Her beauty, as well as her a.s.sa.s.sin disposition and hatred in her eyes, created a unique deadly cold aura that could freeze everything it touched.

The superior maid, the symbol of the family greatness since Yurich's time, was an unreasonably exquisite gift for the Stones. Perhaps, if they decided to sell her at the auction, the family would get enough money to live in comfort for many years to come.

Kyon's heart was beating frantically. The image of the girl he loved methodically destroyed all the mental barriers in his sealed heart. The unrestrained stream of emotions escaped from his soul. Kyon felt he was burning up with big b.u.t.terflies fluttering around in his stomach, and below his stomach, down there...

«Dinah… You... How did you break free?! How did you find me?!» - Kyon asked quietly, his voice sounded joyful against his will. He was already licking his chops with a desire to kiss her delicate cold lips pa.s.sionately… Kyon could not help himself. Her image had imprinted too deep in his soul. His mind melted with hot and even perverted feelings.

Over the past month, Kyon's feelings for Dinah hadn't weakened. However, the recently acquired advanced phase had strengthened his spiritual self-control. Now he was capable of making logical decisions and not rus.h.i.+ng to the arms of death like a firefly in the light. Thus, increasing his development, he would eventually regain complete control over himself when he was next to Dinah.

He heard her cold voice trembling with rage. The sound of it caressed his soul as if he was a harp, and she was a G.o.ddess strumming the strings.

«It must be the least of your concern, honey because today I will cut off your little friend and make you eat it!»

«I order you to freeze!» - Kyon told her hurriedly.

«Imbecile!» - The killer-maid replied mockingly. A curved dagger flashed in her hand. She seemed to dissolve in the air, turning into an elusive shadow.

The remnants of Kyon's rational thinking screamed, cursing everything in the world. He recalled that Dinah's development was at the end of the superior phase, which means she was above him by more than a phase and a half. She could have killed Yegorka in a couple of blows. Kyon stood no chance against her both in speed and in power! What should he do?! The gun! But it was loaded with live ammo. He'd have to reload the gun with tranquilizer darts during the fight and rely on his ultrstrong skin.

Kyon had hardly parried the dagger when there was immediately another attack. There was no way to dodge it, the difference in speed was too big.

~zap~

The blade cut through the s.h.i.+rt, but the skin on his chest remained unharmed.

Dina was bewildered. How could her attack fail? Against someone like him?!

«Dinah, WAIT! We need to talk. There's something very important we have to discuss!» - Kyon shouted, barely managing to fend off attacks and reload his gun at the same time.

«…» – She ignored him and furiously continued to attack the unarmed enemy.

Kyon's brazen attempt to gain time had failed. It would have been so nice if she had let him to reload the cartridge and shoot at her!

~zap~ ~zap~

Two thin scratching sounds came from the point where the dagger met the carbon skin.

Kyo finally managed to reload the gun.

~bang~

The dart hit right in Dinah's neck, but it suddenly bounced off with no effect.

Kyon swallowed up in amazement and immediately fired another five shots at the motion-blurred silhouette. Half of them hit the target but could not get through the killer's skin.

«You're a fool!» – Dinah said evilly with a cold smile. – «I have gathered enough information about you, so your pistol does not come as an unpleasant surprise!»

Kyon tossed the gun straight into her face, annoyed. – «I love you, silly girl! You belong to me! You've been mine for so long. Why don't you understand it?!»

«I belong to you?! I'll gut you right here, jerk!» – Dinah hissed and furiously attacked. This piece of sc.u.m dared to claim that she was his property!? If he ever said it again she would cut off his b.a.l.l.s at once!

Kyon pulled out the Scourge. He wasn't planning on being a weaponless victim. It's better to bite than be toothless at all. He attacked the approaching shadow right away.

~clank~

The dagger and the sword clashed. The force of the collision nearly tore the sword off his hands. The reckless exchange of direct blows can end badly if the adversary has an overwhelming superiority in strength. Anyway, his hands would have been broken if he had used the adamantium sword, light like a feather.

Dinah lunged frantically again.

Kyon swung his sword (he would fail to dodge, anyway). Dinah made an attempt to knock out his weapon, but he took a step back just in time, which played into Dinah's hands. She ruthlessly stabbed him with the dagger in the stomach, the unprotected spot.

~zap~

Kyon successfully scared her away with another swing and a furious roar. Apparently, Dinah was afraid of even the slightest injury. It backfired big time on her back then in the treasury!

The exchange of blows continued.

~zap~

He couldn't dodge her blows properly, nor could he attack her as should be. Dinah could easily disarm him with a counter-attack or maim his hands, which would instantly lead to his defeat. If Kyon had natural skin, she would have already torn him to shreds. However, something just didn't add up. Why wasn't Dinah aiming at his vital organs? And why couldn't he feel the full power of her attacks? Was she playing to lose? Or was his skin really so good?

He was also glad that Dinah was making only slas.h.i.+ng attacks. One powerful blow would turn his insides into a mash. Did she realize what she was doing? Most likely, she did. As soon as she was tired of playing cat and mouse, Kyon was dead.

His attempts to escape failed because Dinah always appeared right before him because of her significant advantage in speed (about half the phase), forcing him to retreat to his initial place.

It was pointless to cry for help. The onlookers from the middle and lower cla.s.ses wouldn't help him. If they p.i.s.sed Dinah off, she could kill them with a single blow.

~zap~

Dinah's face was getting darker and darker. She flashed an evil grin. Her bloodthirsty gray eyes narrowed dangerously.

~zap~

Kyon winced painfully. The last attack left a scratch across his torso. He immediately began to heal it with the earth element.

~whoosh~ ~whoosh~ ~whoosh~

The battle seemed to have cycled on the same scenes. Kyon keeps a safe distance from Dinag; she keeps trying to hit the sword; Kyon doesn't let her; she leaves a new scratch at the overwhelming speed at the right moment.

About a minute later, Kyon's clothes turned into tattered rags. He tried to distract his attacker, to change her mind with with ridiculous promises and even threats but he had to pay for them with a new deep cut.

~boom~

After the deafening explosion, Kyon found himself completely enveloped in a cloud of endless blue sparks piercing all parts of his body.

Gradually, everything got quiet. The light from the sparks went out, revealing his figure standing firmly on his feet after the explosion.

Dinah's eyes widened, her lips slightly parted. The ball lightning should have paralyzed him for at least a couple of hours! And there he was standing still, completely unharmed like he couldn't care less. There was not a trace of fear, or pain, or despair in his eyes. Nothing that she longed to see. His pupils were dilated like those of a drug addict.

Dinah's hand curled into a fist. The expression of her face changed. She was full of gloomy determination.

Kyon was appalled at this change. Dinah no longer looked at him like a lazy cat playing with a helpless, cornered mouse. She seemed to be satisfied to just kill him, most likely with a single punch. And she was going to succeed.

«Have you poisoned me?!» - Kyon roared with genuine despair in his voice.

Dinah stared blankly at her suddenly "defeated" victim.

«So mean of you! So mean…» – Kyon slowly crawled to the ground, hissed something inaudible, and pa.s.sed out.

Dinah breathed a sigh of relief. With a nod to her thoughts, she went up to Kyon, grabbed him roughly by the hair, and dragged him along the dark street somewhere only she knew.