Battle Start! Squire Versus Slave!
Slave attacks!
Squire suffers 6 point(s) of damage!
Squire's HP have been reduced to 176!
"Wait? What are you talking about? I'm not trying to take anyone!" I say. I don't even draw my sword. Contrary to what the music might imply, I have absolutely no intention of fighting the cat.
"Liar." she hisses. "Do you honestly think I don't see it? The way you eagerly follow her orders, desperate for her approval? The way that she enjoys hurting you, and how you never even asked her to stop?"
"I'm like that with everyone!" I say, "Look, let's just talk this over! There's no sense in us fighting. Even if I wanted to hurt you, you're too tough for me to really damage, and you're too weak to defeat me. It's pointless!"
Why on earth did I say that? I know that her lack of physical strength is a sore spot for the feline.
"Weak, am I?" She snarls. "We'll see who's weak!"
Slave enters an enraged state(level 1)!
Attack power doubles! Defense decreases!
Slave attacks! Critical hit!
Squire suffers 20 point(s) of damage!
Squire's HP have been reduced to 166!
Squire uses Lay on Paws!
HP has been restored to their maximum!
"We'll see who's better suited to defend Lady Vile!" the cat says.
Slave enters an enraged state(level 2)!
Attack power doubles! Defense decreases!
Slave attacks!
Squire suffers 24 point(s) of damage!
Squire's HP have been reduced to 162!
"Please, just listen to me!" I say, voluntarily giving up my turn, hoping that it will encourage the feline to do the same. "I don't want to be her defender... well, I mean I do, but no more than I want to defend everyone else! I still don't know exactly what sort of relationship the two of you have, but she's not interested in me!"
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"Do you really think I'm that stupid? Or maybe you're the one that's stupid. Either way, everything was going great until you showed up and now... and now..." she whines softly, lowering her head. After a moments pause, she raises it once more, baleful yellow eyes filled with fury, her small body engulfed in a torrent of translucent red energies. "You already have a master, but that's not enough for you, is it? You won't be happy until you take everything from me, will you?"
Slave enters an enraged state(level 3)!
Attack power doubles! Defense decreases!
Slave attacks! Critical hit!
Squire suffers 82 point(s) of damage!
Squire's HP have been reduced to 80!
Squire uses Lay on Paws!
99 HP restored!
Squire's HP is now 179!
"I-"I begin, but have no idea how to follow it up. The pain in her voice is readily apparent, and I have no idea of how to heal it. Should I just run away? Maybe she's right, that the two of them are better off on their own. I have to admit, I have difficulty relating to either of them. I can't seem to bring myself to do so, however. Maybe it's just a stubborn side of me that I didn't know that I had, or maybe I just can't bear the idea of having someone out there, anyone out there actively hating me.
Slave enters an enraged state(level 4)!
Attack power doubles! Defense decreases!
Slave attacks!
Squire suffers 81 point(s) of damage!
Squire's HP have been reduced to 98!
Squire uses Lay on Paws!
94 HP restored!
Squire's HP is now 175!
I had no idea that Slave could hit this hard. Why didn't she do so during the past fights? Of course, it's obvious. I can't tell just how much her defense is decreasing, but for such a significant enhancement, it can't be a trivial amount. Up until now, she's been standing strong and putting everything into protecting Vile. I can certainly relate to the idea of caring for someone that much, even if I do question whether the rat is worthy of such fanatical devotion. I can even sort of relate to that sting in your heart when you realize that you can't do everything on your own anymore.
"I'm sorry." I simply say, head bowed. I probably should have said something more eloquent, but I can't come up with any words that feel like they might help. I am tempted to just stand there and let the attack hit me. I don't have much talent when it comes to math, but I know that my Spirit is drained after healing myself three times in a row, so even if I wanted to attack, I can't use Divine Strike, and even with her reduced defense, I can't see a single strike being close to enough. Besides, I can't bring myself to cause more hurt to a creature who is already in pain, can I? One who, along with Vile, I still owe a great personal debt to?
Squire defends!
Slave enters an enraged state(max level)!
Attack power doubles! Defense drops to 0!
Slave attacks! Critical hit!
Squire suffers 84 point(s) of damage!
Squire's HP have been reduced to 9!
"I'm sorry." I say to the cat, gripping the blade between my jaws. My teeth ache from the impact, and even guarding to halve the damage still proves to be extremely painful. "I wish I knew what to tell you to make this right. I guess I'm pretty stupid after all. Still, I can't let you kill me. I have a mission that I still need to accomplish, and as angry as you are, I know that you're a good person at heart. Killing me wouldn't make you happy, nor would it please your mistress."
I crouch down, ready to strike. I'll go for nonlethal damage. I don't exactly know what '0 defense' entails, but I should be able to hit awfully hard. I'm not sure if it will be enough, as I know that even without her high endurance which fends off blows, she still has a massive pool of HP. Still, all that I can do is try.
That isn't enough to end the fight, of course. Even aside from her current frustrations with me, it's clear that her 'enrage' ability influences more than just statistics. The small cat bursts with terrifying red energy, her formerly yellow eyes swirling with an intense scarlet. This isn't normal anger, it's pure blood lust and killing intent, the sort which can't be dissuaded with a few soothing words. Maybe if I can knock her out, she'll return to her senses and we can resolve this, somehow? All I know is that I can't give up now. I crouch down, blade in my jaws, as the black cat readies her own attack, her claws extended, red-tinged fur standing on end. We both rush one another, both having abandoned all defense, each hoping to end the battle with a single, decisive blow.
Vile has cast Fireball!
Slave suffers 214 point(s)! of damage!
---
Squire: "I wonder if this conflict should have been delayed a little bit. It feels like the sort of thing that should have time to build up before reaching a breaking point. Maybe three arcs in or so?"
Slave: "Nah, it would be harder to justify if I knew you for a long time. I'd just end up looking irrational."
Squire: "Um..."
Slave: "Hey, my complaints here are perfectly valid!"
Squire: "I'm just not so sure that they warranted such a violent response."
Slave: "Look around you. Violence makes about 95% of the basis for fantasy worlds like this."
Vile: "She isn't wrong."