"Looks like the ether forge is giving you confidence in fighting the pack," Helga's voice rang on his ears. Jakob continued resisting the beluas while keeping an eye on the beluas firing ether at Blackwells. Jakob didn't stop moving, he used the beluas shields and weapons, not letting the ether-enchanted blade he carried make him waste movements.
"Not at all," Jakob moved around, dodging the beluas. His limbs were weapons as he continued fighting. The shockwave above him gave him little time to think. All he needed to do was fight until there were less of them. Kill one and that is one down after so many. Systematically killing without wasting time, Jakob fought coldly as if a ghost unleashed on the battlefields of Gharasu.
"The vibrant blade is holding up, and this ether of yours is enough to tear through the pack," Helga said. "This is a great find, no, a great weapon that we could use for ourselves."
"Do not forget about the pact," Jakob replied to Helga. "In any event that the Ether Forge is used without discrimination then is the day that I would hunt every single one of you."
"You don't believe that this weapon can be kept."
"No, I don't. What I want is to regulate it. Alternatively, do you want to become cattle? Hate it, love it, the etherians are our greatest weapons against the belua."
Jakob moves through the crowd with his weapon swinging everywhere. He did not swing mindlessly, but through the weakness of the beluas, the belua might have ether-guarded skin, but it was no better than better when faced with a vibrant blade enchanted with etherian energy.
In the old past, they fought with reckless abandon. One man could slay beluas like this as long as they armed the way he was right now. Humanity might have been broken into many cities and crumbling nations, but Jakob knew they were not completely dead. He would not come to this place if not for what he saw in the information given by the group he rescued.
Human cattle were a reality in some countries. He was always in Aured, but some days he would travel with recruits in order to help them kill dangerous beluas that attacks settlements. The known world was a taboo. Most of the continents on the old past he knew was gone. However, why would that matter to Jakob? He fought for Aured City until he was old and wrinkled. He led young ones to their death. He motivated them into fighting, lying to their faces so they can fight in the frontline.
Even now, Jakob could not forget them. Their faces as they head to their deaths. Ever since fighting for Ursula and the recent events had given Jakob time to think. He was young outside but he was a senile old man thrown into the old world where he could fight well. It was an easy conclusion that if he could fight, then he would.
Only because of what he can do that was he willing to come here. That he could stand in where things truly change. The information recorded by the Mei's group. The early appearance of the beluaman and the change in the Star of Aured's attitude, made Jakob decide.
He did not need to bare his soul to others. He knew that Sanctum would not let go of the ether forge, and that the Ghosts would become stronger. Still, he did not understand why he was slaying here. No, he did understand, that a decrepit and the old man inside of him could not let go.
"Grandpa," He heard a voice. For a moment, he saw young etherians rushing to his side. The young ones, the people he cared and had to bury himself. In that world, he would stand in front of their graves weeping without any tears coming out his wrinkled eyes.
He saw young kids turn into warriors. Warriors, who he would toil to find, and bring back home where he bury them in a place where none would disturb them, he hated how they all leave him behind. No one should suffer waiting patiently for the younger ones to return to him, only for them to arrive in coffins.
"You seem to be lost for a moment," Helga's voice awoke him from his thoughts. "Must be because of the battle, or is this a trance that I just broke?"
Jakob did not speak. He spun his blade, slashing across the field while using the belua as stepping-stones. The waist-high quagmire was a death trap. The shockwaves from above meant death as well. He did not lack stamina with the suit, and although he was surrounded by the enemy. He felt like he was home.
However, his heart felt as if someone poured cold water as he thought of those younger etherians. Jakob Recker wanted to believe that there must be more to this. That there would be change in this world, and that he would find hope in it.
"Please, God," Jakob prayed as he beheaded a belua. "Let me have this bit of hope!"
Jakob roared inwardly. He tore through the beluas and watched Blackwells back. In that world, in his old past there was a change that was detrimental to the progress of Aured City and its Sister-Cities. That was the death of the Commander of the Recon Korp, the death of Stan Blackwells.
Jakob waited for it. Then it happened right before his eyes! Anastasia, who was keeping the beluas down slipped up, and through this an attack made Stan Blackwells slip.
The shockwave that came after it was heart rendering. The figure of the Commander of the Recon Korp plunging into the depths of the belua horde made ear-piercing noises on his communicator. Jakob did not tarry. Without missing a beat, smoke came out of the suit, the one-eyed gray suit Jakob wore emitted red lines as he crashes to the belua gathering at Commander Blackwells's location.
Behind Jakob, a butterfly flap its wings, trying to fly away from the quagmire filled with belua.