“Didn’t scare you enough? Need a reminder?” Asked threateningly Navia as she slightly bent her knees and pointed the tip of the dagger at the man sitting on the cannon, treating him more like a bug than a threat.

“I wanted to make a drama… And I thought it wasn’t enough… I need more. What about… A tragedy?” Sive said, revealing the predatory eyes hidden under his hat. With a snap of his fingers, the doors from the tower behind him opened, and two barnacles with sword hands came out.

“You think that would scare me?” Navia asked, her sharp gaze piercing Sive, he could feel those eyes on him even while looking away.

Sive put a hand near his ear and bent to the side like a mime exaggerating his every move, his expression focused and curious as if he was waiting for something. “Do you hear that?” When he asked that, Navia's focus was on what was below them. The creaking of hundreds of monsters. The barnacles were leaving the fog and entering the plaza.

Navia ran up to the edge of the wall and with all the air in her lungs she shouted “THE MONSTERS ARE COMING! GET READY!”

Even from far away, she could see the panic and fear overtaking the crowd of people as they saw the barnacles walking through the gate. One man began to run away toward the shelter, and a few others decided to follow him.

“Don’t separate yourself! You need to stay close! Fight together!” Shouted Navia, trying to help the people at least with command while she was away, unable to help them at the moment.

Some people understood Navia’s wish and got in front of the group with their spears pointed at the upcoming monsters. “Flock of sheep with a shepherd. Against the pack of wolves… Although a better compartment for you would be a cat… Maybe Lynx…” Said Sive as he waved around his short sword, and pointed at Navia.

“Last warning… Back away, and you might still live to see another day.” Navia warned the man and held her dagger close, ready to dash forward and aim for a kill.

Sive stood up and looked back as if considering her suggestion. “I am curious about one thing… Back there. On the stage. You found me. How?” Asking he turned toward Navia with a confused frown, not finding any idea how she accomplished that.

“Just a hunch.” Plainly answered Naiva, not even trying to remember how she actually did that and not wanting to give a proper answer to Sive.

“Hunch… I constantly moved, and she always changed direction toward me… When she was in that… State? Flow?” Sive considered her answer and had his eyes locked on the dagger Navia held. “I know you’ll find me eventually… It’s better to get rid of you before you get stronger.” Sive pointed his sword forward, and the two barnacles ran past him. One was a head taller than the other and a bit bulkier.

The smaller barnacle was faster, and it quickly got to Navia with both blades, ready to pray at the woman. She pushed the monster away with a kick as it was very light and tried to finish it while the barnacle’s arms were up. Navia thrust her dagger forward, aiming for its chest. Her blade stopped in place as it met the bone sword of the bigger barnacle.

“It shielded him? But they are brainless monsters…” Thought shocked Navia, suddenly feeling cold by what she had just witnessed. Something that used to be impossible, unimaginable until now. Her eyes lingered on the two barnacles that she barely noticed the shining blade beside them.

The cold went away as she quickly had to respond to an unexpectedly coordinated attack. Jumping back, she wasn’t even able to lift her dagger to protect herself. She could see the reflection of her eyes right on the blade that scratched the tip of her nose and cut part of her long braid.

They all froze in place, Sive observed with a sly smile as the blood dripped from Navia’s nose while her eyes were on the cut-off braid lying right in front of Sive’s feet.

“That was unexpected… Or not… I had forgotten about his power to control people. He can do the same with monsters…” She thought as she closely observed the movement of the monsters and Sive’s hands as they moved with the slightest twitch of his fingers.

“Like my choice of weapons? A short sword, light and fast. Good for someone without much experience with a blade.” Sive ran his finger across the blade, watching his own reflection in it. “Swift bladed barnacle and to accompany us one bigger barnacle. Even with our inhumane strength, we can’t overpower him.” He then patted both the monsters on the back, they didn’t lash out at him, they simply stayed in place. “I didn’t cut off your tongue. Only scratched a nose.” Said Sive a bit impatient as he expected an answer from Navia, wanting a conversation like in play.

“I’ll say it again because you seem to have forgotten. You’re a coward.” Said Navia, getting closer to the ground, leaning forward, and supporting herself with her left hand so as not to fall while the right hand with a dagger was behind her back.

Sive quickly moved back and the two monsters blocked Navia’s path to him. She knew his tactic very well and since those weren’t people but monsters, she wasn’t about to hold back.

Leaving only dust behind, she dashed forward, and the massive barnacle stepped forward to meet her blade. It aimed its sword arm right at Navia’s throat, but she was faster. Jumping in front of it, she landed on its hand with her arms, stabbing it right in the arm and, at the same time, kicking the barnacle in the head.

While the monster lost its balance and moved back, the smaller barnacle dashed into the action. Both of its blades were ready to prey on Navia before she could land back on the ground. That would be if that was her intention. Spinning around mid-air, she threw the dagger at the running monster. She smiled as she couldn’t see Sive because he was standing behind the giant barnacle.

“Can’t block what you can’t see.” The dagger pierced the monster's head. Navia landed and dashed toward the massive barnacle, before the smaller one could hit the ground, she grabbed her dagger from its falling body.

The massive barnacle spread its leg a bit so Sive could have a better view of the situation. His face went pale a bit as he saw the nimble barnacle lying dead on the ground and Navia running toward him.

“Get her!” Shouted Sive as he lifted his hand, all of his fingers touching together, holding an invisible line that controlled the monster in front of him. The barnacle lifted both of its blades, and they fell down at running Navia.

Compared to when she used her Wind Step, she was much slower but still faster than a normal human. Navia thought she moved as fast as she used to with Wind Step, but she was wrong. Seeing the shadow of both blades above her made her instinct tingle. Both of her legs were rooted to the ground, and the dagger was ready to block the falling blades.

Once the blades met, it felt as if she was at the bottom of a waterfall. The falling water was heavier than anything she had ever tried to lift or block. Much stronger than her husband in the sparring match.

“It’s as if five Taizens were trying to break my guard!” Navia fell down to her knees, the blades coming closer to her face. No matter how hard she tried to push back the results were the shaking of her hands.

“I told you. He is stronger than any of us!” Shouted Sive as he appeared by Navia’s side, his sword by his chest, ready for a thrust. He had a maniacal smile on his face as he had already imagined the sword going into Navia’s throat.