With each victory, Mary's reputation grew, and so did the admiration of the crowd. People began to cheer for her, their initial hopes of seeing her defeated replaced by sheer amazement at her skill.

Even the challengers who had been bested couldn't help but acknowledge her prowess, offering respectful nods and handshakes after their defeats.

"Is she even human?" one man muttered to his companion as he watched Mary flip an opponent over her shoulder with apparent ease.

"She's like a goddess of war," another replied, his tone half-joking but tinged with genuine awe.

Layla, meanwhile, sat at their table with her arms crossed, her expression a mixture of irritation and resignation.

She could feel the stares and whispers directed at her, and though she wanted nothing more than to sink into the floor and disappear, she refused to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing her flustered.

"This is getting out of hand," she muttered under her breath.

Despite the clear disparity in skill, the challengers kept coming, driven by a combination of ambition, bravado, and the tantalizing promise of Layla's company.

Each new contender tried to analyze Mary's fighting style, searching for weaknesses to exploit, but none were able to find a crack in her armor.

One particularly determined challenger, a mercenary with a reputation for being undefeated in street brawls, stepped forward with a cocky grin.

He cracked his knuckles and squared off against Mary, declaring that he wouldn't hold back. The fight lasted slightly longer than the others, with the mercenary managing to land a few near-hits, but in the end, Mary's speed and precision overwhelmed him. She disarmed him with a quick twist of his wrist and sent him sprawling with a well-placed kick to the chest.

"You gave it a good shot," Mary said, her tone almost sincere as she offered him a hand to help him up.

The mercenary accepted her hand begrudgingly, muttering something about "needing more training" before retreating to the sidelines.

As the crowd's cheers grew louder and the number of challengers dwindled, Layla's patience finally reached its limit. She stood up abruptly, drawing the attention of those nearby, and marched over to Mary, who was taking a moment to catch her breath.

"Are you done yet?" Layla demanded, her voice sharp. "Or do you plan to keep turning my life into a spectacle?"

Mary looked at her with an amused smile. "Oh, come on, Layla. I'm doing this for you."

"By humiliating every person in this room?" Layla shot back. "You're making things worse, not better."

Raziel, who had been watching the proceedings with his usual calm, finally spoke up. "She's not wrong, Mary. This has gone far enough."

Mary sighed, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Fine, fine. I'll call it a night."

With Mary's announcement that she was done accepting challenges, the crowd began to disperse, though many lingered to talk about the spectacle they had just witnessed. Several people approached Mary to congratulate her, and a few even asked for tips on improving their own fighting skills.

As the trio returned to their table, Layla let out a weary sigh. "I hope this means people will finally leave me alone."

Mary grinned, clearly unbothered by Layla's exasperation. "If nothing else, they'll think twice before trying anything. You should be thanking me."

Layla shook her head, deciding it wasn't worth arguing. Instead, she focused on finishing her meal, silently vowing to find a way to avoid drawing so much attention in the future.

The next morning, the inn buzzed with a familiar energy as rumors of Mary's unmatched prowess continued to spread. People crowded the common area, a new wave of challengers eager to test their luck against the woman who had proven herself unbeatable. Layla groaned as she overheard snippets of conversation from the gathering crowd, her frustration mounting with each passing moment.

"Did you hear? She took down a whole line of challengers last night without breaking a sweat!"

"I'll bet I can take her. Nobody's invincible!"

"If I win, maybe I'll finally get that chance to—"

Layla slammed her hand against the table, causing her cup of tea to wobble precariously. "This is getting ridiculous," she muttered, glaring at the growing throng. Raziel chuckled softly from his seat across from her, clearly entertained by her growing irritation, while Mary sat nearby with an amused smirk, seemingly unbothered by the situation.

"Don't worry, Layla," Mary said lightly. "I'll handle it. It's not like any of them stand a chance."

"That's not the point!" Layla snapped, her voice sharp enough to make a few heads turn. "The point is that this nonsense is disrupting our plans, and I'm tired of people treating me like some kind of prize to be won!"

Mary raised an eyebrow, leaning back in her chair. "Well, what do you suggest? Should I just let them win?"

Layla scowled, her mind racing for a solution. Then, an idea struck her. It was drastic, but given how stubborn these challengers were, it might be the only way to put an end to the madness. She stood abruptly, drawing everyone's attention.

"Listen up!" she called out, her voice cutting through the chatter. "If you want to challenge Mary, that's fine. But starting now, there's a new rule: anyone who loses will legally forfeit their property and their lives to her."

The room fell silent, the crowd staring at Layla in stunned disbelief. Even Mary and Raziel looked momentarily surprised by the declaration.

"You can't be serious," someone in the crowd said, breaking the silence.

"I'm completely serious," Layla replied, her tone leaving no room for doubt. "If you're willing to put your life on the line for a challenge, then you'd better be prepared to face the consequences."

The murmurs of uncertainty began to spread. The thought of losing not just a fight but everything they owned was enough to make even the most confident challengers hesitate. One by one, the would-be opponents began to slink away, their bravado replaced by wariness.

"Well, that's one way to clear a room," Raziel said dryly, giving Layla an approving nod.

Mary let out a laugh, clearly impressed. "I didn't think you had it in you, Layla. Harsh, but effective."

Layla sighed, sinking back into her chair. "I just want some peace and quiet for once. Is that too much to ask?"

From then on, the inn returned to its usual hum of activity, and no one dared to bother Layla or Mary again.