> Narrator PoV

*Fffwit THUD*

A black knife hit Gix's second-in-command in his outstretched hand. It tore through the flesh and bone and lodged itself into the stone behind it.

That person was now nailed to the wall. His scream distracted the entire room for a split second.

With a *tatap* Gix felt a slight impact on his armor. It was as if someone was rapping their knuckles on his Steel plate.

He reflexively looked to his stomach and saw two bent legs that 'stepped' against his armor.

In the next instant, the owner of those legs kicked off his armor.

The two of them were sent flying in opposite directions.

Gix crashed loudly against some crates.

Blurring into a shadow, the other person flew like an arrow towards a burly muscle-headed goon.

The shadow twisted unnaturally in the air so that it flew feet-first.

The goon reacted, and blocked the incoming dropkick with his giant shield.

His arm was crushed from the impact and the shield smashed into his whole body.

The figure bounced off that shield towards another victim - an old man with a mohawk.

An experienced swordsman, he swung his blade with perfect timing.

Under normal circumstances, the blade would bring instant death on its target.

But an invisible force made his wrist bend in the wrong direction.

The small figure grabbed at the swordsman's collar and coiled itself around him.

Like flowing water, it climbed to his back, swung from his shoulders and kicked his knees from behind.

The swordsman collapsed with a scream.

The assassin finally stopped still for a brief second.

200 pairs of eyes were on her.

It was a young girl, clad head-to-toe in black, with mismatched red-and-blue eyes.

Finally recognizing their target, the other goons began their attacks.

Arrows, knives and other projectiles were launched at once.

The assassin launched forward without hesitating.

The attacks were getting out of her way on their own.

She approached the next target, another muscle-head.

Working in unison with two more, three people surrounded her and attacked in unison.

A sword and two spears were aimed at her neck.

An elbow was punched, an ankle was kicked and a wrist was gripped.

All three attacks, and various joints, were broken.

Without missing a beat, the assassin moved onto the next prey.

* * *

Gix recovered from his confusion and stood up.

The pain on his side told him that several ribs were broken.

His eyes watched the assassin as she dismantled two of his men in an instant.

He took out an emergency healing potion and brought it to his lips.

A pebble immediately shattered the vial, causing a cut on his cheek.

ReliEF. is nOt. peRmITTeD.

Something spoke into his head.

Immediately disregarding it as an illusion, he approached the melee.

A third of his men were already down.

He took out a slingshot and launched a black stone at the assassin.

She was surrounded on all sides and was unable to escape for a second.

"[Explode]"

Responding to his voice, the black stone erupted into a cloud of flame and smoke with a loud bang.

The fire was hot, but the dangerous part of that weapon were the stone fragments.

In another world, it would be called a grenade.

It engulfed the assassin and the 3 men holding her down.

A necessary sacrifice.

Gix made a slight sneer, as if to say 'How's that?'.

But he did not drop his guard.

There was a tense moment of silence as dust and smoke blocked visibility.

"Ha. Ha ha haa."

An eerie voice was heard.

The cloud dispersed, gradually revealing a soot-stained figure.

"ahaha hahaha ahaa ha"

The disjointed laughter picked up in intensity.

Gix noticed dozens of red-hot pebbles floating in the air around the girl.

She threw her head back and spread her arms.

"AAAAAH HAAA HAAA HAAA! AAAA HAAA HAAA HAAA HAA HAA HAAA"

An unearthly voice echoed through the room, allowing no interruption.

The very air seemed to tremble.

"AAAH HAA HAA HAAAA HAAaaaa..."

Slightly tapering off, the laughter ended and something else was not heard, but felt.

EsCAPe. IS not. PerMiTtED.

The hoarse voice spoke inside the heads of every criminal gathered there.

The red-hot stone pebbles started spinning rapidly around the assassin.

Each drew an orange line as it was flung towards the surrounding passage walls.

They impacted with impossible force, causing all the stone passages to collapse.

They were now trapped in there with the girl.

No, with the thing that looked like a girl.

rESIstAncE. iS noT. PeRmiTted.

With another unearthly decree, it flew into action.

Every swing of those slender limbs would send several people flying.

They would crash brutally into the wall, losing consciousness.

HoPE. Is Not. PERMitTed.

That gravel-like voice kept echoing in his head.

Gix felt fear.

It was the first time in a long while, but the most potent fear he had ever known.

Amidst the dust, screams and blood, he had realized something.

It is enjoying a feast, and I'm the desert.

His instincts screamed to run, but his brain knew it was pointless.

Every single hand-picked member of his gang was mercilessly and methodically beaten into a pulp.

The monster before him pounced, knocking him on his back and pinning his limbs down.

All he could do is look up in mute horror.

A black shape soaking up the light around him.

A blue eye judging the weight of his soul.

A red eye tasting the flavor of his blood.

A half-crescent grin delighting in his pain.

A voice without words informing him of his fate.

PAIN. IS. PERMITTED.

* * *

After finishing her appointment with Gix, Ellie went back to the surface.

She was going to fetch the guards.

She had already rescued Kira and brought her to Olboun.

He would keep her safe.

And even though she woke him in the middle of the night, his manners were flawless.

However, the information she extracted from those thieves led her to Gix.

She found out everything they had done.

These sort of people existed in any world.

Victims like her would also follow.

She decided she would not only break their bodies.

Their minds would also suffer.

Whether she liked it or not, she had received intensive training on multiple subjects.

This included torture and psychological warfare.

And this bunch of misinformed superstitious human trash was easily susceptible.

'The devil himself showed up and invited me to hell!'

This was the message she wanted to engrave on their hearts.

As their leader, Gix received special attention.

He was alive, although he could only eat through a straw.

Unfortunately for him, those did not exist in this world.

End of act one - The city where anything can happen