Pierce tightened his body again. Tamma grunted with the little bit of air still in her, closing her eyes and turning her head to the side as the snake continued to wrap himself higher and tighter around Tamma. "Look at that," Narrita said while giving a grin of confidence. She stared at the sack of necklaces and the gold chains that spilled out on the floor. "All it took was a bit of... physical contact. Now, no one has to really get hurt. Pierce already had a full meal. Didn't you?"

The snake turned his head to Narrita, with a closed mouth. His red forked tongue stuck out as he let a satisfied hiss escape. Tamma opened one of her eyes and stared at Miwah. "S-sorry..." she muttered. 

"Not a step further!" Narrita said as she looked at the seamstress. She strutted to the pile of jewelry while keeping a tab on Miwah. "Or else your friend over there…," Narrita took her thumb and ran it across her neck. 

Miwah stepped forward only to pause when she saw Narrita raise one hand. "Another step and I'll order Pierce to put an end to Tamma once and for all!"

"B-bluffing!" Tamma muttered, struggling to get the word out loud enough for the seamstress to hear her.

"Is that what you really think?" the Cutthroat leader called out.

The hunter nodded as best as she could with her restrictions. "Get h-her..."

"Keep her quiet, Pierce," Narrita ordered. With another long hiss, the cobra coiled further up Tamma. As the muscles of the snake wrapped tighter, the hunter let out a soft whimper before angling her body to the side. Both her and the cobra fell to the ground, landing on top of the necklaces. 

"Move Pierce! You're on top of exactly what I'm trying to get to!" Narrita stomped her foot and pointed at him with one finger. The snake turned around, only to angle his head down in shame when he saw the disappointment on Narrita's face. 

Miwah looked in front of her and saw Horace ready his club for another attack. He lifted diagonally, ready to come down with an overhead swing. The Purifier took note of his exposed legs. She lowered herself with a crouch and with one fluid motion performed a low sweep. The kick struck the man in the ankle, sending him tumbling onto his side. With her opponent down, Miwah then dashed to Tamma's side.

"Hey! What did I say?" Narrita barked as she watched the Purifier join in the struggle. Miwah paid her no mind, instead focusing on the snake that kept Miwah entangled. He unraveled some of his upper body to allow for maneuverability of his head. In the process, his grip loosened and gave Tamma enough room to regain her breath. After some panting, she started to squirm. 

Miwah held Liberator in position for a horizontal slash. Pierce opened his mouth wide, showing off his fangs as his eyes followed the motion of Liberator. Both stood still, staring at the other and waiting for their opponent to make the first move.

"Useless! All of you!" Narrita bent down and picked up one of the swords that her men had dropped. "The reason why keep you clods around is so that I don't have to do this kind of work!" With sword in hand, she advanced forward while holding it in an attacking position. She drove it forward for a straight lunge, only to have a quick swing from Liberator knock it out of her hand. 

"Ahh!" she groaned as she shook out the sting from her fingers. "How can a tiny Xiwaoan girl like you swing that blade with so much power?"

"Practice," Miwah said bluntly. "Now call off your pet. We will be leaving with the jewelry. I hate to make things messy for whoever works for the tavern."

"The rest of my gang will be back any moment once they put out that fire that you two caused! There's no reason for us to let your friend go! We'll just wait it out. Do you really think you can stand up to the entirety of the Cutthroats? Even with your special powers?"

"She's right, Miwah!" Yalch whispered. Despite the ghost floating right next to her face, she kept staring at Narrita. "You don't have much time left in your Purifier form! Neither does Tamma."

Another confident grin grew on Narrita's face. "I just heard everything that little bud of yours said!" 

"Oops." Yalch put his hands over his mouth and slowly moved himself behind Miwah. 

"That makes it even easier! In a couple of minutes, you'll be defenseless. That means there's no need to compromise with you." Narrita stepped closer to her snake and Tamma. "Pierce. Make sure she doesn't get away. But don't kill her. I just don't want Tamma causing any disruptions." The cobra turned around, tightening his hold once more, making his captive wince in agony. 

"I am warning you..." Miwah said shakily. She crossed Liberator in front of her body and angled it towards Narrita.

"Warning me of what? Pierce has got your friend. Your transformation will only last so long. Face it, your friend ruined your entire plan. You won't pose a threat in a couple of minutes. Or seconds. Whatever power you have is only temporary." She then waved her hand towards the snake. "Now move over so I can get to those necklaces!" With some help from Narrita, the snake was able to roll over just enough for her to pull the bag out from underneath him.

"Don't let her get them, Miwah!" Yalch whispered in panic. 

The Purifier brought her right arm back before propelling herself forward. The tip of Liberator became engulfed in a purple aura. The tip of her Aura Drive spell connected with Narrita's side, creating a round purple explosion that sent her skidding across the floor. The blast also sent Tamma tumbling in the opposite direction with Pierce still wrapped around her. His grip loosened from the impact, giving Tamma enough freedom to escape the hold. She jumped to the ground, grabbing her bow in the process. While kneeling, she drew another magical arrow and struck an advancing Horace in the forehead. The attack sent him on his back with his arms spread out across the floor. 

Meanwhile, Narrita lay on her side, groaning out of pain. She straightened her body just enough to see the bag of necklaces laying on the floor, equidistant between her and Miwah. The seamstress ran forward, her free hand sticking out to grab the Beacons. A purple liquid dripped in front of her, making a sizzling sound as it bubbled on top of the wooden floor. 

"I forgot to mention..." Narrita said with an almost sadistic giggle. "Did you know that the Manolazo Cobra can spit acid? It's not strong enough to burn through flesh... and bone. But if it stays on your skin for even a few seconds, it’s enough to make it feel like that part of your body has been in a furnace! And once it breaks through the skin, the poison infects the victim with a paralyzing poison that can last for days at just the right quantity. Or it will just kill you outright if you take in too much."

The Cutthroat leader clumsily stood up straight, holding on to the area where she had been struck by Miwah's Aura Drive. "You're on borrowed time. I know it and you know it. Give it up now, kid. We're not as heartless as you think we are. Cooperate and maybe we can start talking about lightening up your punishment."

Miwah's eyes remained locked with those of the snake's. He opened its jaws to be twice the size of Miwah's head. More of the purple acid poured from his mouth and onto the wooden floor, making the sizzling sound more intense. "Apologies," Miwah said softly, her eyes still focused on the snake. "But I have a duty to uphold."

The Purifier performed a rising slash, using an uppercut to carry the force. The edge of the blade cut through the snake cleanly, making a loud zip as the weapon shredded through scales and flesh. Pierce's mouth remained agape, however motionless as his head tumbled backwards. The rest of his body followed suit, crumbling into one coiled pile. 

"Pierce!" Narrita shouted from the top of her lungs. She stretched out one hand towards the now-deceased snake as tears streamed down her reddened face. She took one step before falling on her knees again, her hand still reaching as if she were trying to grab Pierce. "Why would you—" The Cutthroat leader cut her sentence off as she inched forward with quivering lips. Her eyes remained focused on the corpse of her pet rather than the Miwah, who stood triumphant over the slain cobra. With cold eyes, she watched as Narrita continued to crawl forward, unable to form a coherent word as she stared at the animal’s remains. 

"Grab the Beacons and let's get going!" Tamma said as she put her hands on Miwah's shoulders.

"Right." Miwah quickly snatched the pouch off the ground and followed Tamma towards the exit. A Cutthroat entered, perplexed at the scene. While running, Tamma fired another arrow, hitting the man at the door in the chest and making him fumble backwards and out into the streets. With the path clear, Tamma left the tavern with Miwah and Yalch right behind her.

Murmurings echoed throughout the area as the crowd of Cutthroats travelled from their excursion to deal with the burning stable back towards the tavern. Both Miwah and Tamma took one more look down the hill and watched as Colligan’s soon filled. "We need to get as much distance between us and them as possible!" Tamma said, leading the run uphill. "You got the Beacons?"

Miwah held the pouch up and nodded. 

"Let's get out of here before they start chasing!" Tamma turned around, now sprinting up crooked path to the higher section of Farrowport. "After what you just did, that entire gang is going to be out for blood!" 

"I know," Miwah replied. She took one last look down at the tavern. The stable next to it was no longer burning. By the entrance, she could see a few men step out, each one turning their heads fervently. "At least their deadliest member will no longer be a threat."