Arad and Aella stood before the tavern’s door, “Is this the place?” She asked, looking around.

“Yes,” Arad pointed at the sign on top of the door that says [Moon Sparkle]

Arad slowly grabbed the door’s handle, ^Let there be no nipple-cleaving knife,^

He then pushed the door open.

CRACK! BANG!

“You scoundrel bastard!” A woman screamed inside, swinging her glowing claymore at a hooded man.

The man weaved to the side, rolling on a table, dodging the attack.

When the sword smacked into the table, a loud cracking noise boomed, disintegrating the whole thing.

“Don’t break my stuff, you damned paladin!” The bartender shouted, hiding behind his counter and about to cry.

“Tell that to this scoundrel thief!” The woman yelled, facing the thief with a deathly glare.

The rogue ran to the corner and giggled, “What are you talking about, blockhead?” He pulled a paper from his pocket, “Your church has no right to what I found. You agreed to this.”

The rogue immediately tucked the contract in his pocket and pulled his dagger, “It’s a waste to crave such a beautiful face, but you wanted this.”

In one swift move, the rogue pulled a needle from his pocket and threw it toward the paladin’s face.

The paladin pulled her shield up, deflecting the needle. At the same time, the rogue rushed into the crowd, using them as a cover to approach her. Thud! He swung his dagger at her side.

[Divine Shield] A spectral shield appeared at her side, deflecting the attack. At the same time, the paladin swung her bright sword down [Divine Smite]

The rogue threw a needle with a wire attached to it toward the ground and ran around the paladin dodging the attack.

BAM! The paladin’s sword hit the ground with a powerful shock wave. And without stopping, she turned around, chasing the rogue with her sword.

The rogue leaped away, pulling the wire at the same time.

The paladin’s attack missed, and the wire pulled on her legs, breaking her balance. To support herself, she leaned on her shield.

“Defence down, beautiful face to the trash bin!” the rogue swung his dagger at her neck.

The paladin glared up at him, her eyes glowing golden, [Divine Blast] THWACK! A blast burst from her body, blocking the rogue’s attack and sending him back.

“Say it again?” She stood, her body flashing with divine light, “You need to be more than a scoundrel to down a paladin!” She growled.

The rogue giggled, his body slamming on the wall, “A tough nut to crack,” He stood and walked sideways while keeping his eye on her.

The rogue looked at the back, glaring at one of the customers.

The customer got distressed. The rogue’s eyes instilled fear in his heart that he attempted to step back.

Just before the customer’s foot hit the ground, the rogue screamed, “Stab her!”

Thud! The paladin then heard the step behind her, mistaking it for another attacker. She quickly turned around, swinging her blade and only hitting air.

As the paladin realized the rogue’s trick, she turned back with a swing only to see a dagger flying toward her. The bastard disappeared. CLANG! she deflected it.

“Slippery bastard!” She yelled, looking for the rogue.

The rogue rushed between the crowd and lunged at her back with a low stab.

The paladin heard his steps [Divine Blast] BAM!

She immediately deflected the rogue, But he rushed back in, pulling a second dagger. [Twin fang]

Two simultaneous swings, a dagger from the left and one from the right, “Die!”

Thud! The paladin stomped the ground. And then deflected the rogue’s left attack with her sword and left strike with her shield.

Thwack! She kicked the rogue in the guts, pushing him to the other side of the tavern. CRACK! She broke several tables with him.

The rogue barely stood up, coughing, “Fine, let’s end this.” He growled.

The paladin lifted her sword, making it flash with bright light. “Tonight is your end. Pray to whoever god you worship!”

“Someone stop those two idiots!” The bartender screamed from behind his counter.

***

^I want to stop them,^

[That’s dangerous,]

^But won’t it be better than relying on Alcott’s reputation?^

[No,]

^Then I will stop them,^ .

Arad rushed in, aiming at the paladin. “He? What?” Aella gasped as she saw him rush in, so she ran behind him, eyes on the rogue.

As the paladin swung her sword toward the rogue, he cast some weird spell on his dagger and stabbed forward.

THUD! Arad stepped between them, facing the paladin, his eyes flashing red and with a fist engulfed in flames. He opened his palm and caught the paladin’s roaring sword. KA-DON!

At the same time, Aella leaped behind him, facing the rogue. [Action surge] She swung her open palm.

With her speed, she could hit three times a second, but with [Action surge], that increased to six hits a second. The rogue couldn’t handle her.

One punch to the wrist disarmed him.

One punch to the chin and a backhand to the cheek knocked him out.

A kick to the nuts destroyed his future.

A Headbutt to the face broke his nose.

And lastly, an elbow to the chest that sent him to the ground.

As Arad caught the paladin’s sword, he used the flames as a cover to hide his void magic. ^Let’s see if your weapon can handle the void.^

CRACK! BAM! The paladin’s sword exploded in Arad’s hand, shattering into small pieces.

The woman stared at him in shock, unable to believe what her eyes had just seen.

Arad swung his palm, blood dripping from it, “Say, want to fight more?” He glared at her, his fists roaring in flame. KA-DOM! His flames crackled, lighting the whole tavern.

The paladin lifted her hands, “No, my aim is the rogue. Nothing else.” Arad looked back. The rogue was out cold on the ground, with Aella poking him with the broken leg of a chair.

“Wake up. I didn’t hit you that hard.” She mumbled.

“Then he’s all yours. Go fight outside.” Arad said. Pointing to the door, “Don’t go around breaking people’s stuff.”

“Evil should get purged the moment it appears,” The paladin said.

Arad quickly glared back at her, “What did you just say?”

“Such matters must be taken seriously, even if there is some collateral damage.” She replied, declaring that she should fight in the tavern again if she had to.

Arad approached her with an angry face, poking her forehead, “Listen here, take your fight outside.” He looked back at the bartender. He was listening.

“You dare talk to a paladin like this?” The woman growled, but Arad stopped her, “Will you fight in the church?”

“No,” She replied immediately.

“Then get out!” He shouted at her face, “Don’t be a scum bag like a criminal and destroy the property of innocent people.”

The woman stared at Arad’s face silently.

“Speak up!” Arad growled.

“Sorry, but are you the one who fought Alcott to rank up?” The woman asked with a puzzled face.

“Yeah, that’s me.” He replied with a straight face.

“You two sound the same, yelling like a barbarian.” She scratched her head, “Ah! Sorry about it. I won’t fight in the tavern again. Are you happy?” She said.

“Say that to the bartender, and the rogue is yours.” Arad smiled.