>>6038460The armed man charges so fast that you have plenty of time to react, that is to say, he isn’t very fast at all. Not to you at least. You’re up from your seat in the time it takes him to reach you, his attack is choreographed and easily avoided. You think for a second about using a close-range weapon such as your dagger to take the man out but decide against it. You instead hit his stomach with your elbow and spin around him using your other hand to grab the knife out of his weak grip. Your knee presses into his back and sends him to the floor where you waste no time in restraining him.
You spin the knife in your finger as you observe all the flaws and strengths of the improvised weapon as the man struggles, “A simple kitchen knife, hm? Not an ineffective weapon by any means but not an efficient one either but I’ve used worse,” It seems the commotion has attracted a small crowd, Asher and Marie move to help you restrain him. You run a finger down the blade, it doesn’t draw blood, “Dull and with plenty of chips are signs of heavy use, obviously not someone's first choice of weapon should they have the means to use otherwise. Which means you didn’t.”
“D-damn you!” The man cries as Asher removes the cloth from his face. Your attacker is an older man weathered from age and commoner life if his teeth and lack of grace are anything to go by.
You jam the knife into the ground causing the man to flinch. Seems he didn’t notice the crack you jammed the knife into, an illusion of strength that shouldn’t damage the weapon too much. “You obviously know who I am though I find it unlikely you’d choose to attack me in such a manner if you had any other options. Which means you’re either an idiot or someone is forcing your hand.”
The brigand struggles more but with three people holding him down he doesn’t stand a chance, “You don’t know a damn thing!” He calls out. The crowd gets larger.
“Who hired you and why? Or who threatened you and why?”
The man angles his head to look directly at you, he twitches and makes many unsightly faces as he glares. His face looks to be in some mix between trying to kill you with his mind and constipation. “Y-you don’t know anything about me! You w-won’t!” He looks to be psyching himself up for something, “Your <span class="mu-i">blood</span> will spill for everything you’ve done!” He screams in pain before the man explodes. There is no deafening ring or fiery show, one second the man is there, the next hot blood and gore are splattered across your body, and Asher’s cursing body, and Marie’s frightened body, and the crowd's terrified bodies. Oh Goddess, some of it got in your mouth!
