Part 43: Episode XLI: The Dragon Slaying Slacker vs. The Exposition of Wiseman

Episode XLI: The Dragon Slaying Slacker vs. The Exposition of Wiseman

Music: Invasion


Welp, that was horrible. But thankfully, the dreaded sewer level is finally over. Now, it’s just back to...Battling...

...

I hate Nortune...

Fei returns to the dorms...


"Oh, errh, sorry! Later, the doc said he wanted to pay the courtesy of burying the monster...so I waited outside."
”Not sure how you bury a monster in a brick sewer...and without a shovel. But meh...I didn’t go to medical school.”
"...Is that so? Oh well, at least the murders have been brought to an end!"
"Yes, that is right. And Fei has been proved innocent as well!"
”Yeah. Can’t believe you ever doubted me. Jerks.”
"...And I guess the out-of-bounds order on the sewers was lifted straight after that too ... Anyway, my allying with you ends here... The next time we meet, Fei, we will be opponents! C'mon, try and beat me! I'd enjoy seeing you try to settle your scores with me!"

Rico begins walking away...

"Hey, what about that wound to your arm? You can't try to Battle in that state!"
"...Can you really afford to worry about your opponent?"
"...But, Rico?"
"Worry about yourself before others! Don't hold back now! Give me your best fight! If you don't do your best, you could be the one who dies..."
"...Understood..."
”The more I think about it...eh...I don’t really give a crap.”
"Right. That's good..."

Ricardo lumbers off...


“What is left is up to you, Fei. You must settle this other problem with your own hands."
”...And a giant robot.”
“Yes. That as well.”
"...I guess so."
"Does his arm wound bother you that much?”
”I don’t give a crap about him as much as in-battle injuries carrying over to the regular side of things. That’s kinda troubling, isn’t it?”
“I would not worry about it too much, Fei. I believe Rico is just in dire need of some manner of plot thread to stay relevant to events. Besides...”
“Fei, you realize we do not have..."
"I know doc...we don't have much time to spare!”
”We probably ought to get back to that whole rebellion with Bart back in Aveh at some point...”
“What's more, what he says is right - you shouldn't hold back in a battle. Etiquette dictates a true fight!"
"It seems I was overly concerned. Anyway, let's rest up now. Remember, you must win up to the Finals League first. And the Champ is not the only one you have to beat!"

The next morning...




Well, it sure was nice of the Battling Committee to postpone the matches for a day while Fei and Rico dicked around underground solving a murder mystery. Oh well, back to Battling. Joy. We’ve got three matches today, instead of the usual two. What kind of screwy bracket does this tournament even possess? Or is it just running on Fighting Game Tournament rules where it’s really one guy fighting everyone else before taking on the Champion/Sponsor/Demon behind the scenes.

Music: Stage of Death


Man, they aren’t even trying with these versus screen icons anymore. What is that thing? That is not how name cards work!


Our first match is against another Kislev Military Gear, this time with a spear. Fascinating.


Payout for the first bout: 1500G + 400G.






The second match is against the Gear equivalent of Axel from Twisted Metal. Being a giant robot wheel, this thing speeds around the arena like nobody’s business. Unfortunately for it, I seldom have seen wheels utilized in battle to great effect.


Bout Two Payout: 2000G + 500G






The final match of the day is against a stretchy armed Gear that forgot to put on its textures on properly this morning. Ah...the ‘90s, where coating something in a reflective metallic tone was socially acceptable practices. Memories.


Final payout: 2500G + 800G. Huh... 7800G for ten minutes worth of work. Not a bad payday, I have to say.

After the final match of the day...


“Victory is in reach! If you just win tomorrow's Finals League we'll have our names cleared and be released!"
"But Hammer, you know my opponent is no pushover! His power is incredible... He's been Battling Champion for three years straight! Beating him's going to be no easy task... Up till today I've managed to win somehow, but tomorrow is another matter! I doubt that I will win."
"...If that's your attitude you'll lose even if you could've won! Come on bro, show some fighting spirit!"
"...Hahaha, I didn't think you'd be the type to say something like that!"
<Yeah, laugh it up, bro. If you do not win this thing and get us a pardon, I am going to shiv you in the showers.>
"You're right! I'll never win with these pre-battle blues. Thanks Hammer! Well then, let's head back to our lodgings now."
"I'd like to be able to say 'no problem', but tomorrow's Finals League is important! Don't you think you should take care in servicing and customizing your Gear? Our fates depend on it!"
”I’d just hopped into it and fought other Gears until the broke the last seven times without servicing anything. Other than that one time I exploded, there haven’t been any problems. What’s different this time?”
“Trust me on this one, bro. You’re gonna wanna service that Gear.”
"...Gear servicing, heh? Leaving it just to one mechanic worries me a bit. I'll ask the doc to give us a hand also!"
"A bit of a worry!? That's not so Bro! This here mechanic is doing the best he can, y'know!"
"I didn't mean it that way, so don't get all upset now, Hammer! Anyway, let's go back to our barracks and call the doc, shall we!?"

Fei starts to leave...


"I suppose I should..."
”Though don’t mention the save points in regular conversation again. That always creeps me out.”

Later that evening...

Music: Jaws of Ice


"Yep. This is the best that can be obtained 'round here."
"You think I can win with these crude parts?"
"You have got a point. Compared to the Champ's Gear, the quality just does not match up."
"There's nothing we can do. Master Rico's Gear is a special make of Gear provided by the Committee. From maintenance to parts, it receives the best of everything. As long as money is involved, the Champ will go all out. That's one of the reasons he's so powerful..."
”Sellout...”

Fei jumps off Weltall...


“Hah ha ha ha ha!”
*groan* ”Argh! What now?! I can’t even do maintenance work on this Gear now without someone showing up to have a mysterious monologue?”
“As usual, you haven't learned anything have you?"
"Who's there!?"


”Do I know you...?”
“Think deeply...Fei.”


"You're the one...from the Aveh tournament..."
”What are you just skulking around every tournament I enter? That’s creepy. Stop being creepy!”
*shrugs* "What do you want? I'm busy right now!"
"Hmph. No matter how high quality your Gear may be, you won't be able to defeat him."
"Wh, what're you talking about!?"




Wiseman teleports down to the floor. He and Grahf must have studied at the same school of mysterious masked ramblers.

Music: Knight of Fire


”What’s with the boss music? I’m not going to fight you if you’re just going to stand there and dodge everything like a lamer again. I need to get to bed soon. I’ve got to fight Blanka in a Gear tomorrow.”


"Enough talk! Take this...!"




Wiseman rips a juicy fart to make his cape billow out dramatically and then fires off a volley of Hadokens into Fei’s face.


"Y, you're serious?"
"Of course! So put up a good fight! Cause if you don't your life is mine!"


Wiseman is full of shit. It doesn’t matter if Fei wins or loses this fight. It’s the same outcome either way. We can actually hit Wiseman this time around, but any blows other than Deathblows do single digit damage.




That said, charging up the AP meter to full and unleashing a huge combo on him will beat the mysterious jerk in short order, if you really feel like you’ve got something to prove.


Wiseman himself sticks to mostly just firing off a series of Hadokens...


Or else doing a diving strike for 100HP + of damage whilst declaring Fei is a wimp. Wiseman really needs to work on his putdowns.






In either case, Wiseman will one-shot Fei with the same signature attack Fei used to ruin Ramsus’ day (and in turn was also used by the Demon of Elru) to end the fight. Buckle up for a block of exposition, folks...

Music: Jaws of Ice


“It's obvious that a lighter body such as yours will always be at a disadvantage in a head-on attack. I just gave you a good example. That minor difference between you and I had this outcome. Now, someone else with a mass several times as you, like Rico, the outcome becomes highly apparent. This applies to Gears as well... Even if you were to get parts comparable to Rico's, there is still that difference in mass. To make up for this, one must commit to a single final strike that thrusts at the opponent's fissure."
”Uhh...thanks for the tip...? You couldn’t have told me that without cracking several of my ribs first?”
"I have given you the hint. It's up to you to figure it out through experience."

Wiseman begins to walk away...


“And, how do you know my name!? Tell me!"
*stops walking* "Hmph...fine."
”Tch. Be that wa—wha?! REALLY?! That actually worked?”
“I suppose I have time.”
“Huh...well, geez. I wasn’t expecting this. Everyone just usually mumbles something that barely makes sense and wanders off.”
*nods* “It was three years ag—“
“Whoa whoa whoa! Hold up a sec. Lemme get out my notepad. I wasn’t prepared for this.”


“The one who took you, in your mutilated state, to that mountain village was none other than myself."
"You're the one who brought me to Lahan!?"
"...Yes. At your father's request."
”My father? You mean my dad?”
“...Yes?”
"My father's...!? What's your relation to my father!?"
"Khan and I were fellow students."
"...Khan? Is that my father's name?"
”This story is going to be difficult to tell if you are going to interrupt each sentence with an inane question. Besides...”
"Why do you ask for your father's name? You haven't lost your...?"
"Yeah... So tell me anything you can. Will you?"
"I see... In your injured state... I wouldn't have been surprised..."
"Wiseman."


“That is your father's name. Since our youth, Khan and I studied the martial arts together..."
"Father and you...?"
"...Yes. Eventually, your father became an officer of a certain country. There he met a young woman. She was about 20 years old. Her name was 'Karen'. She was like a flower in full bloom."
"Flower...?"
"He means that she was extraordinarily beautiful."
”Oh...”
“Are you certain your memory was the only part of your brain damaged?”
"I, see. Then she's...?"
"Yes, your mother. Khan married your mother, and I left on a journey to strengthen myself."
"Then my mother? Where is my mother now?"
"You do not remember that either? ...I see.
”Seriously, I don’t remember a thing before getting dumped in Lahan. Other than kung fu...”
“...According to Khan, when you were but a child, she passed away."


"Time passed. During my journey, I received a letter from Khan. The letter said that, his son...was taken away by a man. Khan once said you had special powers. The man who wanted that power took you. That man was Grahf."
"Grahf!? He took me away!?"
"You've met him?"
”Darth Vader looking guy? Drive a black Gear. Flare for the dramatics. Really needs to consult a thesaurus for synonyms to the word ‘power’...?”
“That would be the one.”
*nods* "Yeah...three times."
"It's amazing you are still in one piece."
*shakes head* "It seemed to Grahf, that I was still not powerful enough to achieve his ultimate goal...”
”But does he have ANY idea how much grinding it would take to slay God? I mean, there aren’t enough hours in a day.”
“Anyway, let me hear more about this story."


"I agreed to Khan's request and began searching for you...and that man. Then came that one fateful night 3 years ago. There was a violent storm. The storm felt as if it was thrown at us through sheer rage. That night, Khan notified me that he had located his son. So I headed for that location, as if I was drawn to it."
*shakes head* “You and Khan were wounded badly. I have no idea what had happened between you two and Grahf. By then, Grahf had already gone. I don't know why, but probably he was driven away by Khan. Khan decided to pursue Grahf and left me to care for his son. I provided you with the necessary first aid and left you in the custody of those village people. Then I followed after Khan. You probably lost your memory when you were injured then."
"Why did my father pursue Grahf?"
*shakes head* "I do not even know. Just that he said it was not only for the sake of his son, but also for the sake of the world, that that man had to be disposed of... He added that if something were to happen to him, I would have to take care of the rest... I haven't seen or heard from him since."


"Hmmm... If Grahf has been appearing in your presence...then that is a possibility... That is truly unfortunate... Do you remember anything about your fighting techniques?"
"Huh? No...nothing..."
”Well, I mean other than how to use ‘em to punch the crap out of people...sometimes. Been kinda hit or miss lately, to be honest.”
"Hmmm, your fighting skills were probably taught to you by Khan. Khan and I both studied under the same master. That is why my techniques are similar to yours."


"To where?"
"I will go find him. I need to pinpoint what his intentions are."
”I hear he’s a seeker of POWER. So uhh...good luck with that?”
"...And also, for Khan's sake."
"Just tell me one thing. What country was my father an officer for?"
"Are you going there?"
"I don't know. There are other things I have to take care of..."
”Like the bomb on my neck that will make my head explode if I leave the city... Kinda a priority at the moment.”
"Yes. The floating land which tries to hide behind a wall, protected, as if to conceal their failure. That is Shevat. That is your father's country."


”I thought you were gonna say Solaris. What the HELL is a Shevat?! How the heck many floating countries are there up in the sky?!”
"Farewell."
"Hey!"


And with that, Wiseman phases out of existence until the next fighting tournament Fei enters.


“Is this the second time you have met him?"
"Huh? ...Yeah. Since that tournament in Aveh. He sure is a mysterious person..."


“But I think I get the general idea. I might be able to do something in tomorrow's final round...”
“I've only known you since you arrived here!”
“The differences in the performance of the Gear parts are not going to influence the outcome...”
“What is this Aveh tournament?"
“...Well, not as much as I thought before."
"What is going on!!"
"Never underestimate the situation. You might lose pretty badly if you think you can just win by getting a grasp of the concept."
”Hello?! Is anyone listening?! What the HELL was all that about just now?! Bro?!”
"I know, doc."
"Well, let us return to our quarters and rest, Fei... Your fate lies in the outcome of tomorrow's competition. You need to preserve your strength."
”GAAAH!”
“What is it, Hammer?”
“Teleporting masked guy?! The hell, bro?!”
“It’s just some mysterious masked guy I fought at the finals of the Aveh Martial Arts Tournament in Bledavik while trying to distract the crowds so the deposed Prince Fatima could rescue the Holy Mother of Nisan from the Prime Minister of Aveh’s clutches.”
“...Oh, is that all?”
“Yea. No sweat. This kinda stuff just happens to me a lot lately. Well, whatever. Time to hit the hay...”
“...”










Kislev Gear Concept Art