Chapter 5: Recognized
He slashed out with the knife, using a standard grip instead of a reverse grip for greater speed, precision, and reach.
The first slash severed the fingers of the nearest thug, causing him to drop his knife in agony as he instinctively clutched his hand. Maximilian followed up with a powerful kick to the thug's chest, sending him sprawling to the ground... unconscious.
Another thug charged forward, wielding his knife in a reverse grip, trying to look cool, like a professional. But Maximilian saw through the act; unimpressed, the thug was full of openings.
As the man slashed with his reverse grip, Maximilian smirked, avoiding it, adjusted his knife's trajectory, and precisely cut at the thug's fingers. The amateur's reverse grip exposed his fingers, making them an easy target.
"Arggghhhhhh!" The last thug clutched his hand as his severed fingers fell to the ground; he crouched, trying to catch his own finger before a knee to the face, knocking him out cold.
The bar fell silent, the jeers and laughter replaced by stunned murmurs. Maximilian adjusted his disheveled toga and began collecting wallets from the unconscious thugs. He emptied them of cash—including small change—before tossing the empty wallets. As he counted the money, he strolled over to the bar.
"Change these into banknotes," Maximilian instructed the bartender, who quickly obeyed.
Once he received the banknotes and counted his fresh income—totaling about $1,000—Maximilian smiled. Looking back to the bartender, he took out $300 and handed it over.
"This is for your broken furniture," Maximilian said.
The bartender accepted the money, still looking confused.
"Is this your bar?" Maximilian asked.