Relic of the Future: Chapter 142

Jaune lunged suddenly, throwing aside all pretences of chivalry and sending his fist crashing in toward Raven's surprised face. So sudden was the assault that he clipped her as she leaned back. His knuckles scraped her cheek but did so with force enough to make her stumble. Continuing his momentum, he slammed a foot down to draw him toward her and steady his footing, then brought his other fist up right into her kidneys.

Raven's feet left the floor. Spit flew from her mouth as she cried out. Her hand deflected the next haymaker, but she had to throw herself away to escape him, and she was limping as she did, clutching her side.

"Gah. I see that bitch taught you how to fight dirty. Shit."

[...]

Raven roared and flung herself forward. This time, she was prepared, swaying and ducking under a one-two and pulling across Jaune's body, driving her knee into his ribs. Before he could recover, she slapped both hands up to prevent him attacking her, then drove both fists into his stomach.

Having the air blown out of you would have staggered most people. Jaune brought his elbows down on her shoulders, driving them into her muscles to deaden them.

[...]

Jaune's attacks became more savage, more furious. Raven couldn't dodge them all because he flew into a berserker rage, swinging, punching, kicking, snarling and slamming his body into her. Somewhere along the way, he caught her nose with a fist and blood flew.

[...]

Their fists met. Cinder had seen movies and shows where that would cause a shockwave as fist met fist, but here it brought agonised sounds from them both as bone and cartilage crunched together. They retracted their hands as one, faces pinched.

[...]

Jaune answered by throwing his body into hers, bowling her over and pinning her down to the mud on her back. The awkward position with Jaune on top of Raven would have normally brought an end to the fight. Jaune wasted no time in linking both hands together and hammering them down onto the woman's face.

Raven blocked them with her arms, grunting with each hit. Her legs kicked up behind Jaune, struggling the first few times but eventually finding the right angle to wrap one leg up and around his face. All she had to do was straighten her body and Jaune would be yanked off her. Jaune's face was hidden behind Raven's thigh.

"Arghhh!" Raven cried out suddenly. Yanking her leg down, she threw Jaune off her, then gripped her thigh and glared at him. "You bit me! You mother fucker! Rarghhh!"

[...]

The crowd cheered as Raven tackled Jaune down, this time sitting on his stomach as she punched him once, twice, three and four times. Her fists worked like pistons. Up, down, up, down, up, down – grabbed, twisted. A yelp of pain and Raven rolling off to avoid her arm being pulled out its socket.

[...]

Raven twisted around, face red. "Who said that!?" she roared. "Get down here and say it to my fists!"

Cinder was sure no one would dare, even if she herself was smirking somewhat. There were sniggers from the other bandits as well, and that did nothing for Raven's mood. Sadly, it also did nothing for her awareness. While initially as shocked as she, Jaune wasn't going to pass up being offered his opponent's back.

"Well!?" Raven snapped. "Who dared say-"

A gentleman might have tackled Raven to the floor and subdued her.

Jaune smashed his elbow into her lower spine. Raven's entire body bent inward, stomach pushed out and back arched as she sprayed spit forwards. The pain must have been incredible, but that was only half of it. Without missing a beat, Jaune grabbed her neck as she was bent back, pulled it down and also kicked her heels out from under her.

Raven flipped backwards, driven down by Jaune's hand until she struck the ground. Mud splattered and her legs kicked up. Before she could recover, he placed his foot on her neck and held a fist high in the air.

—Relic of the Future: Chapter 142