Malthe drove his spear towards Vic's right shoulder. A quick flick of one of Shondell's sections altered the spear's trajectory enough to prevent Vic from getting stabbed in the arm. Malthe repeated the attack, instead aiming towards the other side. Vic blocked by crossing the opposite sides of his sanjiegun to form an "X." While the bodyguard's emotion remained obscured by his metal mask, Vic’s grin was clearly visible. His feet continued to bounce about as if he was enjoying the exercise.

"Your arrogance will be the end of you, boy," Malthe called out as he withdrew his weapon. Vic stepped forward, extended his sanjiegun with a backhanded swing. The middle section of the staff hit Malthe in the shoulder but left the bodyguard unscathed. A snap of his hand brought the rest of Shondell back into his hand. 

"I'm impressed!" With the flick his fingers, Vic brushed away a loose strand of hair that dangled in front of his eyes. "Never seen someone take a direct hit from Shondell and stay standing!"

"So this is a game to you?" Malthe said. Behind the slits in the mask, his eyes narrowed. "Do you even know what you and your friends are getting involved with?"

"It's a matter of justice, big man!" Vic said with confidence. "Hudson and his goons have been terrorizing the good people of Isla Lucrecia for too long. And they went to the point of no return when they took their anger out on a couple of locations close to me."

"You're throwing your life away over a petty feud?" Malthe said as he lowered his spear and pointed the tip at Vic. "They have been contracted to construct a memorial for the recently fallen members of the Ingwersen family! By coming here to enact your pathetic revenge, you are attacking the Ingwersen family!"

"Two birds with one stone! You guys have had this coming for a long time then!"

"I'm almost disappointed to have to put an end to someone who is clearly accomplished and dedicated to their craft of marital arts. But silencing that annoying mouth of yours will more than make up for it."

Vic's smile grew bigger. "Show me what you got!" Still holding onto his sanjiegun, he extended one finger and wagged it at the bodyguard. "I've always wanted to go up against a weapon with that kind of reach and deadliness."

"You don’t consider this situation to serious at all, do you?"

"Gotta take my practice wherever I can get it."

"That experience will do you no good once our battle is over." Malthe slashed his spear downwards, forcing Vic to spread his sanjiegun apart to block the blade with the middle section of his weapon. The metal pieces clanked. Malthe followed up again with a rising swing. Vic responded by mirroring the bodyguard's movement, intercepting the second attack as well. 

"Not quite," Vic said. As Malthe pulled his spear back, Vic advanced forward. With the space between and the bodyguard diminished, Vic went on the offensive. The metal rods of Shondell danced around Vic's body like a silver tornado. Each section shifted between each of his hands, alternating between offensive strikes from a multitude of angles. Malthe's grip had both of his hands spread apart across the length of the spear. He tilted the weapon rapidly to deflect the series of attacks. Tinny clanks rang throughout the night as Vic's barrage continued. Depite Vic's aggressive style, Malthe remained still with his legs spread in a firm stance.

"You should have picked a weapon that has a chance to kill me," Malthe declared as he parried another segment from Vic's staff. The trajectory of the weapon went off course, interrupting Vic's flow. He missed grabbing the segment by a few inches, making the metal rod glance off his hand. 

"That's not my style," Vic retorted as he shook out the sting in his hand. One of the segments of Shondell dragged across the ground. 

"You're fatigued already," Malthe said. 

"I can do this all night!" Vic retorted.

"Don't be so confident! I have felled

¹ many fools that were only a fraction as arrogant as you." The bodyguard took his spear in one hand and slammed the blunt end into the dirt. "I tell you what I told Fátima. Even though I've devoted my life to serving and protecting the Ingwersen name, I recognize respect talent whenever I see it. Your prowess is unheard of. Never before have I seen someone handle such a complex weapon with intricacy and finesse like you have."

Vic snickered. "You should see how old man Rodney handles one of these things. That guy taught me everything I know."

Malthe remained motionless, unfazed by Vic's words. "I made my statement as an ultimatum. There's nothing more shameful in this world than wasted potential."

"Get to the point, big man."

The bodyguard stomped his foot and pointed his spear at Vic once more. "I'll let your friends go if you come with me."

"Oh yeah?" Vic raised one eye. His defensive posture became more laxed as he lowered his guard. "What is this supposed to be? Some kind of offer?"

"I can't let you walk away after what you and your friends did to the Ingwersen's property. But I can make it so that only you receive retribution for what you and the others have done. And I can make sure the punishment will be... fair."

"I've seen more than my fair share of scams in Isla Lucrecia. I think I'll decline your offer for now."

"Clearly, you were only blessed with a penchant for martial arts, and it came at the cost of common sense." 

"You wouldn't be the first to have said that." Vic flailed his sanjiegun in a high arc. Malthe's eyes focused on the weapon, raising his spear to block it. The middle section of Shondell connected with staff of the spear. The segment opposite of the one Vic was holding bent down, crashing into Malthe's mask. The bodyguard lowered his defense as he took one of his hands to readjust his mask. He then stepped back and let out a deep and frustrated grunt.

"I'm out of patience!" Malthe shouted. He lifted his head up, staring back at Vic with narrowed eyes. "You've made your deci—"

"I too am out of patience," a soft yet somewhat shrill voice shot out. Malthe's head quickly turned behind him. Ulyssa stood in the distance. Two of her White Swans were standing at either side of her. She crossed her arms and stuck her head up. The woman slowly strutted towards the fight giving her bodyguard a look of annoyance. "I didn't expect you be out all night doing... whatever you had planned, Malthe."

"Apologies, Your Highness." Malthe turned his entire body to face the leader of the White Swan. She stood in front of her bodyguard and locked her eyes with his.

"What's the situation here, Malthe? Why aren't we back at the estate?"

"I came here to talk to your newest hire. Then we came across a few trespassers that were vandalizing your memorial."

"What?" her eyes opened wide as she looked at Vic. With utter contempt, she looked at the man top to bottom. "You!" she shouted. "Why do you look... so familiar?"

"You don't remember me?" Vic asked. He slung his weapon over his shoulder, letting the middle section rest next to his neck while the third section dangled behind him. Vic slowly walked towards Ulyssa, only to have Malthe place the sharp end of his spear in front of him and cutting his walk short. "Over by that hoity-toity café?"

Ulyssa maintained a look of disgust. She narrowed her eyes and poked her head towards Vic's direction. "The bum that was trying to steal the scraps?"

"You didn't have to put it so bluntly."

"What do you want here?" Ulyssa said sternly. "Just here to cause trouble? Or maybe someone put you up to this in an exchange for... a children's meal from a fast-food restaurant?

"No, no. Not at all. Well, the first part was kinda true. But I've been looking for you for a while now." Vic shrugged his shoulders. "I've been all over Isla Lucrecia trying to get in touch with you!"

"Everyone wants to talk to me," Ulyssa said with a smug smile. She placed a gloved hand over her chest. "I'm an Ingwersen. I'm very important and thus very busy. I don't have time to talk with every person that thinks they have something pertinent to say. But I must admit that you have caught my attention." She looked at Malthe. "What do you think? Should I ask him what's on his mind?"

The bodyguard looked back at Vic. He still maintained his placid demeanor. "It'll be his last words. And he's a formidable opponent. I see no harm in letting him speak. He’s earned the right to say what he wants."

"Very well then." Ulyssa placed her hands on her hips and looked at Vic in his eyes. "Tell me, what's so important that you had to desecrate the memorial to my late mother and father in order to get my attention? And the explanation better be convincing!" She then turned to her bodyguard. "Malthe here has been itching for a more lethal fight ever since I spared that Fanny girl. I'm sure he wouldn't mind scratching that itch right now."

"Correct, Your Majesty," Malthe replied. "It would be my pleasure if you wish it to be."

Both Ulyssa and Malthe stared at Vic with disgust. “And make it quick,” Ulyssa said. “I have other matters to attend to.”