Chapter 134: Mika Barrier

Chapter 134: Mika Barrier The tension in the white corridor stretched taut as a bowstring. Mika’s earth-blade trembled in her grip, her knuckles bone-white against the weapon’s hilt. The skull-masked figure stood motionless, those hollow eye sockets boring into her with an intensity that made her skin crawl. "You want to know where your precious Veilwalker is?" The masked figure’s voice carried a mocking lilt that cut through the silence like a razor. "She’s screaming Kiran’s name right now, begging for mercy that will never come." Mika’s roar of fury echoed off the pristine walls. Her right foot slammed forward, her entire body coiling like a spring as she launched herself across the corridor. The earth-blade swept overhead in a vicious arc, her shoulder muscles bunching with the force of the strike. The masked figure’s head tilted slightly to the left. Her right foot slid backward, her torso twisting as the blade whistled past her skull mask, missing by inches. Mika’s weapon crashed into the white floor, sending chips of stone scattering like shrapnel. "Pathetic," the skull-masked warrior sneered. Her right hand moved in a fluid circle, fingers dancing through the air as wind coalesced around her palm. The air solidified into a curved blade that hummed with contained energy. "Is this the best earth-wielders can produce?" Mika’s left knee bent, her weight shifting as she ripped her blade from the cracked floor. Her right elbow snapped up, the weapon spinning in a diagonal slash aimed at the figure’s ribs. The masked warrior’s blade materialized just in time, her forearm crossing her body to catch Mika’s strike. The impact sent vibrations up both their arms, metal screaming against hardened wind. "You talk too much," Mika snarled. Her left foot pivoted, her hips rotating as she chained three rapid strikes together. Each blow forced her opponent to give ground, her boots sliding across the pristine floor. The skull-masked figure’s laugh rattled through the bone covering her face. Her right shoulder rolled back, deflecting Mika’s overhead strike before her wrist snapped forward, the wind-blade cutting a shallow line across Mika’s forearm. Blood droplets spattered the white stone. "And you fight like a desperate animal," she said, her left hand grabbing Mika’s wrist as their blades locked together. "No technique, no finesse—just raw brutality." Both warriors strained against each other, their faces inches apart. Mika’s teeth ground together as she pushed forward, her right leg bracing against the floor. The masked figure’s grip tightened, her fingers digging into Mika’s wrist until the bones creaked. "My name is Emma," the masked figure said conversationally, as if they weren’t locked in mortal combat. "I never did get to introduce myself properly." Mika’s left elbow drove into Emma’s ribs. Emma’s grip loosened just enough for Mika to twist her wrist violently, breaking the lock and sending Emma staggering backward. Her heels scraped against the floor as she fought to maintain balance. "I don’t care what your name is!" Mika’s blade swept horizontal, the weapon cutting through the air at waist height. Emma’s knees bent, her body dropping into a crouch as the blade passed overhead. Her right hand touched the floor, fingers splayed for balance as she swept her leg in a wide arc. Mika’s ankles tangled, her body tilting as she fought to stay upright. Emma’s wind-blade came up in an underhand thrust, aimed at Mika’s exposed ribs. Mika’s left hand slapped the flat of the blade, deflecting it to the side as she stumbled past. The displaced air whistled against her ear. The sound of their clashing weapons echoed through the corridor like hammer blows. Each impact sent sparks flying, metal meeting hardened air in brilliant flashes. Several guards pressed themselves against the walls, their eyes wide as the battle intensified. Emma’s fighting style flowed like water. Her right foot would slide forward, her blade following in a precise thrust that Mika barely deflected. Then her left shoulder would roll, her body spinning as she brought the weapon around in a horizontal slash that forced Mika to duck. Every movement was calculated, controlled. "You’re nothing but Kiran’s lapdog," Mika spat. Her earth-blade came down in a crushing overhead blow, her entire body weight behind the strike. Emma’s right foot stepped to the side, her torso leaning away from the descending weapon. The blade crashed into the floor where she had been standing, and Emma’s wind-enhanced strike carved across Mika’s shoulder, opening a gash that immediately began to bleed. "And you’re nothing but a broken tool," Emma replied, her wrist twisting as she brought her blade around in a backhanded slash. "Discarded and forgotten." The words hit harder than any physical blow. Mika’s next attack came with redoubled fury, her blade work becoming wild and unpredictable. Emma caught the weapon on her own blade, her wrist rotating as she twisted Mika’s weapon aside. Her left hand shot forward, fingers finding the pressure point in Mika’s wrist. Mika’s grip spasmed, her earth-blade flying from numbed fingers to clatter across the floor. For a heartbeat, Mika stood defenseless. Then both her palms slammed against the white stone, her knees hitting the floor as her earth responded. The pristine surface cracked and buckled, stone rising up in a circular wall around both combatants. The barrier shot upward with grinding force, sealing them inside a makeshift arena fifteen feet across. "You think trapping us together will help you?" Emma’s voice echoed within the stone prison. Her right hand flexed, the wind-blade reforming around her fingers. "You’ve only made it easier for me to kill you." Mika’s earth-blade reformed in her grip, drawing substance from the stone walls around them. Her right foot planted firmly, her left sliding back into a fighting stance. "In here, your precious wind won’t save you. This is about strength against strength." The confined space changed everything. Emma’s wind-enhanced movements became more constrained, while Mika’s brutal style found its element. She pressed forward, her right shoulder leading as she drove Emma back with pure aggression. Their battle became a thing of savage beauty. Emma’s blade work remained precise, her right wrist snapping forward in surgical strikes that found gaps in Mika’s guard. But Mika’s raw power was overwhelming in the cramped space. Her left elbow crashed into Emma’s ribs, her right knee driving into the masked warrior’s stomach. "You call this strength?" Emma taunted, her blade finding the gap in Mika’s guard to carve another line across Mika’s ribs. "You’re just flailing around like a child!" Mika’s right hand shot out, fingers wrapping around Emma’s wrist mid-strike. Her grip tightened like a vise, her thumb finding the pressure point that made Emma’s fingers spasm. Emma’s blade wavered as Mika’s superior physical strength began to tell. "Let’s see how well you fight when I break every bone in your body," Mika snarled. Her left knee drove up toward Emma’s stomach. Emma’s free hand grabbed Mika’s thigh, her fingers digging into the muscle as she tried to stop the strike. But Mika’s strength was overwhelming. The knee connected with Emma’s solar plexus, driving the air from her lungs in a sharp gasp. Emma’s wind exploded outward in a desperate burst. The concentrated air struck Mika in the chest, lifting her off her feet and sending her crashing into the stone wall. The barrier cracked under the impact, spider-web fractures spreading through the earthen prison. They separated, both breathing hard. Emma’s right hand pressed against her ribs, feeling for breaks. Mika’s left shoulder bore a deep gash that painted her arm red. "Give up," Emma wheezed, her left foot sliding forward as she straightened despite the obvious pain. "You can’t win. You’re fighting with a broken weapon." Mika’s fury reignited. Her right foot planted, her left driving forward as she charged across the small arena. She abandoned all pretense of swordplay, her earth-blade becoming secondary to her fists. Her right hand grabbed Emma’s throat, her left slamming into the masked warrior’s ribs. Emma’s hands clawed at Mika’s wrist, her nails raking bloody furrows in the skin. But Mika’s grip was iron, her fingers digging into Emma’s throat as she drove her back against the stone wall. The impact sent cracks spider-webbing through both the barrier and Emma’s skull mask. "Broken?" Mika’s voice was a rasp of pure rage. Her right fist connected with Emma’s stomach, doubling her over. "I’ll show you broken!" Emma’s wind-blade reformed in her grip, the weapon sliding between Mika’s ribs to pierce flesh and muscle. Mika’s scream echoed within the stone prison, but her grip on Emma’s throat never loosened. Her left elbow drove into Emma’s temple, the skull mask cracking further under the impact. Both warriors crashed to the floor, their bodies tangling as they rolled across the blood-slicked stone. Emma’s legs wrapped around Mika’s waist, trying to control her position. Mika’s right hand found Emma’s throat again, her thumb pressing against the carotid artery. Emma’s wind lashed out in desperate bursts, but the attacks were growing weaker. Her hands grabbed Mika’s wrists, her fingers digging into the pressure points as she fought to break the chokehold. But Mika’s earth-enhanced strength was overwhelming. Finally, Mika managed to pin Emma to the ground. Her knees trapped Emma’s arms, her hands wrapped around the other warrior’s throat with methodical precision. Emma’s legs kicked frantically, her heels drumming against the stone floor. "Yield," Mika gasped, her own strength nearly spent. Emma’s struggles grew weaker, her wind sputtering and failing. But as consciousness began to slip away, her cracked skull mask tilted slightly, and Mika could see the hint of a smile beneath the broken bone. "Just as Master suggested," Emma whispered, her voice barely audible through the damaged mask. The words sent a chill down Mika’s spine, but before she could respond, Emma’s body went limp. Emma’s eyes closed, her breathing becoming shallow and regular. She was unconscious, but alive.