[The Tempest trilogy: Book 3] After the fateful battle for Bifröst, Zoya lost everything, including her will to fight. However, the war with Nightingale and the Yeomen is not over yet and Zoya soon realizes she has what it takes to settle them for g...
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The whole garage became a Neoclash arena. But here, we don't fight for money or shiny trophies. The world's fate is in our hands and I don't want to be her pawn anymore.
I am fighting two enemies. First, it's Valentina who circles around me and makes rapid, unexpected attacks like she always does. My skin is already full of scratches and gashes, blood soaking into my clothes. I feel pain, but seemingly only from a distance, like the body she's hurting was only half mine.
The second enemy is my own anger. I know that if I let the beserker rage consume me, I'd be able to defeat the woman with relative ease. But at what cost?
I am determined to fight like a man today, not like a beast. Even if it means I lose.
"You're a horrible fighter when you're not angry," Valentina mocks me. "So far, I spotted four chances to poke out your remaining eye, but I decided not to do that. To be honest, I can kill you at any given moment. But I just wanna keep fighting until you unleash it again. I want to see it, Isaiah. And I'm sure you do, too."
I give her a smirk. "Are you sure you can kill me so easily? Come and try it."
Valentina's eyes harden as she charges towards me. This time, she's being serious - it's time to play her game again. As she said before, she goes for my remaining eye, but I'm ready. As soon as her clawed hand rises, I grab it by the wrist with my bionic hand and clench tightly. Then, I thrust my knee into her stomach, making her double over and gasp in pain.
"See, Valentina?" I say. "If I wanted, right now, I'd be able to melt your hand so you'd only have a charred stump remaining. But I won't do that. Because I'm no longer who you think I am." I release her wrist and then send her to the ground with a surprising hook punch aimed at her chin.
Now, I would have a perfect chance to finish her off, either by slamming her head against the ground or by burning her with my built-in flamethrower. I would do it if I was still controlled by the madness inside me. However, now I know I have more important things to do.
I can settle accounts with that woman later.
Leaving Nightingale groaning on the ground, I seek the closest transport van and run towards it as fast as possible. Soon after, I hear a furious "NO!" followed by rapid footsteps. I try to run faster, but being fast isn't one of my strengths. The clanking of metal against concrete comes closer.
Then, it pauses for a while and a second later, I feel the metal talons on Valentina's feet tear the flesh on my back. That wouldn't be so bad except that she also starts to shred the bionic part of my back. If she breaks through, she can easily damage or destroy the vials taped inside.
She's probably trying to damage my new heart. She has no idea I'm trying to smuggle something.
I spin on a spot, trying to shake the woman off. When she refuses to let go, I solve it by aiming my bionic hand over my shoulder and release a cloud of boiling steam. I hiss as the hot mist burns my own ear and shoulder, but it has the desired effect - Valentina shrieks and one of her feet disconnects with my back.
