Two Against Nine

His heartbeat raised. His belly felt empty as the battle break out. It not ehat he wanted, but what choise he had?

The clang of swords echoed in the cave as Alice's Winter and four Sworders' swords clashed. It created a spark. 

Those four swordsmen were smart, facing Alice's Winter Sonata technique by attacking in unison. Still, they were no match against Alice. She was too agile, dancing left and right, evading their sword. Alice parrying by blocking or deflecting. Her elegant hand and Winter synergised perfectly. 

Lanert can't help Alice. He had his problem. He drew his Acerose and stood like a flag pole. His sword pointed up. He kissed cold Acerose as he stared like a falcon marking his five enemies. 

"I can explain everything," Lanert said. 

"No need for that." Swordsman was pulling his sword. "By the name of King Atlas of Mahesh. Put down your sword."

"Please, we can talk it out. I just need you guys to stand down and let me talk."

"You can talk later, in front of the Judge. Come, Kid. I know who you are. Your father would help you."

"No, you don't understand." If Lanert complied, Gurken blood would be wasted. He would be punished, and everything would be wasted. 

"I think even Lord Gosh can't help him now." The second swordsman pulled his sword. "Look, the book of Abomination. He must be the one who breaks in. He killed the Orc Prince for a dark ritual. Blasphemy!" He took a step forward and lifted his sword before whacking it. 

Lanert feinted. His feet slid back, leaving the swordsman's sword hitting the floor. His hand shivered. He facing more enemy and being criminalizing. It was Lanert first battle againts 'real sword'.

Two men with swords and buckler shields stand guard at Lanert left and right. They narrowed his movement space. One man with a sword stood behind Lanert. Two men were facing Lanert directly. They surrounded him. It's unfair, but what could he do? They only do their job as City Guards.

Unlike Winter, Acerose was slender and couldn't be used for blocking. Deflecting was okay if Lanert could precisely pinpoint his enemy's moves. 

Two sworders at the front step forward. 

One holds his sword forward with the tip pointing at Lanert. "Die, you scum!" He trusted his sword. Lanert slid back, evading the attack.

The other came holding his sword like a bat, dashing forward and swinging it hard. Lanert feint back by slide. 

From Lanert's back, the swordsman thrust his sword against him. Insting save him. Lanert distanced himself, danced in a semicircle and used his elbow hit his opponent in the face.

His opponent's nose bled, and he lumped back, giving ground for Lanert. 

"Eat this!" The man with the shield pummelling Lanert's chest and trusted his sword. 

Lanert was late to evade. The sword scratched his left arm. A shield hammering his face, Lanert was pushed a few steps back. Bleeds sprouted from his nose. He rubbed it, and the blood filled his palm. 

"How it felt, pretty boy!" The man with bleeding noise mirthfully showed yellow teeth that were reddened by his nose bleeding. "It tastes good, ej? Karma."

"This karma." Lanert hit him with Acerose knuckle guard, and the man fell to the ground, unconscious

It was hard for Lanert to attack an opponent with a shield. Sure, Acerose would easily penetrate a wooden shield like a penetrated butler, but his sword could get stuck there. He could kill them if he wanted, but no. He tried not to fatally wound them, let alone put an end to them. 

He was not a criminal. 

Lanert danced, evading a slice of the sharp cold blade of death. He mitigated enemy charges. He succeeded. He was so agile, and with great stamina, he outmatched them. But his luck runs out 

After a few swords blows, Lanert doubted his resolve. If he does not take all of this seriously, he's likely to die. Lanert tried to disarm or make them yield, or the last resort made them cripple. It was easier said than done. Both four men were seasoned fighters. He knew from their stance. 

Lanert cornered like a rat. The wall at his back, four enemies were closing in. They were exhausted but managed to stare fiercely as if they wanted to tear Lanert apart.

"Missing the stage to dance?" one of the swordsmen said, then guffawed. 

Another swordsman said, "Change your dress with a gown. You would make a pretty girl jealous."

A man with a buckle shield was added. "I don't mind raping him now. Look at that smooth skin, pretty face, damn."

"Then let us rape him before killing him," the last man said. "Come on, Bitch, undress!"

Disgusting dogs. "If You want me," Lanert answered with a smirk. "Come, and take me."

"Alright, I will make you into a man bitch." 

"Before that, tell me one thing," Lanert questioned. "How all of you answering my Father after all of gang rape thing, hmm?"

There was no answer. Instead, the man jolted forward with a shield on his chest and sword pointed up. 

His enemy formation was shattered. They were terrible guys who intended raped him. Lanert now has no trouble harming them fatally. 

Like a white swan on a pristine lake, Lanert's move was unpredictable. He dropped his line body beneath the attacker's sword and placed her free hand on the ground for support and balance. As his opponent looms over, Lanert straightens her sword arm and stabs his enemy in the axilla arm. 

It sprouts blood, like when a pimple bursts. But the man dropped his weapon. "Wha—what happened? Help, help. I can't feel my arm!"

"In three days," Lanert said. "If you don't have proper medication, you will cripple forever." 

Lanert knew there was a vein that controlled the whole arm there. If it was shredded, then the entire arm became criple. It needed proper medication to turn it back to normal.

"You bastard!" Another Swordsman charged him.

Lanert slid forward, launching ten stabs in a short series of attacks. 

The man was pushed back and dropped his weapon in pain, kneeling. "I yield! I yield!"

The other man threw his buckle shield, but Lanert pivoted, evading the attack quickly and stabbed him in the eyes. 

"Argh, my eyes!" The man stepped back, growling in pain. Blood sprouted from his eyehole. 

The last man dropped his weapon and kneeled. "I yield!" He raises his hands. 

Lanert sheathed his Acerose, rinsing the sweat on his forehead and neck. He smiled. He never felt a surge of hot adrenaline before. It's exhilarating and addictive.

He enjoyed the fruits of his labour. "Hey, you roped them. Then back to your knees!"

"At—at once!" The man started to rope his friends.

Landrt won because his stamina was above them all. His first plan was to waste their stamina, so he could easily beat them all. And that proves to work perfectly like a charm. 

"Lanert, are you okay?" Alice was done with her fight. Four men were lying in blood, and she took no injury. 

"You don't kill them, do you?"

"No, as you ordered, I knocked them down. Like this." Alice hit the man who kneeled on the neck, making him faint. "Oh no, your arm." 

Alice panicked and pulled Lanert to sit, showering his arm with clear water before she tore her skirt and fetched Lanert's arm. This kind of attention always made Lanert comfortable and grateful.

"I told you to stay back. Look, what happened? If a lady found out, she would scold me."

"I can't let you have fun alone, do I? ….shhh… stop it." 

Alice tightened the knot on his arm and smiled. "Should we continue with the ritual?" 

She studied the surroundings. "Hurry before they take an arm and start another brawl."

"They—" Just before Lanert finished his sentence, a racket from the entrance startled him. There are many shadows on the wall cavern. 

"We found them!" One man shouted.

"Oh no, they must be their friend." Lanert hurriedly raised. "Alice, let us go for a ritual. Fast!"

"But how?"

Lanert quickly read the book while Alice brought Gurken's head and blood onto the pentagram. Lanert recited a word from the book.

"O yee, shroud of twilight, beat the light, for eternity dark. Hear yee, lord of Colding dark sky! Summon yee to predestine!"

The pentagram was shrouded with a dark aura that sprang to the entire cavern. It was a cold bite. It mysteriously gobbled Lanert and Alice.

"Lanert, what happened?" Alice tugged Lanert's waist tight. "Lanert!"

"I don't know. Just don't let your arm go from me."

At the same time, four men in clad armour stepped in, and they were surprised to see the dark ritual that lanert was performing. 

"Lanert, what are you doing? Step out from there!"

"Brother?

"Stop it, Lan." Alrich leapt forward and tried to pull Lanert out from the pentagram. 

"No! Let your hand off me!"

"You stupid, Kid! This is a dangerous ritual! You could die!" 

They struggled, yet, Alrich failed to pull Lanert from the pentagram and was pushed out by Alice. In the struggle, Lanert dropped his book before the twilight claimed him and Alice.