Saucy Jack

Bang!

Nash shot his gun. Jack sliced the bullet in half with the scalpel. All twenty members of Nash's gang charged at him.

Matty was aware of Nash and his reputation. Besides their brief encounter at the train, he was also known for recruiting gang members and unruly players that were out of control. He made waves for fighting a Templar that insulted one of his gang members. Over twenty players were with him: Francesco, Andrea, and similarly dressed men and women in high fashion suits. All of them charging at Jack.

All of them running to their deaths.

Jack's speed was greater than anyone else's and his intellect and precision was greater. A single tap from his scalpel was fatal and on top of that he was uncatchable. Jack melted into the ground and reappeared behind someone. From an outsider's perspective, it was clear to see. For the unfortunate gang members…

"He's there! No wait—aagggh!"

"He's gone! Where did he…?"

"Behind you!"

Nash watched his entourage have their limbs deaden or their eyes slashed. Mercy did not exist in Jack's world. He did whatever he could to win and he did it without an ounce of hesitation. Twenty whittled down to fifteen. Nash refused to let that number go down further and joined in the instant before Jack reappeared and slashed the neck of the tall Franceso.

Scalpel met sword. A gun appeared smack-dab between the black eye dots of the mask. Bang! Jack's hand smacked his wrist to the side and his scalpel snapped Nash away. The blond refused to back down from the close-quarter confrontation, his sword suddenly illuminating.

"Ngh!" Matty closed his eyes as the sword's brightness became too much. This was the Illumination skill. Through his blurry sight, Matty was able to make out grunts and missed slashes. Nash was fighting and failing to make progress.

The light dimmed, then burst again.

"Faith of the Week!" The brightness of Nash's sword condensed into a single pulse. A single heart-beat. The magic whirling within was thick enough for Matty to feel it. Nash raised his sword high in the air, then came down. Jack stepped back to avoid, only to notice three of Nash's cohorts heading towards his back. Their weapons came at him from behind while Nash chased after him.

Jack stood there and created a black sphere around him: a Magic Barrier that casually fended off both ends.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Faith of the Week was a seven-move combo of the light element. The final light attack in the Amateur Swordsman pathway.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Ordinarily, against a player of similar ability, it would have done considerable damage. Matty rightfully recognized that his shield would been broken upon the second hit. 

Clang!

Seven strikes. Seven lucky strikes. Seven critical hits. 

Seven fruitless attacks. 

Nash exhaled upon the last attack, then adjusted his footwork for a Sacred Whisper Slice in the form of a thrust.

Clang!

Not even a crack .

"Patience, a cool head, a natural leader, and an understanding of death and battle…if you were born in any other generation, you would have certainly made it into the top twenty," Jack said. His Class, which had previously been a dash, was replaced with Dark Sorcerer. The integrity of his barrier visibly increased. "Let us see if you live to be something greater, Nash. Black Cards."

Between his fingers, he created thin cards of midnight blackness. Jack leaped high in the air and the barrier dissipated. Cackling, Jack threw the cards and like homing missiles they struck their targets. Two players exploded and another melted into the shadows. The world became a twisted game of survival as Nash's gang tried to run and dodge and break the cards.

They failed.

Matty and Jules held their breaths. For some reason, Jack hadn't targeted them. Their fear returned in spades as Jack's hands were replaced with another set of cards and his laughter exploded.

"Black Cards!"

Being directly under the Ripper, Nash managed to slash the first barrage of cards with his holy sword. The second barrage was a whole different story as Jack aimed four cards specifically at him. One card went down his shoulder, nearly ripping it from its socket, and the second and third crossed his chest in an X-shape. The final card was blocked by one of Nash's comrades, Andrea. She tanked the card for him, the card lodged right in her shoulder.

"Boss—!"

Boom!

Andrea tried to turn but the card exploded. Both Andrea and Nash were hurled into the city walls. Several pained screams pierced the foggy city as Jack unleashed his third and final set of Black Cards. The attack seemed unavoidable and came in different types. Explosions, slashes, simple penetration, and erosion.

Jack gently landed on the ground, the cards dissipating from between his fingers. He looked at the hole that Nash and Andrea had left behind in the city walls, then the corpses of the twenty-something suited gangsters.

"I should have ripped that lady's ears off," the masked freak muttered to himself. "Oh well. Saucy Jack isn't alone just yet."

His gaze settled on Matty and Jules.

"Right?