Sigma/Star

Chapter 130: Irina vs Maria

Sigma deflected the orb of white energy away from his body, batting it aside as it flew towards him. It detonated harmlessly behind him, the explosion sending out a shockwave that rattled the battlefield. Syn didn't hesitate in his follow up, rocketing across to close the gap, tackling Sigma out of the sky above Irina, sending the two tumbling as they tussled.

"If those two are fighting then, shouldn't we let the real adults settle this?" Irina said, squaring off against her opponent, the Rose Thorn General of the Artisan Confederate.

"Let the laughter of the Jester be the ballad of your death." The woman leaped forward in a response, leaving the corpse of a disabled Rex behind. A pink blade, formed of contained energy, slid out from her wrist, and it was met with a massive icicle that coated Irina's hand and extended out from it. The Jabberwocky seemed to be one with the ice, having been built to accommodate the unique skill set of its pilot. It was one of a few machines that had been designed with the pilot in mind, rather than having been customized by them after the fact.

Another pillar of ice shot straight up between the two combatants, separating them and ending the first attack. It gave time to Irina to set up her attacks. As a warrior who based her strategy around her chi and abilities, she needed to generate terrain and weapons to her advantage, and could not always create spontaneous attacks. Her foe, on the other hand, a technical fighter, excelled in quick, short fights that constantly shifted and changed, giving little time in between.

The whip shot out from the other hand of the enemy battlesuit, writhing as electricity coursed through it. It smashed through the pillar, sending shards of frozen water out in a deadly spray. Irina had to slide to the side to avoid them, her Goliath gliding as it produced ice beneath its feet. The whip lashed out again though, seeking any part of the Jabberwocky it could grab.

Irina embraced the assault, reaching out to let the weapon wrap around her arm. She grit her teeth as the surge of electrical power flowed into her cockpit, her body buzzing slightly and vibrating as her viewscreens began to scream warnings at her. She held firm though, letting her chi flow freely from her body, concentrating it onto her trapped right arm. A thin coating of ice quickly formed, wrapping around the whip before extending down its length. Within seconds, over half of the weapon was frozen solid, layers of ice piling up on top of it. The woman pulled back, shattering the frozen whip, letting it fall to the ground between the two combatants in pieces.

"Always so quick to dive in and risk things, aren't you Maria?" Irina tutted over the communication network. The scrambled voice of her opponent gave out an inhuman screech in response, lunging forwards with her blade swinging wildly. Irina ducked the attack, punching upwards into the Artisan's chest before straightening up once more, lifting the lighter model of battlesuit over her head. "Don't lose your focus, or this ends too quickly." She tossed the Rose Thorn General aside, listening to the metal smash into the ground and bounce a few times before rolling to a stop.

The Goliath rose from the ground, its pink hue now tarnished with scratches and dirt, streaks of earth plastered across its hull. There was a large gouge in the left shoulder from where the battlesuit had clipped a large rock. The head wasn't exactly straight anymore, slightly tilted at all times. And the communication network was silent. The pair of fighters simply faced each other, quietly waiting for the next move to be played.

This was what Irina had hoped for. Had Maria continued to assault her, she would have probably won, eventually. By catching her off-guard just once, she had bought herself enough time to put plans into motion once more. All she had to do now was stack the battle in her favour.

Irina had to suddenly step back as Syn shot by her face, zipping around the air with Sigma in hot pursuit. The two were continuing their duel, fighting with reckless abandon. Huge holes had already been ripped into the ground from missed attacks, and scorched earth formed trails indicating where they had already been. Sigma's palm blazed as he fired off more energy blasts towards his opponent, but the two knew that neither of them were going to hit the other any time soon. It was, ultimately, an equal battle.