Chapter 11 – A Sister's Undying Love
Author's notes: I'm actually writing this right after the completion of the tenth chapter, which admittedly had been sitting around for a while. It ended up feeling a bit on the rushed side, yet was my usual chapter length and, compared to what I'm about to write, was borderline fluff. Consider it a bridge toward one of the chapters I'd been the most excited to write since I began this whole story. I think this will be one of my best chapters yet, so I plan to go all out!
3rd of January, 2023
Port of Winds, Knight 40 Guild Hall
"I believe I'll call her... Naranja."
It didn't take long for the mystery surrounding those giant eggs Mantine and Morana had found to more or less solve itself. Overnight, they had hatched into a pair of large dogs, resembling the husky breed from the real world. Indeed, the animals were classified under the same directory as Altoid, the snow sheep. They were initially normal sized dogs, but after eating the guild out of house and home, they had grown to the size of large horses and even displayed saddles. Mantine's dog had grown a thick coat of orange fur, his favorite color. He had decided to name her after the Spanish word for orange, as he had been taking a Spanish class in the real world.
Morana, on the other hand, had to furiously use dye potions on her husky until she finally achieved the desired color of teal. "Naranja and Namaka. It's kinda cute actually."
Mantine tilted his head. "Namaka? Is that some kind of word for blue?" he initially assumed Morana had been going for a theme here.
"It's a Hawaiian sea goddess, silly! If you're that into me, at least make an effort to learn about my culture!" she teased, happily petting her new canine friend. Altoid joined the group, nuzzling up to the pair of towering pups. Each one came with its own helpful set of buffs – they could be rode as their appearance suggested, but also had the capability to store extra items, and even had limited-range teleportation.
Morana stretched, yawned, and poured a coffee as the sun had not even yet made its way through the Guild Hall windows. "These two are gonna be a handful, I'm sure... hey, Mantine, why'd you get me up so early? Everyone else is still in dreamland, and you usually sleep past noon if you can help it."
The Periwinkle Paladin hesitated, blushing and smiling for a moment as he tried to hide his face behind his coffee cup. "Well, it's... uhh... I just wanted enough time to tie up a loose end before our big day."
The scarlet-haired healer tilted her head. "Loose end? I don't follow."
Mantine took a deep breath, blushing even more as he tried to articulate what he had to say. "Well, I thought about it a lot over the months, and... given the fact we already live together... and... our time could end at any moment, I..."
She'd grin and sigh, blushing lightly herself. "I... think I know what you're getting at... but go ahead."
"We're already practically a... well, what I'm saying is... Morana, will you marry me?"
A mist of joyful tears welled up in the redhead's eyes, accompanied by a smile that could melt a heart as she clasped both of her hands over his. "What kind of question is that, silly boy? Of course I will."
The couple made a beeline for the wedding administrator NPC in the center of the Port, and applied for marriage. Typical of the game, marriage required a short series of quests, perhaps a way to prove the bond between the two. Ultimately it was similar to the class advancements; a series of menial tasks rather than any real challenge. Naturally, the two treated it more like a date than anything else, simply equipping lower leveled weaponry to perform longer combos as the quest called for. After turning them in, they were allowed a wedding ceremony. Much to their embarrassment, the event was loudly broadcast across the entire game world, inviting anyone and everyone to come join in celebration as the two were wed ingame. This announcement quickly woke the rest of Knight 40, who were quick to give their typical snide remarks, though they were ultimately happy for Mantine and Morana, excited for the event. It was the calm before the storm, after all. A brief moment of respite before the guild had to spring back into action.
In the chilly winter morning, despite the heavily broadcasting, the couple agreed to have a somewhat quiet, modest wedding back in the Town of Beginnings, with the central fountain serving as a makeshift altar. Bells rang across the town as confetti and glitter rained downward to herald their arrival. The event automatically switched Morana into a fluffy white wedding dress, and Mantine wasn't exactly a fan of the white suit the game forced him to wear. The guests were the expected regulars; aside from Knight 40, Chocolate and Jin made sure not to miss the event, and even Saffron could be spotted lurking near the fountain. A few random players including some from the group Mantine had on call attended as well. Needless to say, Kite was not present for the ceremony.
As they shared their kiss, the couple was granted wedding rings, heart-shaped gems to wear on their right hands. The rings actually gave excellent stat boosts, meaning the wedding was an overall boon to the guild. The group indulged in food and drink of every variety, savoring the moment as they knew they'd be back to work in a few hours.
Indeed, after coming down off of their collective high, all six members of Knight 40 geared up and headed out for the far reaches of the Continent of Chaos. Their trek would take them past the Fungoid Village of the mushroom men, past the chilly Land of Temptation and all the way to the Village of Ash Mist, a makeshift fort where hardened warriors prepared themselves for the dangerous endgame.
Morana, now back in her usual set of robes, remarked on the length of the journey. "Can't believe we had to go all the way through the Village of Slumber! That place sounds like some kinda Swedish mattress firm."
Chammeng rolled his eyes. "At this point? I'll take anything over that crazy lady playing 4D chess with our minds. Let's get this over with and finish the job for... uhh... what was his name?"
"Oh, you mean that Krispy Krouser fuck? He's asked enough out of us as it is, but if this'll shut him up..." Referring to the dark elf Hel Krouser, who'd sent them on a myriad of menial tasks before allowing them passage, Morana prepared a variety of spells on her hotbar, ready to run the place through.
That place being the mansion of regent vampire Count Van Cliff, a towering structure that reached well above the gray clouds that surrounded it. It was a good thing they'd gotten their training done in the Zodiac dungeon, because the sheer size of this place would dwarf it. First they'd have to clear out the building itself, then it was a grueling climb of twenty-five floors to the roof of the mansion, where they'd take on the boss and earn their class advancements.
Furthermore, unlike their previous engagements, they could not split up to get things done faster. On the other hand, the sheer size of the place allowed a party of six without lifting restrictions, so for once they'd all get to fight together. The mansion was perched in the remote mountain range far from Ash Mist, and with no puff tower, there would be no easy way back for the group. This was effectively a one-way trip, so they were sure to bring everything they thought they might need, with Naranja and Namaka trailing behind and carrying emergency supplies.
Long out of patience, the six powerful players went on a tear, running through each floor with no second thought. It was a bit of a trip down memory lane, with similar horror and undead enemies they'd faced back in the Underground Graveyard last summer, and beefed up versions of past bosses, along with a few new ones who went down before they were worth mentioning. Befitting of an opulent mansion, the hallways were grand and seemed to stretch and twist for miles.
Despite once being a place of class and elegance, the place had fallen into disrepair however. Once elegant red and gold rugs had rotted away, matching wallpaper now faded and peeling. That meant an extra layer of platforming challenge as they would have to leap over gaping holes in the floor and watch out for crumbling pieces of the structure. This was made worse the further in they got, as the lack of windows meant the place was pitch black, its lighting having long since gone out. Morana and Sutahime cast light orb spells so they wouldn't be completely fumbling around in darkness.
Proving their skill, Knight 40 finally reached the mansion's roof, shrouded in gray clouds as a rainstorm raged on above. The six soaked soldiers were then treated to a lengthy, three-stage boss fight! First, it was the gargoyles, the stone statues that could've been mistaken for decoration came to life one by one and assailed the players with fire and lightning. Mantine and Morana in particular wondered if they outright ripped this idea from the first two Dark Souls games, due to the extremely similar concept. Luckily, four gargoyles did not last long against six players.
Thus began the second phase, with Count Van Cliff himself taking the stage! He was a towering giant of a vampire with an elegant black cloak and slicked, white hair. He wasted no time with introductions, and proved to be much tougher than the gargoyles that preceded him. He started by rapidly teleporting around the arena and making illusory copies of himself, all the while using his own crystallized blood to attack the heroes! The copies could launch attacks of their own, yet only the true Count could be damaged! When they got close, he'd mix his pattern up with a flurry of claw swipes!
One by one, Knight 40 whittled down his four life bars, predicting where he'd appear next and unleashing their most powerful sword skills. The fight went on longer than it should've, as each successful hit by the Count would restore some of his own life, draining their blood! After a lengthy brawl, Knight 40 finally won the damage race, putting the old vampire to rest for good, complete with the animation of a shower of holy water and a crude wooden stake impaling him.
Initially, a victory screen flashed on their HUDs, but it was a clever fakeout, shattering as soon as the final obstacle revealed itself! The roof began to cave in, revealing a shadowy path that extended far past the length of the building itself... and then, without warning, the dark purple tiles quaked violently enough to make the group jump! A gargantuan, skeletal dragon had landed just before them, easily the largest boss they'd faced thus far. It bellowed a distorted roar, signaling the final phase!
[[Unsealed Bone Dragon]]
[[Lust]]
[[Lv. 70]]
The skeletal beast opened the fight by taking a cue from Paris, summoning many rows of circular runes on the floor, forcing all six of the players to jump at a moment's notice! Morana was quick to cast Slow Descent, since the players would have to remain airborne for as long as possible to avoid getting their health shredded! Given that just one of its claws was the size of a human, each step it took quaked the ground, causing unforgiving hitstun, automatically triggering Lust to summon more runes for a devastating combo! Upon taking to the air, Knight 40 were greeted with the sound of sickly snapping as what was left of this being's wings folded and contorted into a set of claws, trying to swat them out of the dark sky! Each wing acted as its own entity, putting this boss' crowd control prowess on full display.
Additionally, Lust had its signature ranged attack, a heat beam straight from its mouth which could cause a random status effect if it landed! Other than dividing the attention of its various parts, Knight 40 had to forego any advanced tactics and lay into the dragon with all their strongest attacks. It was a smart idea to stack up on parfaits and mana potions, since the previous two bosses would have left them drained otherwise! Lust's autonomous appendages did have one drawback – if enough attacks were focused on just one area, it would cripple the beast for a short time, and it didn't take long for them to learn that dazing it with concentrated blows to the head allowed for a critical followup!
Out of the bunch, it was no surprise that Mantine was the least worried for the outcome of this fight. Of course, he was simply making it up as he went along like he always did, but it was one hell of a morale booster for his men. Truthfully however, he didn't even see this boss to be as much of a threat as Paris had been, relative to their levels. This fight was for them and them alone, and they'd learned quite a bit since that day at Spectre's Tower after all. What was likely intended to be a major milestone for any player before everything hit the fan, was merely another stepping stone toward liberation for Knight 40.
They never relented, hacking away at the bone dragon until its pearly white body began to crack and crumble away. In a desperate move, it used its own splintering body to rain down shards of bone onto the entire arena! Thinking on their feet, Morana and Sutahime doubled up on a barrier spell to shield the group from the deadly shower before all coming together to decimate its final health bar! Lust began to slowly crumble to dust and ash, until but its eyeless head remained. To the surprise of everyone, it spoke but once. "Ugh. So yeah, I can't die. Ya got me good, though. Yer actually the second group of losers to show up. Go on somewhere, get yer stupid upgrade or whatever. That dumb sasquatch prob'ly has it."
With that, the bonehead disappeared and all six felt an awe-inspiring surge of power as they ascended... that is, they would once the quest was turned in proper. Even still, the results spoke for themselves – they'd gained several more levels through the arduous ascent, now all hovering around the high sixties range. Hel Krouzer appeared next to the exit portal to congratulate them and elaborate on Lust's words. He explained that the lazy NPC and his pals were likely dozing off in the icy tundra of Land of Temptation, so someone would have to go wake them up and turn the quest in to finalize their advancements.
As they stepped toward the portal to Ash Mist, Sutahime made clear her intent to stay behind. "Helluva job we did there. Kay, go on, ya two lovebirds. Turn it in for us, I'm bored of this class already."
Morana tilted her head at the request. "I mean... after all it took to get here? Suit yourself, Suta. What, are you planning to rent this place out or something?"
The twintailed mage shook her head. "Isn't it obvious? Well, yeah, maybe at some point. I could give ya a share of the profits. We burnt more than half our supplies getting through here. This gal's about to nab everything from all the nooks and crannies we skipped out rushing to the top! I don't feel like shelling out for a re-up, so... I'll clear the place out for ya."
Rance flashed his shark-toothed grin. "Heh, that so? Does the lady need accompaniment from a few knights?" he asked, Chammeng and Tort nodding beside him.
She'd scowl at them, putting her hands on her hips. "Is that a joke? You three need to clear the last few bosses in the tundra before you-know-who gets to 'em! I'm sure there's still that polar bear ripe for the pickings. If you three aren't back by the time I'm done here, I... I'm fining you each half your gold!"
The green-armored harem king folded his arms and laughed. "Yes, ma'am. Besides, you two maggots aren't done with your training! No more interruptions, I'll show ya how to take down a bear!" he commanded, the other two giving a perfect salute.
Mantine, however, read Sutahime like an open book. Though she wasn't entirely lying about her intentions, her ulterior motive was clear as day through the look in her eyes. It was ultimately him who gave Suta the go-ahead to stay behind. "Very well, just stay in open Guild chat and don't disband the party. So long as we all have the same active quest, only I need to turn it in. Keep in touch and ring us if anything comes up. I'll never forgive you if you don't come back alive." he said with a wink.
With that, five of the six members of Knight 40 stepped through the portal. Hel Krouzer promised to 'hold the door' for Suta so she could leave when she had finished her business. The other five headed for the tundra, but Mantine and Morana split with Rance, Tort, and Chammeng as planned. Suta began her descent, opening every chest she could find in the long and twisting corridors they'd passed up before and making sure to check for traps along the way. Compared to her late sister, Sutahime had a much more analytical mind and was quicker on the uptake, but didn't share her optimism or even her kindness, for that matter. She was an even more dangerous person when alone with her thoughts.
Reaching the ground floor, she was not yet satisfied, and began to search the basement they'd left untouched before, hell-bent on robbing the place blind. She knew what was coming, and had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time.
Meanwhile, the newlyweds had reached the cavern in Land of Temptation that their quest marker had fixated on, entering without hesitation. It was quite dark, but luckily a nearby bonfire provided both light and warmth. Just as the dark elf had described, two NPCs were dozing away on a pair of beds. One was what they expected – a tall, burly yeti covered in thick white fur. The other was a one-eyed golem who appeared to be made entirely of ice. The cave was well-furnished and lived-in, far away from the chaos within the blizzard outside. Mantine and Morana attempted to gently wake the pair, but something told them turning this quest in wouldn't be as simple as a yes or no from these fellows. "You two awake? We don't mean any trespass – we're both here on orders from Hel Krouzer."
The golem opened its singular eye and groggily rolled out of the bed, his round body tumbling until he found his footing. "Hey, boss. We got company. Wakey-wakey."
"Aww, more of 'em? I was havin' this wonderful dream..." lamented the yeti, scratching his head as his eyes cracked open. He removed his fur blanket and stood up next to the golem. "Ohh... yeah, this's bout that quest, huh? Gotcha, gotcha. I could grant you an advancement, but... I ain't too sure about you two. The blue one's lookin' a little too stringy for a knight."
The icy construct gestured toward Morana in agreement with his friend. "Yeah, and the red one's packin' some serious meat in the seat, if y'know what I mean. You may need a few years of our training regimen... if ya can handle it!"
Neither took kindly to their snide comments. "Is that any way to greet a guest?" Mantine said, having to hold back Morana as her anger peaked. "It's not as easy putting on bulk when you're as tall as me, and I happen to be extremely enamored with my wife's unusually one-of-a-kind figure. Either way, I don't see what that has to do with our business here." he said dismissively.
Back at Van Cliff, Sutahime chugged down a mana potion to keep her Cast Light spell active as she perused the depths of the mansion's disheveled basement. She'd already managed to amass quite a collection to bring back to the guild vault and could've left satisfied at this point... but within the dark, something made her stop in her tracks... a second set of footsteps. Too uniform in their pattern to be that of a monster... she wasn't alone down here. She let out a mild shriek, trying to cover her mouth in time, but between that and the glowing ball of light in front of her, she had made her presence known.
A voice... a voice that would have been all too familiar to Mantine, Morana, or Rance... filled the chamber with a sinister chuckle and a rough Bronx accent. "Well, if it ain't my lucky day. I come 'ere to clean up the scraps... and I find a tasty treat instead. Boy, I tell ya, ain't life grand?!"
"Shit, I knew I shoulda listened to Morana and Mantine. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say you sound like bad news." Suta said with a shaky voice before switching from public to guild chat. "Call it a hunch, but I think I found your guy, fearless leader. Big, tough, New Yorker type fella?"
Mantine followed suit, changing chat channels. "Seems you have. Go ahead and feel him out a bit, see if he says anything that might be useful to us. Oh, and keep your level hidden for the time being. I wasn't able to defeat him myself last time, but... I won't intervene. I'm leaving this one to you, Sutahime."
"Bad news is puttin' it lightly, little lady. I'm your worst nightmare if ya don't make yourself disappear real soon. Then again, it's been a month or two since I got to make an example of somebody. Now... step forward... slowly, and state ya name." he said, growing impatient quickly.
Suta did as the man asked, but shrugged a little when she came into view. "What, you don't recognize me? I'd be offended if I wasn't such a badass.~" she taunted lightly, eyeing him up.
"Neva' seen you before in my life, kiddo. Careful how ya talk to someone as respected as myself, 'else I might be the last one to see you." he was refusing to back down one bit.
Suta put a finger on her chin. "Ah, that's right. I was the only person who couldn't make it to that little skirmish where you so kindly killed my sister." he said, stone-faced.
The burly man thought for a moment before picking up on what she said. "The, uhh... oh, that weak lil' dragonkin? Bahahahaha, she barely put up any resistance. I wouldn't call that one a battle so much as a full-on massacre. I guess those chumps my boys killed in the underground were your pals too, eh? Don't tell me ya came here for some kinda half-baked revenge plot."
Suta was, as any human would be, more than a little pissed at his trivialization of his horrible crime, but only wore the expression that would've indicated such a feeling for a brief moment. After a long pause, she stared him in the eyes. "I barely knew the other three. Hell, I'd just met Mantine at the time. We shot the shit here and there, but... I'd not consider 'em much more than business partners, really."
"Aww, yer' no fun. I can't enjoy it as much when your feathers ain't ruffled. Lucky for you though, ya can join yer' sis and your business pals real soon, and tell 'em Dirgegun sent ya." he said, confirming exactly who he was. Naturally, he sported ritzier gear and a much larger, purple blade with chains hanging from it, but he still had that same ragged white-and-gold motif that the Guardian Force flew under.
Suta just shrugged again. "Y'know, in a way... I almost see eye to eye with ya. They were in your way, so you did what you had to do. That being said, you robbed my guild of the extra manpower we needed, and me of my dear sister. To that end... get the hell out of my way, Dirgegun."
The mansion's basement began to fill with Dirgegun's gravely cackling. "Lady, you got a lotta nerve talkin' to somebody like me like dat. Yer' a few fries short of a happy meal! Yer' about to see exactly why I'm so feared 'round these parts, and for dat matter, why I'm the GF's number-one hitman. Dey need somebody disappeared, I get it done, capiche? If your sis went down as easy as she did, I don't see a reason why you're anythin' to write home about."
Sutahime clapped twice, summoning her staff of darkness in a brilliant purple sparkle. "That so? I don't see a damn thing to be scared of. You're a clown. If you feel like letting your sword talk for you, then go right ahead, make my day."
Though far away, Mantine and Morana could hear every word of their heated exchange. It didn't take long for the redhead to pick up on what their plan had been all along. "Good, keep it up." was all he said, before turning his attention to their own predicament. "Listen, why not just set our differences aside and let us turn this thing in? You two have nothing to lose."
The Yeti crossed his arms in a huff. "Hmph, you keep trying to make things easy... That's quite the mountain of confidence for one with a weak name like Mantine. Hah! A name without any pride. Now a name such as mine, Adavary, there's one to respect! It nearly sounds like 'adversary'! And even my friend here, he calls himself 'Frio', the very essence of cold itself! Truly, there is no way of topping that. Heh heh."
"Goodness!" said Mantine, covering his mouth in feigned surprise. "I never looked at it that way! Yes, such a weak name as Mantine surely has no power behind its holder. That actually gives me an idea – how about the two of us fight for the advancement? I now realize I stand no chance against you, but it would be an honor to do battle with the esteemed Adavary and Frio!"
The icy white golem chuckled at the request. "Glad you see it our way. Your funeral! Ahem, maximize magic: Flash Freeze!" he cast a misty spell at Morana, encasing her in a solid block of ice in a split second!
"..." for a moment, she appeared to be immobilized by the freezing magic, but the facade only lasted a few seconds. "Man! Why'd you have to go and do that? This ice makes my vision all blurry. I can't gaze upon my handsome husband like this. Yeah, no, this won't do." she said, casting a weak flame spell to thaw herself. The minuscule damage she took had healed itself off on its own. "Gotta be careful where I throw this around. Come to think of it, your whole body is ice. How do you survive sleeping next to a fire?"
"Why you insolent punks! Don't take us lightly!" Adavary bellowed, his face overtaken with anger. He lashed out at Mantine full-force, extending his claws. "Thousand Laceration! Eat this!"
Mantine generated a low-level barrier that sent the sasquatch back slightly. There was momentary visible damage, but it quickly subsided. "And why is that? Perhaps you were too caught up in the moment to notice our level differences. It pays to pay attention." Indeed, both Mantine and Morana were at level 70 each, after their victory at Van Cliff and turning everything else in. The two monsters, meanwhile, only clocked in at 55. "You'd sooner snap those claws off than get through me. Can't we do this like gentlemen?"
The pair of monsters were at a loss for words. They certainly didn't want to show a sign of fear, so they begrudgingly conceded. "Y-you cheeky... fine, but I swear to Elga herself, if you just sit on your asses and don't make use of this... we'll be forced to show you our true power!"
[[SYSTEM: Class Advancement!]]
[[Mantine: Paladin to Dragoon]]
[[Morana: Priest to Invoker]]
[[Rance: Paladin to Dragoon]]
[[Tortoiseshell: Paladin to Dragoon]]
[[Chammeng: Myrmidon to Overlord]]
[[Sutahime: Warlock to Sorcerer]]
"Then it's a good thing I can talk better than I can fight. Goodness, you nearly gave me a heart attack. Just don't go judging folk by their names. Some don't take kindly to such assumptions." Mantine left the pair with these words, exiting back out to the main overworld. Their job was done for the time being, and it was now time for Sutahime to finish her part.
The basement lit up with a sickly yellow as Dirgegun wasted no time drawing his oversized sword. "As ya wish! I ain't had a good hit like this in a long time, girly!" he yelled, charging at the purple-haired woman. He kicked off the cracked stone floor, making the building quake violently. Curiously, the mage made no effort to evade the oncoming blow. Instead, she waited for the exact moment of impact to conjure up a sonic boom to push the man back a few feet. Once she'd made enough distance, she took a knee, breathing heavily.
Dirgegun did a midair flip as he was sent back, flashing a toothy grin under his sinister helm that only showed the bottom half of his face. "Aww, what's wrong, little lady? Tired already? Too bad we can't break for coffee and mints. You got some decent tech skill, I gotta say. I see why ya think you're badass n' such, but yer' all talk. Here I was thinkin' the big sis would be way stronger..."
Sutahime dusted herself off and stood back up. "I mean, I'm a little fatigued from the slog through this dump, but I can't really say. Hard to gauge your strength If you can't even hit me. Why not actually try, then we can see if I was stronger than Yuuki or not, hm?"
"I'm about to get to dat, girly..." he grumbled, settling back into a combat stance.
Suta raised an eyebrow. "Losing your edge, are we? I thought you were a feared hitman, or whatever. I was wondering, actually - you're a Myrmidon, right? Do you have a way to get in on me in the first place? Even at your speed, I could just pelt away at you from right here."
The burly man's smile grew wider. "Do I? Heh, yer' about to find out. Don't think I don't see dat you got some kinda magic barrier around you. My old pals used somethin' just like it... that is, until your boys so kindly snuffed 'em out. You think yer' the only one to lose somebody close in this cursed game? Get in line, girly! You ain't special!"
Yet again, Dirgegun would employ the same technique, charging in with his blade set aglow, no doubt an attempt to paralyze her as he had the others many months ago. "Impenetrable Fortress!", he called, boosting his own defense while trying to get through hers. Suta would twirl her staff in his direction and create another pulsing barrier, sending him back with a cloud of dust. The same result as before.
"Damn, lady! You're one tough nut to crack! Never seen a mage tank build in a game like dis!" he said, half-genuine. "...but findin' ya weak point is just part of the hunt for a guy like me. I'll be honest wit' ya, I was gonna make you suffer even more than I did ya sis, but I'll settle for takin' you down the old fashioned way. Hmm..."
Suta kept a neutral expression on her face. "Whoa, color me surprised! You weren't actually going for the kill there – just testing the potency of my defensive magic. I never thought a battle like this would be such a learning experience."
"Why you-! Man, I can't believe a whelp like you ain't died yet, honestly! If it takes ya that long to pick up on basic combat... yer' seriously slow on the uptake, lady! Let's get it over with!" he shouted, charging once again, but this time queuing up a pair of sword skills. Right before he got within range, his blade would glow red, then purple. "Grizzly Slash... then, Time Reversal Aura!" indeed, everything slowed down around him, which made him appear to move at an impossible speed from her perspective. The mage would attempt to counterattack with a meteor spell, but Dirgegun effortlessly jumped over the flaming rock and appeared to land a clean blow into her chest!
...and yet, she didn't so much as flinch. The process repeated itself – Suta would release her barrier, knocking the player-killer back a good distance. "Gotta say, I'm impressed! How'd ya shrug off a direct hit like that one?! You packin' some heat in that skill tree of yours? Just when ya think ya know everything, huh?"
"Actually, you're the one teaching me here, Dirgegun! I had no idea PvP had so many facets to it. I almost wish I could stick around and learn more. Hang on though, I'm getting a call..." she said, switching back to guild chat. "He's hopeless, Mantine. I'm not gonna get any inside info from him any time soon, and I'm already tired of him as it is."
Mantine nodded. "Loud and clear, Sutahime. In that case, you have my go-ahead. Feel free to fight Dirgegun with the entire strength of Knight 40."
"Rip his throat out!" Morana added. The other members were sure to give her words of encouragement through the chat, giving her all the affirmation she needed.
"Mhm, yeah. Anyways, I'd love to get another lesson or two from you, big guy. Buuuut I'm a little strapped for time. I'm a real impatient gal with a tight schedule, you know? So it's time we quit playing around. I'll put this to a stop real quick and be on my way." she said, sticking her staff into the ground and crossing her arms.
Dirgegun smirked, readying his blade again. "What kinda ass-backwards tactic is this? You givin' up or somethin'? I'd try to see where yer' comin' from, but I can't fit my head that far up my ass! Fine then, I might actually try." he crouched low, his stance becoming almost feral as he wielded his massive blade in one hand and stretched the other out like a tiger's claw. "Stamina up. MP up. Grizzly Slash. Time Reversal Aura. Dynamite Thrust. Here I come, ya two-bit whore! Join your worthless sister in hell!"
Yet again, Sutahime did not move from her spot. She didn't even raise her arms in defense as the giant barreled toward her with killing intent. His warcry filled the entire mansion! Dirgegun landed a clean cross-cut, then a heavy vertical slice with every ounce of his power behind it! His scream gave way to a maniacal laugh at the sheer satisfaction of landing such a mighty blow so cleanly and accurately. "Ya like that?! Well, I ain't done, broad! Burn extra crispy for me!" he screamed, chaining the first two hits into an impossibly fast flurry of slashes in each and every direction, every lightning cut followed by a bombastic explosion of searing flame! He unleashed now what he wished he could've back when Mantine had pinned him all those months ago!
...and before the smoke could even clear, a set of enrobed arms burst through the flame to grasp him around the chest and arms. Not only had his attack left minimal effect, but Sutahime now had him bound in a powerful vicegrip. No one had ever seen his face so quickly fade from cathartic glee to sheer disbelief as he struggled to move at all.
"Goodness. I've never seen Chammeng use a skill like that. You've done a lot with your build, I see. Gotta keep on the lookout." she said, before noticing the man was visibly wincing and sweating. "Oh man, in all this confusion, I forgot to mention it. When we restored Crete's original purpose, the AI had no choice but to reinstate the game's sensory features in full. In other words, we can all feel pain now."
The well-built man squirmed and writhed, attempting to loosen himself from her grasp. "How- what the?! How in the hell are ya still alive?! Ya must be fightin' dirty! Let go, ya crazy broad!"
Doing as he requested, Suta let go of the man. "Oh yes, my apologies, I often forget my place in this game. How inappropriate of me. I guess I should quit hiding my level while I'm at it." She recalled her staff. "Overload skill. Triple Maximize Magic: Eternal Binding."
A mess of transparent green tentacles wrapped themselves generously around Dirgegun before he could react, coiling and tightening over every inch of his body, only leaving his head and shoulders exposed. He balked in pure shock at the number now present above Sutahime's head – he was outclassed by ten whole levels. "Y-you... How didja... your buddies were weaker than me by a long shot back at the graveyard! Ain't no way you passed me up without cheatin'!"
"I was curious how it felt to fight someone you had no chance against. A mad dog like you has no bite." she said, uncaring as she watched him try in vain to break the bindings. "I was standing still because, honestly? I did want to give you a chance. You weren't worth it, clearly. If I had cast the weakest spell in my hotbar, it would've been a waste of mana."
Boiling mad, Dirgegun managed to free his arms enough to flail them at Sutahime as she got closer to observe him, practically chest-to-chest. The now feeble scratching failed to pierce even her cloth robes. "AAAAHHHH! YOU LYING SLUT!" he screamed as loud as his lungs allowed.
"Don't like facing reality, bitch? I can't blame you, who does? Too bad though. Best part is, I bet you thought you were some kinda big game hunter when you found me here." she said, before making a buzzer noise. "Eh-eh! Wrong. I stayed behind the rest of my guild because I knew you'd be skulking around here, and I didn't want them to have to waste their time with a drone like you, Dirgegun. But now, I've had my fill. What's say we get started with the big finish?" her tone dripped with venom.
Gingerly flicking her wrist, she commanded the tendrils to tighten around his abdomen, in a bid to squeeze the very life out of him. It was a slow process, with his armor still putting up decent resistance. "Rrgh! This' gotta be some kinda joke...!" he said through incredibly labored breathing. "Impossible...!" he roared, continuing to struggle in vain.
She put a hand on her chin and circled around the bound murderer, boots echoing with every clack. She held her palm out, summoning a weapon outside of her class; a gunstaff. Not just any, but the one her sister wielded in life. "I actually thought about killing you with this. Woulda been symbolic in a way, really, but I have no idea how to even use the damn thing. Plus, I was never one for dramatic flair. Seems to me like it doesn't make a huge difference as long as I get to snuff ya out, Dirgegun."
His eyes widening in panic and desperation, he flailed and clawed at Suta's chest as his armor began to lose durability one by one, pieces popping off as the spell swallowed him up. "Let me go, I'LL FUCKING END YOU, BIIIIITCH!" he bellowed through violent fits of coughing.
"Would you quit the squirming? It ruins the moment, I'm trying to talk." she said dismissively, before looking him in the eye. "Granted, I wasn't there for the death of my sister, but I know the details. I heard you took your sweet time killing her, right? I'm not too off base thinking I should do the same with you, right? And look at you, you get to feel every agonizing moment like it was real life. Man oh man, some people live for this; the day they get to look their killer in the eye. I'm one lucky lady tonight."
Twisting of metal gave way to sickly popping and cracking of bone as Dirgegun's ribs were shattered one by one. His lifebar chipped down to the very last of its red. He groaned and growled, mostly because he was too weak to muster anything else at this point. Finally, the tight bushel of tendrils did their job, squeezing the warrior dry of whatever he had left. With his final breath, Dirgegun's body shattered into light crystals, and the spell sunk its way into the ground. "It's been fun. I would've kept going, but I honestly got tired of looking at you. Just in time, too. Deuces, fella." she said with a sigh, waving as she made her way out of the basement. After taking the exit portal, she'd make her way back to the guild hall, with one less thing on her conscience.
Rance, Tort, and Chammeng had easily been able to take on the polar bear boss like they promised, having been waiting for quite some time for Suta's return. Mantine and Morana had made it back as well, after their series of negotiations. Sutahime made sure to tell the tale of what she'd done with every gruesome detail, much to the delight of Knight 40.
With their wealth of newfound power, it was time at last for the guild to clean up the remainder of the Continent of Chaos, taking the fight to Black Claw Nest and freeing every innocent player from the cursed death game. Victory and freedom seemed closer than ever, but their greatest struggle lied just ahead, and Mantine was about to receive a very unexpected challenge that would shock him to the core! The six valiant players turned in for the night, knowing the weight on their chest had not yet lifted.