FATE\Deus Decipit

Chapter 44: Left and Right

...

A toothy grin emerged from beneath Lancer's snout, a mischievous smile making its way to his animal face, "Reheehee! If that's what ya want master, don't come cryin' to me when you get it!"

He jumped to his feet atop the rock, spinning his rake dramatically, "I hope yer ready! Ooiiinn-" He leaped forward towards his master at blinding speed, his straw hat falling off his head and his rake alight with golden light and ready to strike "-KU!"

Heping was already in a defensive stance, and her mind rushed to calculate whether to dodge or block. Lancer's attack radiated both benevolence and hostility, a unique aura she'd never encountered, but still she placed her faith in her iron defense. She raised her arms in front of her face, preparing her body to harden in the moment before the attack struck as she had a thousand times before. Perhaps the 'Buddha Palm' technique, channeled through his rake, disguised his intent, as Heping couldn't have predicted his feint.

In the moment just before he would've brought his rake down on top of her, he swung it down in front of her, missing her entirely, but summoning a great gust of wind. Having focused her defense in her arms, her lower half was entirely unprepared for the sudden force, and she was thrown back farther into the brush, tumbling across the ground before getting her feet back under her, and landing in a crouched position.

-But Pigsy was ready. As she tumbled, he landed and dashed across the ground. In his right hand, he held his rake, the head glowing with the same golden light and spinning rapidly on the shaft. On reflex, she brought her arms together to protect her head, but her head was never the target. Even in her crouched position, Pigsy's short body perfectly placed him to send the head of the rake directly into her unprotected abdomen. She hardened her stomach to the best she was able, and while the physical damage was held off, something much more disastrous worked its way through her.

White fire shot across her veins as fast as a bullet, flying to the furthest ends of her body and uniting it in an all-encompassing, searing pain. Her hardening, her tensed muscles, released suddenly, and she fell forward onto her hands and knees, Pigsy removing the rake the moment he saw her falter.

"Whoa-ho. I was goin' easy on ya and you still go and do that? Don't tell me I overestimated you -oink-?"

-But the pain was too much. Her body screamed, her already sore muscles melting under the stress. It took all her will not to scream, not to shout, not to groan, not to fall over, not to fall unconscious. She clung desperately to the coattails of her sanity, doing all she could to pull herself back from the brink. Even if she could have responded to the confused Lancer, she wouldn't have heard him past the ringing in her ears.

"Wait- you alright? What's goin' on? I didn't hit you that hard did I?" His eyes narrowed, "You're not a demon, are ya?"

She coughed and sputtered, hardly aware of anything, her eyesight spinning and making her dizzy, "My body -cough-... is on fire."

"Ah, jeez. What's this all about?"

Her arms and legs shook, but she steadied her mind, bending her body to her will. Forcing her vertigo to fade, forcing her arms to push herself off the ground and back to her feet. Her pride rose along with her body, and by the time she finally stood tall, a cruel smile had made it's way to her face as she glared down at her Servant in spite of her wet eyes and flushed cheeks, a concoction of anger and joy rising to the challenge, "Do not worry... that will not happen a second time."

Pigsy matched her expression, "Keh-oink-. We'll see about that."

Heping took a deep breath to affirm her control over her body, and reached down to peel off her shirt-