Chapter 720

After a shared pair of grins the two burst into motion. Kevin and One were trading blows, or well, Kevin was flailing and One was trying not to get hit anywhere important. Kat and Nell though were exchanging blow after blow to minimal effect on both sides.

Nell would attack Kat with large sweeping strikes that while powerful were much more about area denial and abusing the fact she was tied to Kevin. Nell primarily used long sweeping attacks from her left arm, focusing on striking at the join between Kat and making it difficult to doge right and take Kevin with her. The only option was to go backwards and risk a follow up that caused them to falter.

Nell’s right arm was focused now on blocking Kat’s attacks. It rested around her midsection and moved up and down to block any punches or tail strikes Kat made. Nell was always careful to keep her hand specifically ready to try and catch Kat out. It was actually the main part of what was restricting Kat’s movements. The risk of getting grabbed was an ever present danger and Kat had a few close calls with her tail.

That was something Kat was learning in this rapid exchange. Her tail was fast, but to get that speed she had to trade off a lot of flexibility. Curling her tail up somewhat like a spring and shooting it forward meant she had to continue with the motion once it was released. There just wasn’t a lot of control once she passed that point of no return and it was getting to the point that Nell could read her movements. Kat was sure that if she kept things so simple Nell would, despite the large speed difference, catch her in the end.

So Kat moved onto different things. She was trying to fight gaps in Nell’s leather armour but was finding that despite being leather and allowing for extra movement, it was likely harder then steel. Of course, Kat didn’t know exactly how tough steel was, but that would be her best comparative guess. The dwarves armour was clearly tougher then that, but... that was the only thing she could compare it too at the moment.

In meant her tail wasn’t able to score anything more than light scratches on the leather. Her fan was even worse. It did cut, slightly, but the blades got caught when Kat got in a good swipe that wasn’t blocked by Nell’s hand. Kat had to let go over the fan to avoid her arm getting crunched but it did allow for a gut punch with her tail. There was a small divot from the tip of her tail but Nell didn’t even seem winded.

And that was starting to become a problem. Kat was burning energy to keep her perception at this point. She didn’t need it for the movement itself, she was keeping just below bracelet complaint levels to keep her demonic energy usage efficient... but it just wasn’t looking to be a success at this point. She had wasted a bit over half her reserves at this point, well, wasted might be a strong word but it wasn’t around anymore.

.....

It did help her feel a more distinct difference between the energy Lily was constantly giving her, and the energy she naturally produced. Kat also noticed that now she was below fifty percent she was actually getting more energy from Lily. She wasn’t sure how that worked though. *Is Lily producing more energy now? I doubt it. So that means I’m just RECEIVING more. The question is, how limited is that extra boost?

I know Lily’s body can store some energy but I’m not sure it was ever properly compared to my full total. Now I have her regeneration as well as a drain on her reserves... which should be fine. Even if Lily drains them completely dry she doesn’t NEED demonic energy like I do.*

Still, Kat didn’t know how best to abuse this second wind. It did mean that technically she was no longer loosing energy, the extra was enough to balance out her increased mental rate and deal with the few smalls scrapes she was getting in the exchange. The problem that she’d already worked out was that it wasn’t infinite. She might have more total energy to use right now, but could she outlast Nell?

While Kat and her team were fighting it out, the others were doing there own thing. Bonas and Nabras were working shockingly well with their dwarves, all four of them moving like one organism instead of for, stepping in time with each other somehow and trying to press the advantage that provided them. Sadly, Irwin and Gareth bashing them around with that giant rock wall that was still being held made it really hard. With Fir and Nixilei making sure the four couldn’t get around the wall, it looked like a stalemate. It would be as well if the floor wasn’t crumbling away, something all eight were aware of.

That left Ellenell and Four to fight Kress and Merick, but Kress and Merick were pushing the other duo back quickly. Ellenell was the team healer, not really a fighter and Kress was consistently pushing him back and away from the other members. He wasn’t going for a ‘kill shot’ something he likely could have accomplished, but it was a bit of a risk, no matter how slightly and he was making great progress.

That left Five. Five was currently trying to sneak around the fight while dragging Blue’s unconscious body with him. He’d managed to chose Kevin’s side. Despite the spear going wide occasionally, Kevin was completely focused on the task at hand and his body hid a lot of the movement behind him from Kat’s notice. If Kat had really been paying attention she might have still scene, but keeping up with Nell was become harder the more Nell got used to Kat’s movements.

The only issue for Five, was that Nell and One also hadn’t noticed the movement, and they were getting ready to make a push. At a signal they arranged beforehand they acted as one. Five let Kevin’s spear glance off his side as the dwarf stepped forward and caught the middle of the spear holding it in place perfectly.

On Nell’s end, she let Kat come in for an attack, blocked it with her hand like usual, but was confident Five would stand still. As such she lifted her unbound foot to unleash a heavy kick on Kat’s stomach. She saw the foot coming. Saw the kick coming from ages away. Kat also wasn’t sure she’d get such a good chance again.

Kat gave up on dodging this kick. Her tail started wrapping around Kevin to take him along for the ride if necessary while her arms came down. The left was blocked by Nell but the right managed to sneak around the back. Fan summoned and splayed out Kat put all of her strength into cutting deeply into the back of Nell’s leg.

Kat was rewarded with a squelch and the sound of something under high tension snapping right as it made contact with Kat’s chest. The kick was lower down then ideal, missing her ribcage and going just for the squishy organs behind it. Kat felt as Nell’s leg crushed her stomach against her spine, and destroying the layer of skin on top, made worse by the sharp twist Nell made right as she pulled back, doing more damage on the way out then on the way in.

Kat’s saving grace was that she didn’t try to tank it. She was perfectly willing to let that kick send her back. A Tail around Kevin meant he came too without stressing the vine linking them together. Kat flew backwards coughing out blood along the way. As Kat flew, she had an odd straight thought praising the fact she didn’t actually have stomach bile, but she blamed the pain on that odd tangent.

When Kat landed eventually, she stumbled and found herself doubling over. Her spine was fine, and her back muscles could support her but her stomach and abdominal muscles had been shredded and the pain was still very much there. She managed to right herself after just a moment, but that moment could have been too long. Kevin was annoyed because in the flight he managed to lose his spear. Five’s grip was too strong and now he was down his weapon for now.

On Nell’s side though, things were looking much worse. Unlike Kat who was already healing the damage to her tendons wasn’t something she could just ignore. She was putting a lot more weight on her left foot now as she tried not to do more damage to the muscles in her right foot. She wasn’t a fool. She knew Thyme could heal them... but she also needed what did remain to keep the pressure up on Kat. She just had to hope her legs didn’t collapse before Kat did. Easy? Right?