She had his technique - his perfection, but he didn't have her feral ferocity. He didn't have the experience of a Huntress, a Primal Apex predator.
Tess became feral, combining his perfect form with her unpredictable lethality. She was everywhere and nowhere, easily dodging and deflecting attacks and punishing even the smallest opening with deadly efficiency. Perfection of form combined with pure instinct and a body enhanced far beyond its previous limits. Fara regretted the loss of so much of her energy but reveled in the pure destruction she had made possible.
She sacrificed more of herself and Tess became a blur.
It was over in moments. Takeshi lay on the ground, bleeding from dozens of claw marks across every part of his body. His breath shuddered in his chest but joy shone on his face.
"Two levels. Thank you for showing this old man his weaknesses and pushing him further down the path to greatness."
Tess looked down at him, sword held at his chest. "I should really kill you."
He swallowed heavily, clearing his the blood and phlegm from his throat. "You could, but you would only kill this old man, not the one who controls him."
Tess sighed and stowed Goliath, offering her hand to help him up. He just shook his head, waving off her hand. "In gratitude I must tell you to step back. It is not yet over." She watched a struggle happen across his face as he said that, then he was gone, his face replaced by a much younger one. Not the same one she'd seen before - this one seemed… whiter?
Ice erupted from the young man's hands, levitating him into the air.
"Oh lord, there's more of you?" Tess slashed Goliath across her forearm, dropping her health to just under 30% - the threshold for Goliath's Overlock enchantment to kick in.
Tess's already enhanced stats shot up even more as her strength and damage increased by an additional 20%. She activated Goliath's Energy Discharge area of attack skill, sending out a massively dense wave of kinetic energy that had been building inside of it with each hit. She activated Cybernetic Precision, aiming the blade directly at the boy's heart.
An ice shield sprung up between them just in time to stop the blade, the tip only penetrating into the cartilage of his sternum.
Tess dismissed Goliath and pulled out the Arc-Talon, blasting three clean holes through the man's chest.
He fell to the ground with a heavy thump, groaning. Tess walked up to Ash, seeing that it truly was Ash now, and nudged him none-too-gently with her boot.
"Hey! Get up."
He groaned, turning over to look at her.
"You're not even injured." Tess looked him over, shocked. "Nothing. You're fine."
He smiled weakly. "I don't feel great, but you are correct - I'm not truly injured."
He screamed as Tess raked silvery claws across his chest, then across his face, then down one thigh. When he recovered from the attack he scrabbled back from her. "WHY?"
"You let others do the fighting for you, letting them take your damage. You get all of the benefits and none of the consequences. That is unacceptable." Goliath was in her hand again, its tip steady on his throat. "Tell me why I shouldn't kill you."
"I can help you. Take me with you, I will join your community."
Tess scoffed. " You are weak. Pathetic. You use others for your own gains. Why in the hell would I allow someone like you around the people I care about? What could you possibly offer that balances the risks you provide?"
Ash stared at her, emotions and thoughts playing across his face. Tess only watched, reading everything. He opened his mouth to respond but she interrupted him. "Don't lie to me. Utter one single false word and I will split you in two before you finish the sentence."
He gulped and nodded, holding his hands up, forcing himself not to try to push the blade away. "Okay, okay. I get it, lady. I… I don't know what I can offer you, honestly. You saw that one of my repertoire is a powerful fighter, the other is a very strong ice mage."
"Not that strong," Tess snorted.
Ash had the grace to look chagrined. "Maybe so, but he can help. He has area of effect attacks and can do damage to large groups."
"How many people do you have in your 'repertoire?'" She said the word with disdain.
"Tw-" he stopped as the sword drew blood from his throat.
"Three. I have three."
"What can the third do?"
Complicated emotions played across his face. "Nothing."
The sword moved again and he scrambled backwards. "I'm not lying! Nothing!"
"Then why do you have it - them?"
He shook his head. "I can't tell you that."
"You can and you will."
"I'm serious, lady, I can't."
Tess considered. He was obviously holding a secret - something very personal. Something he would risk death not to reveal.
She also didn't care. "Tell me now or all of you die. This is the last warning - I don't bluff and I don't ask a third time."
Anger flushed his face a deep red, splotches appearing down his throat and chest. She could tell he was considering the options, but ultimately cowardice or survival instinct won out and he deflated.
"It's my little brother. When The System arrived he was killed almost immediately. I held him, begging God to give me a way to bring him back. A way to save his life. I begged God for anything and The System answered. He disappeared in my arms and I felt him appear inside of me. Everything I do is to keep him alive."
"Are you helping him level? What can he do?"
"He can't do anything - he's just a child. I bring him out every so often so he can experience the world, but he died before he got a System-assigned path. He can't advance, he can't grow. He's a child forever, and I'm the only thing keeping him alive."
Tess hurt, and the realization of that feeling struck her like lightning. How long had it been since she'd felt this? This kid here was a bastard, for sure, but no less than she. His methods were unethical and could even be considered evil, but the souls he collected were given a choice. They didn't have to agree to the terms, they could just choose to die. And if that was the case, could she really blame him for their accepting the deal? He was doing what he could to keep his little brother alive - something she did for her children, and what she hoped her children would do for each other.
She didn't let her guard down, but she relaxed it a little. She understood now.
"How many soul spaces do you have?"
"Four, for now. "
"The kid, your grandpa, and the ice magician guy. Who's the fourth?"
"I don't have a fourth - that slot is empty. I was kinda hoping…" he waved at her and shrugged.
"Yeah, no chance of that. Why isn't the fourth filled?"
"Well, the limits of my power make it tough to find suitable prospects. They have to be strong enough to be worth keeping, weak enough that one of my others can defeat them, and they have to agree to it. I can't force anyone."
Tess considered - that was actually a really good balance to the skill. Most of the people in her neighborhood wouldn't be of any interest to him, and the few that were strong enough could either kick his ass or would never agree to it in the first place. She'd just have to make everyone was aware and make sure he understood the rules.
"Okay, here's the deal. You're welcome to come back with me," she held up a hand at his excited expression. "But there's a few ground rules. First, no more of this challenge bullshit for anyone that is a part of our group. You're welcome to tell them about the deal - IN ADVANCE - and let them know the option is available, but everyone will know. Second, you pull your own weight. If any of your 'repertoire' act against what is best for our group I will absolutely clear their slot. Understood?"
He nodded eagerly. "And the third?"
Tess pointed to the gashes across his face. "You let those heal naturally. No healing potion is going to take those away. I want the scars to remind you of the cost of what you're doing, and the way you're letting others do your dirty work for you."
His head dipped in confirmation and shame.
"Yes, I think that is best. I agree."
Goliath disappeared and she reached down to help him up. He looked over her shoulder with an excited look. "Are we riding that back?"
Tess looked back at the motorcycle, then back to him. "I am. You're walking." She pointed to the small drone that was hovering just to the north, ready for its target to follow. "You have a week to get there. Better hurry."