>>5949852“I’ll deal with everyone in here, Inquisitor. You go find the Stranger!” You command.
The inquisitor doesn’t say anything, simply choosing to vault over the countertop and kick his way into the back room. Leaving you completely surrounded. The bastard. Immediately you feel a tingling sensation on the back of your neck and leap for cover as a beam of electric energy is sent hurdling past you, from the Purse Puncher’s little mage.
“I don’t suppose I could get you all to stand down by saying a perverted slaver is mind-controlling you?”
Clarice takes another swing at you accompanied by a loud “HYAH!” as four of the adventurers behind you charge.
“I didn’t think so.”
The only world that can adequately sum up the next few moments is chaos, complete and utter chaos. One second a kid in homemade armor is attempting to run you through with his dagger, the next Sturmfahrerin sends him flying into the expensive liquor on the top shelf. An archer lets loose an arrow from the exit door only for it to find perch in Clarice’s shoulder instead of yours. The mage chants while holding her staff in your direction, only to find that a two-handed swing from your messer is more than enough to chop a twig in half.
No one here is as skilled as you, how could they be? You’ve been trained by the very best tutors in the kingdom. But this is also the first time you’ve had to face so many opponents. You’re bound to slip up eventually. And slip up you do.
Four of your opponents are unconscious and you allow yourself a moment to try and strategize. Only for to much of your concentration went to trying to solve the issue of the archer, if only you had your matchlock, which makes you forget Clarice isn’t totally out of the picture. Then before you know it a cry of pain spews forth from you as your back gains a long slashing wound. On reflex, you turn around to deal with Clarice only for an arrow to lodge itself in your calf.
For a second your body lurches downwards from the shock, and you see Clarice bring her sword up high, for a decapitating strike. You panic, magic fills your arms and runs up the length of your sword, superheating it, as you bring it to deflect the blow. You expect to block the blow, not for Sturmfahrerin to cut straight through it. Who doesn’t use battle magic to reinforce their weapon? Nevertheless, your strike continues upward, and you barely manage to avoid killing Clarice. Her right eye and side of her face, however, are instantly cauterized.
She falls to the floor screaming bloody murder.
