[b]"Who the fuck--- Whose ass was it dares attacking our turf!"[/b]

A thunderous sound of a gunshot answered it, and despite the aggressive interrogatives and bold posturing, the thug was merely a target for Louise's musket. The bullet sped off through the darkness unhindered, and his gambeson did little to prevent the full-sized lead ball from plowing a hole in his midsection. The first casualty in this battle jerked backward and fell to the ground, expiring with blood gurgling from his mouth and nose.

The lack of light indeed slowed one's response. When the second thug heard a thud, it took him a full second to discern what in the world happened to his friend. Though he had his sword ready in his hand, whatever reactionary action he would perform was already too late. An ice fist the size of the biggest cannonball he had ever seen hurled toward him, and when he laid down on the ground with his jaw and other facial bones broken, the last thing he saw was its bluish color as the mass of ice impacted his head. 

Due to its sheer mass, the ice landed shortly afterward and stopped just a few meters away from the incoming thugs after skidding for some brief distance. It startled them, but they managed to handle the situation smarter than their downed friends. Instead of blindly approaching a group of people who clearly capable of flattening their gate with a devastating explosion, they regrouped and had their crossbow readied before throwing the only torch they had toward the gate, adding more illumination to reveal the incoming attacker. 

Seeing the incoming danger, Jazdia made a wide step toward the wall, just a moment before the sounds of bolts whizzed in the air. One of them hit Louise's shield with a distinctive twang, and it tumbled in the air before embedding itself on the grass next to her. The other flew past Evan's ear, while the last one darted harmlessly into the darkness.