The fight was not an epic one, though many with little combat experience would be tempted to describe it as such. Worlds did not hang in the balance, countrysides were not ravaged, thousands were not led to the slaughter in a grim and bloody clash.
However, when taken into proper consideration, it was an impressive struggle.
Kodachi had been, in human life, a gymnast by training. Her combat skills mainly relied on the use of tools and treachery, and the conditioning of her own body. She was capable of impressive, even extraordinary, but by no means inhuman feats of speed and agility. Her fighting style was geared to this, and to the constant use of misdirection, surprise, and tricks. She would have made an impressive stage magician, had she so chosen.
More, the faerie spells had imbued her with particular skill and competence in using weapons of her own type, in addition to the mystical powers of her sword-self. This made her a formidable, but not unbeatable, opponent. Indeed, a truly invincible weapon would have rendered the purpose of her creation moot---she was meant to be defeated and wielded, it just wasn't going to be easy to do.
Alita, on the other hand, was a human adjusting to having once been a cyborg. This made her vulnerable, as the inability to move at subsonic speed and tear steel like paper was still new to her. On the other hand, she was the mistress of the Panzer Kunst fighting style, a martial art developed by cyborgs specifically for the purpose of combat amongst themselves. She was fully prepared---indeed, accustomed---to battling opponents with inhuman strength and speed even greater than her own, not to mention the inherent unpredictability of implanted weaponry such as blades, plasma jets, and so on.
In terms of skill and experience, both opponents were well and evenly matched---Kodachi's mystically enhanced, but rusty after centuries of disuse, and Alita's greater (more than a decade), but not geared to human ability and limitations.
As a result, they'd been evading and not quite landing blows for the better part of a minute. Alita knew she'd have to win soon---she was tiring, while her opponent knew no fatigue at all.
Kodachi attempted to follow her hair-cutting slash with an upward thrust, but Alita had already taken advantage of the opening to dive down and sweep the mystic construct's legs out from under her. With her usual agility (and a little more), the ex-gymnast twisted in midair to land on her feet, slashing across again to hold the martial artist at bay. Alita held back, then paused, waiting for her opponent to make the next move.
Not much remained of Kodachi's original personality, but some habits die hard, among them arrogance and impatience. She lunged forward in another thrust, but Alita was once again ready for her. Snapping both arms out, she pinned the arm holding the sword, twisted her own body inward, bringing her leg out for a roundhouse kick that staggered Kodachi. Alita followed through with a pair of rabbit punches at the heart and throat, dropping the younger (looking) girl to the ground.
"Thou hath succeeded," Kodachi said formally. "I am called Rosethorn, Mistress, and thy servant to command." With that, her human projection faded, leaving only a gleaming black short sword wreathed in a poison-green glow.
Alita picked it up, and as Kodachi bonded herself, informing her new mistress of her powers...
See other episodes by Galen Salvatore
(Posted Sun, 15 Jun 2003 05:23)
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