Pride X Familiar ReVamp (Pride X ReVamp Book 1) (5 page)

Had Arisa really been blindsided? Had she really not expected trouble? Was that why she felt I was up to the task of delivering the vial to the boy?

Wait, I was thinking of him as a boy when he was actually only a couple of weeks older than me.

But that aside, how could Arisa have assumed that the agreement between the Prides would hold?

As I defended against the furiously thrusting and jabbing lance, I was starting to curse my lack of ability, and Arisa’s lack of foresight.

Then fresh doubts crawled across the back of my mind, doubts that presented a distraction I could ill afford.

What if Arisa had chosen me because the others in her employ were busy dealing with problems elsewhere?

What if this girl in front of me was the least of her worries?

Perhaps by sending me to greet him and bring him into the fold, Arisa had lulled whoever was behind this into a false sense of security where they believed this girl in front of me was sufficient for the task – whatever it may be.

Through the Valkyrie Amor, I sensed the lance’s piercer-field extend significantly.

I backed away, and almost immediately realized she’d feinted and that my footing was wrong. I lacked the stability to weather the next blow which came in the form of a barrier-field shaped like a battering ram of sorts projected ahead of the jousting lance. The impact knocked me off my feet and onto my backside. Remembering that to stay still was to die, I moved, rolling away ungainly from the lance as the barrier-field changed to a piercer-field. The girl plunged the weapon at me, and its tip punched a hole in the ground I’d rolled over a heartbeat ago.

I stopped rolling and kicked out, willing a barrier-field to form around my armored foot. I succeeded and my kick connected with the girl’s right leg, sending her back and then down to one knee. It gave me time to gain my feet, and renew the offensive.

But as I slashed, cut and parried against her, all the while dancing between courtyard benches, tables and hard seats, a third realization crossed my mind.

We were both amateurs, and as such we were both making mistakes that leveled the field between us.

Nonetheless, I refused to give up, even as my concentration slipped more often than not, even as I found openings in her defensive posture more often than not – neither of us refused to give up.

Pivoting on one foot, I managed to spin kick and knock her lance aside, my Valkyrie Armored leg protected by a barrier-field against the lance’s piercer-field. As risky as it was since for a half second I had presented my back to the girl, the move paid off. With the jousting lance out of the way, I used the kick’s momentum to carry me into the next attack.

Slashing down with my right gauntlet blade, the field around it cut a long path down the front of the girl’s skinsuit, exposing even more skin that included the creamy curves of her small bosom.

I was right. She was no bigger than I was.

I experienced a brief moment of solidarity with her.

It was a feeling only small breasted girls’ like I could empathize and understand.

I had great legs and a great ass, but up top I was less than impressive.

I choked back a sob.

The distraction cost me.

Swinging the lance back up, the girl generated a barrier-field strong enough to crater a permacrete wall and slammed it into my gut.

It was the Valkyrie Armor that saved me.

I wasn’t able to consciously will a barrier-field to block the lance, but the Fragment manifested one automatically, and it spared me from a blow that would have broken most of my ribs and crushed my insides. Even so, I was sent tumbling backwards several yards before a nearby bench brought my careening body to a stop.

For a half dozen heartbeats I was frightened she would finish me off, but instead she dropped to her knees as though exhausted, before recovering a few seconds later.

By then I was staggering to my feet, but hardly ready for another round with her.

But she surprised me.

She retreated at an unsteady run, heading for the rooftop mechanical penthouse at the northern end of the courtyard. Using the jousting lance Fragment to propel herself into the air, she leapt up onto the roof of the building.

Less than steady on my feet, I had no choice but to run after her. I had to really concentrate on maintaining control of the Valkyrie Armor, especially the armored legs that encased mine of flesh and blood.

I crossed the courtyard, and leapt onto the roof of the mechanical penthouse. I was faintly surprised to learn the penthouse ran much of the length of the octagonal building’s rooftop.

The girl was a dozen meters ahead of me on the penthouse roof, and running with a purpose now.

When I glanced up and westward, I saw the drone was still hovering over the same spot.

At the speed she and I were running over the rooftop, it wouldn’t be long before we circled around to a point under the drone.

I came to the decision I would stop the girl before we arrived there.

In short, I wasn’t going to let her get to
him
first.

Amateur or not, I had my pride as one affiliated with the Lanfears. I wasn’t going to disappoint Arisa, who for whatever reason had placed her trust in me to accomplish my duty as her representative.

I picked up my pace, and caught up to the girl easily courtesy of the Valkyrie Armor.

Foregoing a loud war cry, I leapt at her exposed back a moment before she turned around and faced me with the Fragment jousting lance.

My right gauntlet blade held high, I brought it down in the blink of an eye.

This time my piercer-field parted her Fragment’s barrier-field, and shock ran through my arm as the blade struck the lance.

And once again battle was joined.

#

(Caelum)

In those minutes after the final bell rang, I wasn’t thinking of anything at all.

Maybe it was because my mind was so blank that the feeling of being watched grew on me until I could no longer ignore it.

I looked about slowly, but then felt my gaze drawn upwards.

There was a disc-like object some two or three hundred feet overhead. From where I stood it was hard to tell as I had nothing for a decent frame of reference. But the object didn’t look to be too large, maybe a few feet in diameter. In fact, the more I looked at it, the more it reminded me of the small traffic monitoring drones you normally saw flying slowly between the buildings of a habitat.

But what was it doing here?

Rather, what was it doing hovering overhead?

I stared at it, growing uneasy with the sensation it was watching me.

Why?

Suddenly I heard something land loudly on the rooftop a few yards away. I turned in fright and saw a bundle of limbs roll across the ground and come to a crashing halt against the wall of the rooftop hut behind me.

It took a moment for me to realize I was looking at a girl, bloodied and beaten to a blue pulp. I could tell she was a girl by her figure alone, though her face was covered by the visor of the helmet she wore. She was dressed in the remains of a bike suit, torn in places too numerous to quickly count. A weird black mist surrounded both her right arm and the long pole that she held in her hand. The mist faded and the pole vanished with it, leaving a sudden chill in the air that I felt all the way to my bones.

My heart jumped then began to beat loudly as my mind questioned what I’d just witnessed.

Was that a Fragment I’d seen fading back into that
other
space? What did they call it, Pocket Space?

I stared at the girl.

If that was a Fragment, then she must be a—

A second bundle of limbs crashed to the rooftop. This bundle landed much better than the first, and I watched it resolve itself into the slender body of a girl probably no older than I was.

She was wearing a uniform I didn’t recognize.

Actually, she was wearing the remains of a uniform. Her midnight blue blazer was in tatters, and I had a clear view of a lacy white bra showing through the rents in her white blouse, and her skirt was sporting several non-regulation slits that revealed smoothly toned thighs and—violet underwear?

She stood up smoothly on legs that resembled those of a mythical armored Valkyrie.

Her forearms were sheathed in black gauntlets, each with a two foot long blade that ran over the top of her hands.

She wasn’t looking in my direction but at the girl lying against the wall. When she took a step toward the girl, the newcomer faltered and fell onto her hands and knees.

“Damn—pushed past my limit.”

Cold permeated the air, spreading thick and fast over the rooftop. I shivered as that strange black mist enveloped the girl’s arms and legs. When it faded, I saw she was wearing school shoes and black stockings.

Now I was certain I’d just seen a Fragment disappear.

What the Hell was going on here?

Who the Hell are these girls?

The girl wearing the remnants of a uniform gained her feet and quickly walked over to the other girl by the wall.

She spoke in a flat, emotionless voice. “Now to find out who you are….”

She nudged the girl harshly, then reached for the latter’s neck and chin, and removed the helmet. The girl in the bike suit was clearly unconscious. Her eyes were open and heavily lidded, but she wasn’t
home
.

The uniformed girl stared at the comatose one for a long while. I watched her press her lips into a thin line, then reach into her skirt for something.

I was surprised her skirt’s pockets were still intact, which was more than could be said for the remains of the palm-slate she pulled out. After staring at it for a moment she put it back into her skirt’s pocket, then fished around the other remaining pocket.

I wondered if she was aware of my presence.

I didn’t have to wonder for long.

She suddenly stopped feeling around in her pocket and turned to faced me.

I saw her face clearly.

Wow!

What a beauty!

Near raven dark hair, emerald green eyes, and a heart shaped face.

Even with her clothes in shambles and not looking her best, I could proclaim this girl was clearly an eight point five out ten.

The only reason I didn’t give her a higher score was because I found her lacking in one critical aspect – a decent chest.

That white lacy bra might as well have been a training bra.

Despite the situation I forgot myself and released a heavy sigh.

Compared to Haruka who had an impressive bust, this girl was a major disappointment.

Even so, I gave her another good look.

On second thoughts, other than her small breasts, she had a fine figure, perfect legs, and her looks made her appear exotic. Maybe I’ll give her an eight point eight on the ten scale.

I noticed she was regarding me with a fixed, emotionless expression on her face.

I smiled guiltily. “Ah…hello there.”

“Caelum Desanto….”

I blinked and lost my smile.

She knows me? What reason could she have for knowing me?

Eh—this might not be good. Maybe I should be making a quick retreat.

“Who’s asking?” I replied as I started backing away from her.

She started walking toward me. “Please don’t make this any harder than it needs to be.”

My eyes widened. “What?”

Hadn’t I just said the same thing to Haruka?

Wait, was this girl here to make me suffer for making Haruka cry? Did Haruka’s Pride-to-be send her? Was this retribution for shredding my friendship with her?

I prepared to defend my position on the matter, but then I glanced at the unconscious girl on the ground.

Was I going to end up like her?

The flat-chested girl picked up her pace, then drew a menacing butterfly knife from her skirt pocket.

My eyes grew wide and I began to panic in earnest. “Wait—wait! What the Hell are you doing? You can’t bring that into the school. Weapons aren’t allowed on school grounds.”

“Please don’t run away,” she said.

Are you serious? Don’t run away?

As she raised the knife she added, “This is for your own good.”

Gah—she really was serious. Crazily, insanely serious.

Before I could run away she leapt toward me.

I threw my body to the left, hoping the blade would only graze me at best.

But then something odd happened.

Her leap continued carrying her toward me albeit very slowly.

It was like watching a holovid played back at a quarter speed.

Very slow indeed.

I had time to see the artificial sunlight glint off the blade.

Time to see her lips part slightly as she exhaled.