vs. Giselle

“Paper boy and sleeping beauty,” says the broad, muscular figure. “One does not humiliate the Diamond Syndicate and simply go free.”

“Ahahahahah!” laughs another figure that’s small and lithe. “You tell ‘em Max! We spent the whole day riding from where you left ‘em on the railroad tracks back to town. I’m covered in saddle sores!”

She slaps the spot in question.

“Max and Giselle,” I spit. “I had thought we’d be facing the Imperia, not bandits we’ve already beat.”

Max | Level 40 Bandit Boss

Shld: 600/600 | Str: 100 | Def: 10 | Agi: 10 | AP: 50/50

Giselle | Level 70 Bandit Boss

Shld: 700/700 | Atk: 70+10 | Agi: 110+30 | Def: 60 |AP: 80/80

*Equipped: Slimming Armor, Knives x5, Phoenix Potion x2

“I told you we’re searching for Zorro,” says Giselle, motioning - there’s a whistling screech, and a throwing knife blossoms on the wall next to me. “And we’re searching for Zorro cause our boss is looking for something called the ‘Golden Crown.’”

She throws a second knife - and this one Zorro snatches out of midair, eyes narrowed.

“What a fantastic reflex!!! I don’t think the third knife will work - but knives four and five might…” Giselle thrusts her hand inside her coat, which has a row of five blades that are increasingly thin and vicious. “Zorro, if you just give us that Crown, I won’t need to give you a haircut.”

“Go to hell.” Zorro mutters, flipping her hair. Though the situation’s tense, I just feel confused. I’ve looked through her bags while setting up the tent, and she’s not wearing a coronet either.

“You’re misinformed,” I say. “We have nothing like that. We wouldn’t give it to you even if we did. But if you want to fight, bring it on!”

“I agree with the boy,” says Max. “I want a fight. Even if they gave it up, I’d still punch out their teeth.”

“Hahahaha!” Giselle’s in stitches. “Lucio said we should negotiate, but… Lucio’s not here -”

Before she finishes her sentence, she runs up to me, eyes blazing and her knife just a slim length from my neck. Zorro punches her - THUD! - and Giselle crashes into the bottles beyond the bar.

Zorro dives down as Max follows up with a punch that leaves a hole in the wall. I drive my sword towards him and slam it against his ribs - CRITICAL HIT! 34 DAMAGE! - and frantically sidestep as he kicks at me.

“FLAMING SWORD” Zorro says, and bears down with a swing - but Max grabs the rapier in a meaty fist and holds it, grimacing - 128 damage to Max! - then snaps it so she’s left with a smaller point.

“Zorro!” I call, but there’s a flash of silver right behind the bar.

“Knife three!”

Giselle flings the knife, and it skims my ear - 30 damage! -and  if I weren’t shielded it’d have been sure to have drawn blood.

In a split second I strategize, in an unknown part of my brain that keeps thoughts wordless. If my thought had been voiced, this is what it would’ve been-

Giselle fights with throwing knives, so she has the upper hand when she’s distant.

Meanwhile, at mid-quarters, it’d be hard for her to fight. I’d be too close for her to throw blades, but too far for her to cut me with them.

- but there are no thoughts, only an impulse that carries me to the bar -

and another knife comes at me “knife four!” that lands square on my throat - CRITICAL, 75 DAMAGE, SHIELD BREAK - but even that I ignore -

I leap over the countertop, pull at her hair, and force her down.

“FIREBALL!”

I shove the vortex into her face. CRITICAL, 200 DAMAGE! - yet the fire simmers away, leaving behind a ghoulish grin.

“Maru, Maru… what’s a level 14 to do?” Giselle says.

In the background, Zorro and Max are busy clashing. Even though Zorro’s sword has broken, she’s still at an advantage, darting and twisting every which way. She lands another killer blow against him - 

- CRITICAL, 438 DAMAGE, SHIELD BREAK! -

Yet as soon as his shield goes down, she softens her blows and then they’re equally matched. She still can’t bring herself to kill.

“Did Zorro not tell you that she has the golden crown?” Giselle says, tapping her head. “She’s keeping secrets, I see.”

“Everyone and their mother wants to tell me about what Zorro did and didn’t do.” I say. “The past doesn’t matter. I care about the now - and so should you.”

I lunge with the Scaling Sword - and Giselle leans back.

“If you help me get the Crown, I’ll let you both go. I’m not joking, you know? I’ll get rid of that wild bull, Max, too, okay~?”

I lunge, slice, cut, dice, but she dodges every swipe. She’s fast!

“I guess you’re not interested.” She wears a sad, disappointed face, like a child whose toy has worn out.

I drive the sword straight down so it catches the center of her head and would have cleaved her body in two - CRITICAL! 36 DAMAGE! Her eyes widen and she leaps all the way back to the entrance.

“Take this seriously missy.” says Max. “Tear off his head.”

“We’re in a bar. Why shouldn’t I play with my food?”

Max shakes his head, shudders, and presses his fingers against the tattoo on his arm. His body convulses and contorts until he bursts into rippling flesh once more, then eats into it with his teeth.

“I got it, I got it… you’re getting serious with what you’re eating, with your own meal, so sure, I’ll finish him. Giselle looks away, wincing, then speaks to me with a craven smile:

“I could throw my fifth, sharpest, knife. And it probably would hit, but you’re a smart guy, so maybe you have a trick up your sleeve. I heard from Ganeleon that you turned a level 70 Rat King into ash.”

“Just kill him miss!” Max shouts before Zorro kicks him in the stomach. His complaints turn into a shuddering gasp.

“If I threw my last knife and you had a plan to dodge it, then I’d be in trouble wouldn’t I?” says Giselle, ignoring him. “So I’ll let you taste my power instead. I’ll show you what it means to fight the ‘Right Leg’ of the Bandit Lord.” She grabs the fifth thin glistering knife - and plunges into her leg’s diamond tattoo.

“Hahahaha!” She draws it away and blood pools. “That’s good…! That’s real good!”

I slowly back away.

“COMBAT ART - PHANTOM DASH!”

Giselle throws herself forward at the speed of a bullet train.

She’s fast, so fast that my eyes struggle to follow her. But it’s not just that the art’s dazzling me. It’s that whenever she sprints, she leaves an after-image, and instead of staying in place, these after-images also begin to move.

The only saving grace, I realize, is that while Giselle moves quickly she has little control. She and her illusions run in wide arcs and curves, and they struggle to reach the room’s middle.

But every circle they make is closer… tighter… there’s a rush of laughter, an echoing wind-like howl.