Chapter 120

Chapter 120

The wait for me to finish putting on the pads, seemed to do Hayato absolutely no favors. She was tapping her feet on the mats at a fast speed. Her hands kept twitching up like she was going to start pointing and yelling or something, but she would bring them down as soon as the urge hit, so it meant her hands were jerking around a bit every few seconds.

Yikes.

Once I had gloves and the cool kicky foot pads I stepped back onto the mats.

Try to keep it to pure martial arts. John spoke out before backing off the mat, and that was all the signal Hayato needed.

She rushed me. Moving very fast across the mat, but it wasnt Sandy like. No, instead as she drew close and started punching, I realized the difference between fighting someone with a Sandy and with a Keren.

The Sandy would move so fast you couldnt react and you would be out.

The Keren though? They were just reacting to you as soon as you did something. Start throwing a punch? They already saw the motion and were prepared.

I went to block her first punch and a moment later was stumbling back as she shifted from a straight punch to an uppercut under my guard.

But Hayato wasnt done. She charged right back in. Another blow, this time I did barely manage to get a guard up in time but she wasnt stopping. Punch punch punch punch. A rapid series of attacks that she kept trying to slip in through any openings.

I threw a punch to make room and nearly got a blow across the jaw for it.

It was like fighting someone who was reading your mind.

In other words?

It was fun as fuck!

I had Street Brawler levels to grind here!

I lured her in, letting her focus on trying to punch my face in, when I bounced.

Suddenly she wasnt punching my face but below my legs. She reacted instantly, trying to duck back, but just because her mind was sped up, didnt mean her body was the same. I slammed a kick forward and she blocked it, but it still sent her stumbling back.

Then I landed and I had a singular moment where the initiative was mine!

I pounced. My legs launched me forward in a punch that she desperately tried to juke to the right to avoid, but I shifted from a punch into a grab, even as her arm was attempting to pull away from my move, even successfully managing to avoid my grasping hand.

Fucking Keren.

It didnt matter because as I missed her, I was behind her, and the moment my feet touched the mat I launched myself back.

She couldnt see me.

I was behind her.

She certainly felt it though when I pounced into a jump kick that sent her flailing onto her face.

I stepped back even as John moved to try and break it up and I got a nod for not pushing now that Hayato was down.

She stood up in a flash, her face in a rage.

We didnt speak. Instead John stepped back and it was on. She rushed me again, but I had learned my lesson. If I stay on the defense, she beats me, because she could simply react faster than I could do anything. I charged in with a light leap, and then went straight into grabbing at her.

Grapples was my answer to her reaction time.

If I could get my hands on her, I would win. I was confident in my grappling with my skills so high, and with grappling perk boosting that.

Unfortunately. I think I made her angry. She was avoiding my grasping hands, and she timed me perfectly. One second I was bending down a bit to grab a retreating wrist when a fist smashed into my face, and I was off my feet.

I rolled and stood up shakily, completely surprised at what just happened.

She didnt hit like a teenage girl. She hit me so hard I felt like Jun just took a swipe at me.

John had broken the fight again but was there this time seemingly waiting to see if I could keep fighting.

I twisted my neck and winced a bit at the crackle.

Ow.

Wiping my face I noticed I was bleeding even with the gloves softening the blow.

Okay what biomods do you have and where can I get me some? I asked joking, as I took a second for the room to stop spinning.

Many, and that is unlikely. You do not strike me as someone with the wealth required. She responded back cattily and I chuckled at that.

Fair enough.

Really wish I could grab a Maxdoc right now but that would be rather telling, instead I simply bounced around a second regaining my motion and nodded to John.

He backed up and my actions seemed to have surprised the little Power Princess here.

I had misjudged her because she had so little direct chrome. But the Keren I realized wasnt her only upgrade. Biomods to enhance muscles and bones, and probably twitch reflexes. And it turned a normal looking girl, besides the Keren sticking out the back of her neck, fixed into her neural link and what were probably ECM tattoos into a monster martial artist.

But I was better.

Well through pure skill I was better. She was good though. Probably close to where I was through pure skill, she just had better stats.

Well the whole thing fell apart a bit there. What I was trying to say was that she was stronger and faster, but she relied on it.

I moved in again. Fists swinging to alter her pace a bit, make her react to me, even if she was really good at that.

I took a few blows as she weaved around avoiding my grabbing hands and she in turn attempted to slip blows around my arms, but I was pressuring her, and getting her rhythm. I feigned a grab and she struck.

My hand spun around and locking onto her forearm created a half millisecond of shock. I very rarely spun my hands around 180 cause it was kinda Uncomfy.

Yeah lets go with that.

But I was a grappler, and being able to grab with effectively the back of your hand was too useful to ignore.

*100 Reflex XP Gained*

*100 Handguns XP Gained.*

*100 Handguns XP Gained.*

*Handguns skill level up!*

*100 Reflex XP Gained*

*100 Assault XP Gained.*

*100 Assault XP Gained.*

*100 Reflex XP Gained*

*100 Assault XP Gained.*

*100 Assault XP Gained.*

*100 Reflex XP Gained*

*Reflex Leveled up!*

Handguns 7, was nice.

Reflex 8, though was a massive improvement.

I hadnt leveled Assault yet but I paused and reloaded my mags.

Then I lifted up my Copperhead into the firing position and hit the button to activate the targets again.

It had been a while since I just grinded my combat skills. Relying on Cool and the synergy of everything to kill without really needing to push my shooting skills. Or my body.

It felt good to get back into grinding out stats. It felt Right. Like I had forgotten something, and only now found it again.

Damn kid. Not bad. The TC grunts were packing up, although they had stopped shooting constantly a while back. Mostly just hanging out with each other and shooting the shit.

But I was absolutely drilling the targets. Pushing myself to move as fast as I could to get every target hit as soon as they popped up. If my shoulders were still meat they would be sore from handling the recoil and holding the rifle straight.

Thanks. I called back in return but didnt stop my single minded task.

Hah. You ever thought about joining up with the Tygers kid? You certainly got the ferocity for it. One of the men asked, having moved behind me to watch, as the other two packed up.

My brother is The Oni of the Kamikaze. Fujimura has been trying to get me in for a while. I answered. I wanted to be clear where I stood.

I didnt really like having an adult standing right behind me like this, and I was in no mood to kill a bunch of grunts if I could just throw Juns name around.

Hoh! Youre the Onryo! Another of the men suddenly called out and I nearly jerked my gun. Quickly I lowered my weapon and then looked at the bastards.

What did you just call me!?

Onryo! I heard that rumor. When the Kamikaze were cleaning up the Scavs they kept hitting dens that were already trashed. The man walked over and nodded to me showing me real respect. A choom of mine is one of Fujimura-Samas gunmen. He worked with your brother that night. Told me they hit a few dens that were already cleared out, charnel houses of Scavs cut to pieces.

I winced a bit as I remembered just how messy I had gotten that night with my blade. The Thermal Katana does a good job keeping me from getting covered in blood as it cauterized most of the cut as I made it.

But I had still been rough and quick. Half the cuts had been tearing the Scavs in half. My Thermal Katana was meant for fighting borgs and armored enemies after all.

So that was you huh? Damn. You certainly dont look like an Onryo, but I just saw that shooting you were doing. Nasty trigger time there. If you are even half as good with a blade I could see you earning that nickname.

I already have a nickname. Its Ghost. I grumbled, Fucking Onryo is dumb!

Well there you go. Onryo is a ghost, so it fits just fine. More Claws like anyways. Look at your brother, we aren't calling him the ogre!

It would be less cringe if you did. I muttered but thankfully none of the men heard my whispered grumbles.

Well. We wont hold you up Onryo. Good shooting. they offered and I opened my mouth to argue that wasnt my nickname, but they werent listening.

I turned insta raised my Copperhead and started firing.

The only way to make this better was more XP.

--

I got home and instantly took my equipment to my room for cleaning and going over. I pulled open my Silencer to check on the electronics and winced.

Yep. That was some melted wires.

I ended up pulling out the entire baffler and after a few minutes of messing around replaced the wiring with a more heat resistant wire.

But that still left the main electronics board that was getting some heat scoring.

So I pushed the entire Silencer into my Printer to be eaten up and went to work on a different design. This one with a slightly longer profile. More of a rectangle, with some actual heat sinks scored into it, so that it can displace the heat a bit more.

I mean, it wasnt as necessary, it wasn't like I would be firing my silenced pistol hundreds of rounds in a single fight, but But if I could design the Silencer to have a bit of endurance, I wouldnt have to worry about replacing it constantly.

Besides, it was kind of fun!

It didnt take me long to make the changes in CAD and upload it into the printer, and with a bit more metals to feed the build, I set it to construct. Finished cleaning the Lexington and my Copperhead and then decided it was time to get a meal.

I was unpackaging a fried noodle dish I had grabbed from a cart downstairs and was back on the couch when the door opened.

I relaxed from nearly quick drawing seeing it was just Jun and Akari again, both of whom looked tired and worn out, and about half way to crashing.

Okay what is up with you two? Who died? I demanded standing up on the couch and pointing.

About five of my men. Akari answered instantly and Jun jostled her to get her to stop talking.

Oh.