---
He forced the lesser vampire to pivot, then slammed a shoulder into him and finally landed something cleaner to the ribs.
The impact thudded.
The lesser vampire gave ground by half a step.
Raka followed aggressively, sensing the opening, and managed to drive two more strikes into the body before the thing in front of him adapted and returned the favor with horrifying economy.
A hand caught his forearm.
Another seized the collar of his coat.
Then the lesser vampire drove his forehead into Raka's face.
That created the sound Crack!
The hall reacted all at once with a shared intake of breath.
Raka reeled.
And the lesser vampire finally stopped pulling his blows quite so much.
The next punch landed under the eye.
The next on the mouth.
The next across the opposite cheek.
No wasted motion. No wildness. No trying to impress the watching men. Just one hard measured strike after another until Raka's head snapped to the side, then back, then sideways again.
