Cassidy be Wildin'

This whole time, Cassidy was sitting there, unmoving, like a stone statue. Aena was just a tad bit too occupied at the moment to bother looking in the girl's direction, but from what she could see out of her peripheral vision, Cassidy was looking pretty hostile. No, it wasn't that Aena was able to perceive the hostility, but rather that it was apparent on her face.

Her mouth was twisted into a snarl, and her eyes were narrowed into angry slits. Her hands were balled together so tightly they had turned white. She looked like a wolf poised to pounce at any moment. But she stayed in place, her chest moving marginally up and down the only indication she was alive.

A fist aimed toward her face brought Aena back to the urgent situation. Why was she looking at Cassidy? It was technically her fight, and Cassidy had nothing to do with it.

She dodged to the right, and the fist whizzed past her cheek, displacing several locks of her hair. She immediately ducked down low as another punch flew above her head, where she had just been. Crouching on the ground, she performed a low kick at idiot number two's feet, dropping him to the ground with a muffled grunt.

She quickly backstepped and circled past the tables blocking the way. They were empty because by now most of the immediate diners had fled when punches started flying and chaos started ensuing.

The remaining two guys stared at Aena warily, now aware that their objective wasn't going to be as easy as they had initially thought. Aena stared back warily. She wasn't going to be the one to aimlessly approach them. They were drunk, so she currently held the advantage when it came to reactions and tactics.

Behind the two guys, the third guy on the ground groaned, rubbed his forehead, and shakily stood up. He sidled up to the other two.

'Just how much stamina does that dude have?' Aena thought to herself. He had sunk like he stone when she kicked him. The ground was high-grade hardwood too. There was no way a fall on that wouldn't hurt like hell. Maybe his skull just had nothing to protect.

Like from an unseen command, the three of them once again rushed forward, breaking her thoughts. The leading guy charged right at the table Aena was behind. Her eyes widened. He was planning to leap across the table, straight for her.

When he was just about to reach the edge of the table, sprinting at full speed, Aena mustered all the strength she had, prayed to all the gods she knew, and shoved down hard with both hands on the edge she on her side.

The other end of the table flipped upwards, and the unfortunate man… well, unfortunately, careened right into the sharp edge, his face slamming right into the protruding edge.

Aena heard a sickening crunch and released her hands. The table promptly fell back down, eliciting another fleshy thud. The two guys circling around the table turned at the body lying lifelessly on the ground. They stopped their advance, eyes widening in shock.

All four of them, including the boy standing unmoving in the back, stared at one another. No one breathed. No one spoke a word.

Aena shifted her feet uncomfortably as the perpetrator. He was… asking for it? Their heads slowly whirled towards her. Six eyes were glued to her.

Aena did the only thing she could do in that situation. She shrugged.

"Hehe. Sorry?" She let out an innocent smile.

The two guys growled like beasts avenging their fallen comrade and ran in with bloodlust apparent upon their visages.

Their speed was much faster than she expected—apparently, they got a stats buff while in the [enraged] state.

The first guy was going so fast, he practically flew at her. Aena sidestepped to the right, but he was surprisingly nimble, quickly pivoting on his leading leg and redirecting his lunge. Aena grabbed a nearby chair and threw it in his path, but he just casually batted it away like it was merely a toy.

Her thoughts raced as she thought of what to do. The massive bulk of a guy was standing right in front of her, and the other had the mind to flank her from behind. There was no escape.

Aena bolted forward. Her opponent was momentarily shocked, but then let out a sinister grin. He took a stance, and when Aena was in range, he lashed out with a right hook.

Aena was expecting something like that, so leaping forward, she evaded the arm and hooked her elbow onto it. Using the arm as leverage, she strained her abdomen muscles and lifted herself up in the air, kicking both feet forward.

She planted both feet right in the poor sap's face. She felt cartilage mold under her feet, accompanied by a wet squelch.

Aena quickly let go of his arm as she didn't want to be grabbed, and prepared to propel herself backward using his face as a springboard, but something unexpected happened: his free arm snaked forward and grabbed her harshly by the shoulder. With Aena's shoe firmly positioned in his mouth, he let out a creepy grin. Blood seeped out between his teeth like something out of a horror movie.

'Oh shit,' Aena thought before his other fist approached with terrifying speed. Time seemed to slow down, and she could only helplessly tense her muscles. It drilled right into her stomach, and her back arched backward from the impact.

Her mind went blank from the pain and shock, and she dry coughed a few times. She felt like her innards had gone through a blender, and then shuffled a few times.

By now, the other guy had also arrived in front of her, intending to get his share of hits in. He pulled his arm back like a catapult, and Aena inwardly tensed herself again for the inevitable hit.

However, before that could happen, his head dipped forward. Aena stared, uncomprehending. What was this dunderhead doing? He lifted his head back up and brought his arm up to rub the back of his head, not prepared to punch Aena any longer, much to her relief.

The guy turned his massive body, and Aena was finally able to understand. Previously hidden behind his broad frame was Cassidy. She was standing there, feet shoulder-width apart, arms lowered at her sides, murder in her eyes.

Her black eyes seemed like they were going to suck someone's soul into that endless void. Aena felt goosebumps rise across her body. Cassidy did not look very happy. Not at all indeed.

Before anyone could react, Cassidy's figure blurred forward, almost too fast to follow, and Aena saw an afterimage tear toward the guy's body multiple times, each accompanied by soft sounds of flesh on flesh.

He grunted and doubled down, covering his abdomen with his forearms protectively, but Cassidy showed no remorse, speeding back in. Aena saw a shadow head right between the man's legs.

The kick connected, but before the man could react to the agony, Cassidy spun around, her long hair whirling behind her, and performed a corkscrew toward his face like a vicious whip.

His facial features contorted inwards, concaving, and he toppled over backward, unconscious.

Cassidy wasted no time and immediately turned to the other offender, the one still standing over Aena. Aena saw her take a deep breath, her chest heaving, before her figure blazed forward.

Cassidy effortlessly snatched a large steak fork from a passing table while she advanced, and attacked him.

This guy was clearly aware of her, unlike the previous victim, and lashed out with his right fist as he did previously. Unfortunately for him, Cassidy was not Aena, and she promptly grabbed his arm and twisted it at an unnatural angle. Aena heard a crack.

He opened his mouth to let out a scream, but Cassidy returned her own punch to his cheek, sealing his mouth shut. As if that weren't enough, she dropped down and swept her leg, knocking his huge body off its feet. She followed up by leaping on top of his prone body, raised the fork she was holding high above her head, and swiftly sunk it right into his meaty thigh, putting her whole body into the strike.

This time, he was free to let out a shrill scream. A visceral howl that was incredibly chilling. Cassidy nonchalantly straightened from her position atop him. She turned to the last guy still standing, the short one, whose bangs didn't hide his bulging eyes.

His legs were visibly shaking, and he looked like he was about to wet himself.

"You wanna go too?" Cassidy said, her eyes gleaming like cold steel.