A competition. Unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome, and Zishu raises an eyebrow as he turns to fully face the immediate threat. The civilians can surely find their own way out, so long as those capable of fighting can hold off the monsters coming after them.

"Don't underestimate me," he snorts, and dashes forward as well. The blade he'd found doesn't have the range or flexibility of his whip sword, but it works well enough as he cuts through the oncoming creatures.

Out of habit, he keeps a fraction of his attention on the other fighter in his peripheral, but the monsters are vicious and unfamiliar, and fighting them is nothing like fighting people.