Maxi dashed sideways, circling Hana with sharp steps, trying to study her without getting too close.
His eyes locked onto the chain, now dancing around her arm—and for the first time, he noticed something important. The chain wasn't loosely connected by a film of blood like before.
It was fused directly into the wound in her fist.
("Was it like this from the beginning…?") he thought. ("No—I was too focused on not dying to notice. But now that I see it, it makes sense. It's like her veins are feeding blood straight into the chain. That could explain the extra reach—she's pulling blood from within, forming more chain mid-attack… Still just a theory, but nonetheless)
("noted.")
He bolted further back, widening the gap.
Hana's eyes twinkled with mischief as she toyed with the chain wrapped around her arm.
"You dodged pretty well," she giggled. "Let's see if you can do it again, Maxi!"
She lashed out.
The chain cracked through the air like lightning. Maxi dropped low, rolling just beneath the strike as it sliced through where his head had been—only for it to snap back with the sound of thunder.
("She's trying to kill me!") he thought, his heartbeat thundering as he scrambled to his feet. He kept dodging, backpedaling, weaving—surviving.
But every whip of the chain drained more of his stamina.
He was panting now.
Hana was beaming.
Then—snap.
The chain recoiled like it was being yanked back into a machine. It slithered, segment by segment, back into the wound on her fist.
"You're good at dodging one chain," Hana purred. "But what about... two?"
Maxi's eyes widened. "Wait—what?!"
Hana flexed her wrist, letting blood pour freely from her fist wond.
The thick crimson quickly hardened—shaping itself into a metallic knife.
She used it immediately, slicing into her other palm.
Blood spilled again—this time into her hand, morphing mid-air into a second chain.
Then the knife melted back into blood, crawled down her original wound, and solidified into yet another chain.
Maxi's mouth went dry.
("She can turn her blood into any weapon? Not just chains…")
("Noted.")
Now dual-wielding chains like whips, she spun them lazily with terrifying grace.
"Ready or not—here we go~" she sang.
The chains snapped forward.
Maxi's reflexes saved him. Again.
He ducked, rolled, twisted mid-air—leaping between strikes like a dancer evading blades. The chains extended again, stretching far beyond what their physical forms suggested.
Hana laughed joyfully as Maxi danced for his life
("This dang chains feel like they are alive," he thought. "Its Obeying her will—like blood puppets made of steel.")
But then Hana paused.
She exhaled, almost disappointed but mostly filled with mostly joy.
"Come on, Maxi," she teased. "Try and hit me already! I want to actually use one of my other abilities."
Maxi, huffing and gasping, muttered, "You're holding back?"
Hana laughed. "Big brother Colen told me to do it this way. Said it would be more… what was the word…?"
She tapped the chain thoughtfully, then snapped her fingers. "Oh! Utilitarian. Whatever that means."
Maxi chuckled—just once, dryly.
("So that's how it is. She's testing me. Not even going all out yet… I have to force her hand. I can't plan around an enemy I haven't fully seen yet. I am only seeing the idea of what the puzzle could be not the puzzle itself i need to see all of it")
He squared up.
"Alright, sis," Maxi said with a grin. "I'll try to live up to your expectations."
He charged.
Hana's smile grew razor-sharp.
The chains cracked out like thunderclaps, trying to intercept him, but Maxi leapt high—dodging through the sky. Blood-metal flicked at his boots, grazing his armor, drawing thin lines across his sleeves and chest.
Still—he kept moving. Kept pushing forward.
("I need to see everything she can do. No holding back.")
He closed the gap.
And for the first time—they were face to face.
Maxi slashed with his daggers. Once—twice—three times.
Hana dodged each strike easily, her movements fluid and relaxed. He jumped, trying to catch her from above—but she placed her foot on his shoulder and shoved him backward mid-air, sending him flying.
Her arms spread in gleeful joy.
Maxi hit the ground hard.
Then—smirked.
He jumped backward again, this time throwing a dagger mid-air.
Hana tilted to the side. "Too slow," she said—
Fwip.
An arrow flew.
He had drawn his bow, knocked it, and fired in midair—while she was dodging the dagger.
The arrow struck her cleanly in the stomach.
Hana stumbled, stunned.
Then…
She laughed.
"You actually managed to do it," she beamed.
Maxi chuckled. "Yeah… I sure did, didn't I?"
She reached down and pulled the arrow out of her stomach.
Blood didn't spill. Her expression remained delighted.
"I didn't think I'd get to use this one today."
Her chain began slithering into the wound on her stomach.
Maxi's eyes widened in alarm.
"Special technique…" she whispered.
The metal shifted.
The chain then jerked as if it was a living creature or is struggling to pull something very big out of a whole
Hana then pulled the chain as a metal ball. The size of her torso is pulled out of the small arrow wond in her stomach
"…Wrecking Ball."
She grinned like a devil made flesh.
Maxi stared.
("…So I'm just dead-dead, huh?")