Jakob parried the blow and let her chainsword slide on the flat of his cutter-vibrant. Taking a step forward, he stomped his right foot, bashed his shoulder against the chest of the etherian. He raised his blade overhead and swung downwards, only for the chainsword to guard. Jakob took a step forward and dodged the tendril she uses against them.
"I don't get this. Do they pay you millions to fight against the Cult? I just don't see why a powerful guy like you come and stop the Cult. The demerits outweigh the advantages it brings."
Jakob lowers his cutter. He lifted his head as if confused. "Why does someone from the Black Hand speak so much?"
The sounds of rain replaced their voices. The revving of her chainsword quieted as she eyes Jakob through that cold light of her suit.
"Who the fuck are you?"
Jakob didn't speak. He watched the emblem on their necks. They wore the Black Hand proudly, and yet it was odd for them to wonder why in the heavens would some people not notice them? Not that it mattered to Jakob when he was about to separate this woman's head from her body.
Jakob rushes in with a consecutive slash that ended with the pommel of his cutter smashing against the stomach of her suit. He smashes his elbow against her, only for him to feel the repelling force of her strike. Her chainsword thrummed as she lashes it to his direction. Jakob blocked and dodged the rest of her strike. They were in a stalemate. The surrounding area was a mountain of rubble and dust. His footing was a mess, and he was pushing the suit to the limit.
That didn't mean he was in a hurry. His enemy's goal was to reach the Mistress. He's been doing what his job was for, but it didn't mean that he could get past the enemy's third layer of ether. He could do it with some effort, but she was not like the third-rate etherians he had been facing since this farce started.
Jakob blocked her from running. She lashes out her whip-like chainsword blow after blow. Jakob calmly dodges them, his heartbeat replacing the sound of the rain, and his blows precise enough to deter every blow she makes. She stomped her foot on the ground, destroying the oval platform they were standing on, forcing Jakob to bounce off the pipes. Grabbing on to the side of a pipe, he placed both feet and lunge to where she was. Twisting his body, using the weight of his body and suit to deliver a blow she had to block.
She blocked the cutter, and then user her heel to force Jakob down. Jakob replied with a shot of his grappler stake, pulling his body close to the etherian, he lashes cutter sword; the cutter blocked by the chainsword again. This time he lets go of the chainsword, put his weight on his legs and did a mid-air roundhouse kick on the side of this etherian. Sheathing his cutter-vibrant, he landed two punches on her side and followed it with an uppercut on her chin. Running horizontally on the pipe and making a leap for another. He switched his cutter to another rev and lashes a blow that she carefully guarded with her chainsword.
Landing on the concrete floor, Jakob adjusted his posture, and made sure his offhand was ready to fire at any moment. She landed softly on the ground and lashes her chainsword around. She lowered her chainsword and placed her eyes on Jakob.
"You can still back out."
"Talkative, aren't you?" Jakob answered. "I didn't know the Black Hands are like this. Would you like to talk or finish this?"
"Think about this. You can still walk away."
"And break Haven's rules?" Jakob shook his head. "Don't even think I don't know. If you want to walk away, I can let you go, but there will be no walking away for me."
"Are you really going to risk it all for that woman?"
"It's the job," Jakob replied. "It doesn't matter what you say here, I won't back down. As for you, you have wasted your time here, and before long the reinforcements will arrive. You can try again when I am not around, but if you're planning to kill the future star of this City, then there is nothing to say here other than over my dead body."
"The black hand won't forget this."
"Spare me the threats," Jakob scoffed. "You people work for credits and technology. You don't have the limits that Haven has, and instead handle the underground matters, but you know that business is business. If you want to tell me that the black hand will come after me, then say it. Don't go beating around the bush trying to fool someone in the same occupation. We pay blood with cash, don't forget that Black hand. Or are you going to stumble around words? Either you leave this place or do not leave at all. I'll still stop you and let's see if I don't cut your pretty head."
"You really think you could stop me?"
"That's what they put me here for," Jakob tightened his guard. "The etherian killer is a too heavy title. They lent me this suit for the purpose of fighting people like you. I might not kill you, but I'll cripple you."
"Then you should die," she said with her voice freezing the raindrops.
She revealed her snow-like hands and manipulated the surrounding water. Jakob immediately acted, turning the heat inside the suit, and lashing his cutter sword, only for a spike of ice to block his path. Leaping away, Jakob gritted his teeth behind his helmet. He knew this etherian ability too well. He should have figured it out from the start! He felt like a fool after it finally connected to him.
He felt his will drained away from him. Miss Yuki, the Blood Snow, the person who spared his life once now stood in front of him. The only one who gave mercy to some nobody like him.
"You shouldn't regret this." Miss Yuki declared, the rain became her weapons.