A Second Chance

Part 51 - Flip the coin

The Swordsman leaped at ReTrace, flashing his blade toward's ReTrace's chest. 

ReTrace shifted half a step to the side, calm as ever. 

"No change?" ReTrace remarked. 

The Swordsman twisted his body and drove a front kick into ReTrace's ribs. 

ReTrace slid backward across the floor with a grunt. "Ouch."

He looked over to The Swordsman's stance. 

"A straight line again..."

The Swordsman planted his feet and drew energy into his blade. The metal started humming even louder as he set his posture, squaring his shoulders and closing his eyes. 

 "LINEAR!"

He launched forward in a burst of speed, locking his body into a direct charge. The sword aimed straight for ReTrace's core. Just one clean hit, and the fight would be over. 

BAM!

The strike landed straight in Ripper's chest.

Retrace staggered back a few steps, air forced out of his lungs. For a little, it looked like the blow did some real damage. 

However, he let out a small laugh. 

"What? Impossible, that should have knocked him out at the least,"

ReTrace pulled on the front of his jacket and peeled it open. Beneath the fabric was some sort of reinforced armor, like the ones they were wearing. It was scarred a little from the hit, but still strongly intact. 

The Swordsman gritted his teeth. "I should have known this bastard would come prepared..."

"It's a weakier variant than ours," Mr. Parker replied. "You can still break through it,"

ReTrace rolled his shoulders, still smiling. "Come on... show me what else you got?"

"I've got plenty, loser!" 

The Swordsman rushed him again, but ReTrace slipped through each swing, turning his body just enough to let the blade pass. 

"Goddamn, no warm up?" he muttered with a bored expression. "You trying to make this too easy for me?"

Shut up!"

The Swordsman snapped his sword upward.

THWACK!

The blade hit ReTrace across the face. 

Blood sprayed out from his lip. 

"Still calling this a warm up?! Cuz this is gonna be your last one!"

ReTrace wiped his mouth, but his smirk never left. 

"Damn," he said lightly. "That actually hurt, Adam..."

"Don't call me that!"

"What, only she's allowed to?" ReTrace tilted his head. "But wait, she's gone,"

"Die!"

He drove the blade forward in a furious thrust.

 ReTrace raised both arms and caught the strike, and a metallic screech rung across the lab. 

"Metal bracers?!"

"What, you think I'm a jack of one trade?"

The Swordsman bent lower and brought his blade up to an upward crescent strike. 

ReTrace however used his arms to do a downwards block. He then moved his arms in a circular motion, pulling The Swordsman in and kicked him back. 

The Swordsman staggered back.