Book One – Interlude – Part Four – Servi’s Nightly Stroll

The door opened, and five people walked through. Two of them were going to die. The other three? If she had a chance, then they would meet death.  Servi's primary goal was to make sure that Brick Bri and Rowan could no longer taste the air of life.

Along with those two, Mossi, the girl from earlier that almost sexually assaulted Momo, Axel, the guy who said he wanted to watch, and Yellow, the one who blocked Momo, came in with them.

Since the bar was also a restaurant, the building was separated into two halves. One side had the bar itself, with the bartender, the counter, and the kitchen. The other side was more like a traditional restaurant, which included the band and dancing area.  Various tables that sat anywhere from two to ten people were spread about in both halves.

Brick Bri and his godawful companions made their way over to the restaurant and sat down at a circular table. He raised his hand, and a cute barmaid made her way over to him with a glass of bubbly.  As she sat it down, he cupped his hand and slapped her ass.  The girl giggled and walked away, but not before silently cursing him.  Brick Bri had an unsavory reputation around town, to say the least. He cracked open the bottle and filled up his and his companions' glasses.

Axel and Mossi wore matching leather armor, but something was different. It took some time, but Servi realized that Mossi's hair was red instead of black. She thought for a moment that it was some sort of disguise. If so, then it was a poor attempt. Yellow still had his yellow armor and helmet, and Rowan was in regular clothes, like what an average man would wear when relaxing at a bar.  That fancy sword still dangled from his hip, proving that he wasn't just an average joe.

And so, the targets have arrived.  How are you gonna do this?

“I don’t know. I guess I’ll wait till the bastards leave.”

That’s a good plan. It might be too much if we kill in front of witnesses. How about you have some fun while we wait?

“You’re right. In that case…. Hey, barkeep!” Servi hollered for the bartender, and he came over while wiping down a glass cup.

“Anything ya need, ma’am?”

“Yeah. Let me get another Aviation. Hey, just a quick question. Does this place have any sort of drinking contests?”

“Oh ho! Are you confident in your ability to hold your liquor?”

“I am,” Servi confidently said.

“Good! We do have those around here, but it’s a bit different than other places.”

“How different?” she asked. If her general knowledge was correct, the only thing she had to do was drink the most.

“It’s mostly the same except for one little thing. The loser has to pay for all of the alcohol drank by everyone else. More often than not, the first loser will end up with a tremendous amount of debt.”

“What happens if the loser can’t pay?”

“Oh, they'll pay. If not with money, then with their body. If they refuse, we move on to their wife or husband's body.  If that’s not even enough, then we move to their parents or their children.”

“With such a high risk, why does anyone participate?” Servi asked. With such a punishment, she believed regular people wouldn't risk it. "I know I wouldn't like it if a family member lost a contest and I was forced to pay for their mistake."

“That’s how we do it around here. Go big or go home. Besides, you just have to not be the first to quit. It’s fine if you’re second to last.”

Are you sure about this? It doesn't make sense to me.

“I am.”

“I’m sorry?” the bartender asked.

“Alright, how do we start this?”

“Ma’am, are you sure you want to do this? The life of someone who cannot pay the tab is not…..enjoyable.”

“I’m ready. Just one question, though, what does the winner get?”

“The satisfaction of doing whatever they want with the loser, except for killing or permanently harming them, their family, their homes, or their animals,” the bartender said. Servi didn’t know how her respect for the city could go lower, but it did. She thought that this entire place and its residents, except for the few people she liked, deserved to be razed to the ground.

Servi, I feel disgusted.

“I see. So if I wanted to, I could demand stuff from the losers? Let's say they have a slave or two.  Can I demand their freedom?”

“You could, but don’t tell me you’re one of those trash lovers?”

“Is that a problem?”

“I suppose not.”

The bartender finished speaking with Servi and walked over to an unusual box like the one Arty used. He pressed a button, spoke into it, and his voice came from overhead. When it did, the band stopped playing and listened.

“Attention. This is an announcement that we are holding a drinking contest in five minutes. If you would like to enter, then please, come over to the bar and take a seat.”

Five minutes passed, and the bar was filled to the brim. Not a single spot remained empty.

“Welcome, everyone, to the drinking contest. We have a total of 32 contestants, so let’s get started! First, I’ll explain the rules. We begin with a shot of our weakest drink. Then the drinks get stronger and stronger until we get to the Dragon’s Blast. If we have any contestants still in the game after that, we move on to the Elemental Nightfall, our strongest drink. For those who aren't aware of it, let me explain it. Elemental Nightfall is a drink blessed by the God of Alcohol himself. Very expensive and very strong, it can knock out a dragon in three shots. But that’s enough of that! Let’s get started!” the bartender said, though now he took on the role of an emcee.

Servi looked at her fellow drinkers. Many were Dwarves, there were some Humans, and a few Elves and Koena. Though from what she saw, there were a total of six women in the contest, including her. The rest were men. Servi went to turn around, but she heard a voice that forced her to freeze.

“C’mon, Brick. They’re about to start.”

“Alright, alright, I’m coming. Hey, we got five more here. You got room?”

“For you. Mr. Brick Bri, we always have space. Hey Neil! Go grab five more stools from the back,” the bartender-turned-emcee yelled. A minute later, and Servi couldn’t believe her luck, Brick Bri, Rowan, Axel, Mossi, and Yellow took a seat right beside her.

If they take part, then the chances of them being drunk at the end of this are high, correct? Then it’ll be easier to kill them?

“That’s right.”

“Right what?” Rowan asked. As luck would have it, he sat right next to Servi.

“Oh nothing, just talking to myself,” she said back.

“That’s such an ugly trait in a woman, especially one with such wonderful blue eyes. I just want to lick them, you know?”

Ugh, he disgusts me. But at least the mask is working. He thinks your eyes are blue.

“Look, I don’t like that kind of stuff.”

Rowan reached out an arm but stopped when the emcee spoke. “Alright now, let’s get started. With a total of 37 participants, this is the highest turnout so far. My good bartenders, let’s begin! We’ll start with a shot of gin, so if you could go ahead and pour that for our contestants, we can get this underway!”

It may be a bit harsh of me to say this, but seeing an older gentleman act and talk with such a passion is a bit jarring.

The five bartenders grabbed glasses and poured drinks with such a high degree of efficiency that Servi couldn’t help but be impressed.

You know, I bet I could absorb the liquid inside these small glasses after you drink it, but before it hits your tongue. Just let me know, Okay?

“I will,” Servi said in the quietest voice possible, but it wasn’t enough because someone overheard her.

“You’ll what?” Rowan said as he grabbed his glass.

“Can you stop that? Me talking to myself is for myself and myself alone. Not for you to eavesdrop.”

“You know, I don’t like a fussy girl. You’d be cuter if you were a bit nicer,” he downed his drink.

Please, can I kill him? It’s like he’s treating you like an object, and I don’t like that.

Servi shook her head and downed her glass. It had almost no taste and was much weaker than the Aviation she had drunk earlier.

“So, that was a bit too easy, huh? Bartenders! Let’s move on to some sotol!”

Sotol was a clear liquid that was a bit stronger than gin, but Servi drank it as if it was water.

“Still too easy, huh?! How about some whiskey?! Bartenders! Prepare those shots!”

Another shot poured, and another shot down the drain.

“I’d be damned, no dropouts?! Alright, let’s keep it coming. Next up is a doozy. To pass this round, you must swallow a drink composed of the three previous drinks. Bartenders! Get your mix on!”

This round was the longest by far, if only because of the wait. It took around a minute or so to mix and pour the drinks, and there were three bartenders for a total of 37 people. After around ten minutes, everyone had a full glass in front of them.

Servi glanced around while waiting for the emcee and saw that a few people were having trouble keeping their eyes open.  The beast known as alcohol was probably about to claim a victim, who would be stuck with a tremendous amount of debt.

Truth be told, Servi did not understand why anyone would purposely involve themselves in such a shitty event.  She was the sole exception because she would never get drunk.  Even if she swallowed ten bottles of vodka every day for ten years, she wouldn't even be tipsy.

“Come on, man, you can’t be the first to drop out! Man up, and stick with it. Look, you’re going to let these wimps beat you?!” Rowan said. He slapped Axel’s back and laughed, further irritating Servi.

The emcee gave the order, and everyone downed the mixed drink. It burned a tiny bit going down, but that soon disappeared. As she expected, Servi didn’t feel the least bit drunk, though maybe she should’ve faked it since she caught the emcee's attention.

“What’s this! Do my old-yet-young and experienced eyes deceive me?! Ladies and gentlemen! We have a contestant that can hold her alcohol very well. Give it up for the beauty with blue eyes and mask!”

After a bit of cheering for Servi, she turned a bit red in the face. She didn’t like this since it brought attention to her.  A tiny part of her started to regret even doing this thing. Maybe it would've been better to slaughter everyone and leave no evidence? That option was still on the table.

“Now then, why don’t we kick it up a notch?! For this next round, you’ll pair up with the person to your right. It’s a good old-fashioned one-on-one drink-off!! For the good man at the end, you’re in luck! You get to pick a group and join in!! Now you might be wondering what kind of drink is involved this time. Well, the choice is yours! Or rather, if you and your partner can agree on one. If not, then you’ll drink whiskey. When a bartender comes to your group, please tell them your drink of choice.”

Servi turned to her right and saw Rowan, who used to be to her left. The dwarf who used to be there sat in Rowan's seat.

“What a coincidence! I just so happen to change seats at the right moment.  I guess I’m your partner. Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle. How about we choose Dragon’s Blast?” Rowan said, speaking in a tone that churned Servi's stomach. She couldn't stand his lucky-free attitude, and she didn't know how, but she knew Rowan was the kind of man who coasted through life on his daddy's money. He just had that 'spoiled-brat' aura radiating from him. Servi took a second to glance at Rowan's hand and noticed the lack of calluses.

“Elemental Nightfall,” was Servi’s reply.

“Look, baby girl, you don’t need or have to act tough. I’m su—"

“Elemental Nightfall. Are you scared?”

“I’m not scared, bu—” Rowan started sweating.

“What was all that talk about being gentle? You only say that because you’re afraid you can’t handle it,” Servi’s harsh words cut Rowan’s pride, and her next word finished it. “You're such a spineless coward, aren't you.”

“Fine! Elemental Nightfall it is. Just so you know, I’m gonna make you regret this!” Rowan said with a voice filled with anger and embarrassment.

A few minutes later, a bartender came to Servi’s group with two glasses. Her hair was tied in a bun.

“What did you two decide on?” she asked.

“My good lady, we decided on a rigorous glass of Elemental Nightfall,” Rowan answered with an exaggerated motion.

“…. You do realize how expensive it is, right? In a one-on-one situation, the loser has to pay for their partner’s drink as well as their own. Even if you die from it, we get our money.”

“Did you hear that, beautiful? Not even the wealthiest man could afford it. Especially not with the amount I drink. Let's move on to something cheaper, shall we?” he turned back to Servi with a smile but experienced dread when he didn't like the disgusted look on her face. It was like she was looking at trash.

“Spineless coward,” Servi repeated. Rowan didn’t like to be called that.

“Fine, Elemental Nightfall it is!” he slammed his hands on the bar.

“Very well," replied the bartender.

She walked off and came back shortly with a rainbow-colored bottle.

“Oh shit?! An Elemental Nightfall already?!” the guy behind Rowan peeked over his shoulder and saw the signature bottle. His voice was just loud enough that it got the attention of the two guys behind him. Those two looked over and exclaimed in surprise, just loud enough to cause a small commotion. And like a stack of falling dominos, it didn't take long for the emcee to wander over.

"Do my eyes deceive me?! An Elemental Nightfall right off the bat?! With a single shot costing over 1,000 dupla, one of these two will be in deep debt by the end of this! Will it be the beauty with blue eyes? Will it be Rowan? Let’s find out!!”

The bartender sat two glasses down on the counter and poured the rainbow bottle, whose color wasn’t limited to the bottle itself. The liquid itself was like a rainbow that fell from the heavens.

“Look, this is your last chance, so if you wanna back out, now’s the chanc—”

“Nope!” Servi picked the glass and downed it.

The bar immediately went silent and stared with anticipation.

“It’s a bit fruity, and I can’t really say I like the aftertaste. A bit too much like water. I much prefer an Aviation,” Servi said. She slammed the shot glass down, shattering it. A second later, when all eyes were on her, Servi laid down 20 dupla to cover the cost of the broken shot glass. At the same time, she spoke two simple words to Rowan.  "Your turn."

“What the hell? She said it was like WATER?” Rowan groaned.

“Well? Drink it, coward.”

“Fine! Just watch. If you can do it, then so can I.”

He grabbed the glass and hesitated for a bit before somehow finding the courage to put the small container to his lips. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back, allowing the rainbow-colored poison to flow down his throat. Instantly, he gagged and coughed violently.  Losing the strength in his body, he fell off his stool and shook uncontrollably.  Though it lasted for only a short second, to everyone else, it felt like an eternity.

Somehow, he gathered the self-control to forcibly stop his shaking. Brick Bri walked over and crouched down as much as his gut would allow him and tapped Rowan.

No response. All of the talking and background noise stopped. Even those over in the restaurant section became quiet, and the band stopped playing.

When a red soul floated up from his corpse, Servi knew her drinking partner had passed away.

Even after all that talking, he couldn’t handle it and died. Pathetic. My one regret is that it wasn't me who killed him. Oh, I certainly didn't expect this.  It seems that this Rowan fellow was quite an experienced adventurer. While he didn’t have a lot of skills, they were all enhanced quite a bit. It’ll take me a little bit to analyze. I’m sorry.

“Don’t be,” Servi said quietly, but Brick overheard her.

“I’m sorry. Though it was your fault, you weren’t the cause. Rowan, my good friend, has passed away…” He said with a solemn tone.

“…”

“…”

“If he couldn’t handle it, then he should’ve picked a different one. It’s not my fault, and I’m definitely not the cause of his death," Servi said.

“Keep quiet, wench. How come you weren’t affected by the drink?” Brick's sharp words cut through the tense air.

“The hell should I know? If I had to be honest, it was weak,” Servi said, with an edge in her voice. Brick matched her gaze.

“This isn’t the end of this. Temiro!” Brick yelled out a name, which somehow spurred people to move and talk. Those who hadn't seen a dead body cried out in fear, and Brick yelled at those who did to shut up.

The emcee, originally Servi’s bartender, walked over.

I guess his name was Temiro. Itarr said.

Brick motioned with his hand for him to come closer, and when he did, they whispered to each other. Servi was too far away to pick up what they said, but she did notice Temiro turn and point at her.

Servi, I think he told Brick that we asked about him.

“I do too. I have the strangest feeling that this is a trap.  Be prepared."

Got it.

Before long, Temiro nodded and walked over to the device that made his voice come from overhead.

“My dear contestants, I’m sorry, but the contest is canceled. The Rude Crystal will have to close early for the night.  Don't worry about the bill, and please make it home safe.”

“Hell yeah! Free food!” said one guy who grabbed a few plates and ran.

Others soon followed, and it was like a stampede. The little doorway wasn’t big or wide enough for so many people to leave at once. In a sense, it was chaos. But after some physical persuasion from the security guards, the crowd dispersed, and one by one, they left in a somewhat organized manner. Servi went to leave but was stopped by Neil, who told her to sit back down.

Brick Bri picked up Rowan’s body and walked out after the last of the customers left. He was followed by Axel, Mossi, and Yellow.

“Fellas, are you gonna let me leave?” Servi said to Neil and the pair of rapidly approaching security guards. She saw the glimmer of steel and sighed.  It seemed like death followed Servi everywhere she went.

“You’re gonna kill me, aren’t you?” Servi stood up from the stool as Temiro approached her, cracking his knuckles.

“I’m sorry, my blue-eyed beauty. Brick Bri is an important man. More than that, he is a wealthy man. Before you die, can you tell me why you weren’t affected by the Elemental Nightfall? Many a Human have tried to conquer it, and many have failed. You know, why didn’t you just go with the whiskey? If you did, then you wouldn’t have to die,” Temiro said as he walked over and took his place at the front of the group. His upbeat tone from when he was emceeing was gone, and a stern and emotionless voice replaced it. A faint red dagger sat at home in his hand, but Servi didn’t see where it came. In the end, it didn’t matter.  They would all die by her hand.

“Itarr, how many can skills can we use at once?”

Ten.  Twenty if we do it together. Shall I make ten Shadow Shots?

“Yep. I’ll go ahead and do my ten. There are only four people in front of us, so that leaves us with an even five per target.”

“Look, girl, talking to yourself isn’t gonna change our mi-- what the fuck is that?!” Neil exclaimed.  Panic at seeing the unknown filled his voice.

Like a wall of deadly shadows, twenty large and lethal Shadow Shots orbited around Servi like a shield of darkness.

Temiro, Neil, and the two other guards backed away at the sudden appearance. To them, it was like they were staring death in the face.

That was the truth.

“Temiro, why did you tell Brick we asked about him?”

Temiro backed away slowly as he answered. His eyes widened in fear. “I had to. I had no choice. Surely you would do the sa—”

“Gah!!” Neil yelled in pain as two Shadow Shots pierced his scarred arms to the wall but without his body. Temiro looked over and rushed to his screaming armless companion. The blood flowed and poured like a waterfall, the noise echoing out as it slammed against the hardwood floor.

“I’m quite sure you’re regretting this decision right about now," Servi said, taunting her prey.

Servi used Shadow Shot twice more to regenerate the two missing ones.

“Please, wait! Don’t kill me. I’m sure I can be of use to you. Oh! I know! How about I give you your money back?”

I’m still within range to absorb the rest of the bag.

“Do it.” Itarr obliged while Servi opened her hand. A moment later, an empty bag appeared in it. She gripped the bag and ripped it open.

“Sorry, but I got it back. We don’t have much left to talk about, so this is how it’s gonna go down. I will kill you. Then I will leave. After that, I will kill Brick, that shithead Axel, the scum Mossi, and that weird guy in yellow armor. This is the end. I would say goodbye, but I won’t. I wouldn't mean it.”

The three left standing dropped to their knees and begged, but that wasn’t enough. Neil's armless body convulsed with a mixture of pain and shock. It wouldn't be long before the blood loss killed him.

“Just one thing before I kill you. You’re skill users, right? You’re blessed?”

It was like they were being controlled by some kind of unknown force, and they could do nothing but nod.

“Good. I’ll have some new toys at my disposal.”

Servi gave the mental command, and all twenty black arrows of death launched in groups of five.

To be frank, it was an absolute massacre. Servi's skills were too powerful, slicing through her enemies' armor like they were protected by wet paper. The crimson painting the room, the muscle and arm hanging over the table, and the bits of brain matter lying next to a mangled corpse were proof of that.

And just like that, four more souls floated up and disappeared inside the ring.

These four souls are the strongest I’ve seen thus far. I’m sorry, but it’s going to take me some extra time to analyze and learn their abilities. I should be done by tonight. In the meantime, our total limit of concurrent skills has increased to 28.

“Thank you, Itarr,” Servi said as she looked over the destroyed bodies in front of her. She bent down and picked up the red dagger Temiro had.

She ran a finger down the blade, and tiny flames sparked, bursting to life. She took a look at her scorched finger. Not even a quarter of a second later, it was as good as new.

“I guess this little thing is enchanted?”

Your guess is as good as mine. What are you going to do?

“Well, I’ll absorb the bodies and the weapons. And I might as well absorb all the bottles of alcohol behind the counter.  Maybe the food as well.  I guess the tables and chairs couldn't hurt, either.  Fuck it, might as well take everything I can."

That sounds good to me. Shall I organize everything for you?

“If you wouldn’t mind.”

I don’t mind in the slightest. I’m happy to help!

And so began the plundering, only Servi and Itarr didn’t think of it that way. In their eyes, this is what was owed to them. After all, they were attacked first.