The throwing knife shot out as fast as a bullet.
A gem suddenly appeared in its path, but the throwing knife warped, passing straight through the gem that rushed to intercept it and burying itself in Artisan's shoulder.
Thud!
Blood sprayed.
"Hahaha! Artisan, has setting all those gems scrambled your brains?"
"My throwing knife already wounded you once, and you're still trying to stop it like that?"
The man in casual clothes burst out laughing again.
At the same time, he raised his hand and sent another throwing knife flying.
This time, it was not just one.
There were...
Six!
His right hand swept upward, flinging out three throwing knives.
His left hand swept downward, throwing another three.
The six throwing knives crisscrossed, darting back and forth like butterflies dancing around Artisan.
Hum!
Several gems vibrated in unison, each giving off a different glow.
Those glows took solid form, becoming palm-sized shields.
The casually dressed man watched his opponent's resistance with a sneer.
He was in no hurry to attack.
He wanted to defeat Artisan at the very height of her confidence.
Hatred?
No, there was no hatred between them. Before this incident, they had never even interacted.
Why was he doing this?
He simply had a habit of utterly destroying his opponents' confidence, then watching them sink into despair.
And if his opponent was a woman?
That was even better.
Just imagining those delicate sobs made him tremble with excitement.
The shields took shape.
The circling throwing knives shot forward with sharp whistles.
Everything went just as the casually dressed man had expected. His throwing knives "penetrated" Artisan's defenses without the slightest resistance.
They left wound after wound on her tall frame.
Her red cloak grew even more vivid.
After suffering so many wounds, Artisan could no longer remain