Thunk. Thunk.Thunk.

The hollow thuds of arrows landing on Saga's shield as the mystery archer kept them pinned were all Saga could focus on. Each one landed like a small cruise missile and each impact felt heavier than the last. They groaned as they kept having to take cover behind their shield while their body grew increasingly sluggish.

It didn't matter that they could feel their passive abilities ramp up their Might stat bit by bit, as this was exactly the kind of situation that Ingrid had warned them about. The kind of damage that often did Berserkers in. Saga was stuck fighting someone who specialized in damage over time Someone who was hidden and used to weakening their target to make sure it wasn't a fair fight. Someone who was now pushing them slowly down towards their threshold. And the bastard kept to the shadows, keeping Saga on their toes and forcing them to guess where the next arrow would come from, making sure that once that rage set in, it would have no easy outlet.

Their enemies were Professionals.

--

Arval kept firing arrow after arrow, taking his time picking his shots as Saga faltered with every minute that passed. Any second now, they would be forced to put it all on the line as berserkers were want to do. They had killed far greater warriors than the redhead. This was childsplay. The purple-haired one, the one known as Sasha, was moving and thinking like a warrior. If it not been for her instincts and skill, the two would be dead by now.

"Oh well." He strung up another poisonous arrow, intending to finish it. His eyes solely focused on the redhead warrior within their sights, and they did not notice the shift in the air behind him.

He didn't notice the way something moved into the same room, the same space as him. His confident smile and cruel eyes

--

The two young warriors were being outclassed, and desperation crept up Saga's spine as they dodged one arrow and blocked another. The mystery archer was comfortably whittling the Saga down and each second wasted was a second closer to death. And while they were dying of position, Sasha was being tested by the woman with the buckler, who kept finding little openings while slowly wearing Sasha down.

Saga gritted their teeth as they took a step toward the two fighters before them, feet sliding on wet and muck-covered stone. As they did, another arrow thunked into their shield as they tried their best to keep Sasha back clear. IT was as if the arrows angled and bent midair, some of them heading for Sasha only to turn midflight to catch Saga off guard.

Again and again, the arrows drew Saga further and further from their Sasha. The purple-haired warrior was sweating, and several smaller cuts across her arms were bleeding, further weakening her. She moved with desperation and cold fury, trying to reign in her wild, wide attacks to conserve strength. The woman she was fighting, who had so effortlessly beaten Saga back and seemed a step ahead of both of them, was barely breaking a sweat. She parried and countered and all but toyed with Sasha at this point. Fighting without fear due to her heal friend.

Another arrow barely missed Saga's face as they tried and failed to get in close and help Sasha out yet again. The arrows kept coming, darting out of the shadows like guided missiles, intent on ending their life the moment they slipped op. All while Saga could feel their vitality dropping like a stone in water. They had to do something and do it soon. Their eyes fixed on the healer as they gritted their teeth.

“SASHA,” Saga yelled out as they set their shoulder to the shield. “My turn!”

Their plan was very crude and laughingly simple. A hail mary that hinged on the ability of Sasha react in time. As they activated their shoulder charge, they moved with enough speed to duck under a few of the arrows trying to keep them at bay, while others clunked onto the shield. Each dull thud mad made the magic within the runes of the shield hum, and by the time they reached Sasha, drove their last bit of vitality and strength into the push as Sasha, pivoted out of the way last minute, taking a nasty cut as they left and opening in doing so.

Saga did not waste any time and drove the shield into the woman who was caught off guard. The shield exploded in an explosion of dark mist as the death magic unraveled, the first of the runes going dark as it was expended. The woman yelped in pain, backing off with a snarl. “Heal me! Its death magic!” She yelled as the Hobgoblin ran forward, started to action by the violent stare and cruel voice of their companion.

It was exactly what Saga had been waiting for. They switched their grip and tossed their spear like a javelin. It sailed against the healer's chest, who tried to dodge. The spear only cut him, but it was enough to stop him from channeling the healing spell.

Sasha dove into the opening, separating the healer from the patient as she engaged the weakened brigand in a pitched battle, while Saga dove for the healer. They were so weak now, that they could barely stand but for the simmering rage that had yet to hit the damage threshold that activated it. They had to be cured before it activated, or the effect of it would simply kill them faster. Hissing through gritted teeth, they pushed the hob up against the wall, sword is drawn to press against the young hobgoblin's throat. The healer's eyes were wide as saucers, staring at Saga with horror writ large across their face.

“Heal. Me” They snarled. “And you’ll live. I know you don’t want to be here.”

“I…I can’t. I owe the Ma-”

“Do it or I will make sure you die before I do.”

The hobgoblin's eyes flickered up into the shadows with fear. But no arrows were flying out at them. There hadn’t been any more arrows since they made their gambit to grab the healer. Did the mysterious third member run out? As if reading their thoughts, Kalina disengaged from Sasha and yelled out.

“Where is the support Arval!” Her voice was terse, the confidence that had been there before was slowly eroding. Nothing but silence answered her and she blinked. “Did you. abandon me.” The woman's voice began to shift into a feral snarl when something fell the body of a thin elf began to slowly drift towards them, carried by the sewers currents.

“Arval..” The hobgoblin gasped, eyes wide. The man's body was torn apart, cut to ribbons, and flayed in an almost meticulous manner. His eyes were open in a horrified, blank stare, showing he had been alive for some of it. Yet they had heard nothing, not a sound.

Another splash pulled everyone out of their thoughts as they all looked to the darkness again.

“Holy mother of god…” Saga gulped as slowly a woman's face materialized from within the darkness before the thing attached to said face dragged itself out as well. The thing was nearly 3 meters tall and looked as if someone stretched out a human being again and again until every limb had at least 3 joints. Its movements were like a puppet with strings, each move janky and rough.

As a result, Its movements were like that of a puppet with strings, with all its movements feeling disjointed and twitchy. One of its clawlike hands was drenched in blood, all the way up to the elbow. Its eyes flared up with unholy malice as it focused on Saga. Its macabre visage slowly began to pivot around to face the Deathsworn warrior. Sagas' eyes narrowed as their hearth began beating faster and faster. The poison was still slowly killing them, and they could feel the last of their life drain out of their body.

"Gods be damned." Their original attacker muttered, eyes fixed on the creature's frightful visage. "Jure, Cleanse the berserker." She said with a clipped voice, readying herself for the creature's inevitable charge.

The young hobgoblin didn't need to be told twice as they pushed their hands to Saga's shoulder. The healing magic was like a cold fire, burning away curses and toxins alike. Sagas' eyes widened as the curses draining effect was lifted and strength surged up into them. Their eyes were wild, they turned to the monster, shield at the ready. Their hearth thumped ever harder, like a massive drill, cracking the earth's crust for oil.

Its motley, crude skin glistened with the blood of the 3rd assassin as it moved towards them slowly. The way the creature skittered about reminded Saga of an insect or a spider. It seemed to go from skittering about to freezing completely still. Now, however, it was seemingly preparing to spring forth. Its strange, long limbs bent in odd ways as it positioned itself. IT's body leaned forward, legs at odd angles, almost like that of a frog.

Then it sprung forth with speed.

There was nothing that could compare to the sheer terror Sega felt in very that moment.