Rett towered well over Sanji and was built like a sack of particularly muscular potatoes, whereas Sanji was more the scarecrow variety of body structure. It didn’t help that Eva was still on the ground, her hands clutching at her sore bottom where it landed on the pavement.

Rett stepped forward, looking down at Eva. She looked up at him and her hat fell to the ground as she stared in wide eyed terror. The thug leaned over, “You hurt my boy here, that’s going to cost you.”

Sanji tried to shout, but it came out more like something a frog might produce, “Hey.”

Rett was slow to turn his head toward Sanji, the guy’s mouth hung open as if he had forgotten another person was present. Finally enough gears turned in the bully’s mind for him to ask, “Is this your girl here?”

“He’s my servant!” Eva exclaimed from the ground, really not the time to worry about such a thing.

Rett took a couple of steps toward Sanji, and in response Sanji stepped back. “What? First you come and tell us to leave blanket chick alone, then this little one here wants to join in too. You think a little twig like you can keep all the girls to yourself, huh? Think that won’t have consequences?”

The closest Sanji had ever gotten to being in a real fight was playing a fighting game at the local arcade, so he found it hard to voice a response. After a few failed, stammering, attempts he said, “Just, just leave us alone.”

“J-j-j just leave us alone,” Rett mocked and took another step forward.

Sanji desperately looked side to side, hoping there would be a police officer, a passerby, or anyone that would be able to help. But the park was empty. To make matters worse, Zach was getting to his feet as well, although he was still crouched over.

There was no time to see what Zach would do to Eva, as Rett let out a wordless cry and charged toward Sanji. It would have been good to duck, or dive, or really do anything to fight back, but instead Sanji panicked and stood stock still as the much larger Rett slammed into him.

Sanji fell to the ground and slid on the sidewalk pavement, all of the air knocked out of his lungs. He hardly had time to let out a groan before Rett came and placed a heavy foot on Sanji’s stomach. The gross, bald, thug crouched down and grabbed either side of Sanji’s head, forcing it painfully to the side. “Looks like Zach here has the right idea, we’re going to find out what little kicking girl is hiding under all those stupid emo clothes of hers. And you get to watch.”

Eva let out a high pitched squeak as Zach groped at her clothing, but before he could make any more progress he stopped and looked around. “Where did blanket girl go?”

“By the power of Zeltia’s might!”

A shadow dashed across Sanji’s vision, and then Zach cried out in pain.

Rett let go of Sanji and stood up, looking around.

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Then there was a woosh of air and Rett cried out in pain as well. He and Zach moved to stand next to each other, both looking around, and then Rose stepped from a patch of shadows and into the lamplight.

She had cast the blanket aside, back in her short skirt and top, and held a rather sturdy looking stick in one hand, it was nearly as tall as the girl herself. Rose began to twirl the stick effortlessly, as if she had been training in martial arts of years.

The display was enough to make even Zach and Rett step back, but they recovered their bravado and Zach stepped forward. “Alright you little bi-”

In the briefest of moments Rose leapt forward, adjusted the staff, and jabbed it directly into the thug’s stomach. For the second time that night Zach was curled over in pain, and as he was leaning over Rose swung the staff in a quick flick and knocked him on the back of the head.

Zach fell to the ground, and for a moment Rett stood with his mouth open in shock, but then he clenched his fists and growled. Rose said, “I’m sorry, Sanji, I should have known High Commander Ritten might send a few minions after you. Fortunately my staff wielding stat is level nineteen.”

Rett didn’t seem to care about what Rose had to say, he just charged toward her as he had at Sanji, but she dodged effortlessly. A high whine came from nearby and Sanji’s attention switched over to Eva. She had rolled onto her side and was curled into a ball on the sidewalk. He gave the ongoing battle a wide berth and moved to crouch down next to her. He wasn’t sure what to do so he asked the stupid question, “Are you okay?”

She sniffled and her shoulders shook, and her voice was on the verge of breaking as she whimpered, “I want to go home.”

“Ah,” Sanji replied, unsure of what to do. At that same instant a shout of great pain echoed through the park. Sanji turned in time to see Rose, a staff wielding silhouette with her hair tossing in the slight breeze, standing over the two fallen forms of the large thugs. For a fleeting moment she looked like a true warrior. Then moved to the bushes and returned a moment later with Sanji’s blanket. She began to wrap it around herself and Sanji sighed, turning back to Eva, “Do you want me to carry you?”

She nodded.

Sanji moved her slightly and she yelped, “Watch the butt! Ugh, I’m not going to be able to sit for a week…”

He carefully lifted her by the knees and back, holding her like a log, and was amazed at how light the girl was- he wondered at how she could possibly be his age yet remain so small.

Rose came over, dressed in the blanket and walking with the staff like some sort of great wizard. She had somehow amplified her appearance of being crazy. Yet Sanji wouldn’t dream of complaining, not after she had saved them from a serious beating… or worse. “They’re gone now, I have banished them from this place.”

Sanji looked around and saw that she was right, the two thugs had disappeared. They had been scared off by a single girl half their size. Sanji looked at the stick in her hands with newfound respect. In the light of the street lamp he could see that it was no ordinary stick. Swirls and patterns were carved into it. He asked, “Did you just find that lying around?”

“No,” she laughed as if he was the crazy one, “Of course not. The pond here is a focal point for runic energy, so I always have a few weapons hidden here to charge up. I come here to train as well.”

Sanji wondered just what that training entailed, but Eva spoke up from his arms, her voice wobbled, “Thank you for saving us, Rosewarrior, you have a vampire on your side for life.”

Rose nodded sagely, crouched down, picked up Eva’s hat, and put it back on the vampire girl’s head, “It’s my duty as the Hero of Rune to protect those who need it.”

Eva nodded, and Sanji felt her shudder, then the girl buried her head in Sanji’s shoulder. Through a sob she said, “If you didn’t save me, they might have… might have…”

“It’s okay,” Sanji said, “They’re gone now. Let’s get you home.”

Rose led the way back to the apartment building, it didn’t take too long to get there.

Once on the outside walkway Eva got down from Sanji’s arms and hobbled off to her own apartment with a mumbled, “Goodnight.”

Once Eva was inside Sanji turned to Rose, he was surprised to see the girl holding the blanket out to him. She gave him a wide smile, “I think you will need this more than me, Sanji, but thank you. I’m sure you’ll prove to be a grand allie in the days and trials to come.”

She then turned around, walked down two doors, and entered an apartment. She lived in the unit directly below Sanji. He moved to the stairs, wondering how all of these people had moved in without him noticing. And as Sanji reached the door of his own apartment he made a realization and let out a groan of despair.

He had school in the morning.