The man charged forward, launching a punch aimed directly at Frøya. Swiftly, Frøya responded with lightning reflexes. Her arms surged out, their motion resembling flexible tendrils as they deftly intertwined with the incoming strike. The impact sent tremors through her limbs, but the tendrils absorbed the force, diffusing the blow's impact. Without hesitation, she countered with a flurry of her own strikes, her arms extending like supple whips, seeking vulnerabilities in the man's defense.
Yet, to her surprise, the man stood unfazed, as if impervious to her assault. Realization washed over Frøya, 'It looks like he has encephalitis, and damn, he's fast. He probably injected himself with the flu. My best chance at winning is to prolong this fight until he succumbs to exhaustion.'
"This is getting fu--" Her words were abruptly cut short as the man swiftly closed the distance, delivering a powerful punch to her abdomen.
The sheer force of the blow sent her hurtling backward, and she collided with a nearby wall. She rose to her feet, wiping away a trace of blood from her lips and speaking with a twisted sense of pleasure, "Oh, how I've missed this pain."
"Still, I do not wish to die." she declared, her resolve unwavering.
'I can't keep up with him.' She closed her eyes and began to focus.
Thump-thump
"Overdrive." she whispered, and her transformation commenced. The air surrounding her seemed to shimmer, imbued with an invisible vitality. Her complexion took on a renewed radiance, her skin flushing with newfound life.
Her striking green eyes lit up, an inner fire igniting within. The pupils dilated slightly, creating an intense focal point. It was as though her very essence radiated from her irises.
Veins, once subtle under her skin, pulsed with newfound prominence.
Her body emanated a gentle warmth, as if a controlled fire coursed beneath her skin. Her muscles, poised and primed for action, seemed to ripple with an unearthly energy.
'By infusing Nitric Oxide into my endothelial cells, they relax and expand, combined with adrenaline, my heart rate soars, delivering more oxygen to my muscles than usual. This grants me heightened speed and strength, though it comes with risks, like extreme fatigue or even cardiac arrest. It's like dancing on the edge of a precipice.'
"HAHAHAHA... This is the peak of the human form!" she laughed manically.
The man unleashed a rapid flurry of punches, but Frøya easily evaded each one and countered with a punch to the man's belly. He couldn't halt in time, so the blow landed. His grip on his belly tightened as he doubled over, and Frøya taunted, "What's wrong? Can't keep up?"
"UUAAGGHH," the man roared before launching more attacks.
"Haha, you fight like you have no brain," she jeered.
Suddenly, the man ceased his assault, attempting to catch his breath as he fell to his knees.
"Looks like your body finally gave out." Frøya noted.
With a tentacle-like extension of her arm, she ensnared the man's head and crushed it.
"Well, that was fun. Now, let's check on that boy." she said as she deactivated her power. As she moved towards Guto, an unusual pain radiated from her chest.
"Ugh. What? I didn't even use it that much. Don't tell me that fool hasn't been working out." she mused.
Seated on the ground, she struggled to catch her breath, her vision growing blurry as her surroundings began to spin.
Back in the realm of impenetrable darkness, the young girl continued to play with her dolls.
Slam... The door closed, and the metal gate descended once more to protect it.
She gazed at the door and murmured, "You too? Wait, that means..."
Before she could process what was happening, the little girl vanished from the room.
Frøya gradually opened her eyes and murmured, "Wow, I haven't taken control in a while. This is weird." while she inspected her hands. Despite the pain coursing through her body, she struggled to rise.
"Ugh, my body... it hurts like hell." she grunted.
Clutching her side, she leaned against the wall and focused on the figure by the door. There lay Guto, unconscious. She inched her way towards him, her movements weighed down by the ache that permeated her.
Poke.
Frøya gently prodded him with her foot, concern in her voice. "Guto, wake up. Are you okay?"
Guto's eyelids fluttered, and he mumbled, "F-Frøya? Are you okay? Where's that guy?"
"Don't worry, I got him." she reassured, extending her arm to help him up.
He grasped her hand, and she hoisted him to his feet. As Guto looked over at the man on the floor, he couldn't discern the gruesome truth, there was no head on the man's shoulders.
"Man, that guy really put up a fight." Guto remarked.
"Yeah, let's just get out of here."
Frøya offered her arm, and Guto helped her walk.
"Thanks."
They made their way to the next train car, where they encountered an array of locked metal boxes affixed to the wall.
"Hey, look at that one," Guto pointed at a larger, black box among the others. Together, they approached it.
Frøya leaned against the box, catching her breath, and said, "Guto, I've got a lock pick in my back pocket. Can you grab it for me? That battle really took a toll on me."
Guto's face reddened slightly as he gazed at her back pocket. "I-It's okay, I've got this."
He extended his hand, using his mutation to corrode the lock.
"Oh, great." she remarked.
***
In a different train car, about ten guards were in discussion.
"Okay, this has gone too far. We've received direct orders from Mister Dorian to find out what the hell is going on."
A guard opened the door and led his companions into the car.
***
Guto successfully opened the box, revealing numerous flasks filled with pink liquid.
"What the hell is all this?" he wondered.
"Wow, it looks like someone important is on this train. Quick, find something we can use to store these!" Frøya suggested.
"Okay." Guto seated Frøya on the edge of the box and set out to search.
While Guto searched, Frøya noticed a note affixed to the inside of the box's roof. She retrieved it.
"Hey, Frøya, will this work?" Guto asked, returning with a small bag in his hand.
"Yes, that will work. Start filling it up."
As Guto began to fill the bag, the door behind them started to open.
"Quick, Guto, let's get out of here."
Guto picked up Frøya and they rushed to the back of the train.
"There they are, go after them!" one of the guards exclaimed.
Guto opened the door leading to the rear section of the train, placing Frøya on the ground. "Okay, let's use our hooks."
They both used their hooks to pull themselves to a nearby set of rocks.
The guards rushed to the back of the train, but they were too late.
"Damn it, they got away." one of the guards grumbled.