Surrounded. Her eyes glanced around the wooded area that encircled them, catching sight of movement in the trees as others slowly came into view. There were four more, armed with a variety of weapons from cudgels to a crossbow. Yume felt her face flush slightly as she realised they were in a bad position, the men slowly grinning as the realisation must have dawned on her face.
Watashi ga-chū ni haitte karera ni yameru yō ni iu koto ga dekiru to omotte, nante orokana kotodeshou. She chided herself silently, before realising something else - they all carried a variety of weapons, but each looked well-used and ever so slightly damaged. Brigands, to be sure, but not well-armed ones or ones who could do much more than look threatening.
She had limited experience in fighting - a few kendo lessons through her school, where she'd shown little promise, beyond basic skills, and a few years in aikido as ordered by her father - but even she could see that those around them were amateurs. Their stances were too wide, or too short, their entire frames leaning forwards in an almost eager way. Most importantly, though, Yume didn't see any sign of spellcasters.
It would appear that we are surrounded...which will make this much easier.
Her voice came out calm and controlled - just like her father had taught her. The men around them seemed to pause, as if confused by her sudden show of courage. It wasn't enough to stop them, or to turn them away, but that pause was all Yume needed, all she wanted.
I would offer them the chance to run...Shikashi...I don't think they'd take the offer. These lot appear to prefer to have themselves Shōkyaku shita.
She raised both her arms, holding her palms out once more before finishing her thought. It was meant to be a bluff, but she knew that if they didn't back off, she'd have to follow through with it. She tried to keep the distaste off her face, tried to remind herself why she was doing this. It was still hard, harder than she'd thought it would be.
As soon as you are ready, Magnolia-san.
She watched, waited, hoped. Two had begun to back off, inching slowly away, and Yume felt a single second of hope that they would turn and flee - choosing to pick a fight somewhere else. Her hope, however drained away as the broken-nosed man who had already been singed growled in anger, seemingly causing more fear in the brigands than Yume was able to do with all her words.
Ashurionbēru.
The shield surrounded Magnolia and herself as the brigands rushed forwards, the snapping of the crossbow a single second after the movement had begun. Yume closed her eyes as the bolt ricocheted off the shield and into the chest of one of the brigands, causing the man to falter back a few steps before collapsing.
With her eyes still closed, she could hear as the cudgel and scimitar of the final two still standing smacked into the shield, rebounding with an energy that pushed outwards, forcing the men to the ground as their balance failed them. At the same instant as they hit the ground, the shield fell, leave Magnolia and Yume unprotected once more.
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