Destiny No More

Chapter 101

Adam didn't wait long to strike, seizing the momentum and forcing her back towards the downed Bullhead a few steps. She didn't let it go farther than that, knowing that to close that distance was too much of a risk. The crew were wounded, and even if they hadn't been, they never would have stood a chance against Adam. He closed the distance between them in only a few steps, leaping over the ball of flame that she threw at him; attempting to bring his sword down on her shoulder with the added force of gravity.

Pyrrha sidestepped the strike, watching as the red blade swung down. Thrusting her hand out, a shard of ice crashed into his chest with enough force to push him back. As his footing stumbled she lunged forward, aiming the tip of her sword for his throat. Were the weapon functioning properly she would have transformed her sword into its spear, granting her the ability to strike without leaving her guard quite so open; with it broken however, Adam was able to pull back before her strike could land. He covered his retreat with a blast from his sheath, buckshot slamming into her face and forcing her to close her eyes on instinct. Though most of the shot was blocked by her extended sword arm, enough made it through that she felt the pressure on her eyes and forehead.

The moment she closed her eyes however, she started thrusting her hand towards the ground; shooting out a jettison of fire that both kept Adam at bay and launched her up and over her opponent. With a minor adjustment mid-air she was able to land smoothly behind him with enough space to strike. Allos cut through the air parallel to the road, roughly even with Adam's hip. He turned in place, bringing his sword around to block her strike. Metal scraped on metal, sparks flying as the two blades pushed off one another. Adjusting, Pyrrha brought Allos up in a slash down Adam's middle. His sword caught hers again, deflecting her blade to the left as he stepped right.

She brought Allos down towards his shoulder, forcing Adam to lock blades with her to block the strike. A flash of light reflected off of his mask as Pyrrha forced her maiden powers through Allos, flame engulfing the blade and forcing Adam to wince at the sudden heat. Pulling back, he was unable to fully clear her sword, Metal sparking against Aura. The flames fell from Allos, crashing into the ground and forcing both herself and Adam back. Angling his sheath, Adam tried to take a shot at Pyrrha, but a wall of ice sprung up between them before it could. The ice was thin, shattering after the first shot, dropping ice into the quickly dwindling flames. Steam exploded out, singing skin but otherwise clearing the way for Pyrrha to charge back in. Adam was ready, parrying her first strike and flicking out with his sword to score a minimal hit on her thigh.

Taking a deep breath, Pyrrha felt her Magic flare up for a moment as she launched forward, her armored knee crashing into his stomach before time seemed to catch up. She was already moving past him as he began to react; spinning, she scored a solid strike on his back before he could even turn. He stumbled forward but continued to turn, firing a shot from his sheath as he finally faced her, the kick of which he allowed to push him back; using it to fall into a more stable stance. Pyrrha covered her eyes with her forearm, blocking the metal pellets that threatened them. Aura or not, she could still feel pain, and the eyes were the most vulnerable part of the body. Adam seemed to be going strictly for hers whenever he could, and Pyrrha saw no reason she couldn't do the same.

Kneeling down, she kept her eyes firmly on Adam. He was in a low stance, blade at the ready but notably not yet sheathed; sparing her any immediate risk from his Semblance. Placing her hand on the road, she took a deep breath. Adam wasn't content to let her do so uncontested and fired a shot, attempting to close the distance. The ground before her froze rapidly, meeting Adam halfway before spreading out around him. While certainly a more difficult terrain to navigate, Adam did not immediately lose his footing; that hadn't been her intention however, and raising her palm, she sent a blast of fire at the ice in front of him. The ice melted suddenly, shooting more steam up just as before, but this time directly in his path. He was already committed and unable to stop in time, forcing him to run through it.