Wystan no longer wobbled. He maintained an upright posture as he traded his hammer for one of the kegs of rum perched next to the wall. The lead Cutthroat hoisted the wooden barrel with both hands effortlessly and held it above his head. The keg flew across the room with a single heave towards the trio.

Aurrie covered her upper body with her shield and took the brunt of the attack. The wooden shattered on impact, creating an explosion of wood and alcohol. The impact floored Aurrie, taking Miwah and Tamma to the ground with her.

Wystan did the same with the other barrel and hurled to the downed trio. Miwah and Tamma managed to roll away, but Aurrie remained on her back. From her grounded position, she struck the incoming projectile with a backhanded swing of her shield. More wood and drink flew across the inn, soaking Aurrie with the potent scent of Rhoda Rum.

"Nasty..." Aurrie moaned as she staggered to her feet, her Ensemble dripping alcohol to the floor.

"Don't worry," Yalch said. "Your Ensemble will restore to its original state once your transform again."

"Thanks for the bit of info, Yalch," Aurrie said as she pulled herself up, using her sword as a makeshift crutch. "If I survive, I'll keep that in mind."

Wystan picked up the next closest object, a wooden stool. He threw it with one hand and sent in Miwah's direction. She dove underneath the closest table and avoided the attack. Tamma advanced forward and took cover behind a separate table. The barrage of furniture continued as Wystan picked up the heaviest objects he could grab and hurled them towards the girls with impunity. 

"I'll destroy this entire place if I have to!"

Yalch flew next to a crouched Aurrie. She protected most of her body was covered by her shield, angling it to block the glasses and plates that Wystan tossed at her. "Any luck in figuring out what your spell does?"

Another glass flew over Aurrie's head and shattered behind her. "No. Can't ya tell I've been busy?"

"Right, right. Sorry. But now might be a good time to try to figure out what it is! Better to use it before you run out of time in your Purifier form!"

"You gotta focus, lass!" Tamma shouted as she stuck her head just above the lopsided table she used as a barrier. Wystan threw another chair at her, forcing the hunter to duck again. "Try closing your eyes!"

"As this guy is throwin' chairs at us?"

"Just keep using your shield, lass. I'm sure something will come to your mind!"

Aurrie looked at Yalch. He shrugged what would be his shoulders. "It's worth a shot."

The housekeeper groaned as she lowered herself as much as possible. She then hid her head behind the shield and clenched her eyes shut. Yalch flew over to Tamma who still hid behind the toppled table. "You have to distract Wystan!" Yalch said to the hunter.

"All right, I'll do my best." Tamma grabbed another glass off the floor and extended her head past her protection. Wystan held a stool in both hands, ready to throw both at Aurrie. The hunter tossed the glass with all her force and landed a headshot on the Cutthroat.

The impact made a painful clang. The force was powerful enough to knock Wystan on his back and made him drop the two chairs. "How was that?" Tamma asked the ghost.

Both turned to Aurrie. She remained in her defensive stance with her eyes still closed tight. "I think she's still working on it!"

Miwah picked up the sword she dropped earlier and leapt from her cover. She jumped over wooden shrapnel and unconscious bodies on her way towards the dazed Cutthroat. "I will keep him distracted," she said on her way to Wystan. By the time she arrived, Wystan was on his feet, rubbing his eyes with the palm of his hand. The glass made a small cut on his cheek that he rubbed at with his fingers. He looked at the blood on his fingers and then at the oncoming seamstress with her sword raised high.

His hammer was further away than Miwah. Seeing that the seamstress was closing in, he reached the sleeping swindler resting on the bar top. "Not a step further!" With little effort, he pulled Daego from his slumber with one hand. With some quick movement, he put him in a one-armed chokehold. Wystan's forearm pressed Daego's neck against his chest. Daego's feet dangled as he lazily flailed his arms to protect his throat.

"H-help," Daego said timidly. He slowly opened his eyes and grunted. He noticed Miwah and extended one shaky hand in her direction. 

"All it'll take is a single squeeze," Wystan said as he applied more pressure to his hold. The last bit of air escaped from Wystan's lung, making the swindler gasp. "Then this fella is done!"

Miwah halted. She lowered her weapon so it dangled at her side and stared at the Cutthroat with pure contempt. Tamma stepped out from behind her table once the barrage of projectiles stopped. The hunter's eyes jumped from Wystan and Daego back to Aurrie. The housekeeper lost her concentration and stood upright. She gritted her teeth. Her eyebrows angled down. Both of her hands were wadded tight as she held onto her sword and shield.

"Aurrie!" Tamma fled from her cover and stood by the housekeeper's side. "You have to make sure you're thinking clearly! Don't do anything too rash."

Aurrie remained silent. She took steady steps towards Wystan all while exposing her body as she kept her weapons lowered to her sides. 

"Still walking?" Wystan barked. He tightened his hold again, making Daego grunt and squirm. "Keep moving and I'll snap him like a stick!" The Cutthroat laughed. His eyes widened and his mouth opened wide, flashing his rows of yellowed teeth and as his laughter turned into cackling. 

The hunter placed a hand on Aurrie's shoulder and stopped her advance. "What are you thinking, lass? Let me know so I can follow through," the hunter whispered.

"My spell," Aurrie replied. 

"You figured it out?"

The housekeeper didn't reply. Instead, she kept her eyes locked on Wystan. "Narrita and the others will be here any minute!" he shouted. "Either you girls get out of here, or you stay long enough to see your friend crushed like the little insect he is and the rest of my gang takes care of you!" He lifted Daego higher up by angling his body back. The swindler kicked Wystan in the thigh, but the attack had no effect. "Either option is fine with me!"

Aurrie shielded her body again. Then with the blade of her sword, clacked the surface of her shield. A piercing chime took over the entirety of the inn. Miwah and Tamma winced from the abrupt sound, turning their heads away from its source. 

Wystan, however, began trembling. He released Daego from the chokehold and plugged his ears with his fingers. He moaned and wailed as he toppled on his knees with his hands still covering the side of his head.

As the bandit quivered, Aurrie cleared the remaining distance with a sprint. She kept her sword pointed forward, held tight in both hands as she ran. Wystan lifted his head in time to watch as the tip of Aurrie's blade pierced through his chest's flesh. He opened his eyes one last time, but not out of excitement or anger. As Aurrie pulled her weapon out of the man's chest, she could see the sorrow deep within his eyes.

He put his hand on the bloody tip of the sword, but Aurrie effortlessly slid it out of his grip. "Hope the Rhoda Rum was worth it," she said. A front kick to the stomach knocked Wystan's lifeless body on its back. Miwah and Tamma stood by Aurrie's side and stared on in silence at the fallen Cutthroat. 

"Aren't ya girls gonna get what's rightfully yours?" Aurrie asked while looking over her shoulder. Miwah nodded in silence and reached down for the pouch fastened to Wystan's belt. With a bit of fumbling, she took out the two Beacons. After handing Tamma hers, Miwah put her own necklace around her neck.

"Daego!" Aurrie ran to the swindler's side. He lay on his back, rubbing his neck with his hand. The housekeeper propped him up with one arm, her Ensemble vanishing in a right beam of light as she placed a hand on his back. "You all right?"

He coughed a few times before meeting Aurrie eye to eye. "Got a headache. My neck is killing me. But I've been through worse."

Aurrie brought Daego in for a hug. She squeezed him tight as he gave her a gentle pat on the back. "T-thanks. For saving me," he whispered. 

"I don't like cutting a reunion short, but you heard what that big man said," Tamma interrupted. She gestured at Wystan's body with her thumb. "The rest of the Cutthroats are on their way. And you just used your Beacon."

"Tamma is right. We need to get going," Miwah added as she walked to the inn's exit. Aurrie and Daego ended their embrace and followed the other two to the front door. Tamma exited first and scanned the area. With a wave of her hand, she signaled that the coast was clear and led the group away from the inn and further into Farrowport.