Author's notes: Yeah, that last one took me a good while. I put everything into it, and still felt there could've been more. Hope you liked it, because we're wasting no time moving on. If it hasn't been obvious, we're skipping the 'Murder in the Safe Zone' mini-arc because I didn't feel like it added much to the original SAO. Instead, this chapter will reflect the large-scale assault on Floor 74, another well-known moment in the story and one I thought was pretty solid for the most part. For this adaptation, Paris will essentially fill the Gleam Eyes role, if I hadn't foreshadowed it enough already. It's this part where you can really feel elements of Overlord start to seep in.
Chapter Eight – "The Black-Heart Witch"
The Guardian Force's unsuspecting emissary groaned in pain, still reeling from the impact of Mantine's armored kick.
"That's better." the paladin taunted in a cruel tone, as the man ended up in the position he'd requested one way or another. "Now, go on, and make it quick. The Guardian Force wore out its welcome with us a long time ago."
The messenger pushed himself to his knees. "I'm begging you, Mantine... and the rest of you, just hear me out. My name's TortoiseShell... just call me Tort. I don't know what your trouble is with us, but if you could put it aside just this once, w-we..."
Behind Mantine, Tort met eyes with Rance, Morana, Chammeng, and Sutahime. They all glowered at him with contempt. His nervousness grew exponentially as he forced more words out. "I-I... don't know how else to say it, mike. You five are some of the strongest players here by a good margin. My vice-masters are already exploring the Continent of Chaos, so..."
Mantine sunk into thought. Vice-masters?! I wonder if Kite's one of them... Grr...
The Texan looked deep into Tort's eyes. He saw genuine fear and anguish. Why, now of all times, did his compassion have to surface? "Spectre's Tower, you say? That's been a place of interest for Knight 40 for a while now. The thought of those GF chumps makin' it there before us makes my blood boil!"
Tort visibly flinched at Mantine's fervor. Shaking his head, the guild leader continued, "Ergh... Tort, was it? I can't say the same for my friends, but I'm willing to give you a chance. What someone like you is doin' with the GF, I'll never know, but I won't pry. On behalf of the honorable Knight 40 guild, I accept your plea. However, there are conditions..."
The other four sharply nodded at Tort, still giving him threatening looks just in case he forgot who he was dealing with. "We aren't mercs for hire. You'll need to give us all a day to prepare. Honestly, you were idiots to rush in without a real strategy... but I didn't expect that from the GF."
Tort held his finger up. "...but we're already...!"
Mantine shook his head. "You're up there in the ranks, from the looks of it. Call off your men for the time being. They'll recover through the night. Bring them back to Spectre's Tower at high noon, and we'll meet you there. I've got a few old friends I could call up too."
Tort quivered, and nodded sharply. "Got it!" he opened his guild chat and gave the order for a tactical retreat. He was initially met with confusion and protest, but was firm with his order, and nodded at Mantine again.
"Very good. I have other conditions, but we'll talk that over after Paris breathes her last. Are we all on the same page?" he asked Tort, as well as his guildmates. They gave varying sighs of confirmation.
"All that said... go on somewhere, wouldja? We never got to open our Christmas presents." Mantine dismissed Tort and slammed the door to his guild hall.
"You sure 'bout that guy? I can rough him up if you want... Lord Mantine." Suta teased.
Mantine shook his head and winced at the ironic pet name. "No... I gotta remind myself that the GF is pretty big. A lot of stand-up guys joined 'em just to stay alive, and he seems like one. Do feel free to keep any eye on him, if you would."
"An evil eye, yes!" Suta beamed.
Rance put his hands on Mantine's shoulders and squeezed, making him flinch. "Get down to business, bro! I'm about to bust one if you don't get those presents out!"
"H-hey!" laughed Mantine. "You were all supposed to bring some too! The loot bag from Mrs. Claus wasn't enough? Hahaha!"
Chammeng produced a few boxes from his inventory. "We didn't leave you twisting in the wind, either. I got everyone... it's all money. I'm awful at gift-giving, so go buy yourself something, no?"
Morana followed suit, passing out boxes wrapped in red. "You're lucky I like spoiling you all."
"Aww, don't make me feel bad about upstaging you all. Feast your eyes on these!" Mantine passed out four heavy crates, keeping the fifth for himself. Each one was bursting at the seams with a bounty of colorful crystals. "This is what I've been up to the past few months. The Element Dungeons weren't too tough – it was all repeat bosses... but it was one helluva grind. I wanted to get us all something practical."
Rance tilted his head. "...what are they, broseph? Looks like crystals to me."
"Not exactly. They're elemental blesses. I gave you each one-hundred – try using them with your Dark Soul weapons." he explained. "I still haven't figured out the hidden sword skills they have, but I learned you could use blesses to unlock the weapons' potential. If we're really going to assault the Spectres' Tower, we'll need these."
Indeed, there were four different colors, each representing an element. Blue for ice, red for fire, green for nature, and purple for darkness. Mantine didn't think twice on which one he wanted.
[[Used -Sword of the Dark Soul- and -Ice Bless- x100]]
[[Obtained "Glacialis"]]
Mantine's transparent sword had completely changed shape! It had extended in length, and its new overall design was something to behold. The blade itself was now forked, in a brilliant gradient of sky-blue to white. The hilt was like a trophy cup. gleaming gold, with small wings for a crossguard.
Chammeng took note of its cup hilt, similar to a ceremonial torch. "Headed for some Olympics, yeah?"
The paladin examined the weapon with a satisfied smile. "Now this is a sword!" he exclaimed, further examining the stat screen. "Hmm... dammit, it doesn't explain dick about the hidden skill, but those stats are yummy. Give y'alls a try! Morana, I saved fire for you."
"I knew you would, silly boy! Now you're about to witness greatness, so don't blink!" she said happily, combining her items.
[[Obtained "Firedra"]]
Morana's staff had undergone a similar transformation, now cast in rigid red metal with white accents and jewels adorned all over. Its tip was in the shape of a flame, with motes of fire emanating from it as she waved it around.
"It's something from my wildest dreams! Thank you, dear." she said to Mantine with an adorable laugh, prompting a wide grin from Rance.
Suta was next to put her gift to use. She opened the crate to reveal many purple gems. "Dark? Guess I'm going edgelord for you all! Okay, I'll just..." she dug her hands into the pile, trying to lift all the elements out... but fumbled, spilling them all in her lap and on the floor. "Ahh, seriously? Mantine, did you coat these in butter?"
"Joy. Our head mage is a regular Felicia." snarked Morana.
"Watch your tongue, girly! I'm about to make something to smite you good with!" shouted Suta as she scooped up the crystals of dark.
[[Obtained "Kuroyami"]]
The black spear formed from the fusion was gorgeously ornate – purple gems and spikes adorned it all the way to its tip, where a crystalline skull rested and rigid bat wings ran along the sides.
Rance quickly fused the last of the fire elements. His sword lengthened and in a flash of orange light, set itself ablaze! Rance flinched at the sudden ignition, causing him to drop it momentarily. "Whoa! Promise I'm not copying you, Morana... I just wanted that fire! I'll find Chaos one of these days, though. Ghahahaha!"
Lastly, Chammeng took the green crystals symbolizing nature. "Guess one of us has to get back to the roots. You all should attune yourselves more, really!"
His greatsword twisted and morphed, turning a vibrant mix of teal and forest. Thorny vines grew and wrapped around its sides. It even smelled of fresh flowers! "I think it's symbolic, no? I put my enemies in the ground just like seeds!"
The others shot him looks of apathy. "Aww, come on! I thought I had something there!"
"Gotta hand it to ya, Mantine. All these weapons look hella strong! We can stick it to Paris and upstage the GF all at once! Merry freakin' Christmas indeed!" Suta said, still admiring her spear.
Mantine smirked at her, the genuine praise filling him with smug satisfaction. "What'd I tell you? I aim to please. Now, everyone, get any rest you may need, and prepare yourselves. Tomorrow, we assault Spectre's Tower. I'll shoot a message to Tort when we're about to leave. Also, you might notice that when your weapons transformed, they reverted to their standard reinforcement level. You may want to consider taking them to the blacksmith before we head out."
The other four silently nodded at him.
"I don't want any missteps, so bring your A game. Goodnight."
Everyone heeded Mantine's words, returning to their rooms in the guild hall for bed, and he did the same before long. Knight 40 stowed their fear enough to sleep until the next day came.
Spectre's Tower
According to the ingame lore, four legendary heroes were the first to seal away the cataclysmic dragon god Elga. However, there was a fifth. The witch named Paris was not given any credit or praise for this feat when she returned from the battle. Due to this, she grew bitter and eventually defected to evil. From manipulating the once-honest Doctor Farrell, to making deals with the shark pirates, and now she sought to unseal Elga to wreak destruction once again.
None of this really mattered to the players who were more concerned with escaping with their lives, but now they stood on Paris' doorstep at the Spectre's Tower – a nine-floor skyscraper where she waited to challenge anyone brave enough at the top, where black clouds gathered and swirled ominously. The ultimate challenge offered on the Continent of Wind, this tower would be the proving ground for any player who sought to live on to the end.
The tower itself was a relatively short walk from Moonlight Shore Village, and by the time Knight 40 got there, the Guardian Force had already gathered at its base, at least fifty strong with weapons at the ready. A few solor players had even joined the effort to bolster the numbers. Mantine found Tort at the head of the group, flashing a thumbs-up to his fellow paladin.
"Listen, everyone..." began Tort, motioning over to Mantine. "I'm going to give Mantine of Knight 40 the floor to discuss our strategy. I feel I've, err, told you all I can! Yeah, that's it! He's not with our guild, but his men are looking strong! The floor's yours, mike." he said, stepping back so Mantine could take his place.
"Ahem. First of all, I'd just like to say... that you were all fools for trying to assault the tower without any real strategy. Any losses you took were entirely your own fault." he began bluntly, illiciting grumbles from the crowd.
Mantine remained firm on his stance. "I'm gonna give you a healthy dose of tough love today. Let me be blunt; due to circumstances you might already know, I don't like any of you very much... but I don't wish death on any of you, either. That said, let's hash out a plan. Spectre's Tower has nine floors, with a minor boss on each. They're fairly strong, but nothing you couldn't handle. On top of that, the outer walkways of the tower are the only way up, and they're littered with traps. I'm talking spikes, flames, falling boulders... this place is designed to kill you. With all that in mind, my idea isn't actually too complicated. Really, I would've expected one of you to think of something like this before."
The small army voiced displeasure at the backhanded insult.
"Tough crowd." continued Mantine. "Any rogues or assassins with the ability to disable traps should keep to the outside and do what you do best. You'll be out of the frying pan for the most part. Don't worry, you'll still get the equal reward should you survive. The rest of you, split into smaller groups. Each group should take on one of the tower's bosses. It doesn't matter what order you defeat them in, so long as they're all dead. This will open the door to Paris at the top. Whatever loot the bosses drop is yours for the taking. Once they're all gone, any survivors are free to join my guild and I in the final battle. Is that all understood?"
Everyone murmured among themselves for a few minutes, but all eventually came to agreement on Mantine's idea. As he stepped down from the pedestal, he saw an arm waving at him. Running toward it, he saw a very familiar face – Jin! Her refreshingly cute voice invigorated the paladin. "Mantine! Our paths cross again! I haven't seen hide of you since... since the Mudkips."
Mantine's expression sunk.
"Sorry, I did not mean to dredge up any bad memories..." she apologized.
Mantine quickly shook his head. "No worries! All in the past now! You, however... your colors don't match the GF... you survived as a solo player this long?"
Jin smiled and blushed at the man. "Ah, but I wasn't entirely alone! My trusted Tocino was always there for me!"
Sparkles of light materialized into... a portly, ferocious-looking boar with an impressive set of sharp tusks, and glowing azure eyes! It nuzzled against Jin with a 'nruff!' sound.
"Jeez! That's a far cry from the little piggy you had back in the sewers!" Mantine was taken aback a bit by the change. "Somebody call Will Smith, we finally found Razorbeast."
Jin giggled at the callback. "Even a strong player like you has much to learn. Pet advancement makes a lot of difference!"
Mantine crossed his arms and admired the stout animal, its rugged brown fur nearly growing over its saddle. "I can see that. We'll just have to see the new Tocino in action then, won't we. Sure you're up to this?"
Jin nodded sharply. "Mhm! We're with you every step of the way! I've got to show you and Morana how much stronger I've become, so saving me wasn't all for nothing!" she said cheerfully.
Mantine gave the young girl a comforting smile. "I like that enthusiasm. Don't ever lose it."
"Hey, now! Ain't you forgettin' somethin'?" a deep, smooth voice demanded Mantine's attention.
"Ah, Chocolate Desire, my old 'defense attorney'. Glad to see you've made it this far!" Mantine said happily, remembering the favor the dark-skinned man had done him when they first met.
Chocolate cracked his neck. "You know, I wasn't sure I'd make it this far either... but then I thought, everyone thinks the black dude dies first, and I figured it'd be fun to throw everyone of y'all for a loop! Hahaha!"
Mantine appreciated his sense of humor. "Fighting alongside you brings back memories, man. Digging the new color scheme, by the way. It suits you a lot more than the, uhh, white-and-gold."
"I see what you're gettin' at. I wasn't too proud of the way the GF handled things, and especially after I heard the way they dogged you, I was out. Went Lone Wolf on 'em." he explained.
Mantine grinned at him sharply. "Respectable. In any case, I'm going to wrap up with our preparations. Stay sharp, you two."
He left Jin and Chocolate with these words and returned to the elevated pedestal. "All right! I assume everyone is prepared! Tort, was it? Divide your men up evenly and assault floors one through eight in whatever order you please! You attacked this place once before, so you have a better idea of what's ahead than I do! As for Knight 40, we'll take care of the rough stuff. Rance! Sutahime! Chammeng! I'm leaving floor nine to you."
"Sir!" they happily complied, excited to take on something themselves.
"Morana and I will wait at the top. When the energy gate drops, we'll lead the charge! I expect everyone to reach the top and help us out on the double! Rance and Tort have the most HP and defense next to me, so the three of us will draw attention. Chammeng, Chocolate, and Suta have the best DPS of the bunch, so they will dish out some divine punishment for the Fell Witch. Ranged units like Jin will stay in the back line relatively out of danger. I presume the rest of you know what to do. Do I make myself clear?!" Mantine bellowed, raising his icy blade.
The crowd shouted in confirmation, casting every buff to their name.
"Very good! I'll do my part as well. Oath of Paladin!" Mantine waved his sword arm, granting a defensive buff to the entire raid party. "That's as much as you'll get from me. Now! Knight 40, and Guardian Force, move out! Live on til the end!"
The army of players marched into the dreaded tower, ready to take one more step toward ending this nightmare! Their footsteps like an earthquake, they scaled the spiraling outer wall, avoiding the traps Mantine warned of before. Assassins brandishing katars ran ahead to disable the traps they could, and each time the army reached a door, Tort would command a small group to enter and deal with the boss within. The closer they got to the top, the smaller the party became! Those who continued the ascension prayed for the safety of the groups battling below.
It was an arduous climb, but Knight 40 had finally reached the top of the seemingly-endless tower. The air at this height was thin and stifling, with a red mist creeping in from all sides. Tort and the last of his men prepared to enter floor eight. "Don't you dare worry about me, mike! I'll be right up to tank with you before you know it. The shell of a tortoise cannot be breached so easily!" Tort assured before entering.
Floor nine wasn't too far off, and Rance, Chammeng, and Sutahime entered the room to take care of the last of Paris' guardians. Mantine and Morana continued to the top, waiting patiently at the final barrier of light. The fell witch herself waited for them just on the other side. The couple cast as many self-buffs as they could, and prayed for the teams' success.
Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. One by one, the stones holding the barrier up rolled over, weakening it. Five of the strike teams were successful indeed. Mantine and Morana took deep breaths.
Click. Click. Click. Three more. Already, they could hear the footsteps of GF members as they sprinted to catch up. A light rumble became a stampede, with Tort leading the charge... but there noticeably fewer than before. Some of the GF had indeed perished clearing the bosses. Tort faced Mantine with an anguished grin. "The place was... full of scorpions, mike. Poison's a bitch. I know your opinion of the GF is, well, low... but could you have the heart to patch us up?"
Morana rolled her eyes and waved Firedra toward the survivors. "Maximize magic: Caressing Prayer!"
Cured of their poison, the remaining soldiers gathered at the gate of light and stowed their fears.
Click.
"Too easy." Suta emerged from the boss room with Rance and Chammeng in tow. "With these boys up front, I can do just about anything, really. Are these GF fellas ready for a real battle?"
Tort's magma blade began to glow. "Whether or not I'm ready... is irrelevant! It's now or never! How about you?!"
The GF members roared a thunderous warcry!
"Then charge, men! Follow Mantine's plan and keep an eye on me!"
The battle had begun just like that! Knight 40 and Guardian Force versus the Fell Witch Paris! The woman herself greeted the small army in the middle of the arena, striking an elegant pose. She took the appearance of a young, tall human woman with black blunt bangs and a deep purple robe shrouding her body, complete with a silken hood.
[[Paris – The Fell Witch]]
Upon sighting the raid party, she summoned a quartet of small eyeball demons to defend her and clasped her hands. A barrier of green energy surrounded her as she charged up her magic! She spoke only once. "Warriors of the Dragon Fellowship. Today you will learn to fear the name of the Black-Heart Witch, Paris. My contract with Elga will be fulfilled. Escape is no longer an option."
Indeed, the barrier that had dropped allowing the party to enter had resealed itself! While Paris gathered power, the room began to fill with scorpions the size of men! Exoskeletons as hard as stone, in every color of the rainbow! There must've been at least eighty of the vile insects ready to do the witch's bidding. Just like that, the fight was on! Tort ordered his soldiers to try to clear the poisonous monsters and fell in line with Mantine. Rance rushed to their side as well, igniting the flames of his new blade!
"We got this, right fam? This really sucks, you know?! If she were in my kinda game, I could get her to join us with my infinite charm and my..." Rance half-joked, activating a sword skill as he charged Paris...
"...HYPER WEAPON!" the fiery blade clashed against the magical barrier, shattering it in one go!
Rance cackled at the successful blow. "GHAHAHAHA! Fall before Rance Super King! Nowhere to hide now!"
Paris waved her arm, and a magic rune appeared under Rance, activating a shock spell! "Feisty! Sorry to pump and dump ya, but I'm gonna have to... SWITCH!"
Using the command, he teleported away, and Chammeng appeared in his place! "Sir Rance! That was noble of you, but it's best to let the big guns handle this! Grizzly...Slash!"
Another direct hit, and without a barrier, Paris found herself missing a generous chunk of health. Before she could react to this hit, a sparkling orb of light struck her in the back! Suta flashed a peace sign and grinned at the paladins. The golden gladiator nearly took the brunt of Paris' next spell, but switched with Tort just in time! He grinned devilishly at the witch, knowing she'd feel nothing as he took the blow with pride.
Meanwhile, the rest of the GF had made solid progress clearing the tower of scorpions working together in groups just like they had on the minibosses. Two gladiators leapt backwards as the ground below them began to tremble!
The source was Tocino's footsteps as the porcine beast barreled through the sea of scorpions, unflinching! Its eyes glowed red, and it's shrill growl let everyone know just how pissed the animal was! Jin cheered her companion on from behind, shooting down the monsters that remained!
Tort raised his hand toward the group and signaled. "Fine work! Now, healers! Do what you do best!"
Morana and the few healers GF had brought along raised their staves, healing everyone of damage and poison.
Tort pumped his fist in celebration. "Aww... yeah! This joint's going much better this time! Their deaths weren't in vain, then... Keep it up, and honor your fallen soldiers, Guardian Force!"
Sutahime dodged the searing beams of Paris' eye sentries, smiling confidently in her fluid movements. "That's the way? Maybe you GF drones ain't so bad! Let's keep this up! Hey, Paris! This one's for my sis! Maximize Magic: Wish Upon A Star!"
A portal tore itself open above Paris, and rained a shower of luminescent blue meteors on the witch!
The moment the attack finished, Chammeng jumped back into the fray for his follow-up! "This was what you guys were afraid of?! Boy, I can't wait to give you all my terror in PvP! Check this one out... Magnum Break!"
Chammeng's verdant blade came down hard, loosing a fiery explosion! It launched the witch skyward and destroyed two of her sentries in the process!
Mantine leapt forth, switching with Chammeng and readying his own sword skill! "I was gettin' tired of standing there tanking hits... let's cut the nonsense! Meteor Break!"
Mantine's icy blade sent the witch crashing back down, breaking the opulent tile floor below! When the attack had finished, Mantine noticed a square question mark flash in the corner of his HUD. Is this...
The coordination between the rival guilds had brought the imposing witch down to half health! Disposing of the last few scorpions, the GF soldiers were ready to swarm Paris and end this early, when...
KCHKKKKK KKKKHHH...
Torrents of lightning began to spew from Paris' body, knocking each and every player back several feet! She loosed a bloody scream as the already gray sky began to darken further... it was the beginning of her second phase.
Tort spoke up through his deepening fear. "M-m-mike... I gotta confess, man. This here... is what killed us. It's wh-why I took your advice to withdraw earlier... b-but with you five here, w-we can still hold up... can't we?"
Mantine pushed back to his feet, and deeply furrowed his brow. "This, is it? And you've opted to tell me just now?"
Tort grew even more nervous. "W-well... see, we didn't think you'd agree to help if I told you now..."
Mantine shot his fellow paladin a look of disgust.
"Aww, come on! I'm beggin' you guys... keep us alive! We did do b-better than last time, so..."
Paris clapped her hands twice. A second wave of scorpions appeared at her command, assailing the soldiers who'd just killed the first group.
...but that wasn't what made Knight 40's collective hearts sink.
Two grand pillars of light manifested next to Paris, slowly fading away to reveal what they'd brought forth.
..Anything. It could've been damn near anything but that.
Two Lords of Night. Both equal in level to Paris.
Mantine's angered expression twisted into that of absolute despair.
The twin Lords of Night wasted no time, assaulting the group with their pairs of crimson longswords while the scorpions supported them.
Knight 40 did their best to intervene, but it had only taken seconds for this battle to become a full-on massacre! The Lords rampaged about the tower's top, cleaving into the players like insects! As Mantine's strike fell short, he looked over his shoulder and saw the despair in the eyes of players the moment they were swiftly put to death, overwhelmed by the spectral knights!
What was once a coordinated party found itself overtaken with sheer panic! The soldiers scattered about, desperate to fend for themselves, throwing their strategy to the wind! Tort tried in vain to get them to regroup, but it was no use! Fear and adrenaline had overridden their sense of reason! One by one, the brave players were struck down by the Paris and her legion of death!
Tort rushed in to aid his comrades, only to be electrocuted by Paris' lightning, which stunned the poor man just long enough for one of the Lords of Night to land a clean hit! He had been brought to a fraction of his health, and stunned to boot! His men's morale had reached an all-time low!
Mantine shut his eyes tight for a moment, utterly heartbroken at the sight of the fear in these men's eyes as their life was cut short. Cutting off the stream of his tears, he could witness this slaughter no longer. He rushed toward Paris for a wide slash, but was sent tumbling to the ground by her barrier magic!
However, this accomplished little beyond stoking the flames within the blue paladin! "How dare you treat me like one of them?! I am Mantine, leader of Knight 40! I'm not some fodder to be cast aside!"
He glanced over to his guildmates. "Chammeng! Rance! Suta! Waste those Lords of Night. Morana! Handle our defense. I'm going to use it."
Suta gritted her teeth. "You got it, Lord Mantine!"
Morana flinched for a second, but her resolve did not shake. "I've got your back!"
At this moment, Mantine's very soul began to overflow with insatiable anger! For the first time, he'd learned to hate a boss within this death game! "It's all or nothing! I'd be a fool to wait any longer to use this... Harmonious Duality!"
On his command, the Glacialis split into two! His shield had disappeared, and he held the second blade in its place! With blinding speed, he rushed at Paris with a twin trails of frost following every step!
Her remaining sentries were the first to go, but Paris met each elegant strike of the dual blades with her bare hands! The warrior and the witch clashed for several rounds, but it was immediately clear that Mantine was wearing her defenses down without losing his own momentum whatsoever.
Each strike was heavier and more vicious than the last! The azure knight screamed a warcry to the very heavens as he backed the witch into a corner. He could contain his emotions no longer!
"Listen up, you wretched witch! I have enough awareness left in my body to know you're just lines of code! Ones and zeroes! But I'll get my message across regardless! Besides, it's only fair that you all hear what I have to say as well!"
His twin blades lit up with the icy aura of death. "The men and women who fought alongside my guild... they're called the Guardian Force... and the truth is, I hate them. Every hardship I've faced since the beginning of this cursed death game... it was all because of these worthless, subhuman pieces of trash!"
He cleaved both blades into the witch, stunning her as she cried out in anguish...
...but Mantine's own anguished cries drowned her out! "Because of them, I've been accused of gaining my power through false means!"
Glacialis dug into her once more, leaving behind a jagged streak of pure ice. "How dare they doubt my hard work?!"
Mantine stared the witch down with a visage of crazed determination. "Because of their greed, I lost my former guild! My old leader now resides with these degenerates, and I'll never rest until I bring him down as well!"
Mantine screamed a guttural cry, digging his swords into the the witch's chest as she made a futile attempt to evade!
"...and as if that weren't enough, it was their men, those low-life slime who killed my cherished guildmate, YUUKI!"
Paris still had fight left in her on her last health bar, and rose to clash with Mantine once again, but he deflected each and every spell in his near-blind rage!
"You hear me, Guardian Force?! I don't give a damn if you didn't take part in the attack! You're still fighting under their flag, arent'cha?! Do you remember Orange, Flann, Creme, and Yuuki?! They were worth more than you'll ever be! So I'll put this one on record! The Guardian Force are the most insufferable shitheels I've ever had the displeasure of associating with! Just being in the same room with them makes me sick!"
Mantine's entire body burned blue, as his soul cried out, telling him to grasp victory!
"...and you, the Fell Witch... just a boss with no conscience... HOW DARE YOU MAKE ME CARE ABOUT THEM?!"
Everyone in the room knew it was time to conclude this battle. Relief washed over their bodies as Mantine prepared his finishing move. Paris began charging an orb of blue, crackling lighting, laying runes down across the entire floor, ready to send the tower sky-high! Having none of it, Mantine sheathed his blades just long enough to grab both of Paris' hands and stop her mid-cast!
"Not even close! Holy Cross of the Milkyway!"
The air around Mantine and Paris became a blizzard as he viciously slashed at the defenseless witch, shredding her body to fleeting glimmers of light.
Rance, Chammeng, and Sutahime had finished off the Lords of Night just quick enough to see Mantine collapse from the mental fatigue as his two blades clattered to the ground and became one. Morana rushed over to heal him and the others, and the group collected the various loot Paris had left behind.
The thick red mist began to clear from the air atop the tower. Before long, Mantine awakened to find a worried Morana hugging him with her eyes shut tight. Upon seeing the boy open his eyes, Morana smiled warmly at him. "Good work, honey. You're still an idiot... but that might be the one quality of yours that gets us out of this. Until then, I'll keep holdin' you all together like duct tape."
Rance looked down at his fellow paladin as he pushed himself up and sat. "I, uhh... I counted, fam. We lost about twenty players. That's the most deaths we've seen in a long time." He was clearly shaken up at the loss, balling up his fist as he was reduced to tears. "Dammit, Tort! What was the point in not telling us about this earlier if it was just gonna get more people killed?!"
Chammeng patted the Harem King on his back and smiled at him. "Don't treat him like that, now. He was tasked with leading over fifty men here... you have no idea what might've been going through his mind. It's a responsibility I doubt even you could bear."
Suta hugged Rance aggressively and chimed in. "Besides, we ain't gonna let that happen again! We'll blitz the whole Continent of Chaos and save everyone, Knight 40 and GF alike!"
"By the way, uhh, Mantine?" Chammeng inquired. "That skill you used to defeat the boss, well... what was it? Some kind of dual wielding thing... must be entirely unique to you, huh?" he said, dejectedly.
Mantine shook his head. "Don't give me that much credit, Chammeng. I'm sure any Paladin class with the ice-type weapon could unlock it. Weren't you listening a few days ago? The Dark Soul weapons each have a hidden skill, and infusing them with elements seems to be the first step in unlocking them. I'll look more into it when we get home, but I think you all have something like this."
A golden light briefly caressed the entire Continent of Wind. Free of looming threats, this marked the halfway point in clearing Dragon Saga Online. Mantine and the others could only hope Wesley was watching.
Tort approached Knight 40 with a sunken visage. "I'm... I'm sorry it didn't go all to well, mike. We really tried, didn't we? But hey, at least we won...!"
Mantine put his hand on Tort's shoulder. "Don't hang your head like that, brother. Your men helped us at almost every turn! Mistakes were made, yes, but we're still young!"
The Azure Knight looked out at the crowd, remembering what he'd told Tort the day before. "Although... you gotta remember something. I told you there'd be other conditions... and if I recall correctly, you agreed."
Tort smiled at Mantine, and nodded. "Of course! Heh... but what are they?"
Mantine struck his palm out at Tort and the GF. "As of today... The player known as TortoiseShell will no longer be part of the Guardian Force. In exchange for the services of Knight 40 today... you'll join us."
Tort looked back at the remainder of his small army. Not one of them spoke up. He drew a deep breath, stunned by Mantine's piercing gaze. Suta lightly chuckled and smirked at the man, now forced with a decision.
…
[[Left guild: Guardian Force]]
[[Joined guild: Knight 40]]
Mantine nodded. "Good choice. Just one more thing, though... you have all these men on your friends list, right?
Tort nodded silently.
"Excellent. Then from now on, half of them will be on call for Knight 40 any time they're needed. We might need to spread out if we're gonna make any headway in the Continent of Chaos, after all." he said plainly.
"I'll, err, arrange it." Tort said. He had a hard time looking Mantine in the eye.
"H-hey, that's completely unfair! You already have Tort, and-" someone called out in protest.
Mantine looked the entire remaining crowd dead in the eye. "Vae Victis. Woe to the conquered."
Before they could protest further, the remaining players were teleported from Spectre's Tower, returning to Port of the Winds to plan their next moves. Mantine and Tort were the last two players to be beamed out, and in their last moments atop the tower, Mantine grabbed Tort by the fist and looked him firmly in the eye with a welcoming smile.
"Sorry I had to do ya like that in front of your friends. Listen, Tort. I was wrong to treat you the way I did. I know you're not like them. You're one who oughta survive... so live on til the end." Mantine said with deepest sincerity.
Tort looked away with a melancholy smile. "You do the same, won't you, mike-... no, Mantine? Survive out there, or I'll have to personally kick your ass!"
"Bet on it." Mantine said with a laugh as the two were teleported home.
[[Mantine]]
[[Paladin]]
[[Lv. 52]]
...and that's how conquest goes, I guess.
I let the surviving members of the raid party know that their fallen friends were honored and not forgotten. I took it upon myself to place grave markers at the base of Spectre's Tower, each one displaying their name to be etched into history.
Our guild hall was swamped with requests after they heard about my new sword skill. They couldn't let go of the notion that it was unique to me until I explained otherwise.
Do you feel it yet, Kite? I've broken your men up and brought them where they belong. I'll do everything in my power to make clearing the game a living hell for you.
As for everyone else, we did our best to keep our sanity intact... and on that note, there was one more thing I had to do after we returned home.
"...I'm going to take a break from the front lines." Mantine explained to his guild.
Rance, Chammeng, and Suta looked dumbfounded, but Morana saw this coming a mile away.
"Fam, you can't be serious...! We ain't exactly got time to-" Rance protested before Morana hushed him.
"Think before you speak, Harem King. A warrior, even one as strong as you or Suta or Mantine, will be of little use to us if his mind is worn down beyond the breaking point. This game may not limit our physical bodies, but our minds don't get that luxury." Morana chided.
Chammeng's eyes welled up with a waterfall of tears. "Y-you... you can't just do that to us out of nowhere, sir! What are we gonna... what am I gonna do without my friend?! Who am I gonna duel?! You selfish...!"
Morana shook her head at the golden gladiator. "You're the one who's being selfish. If you cared so much about him, you'd take his mental state into consideration too."
Mantine hugged Chammeng and did his best to console the man. "It'll only be for a couple of weeks, I promise. Just need a bit of time to collect myself. Besides, you guys are far from useless without me. As a matter of fact... Rance!"
The green-clad warrior stood up and saluted. "Yes, sir!"
Mantine struck his finger out at him. "While I'm gone, I'm leaving Knight 40 in your capable hands! The mighty Rance Super King will make a fine leader in my stead!"
Rance's face turned beet-red at the declaration. "I-I, uhh... yeah! Leave these fools to me, Mantine! By the time you get back, I'll have 'em in line like the real Marines! You hear that?! I'm gonna whip you all into shape! Tort too!"
Suta lightly elbowed Morana in the ribs. "You're goin' with him, eh? So this'll be kinda like your honeymoon, no?"
Morana blushed and smiled. "I never pictured it to be like this... but I have a good feeling about it! Really!"
The German warlock laughed. "You two kids have fun."
Mantine raised his blade high in the air. "All that said, how 'bout one more quest before I hit the ol' dusty trail for a bit?!" ~