From Bullets To Billions

Chapter 765: The Gift

Abby knew she had to be more careful with the opponent in front of her. Dud was dangerous, and their first exchange had already shown her what could happen if she allowed him to get too close.

She had been in plenty of fights since entering Vera’s body, although most hadn’t been by choice. Through those experiences, she had gradually become accustomed to the way her body reacted. Sometimes, she only needed to move in whatever way felt natural, allowing her limbs to follow the movements that came to mind.

It was as though Vera’s years of training were still remembered by her body. The stance, the swings, and the way she shifted her weight often came without Abby needing to think about them.

However, facing stronger opponents was where she struggled most.

She wasn’t Vera. She didn’t possess the same understanding of combat or the experience needed to make difficult decisions during a fight. Her body might know how to perform a strike, but that didn’t always tell her when to use it.

Against someone like Dud, that uncertainty was making her nervous.

’I need to get all these thoughts out of my head,’ Abby told herself. ’I just have to do what I can. I don’t even need to defeat him. I only need to hold out until Max returns!’

As she focused on that thought, Dud approached from the side. Abby pivoted on her foot and thrust her wooden sword forwards, driving the tip into his shoulder.

Although Dud felt no pain, the force pushed him back slightly. Abby immediately lifted her sword again, preparing for him to continue rather than expecting the injury to stop him.

When Dud pushed forwards, she swung the blade down against his arm.

She felt the bone break beneath the strike, but she didn’t pause. Instead, she turned on her foot and swung from the side, striking his chest and forcing him farther away.

Abby pulled the wooden sword back and continued attacking. Dud raised his hands to block, showing no concern for how badly each blow damaged them. He was using his own arms as disposable shields, allowing them to break whenever it meant protecting the rest of his body.

It was disturbing to watch, but Abby couldn’t afford to let it distract her.

The constant attacks were keeping Dud from getting close. Their first dangerous encounter had taught her one important lesson: whatever happened, she couldn’t allow him to get hold of her again.

As long as her sword remained between them, she was doing what she needed to do.

Abby continued striking until Dud threw a fist directly towards her approaching weapon. Rather than pulling back, she committed everything she had to the swing.

She had realised that producing more power involved far more than simply moving her arms. The strength began beneath her feet and travelled upwards as she turned her body, bringing it all together in the final strike.

It was a movement she believed Vera’s body had wanted to perform during their training with the Billion Bloodline. This time, Abby followed it through, twisting as she slammed the wooden sword against Dud’s fist.

The collision forced his hand backwards. The pressure travelled through his arm, and a piece of bone splintered through the skin near his elbow.

Even then, Dud didn’t hesitate.

He opened his hand and closed his fingers around the wooden sword before Abby could draw it back.

"Man, I can’t believe it," Dud said. "If I didn’t have these powers, I think you would have done quite a number on me."

Abby tried to pull the weapon free, but Dud kept hold of it.

"But I wonder how good you are without this sword of yours."

He yanked the weapon towards himself, dragging Abby within reach. Before she could recover, his other fist slammed into her stomach.

The force folded her body around the blow. Saliva spilled from her mouth, and she struggled to draw a breath. Her stomach churned, leaving her feeling as though she might throw up at any moment.

"Is today really the day you want to give up your life for someone you hardly even know?" Dud asked with a smile.

Meanwhile, Max was running through the crowd, finding it much easier to move now that the Fallen Rose had joined the battle. The attackers who had surrounded him before were occupied with the women fighting their way through the docks.

As he passed, Max was relieved to see that Hercules was still alive. A small group had gathered around the injured man, helping him while the fighting continued nearby.

It was easy enough to tell who was on his side. There had been so few allies among the crowd to begin with, and they had all been the ones receiving the attacks.

Max kept moving as quickly as he could. Vera had agreed to hold Dud off, but Max knew how dangerous that task was. Every moment spent getting what he needed was another moment she had to face him alone.

He reached the shipping containers and ran through the gaps between them. Soon, he spotted several parked motorcycles, with two members of the Fallen Rose standing beside them.

"Max!" one of them called. "Over here!"

They recognised him immediately from their time at the Billion Bloodline base. Max hurried towards them, eager to see exactly what Vera had managed to arrange.

"This is what you’re after, right?" one of the women asked. "We’ve been looking after it."

They pulled away the sheet covering a large, sturdy crate. Max immediately knelt beside it and opened the lid, looking down at what lay inside.

A broad smile spread across his face.

"I can’t believe she actually managed to do it," Max said. "I’m really going to owe her a lot after this."

His gaze remained on the contents of the crate. Vera had done what he had asked, and the Fallen Rose had managed to get it here despite everything that had delayed them.

"I guess I owe the others as well," he added. "They made it just in time."

With what he needed finally in front of him, Max was ready to return to the fight and bring it to an end.