After Dante, Yamato, and Roy leave, Fenn turns to Anitta and says, "What good friends. How long have they been on the island?"
Anitta puts a finger on her chin and says, "I only met them today."
Fenn stares at her as if saying, come on man, be serious.
Anitta seems to sense what he's thinking since they had been friends for so long and says, "Really, I only met them today. And right after we met I challenged Dante to a spar. Now that I look back at it, I feel very dumb. Dante is like, super strong."
Fenn smiles and says, "What an interesting bunch. To put their lives on the line for practically a stranger."
Then he says, "Anitta, haven't you always wanted to be an adventurer? But your father always said no because he worried for your safety. Doesn't joining Dante and Yamato's party sound like a good idea?"
Anitta seems to get hit with a realization. She hadn't thought about the possibility.
But then she says, "But I would only slow down Dante and Yamato. I'm so weak."
Fenn breaks down at this and says, "Anitta, you are definitely not weak. It's just that you're comparing yourself against either monsters or people who are way older and have way more experience than you."
Carolina echoes his statement and says, "Dante and Yamato are monsters, that's been determined. And Burly and Joone have a bunch of experience, so Fenn is right."
Anitta says she doesn't know.
Fenn says, "Think about it. For now, let me take you home."
Anitta says, "Okay, father is probably worried about me as well."
They say goodbye to Carolina and walk out the door. On the way, they talk about the crazy events of today, Fenn's travels, and just reminisce about their past.
Just then, Fenn stops and stops Anitta.
Anitta is confused.
Then Fenn says, "You've got to be joking. Author-san, what kind of forced plot is this," with a smile.
Just then, two figures show up.
Fenn and Anitta immediately recognize them — Burly and Joone.
She first feels fear but then strengthens her resolve.
Seeing Dante, Yamato, and Fenn head facefirst into danger for her, she realized she had to strengthen up.
Burly says, "Fenn, your two friends aren't here right now, are they?"
Fenn says, "This move is quite cowardice."
Joone says, "Fenn, I'm going to pay you back a hundred times for that blow, you know."
Just then, Anitta steps forward and says, "Fenn, you can run. No matter how strong you are, fighting Joone and Burly together is suicide."
Fenn looks at her and says, "I'm not going anywhere. You're my friend. Plus, it's only two enemies — that much I can handle."
He says that to calm Anitta's nerves.
But then Anitta suddenly draws her two daggers and charges towards Burly and Joone under Fenn's shocked gaze.
Burly and Joone are shocked as well. Is this the timid little girl that was scared out of her pants in the bar and all the previous times they had met?
Burly smiles and agrees to meet her resolve head-on.
Anitta gritted internally. She knew she was not strong enough, but if she didn't take this step, she would never grow.
Burly charges towards her.
Anitta strikes, but Burly effortlessly dodges, then proceeds to one-shot her with a kick to the gut.
He then takes out an injection and injects her, which causes her to get tired and pass out.
He slings her over his shoulder.
Fenn quickly moves, jumping on top of the roof and running alongside it before dropping down to land on the other side, effectively blocking Burly and Joone's path back to the Vellacroix Mansion.
He then smashes his guitar down, shattering it and revealing his long mace weapon within.
He glares menacingly at both Burly and Joone and says, "Both of you are going nowhere with Anitta."
Joone's mouth curves into a smile, and Burly stands emotionless.
He thinks about the courage these two are showing in front of him.
Before, Fenn would show defiance, but he's never effectively challenged him like this head-on.
Was it because of those two kids he met at the bar?
He didn't like this.
Burly drops Anitta down gently beside him, her unconscious body lying motionless on the ground. His eyes fix on Fenn, calm and calculating, while Joone cracks his knuckles with a wide grin.
Fenn tightens his grip on his long mace and steadies his breath. Facing two opponents like these wasn't ideal — but running was never an option.
Joone rushes in first, brass knuckles glinting under the moonlight. He swings a wide hook, but Fenn tilts his head to the side and retaliates with a sharp counter-swing, the heavy end of his weapon grazing Joone's shoulder and sending him stumbling back.
Joone laughs, wiping the blood from his mouth. "Fenn, you really piss me off."
Burly moves next, calm and deliberate. His metal baton cuts through the air with a sharp whistle. Fenn blocks it with the shaft of his mace, but the impact sends vibrations up his arm. Before he can regain balance, Joone dives back in, throwing a flurry of punches.
Fenn dodges one, two, then deflects the third with the handle of his mace — his footwork sharp, his breathing steady. He swings horizontally, catching Joone square in the ribs and sending him rolling across the dirt.
Burly raises an eyebrow. "You've gotten stronger during your absence huh Fenn.," he says plainly before stepping forward again.
Joone gets up, laughing. "Burly, why are you complimenting an enemy. You've been to soft for a long time."
Fenn remains silent, eyes locked on both of them. His entire focus is split — Burly's precise baton strikes and Joone's unpredictable aggression left no room for mistakes, and certainly none for talking.
Joone dashes in again, fists flying like wild firecrackers. Fenn deflects, blocks, and swings, but each movement eats away at his stamina. Burly suddenly moves in from the side, his baton slamming into Fenn's shoulder. The impact sends him stumbling backward.
Joone smirks. "What's the matter, Fenn, you had a lot to say at the bar, why all quiet now?"
Fenn plants his feet and swings his mace downward with all his strength. The blow hits the ground, cracking the earth beneath and sending a shockwave of dust into the air. Joone jumps back, momentarily blinded.
But Burly doesn't even flinch. Through the dust, his baton arcs upward — connecting clean with Fenn's ribs. The sound of impact echoes, and Fenn coughs up blood but stays standing.
Joone whistles. "Still on your feet? Why won't you stay down!."
Fenn exhales hard, his knuckles white around the mace handle. He steps forward again, dragging the weapon along the ground, and swings at Burly's head. Burly raises his baton just in time, blocking the strike with one hand and countering with a jab to Fenn's gut.
The air leaves Fenn's lungs. He stumbles, but swings again in desperation, barely grazing Joone's arm.
Joone grins, his eyes gleaming."This is the end, Fenn."
He rushes forward, his brass knuckles glowing faintly as he yells—
"Iron Fist Barrage!"
A series of brutal blows rain down on Fenn — chest, ribs, jaw — the final one crashing into his face with enough force to send him sprawling into the ground.
Fenn lies motionless, blood dripping down his face, his fingers twitching faintly against the broken dirt.
Burly walks over, looking down at Fenn's body. His face remains unreadable. "Let's go," he says simply, picking up the unconscious Anitta once more.
Fenn speaks up "Wait!!, I'm not down yet" he says getting up. Supporting himself with his mace.
Burly looks at Fenn with a hint of admiration. This young man was showing a lot of grit. He then walk towards Fenn and injected him with something Fenn was too weak to resist, making Fenn's turn hazy and start to lose consciousness.
Fenn the hazely says "Damn it all, Anitha!" before dropping unconscious.
Burly turns and walks towards Joone. The two turn away, leaving Fenn behind under the dim light of the street lamps — beaten, bloodied, and unconscious.