Two Sides of a Coin (Sigurd/Freyja)

"Food on the table is what I gain," He answered, finding himself annoyed with the makeshift wall of Reishi. When did Quincy become guardian angels? "Maybe I'll also end up burying a body."

With an obvious threat, that large sword was removed from his back, its end jammed into the wall of Reishi. He did not try to break through it, but, instead, turned towards the woman bothering him. His gaze bore through his own mask, his annoyance prelavant despite his lack of facial expression.

"Your choice, Coordinator."

"..."

Food on his table? Was it really that simple? She couldn't exactly fault the man for attempting to make a living. She considered him a vagabond before, but those words seemed to confirm her suspicion to some extent. Perhaps, he was merely what one would describe as a hired hand. Even so, that only exacerbated her curiosity. What if the hired hand is an enemy of the Vandenreich? His threats, as before, meant little to her. As he turns towards her, she voices her answer through forming her spirit weapon - Sigurd. Pointing it toward him, she requests he answer her other question.

"Your threats mean nothing to me until you take action, Black Knight. Does this information, in any shape or form, pertain to the Vandenreich? If not, then this is the end of our conversation, and I apologize for disturbing your peace. If so..."

She readied herself for battle, settling into an offensive stance. No words were necessary. Battle would commence or it would not - dependent on his answer.

He was annoyed before simply because she dared follow him, but now he's peeved. It's been a while since he's let loose, and even though he preferred keeping things tidy and clean, he's not on a mission right now. What he's doing is extra insurance for later work. It poses nothing if he walks out of here with the data or not. If one must compare it, it's like an electrician deciding to wire up a friend's house for free. With that mindset, he moved his great sword to his shoulder, tightening his grip on its handle.

"Depends on who's bid's the highest. I'm a fair man who gives all the right the enact their vengeance, whether against a person, a group, or an organization."

There's her answer. He doesn't know, but whoever buys it is free to do with it what they want. Maybe they'll use it to attack the Vandenreich. Maybe they won't. It's not his problem after the data's sold.

"In other words, it doesn't matter who the information falls to so as long as it's sold to the highest bidder and your pockets are filled? Tch... what an underhanded way of life."

His answer was infuriating, though Freyja's placid reaction did little to represent the ire that burned within at the obsidian knight's reply. Even so, she remains calm, her spirit weapon poised in a vertical position in preparation for battle. There is nothing to be gained from senselessly attacking him. He hadn't directly provoked her, after all. His answer simply disgusted her.

He walks out clean while others can potentially suffer from the information he sells to those from the shadows. Far be it from her to judge someone for their livelihood, she simply couldn't agree with the idea of playing games with other people's lives. As such, there was nothing more to be gained from asking questions now. His admission wasn't entirely incriminating, but neither did it lessen her suspicion. She highly doubts he'd willingly give her the data, and the idea of doing business with him, let alone matching the bid does not entice her at all.

"You leave me no other choice, Black Knight. I'll have to take the data by force. Prepare yourself!"

Carried forth by a swift Hirenkyaku-induced step, Freyja flashes forward, executing a fierce vertical cleave, a crystallized arc of reishi bursting from the edge of her blade.

He shifted the sword on his shoulder, placing his hand on its other end as he felt her own large sword crash down on him. The force of her energy pushed him back, his boots sliding against the metal floor. However, he seemed undisturbed by her sudden attack and readjusted his blade on his shoulder, his masked face pointed in her direction.

"Righteous lil' blondie, aren't you?" He taunted, removing the necklace from around his neck. Its removal allowed his energy to surface beyond his immediate space, reaching out all around as it coated the surrounding area and building in his draconic Reiatsu. Now they're in his domain, and he's sure to let her know as he dropped the edge of his sword on the ground. With a simple slash, he grinded his weapon against the metal beneath him, generating sparks that he manipulated to create a sudden massive roar of flames that crowded the hallway he had slid into and threatened to engulf her in unrighteous heat.

Freyja did not think her strike would reach her target so easily. From his form alone, she discerned that the man would not be a warrior so easily felled. She has no intent to kill, him of course. All she seeks is acquiring that data. There could be anything contained with in, and if it in any way compromises the Vandenreich and her peers? There is no mercy. Only judgment in the form of her spirit weapon - Sigurd. The two large blades clash as the obsidian knight taunts her in response to her declaration.

"Call it what you will, Black Knight. I simply cannot abide the thought of someone endangering others while he gets to walk away clean, free of responsibility."

A calm and precise answer, devoid of any needless words. It is a battle, after all. Conversation should be limited lest one finds themselves willing to suffer an early death. He certainly spoke as if he intended to bury her here in the ruins of Africa. However, her expression grew observant the moment he removed the necklace from his neck. In the next instant, a fierce reaitsu had blanketed the area. Already, he's executing his counter in the hallway in the form of a roar of sudden flames rushing through and filling the hallways. Rushing through the fierce hellfire would be foolish. As such, in response to that fierce counter, Freyja answers with defense.

"Schildform - Thrud!"

Several ringlike formations, resembling the shapes of shields, formed around her body in all directions, acting as a barrier to protect her from the heat. Forming a blade of reishi with free hand, she launches it towards him like a beam of energy, applying Hirenkyaku to keep him at her ideal range. Of course, what was the nature of this draconic reiatdsu? And would it impede her ability to manipulate reishi? Such were the thoughts dominating her mind.

Impede her? No. However, once she let loose her Reishi constructs, the rules that protected her no longer applied. With just a look alone, unseen forces began ripping that flying blade apart, leaving it a lame version of itself before that great sword of Sigurd's shattered its remnants. But, in a taunting manner, he did not move to counter, replacing his blade like before on his shoulders.

"We all have to eat, and life is just a giant pot of misfortune. I've taken my spoonful already, and it'll be raining Hell before I return to it."

Even if he has to harm others, Sigurd will never allow himself to be another's footstool anymore. He's lived that life, and the only thing he has to show for it is the stench of death that trails his every step. He's not an outwardly emotional man, so his minor rant carried no strong emotion, but it's obvious that he shares no sympathy for Freyja's righteous acts. She's just another thing keeping him from sleeping soundly tonight.

The draconic reiatsu had eaten away at her blade till it was little more than a harmless collection of reishi, forcing Freyja to halt her movement. The closer she charged toward him, she found her barrier being compromised by the fierce blanket of energy that currently influences the atmosphere. Was this the result of him seemingly activating his ability? Her ability to manipulate reishi remained the same, but the moment her reishi construct sought purchase, the blade had been rendered ineffective. Freyja was no fool. This would prove a difficult battle if she couldn't attack him through her own means of battle.

"Maybe so. I am in no place to judge a man who wishes to make a living in this world, but I won't stand idly if the lives of those I care for are potentially endangered as well."

Remaining stalwart, Freyja simply decided to engage him directly, vanishing and appearing before him to execute a fierce overhead strike. So what if it was righteous? She would never allow anyone to compromise her current way of life. Initially, she had vowed only to protect and care for Helle, but it went so much further than that. There were others in her world now.

Tch. He simply moved his blade back overhead, holding it steady with both his hands as he felt her heavy weapon bear down upon him. The weight caused his legs to buckle only slightly, his augmentation holding fast against her fierce downfall. She'd feel his eyes on him despite being unable to witness his cold gaze.

"You lot are always dying for another. I bet you have something real important back at home, huh. I wonder if they feel the same as you," Sigurd proposed, letting his words worm free like a parasite.

It wasn't much, but it relayed his thoughts about charity. Why help those who'd never care to help you? The average person has no time for being nice, nor do they attempt it. How many people pass a homeless person without a care? Is he supposed to see her way just because she has some boyfriend back home? Ridiculous.

"At least say you're trying to protect more than your own selfish hubris."

"..."

Locking eyes with the Obsidian Knight, Freyja remained silent. There was no visual tell of a woman who seemed perturbed by his words. Efficiency in battle was her topmost priority here. Allowing him to infiltrate and distort her mind with petty words would only lead to death. Her azure gaze could not pinpoint his eyes during their clash, yet she still felt the cold emotion emanating from his stare. Even so, Freyja held no doubt, that her peers within the Vandenreich cared for her wellbeing as much as she did theirs.

Even for those she hadn't been able to see, the woman she admired beyond compare, the notion of them not feeling the same was preposterous, a sick jest made at her expanse by this black knight. Her own selfish hubris? No, he was the selfish one here. Pressing her sword in a downward trajectory, Freyja's eyes burned with fierce indignation. There was a woman to protect. A man she admired. A grandmaster she pledged her fealty to.

"My own selfish hubris? That's amusing coming from the man who would gladly sell his soul to make a profit. I do not doubt that my fellow soldiers feel the same way about me. Of course I want to protect them. There is a strong woman I vowed to protect above all else. Don't lecture me on selfishness!"