Page 340 of Light Leech

I dashed, meeting him before he expected, and slammed my fist into his chest, cracking what felt like every rib until I felt another organ being crushed. He collapsed, coughing up blood, but his eyes remained on me with a demonic rage.

I stood over him, then sat on his chest with my knees pinning his arms to the ground. Any relief I felt in his surrender was lost as I felt his chest collapse even more beneath me as I sat on a mess of ribs and collapsed lungs.

He couldn’t breathe, but I could see his bloody tongue try to speak. His body was failing him, but his eyes retained a hatred that would not relent. Any typical human would have died long ago, but this man had been altered to fit a job where he pissed off every other company besides Nichley. Combat mods weren’t uncommon the higher one climbed in society, especially among those whose jobs required creating enemies.

He wheezed. The sound was wet and metallic. I didn’t want to feel around his broken chest but seeing him still fighting for survival made me wonder how many of his crushed organs were cybernetic replacements. He should have died, but the berzerkitab kept him fighting until every last part of him surrendered.

The edges of his mouth turned up. He squinted in deceptive pleasure.

He tried to move his hand, but I kept it down.

He moaned and tried to move his hand again. I let it free and was relieved that he had not fought anymore. Where words failed him, technology would succeed.

He reached up to tap me.

I understood.

I leaned down and allowed him to tap on the base of my skull.

He connected and shared his final words.

Kell: You cheated.

Petya: Call it what you want, it was a fair fight.

Kell: No, you used something to stop the effects of your fix too early.

Petya: What?

He forced that same wheezing attempt at a laugh.

Kell: It would have been hilarious to see you go down on your girl in front of the crown. Baptism by fire into the elite, right?

Petya: What?

Kell: I went soft of you with a lustitab. You’re in the wrong here with a berzerkitab.

Petya: You sick shac! Why would you make me do that in front of everyone!

Kell: It makes a good story. She’s hot. You’re–

I speared my hand into his throat. I couldn’t take the sick freak any longer. It was people like him who confirmed my hatred of the pleasure-driven elite.

But was I any better? I was also pleasure-driven.

I followed that drive and ripped out every remaining tooth in Kell’s mouth. I had spotted a pond on the way to wash up before returning, so I let this be as bloody as possible. Retribution and hunger collided in a chaotic symphony of gore and teeth as I ripped apart his mouth in a vampiric feast.

Chapter nineteen

It’s time to D-D-D-Duel

“You’re zegged if anyone knows how to play well. I love you, Pet, but–”

“You really think that low of me?”

“I just–Look, I love yah, babe, but experience here–”

“Experience here doesn’t matter. Our Gui are piloting our decks, right? Isn’t that what you just said? I’d bet on an ancient spirit’s wisdom over some try-hard shac who thinks he can win just because he beats his coworkers, you plug?”