In a blink, I retreated high into the air, hand protectively over my abdomen. I broke into a cold sweat as I considered the horizontal slice my shirt now sported.
If I had not felt the minute difference of something passing through my shield and sucked in my stomach while leaning forward to dodge… Well, instead of a thin cut that sliced through my shirt and across my abdomen that was sluggishly bleeding, I would have been disemboweled.
I swallowed nervously at the close call.
'Thirty-Seven, are you being attacked?' I asked quickly, trying to figure out what was happening with the shield.
Unfortunately, 37 was just as confused. [No, I'm not. At least, I do not think so? They are not registering as something to be shielded against.]
Before I could try to find out why Jett's attacks have actually been going right through the shield, I was suddenly alerted by something rapidly closing in on me.
Holy fuck!
I tilted my head back and felt the heat of some sharp and pointy frisbee-like weapon evaporate the moisture of my eyes as widely stared at the close call. So glad I had a normal-sized nose or else I'd be missing the tip of it.
Straightening up, I kind of gurgled in panic when I was assaulted in mid-air by the other Partner, not quite used to dealing with a somewhat quick opponent roughly my size in the sky.
"You're not the only one that can fly!" she yelled when I finally managed to put some distance between us.
I could tell I had a maneuverability advantage when I saw how she was flying. It was a set of Wind Fire Wheels much like what Nezha was often depicted within mythology. Her heels floated above the wheels, which were spiked with blades, glowing orange in the early morning darkness.
Clicking my tongue in annoyance, I steadied myself in the air and met her halfway. If the shields did not work against other Partners, I would just need to see if an attack hit her.
There was no real need to hold back since I could tell her evolution improved her constitution more than mine, with her heavy bias toward physical attacks. I dipped lower, dropping until I was below eye-level with her—the advantage of fighting in the air—and sent a rising punch to her torso.
"Fuck off, renyao!" she tried to punch the back of my head but I had already retreated.
I was shaking off my hand, my knuckles having numbingly met her shield, visibly offended behind my mask. I was familiar with that term. "Hey, rude! I'm not transexual!"
"How should I know what the hell you are, futanari!"
Letting out noises of offense and disbelief, I didn't respond. It was not completely because I was hurt or angered by her name-calling—a bit annoyed yes—since it wasn't as if I've never been called these terms in my life before.
It was more because the shield activated.
I silently sent a
Since I was aiming at her hair, the light let me clearly see her expression change into wide-eyed shock. Her arms dropped and her head dipped forward, straight bangs hiding her face.
There have been hints to her actions I've noticed that caused me to purse my lips and narrow my eyes at the pretty eighteen-year-old girl. Someone my baby sister's age.
"So," I started, my tone softer.
"I…" she began speaking. "I will be the strongest!"
I could hear the panic and desperation behind her roared declaration but was only able to block and dodge as she bum-rushed me with the full power of a locomotive.
"Hey! Calm down a sec—"
Gah!
I scrunched into a ball, nearly missing the high-heeled bladed shoes kicked at me as a projectile. I've joked about heels killing me before but this was a bit too on the nose even for me!
[Nori—]
"You're strong! You're strong! We don't need to—"
"Stop patronizing me!"
But I wasn't even though I suppose it appeared I was. Who would want to get murdered by a tiny Chinese girl assassin though?
…
Well, what sane person would want to get murdered by a tiny Chinese girl.
[Nori—]
'Just tell me already!' I exclaimed to the AI.
It wasn't exactly easy fighting against Wong Jiayin in the sky. Especially since I was trying not to hurt her. It basically sealed most of my magic except for the super low-powered spells. She had her shield but I still had to make sure to avoid the potentially fatal moves she mixed in with her other attacks.
"Listen, we don't need to fight! For chri—"
"Then let me kill you!"
[We've drifted into a populated area in the fight, Nori. I'm sensing signals stirring below.]
Did they notice Wong Jiayin's flashy attacks?
[It is probable. The fight is not exactly quiet or small-scale and some of her attacks have landed on roofs and chimneys.]
"Jiayin," that second voice sounded again. "Aim for the people below for this wannabe Hero."
"HEY!" I exclaimed, this time truly offended. Did this turd just call me a wannabe 'Hero'?!
[That's the point you're offended over?]
"You're Program Zero-One, aren't you!" I called the bodiless voice out. "I got some words for you, you psychotic—"
[Nori! Wong Jiayin is actually focusing her energy and aiming down!]
You are fucking kidding—
She fired a gigantic
In a blink, I was on the ground, startling the people who came out of their homes wondering at the ruckus. They probably didn't really notice me in the night sky considering all the black I wore.
Looking up, I raised my hand toward the incoming energy blast that had enough power to level the block.