Quote Originally Posted by TRH View Post
Maybe so, but we've already had conflicts between the main characters and the series' overall main villains. This is their first encounter with a significant new threat. It's pretty standard practice for early battles like this to go badly for the protagonist. And again, I don't see much point in introducing amnesia potion without it affecting at least several people.
Establishing a threat? As in "here's what's going to happen if the heroes lose this fight". It's also characterization for Serini as it shows she's thorough enough to realize murdering people wouldn't stop their friends from checking on them. Or she's not confortable killing good people but needs to frame her mercy as a pragmatic rather than moral choice. Or both.