The evil butcher took it full on in the chest, and dispersed into a pile of ash. That left the other two, the closest of which took advantage of the opening, throwing another knife. Ted was ready for this one, hopping over and closing the distance all at once. Yes, yes, caution, forever caution. But with Koishi's shield, he reasoned, isn't the best use of security to fuel your confidence? In fact, now that Ted split-thought about it, Koishi's two-pronged advice to be both confident and and careful seemed at odds. Could he truly be adventurous, inching along and being ever-ready, never taking any risks?

Well, if he had to choose one, Ted wanted to be positive. Confidence! He unsheathed his sword-stick, engaging the butcher in combat. Their blades clashed, steel ringing. Ted's blade and footwork was lighter, though he was careful to position his foe between himself and the second foe, lest any more flying blades disturb him. The shield held strong, despite his lack of formal training. He found and opening, and swiped across the creature's chest. It flinched; Ted pressed the advantage, laying into the undead flesh.