A few houses down the street, the sound of heavy boots and crude weapons clanging reached their ears. A group of looters armed with knives and bats emerged, their silhouettes stark against the faint streetlamps.

  Rel: "What do we do?! There's too many of them!"

  Virno: "We... we gotta run! We can't take all of them --"

  Jargen, standing by one of the corpses, had other plans. Planting his boot firmly on the body, he grabbed its head with both hands and wrenched with all his might. The flesh tore with a sickening rip, and after a few brutal kicks, the neck bones cracked, severing the head cleanly from the torso.

  He held the disembodied head high and roared, his voice guttural and feral.

  Jargen: "YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHO YOU'VE FUCKED WITH!"

  With one swift motion, he hurled the head toward the advancing looters. It landed with a sickening thud just a few feet away from them, rolling to reveal the lifeless face of one of their comrades.

  Scared looter: "Is that...?!"

  Some of the looters froze, their faces pale as fear gripped them.

  Scared looter: "F-fuck this! Cabdan said we could crash and burn the place, not get our heads torn off!"

  The terrified man turned and bolted, taking a handful of others with him. But not all of them fled. A dozen still advanced, their grip on their weapons tightening.

  Punjo: "Jargen --"

  Jargen: "We stand our ground. If we run, they win."

  He raised his mallet, blood dripping from its edges. Punjo turned to Rel and Virno, his expression grim.

  Punjo: "This is about to get far uglier, lads. Get to yer homes. We'll handle this."

  Rel and Virno glanced at each other, gripping their weapons tightly. Then they turned back to Punjo, their resolve clear.

  Virno: "... Not a chance. Not if you're staying."

  We're not leaving you behind. If you're staying, we're staying."

  Rel: "Yeah. Either we all go, or we all fight. Don't worry -- we've got your backs."

  Punjo's face lit up with a wild grin. He turned back toward the advancing looters, his stance shifting.

  Punjo: "WE'LL DECORATE THESE FUCKIN' STREETS WITH YOUR GUTS, YE VERMIN!"

  He hefted his mallet with both hands, the tension in the air crackling as the looters closed in.

  Jargen: "Don't just stand there! Have at 'em!"

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  Jargen charged, a blood-curdling roar tearing from his throat. His first swing was a wide arc, catching two men and sending them sprawling with sickening cracks. But a third man dodged and plunged a knife deep into Jargen's side, the blade disappearing beneath his ribs.

  Jargen: "HAHAHAHA!"

  In that instant, something shifted in Jargen. His skin was getting redder, and his demeanour became more aggressive. The attacker struggled to pull the knife free -- it was like trying to move a blade embedded in stone. Jargen dropped his mallet and grabbed the man's head with both hands, his bloodied grin widening.

  Jargen: "I'LL DIE IF I HAVE TO... BUT I'M NOT LETTING ANYONE DESTROY WHAT WE'VE BUILT... NOT AGAIN...!"

  With a savage squeeze, he crushed the man's skull, blood and bone bursting as the head popped like a balloon and his body went limp. Blood covered Jargen's face, painting his maniacal grin red. The knife on his side didn't seem to bother him at all.

  Ruffian: "Kill him! He's a fucking animal!"

  Two more rushed toward Jargen, but before they could land a blow, Punjo intercepted one of them with terrifying speed for his size. He caught the man's wrist mid-swing, the sheer force of his grip audible as bones snapped.

  Bandit: "AGHHH!"

  The knife clattered to the ground, and Punjo wasted no time. His free hand shot forward, striking the man under the chin with brutal precision. The bandit's head snapped back, and he crumpled to the ground, his skull cracking against the pavement.

  Punjo: "JARGEN -- remember...! Keep it together!"

  His words somehow soothed him, as Jargen's skin reverted back to its usual pigmentation. Punjo turned to face two more charging toward him.

  Goon: "Gut that fat bastard! Gut him like a pig!"

  Meanwhile, on the other side of the skirmish, Rel and Virno faced their own opponent -- a hulking man twice their size.

  Looter: "You kids are outta your fuckin' depth!"

  The man's hands were like claws, wide and ready to snap bones. He crouched low, adopting a stance reminiscent of a bear about to strike.

  Rel: "Yeah? Then let's even the odds!"

  Rel darted forward, swinging his bat wide, but the looter caught it mid-swing with his massive hand. He begins to close his grip, bending the nails as he does. Some of them pierce the skin, but not deeply enough to make him stop, and with a grunt, he snapped the bat in two.

  Looter: "Next...!"

  He turned his gaze to Virno, tossing the broken bat aside.

  Rel: "Careful -- he's faster than he looks!"

  Virno smiled faintly, a glimmer of strategy in his eyes. He swung his weapon low, aiming for the man's legs. As expected, the looter caught it, gripping the plank tightly.

  Virno: "Should've kept your legs closed, you dumb fuck..."

  As the man grabs his weapon, Virno immediately lets go of it and directs his full attention to the his groin, dashing towards it and delivering a powerful punch with his other hand, straight in the man's testicles. The man bends his torso, flinching in pain.

  Looter: "FUCK!"

  The looter bent over, his grip on the weapon loosening.

  Rel seized the opportunity, sprinting forward. With a powerful kick to the side of the looter's head, he sent the man reeling. Not wasting a second, he then spun and delivered a spinning hook kick to the looter's jaw, the force dropping him flat onto the ground.

  Virno: "M-more of them...!"

  The rest of the group had finally caught up to them. Six surrounded Punjo and Jargen, while four turned their attention to Rel and Virno.

  Goon: "Fuck them up, boys... They've done enough damage as it is!"

  The fight descended into chaos. Blades clashed with crude weapons, fists met flesh, and blood stained the cobblestones. The four fought fiercely, managing to take down two more men between them, but the overwhelming numbers soon took their toll.

  A trail of blood marked their retreat into a narrow alley. Battered and broken, the group stood cornered.

  Virno clutched his side, each breath sending a sharp pain through his bruised ribs.

  Rel leaned against the wall, his face swollen and bloodied beyond recognition.

  Jargen swayed on his feet, his torso a patchwork of slashes and punctures.

  Punjo, his hand broken and blood dripping from a deep gash on his head, struggled to stay upright.

  The remaining looters closed in, their grins savage and predatory.

  Goon: "Look at you now... Not so tough anymore, huh? Let's finish this."

  The four of them exchanged glances, their weapons gone, their strength spent. The fight was over.