"Are you Heiss?"
He didn't try to avoid the subject and asked this time with a serious expression.
Personality #4: "I see you're not deaf, but don't get distracted from the fight"
"…..", maintaining her posture, she knew he was right and that overthinking things served no purpose. The fact that he was fine and wearing the traffickers' uniform left her distrustful, but despite everything she decided to trust and wait to see what answer he would give at the end.
The battle began, Cloe and Rhaelle shot at each other, extended their arms where they had their swords and knives.
"!Clank!"
The metal being struck against the other resonated throughout the area, neither side missed a single detail, even if they were moving at great speed, those of higher rank could barely keep up.
The zone will allow you to go further, relaxing your muscles and maintaining high information flow as you go, but in exchange for leaving you exhausted at the end, you can do much with your mind, but if your body doesn't follow, it's the same as being in a cage unable to escape.
On the other hand the state of ecstasy is more focused on exploiting your internal emissions to access your system's adrenaline to obtain fluidity similar to the zone, with just that you can make your battle decisive, but not definitive and this is because your body will only respond a little better by tensing and straining, which will inevitably exhaust you faster; to solve this Rhaelle like the others in Fenrir Squadron must know how to breathe in this attack mode.
Let's give an example, if for some reason you go jogging on a 500 meter track you'll notice that having continuous breathing is the best way to handle the distance.
Just the same if it were 5 or 10 kilometers, but here's the thing, that passive continuous breathing will only help in continuous progress without change.
Even for that continuous state there are different ways to accumulate oxygen in different time patterns.
That's why it becomes very difficult to boost your body with breath, because if you do it wrong you could end up on the floor from overexerting your lungs, rib cage or from lack of air.
They must have done it with brutal training to get used to the changes in heart rate and pressure from the efforts of your entire body to maintain brutal conditions.
Those in the zone have the advantage that unconsciously they go at their best pace, of course there's a way to do what they do in the state of ecstasy to add them to the zone, but it's practically impossible.
'That's something I shouldn't think about now'
The talent was evident, Cloe was the embodiment of talent and Rhaelle of effort.
The two showed the advantages of their abilities.
Cloe took advantage of her state to throw multiple cuts at very high speed and precision, her turns took advantage of the force to hit hard, her flexibility helped her give attacks as if they were a snake.
Rhaelle took advantage of her increased adrenaline and strength from her breathing method that helped her deliver strong blows with the sword and forceful physical charges that could make Cloe back up.
Level I instructors might think this was a tie.
For me there was already a winner, the question was if everything would go as expected?, since I didn't expect the interruption of this group of girls and their friends, I didn't expect to encounter the district yet and this could change things.
'I hope it's not too much of a problem'
***
Sparks from the collisions lit the poor colors of the place, although everything was in flames it didn't mean it weakened all the darkness of the jungle. Only the exterior spotlights of the base were saved where the explosion attacks didn't reach.
There were few projectiles, but the combustant did its job and turned the rest of the vegetation and infrastructure into an inferno.
The kitchens where they prepared coca and amphetamines had exploded from the interaction between fire and chemicals, causing much more damage throughout the place.
"Come on girl let's play hahahaha"
Between laughs Rhaelle's face changed to total euphoria, her attacks became more reckless, she set aside trying to incapacitate her weapons or extremities each time she moved away with the whip, now as long as her opponent received more damage she didn't care.
In a collision, Cloe takes advantage of Rhaelle's shock absorption blow and jumps on top of her offering her knife as an exchange, in the air she disperses the swords, puts her hand in the vest and pulls out two knives, she throws one immediately taking advantage of the opening.
With a quick movement Rhaelle avoids the knife hitting her chest, but in exchange is hit on the shoulder.
In the fall Cloe throws the second knife at the head, which is blocked by the swords.
Taking advantage of Rhaelle's lack of vision, as if she had already foreseen this, she launches with her only knife and cuts the abdomen in a long stroke that tears her dress, skin, flesh and almost a crucial organ.
Rhaelle's fight so far was her long-medium range and explosive strength, she had excellent handling of her modified swords, she had precise control of her sword blades, but didn't know how to handle Cloe's progressive close attack that used her flexibility to deflect attacks instead of moving away, and that also used her knives to buy time or disorder her defense, and in high-speed battles if you don't adapt quickly you lose.
It was like fighting with a slippery snake.
"!!plap", Rhaelle knelt on the ground while holding her abdominal wound.
She didn't lose because she was worse or less experienced than Cloe.
Her first fight with Emily had already left her tired and with some wounds she received in order to win, but that cost her better mobility in her second round.
If it had been the first fight it's likely Cloe would have ended up like Emily, with a better result, they could have almost tied.
This sentenced the battle.
"Hah….hah…hah"
Agitated breathing could be heard from the girl with clear blue eyes and brittle white blonde hair.
Her smooth skin and serene gaze made the scene more than memorable.
Heiss watched her in silence, his gaze sharpened when he saw her.
{She looks like her} said #2
'Like who?'
{Isn't it obvious?, your dead ex, #14} said #4
'...'
A slight tremor passed through the side of Heiss's right arm; without paying attention he continued watching the combat.
"Your name is Rhaelle right?, you're one of the strongest people I've fought"
Turning slowly and approaching Rhaelle who was holding herself together to not collapse, tried to use her breathing and hands to avoid bleeding out.
"Yes, it was a good fight", her gaze of euphoria was replaced by a faint smile, there was a bit of frustration in her gaze
'Why wasn't it him?', was the question going through her mind.
"!!crack", although she won the battle, she would learn that that was what it was, a mere fight; in the distance branches were heard breaking.
"!!scrrchk… scrrchk…", it was like something was being dragged.
The two girls turned toward the west, and there they saw it.
A boy about 19 years old, dark blue eye color, blue-black hair, strong and mature features, defined muscles and bloodthirsty aura.
He was dragging 2 men on his back, grabbed by their shirts, both were unconscious at first glance.
Personality #4: "Shit"
Emily also noticed and focused on the subjects he was bringing.
A look of horror appeared in her eyes, the same look appeared in Cloe's.
"I see you lost Rhaelle, I told you not to trust yourself with people connected to #13, I also had to take care of these 2; I was thinking of leaving them, but they might be useful"
"!!thupf", "!!thupf", he dropped the 2 bodies to the ground.
Then he slowly approached her and knelt on the ground.
"Look how they left you"
The gaze was one of sadness.
Cloe did nothing, couldn't measure his strength, but intuited that he was dangerous, besides if he fought again she wouldn't have the strength left to escape with Emily.
"If I couldn't handle some simple girls, how could I fight him"
She held the wound with greater force.
"I already told you to stop thinking of him as the person from the past, the codices changed, since the Principality was founded as it is, they ended up being monsters"
"But...", contrary to what Rhaelle expected, Lykos just put his hand on her cheek and calmed her.
"Remember, don't mention anything about that here"
Looking at him fixedly, she nodded.
Then he slowly stood up and looked at the soldiers.
"!What are you waiting for?!, bring the Cellaris quickly or I'll kill you!"
The instructors quickly sent the lower ranks to bring the syringes they were asking for.
Cellaris was a powerful blood blocker that prevented bleeding and helped coagulation and fast healing.
In this era scars could be removed with lasers, so it was the least of the inconveniences, what was important was saving her life.
Two soldiers arrived, one took the syringe and pricked next to the wound while the other held her so she wouldn't fall.
Bubbles started coming out of the cut, then it began healing in an upper layer that formed around the wound.
The two took Rhaelle by the shoulders and took her away.
"Well let's proceed with the next link"
Lykos looked in the direction of Cloe.
"What did you do….?, WHAT DID YOU DO TO CALEB AND ETHAN!"
A strong scream came from Emily's mouth.
Rage and anger were directed at this subject who had hurt her friends.
"Emily, get out of here! We can't do anything, so take Ethan and Caleb with the guy in the mask!"
"I'm not going to leave you here with that bastard!", she refused to let her die alone.
"I didn't ask you, it's an order!"
"!But..!"
At that moment applause was heard.
"Hahaha, what a show, it's really worth the effort. When I kill them for good, I'll see how they beg me to let their friend live."
He lowered his arms and looked seriously at Cloe.
"Well, it's time to finish this"
"!Tap!", the foot hit the ground with haste and he launched toward where Cloe was.
She barely reacted and put her hands in front of her chest.
Then she endured Lykos's incoming blow that sent her flying against one of the decorative pillars of one of the houses that were maintained so they wouldn't fall.
The force was such that the pillar broke to pieces and then fell to the ground.
"!CLOE!", a sharp scream burst from Emily's lips; she tried to get up, but her legs failed as she felt numb, which sent her back to the ground.
"Later I'll go after #13 and we'll leave this district hell forever"
On the ground barely able to get up, she looked at the executioner approaching with the sword of the girl she had fought.
Once in front he raised his hands to drive that sword down over Cloe.
"Say goodbye bitch"
"!Tap!", an ultra-fast displacement was heard.
At that moment the sword was held, Lykos's arms didn't move, and his hands were blocked.
In his view appeared a masked man who was grasping his two hands with just one, preventing the sword from piercing the girl.
"Who are you?"
Personality #4: "It's enough, you haven't changed anything, neither you nor the Fenrir team"
It was as if he already knew him, which made Lykos more alert and cautious, very prepared to fight against whoever.
"How is it possible…?"
The strength increased, but the hand didn't move.
And at that moment everything became clear, his eyes became bloodshot and he was ready to return to the state of ecstasy if necessary, he had already used it with Ethan and Caleb, so if he had to risk it all, he wouldn't hesitate.
But before he could react, he was dragged by the same hand at the wrists toward the right side of Heiss, making him lose his balance, his right foot was used as a trip for him to fall even easier.
Subsequently as he fell, a wind sound was heard like a soft sharp whistle.
The fist came from the back hitting the face and jaw, smashing them directly into the ground, without giving him the chance to counterattack.
A small shockwave formed from the impact.
Personality #4: "It seems you still remember me, it's good to see you again, Lykos"