The man was shocked and muttered a curse when he spotted them attempting to flee.
He let go of his grip on what he held and rushed toward them.
Tom swiftly took a defensive stance, while Ariana prepared herself, assessing their chances against the approaching man.
Suddenly, the man signaled and yelled, âDo something! Theyâre trying to escape!â
In the blink of an eye, five burly, intimidating men burst into the room.
âAh, damn it,â Tom couldnât help but swear.
They hadnât expected there to be others guarding outside.
Seeing only the tall, muscular man going in and out had led them to assume he was the only guard.
Ariana was equally taken aback by their appearance.
They had no means of escape now.
Even if they managed to make it out of the window, they wouldnât outrun them.
It seemed their only option was to confront this situation head-on.
âDo you know how to fight?â Ariana asked.
âIâve picked up some basic karate moves.
Iâll do everything I can to protect you,â Tom responded, not keeping his eyes off their adversaries.
âItâs all right, no need to worry about me.
Iâve also had some training,â Ariana assured him.
Back when she lived in Melcorn, she had taken self-defense classes while caring for Melon.
âYou think you can take us on? Ignorant clowns!â the tall man said.
He then began to swing his fists and charge towards them.
Tom and Ariana swiftly evaded his attack.
Immediately, the other five men joined the brawl.
Multiple scuffles erupted simultaneously.
Tomâs strikes were intense, while Ariana skillfully aimed for weak spots with her self-defense techniques.
Their assailants momentarily grappled to assert dominance, growing increasingly frustrated.
Eventually, desperation drove them to draw their knives.
Tom, overcome by anger, couldnât help but protest, âThis is a fight, not a killing spree! Using knives is unsportsmanlike.
â
The groupâs leader responded with a mocking smirk, âThis isnât a contest, and there are no rules.
â
With that, he brandished his knife and charged at them.
Ariana and Tom, weary and hungry, found themselves in a tough spot when their attackers brandished knives.
They tried to dodge the blades, facing overwhelming odds.
Suddenly, as Tomâs attention shifted, someone snuck up behind him and hit him on the head with a wooden stick.
Tomâs vision blurred instantly, and his ears rang loudly.
He could barely make meaning of Arianaâs words.
Ariana managed to fend off the person in front of her and, from the corner of her eye, spotted someone with a knife approaching Tom from behind.
She shouted in alarm and rushed to shove Tom out of harmâs way.
The sharp blade of the knife sliced into Arianaâs arm, leaving a deep gash that started bleeding seriously.
She suppressed a cry of pain, her legs giving way, and she sank to the floor on her knees.
Tom spun around, his blurred vision gradually clearing.
He saw Arianaâs arm bleeding, which ignited a surge of anger within him.