Asher didn’t hesitate.
He ran straight at the Oga, fists clenched, ready to break sothing—anything—before the machine could finish the Knight off.
The Oga turned its head toward him. Its red visor narrowed like a focused scanner.
Asher swung a punch at its side.
The Oga lifted its arm and blocked the punch as if it weighed nothing. The impact sent a sting up Asher’s knuckles, like punching a wall made of steel and anger.
"...Yeah. That’s solid," Asher muttered.
The Oga raised its other arm fast.
Asher barely moved in ti. The claws sliced through where his ribs had been a second ago. He felt the wind of the cut.
He stepped back, eyes sharp.
The Oga stood still, perfectly balanced, claws dripping fragnts of the Knight’s broken sword.
"Assessnt," it said in its cold voice.
"Target combat ability: above average. Margin of victory: high."
Asher scowled.
"Above average? Really? That’s the rating I get?"
The Oga didn’t react.
It stepped forward once.
The floor cracked under its foot.
Asher tensed.
The machine moved again—straight at him—vanishing in a blur of speed.
But this ti, Asher was ready.
He shifted to the side, letting the Oga’s claws slice past him. He grabbed its arm, using its montum to pull it down and drive a knee into its back.
The strike landed, but the Oga barely bent.
Asher gritted his teeth.
"Fine. Hard way then."
The Oga twisted its arm and threw Asher off like he weighed nothing. Asher hit the ground, rolled, and got back up instantly.
The machine turned toward him again.
"Counterasure: engage direct elimination."
It lunged.
Asher ducked the first swipe. The second swipe grazed his shoulder armor, cutting a line of sparks.
The third swipe—he caught.
He grabbed the Oga’s wrist with both hands. The claws stopped inches from his face.
The force pushed him back step by step across the floor. His boots scraped against the tal.
"Not... happening..." Asher growled.
He twisted the wrist sharply.
The Oga jerked its arm free and kicked him in the chest.
Asher was thrown back into one of the tal pillars. The impact knocked the breath out of him, and he slid down to one knee.
The Oga didn’t pause.
It was already moving again.
Fast.
Silent.
Precise.
Like a killer blade wrapped in armor.
Asher forced himself back up.
"Okay," he muttered. "This one’s a nightmare."
The Oga closed the distance in an instant.
Asher dodged left.
The claws scraped the pillar behind him. Deep, clean gouges ford in the tal.
Asher ran forward, throwing a tight punch at the Oga’s head.
It tilted slightly.
The punch missed.
The Oga countered with a palm strike to his chest—fast and heavy.
Asher flew back again, rolling across the floor.
His ribs ached. His breath felt sharp.
But he pushed himself up anyway.
The Knight, damaged but still active, staggered forward to join him.
Asher shook his head.
"No. Stay back. You’ll get wrecked again."
The Knight hesitated.
The Oga assessed them both.
"Conclusion," it said. "Secondary unit: non-threat. Primary target: priority."
It locked onto Asher.
The red visor flared brighter.
Its claws extended again.
Asher tightened his fists.
He didn’t smile. He didn’t joke.
He just braced himself.
"Alright then," he said quietly.
"No running. No tricks."
He stepped forward.
"Co on."
The Oga rushed him again—straight, fast, and with no wasted movent.
Asher t it head-on.
The first clash was rough. The Oga swung its claws in a tight arc aid at his neck. Asher blocked with his forearm. tal scraped his skin, leaving a shallow cut.
He countered with a punch to its chest.
The blow landed—but the Oga didn’t even flinch.
It grabbed his wrist and tried to twist his arm until it snapped.
Asher planted his foot, pulled back, and spun out of its grip. He swung another punch at the side of its head.
This one actually turned the Oga’s helt a little.
Only a little.
The Oga imdiately struck back. Its knee shot up and slamd into Asher’s stomach. The hit forced the air out of his lungs.
He stumbled back, gasping.
The Oga didn’t let up.
It was already on him again.
It slashed down. Asher stepped back. The claws cut through the floor like paper.
He threw a straight punch at the Oga’s visor. The machine leaned aside and answered with a backhand. The hit smashed into the side of Asher’s jaw and sent him spinning.
He landed on one knee.
His vision shook.
The Oga advanced.
"Prediction: your body is reaching failure limits," it said calmly.
Asher wiped the blood at the corner of his mouth. "I’ve heard worse."
He pushed himself up fast and charged again.
He aid low this ti.
He ducked under the Oga’s swing, wrapped his arms around its waist, and lifted.
For a mont—just a mont—he actually got the machine off the ground.
Then the Oga slamd both elbows down on his back.
Asher dropped it.
He hit the floor hard.
The Oga stepped over him and kicked him in the ribs. The force sent him sliding several ters across the chamber.
Asher grabbed the floor and stopped himself.
He stood, breathing raggedly.
His body hurt everywhere. His arms shook. His ribs burned.
The Knight limped forward again, clearly wanting to help.
Asher raised one hand.
"Not yet," he said quietly. "If you step in again, it’ll break you into pieces."
The Knight slowly lowered its sword.
The Oga watched them both without emotion.
"Your resistance is inefficient," it said. "End of combat recomnded."
Asher spat blood onto the floor.
"Yeah? Recomnd this."
He burst forward again.
This ti he didn’t attack first.
He baited.
The Oga swung fast—aiming for his throat.
Asher dodged just enough.
The claws scraped past his skin, missing the fatal point.
Asher grabbed the Oga’s arm, twisted it inward, and slamd his elbow into the joint.
A crack ford.
The Oga’s arm twitched.
Asher hit the sa spot again—harder.
A deeper crack.
The Oga jerked back, trying to pull away, but Asher held on.
"Not letting go—" he growled.
He smashed his fist down one more ti.
The elbow joint snapped.
The Oga staggered.
Its left arm hung loose.
For the first ti in the fight, the machine paused.
"Damage... unacceptable."
Asher stepped back, breathing fast, sweating, bleeding, but still standing.
"Good. Finally doing sothing."
But the Oga didn’t retreat.
It didn’t shut down.
Instead, its visor glowed brighter.
"Switching to ergency protocol."
Its claws on the remaining arm extended even longer.
Its legs shifted into a lower stance.
Its body temperature spiked, steam rising off its armor.
The Knight stepped back nervously.
Asher narrowed his eyes.
"Oh, great," he muttered.
"It has phases."
He raised his fists again.
"Round two then."
The Oga launched forward—much faster than before—
Straight at Asher.
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