The Interstellar Slave

Chapter 12: Pebbles And Stones

Bituin exchanged blows with her enemy once more. She evaded most of the counterattacks, and most of her strikes landed on her foe’s face, jaw, stomach and side. One even landed on her private part, which made the other woman freeze momentarily, after doubling over.

The Fil-Korean grimaced. She knew it must hurt since she experienced it once before during her fights. It did hurt like a b*tch! She was not able to recuperate right away at the time. But now, seeing her enemy straightened her back, it was faster than how she felt then. She supposed this person was not normal at all. Hence, she wasn’t too surprised at the outcome.

Well, she did appear as though via teleportation, so she must not be entirely human—if she’s indeed part human, her mind reasoned out.

She grabbed the woman by the head and struck her by powerful knee kicks aimed at each side. At the same time, her opponent punched her sides in retaliation. She tried her best to endure the pain, though she was almost not breathing anymore. The pain traveled from that assaulted side to her lungs, taking the air off her. She held her breath long until she needed air to fill those elastic sacs to let oxygen pass into her blood, and carbon dioxide is chased away from her body.

The woman pushed her away. Bituin’s back hit the metal wall of the cage. She dodged when an oncoming kick was aimed at her. She saw how the metal crooked, letting her know that this human is not just purely human. She was definitely a cyborg and perhaps with nanites in her bloodstream as well.

Bituin then realized she had to at least knock this human unconscious.

But how? She was able to escape from me earlier? her frustrated thought.

Her jaw tightened, muscles jerking. She took a deep breath and met the woman halfway. She avoided the fists and kicks, sidestepping. In a split second, she counterattacked, hitting her foe in the face with a right hook. The latter swayed, staggering sideways. She didn’t give the muscled lady a chance to recuperate. A powerful roundhouse kick was then delivered, making the latter sway in the opposite direction. She followed it up with a jumping spinning back kick, hitting the other combatant right in the face.

The other woman fell backward with a loud thud. She didn’t move, with Bituin realizing she had knocked out her opponent. At last.

Her heart jumped upon knowing this fact, although she anticipated that the woman would get up and fight her again. And yet, Bituin was astonished when the body just disappeared. At the same time, her robe suddenly changed. She was now dressed in a white robe with two green stripes.

What the heck is this? Is this some kind of a game?

“Level A, sublevel one ends. Winner: SF98889. Now, Level A, sublevel two match commences,” the male AI’s voice sounded, confirming her silent questions.

She faced the gate, thinking it would open, and she could get out of there. She had taken a glance at Chao and Shanice, who were still facing their respective enemies. Shanice was all beaten up. Her face was badly bruised and wounded that blood stained her brows, face and neck, all the way to her white robe with a single green stripe. Meantime, Chao appeared to have the upper hand in his match.

Bituin saw him snapping his enemy’s neck, which almost made her wince.

Is killing off enemies here fine?

And she thought her question was answered in affirmative. Chao now had a robe like Bituin’s. He glanced at her and nodded, panting. His enemy disappeared as well. And Shanice miraculously followed his example, breaking her opponent’s neck.

This is not good. We’re here to kill other people? Bituin was alarmed. She definitely didn’t want to kill anyone.

“Aww!” she groaned when a stone hit her head.

She looked up, eyes widening when it rained pebbles and fist-size stones from the cage’s ceiling. She raised a hand to cover her head from the raining hard elements.

“What’s going on?” she yelled at Shanice and Chao, who also experienced the same thing as she did. However, outside the cage, it was still normal. There were no raining pebbles and stones on the audience’s heads.

Of course, it’s only for us. She cursed under her breath.

Not long afterward, a couple of men appeared in front of her so suddenly that she stepped back hastily. They looked like seasoned wrestlers in their thirties.

Geez! Are they going to end me now? She panicked, running around the cage. She held the metal bars and couldn’t even shake them. They were robust as they could be.

The pebble-and-stone rain continued. Bituin winced as her head was beaten by these countless times. Warm and red fluid already trickled from her scalp down to her face and neck.

Between had to duck when the two started to simultaneously attacked her in a mirror-like movement. The other used his right, while the other used his left to deliver a hook punch. But Bituin was fast to dodge them, bending backward like in a limbo. Then her knees slid on the floor as she picked the biggest rock she could grab.

She hurled these at her two opponents, hitting one on the forehead while the other in the eye. Both men’s heads were thrown back. The raining elements also hit their faces, adding to their affliction.

Bituin did not waste any time. She picked up more stones and hit the guys with these. The two grunted in pain. However, that did not stop them from getting back at her. The moved simultaneously as though they were possessed by one demon. When she was in the middle of the two, they started to throw punches at her face and body. One swept her feet off. At least she was fast to jump, kicking them both in the chest at the same time.

As usual, she noticed the mouths of the audience open and close.

I hope they would experience choking! she thought with bitterness.

The stones and pebbles hit her head and shoulders, as well arms and legs. She gritted her teeth, enduring this torment. She had to go through this no matter what. She still had to go home to at least say sorry to her parents. She knew she was a jerk to them last time.  Despite her blaming it to her situation then, it was still inexcusable. Whatever she had went through, it wasn’t their fault. It was hers alone.

Now how to render these giant guys unconscious? she asked herself, gripping two more stones she picked up. They must be cyborgs too, like that woman earlier. I guess what I did wouldn’t work with these guys. I’m like a midget compared to them in the first place!