The man was shocked and muttered a curse when he spotted them attempting to flee.
He let go of his grip on what he held and rushed toward them. Tom swiftly took a defensive stance,
while Ariana prepared herself, assessing their chances against the approaching man.
Suddenly, the man signaled and yelled, “Do something! They’re trying to escape!”
In the blink of an eye, five burly, intimidating men burst into the room.
“Ah, damn it,” Tom couldn’t help but swear. They hadn’t expected there to be others guarding outside.
Seeing only the tall, muscular man going in and out had led them to assume he was the only guard.
Ariana was equally taken aback by their appearance. They had no means of escape now. Even if they
managed to make it out of the window, they wouldn’t outrun them. It seemed their only option was to
confront this situation head-on.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt“Do you know how to fight?” Ariana asked.
“I’ve picked up some basic karate moves. I’ll do everything I can to protect you,” Tom responded, not
keeping his eyes off their adversaries.
“It’s all right, no need to worry about me. I’ve also had some training,” Ariana assured him. Back when
she lived in Melcorn, she had taken self-defense classes while caring for Melon.
“You think you can take us on? Ignorant clowns!” the tall man said.
He then began to swing his fists and charge towards them.
Tom and Ariana swiftly evaded his attack. Immediately, the other five men joined the brawl. Multiple
scuffles erupted simultaneously.
Tom’s strikes were intense, while Ariana skillfully aimed for weak spots with her self-defense
techniques. Their assailants momentarily grappled to assert dominance, growing increasingly
frustrated.
Angela’s Library
Eventually, desperation drove them to draw their knives.
Tom, overcome by anger, couldn’t help but protest, “This is a fight, not a killing spree! Using knives is
unsportsmanlike.”
The group’s leader responded with a mocking smirk, “This isn’t a contest, and there are no rules.”
With that, he brandished his knife and charged at them.
Ariana and Tom, weary and hungry, found themselves in a tough spot when their attackers brandished
knives. They tried to dodge the blades, facing overwhelming odds.
Suddenly, as Tom’s attention shifted, someone snuck up behind him and hit him on the head with a
wooden stick.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmTom’s vision blurred instantly, and his ears rang loudly. He could barely make meaning of Ariana’s
words.
Ariana managed to fend off the person in front of her and, from the corner of her eye, spotted someone
with a knife approaching Tom from behind. She shouted in alarm and rushed to shove Tom out of
harm’s way.
The sharp blade of the knife sliced into Ariana’s arm, leaving a deep gash that started bleeding
seriously.
She suppressed a cry of pain, her legs giving way, and she sank to the floor on her knees.
Tom spun around, his blurred vision gradually clearing. He saw Ariana’s arm bleeding, which ignited a
surge of anger within him.