He didn’t like the way the twins were staring at him, with their eyes ravenous.

However, there was something else which annoyed him more.

“Adam, we want to-“ Cirot began, though she froze.

“Hey!” Adam shouted. “What are you doing?”

Jarot held Lanarot up by her sash, nuzzling her nose as she dangled ahead of him. Churot was standing beside him, nostrils flaring, not used to his grandfather doting on other children more than him.

“I am playing with my granddaughter,” Jarot replied, his eyes falling to Adam, taunting the Half Elf.

“Stop annoying her and let her watch me fight,” Adam growled at the elderly Iyrman.

“If she does not want to watch, we should not force her.”

Jaygak watched as Jarot teased Adam. ‘Teasing Adam using Lanarot,’ she thought. ‘I can only dream of doing something like that.’

“Do you want another round, old man?” Adam asked, clutching his Phantom tight.

Jarot’s eyes went wide with excitement, and he set Lanarot down onto the floor. However, as he did, Sonarot held onto his shoulder.

“Lanarot watched your fight,” Sonarot said. “You do not have to worry about that.”

“If you say so,” Adam said, glaring at Jarot still. ‘This old man is worse than Jaygak.’

Jarot, disappointed, allowed Sonarot to take Lanarot back from him.

Jurot remained silent. ‘Another round?’ He looked between Adam and Jarot. ‘Another round?’ The words repeated in his mind over and over.

Cirot and Sirot glanced between one another.

‘He is joking?’

‘I think so?’

‘They say he is queer.’

‘Yes.’

Adam cleared his throat. “Sorry,” Adam said, glancing at who he presumed to be Cirot. “What was it that you wanted to say?”

“We wish to face you, Adam,” she replied.

“Me?” Adam asked. “Didn’t I just fight?”

“You are still healthy to fight,” Sirot said.

“Sure, but I shouldn’t bully my Cousins, should I?” Adam let out a soft scoff.

“We will not disappoint you,” Cirot said, grabbing her axe and shield.

Adam looked to Sonarot for support, who raised Lanarot up to face Adam. “Look, your brother is going to fight some more.”

Lanarot clasped her hands together and squealed, before kicking out her legs excitedly. There was a gentle hum of music nearby, which was slowly growing louder as the fights continued.

‘Et tu, Lanarot?’ Adam gripped his shield tight. “Since my adorable little sister wants to see me fight, what can I do?”

The Iyrmen nearby began to drum on their instruments harder, causing a gentle rumble to fill the air. Lanarot hid in her mother’s bosom, trying to hide from the loud sounds, though she heard the rising flutes and the strumming of lutes.

Battle Order

D20 + 1 = 12 (11)

The pair of Iyrmen leapt forward swiftly, far too swiftly for Adam to react. When they had charged forward, it wasn’t as though he was facing two separate entities, but a single being.

Adam tried to catch the axe which swung down, but as he tried to grab it, another appeared right beside it, as the pair pressed him back.

Health: 47 -> 30

Adam raised his brows in alarm. ‘What the hell?’ Both twins had somehow managed to land blows against his armour, and though he had tried to catch their axe with his own, the force of the blow caused him to stumble back.

The Half Elf stared at the twins, whose faces were contorted in a wild grin, red with rage.

‘Right. They’re Iyrmen.’

Warrior Spirit: 1 -> 0

Health: 30 -> 35

Attack

D20 + 8 = 18 (10)

D20 + 8 = 22 (14)

Hit!

Mana: 18 -> 17

1D6 + 1D6 + 2D6 + 6 = 16 (1)(1)(2, 6)

Damage resisted!

12 damage!

Attack

D20 + 8 = 18 (6)

D20 + 8 = 22 (18)

Hit!

1D6 + 1D6 + 6 = 14 (4)(4)

Damage resisted!

9 damage!

Adam focused. He inhaled deeply as the pair of them leapt up towards him again, eagerly swinging their axes. He dropped to a knee and caught an axe on his shield, before striking one twin against her thigh, even expending some Mana to defeat her using his smite, something he hadn’t bothered with when facing the other Iyrmen.

‘That should do it,’ he thought, about to swing his axe towards the other twin, only to see that they were both still up. ‘What the hell are they feeding you?’

Adam struck the first twin with the back of his axe, before narrowly ducking the other axe, which almost struck him across the head, before he slipped back, creating some distance between him and the twin who was still conscious.

Sirot, who had watched her sister fall, charged forward to attack him, filled with a greater rage. As she swung wildly, Adam stepped back, and took the opportunity to strike.

Attack

D20 + 8 = 19 (11)

Hit!

Mana: 17 -> 15

1D6 + 1D6 + 3D6 + 6 = 19 (3)(1)(1, 3, 5)

Damage resisted!

15 damage!

Adam, wordless, struck Sirot with the back of his axe across her side, causing her to fall under him as the axe struck not just flesh, but her mind too. He caught her as she fell, and allowed another Iyrman to take her away.

Victory!

Iyrmen Twins

XP Gained: +50

XP: 4075 -> 4125

“You Iyrmen are really scary, you know?” Adam said, rubbing the side of his neck. His heart pounded from the effort of the bout, which hadn’t lasted long, but fighting Iyrmen wasn’t a walk in the park.

Adam threw a look towards Lanarot, who had been watching the fight with excitement, and he smiled.

“You are certainly strong,” an Iyrman called out from the crowd, before stepping forward. It was an Iyrman who was quite beautiful, his radiance causing Adam to wince.

‘Damn. What’s with all these Iyrmen being a bunch of hunks?’ Adam wondered where Lucy was, considering she was missing out on seeing all the handsome guys around. ‘She’s probably off groping some other Iyrmen.’

The Iyrman stared at Adam.

“Oh, right. Uh, thanks.”

“I would like to face you tomorrow,” the Iyrman said. “Once are at the height of your strength.”

Adam noted the Iyrman seemed somewhat familiar, only to glance over to the side, and noted that the young woman with the greatsword, who had hurt him quite harshly, held the same tattoo and similar attire to the man.

“Are you here to take revenge for me beating your daughter?” Adam asked.

The Iyrman narrowed his eyes as the young woman smirked, trying to stop her chuckle. “No,” he said. “She is my little sister.”

Adam nodded his head slowly. “I understand.”

The Iyrman stared at the Half Elf for a short moment in utter silence. “There is a misunderstanding. The fight between you and my sister and Cousins was sanctioned by the Iyr, and a wonderful sight to behold. I just wish to face you myself.”

“Right,” Adam said, somewhat dismissively.

The Iyrman continued to stare at Adam. ‘Does he understand?’ “I wish to face you because I am an Expert too.”

“Right,” Adam repeated.

The Iyrman continue to stare at Adam.

Adam noted the man was probably in his late twenties or so, and was quite strong. ‘What a handsome guy. I bet he wants to beat me up so that he looks good in front of everyone, and so he can find himself a nice guy or gal.’ Adam narrowed his eyes.

‘He definitely does not understand,’ the Iyrman thought.

“Are you sure you don’t want to fight right now?” Adam asked. “It will be your best chance to beat me.”

“My goal is to face you at your strongest for a wonderful fight,” the Iyrman said.

“You really just want to fight… just to fight?” Adam asked.

“Yes.”

Adam stared at the Iyrman. “Oh, right.” Adam rubbed his face. “For a second there I forgot you were an Iyrman.”

The Iyrman’s brow pulsed. “Is there any reason for you to shame me like this?”

“What?” Adam asked. “I’m not shaming you.”

The Iyrman narrowed his eyes, and Adam could see the rage within them beginning to build up.

Adam glanced to Sonarot for support. “What did I say that was so wrong?”

Sonarot, seeing Adam panic, just smiled. “My Nephew does not understand many of the customs. He meant no offence by his words.”

The Iyrman continued to glare at Adam.

“Did I really say something so bad?” Adam asked.

Jurot, who had been deep in thought, stepped forward and placed a hand on Adam’s shoulder. “You had forgotten he was an Iyrman.”

“So?” Adam asked.

Jurot stared at Adam, before pulling on his shoulder.

“What are you doing?”

“You asked me to pull you aside when you were cringe.”

“How am I being cringe?”

“Are you not taking your jokes too far, Adam?”

“Jurot, you think I’m going to joke with some random Iyrman I don’t even know?”

Jurot admitted he had a point. “You had forgotten he was an Iyrman.”

Adam remained silent. “What’s so bad about…” Adam winced, hiding his face behind his fist for a moment. It was an involuntary spasm. ‘Am I stupid?’

“Do you understand?”

“Yeah,” Adam said, still wincing. “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean that I forgot you were an Iyrman, but that I forgot Iyrmen are all about fighting, and that it makes sense that you want to fight me.”

The Iyrman’s rage quickly slipped away towards confusion. ‘What?’

“I’m really sorry about that. I’ll see you tomorrow to fight, alright?” Adam said, quickly retreating back to Sonarot.

He had gone from being the victor of two fights, to an utter buffoon. Though he was an Expert, it was still impressive to fight three people at once, and then immediately afterwards fight another two. Then he revealed himself to be…

Cringe.

Jurot had almost put two and two together about Adam and his grandfather, but Adam’s ridiculous actions had allowed the thought to completely slip away.