As Annie, Tiyun, and Zamin stepped out of the bar, they weren't the only ones leaving. Curious patrons began filtering out behind them, one after another, until a respectable crowd had gathered, eager to see what kind of fight had been agreed upon so casually.
Outside, the midday sun hung high overhead, though much of the street remained pleasantly shaded beneath long stretches of colorful cloth canopies strung between the buildings. The somewhat narrow road bustled with merchants, travelers, and locals going about their day, the sounds of conversation and distant bargaining filling the air.
Annie paused a few steps away from the entrance and slowly looked around.
"Is it fine to fight here?" she asked.
The question alone was enough to make nearby pedestrians glance toward the growing crowd. Some immediately decided to avoid whatever was about to happen, stepping around the gathering before quickly continuing on their way, while others slowed to a stop, curiosity getting the better of them as they lingered to watch.
"I suppose there's no issue," Tiyun answered, taking a glance around the street himself. "It isn't exactly illegal to hold duels or martial arts demonstrations in public, so long as we don't damage any property... or hurt anyone not involved."
Zamin nodded in agreement beside him.
"Yeah, we can fight here." He adjusted the brim of his straw hat slightly before looking back at Annie. "Though... how are we meant to go about this?"
Annie spread her arms slightly, as though the answer was obvious.
"There's really only one way to do it, isn't there?"
A faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
"Both of you come at me at once."
A wave of gasps and murmurs swept through the growing crowd.
Even Tiyun and Zamin looked at one another in uncertainty.
"Okay... as much as we want the coin," Zamin admitted, raising both hands slightly, "that feels way too unfair."
"I agree," Tiyun said with a small nod. "One of us should duel you at a time. That makes far more sense."
Annie merely shrugged.
"Okay. If that's how you two want to do it, then that's how we'll do it."
She genuinely didn't seem to care either way.
Tiyun drew in a slow breath before stepping forward into the open space between them.
"Alright then," he said calmly. "I'll go first."
His hand briefly rested on the hilt of the straight sword at his waist before he looked down at it and quietly shook his head.
*I shouldn't use it. She's unarmed... and I shouldn't use chi at the start either.*
Instead, he settled into a martial stance, planting his feet firmly against the packed earth.
Across from him, Annie simply stood there with the same pleasant smile on her face, making no attempt to assume a stance of her own.
Tiyun narrowed his eyes.
*Confident... overconfident.*
Around them, the crowd collectively held its breath, every eye fixed on the two standing in the middle of the street.
Then, after one final moment of stillness...
Tiyun made the first move.
He had no intention of going all out from the very beginning. Instead, he stepped in with a rapid flurry of punches, each one flowing smoothly into the next, intending to overwhelm Annie with speed alone and end the fight before it truly began.
It was a decision he regretted almost instantly.
Every punch missed.
Annie slipped between them with effortless precision, weaving past each strike by the narrowest of margins until she was suddenly inside his reach. Without ever raising her hands, she drove her knee straight into his stomach.
The impact knocked the air from his lungs.
Tiyun staggered backward, coughing violently as he instinctively grabbed at his abdomen, but years of training kept him from losing his balance. He quickly planted his feet again and looked back up at Annie in surprise.
The crowd reacted much the same way.
Several people gasped.
Others exchanged bewildered glances.
Even Zamin's arms fell from where they had been crossed, his mouth hanging open slightly.
"There was a reason I suggested that both of you come at me at once," Annie said calmly.
Before Tiyun could recover completely, she moved again. A punch shot toward the side of his head, forcing him to raise his guard. At the last possible moment, she twisted her shoulder and redirected the strike into his ribs instead. At the same time, her opposite hand slammed into his guard, wrapped around his forearm, and yanked it aside just enough to expose his center before her uppercut crashed into his jaw.
His head snapped backward.
Acting on instinct, Tiyun immediately whipped a high kick toward her chin.
Annie bent backward at the final moment, the kick passing inches above her face before she flowed forward again. Her forehead smashed into his nose, drawing blood instantly, and as she released his arm, she spun cleanly on her heel before driving a back kick into the center of his chest.
The blow launched him backward.
He hit the ground hard, planted both hands against it, and used the momentum to spring back onto his feet several paces away.
Blood dripped steadily from his nose, while bruising had already begun to form along his jaw.
Across from him, Annie hadn't even lost her relaxed posture.
"Come on," she said with an encouraging smile. "Don't hold back. Use that chi of yours. That's the main thing I want to test."
Tiyun stared at her, finally realizing the mistake he'd made.
*Not overconfident... she's just that good at martial arts. To a near uncomfortable point.*
He drew in another slow breath.
Chi began flowing through his body, warmth spreading into every limb as he settled into his stance once more.
*Fine... I'll use it. It almost feels necessary against her.*
Annie's smile widened.
"Now that's what I'm talking about."
In the next instant, Tiyun launched himself into the air, spinning once before bringing his fist crashing downward, flames erupting around it as it descended toward Annie.