Doomsday Wonderland Vol. 10: Lava [Complete]

1202: The Circle of the Ouroboros

Her still-functioning limbs told her that she managed to dodge Hei Zeji's attack just in time—however, the moment her back violently collided with the wall, everything turned black, and all her breath seemed to be forced out of her body. Although she managed to avoid Hei Zeji's strike, the fierce wind that surged a few inches from his fingertips swept her heavily against the wall with such force that it felt as if even her spine would shatter.

Thinking back now, it seemed like the first time she truly stood as an opponent facing Hei Zeji. Even with his greatly reduced fighting abilities, she knew she had to give it her all—or even go beyond her limits—to have any chance of escaping the hospital alive.

Hei Zeji would never give his enemies a chance to regain their footing. Before Lin Sanjiu could slide down the wall, the man had already rushed to stand in front of her, and one emaciated hand was blocking the path between her and the ground.

If she got hit, it would be over. Still half-dazed, Lin Sanjiu was conscious of her right hand, and as if by instinct, she thrust it fiercely into the wall behind her, the metallic gauntlet tearing through the wall and deeply embedding into the concrete. Using her right arm as a pivot, she rolled mid-air, resisting gravity with all her strength, and flipped into the air. Just before Hei Zeji's hand could reach her, he glanced up, only to face a swirling vortex of air.

This move was something she had learned from Hei Zeji himself. However, without her left hand, the force behind the vortex was not as strong, but it was enough to make her mentor dodge slightly and take a step back. Lin Sanjiu withdrew her hand, and her body completed a somersault in mid-air. When her feet touched the ground, they narrowly landed beside Hei Zeji's left foot.

Bohemia, who had retreated to the door, watched in anxiety. "He is too difficult to fight! Let's go!"

No, she couldn't leave Hei Zeji here alone.

Lin Sanjiu clenched her teeth, her gaze locked onto another face with a black void—his left eye still appeared normal, but the right eye had been replaced by an elongated black hole. When their gazes met, there was no change in his expression, and no sign that he recognized who she was. His only thought seemed to be to capture Lin Sanjiu. Without waiting for his left foot to land firmly, it transformed into a horizontal kick, sweeping directly towards her lower limbs.

If that kick connected, her kneecap would likely shatter into pieces and pierce through her skin. However, with the wall right behind her, she had no space to dodge and no time to avoid the attack. The only option left for her was...

"As you told me," she gasped, her metal gauntlet striking Hei Zeji's shin with a force of a thousand catties, producing a sharp whistling sound, "the opponent's attack is their chance. Remember?"

Even though Hei Zeji was close to becoming a guard, his instinct for self-preservation still remained. He withdrew the attack just in time and countered Lin Sanjiu's move with his other fist, which struck her left arm without a palm.

Fighting against Hei Zeji was incredibly exhausting. No matter how she adapted, dodged, or attacked, she couldn't shake the feeling that Hei Zeji blended seamlessly with his surroundings during a fight. When he attacked her, it was as if the entire environment and the entire world suddenly disagreed with Lin Sanjiu's existence. It felt like she was trying to resist nature, like sitting in a canoe and trying to resist the raging waves during a storm.

"Someone is coming," Bohemia said by the door, her voice trembling. "Fighting him is impossible. Let's go!"

Lin Sanjiu heard, yet it was as if she hadn't heard. There was no luxury of distraction when facing Hei Zeji.

Outside, the alarm continued to urge on wave after wave of footsteps, spreading throughout the entire basement of the hospital. Bohemia couldn't afford to go far and dared not enter the room—just the wind generated by their battle was enough to tear strips of skin from her. She glanced around at the corridor entrance, then suddenly turned and rushed back into the utility room.