Serial
89: Assault and battery - III
March 22nd, 33 S.D. 08:01 Binfort, Henron
Pocketing his weapon, Losha turned around and stepped over Koter as she went towards the back. Somewhere in all of this, the batteries were hidden. Pausing for a moment, she considered what would be the safest way to dispose of everything. She had no idea what was stored here; she couldn’t recklessly blow up whatever pleased her. One miscalculated move could have proved needlessly dangerous. The best option, in her mind, was to crush everything. A simple but powerful kinetic series could easily flatten the whole lot without hazard. She worried about the potential release of harmful chemicals, but Losha decided a force-field could contain anything that spilled. As she contemplated the most efficient means of destruction, a sudden, sharp pain coursed through her right shoulder.
“Rrrngh! Aggh!” she cried as something bit and sunk into her. Instantly, she looked over her shoulder. Stuck on her back, one of Koter’s knives clung to her flesh. “What?!” she exclaimed. Had she not just taken it away? Unless... Spinning about face, she saw Koter standing there. His arm reached out as if he’d recently thrown something.
“Gnnnh! You never lost the other one, did you?”
“I said I only needed one,” Koter said. He grinned but did so tiredly. “You can feel serastone, sa? You should have known I still had that one.”
Losha glared at him, but she quickly reached behind herself and grabbed the blade’s handle. For some reason, it hadn’t buried all that deeply. As far as combat injuries went, this wound didn’t pose any significant threat. Accounting for her enhanced healing as a serialist, the blow was ultimately minor. She wondered if her seras not only increased her recovery rate but also increased her resistance to physical damage.
In any case, she pulled the knife out with a swift tug. Her nerves screamed as if licked by fire, but she merely grimaced as she extracted the serastone. A small pool of blood dripped down her spine, however, she also caught sight of something else, a flash of blue. All at once, a dreadful sensation overcame her, a feeling of great agony. The very core of her being writhed as if it were attacked.
“Sa. It hurts, sa?” Koter asked, looking down as Losha fell to her knees. One arm prevented her from collapsing while the other trembled with the knife in hand. Staring at it, she saw it covered with trails of red and bright, liquid-like azure.
“You see,” Koter continued. “Serastone absorbs seras, steals it, stores it. Let it get inside your body, and it soaks up as much as it can.”
Losha glanced up at him, narrowing her eyes but saying nothing as she dragged herself up. She listed to the side a bit, feeling drained, exhausted. It was like when she serialized too much and depleted her seras... Losha chastised herself for not seeing through Koters’s tactics. He’d played dead, just like a dog. In hindsight, she should have realized his body had not shown any sparks; apparently those were the tell-tale signs that one was at their seratic limit. He’d sustained a direct blow from her servai, and yet he would not fall. Truly, among all her other enemies, Koter showed himself to be the most formidable.
Taking out Koter’s other knife, Losha held the pair together in one hand. Applying intense pressure upon the serastone, she placed a heavy kinetic series over it. The stone fractured gradually then all at once dissolved into a fine pile of black dust. Wherever it had stored its seras, that remained a mystery. At any rate, she cast her hand aside, scattering the remnants across the floor.
“We will not be using these,” she said. A moment later, however, her servai vanished, flickering twice before dying. She simply didn’t have enough seras to maintain it any more.
“Looks like we will not be using that either,” Koter said, smiling as he threw out his arms. “Sa! Now we can face each other like true warriors. Hand-to-hand combat, the basis of battle. This is what it really means to fight. We need no weapons save for body, mind, and soul.”
Losha swooned again as that feeling came over her, that eerie sense of having already seen something like this. Her sight swam as images grew indistinct. “No...” she stammered, shaking her head. “Not again!” she commanded to herself. She couldn’t afford to blank out now. Losha closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, it were as if she saw an entirely different scene before her, a different world. It was only a patchy, temporary illusion, thus the details were lost to her, but she swore things looked completely changed in that instant. She growled to herself as she fought to keep focused.
“Sa, you remember!” Koter said, raising his fist, clenching it tightly. “In that case, let us begin.” He shifted, changing his stance, bringing his arms up, preparing himself for their brawl. For a second, Losha’s heart leaped in panic. A numbing sense of apprehension washed over her. Physical combat was far from her specialty. She relied almost exclusively on serialization, but now she was too weak to cast series, not without expending the rest of her limited seras. She didn’t know how to fight like that. Even so, she mimicked his style. There was no choice in the matter.
Koter approached carefully, keeping his guard up as he stepped forward. Eventually, they were but meters apart. They kept themselves locked in a confined circle, rotating cautiously, inspecting the other for vulnerabilities. Shrewdly, the two of them observed one another, plotting against their opponent. Who would strike first? Losha waited too long for Koter’s taste, so he attacked spontaneously. He stepped forward quickly, carrying his arm low in an attempt to pound his fist into her gut.
Just like that, Losha’s world slowed down. Koter seemed to move less and less until his body halted altogether. She didn’t blank out, however. Instead, reality went back to its normal pace, but her arms and legs reacted to Koter’s punch. Automatically, guided by instincts she never knew existed, she side-stepped, closing in on the Velhast Hound. In quick succession, she unleashed a barrage of jabs to his chest. In four hits, she delivered a rapid combo that left him breathless. Grunting, Koter pulled back and looked at her.
“Not bad,” he said.
She blinked at her hands, trying to figure out what had just happened. No one had ever taught her how to fight like that. Even so, she’d beaten him this round as if she were a natural martial artist. The very idea frightened and perplexed her, but Losha didn’t argue with it. Whatever was at work, she needed it right now.
Losha and Koter sized up each other once more as they entered a sort of arena made by the stacked crates around them. Again, they walked around, prowling the perimeter until they edged nearer to their foe. Koter took the initiative this time as well. He juked to the left, throwing his arm out as if to bash her. That action was a feint; his real aim was to roundhouse kick from the right. Losha saw through his distraction; she raised her fists to shield her face. She caught him by the boot and tossed his leg aside.
Thrown off balance, the Field Lead stumbled. Before he could regain his footing, Losha swept in, jamming an elbow against his cheek. She used the momentum to pivot fast as she executed a reverse spin-kick. The back of her heel came down pointedly on the back of his head, hooking around his neck. Knocked down to the floor by the force, he turned completely in the opposite direction as he fell. That was the first time in her life she’d ever pulled off such a move. Her pulse raced as she took three steps away from Koter. It simply felt like it was something she could easily do, as if she’d done it hundreds of time before.
Koter coughed a bit, spitting specks of blood from his mouth. Despite everything he’d been through, he chuckled as he shook his head. “Sa. Just like that.” Bouncing back, he wrenched himself upright. “Excellent!” he rolled his head around a few times, shrugging up and down, steeling himself for the next encounter.
“Why are you fighting me, Koter?” Losha asked. “What reason is there?”
“Need you even ask? I am a soldier. This is my mission. It just so happens this business of mine is a pleasure to take care of.”
“Ksh... So this is personal for you, sa?”
“Precisely, Wolf. We have something to settle.”
“What about Govan then?”
“What are you talking about?” he demanded.
“Do you truly believe in the Prime Lead, that what he is doing is right for Henron? Hmph. Maybe you do not even care about all of that. As long as it is a command, you would probably follow it. As long as it fulfills the hunt, you would go in without hesitation. You are indeed a very well trained military dog.”
“What would you know about me? What drives me?” he scowled.
“I know you would betray the only family you have left in this world. I would think you of all people would be the one to stand by Liveta’s side. So much for that canine loyalty of yours. Or perhaps you still are loyal, to Heigon at least...”
Koter glared at her, curling his upper lip to the side as his fists clenched upon themselves. Losha had no idea what roles Koter had played behind the scenes, all the things he had done to aid the rebels, both from afar and up close. That was how he’d planned it though. Albolt, Tibil, and everyone else that knew of his involvement had been instructed to keep quiet. As a result, neither Losha nor Liveta knew his true intentions. He still needed the cover so he could operate close to Govan. Although he despised doing so, he’d have to keep the Core Lead in the dark for a little while longer. On top of being a double agent in this war, there was also the larger scheme that no one but Koter understood, a plot he’d carefully calculated himself...
“You have no idea what I would go through or what I would sacrifice for justice,” he said.
“Justice? Is that what this war is to you? Revenge for Heigon’s fallen power, the end of his regime?”
Koter simply laughed, shaking his head as he raised his fist. “Sa. All for revenge.”
He dashed at her, rearing his arm back for a powerful punch. He swung, but the move was wide; despite its speed, Losha dodged it effortlessly. She countered it with her own punch, however, that was what Koter expected. Even though he left himself open and exposed, he managed to grab Losha by the wrist and elbow as she zeroed in. Taking her inertia, he flipped her over his shoulder, tossing her harshly on her back. She cringed as the impact shuddered up and down her frame, but she immediately responded by launching a kick.
Lying down, her leg whipped up above her head. It was supposed to hit him right on his nose, but he blocked it before it ever touched. Grabbing hold of her ankle and thigh, he whirled her around, lifting her from the ground. With this motion, he hurled Losha to the side. She collided against a tall pile of crates, breaking parts of the wood before sliding down.
“Gsssh!” she cried through her teeth as she came to a stop. Koter was surprisingly strong, she thought. He didn’t just have animalistic abilities and senses; apparently he was also a bit of a powerhouse. He’d taken quite a beating already and still had this much strength. He was certainly doggedly determined. She, however, was just as relentless and resilient. Ignoring the various aches electrifying her body, she stood up and faced Koter. The Field Lead stepped closer, keeping his forearms up in defense. She realized, in that case, it would be better to strike low.
Losha moved aggressively towards him, taking one large step at a time, waiting, then resuming her approach. Koter tensed up each instance, guardedly watching her. She locked eyes with him, keeping him trained on her as she prepared to attack. Launching two short jabs, she blitzed him. His stance allowed him to absorb the blows with minimal damage, however, these punches were merely misdirection. Losha thrust her foot at his shin with a snap. Squirming from the sting, he bent over to the side. Wasting no time, the Wolf dropped slightly to the floor, swiping her leg behind his injured one. She grabbed his arm and tripped him face-first to the ground.
Despite suffering through her technique, Koter refused to yield. He rolled over and came upright, kicking at her with another roundhouse. Ducking under his boot, she managed to dodge him. Even so, Koter kept up the pressure. He jumped forward, lashing out with a kick to the front, then followed that with a side-kick. Timing herself properly, Losha kept away from his assault, skipping back at the right moments. That much, however, was all she could do; he gave her no chance to retaliate.
Koter rushed in, gripping both fists over his head. Together, he bludgeoned them upon her, as if his arms formed one great hammer. Bracing herself, she threw up her hands and intercepted his. She stopped his movement, yet he continued to press down. Her own arms quivered as they strained to fight him. By degrees, her elbows began to angle inward; it was clear Koter was starting to overwhelm her. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, something pushed into her stomach; it was his knee.
“Gack!” she spat, losing the rest of her breath. She wanted to grab hold of herself as pain raced all throughout her abdomen, but she maintained her composure. Instead, she quickly found a way to break free. Koter was right about to knee her again when she tightened her fingers around his wrists. She fell backwards, dragging him along. As Losha hit the floor, she pushed both legs against Koter’s chest. Like a spring, her limbs scrunched up before straightening out in an instant. With this, she tossed him over herself, flipping him upside down as he flew through the air. He landed on top of a box, breaking into it with his fall.
Losha pulled herself up and looked on at her rival. With some difficulty, huffing all the while, Koter climbed out of the box, collapsing to the floor on all fours. Both of them paused for a moment as they dealt with their own wounds. Still, each knew there was one more round to go before they could settle things. Slowly, Koter stood. Suddenly, charging forward with alarming speed, he ran up to Losha. She prepared herself, but he simply proved too agile.
He grappled one of her arms, swiftly stepping behind her as he twisted it to her back. Wrapping his other arm around her neck, he immobilized her in a chokehold. As his muscles squeezed, Koter threatened to strangle her. Losha’s mind quickly reached a countermeasure, however. She still had one hand free; with that she grabbed at Koter’s hand just below her chin. She found his pinky and pried it backwards with a crack. Instantly, Koter roared in response. She threw her elbow behind, hitting him in the ribs. This was enough to disable him. He released her as he backed away, nursing his broken finger. Losha stumbled forward, coughing and rubbing her throat.
She wasted no time turning around and going after Koter. Only a few meters away, she came up to him and punched him straight across the face. He sputtered and faltered a few steps. To save himself, he jumped to the side, keeping some distance between them while he glanced down at his hand. He examined the crooked digit before grabbing and popping it back in place. Koter only frowned at the sickening sound it made... Holding his hand up, he flexed all of his fingers, making sure each of them worked correctly. Losha, however, gave him no quarter.
In a moment, she was on him. Again, the Wolf tossed her fist directly against his cheek, causing him to waver. She was hardly through though. After delivering two more jabs to his gut, she clasped both hands together as she spun on her heel. With all of her knuckles interlocked, she slammed them against the side of his head. Koter pitched along the ground, tumbling down helplessly. This time, however, it seemed he’d run out of energy. He could but lie there now, unmoving.
As if out of nowhere, a chorus of howls surrounded her. She’d completely forgotten about his hunting dogs. Warily, she looked to and fro, but by then they were already everywhere. They crept up towards her, yet for some reason they outright ignored her. Instead, they walked over to their master, the Velhast Hound. Forming a circle, they sat by Koter, tossing their heads high to the air as they bayed. To her amazement, Losha noted Koter’s seras spike. Such a low level posed no concern; nevertheless it was a curiosity for her. Gradually, Koter stirred and hoisted himself up. One of the dogs yapped and whimpered at him.
“Is that so?” he asked. In reply, the same dog barked loudly. “Sa. I suppose it is time.” Losha squinted at him as Koter conversed with the animal. Her eyes later widened as she saw one of the dogs pass something in its mouth to him. It was yet another bomb. Koter pulled a latch from the side, activating the explosive before tossing it to the far back wall.
“Watch you ears,” he instructed to his pack. The creatures fled as a thunderous blast erupted behind Losha. As if pushed down by a great, terrible wind, she found herself cast forward on her belly. Even from this distance, she could feel the heat dancing against her backside. The shockwave stunned her, leaving her body paralyzed there on the ground. Groaning, Losha raised her head to see Koter trotting off. When at last she could get to her feet, the Field Lead had already gone to the rear of the room.
There, thick, black soot covered everything like dust. Charred remains littered the area, a number of which still burned. An enormous hole had opened up, exposing the fort to the outside plains. Koter stood at the edge as his dogs waited. He turned around to Losha, staring intently at her. Then, for whatever reason, his battered face smiled in genuine lightheartedness. He laughed, shaking his head while looking down for a moment. Wiping his brow free of blood and sweat, Koter nodded at his opponent.
“That was pretty fun,” he said. He took his index and middle fingers and touched the top of his head, doing a sort of salute as he flicked his wrist to the side. “See you next time, ace.” His words echoed within her as if she were hearing them now but also from some other time, like it was all familiar to her somehow.
With that his gang of dogs howled as he jumped backwards, falling out of sight. Yipping wildly, his canine companions soon followed his example, leaping after him. Losha pursued as fast as she could with a limp. She arrived at the end, peering over the side of Binfort. Rubble had rolled down at an incline, forming a kind of ramp down to the fields. Koter was already deep into the prairie grass when she spotted him. She’d have to let him go. Fighting him had never been an objective. She had only ever come here to destroy the batteries. Looking behind her though, taking in just how ruined the entire storage facility was, it appeared her job was done.
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