But Dozer had seen this trick a dozen times before and was still under the boosting effects of his Skill He kicked toward her chest forcing her to twist awkwardly and leave the current before it carried her directly into his strike
Even if he knew that trick of hers Helen wasnÆt one to let such a wide opening go without punishment
HelenÆs harpoon sunk deeply into DozerÆs leg as she passed With a loud grunt Dozer yanked his leg backward and then used his hand to pull Helen toward him His Strength practically ripped her shoulder out of its socket Gritting her teeth Helen accepted the pull and allowed herself to fly toward Dozer
He immediately dropped his club and his hands shot out like projectile steel traps ready to grip and crush her limbs But HelenÆs eyes glittered as she made her skinning knife dance across her left handÆs fingertips Did you think that this much would be able to slow me down
Pressing herself to the limit Helen drew them deeper and deeper to the world of her Domain Around them large shadows began to circle curious about these two strange beings that suddenly emerged in their sovereign waters But Helen didnÆt have time for them now Instead she began to unleash a blistering series of slashes toward DozerÆs arms
Dozer endured the attacks stoically choosing to sacrifice his limbs in order to catch Helen With the amount of blood in the air HelenÆs speed had reached the point that Dozer wasnÆt able to catch up to her under normal circumstances And as long as she could continue to dodge
But DozerÆs eyes were sharp Helen wriggled out of the way of one of the hands and found that the other jumped abruptly forward toward her chest Time seemed to slow as the currents spiraled downward giving her the slightest edge But it wasnÆt enough
With raw force Dozer blasted through the bindings of those currents
Narrowing her eyes Helen refused to retreat I will beat him For weeks it was for this moment this chance that I struggled against RandidlyÆs fucking Domain
Like a lightning strike HelenÆs hand blurred outward and severed DozerÆs thumb The small appendage fell Seeing the difficulty in grabbing her without a thumb Dozer opted to simply smash Helen directly backward with his attack
Choking Helen was smashed into the ground and rolled lightly back up to her feet was still partially stunned Her head was still spinning when Dozer appeared in front of her again his club cutting downward to crush her into pulp
Instincts kicked in forcing her dazed body to yank on the chain of the harpoon still stuck in DozerÆs leg It was nowhere near enough to shake his stance but it did give Helen the momentum to tumble down between DozerÆs legs Such was the difference in their physical sizes that she passed under him easily slashing his calves for good measure
Unfortunately Dozer was not the vanguard of Donnyton for no reason
Even though DozerÆs attack simply struck the ground the surrounding area buckled and seethed Even as Helen was leaping to her feet the stance she had was shattered as the ground gave way beneath her Luckily DozerÆs weight made his situation even more precarious as his attacks split the ground his legs pierced into the ground almost up to the knee before the shattered ground managed to stabilize
As both twisted and attempted to face each other small aftershocks made the surrounding ground tremble Horrified and fascinated Helen stood stock still as she could feel the ground underneath the arena shift and collapse on itself To her left Helen saw a portion of the stands groan and crack as the ground beneath it began to slide down into the surrounding water
Immediately members of DonnytonÆs Squads surged into motion As the people in the cliffs over the quarry watched Donnyton forced those who were on the actual island of the challenge to evacuate
Her gaze flicked to the sudden flow of intimidated bodies away then back to Dozer A cracking rustling sound came from the ground warning them that its protestations were not finished At almost the same time Helen and Dozer recovered from their lack of balance and leapt toward each other Even if the ground collapsed beneath them their fight would continue That was their resolve
DRaaH Dozer bellowed unleashing a blast of noise that slapped Helen face with a physical force Immediately she could feel her own Strength ebbing somewhat Apparently the yell was some sort of Skill
IÆLL KILL YOU Came her immediately caustic response At that moment all Helen saw was the disapproving face of her mother
I only want whatÆs best for you Her motherÆs specter seemed to say It will be much better for the family if you just settle down
Dozer swung his club downward toward Helen Helen yanked on her chain ripping her harpoon out of DozerÆs leg in a spray of blood that left drops splattered across her torn and ripped armor One drop even landed on her cheek
Why canÆt you be more like your cousin HelenÆs mother complained
IÆm a knight mum Helen mumbled She straightened and rushed forward aiming to get closer to Dozer before he could fully smash her to bits But her current speed wasnÆt enough Even now after she had obtained Level 50 and a Fate she could still feel the tight bindings of RandidlyÆs Domain holding her back As long as she wasnÆt of this world
As long as she was an outsider
Why do you struggle
DozerÆs eyes possessed no hint of malice or excitement They were a vast expansive of brown dispassionately observing her as she attempted to kill him The tip of HelenÆs harpoon slid upward Although she was unable to reach DozerÆs throat easily his heart was well within her spearÆs range
Yet she would not be as quick as DozerÆs club She would be shattered before he could be skewered
IÆm his knight Helen wheezed through gritted teeth In her mind a dark silhouette with burning emerald eyes and a pale crown stood behind her His hands floated downward and touched her back with the lightness of a feather The feeling of every finger was clear on her shoulders His hands were warm
IÆm his knight and he is my lord In a way we are one
He gave her a nudge forward
The constraints of the Domain loosened just slightly So slightly Helen thought she might have imagined it But for the first time Helen wasnÆt an otherÆ She was his vast left arm that bound this world to the world inside of him She was the knight of Randidly Ghosthound She was a spear
She was a bridge
RandidlyÆs Domain rustled and trembled Helen stepped forward
When DozerÆs club struck her it shattered her femur and sent her tumbling to the side Such was the force of the blow that it had imparted upon Helen enough momentum that her eventually crash into the ground hurt more than the initial strike had Luckily he hadnÆt struck her exactly in her center of gravity and much of the force was dispersed by the spinning
Otherwise
Even still Helen had lost her weapon and she felt her Domain slowly breaking apart As the connection between the worlds faded those deep monsters that were watching the two fight simply remained passive observers mystified by the sudden appearance and disappearance of these small beings
The sky above was dark and overcast No stars could be seen But the ground below shifted Biting her tongue to stay conscious Helen sat upward
Dozer stood there a harpoon sticking out of the middle right of his broad chest He looked at Helen and grinned A good fight
Then he toppled over leaving the panting Helen alone
For several seconds she just coughed trying to gather herself She released her Fate unwilling to simply let the harpoon remain in DozerÆs insides Already a team of DonnytonÆs medics was scurrying outward to Dozer even as the evacuation of the stands continued By this point over half of the stands were empty
Below them the ground continued to shift Helen regarded the thick cracks uneasily At this rate the arena wouldnÆt last through the end of this rung
Abruptly a sharp wave of mental pressure made Helen looked sharply upward Floating in the sky Randidly seemed to burn like a solar eclipse The edges were blinding but the core was infinitely empty and black And as she watched RandidlyÆs form slowly twisted and changed