The attack struck like lightning.
Mayu Zero vanished in a blur of movement, reappearing right in front of Mayu, her fist slicing through the air at an inhuman speed.
Mayu barely had time to cross her arms for protection.
Impact.
A shockwave exploded around them, sending up a cloud of dust. Mayu was hurled backward with incredible force, sliding several meters before crashing into a metal console. Her back hit the control panel with a dull thud, escaping a cry of pain.
Sparks flew from the damaged circuits.
Her legs trembled under the intensity of the impact.
She's fast. Too fast.
She didn't have time to catch her breath.
Mayu Zero was already on her.
She didn't move like a normal human. Her movements were calculated to the millimeter, with absolute precision. A chilling perfection.
A kick shot toward Mayu's temple.
She ducked at the last moment, feeling the sharp rush of the movement pass just above her.
If that kick had hit me…
She didn't have time to think about it.
Mayu Zero pivoted instantly and delivered a right elbow strike to her stomach.
A lightning-fast shock.
The air was driven out of her lungs.
Her knees weakened.
She tried to stabilize herself, but her opponent showed no mercy.
Mayu Zero grabbed her wrist and twisted it violently.
A searing pain exploded in her arm.
She gritted her teeth, refusing to scream.
I can't win in brute strength.
She knew that.
But the pressure exerted by Mayu Zero was relentless.
With a fluid motion, her clone twisted her arm sharply, sending Mayu crashing to the ground with terrifying force.
BOOM.
The metallic floor vibrated under the impact.
The shock resonated throughout her body, sending waves of pain radiating through her skull.
A metallic taste filled her mouth.
Haru and Akira, still dazed from the previous shockwave, were trying to get back on their feet.
— Damn… Haru muttered, a hand on his head.
Akira, panting, watched the scene in horror.
— She… she's getting crushed…
Mayu Zero paid them no mind.
Her bright blue eyes remained fixed on Mayu.
She approached slowly, her footsteps silent on the metallic floor.
— You are disappointing, she said in a neutral voice.
She raised a hand.
— You are obsolete.
A blue flash.
A wave of pure energy shot from her palm, racing straight toward Mayu.
At the last moment, an instinctual spark flashed in her mind.
She rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the explosion that pulverized the ground where she had been.
Debris flew everywhere.
Mayu painfully regained her footing, breathless.
She wiped the blood trickling down her forehead and locked her heated gaze on her perfect double.
Mayu Zero raised an eyebrow.
— Why insist? she asked calmly.
— Because, Mayu gritted her teeth, I am alive.
A brief glimmer of confusion crossed Mayu Zero's gaze.
She furrowed her brows slightly, as if this very concept bewildered her.
Mayu stepped forward, her battered body but unyielding gaze defiant.
— You are faster… stronger… more precise…
She lifted her knife, gripping the handle tightly.
— But you feel nothing, do you?
The silence thickened.
Haru and Akira exchanged glances.
Something had changed in the air.
Mayu Zero fixed her gaze on Mayu, her blue irises analyzing her face.
— And should that matter? she asked, her voice devoid of emotion.
— Yes.
Mayu tightened her grip on her weapon.
She couldn't surpass her physically.
But she could beat her… by being herself.