Rhonda's blood ran hot down her waist but she didn't slow. She blurred forward, fists already striking like pistons.
They were still at it... two titans locked in a duel that flattened everything around them.
Graig's grin was gone. He was fighting for survival now... reshaping arms into weapons with every motion.
But Rhonda was no longer meeting him head-on with brute force. She dodged now, weaving in close and her body moving with sharpness. Blades cleaved inches from her face as she slipped between them, countering with fists that cracked Graig's ribs and burst chunks of flesh off his torso.
Graig blurred, reappearing with a blade-fist already arcing. Rhonda ducked under it, countered with a hook that nearly took his jaw off... then drove her fist into his side.
And suddenly, Graig's fist reshaped into a hammer and he drove it into Rhonda's torso. The strike punched a hole clean through her side, blood exploding outward.
Her body flew, smashing into an already ruined car. She coughed blood, her vision swimming and body trembling.
Her hand rose weakly and then curled into a fist. She stared at it.
"…my hands… are getting cold." Her voice was hoarse but steady. "Of course... I'm dying."
Her eyes softened, her lips twitching into something strange... almost a smile.
"Yet… I feel so much heat in my heart. Is this what it feels like… having the will to fight burning inside you? It feels so…"
She pushed herself up, every movement agony but her grin wide as ever.
"…beautiful."
Graig blurred in, both arms now massive blades. He slashed downward... roaring.
Rhonda lifted her head up slowly. She met the blade with her fist.
The blade cracked apart like brittle glass. And in the same breath, her other fist tore straight through Graig's chest. Blood sprayed hot across her face.
Graig's eyes went wide as he stumbled back, clutching the gaping wound.
Rhonda straightened, breathing hard but smiling. "Now…" she said softly, "we're even."
Graig's face twisted into something new... fear. He staggered another step back. "What… what has gotten into you?" His voice cracked. "You're not a human..."
"What… has gotten into you?" it rasped, its voice broken, stuttering. "Are you… a monster too?"
Rhonda didn't answer, she lunged. Her fists became a storm. She screamed as she hit him... each punch louder than the last until Graig was nothing but gore beneath her fists, his body torn to unrecognizable shreds.
Blood soaked her hand and splattered across her face. She stood there, shoulders heaving and her bloodstained face tilted up toward the smoky sky.
Her victory smile was sharp and savage.
Footsteps echoed behind her.
"Rhonda!"
Captain Dylan and Aaron sprinted into the wreckage. Dylan's face broke into shock when he saw her body shaking and blood soaking her waist.
She turned toward him, her eyes tired but her smile wide. "Hey... Captain."
Her knees gave out.
Dylan lunged, catching her before she hit the ground. Her body slumped into his arms, blood smearing across his uniform.
"I… did it..." she whispered, coughing. "... I killed an S-rank… with only my fists. And beat you to your goal."
Tears welled in Dylan's eyes, spilling freely down his face. "No… no, save your breath. You'll rub it in my face, right after we get you patched up." His voice cracked.
Rhonda's smile softened. She shook her head faintly. "I won't make it, Captain. It's too late."
"Don't say that! You'll make it... just hold on..." Dylan's voice broke again. He tried to lift her, but she pushed weakly against his chest.
"My body's already cold..." she whispered. "The only thing refusing to let go… is my heart. It's still burning."
"That's your will..." Dylan whispered, holding her tighter. "It doesn't want you to die... I don't want you to die."
She ignored his pleading, her gaze drifting upward toward the night sky over the ruined city.
"You know..." she murmured, "death is just… a door to a quiet room after the noise. You walk through it and the world stops hurting. It's like setting down a heavy weight you've carried too long." Her fingers curled weakly in his sleeve. "It's not cruel. It's rest..."
A faint smile tugged her lips.
"I was lucky to have you, Dylan. You are a good friend and a great Captain. I hope… one day, they'll see you… for the kind heart you've always had."
Her trembling hand brushed weakly against his face... then fell limp. Her eyes closed and her smile froze in place.
"No…" Dylan's voice cracked, his tears falling onto her bloodied cheek. He shook her. "Rhonda! RHONDA!"
He pulled her against his chest, clutching her like he could anchor her spirit. And he's screams were the last sound to echo over the broken city.