"...On the other hand, you've done a great job draining my own MP. I had to use everything under my belt just to keep you on the defensive. I barely have anything left, but then again, you have even less. Given the circumstances, I'd say all that's left is to ask you what your last words are. Don't go out silent on me, now."
Mantine rose to his feet, shrugging as he lightly sipped a health potion. "That's a heavy question you've asked me, Kite. Let me think. Well, s'pose I could go on some cliched spiel about how ironic it is to be defeated by my old brother-in-arms... grieve on about how you turned out the way you did... or talk about how friendship can get us all outta this. Instead, I wanna thank you for granting me the most exhilarating duel of my life..."
Mantine threw the empty vial on the ground, crushing it beneath his feet and twirling his icy blade in his hand, digging his heel in, and flashing Kite a peculiar smile. "...and for your fantastic job securing my victory better than I could ever dream of."
For a brief moment, Kite's confident grin faltered into a gasp of disbelief!
"Fact of the matter is, if you had fought me in any other way, I wouldn't have stood a chance in hell."
Chapter 13
Death Wish
"...hah...ahahahaha...ahhhHAHAHAHAHAAAA!~"
Its stands packed end to end with captivated players clamoring for an answer for what they'd just witnessed, the Seabreeze Arena rang out in an echo of Kite's hysterical, mocking laughter. He'd wiped that worried look off his face in a single frame! Exaggerating in the hopes of winding up Mantine, of course, he'd clutch at his chest as if short of breath. "Oh, that's a bloody good one, there! Man, I figured it'd be a cold day in hell before you'd stoop to that pathetic bluff! At least make it a little less obvious!" he taunted mercilessly. "You know what? Alright, I'll humor ya, old chum. Givin' ya one last request here, and I mean it this time."
This time, Mantine didn't let Kite have the satisfaction of getting under his skin. "Kite, lemme tell you something. In a game like this one, PvP has a lot more to it. I figured someone like you would be a little more seasoned to that... back in our RuneScape days, if I remember right, you were fairly adamant about sticking to the meta. Ah, the amount of hate mail I got just for not usin' the Fighter Torso or the Helm of Nez... whatever it was. Takes me back." he'd fondly recall of their early days. "Point is, you're a lot less restricted in this game, you know? You could find all sorts of fun ways to take advantage of that freedom. Like, for example... ehh, just throwin' this one out here – say you equip a new set of armor with crazy high lightning resistance? You could, I dunno... pretend you're in excruciating pain anyway? The other guy might get fooled into using the lightning attack more liberally!"
Just then, Kite's eyes shrunk to pen tips. For as long as he knew the young Texan, he was never really capable of feigning sincerity, often cracking up when he'd try to drum up a fantastical tale. Mantine was dead serious. The Englishman's thoughts frantically raced back to earlier in the brawl... the lightning crossbow bolts. Stopping in his tracks to process the thoughts that now crept over him, Kite furiously gripped the handle of his weapon, gritting his teeth in a scowl. "...could've sworn I saw the damage numbers...!"
"You weren't seeing things." confirmed Mantine. "I knew the act wouldn't work if my health bar gave me away, so I cast False Data: Life while you were sleeping. Not sure why I put points into that one; it's only any good in PvP... On the other hand... what if you put almost all your element points in ice... you know the stuff that melts, so you're cripplingly weak to fire?" the sapphire-clad knight continued. "Fight through the pain!" he'd do his best Marcus Fenix impression. "If it doesn't seem to be effective, ol' boy might stop using it altogether! Did you pick my weakness based on my name instead of my actual element, Kite?" his question exuded the condescending sting of sarcasm.
The angered archer would shoot Mantine a bloodshot glare, grinding his teeth and growling as his arms shook with defiant rage. "...Y-you... Underhanded... How could an idiot like you even come up with..." he snarled, wanting nothing more than to shoot that smug look of the paladin's mug. "Fuck's sake, man, you didn't even know my class' skill tree! Rrghh..."
"Look who's calling who underhanded!" Mantine said in friendly jest. "Seemed like just yesterday I was main handing Dharok's Greataxe, doesn't it? Your skills? Oh, my apologies, man. I might've lied. Back when we were in a guild together, I had access to everyone's skill menus as a vice-master." He'd divulge. "I meant no ill intent, of course. I only looked at them so I could give out suggestions for your builds. You know, help you the way you helped me? I'd argue that next to Kindon, the one I knew most about... was you, Kite."
"...Bloody hell..." was all that escaped Kite's lips. How deeply rooted was Mantine's plan, he wondered? He'd find himself lightheaded, trying fruitlessly to get his bearings straight enough to aim his weapon.
"It really is a potent skillset. Taking just one look at it, I can why you chose the Destroyer. And that Heartbreaker? Mwah! It's the chef's kiss." Mantine gushed. "If you'd saved your time reversal skill for last, I probably wouldn't be here lecturing you like this. Hell, you could've finished me in style with that Mirror Reversal if you'd used it at the end. It'd have been a regular EVO moment! Tell me, what do you figure your chances are of stalling me out long enough for all those skills you used so liberally to cool down?"
Indeed, the Crystal of Denial, another preorder item that Kindon had imparted his dear friend, only restored one's HP. Kite would find that many of his skills were still on their cooldown timer. Seething as he was, he couldn't bear to accept that his old pal had pulled one over on him. "...lucky. You just got lucky, that's it! That's the only thing that's ever gotten you anywhere in life! I'm about to teach you the downfall of relying on your fortune." said Kite, regaining his composure ever so slightly.
"Carried diamond though I may be, I'd have won regardless. I knew my awakening skill wasn't a guaranteed oneshot at your level, especially accounting for that weapon of yours, but it did provide a nice failsafe. Look around you, Kite." Mantine said, directing Kite's attention to the condition of the battlefield. The once dusty expanse had been overtaken by a consecrated snowfield, flakes lightly blanketing the icy mounds. "Do you get it yet? I've got the home field advantage. The very ground you walk on, the air around you... every breath you take... well, you're out of your element, Kite."
"Of all the ridiculous..." growled Kite, careful to control his breathing. "I don't have time for your idiocy! It's high time I put your ambitions to rest. Now- what?!" he'd begin, only to be cut off as a thick layer of ice began to creep up his right leg, binding him to the ground! Even still, the marksman wasn't stupid; he'd equipped a full stack of matches to his hotbar, knowing exactly what Mantine specialized in. The ice melted away in an instant before it could do any real damage.
"...Matches! Clever one, Kite." Mantine commended him in earnest. "Careful lighting one of those around my dear Morana; you'd bring the whole damned arena down! Hah."
Back in the owner's box above, the curvaceous healer would blush brightly, suppressing an embarrassed laugh. Sutahime would playfully elbow her guildmate, smirking at her. "Oh my God, Morana, is he talkin' about when you-"
"SHUT IT, LADY!" Morana roared, silencing the room as her eyes set aflame with the help of an emote. "...and he happens to be more than okay with that, thank you very much." she'd assure the others, who didn't dare protest.
Mantine would continually manipulate the vast stretch of snow to impede Kite, the latter practically spamming his seemingly unlimited stack of matches to counteract the encroaching cold. "You really did account for everything I'd throw at you, Kite. There might be a bit of love lost between us, but as far as respect goes, I can't downplay your skill. I've only got one last trump card left... see, during our time apart, I encountered... well, let's call her a genie. Though it took us risking our lives many times over, she indeed granted me a wish... the wish that put everything I had on the line."
Fully thawed out, Kite pinched the bridge of his nose, no longer having the patience for riddles. "Now I know you're bullshitting... consider your period of grace over, Mantine! As a matter of fact, I did save something for you. Awakening skill: Full Auto!" he'd call his next move, attaching what appeared to be a round drum to his Heartbreaker. Taking aim, he'd assault Mantine with a hail of bolts matched only by modern weaponry in the real world!
Figuring Kite might try something like this, the paladin called an earlier skill. "Not so fast! Pavise!" he cried out, a great iron barrier forming in front of him, deflecting each bolt unflinchingly.
"Hah! I knew you'd try that!" Kite shouted with vengeful glee, activating his next skill. "Maximize magic: Twelve Gauge! Now, Speed of Light!" with that, he'd rocket toward the knight with his flight still active, his boots no longer bound by the snow beneath!
"Credit where it's due..." Mantine held steadfast, not budging an inch. "...I got chills watching you on the front lines, man. Not because I had some kinda clairvoyance and knew you'd turn on me or anything, mind you. Truth is, I watched you because you were, as far as I'm concerned, the best. Figured if I got as good as you, I might have a shot at saving everyone. That said, you're forgetting one more, very important thing...!"
A familiar woman's voice crackled through the young man's bracelet. "Ding! Timer's up, big bro!"
As the wall of tempered metal shattered away from the sheer force of Kite's close-ranged shot, he'd find himself beset by a barrier of crackling, white-hot flame! Before him stood the blue-haired warrior, now adorned in a perfect replica of Morana's enchanted red robes, his grip firmly around her brightly burning staff! "...I really, and I mean really hate being one-upped! System Call: Master of Diversity!"
Knight 40 collectively dropped their jaws at the display, all but Morana, watching the bout with a satisfied smirk. Chammeng was the first to express his sheer disbelief! "Wh- how did he... those robes, that staff... don't those belong to you, Morana?! I thought they could only be worn by a maxed-out Invoker!" shouted the golden gladiator, sweat beading on his forehead.
"Mhm. The Secmathian Robes. Couldn't wait any longer to show it off, could ya, honey?" the red-haired healer quipped, not quite as surprised at the impossible feat.
Tort's eyes lit up with gleeful optimism. "I knew it! She gave ol' mike had the mod privileges, just like I said! Called it! Hard read!"
Sutahime watched the bout with a cathartic grin. "Our lord Mantine is incredible, after all! Ahh, shit, that's right. He can't hear me. Still, the fact that a twig like him could wear your gear, Morana..."
Backflipping away from the burning barrier, Kite struggled to make heads or tails of the sight before him. He, as well as everyone else here knew that DSO didn't have a class change mechanic of any description. Normally, the only way to try out an entirely new class was to create a brand new character. How then, did Mantine stand before him as an Invoker? He marksman found himself at a loss for words.
"More than a little roomy in the back, as I expected." remarked the knight, his thin build not quite filling the ensemble out the way his curvier better half did. "You took a few liberties assessing my character, Kite, but you're a hundred percent correct about one thing: I'm just no good as a solo player. Lucky for me, you're not just facing little ol' Mantine anymore. From this moment forward, you're up against the full strength of Knight 40! The fact is... you've made one too many mistakes this round. Consequences have actions, pimp." he'd boast, scrolling through the unfamiliar skillset. Of course, she put all her element points into fire... I need to keep the snow on the ground, so..."Uhh... Maximize Magic: Body of Effulgent Beryl!" he'd call, using one of Morana's defensive buffs to supplement his natural tanking stats. "And Soothing Sunlight!" he'd add, restoring his own health while he was at it.
"...some kind of cheat... and yet, why not?" uttered Kite, coming to acceptance with what was transpiring before him. "It's like your bluff back at the coast wasn't a bluff at all. Even so, once my skills cool down, even cheating won't save you! Awakening Skill: Dragon's Mirage!" he'd call out, the bladed limbs of the Heartbreaker glowing and humming with destructive force! Kite would vanish in a shroud of smoke, appearing next to Mantine in a blinding flash! "Jugular Slash!" shouted the young man, landing a clean cut on his rival, creating a staggering explosion in his wake!
...however, when the smoke cleared, Mantine would be refitted with his own armor, but his Glacialis was curiously absent. In its stead, he'd draw a long, slender blade gleaming in white gold, with a black hilt that sported a pair of wide, yellow eyes! By some unknown force, the sword itself began to speak independently! "Aaaaa-aahhhh! Oh, happy day! To be awoken from my pleasant slumber so I can freeze my ass off?! Sir, it is colder than a witch's tit in here! And yet... I sense the evil in this man! Yes, a deplorable traitor stands before you! Use my manly prowess to smite this evildoer so I may be deposited into the nearest... ahh, does this game include a strip club of sorts?!"
From above, Mantine's guildmates shouted over one another, clamoring at what they were seeing! As the sentient blade clashed with Kite's bladed crossbow, the bunch remained on the edges of their seats! Trying to hide his smile, Chocolate slammed a fist down on the table. "Either I'm as fucked up as a soup sandwich right now, or that's... that's Rance's sword! I mean, the sword from the actual Rance games!"
Bearing his shark teeth, Rance would bang his own fists even harder, before embracing the dark-skinned axeman as though it was the last time he'd ever see him. "CHAOS! It's CHAOS, YOU BETTER SAY IT RIGHT, GHAHAHAHAHAAA!" he viciously corrected, brimming with unbridled excitement to see his baby in action. "My sweet treat Crete actually granted my wish.~"
Giving a hearty laugh as he shoved his cohort off, Chocolate said, "Dial it back a bit there, harem king. I've played it too. Anyways, true to its name, Chaos is an extremely unwieldy sword. It has a mind of its own, guiding the user's hand as it sees fit, with no real regard for defense."
"I get it now! He just made a power move..." Chammeng observed. "Kite's only hope at this point is to stall Mantine out until his cooldown's over. He's completely thrown caution to the wind in the hopes that he could force Mantine to stop attacking. It's all he can do in a matchup like this. Of course, Kite could always get some of his HP back if he lands a hit with his Heartbreaker, but... fact is, a tanking class is gonna win the war of attrition nine times outta ten. If Mantine's going all in either way, Chaos is the name of the game."
That's more like it. Rance and Tort both chose the same class as me, but Tort's Magma blade would've been counter-intuitive to my strategy. I see why he wanted this sword so bad... that makes one of us. Thought Mantine to himself, forcing Kite on the defensive as the Englishman parried each and every one of his strikes with inhuman precision. Even now, as the Texan went on the offensive, he couldn't help but commend his friend's dexterity. "You've got it down to a T, Kite; I cheated! Honestly, I just wanted to prove I could win legit beforehand! Maximize Magic: Knight's Holy Lance! And Heart of Ice!" he'd call, transforming the fictitious sabre into a jagged spear and coating it in a thick layer of frost!
"Whoa there, what are you- Ohh, sir, this actually feels quite nice! Lovely! Long and strong... and penetrating... POWER!" gushed Chaos as he felt his body warp and stretch into a new form. "I am the Hyper Weapon spoken of in legend! Thrust me into the depths of destiny!" the living weapon roared as Mantine manipulated the air around Kite's right arm, encasing it in crystal ice mid-swing! Capitalizing on the fleeting moment, Mantine ran Chaos clean through the frozen appendage, shattering it clean off!
Careening back several feet from the attack, Kite would scream in agony as he found himself down a limb! Of course, loss of an arm or even a leg was fairly commonplace in the world of DSO – they'd both experienced it a fair number of times during the tougher raid bosses – it was merely a temporary setback, as the virtual limbs had no trouble regenerating given enough time. Knowing this, Kite would growl through gritted teeth, "A waste of time! Just you wait til it grows back!" before swapping his crossbow to his offhand. "Unlucky for you, I've had more than enough time to learn to shoot with my left!" he'd say, indeed having no issue continuing his full-auto assault.
"Yeah? Well if you're gonna shoot, shoot! Don't talk!" Mantine countered, freezing the air around Kite in an attempt to target his throat as he breathed. With his counterattack cut off, he'd find himself back on the defensive, once again frantically burning through his matches to save himself from an icy grave. "Oops! You were close! Forgive me if I'm too off base here, but I'd say the reason you so adamantly insisted on joining the Guardian Force is that... despite your impressive tech skill... you don't have what it takes to lead a guild. On the other hand, there's a reason I take such pride in my own leadership skills. Like it or not, everything up to this point has gone beautifully in my favor, Kite."
Wincing and looking away from the action, Jin dried a small stream of tears. "Please, Mantine... I know you feel this way, but... please don't hurt Kite so much..." she uttered with hints of sorrow.
Sutahime scowled and shook her head, "What's your problem, girl? Don't cha got any idea what hell this guy's caused Mantine? No mercy for a traitor!" she'd demand.
"I know, I know! But... it's just that..." she'd stutter, trying to explain her unexpected sympathy for Kite.
Morana put one hand on each of the girl's shoulders. "...I understand. You weren't here for it, Suta, but... way back when... when they were still in the Mudkips together... Kite was the one who saved Jin's life, risking his own in the process." she'd recall their time back in the sewer dungeon. "Why, then, did he..."
These words silenced Knight 40 for a moment. It wasn't easy to wrap their heads around the idea that the man that desired nothing less than the head of their leader was once a hero himself. "Man..." muttered Chocolate. "Ya can't write this stuff..."
Even down an arm, Kite stood defiantly against his adversary, not letting up on his crossbow fire as each bolt shattered against Mantine's draconic shield. "This is insane!" he shouted over his gunfire. "I was... I was the first player to reach level 80... the first one to max this class, even! I can't... I won't let you take this away from me! Eat this!" he bellowed as he charged Mantine down with his gun blazing!
"Now, that's more like it!" commended Mantine. "There's the Kite I know! Who knew that was all it took to bring him out! Hoo-wee, you've got my blood pumpin' an overload!"
"My blood too flows to a myriad of regions! Truly, sir, I cannot fathom why you'd relegate yourself to only one woman! Give me time, and I shall recruit a harem of vir- mmph!" Chaos chattered, until Mantine sheathed him and recalled Glacialis, muffled cries of protest persisting until the blade was returned to Rance.
"Hush, you! I'm trying to make an impression here. Plus, I'm not sure how you'd feel about splitting in two. Harmonious Duality!" he'd activate his so-called signature skill, brandishing a pair of icy sabres. Even against twice the offensive pressure, Kite matched Mantine blow for blow! His adrenaline had reached a fever pitch as the clash neared its climax! Finally, the bowman managed to sneak in a few clean cuts, restoring a portion of his health once more!
"Thanks for that." Kite taunted, his arm already starting to reform from shards of light, courtesy of his weapon's effect. "Careful, you know what might happen if you take too long."
Back up above, Chammeng rested his chin on his golden palm and nodded with affirmation at his analysis of the battle. "There ya have it. Mantine's got this one in the bag."
"Ehh?" Tort protested, his mouth agape. "How do you figure, mike? Looks breakeven to me!"
Chocolate nodded, stroking his sparse beard. "Yeah... I'm a little apprehensive about callin' the shots early, after that earlier stunt..."
"Of course, only a true savant of PvP like myself would get it!" growled the gladiator. "Our boy Kite's getting sloppy! Weren't you listening to me?! Ol' Kite's completely given up on defense! He's got no sense of self-preservation anymore! Just look at his movements! Staggered, uncoordinated... What I'm sayin' is... Mantine completely got inside Kite's head!"
"...and now he's livin' rent free." added Morana. "He promised me he'd win this one, and I took that very seriously."
Recalling his shield and returning Glacialis to its normal state, Mantine stared down his rival. "I should be the one thanking you. Stalling out my opponent until my skills cooled down wasn't what I had in mind, but the more I think about it, my build does play pretty heavily into that idea." said the knight as he stood proud, keeping a close eye on his HUD. "All I had left to do at this point was get your health down into oneshot range... and from the looks of it, I did."
Even after mostly recovering use of his arm, Kite found himself at only about seventy percent health. The young man racked his brain for a way to bring this duel back. As it stood, his only choice now was to keep on the offensive. As much as he hated the idea of giving up his ranged advantage, he'd recover far more with his melee attacks. Even a blocked hit would grant him a meager amount – more than enough to add up in the long run. With an anguished war cry, he'd rocket toward the paladin with the bladed limbs of the Heartbreaker set ablaze once more!
...yet, his attacks became more erratic... desperate, even. Mantine held position, deflecting each harrowing slash with his newly augmented shield. Sparks scattered about with each forceful swing, indeed granting Kite some of his lost health. Unfortunately for the bowman, Mantine managed to parry a few of the blows and deliver a devastating counter with his frozen blade! "What's wrong, Kite? Did you let a second-rate player like me break your concentration? You could never!" Mantine jested, shaving down his enemy's health faster than he could recover it. "I haven't been this taken aback since you skewered me back at the coast! This shocks me! I-"
"Beep! It's impolite to put me on snooze, big bro! Time's up, I tell you!"
"Okay, okay! Aren't you pushy?" Mantine dismissed Crete's insistent words, forcing Kite back a few feet with his shield's energy barrier. "Say, Kite, ol' buddy... three guesses on what that timer was for! C'mon, let's see if your answer was on the board!" he'd announce, holding both arms out to hype the crowd up.
His hatred overflowing, Kite gritted his teeth and warned, "Don't... don't screw with me!"
"You know as well as I do that one-shotting someone of your caliber can only be done with a super-tier skill. If you need a refresher, it's the same one I used at the start of our duel. It's cooldown time is gruelingly slow, so I figured I'd just... well, lame you out until I could use it again. Unless my timer's off, it looks like I can. Watch closely, my dear old friend!" he'd shout as a set of circular runes appeared beneath his feet, multiplying until they encircled Kite as well. "Super Tier Magic..."
A toothy grin adorned Kite's face, a wave of relief caressing his consciousness as he heard his old mate call the skill forth. "Hah! You absolute git! Here I was, all worried for nothing! As always, you didn't think this through at all, didja?! I could kill ten of you in the time it'd take to cast that waste of a skill!" he'd say menacingly, readying his crossbow and aiming directly at Mantine's head... only to find his arm encased in ice once more!
"It's like I said, Kite! I didn't need to cheat to win! The moment I iced this arena down, this one was all mine." Mantine assured him, having full control over the air itself! Kite would furiously burn through his matches in an attempt to get a single move in, only to find himself outpaced by the unforgiving frost! "You can only hold about 250 of the same item, as you likely know. In this case, it wouldn't matter if you'd brought 250 or 2,500. You're at my mercy, just as I was to you back then."
Despite his frantic efforts, his seemingly endless supply of matches would eventually run dry. Now up to his neck in a crystalline encasing, Kite could only wonder aloud, "This... I don't understand... what's the point in dragging it out?!" as a violent blizzard whipped up around the pair!
"Easy, I'm an entertainer first and foremost!" Mantine shouted, his sword skill nearly at the ready as his blue locks billowed in the icy wind. "What was it you wanted so badly from the Guardian Force? Fame and riches on YouTube? Look around you, Kite! We've got a sold-out show! History in the making! Once the stream of this goes live, we'll make a killing, don't you think?! Years from now, people will still be watching us! I figured as long as I had you beat, I might as well keep them amped up! Remember how great it was when we watched Mark Henry go up against CM Punk?! This must be exactly how they felt, firing on all cylinders!" he shouted until he nearly blew his throat out, his face adorned with a determined grin. "You feel it too, don't you?! That old spark, that even I could never snuff out!"
The surging runic circles around them began to multiply, spinning wildly as they illuminated the floor in their azure glow. Gradually, the many mounds of sparkling snow began to draw toward Mantine, infusing the icy particles into his blade! The vicious snowstorm made it difficult to make out what was going on between them! It was at last, in this sobering moment, that Kite understood the concept of defeat... and no longer did he see a way out. Subjugated up to his neck in the crystal clear cold, he'd come to accept his fate. "Inconceivable... I sure as hell do... and it never left me..." he'd tell him sincerely, before shutting his eyes, facing the final blow with a smile.
"All I needed to hear, Kite. Well fought, brother! Now..." called the paladin, forming the mass of ice into a serpentine form. "Generate Ice Element! Judgment of the Divine Dragon Lord!"
Mantine had ended the duel the very same way he'd started it. The draconic apparition bore clean through Kite's chest before constricting his body until he was swallowed up by the immense familiar! Streaking lights of brilliant gold and blue danced erratically throughout the arena, engulfing everything in its glow! The attack concluded with a frozen column of light that shredded any resistance he might've had left in him!
As the dazzling display faded, a marquee of crimson text scrolled high above for all to see.
[[Duel results: Player "Mantine" WINS]]
However, when the calamity faded, not a single one of the spectators could believe their eyes.
Before Mantine lay Kite, slumped over and unmoving. In the real world, one could have easily mistaken this for a corpse, but everyone here knew all too well the horrible shattering that marked a player's death. How, then, was there anything left of him?
[[Player "Kite" has reached 0.01% health]]
Extending his gauntlet to his fallen foe, Mantine put his hand in Kite's. "Hah! As if I, the insufferable Mantine, could ever stifle your resolve." he'd say in earnest. "Tell me, in the heat of the moment, did you up and forget the promise that we made? We've still got a hell of a lot of lives to save, you idiot."
Kite would slowly push himself up, meeting his eyes with Mantine's only briefly before collapsing onto the ground. "You're not faking, are you? Must be how I looked after blacking out back at the Tower." he'd say, looking over his fallen comrade. "Let's get you outta here... my treat." he hoisted the man up, slinging him over his shoulder and making his way to the arena's exit.
With the conclusion of the duel that would make history, the spectators cleared out, taking with them an everlasting memory. Along with the rest of Knight 40, Mantine found himself once again within his guild hall, faintly lit by the setting sun. He'd let Kite rest in his own bed, feeling he deserved it after giving the fight everything he had. While the young Englishman's mind recovered, the guild discussed the duel with wonderment over a nice meal.
"Sooo... lemme wrap my head around this. You finished him... but you didn't?" pondered TortoiseShell after a few bites of fresh fish.
As Tocino devoured his dinner from his own personal trough, Jin gave the group the gift of her adorable grin. "Oh Mantine, I knew you'd do the right thing! A real hero shows kindness even in the face of adversity!" the youngest of the guild exclaimed with joy.
"That was entirely a gamble. I was never any good at math, but I tried to err on the side of caution. Suppose fate was just on our side." answered Mantine the best he could. "It's a surreal feeling, having him here again. Takes me back."
Sutahime lightly elbowed the blue-haired man. "I knew you were too much of a big softie to end him for real. A stone-cold murderer like myself, on the other hand..." she'd happily allude to her own duel back at Van Cliff.
Happily devouring a fresh mango courtesy of Rance, Chammeng wiped his mouth and piped up. "Maybe he ain't so bad... even if he gets out of line, seems like Mantine could just trounce him again! He could even catch the fade with me! Facing a maxed-out Destroyer is somethin' else."
"Don't give me too much credit." protested the guild leader between bites of fish. "I took every risk under the sun... I think I've watched too much Kaiji. Come to think of it, it was Kite who set the parameters for the duel. All I did was show up, if you remember. Even to the bitter end, he must've known, somehow..."
Rance flashed the others a shark-toothed grin. "...and it was all thanks to my heroic wish! Don't act like Chaos didn't hard carry you near the end there!"
"Kite really is one of a kind." Chocolate said in earnest. "Everything he did... all the way until he turned on Mantine... the dude's heart was in the right place. When Saffron turned the rest of the GF on him... Kite had his back, through and through."
Though he was not truly injured in any sense, Jin would happily tend to Kite's bedside until the bowman finally awoke hours later. As his eyes finally cracked, he'd be greeted by a warm hug from his fellow Destroyer. "Hooray! Everyone, I think he's back on his feet!" she'd happily call out from down the hall.
A bit groggy and incoherent at first, Kite would let his head clear for a moment, wishing the game had some form of aspirin. Once he'd regained his bearings, he was more than welcome to join them in their afternoon feast. No longer feeling any animosity toward the crew, he'd express his thanks and accept Mantine's extending of the proverbial olive branch. Taking his seat at the table, he'd formally introduce himself to the others; for most of Knight 40, this was the first time they'd really laid eyes on him. Though his reception was decidedly mixed, as they had their fair share of misgivings, they'd all do their best to put those feelings aside. After all, if Mantine of all people could give him a chance, how hard would it be?
Kite would catch everyone up on all that he'd been up to during their lengthy time apart. As it turned out, he'd risen to the rank of vice-master in less than three months, incidentally due in part to his rather gruesome show of loyalty that lead up to all this. Though his natural aptitude for the game was also a factor, he'd mention that looking back on it, it almost played out like a gang initiation. To the man's credit, he had lead countless successful raids on a myriad of bosses, making huge headway on both continents. He spoke of the splinter group lead by Lucas and Yuuki, and how their infiltration of the guild completely caught him off guard.
Most of all, he greatly resented that Kindon couldn't be here for the fated reunion. Not only had he perished alongside Lucas himself; they had struck each other down at the exact same moment. "...Nearly thought it was all a dream!" he'd try to lighten the mood, recounting everything to the guild. "Mantine, this might mean something to you... I did my best, I have no regrets."
"Well said, and well fought. I've never had to try that hard for anything in my life, Kite. Thank you." Mantine would say, shaking his hand.
Meeting his gesture firmly, he'd add, "Bit of a wakeup call for the both of us, huh? I'm... not sure what I could say to make things better between us." he'd admit. "If it's any consolation, I... had no hand in the actions of Dirgegun. Without getting too personal... there was a reason he and I were stationed at near opposite ends of the world. Had it been me calling the shots, your friends wouldn't have met such a fate. Worse came to worse, I woulda killed the bastard myself."
His eyes welling up with the light vestige of tears, Mantine nodded in understanding. After the celebratory banquet, most of the guild had retired to their personal quarters, save for Morana reorganizing their inventory for tomorrow's breakfast. Mantine and Kite stuck around, winding down the day with a couple of frothy ales. "...I had a feeling. You're certainly one of a kind. That said, if you'd indulge me..." he'd wonder, "...what was the real reason you betrayed me, Kite? The allure of riches, that whole spiel about the Lord of the Flies situation... I didn't entirely buy it. There was more to that story, and I think both of us know that."
Kite's face gave the smile of raw, unfiltered conviction. "Tell you what, Mantine... if we all get out of this mess together... I'll tell you every last detail. That's a promise."
"I'll hold you to it." said Mantine with a nod of affirmation and a smile of his own. "...and for what it's worth, I apologize if my words during our duel were a bit too scathing. In the heat of the moment, you know..."
He'd reassure his old friend with a shake of his head. "No need. You and I clearly had misgivings for each other... strongly worded, but honest no less. Better to get it out of our systems than to bottle it up."
"Hah! When you say it like that, it doesn't sound so bad." Mantine said with a chuckle. "The whole dramatic grudge angle... it's like we really are wrestlers!"
Just then, Kite remembered what he wanted to tell Mantine after the duel. "Oh! Seeing as how I wasn't there for it, well... congrats on the wedding, man. Really, I always thought the two of you looked lovely together."
Overhearing him, Morana closed the guild inventory, and turned to him with a blush. "Aww, heh.~" she'd giggle. "You sound like Rance right now. We've got a shipper on deck. You two should go get some rest. We've got our big night tomorrow, remember?"
Despite the warm, comforting mirth that radiated throughout the guild hall, everyone there knew how short-lived their celebration would be, and steeled themselves accordingly for the ultimate challenge.
"Fair point." Kite agreed. "Let's all meet at my guild hall tomorrow evening. That'll give us plenty of time for a proper strategy meeting. You could even toss a few ideas back and forth with our leader, Mantine."
He'd take the final swig of his ale and nod. "Best to be on the same page. Man, I've never been to the GF's guild hall. Thing's like ten times the size of this one! Knowin' my sense of direction, I'll get lost!" he'd joke, before stretching and discarding the empty glass.
"No worries." Kite reassured. "Tomorrow, you're all our special guests, the way I see it. Mantine, you've put together a fine team. I look forward to fighting at your side again."
Mantine offered one last handshake. "Feeling's mutual. It'll be like picking up right where we left off. Night, man." he'd bid Kite farewell as the bowman activated his guild teleport crystal, turning in for the night. Mantine and Morana would retire to the guildmaster's quarters together, drifting into slumber as they replayed the evening's events in their heads.
Roughly twenty-four hours from now, Knight 40 and Guardian Force alike would gather at the base of Black Claw Nest to begin the final assault. Their differences set aside at last, they'd unite to put an end to the nightmare. Either they would liberate all who remained trapped in the cursed death game, or they would die trying.
