[b]“A rat. Stole. Your money.”[/b]

Each word from the guard had the hefty weight of disbelief upon it as he stared down at the catgirl. He swallowed, his beady eyes narrowing further.

[b]“A rat.”[/b]

There was no doubt about it now. With artificial intelligence on par with human intelligence, with this situation at this time of day at this part of town, there was no way that Ari wouldn’t be a suspicious figure, especially not with a blatant lie like that. Who heard of vermin stealing money? People who listen to liars, that’s who.

After a brief silence, the guard sighed, exasperated.

[b]“Listen, kid. Get outta there, get on the main road, leave the city, and go kill some monsters. You’ll make up whatever amount you ‘lost’ in just a couple minutes. I'll give you five seconds to scram. After that, it's to the outpost with you."[/b]
[sub][@Greengoat][/sub][hr]
[b]“Deal with you? Who the fuck even are you?”

“Yeah, bothering us when we’re just trynna learn about fantasy religions and all.”

“We’re trying to resolve our questions anyways. Just that we can’t get an answer when you’re cutting into the conversation so often.”

“Just piss off, edgelord.”

“I see you with that Naruto look!”[/b]

The three crowded around Lugh. Though he wasn’t of any particularly pathetic height, it was still a different sort of intimidation, being surrounded by other men. The one with the luscious locks stood tallest, glowering down upon him with righteous indignation, while the portly aristocrat was looking down his nose at the dark-haired warrior, though with diminished effect. The effeminate one, meanwhile, had already drawn his dagger, licking the length of it with a blue tongue.

But past them, Lugh could see the blue-haired priestess look at the trio, then at Lugh, then back at the trio, with mounting anxiety. She caught his gaze briefly, mouthed the word ‘sorry’ to him, before tenting her hands together. Over the belligerent half-threats of the trio, the mantra she spoke was inaudible.

The effects though, weren’t.

As the portly aristocrat closed in on Lugh, chest puffed out like a gorilla, Lugh noticed something. There was a square shaped hole in the player’s chest. His expression was frozen, and then, just like that, he collapsed, corpse dissolving into multi-colored pixels. His two companions were in a similar state, falling over mid-sentence and dissolving into nothingness. In the wake of their sudden deaths, three human hearts, suspended within translucent boxes in front of the priestess, dissolved into brilliant light as well.
The priestess dismissed them with a wave, a flicker of ruefulness still in her almond-shaped eyes, and she turned her gaze onto Lugh.

[b]“I’m sorry you had to see such an unsightly situation resolve itself the way it did,”[/b] she said. [b]“We at Shin-Yu Temple do what we can to treat all lives with equal respect, but, well, Immortals can be stubborn, and sometimes, only an honest death can change them.”[/b]

One of the Immortals loitering at the gravel gardens chuckled. It didn’t seem like an uncommon occurrence at the Temple.

[b]“Could I inquire as to why you’re visiting? Are you here to join the faith, or…”[/b]
[sub][@Cu Chulainn][/sub][hr]
In his pain, Raime struggled with his item bag, jamming a plant in his mouth and chewing on it. Even the action of doing that was painful, his jaw aching as teeth collided with teeth, the impact tenderizing his brain as he bit into it. None of his resources were increased by the act of eating, but, through the pain, he did get a slight taste of cool plant juice coating his tongue. The pain faded after another second or two, vanishing almost as swiftly as it came.

Was this herb a painkiller? Or was the pain that one felt after an attack something that disappeared afterwards, with no lingering agony to speak of? Further research may have to be done, but first off, the ranger had to get off his butt and start helping out his friends!

And they certainly needed his help soon.

As energy gathered into Ames’s right fist, SP draining and turning into physical power, the frogman stared deep into the red-haired warrior’s eyes, letting out a content croak. It read his intention, clear as day, either through the grounded body language or the fear that had momentarily overcome the unarmed warrior. Instead of striking then, he twisted around, bulbous eyes trained right upon Magpie! The brawler had no stealth, after all, and though there was no doubting her speed or her strength, she had made a fatal miscalculation.

The frogman hadn’t used his full power in their first exchange, because what was the value of a stepping stool that was simply kicked away?

In mid-air, even if she could see it coming, the only thing she could do was block. A vicious roundhouse kick, cracking the air itself, struck Magpie below her ribcage. It rocked her body, made her organs feel like mush, and shot her thirty meters towards the Pearl Bloom River. She skipped over the water’s surface once, twice, and then sank below the waves, [b]58 damage dealt in a devastating strike.[/b]

And yet, that kick was an opportunity for yet another party member. Klein, though underleveled, knew an opening when he saw one. Gamer instincts kicked in while Magpie went flying, and his spear shot out at the frogman’s exposed back, the piercing point empowered by strength equal to two men. His flame-like tattoos glowed, warming his body in satisfaction as the first thrust dug the monster’s shoulder. It was like stabbing into an ancient oak, only the tip piercing through skin, but the trickle of dark blood was satisfying nonetheless. The frogman reacted as the spear drew back for a second quick thrust, his hammer fist slamming the spear off-course while his knife-hand swung out for a neck chop.

A neck chop repelled by Amulak’s boosted Bolt.

The mage had threaded the needle once more, his spell’s impact driving the frogman’s hand away just in time for Klein to lunge in! Primitive as it may have been, the edge was still sharp enough to bleed the amphibian martial artist, and the frogman twisted out of the way as the spearhead grazed his right side. He showed his gums, the facsimile of a smile, at the valor of this party, before closing in.

Just like how a wide kick had left him vulnerable, so had Klein’s deep lunge.

At point-blank range with the tattooed beefcake, the frogman’s open hand snapped out, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him upwards, almost in defiance towards whatever stance Klein took. He slammed him into the ground once, twice, [b]bone-rattling impacts that dealt 61 damage combined[/b] and, as Klein’s world turned into a dizzied mess, flung him like a bowling ball towards the charging-up Ames. 

If they collided, there would be no frontline to speak of!
[sub][@Searat][@Psyker Landshark][@Yankee][@OwO][@Shovel][/sub]