her motioning for Art to come forward.
Art heavily exhaled through her nose.
I have to target those bandages.
She had—
Advance.
Knowingly moving into Veera's range.
Her senses—
Pulsed.
Too late.
Veera's left fist was already inches away from her face as if she had already thrown the jab beforehand.
Her strike—
Slowed.
Letting Art stop her movements.
Art shifted her weight back, taking a few steps away.
The fist—
Accelerated.
Before she could fully recover.
It had—
Paused.
Stopping above the concrete roof.
The air around them was silent as if time had stopped ticking.
Veera's veins—
Pulsed.
Four diagonal—
Cuts.
Sliced from the clenched fist.
The building crumbled into evenly cut pieces as Art wobbled on a falling piece of rubble.
She tried to recover her balance, placing her hand on the ground.
Her surroundings pulsed, giving her a clear outline of the broken building.
Art jumped between the falling pieces, safely landing on the cracked street in front of the building.
Dust swirled in the area around her, blocking her vision of the surrounding area.
Collapsing rubble shook the ground, echoing throughout the quiet district.
Where is—
Her sense—
Screamed.
Art's guard instinctively shot up as she turned to her side.
A fist—
Reached.
Blowing through the cloud of dust.
The strike—
Collided.
With her forearms.
The dust settled from the broken buildings as Art stumbled backwards falling down.
That strike was lighter than before…
Veera stood before her, shrouded in the persistent dark red hue.
Art struggled to her feet as her veins flickered, slowly losing their white light.
…maybe she's getting tired.
Veera opened her hands, entering a different stance as her breathing became heavy.
Art studied Veera's posture as her left forearm trembled up before her.
There are more gaps now.
Her face—
Tightened.
As her right hand rested behind her.
Art's shoulder—
Rotated.
Throwing her right hand forward.
A pile of debris left her palm, heading towards Veera's eyes.
Veera moved her hand over her eye, blocking the pebbles and dirt.
Art's breathing was rapid as she stepped in close, throwing two slower left jabs.
Veera stayed motionless, swatting them away with her palm.
Her bandages—
Loosened.
Around her left arm.
Art's fist—
Dropped.
Throwing a right hook.
Veera lowered her elbow blocking the strike to her torso.
A few bandages—
Fell.
As Art swayed back across from her.
Art's hands—
Shook.
As she focused on Veera's exposed arm.
Those cut scars…
Her white glow—
Flickered.
As her eyes slowly began to dim.
Veera's lips—
Parted.
As her sharpened teeth aligned together.
Art's guard slowly loosened as her arms dropped to her side one after the other.
Her determination—
Cut.
As her chin began to lower.
…are self inflicted.
Veera's breathing returned to normal as a smile rested on her face.
It worked.
She clenched her open fists, taking the exact same stance Art used.
It was—
Sharper.
Cleaner.
As if she had always used that form.
Art's senses—
Surged.
Insensibly throwing her arms into a crossblock.
What is—
A scream—
Echoed.
Across her being.
D—
Veera exploded towards Art, slicing the land behind her in two.
A fist—
Slammed.
Heavy.
Shattering Art's bones.
Her guard was blown apart as her left forearm went limp.
I can't—
Art's remaining arm trembled violently before going into the same numb feeling.
Two left jabs—
Blistered.
Colliding with Art's chest.
The same spot—
Intensified.
With immense pain.
Art's breath was completely gone as her ribs cracked from the pressure of Veera's fists.
She's—
A right hook—
Followed.
Before a thought could occur.
Art's left ribcage shattered from the blow, stumbling her back.
Her head—
Raised.
Looking at an empty street.
Veera was—
Behind.
Keeping the same persistent smile.
"Don't collapse yet."
An uppercut—
Pressed.
Into Art's back.
Her spine curled back as she was lifted off the ground, being launched into a building nearby.
Veera swiped her fingers down, leaving them pointed to her feet.
A path—
Cut.
Directly to Art.
Art's head was spinning as her vision blurred.
Am I…still flying—
Her body twisted around, turning her eyes towards the sky above.
Veera's fists—
Loomed.
As she clenched them together.
"I like to…"
Her fist—
Slammed.
Shooting Art into the ground below.
The broken street cracked from her impact as blood shot out of her mouth and nose.
Art could barely stand, surrounded by stains of red.
Her suit was torn, as her body was struggling to lift itself up to its feet.
A hand—
Clenched.
Gripping the fabric on her back.
Veera faced the open wasteland, looking towards the rocks before her.
"...savor my sweets."
Her shoulder—
Pitched.
Launching Art across the brown rocks.
Art began—
Skipping.
Bouncing across the hard ground as it cracked beneath her.
Again.
Again.
Veera stood in the western district, placing her hand above her eyebrows.
Her fingers—
Twitched.
Slicing the ground before her.
She was—
Gone.
A cool night breeze flowed over the wide stretch of rocks, picking up the pebbles from the broken ground.
Art's heart continued to beat as her veins surged with the remainder of her strength, flickering with a faint white light.
She barely landed on her legs, staggering to her feet.
Her gaze—
Lifted.
As her right eye widened.
A fist—
Close.
An inch away from her pupil.
Time felt—
Still.
Art's very being—
Quaked.
Her senses—
Howled.
DEATH.
The dust—
Rose.
As the ground shook beneath them.
All sound—
Disappeared.
As if they had gone deaf.
The air—
Shifted.
As a fracture formed between them.
Reality—
Shattered.
Crumbling the wasteland around them.
Art fell into a small crevasse beneath her smacking the sand below.
She was buried beneath the falling rubble as she was surrounded by thick rocks.
The moon's silver light peered in from a small gap, resting on her open eye.
Arthur…
Her eye—
Shut.
…I failed.
Veera was blown across the wasteland flying back towards the western district.
Her broadsword formed in her right hand as she pointed the tip towards the rocky ground.
She stabilized herself as the ground was cut from the sword.
What was that?
Her head—
Lifted.
Looking towards the disturbance.
Veera's eyes—
Widened.
A sea of destruction was before her having the flat wasteland descend down into cracked levels.
The center of the storm was completely intact as Veera's eyes lowered down the cliff.
It felt—
Distant.
Like an invisible wall separated her from it.
She couldn't—
Approach.
As she stayed knelt down on the edge.
Two figures stood in the center facing each other.
Barbed wire—
Tensed.
Testing its own tension.
Tightening.
Loosening.
A fragmented arm floated apart, being outlined in the silver light.
Ruin was—
There.
Standing before a shrouded being.
Kane was—
Distorted.
As if he was shrouded in mist.
His chains—
Aligned.
Veera's pupils focused on the clear one, watching the pieces move with the wires.
A scar—
Twitched.
Moving along Ruins chest.
The wire creaked across the surface of the flesh, aligning its position in the center.
Veera's smile—
Formed.
As she stood to her feet.
Found you…
Her broadsword remained stuck in the stone as she tightened her grip around its handle.
Veera's eyes traced the outline.
…04.