The masses escaping from there soon noticed Isabel’s presence. They slowed down and pointed and whispered to each other in hushed tones. And as she moved, these terrified people parted.

It was strange. Just a short while ago, Isabel had to continuously use her strength to get anywhere. She was a girl, and many did see her as just that - meaning they didn’t care before she shoved them aside.

But now, with a mask on her face, Isabel faced no obstacles. Even when she broke into a jog, people quickly noticed her and moved aside. They even bowed their heads slightly and avoided looking at her directly.

Without any effort, Isabel was back at the bridge. And what she saw left her stunned. She had been away for just a few minutes. So, how was the destruction of the surroundings so thorough?

It hadn’t been just the locals that had suffered. The group sent first had suffered even more. The eleven thugs that had made demands now lay broken and bleeding on the cobblestone ground.

Isabel didn’t feel pity for them. She was appalled by the sight, but her heart hurt not from that. The brave man who had refused this group was now dead. His body was nailed to a wall with a sword. Even more sobbing and crying, people were trying to crawl from the savages.

The buildings had suffered, too. Several had walls torn down. None had surviving windows. All of them had holes in them where there should be none.

It all made Isabel… Very, very angry. When the group of five men and the single woman turned towards her, she was already rushing forward. Her anger got the better of her judgement. Furthermore, it felt fitting for the moment.

The two men with the gauntlets grinned and moved to intercept her. They laughed and fist-bumped each other. It was clear they considered her a challenge, not yet a danger.

Why the pair of idiots didn’t take her seriously, Isabel would never know. In her anger, she simply raised her own fists. After activating a subtle barrier around her, she collided with their pathetic charge.

The pair failed to stop Isabel. Their advance turned into a tumble, and they fell back on their backs.

And then, Isabel was upon them and battered them into the ground.

The barrier protected Isabel from any harm. She felt a sword bounce away from her back. It had not even strained her. One of her current punching bags returned a hook, hitting her squarely in the middle of the mask.

It did nothing. The attack didn’t even reach the mask.

Something hot momentarily washed against her leg. There was no effect. Isabel let the other man with gauntlets crawl away. His face was damaged beyond repair by one of her punches.

Isabel was a truly unfair opponent to be facing without an overwhelming might. She dismissed another hit against her back. Her fist sank into the face of the man under her, ending his struggles.

Finally, someone figured out a way to attempt to fight back. The largest of the four remaining men rammed into her, moving her with his mass.

But unfortunately for him, the hug Isabel was now in left his side wide open. His hands wrapped around her as he attempted to squeeze her. His cheek puffed red from the exertion. The breath washed against Isabel’s mask as they now faced each other.

And in response, Isabel started to drive her fist into his gut. One, two, then three punches. The burly man’s eyes bulged. He refused to breathe. But after the fourth strike - he could hold no more.

During the short struggle, Isabel suffered more blows against her barrier. Most were aimed at her limbs in a vain attempt to injure her. The large log of man had been on the right track. The way to defeat her was to pin her down.

It was too late for that now. Isabel felt the grasp on her loosen and punched again. The man buckled, and she was free again. Her hands found the neck of the hulk and tore his windpipe, leaving him unable to breathe.

There was no time to think about it. Isabel was glad she didn’t. The brutality she had returned was not something she wanted to dwell upon. Her hands were now even bloodier. It kept happening again and again. She started to feel numb to it. It probably wasn’t a good thing.

Isabel turned towards the three and a half remaining opponents. The surviving man with the gauntlets was bleeding out. Her attacks had left half of his face disfigured and one eye completely useless.

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Not for much longer would he have to worry about his looks. Isabel moved forward, aiming to end his miserable existence.

The woman surprised her with a blinding light. But Isabel had already seen that move and was ready. The mask helped as well. A bolt of magic hit her side but had just as much effect as a strike of the sword that smashed in the other - that is to say, none.

The rain of futile attacks didn’t end. The leader of the pack had enough time to bring out the most powerful spell he knew. A bolt of lightning hit Isabel’s shoulder.

There was a pause for a moment as Isabel’s opponents looked at her with hope. A hope that the spell had done damage. That she would collapse from the mighty sorcery.

The moment was enough for Isabel to cross the distance between the caster and her. She grabbed his arm that held a sword, twisted it, and used the weapon to finish off his comrade, who happened to stand next to him.

It was too sudden. None of the remaining people of ‘Hatchet’’s group managed to react in time. The sword easily slid inside the gut of the man. The injury was fatal, and the death would come soon for the sinner.

Any thoughts of resistance these people had vanished. They turned around and ran, leaving the disfigured man with gauntlets behind. He struggled to see what had transpired, desperately trying to stop the bleeding and clear his vision.

Isabel managed to catch the woman and kill her before she could get away. There was an attempt to resist, but it only delayed her for a few seconds before snapping the woman’s neck.

Still, Isabel feared the man would use those few moments to get away. She raised her head to find him and saw the man just a few steps ahead, being blocked by the onlookers. They pushed the man back towards her, their eyes emotionless and cold.

Isabel took the chance. She grabbed a discarded dagger from the ground and rammed it into the man's face.

It left only the last man with the gauntlets. Isabel calmly walked to him and twisted his neck. He didn’t even see her coming, too busy trying not to die.

And that was it. A tired sigh broke out of Isabel’s chest. She felt exhausted. Not physically, no. But her mind wanted a rest.

Isabel looked up to avoid staring at the death she had so freely dealt with. They all deserved it. It was the fact she tried to justify her actions. And it worked.

After a few more breaths, Isabel turned around to leave. Her steps were heavy as she headed towards the wall of people who had witnessed her sentencing.

For a moment, Isabel tried to think what to say to the silent crowd. She didn’t want to use her bloodied hands to push past them.

But Isabel didn’t need to speak. As she closed in, the people parted, letting her through.

It was bizarre and unsettling how quiet these people were. Isabel quickened her steps. She didn’t want to stand among these mute statues who looked at her with such intensity.

Behind Isabel, some life returned. She heard whispers. And they mentioned her. They named her in that hateful monicker Viola had given her.

It was too much. Isabel started to jog. She wanted to get off the streets. These people weren't right in the head. She found the building with the way down into the tunnels and entered it.

Isabel once more scared the poor people taking shelter in the house. She pointedly ignored them and their frightened gazes. Her bloody attire spoke volumes of the danger she possessed.

There was no way Isabel’s actions didn’t result in more rumours. They were already bad enough, and now they would grow worse.

This was a shit day. Isabel marched down to the basement and found the hidden hatch. She opened it and dropped down, closing the path as she did.

Back in the safety of the darkness, Isabel groaned. “How did my life turn out like this.” She tore off the mask and threw it down the tunnel. “They better not give me more nicknames. Shit!”

The curse echoed through the tunnel, making Isabel regret her outburst. She waited for someone to come and check what she had been up to, but no one did.

The pause also calmed Isabel down. She took off the ruined cloak and folded it.

It was time to go and see what Kanna and Vatim were up to. Isabel immediately found someone who could point her in the right direction.

A column of Naran’s subordinates was hurrying through the tunnels, and Isabel called out to them. She noticed they were armed with digging tools. A chill ran down her spine. “Is the escape route blocked?” She feared the answer.

One of the men shortly stopped. “Isabel, right?” He studied her, then shook his head. “Well, not exactly blocked. It’s flooded. And I doubt many people here can hold their breath for long enough to get out of it before drowning.”

Those were terrible news. But… Isabel found an unpleasant thought at the back of her mind.

It was possible for Isabel to hold back the water with her barrier, but…

Did she want to do that? Isabel wasn’t sure. Naran easily had more than a couple hundred subordinates. “How long is that tunnel?” She had to know.

“A twenty-minute walk.” The man sighed. “I have to go. We will try to dig another tunnel. Hopefully, water is all we have to worry about.” He hurried after his group.

Isabel forgot to ask about Kanna and Vatim. Her mind was still contemplating how feasible it was for her to save these people.

And if she should at all…

Isabel decided to ask Mila about it. Her girl should be back soon. She aimlessly wandered into the tunnel system, looking for another person to ask about Kanna’s whereabouts.