Nue Quest 8 - Pagan: A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

> Is he in swinging range yet?
> "Your actions have instilled in Gensokyo confusion, worry, anger, and violence. My actions have organized the reversal of your actions and the restoration of order. Gensokyo will fall all over itself to thank me for saving them from chaos. They will fall in line behind me. As they all should."
> Narrow eyes.
> "And if any strike back at me for stopping your nonsense, they will meet a similar fate."

>You could easily strike him now.
>He frowns. "Why would they fall behind you?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Because I have saved them from the confusion and chaos you have caused. Because I am their savior. I traversed continents and put myself at personal risk for the sake of stopping you. They will know this, and they will be grateful."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Because I have saved them from the confusion and chaos you have caused. Because I am their savior. I traversed continents and put myself at personal risk for the sake of stopping you. They will know this, and they will be grateful."

>"And how much greater will their appreciation be when they've see what I've given them," says Rinnosuke.
>Crush him.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Hold the sword behind us in a position where we are ready to swing it.
> "All you will give them is a satisfying corpse."

[Hello Purvis]

> Hold the sword behind us in a position where we are ready to swing it.
> "All you will give them is a satisfying corpse."

>You raise the sword, and Rinnosuke's eyes follow it for a moment, before returning to you.
>"Are you certain you can afford what that will cost you?" he says.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I am sure you should be worrying about yourself right now, instead of concerning yourself with me."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I am sure you should be worrying about yourself right now, instead of concerning yourself with me."

>"I am doing both, I assure you," he says.
>His arrogance can no longer be tolerated. Strike him down.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> No. We will strike him, but not kill him. Not yet. A quick death does not make the same example that humiliation and a spirit-crushing slow death does.
> Swing the sword flat-wise at the side of his torso, so the sword will smash into him rather than slice him.

[Hello Purvis]

> No. We will strike him, but not kill him. Not yet. A quick death does not make the same example that humiliation and a spirit-crushing slow death does.
> Swing the sword flat-wise at the side of his torso, so the sword will smash into him rather than slice him.

>You make your declaration, and feel that this is fine.
>You strike him with the flat part of the blade, causing Rinnosuke to stagger back. He gives a grunt, moving a hand to massage the afflicted area.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Pull the sword back into a ready-to-swing position again, and swing the flat of the blade against his other side.

[Hello Purvis]

> Pull the sword back into a ready-to-swing position again, and swing the flat of the blade against his other side.

>You draw the weapon back, then strike at his other side. Rinnosuke stumbles away as you do, and the tip of your weapon just misses, tearing through a bit of his clothing.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Dash forward a couple of steps toward Rinnosuke and, now that the sword has been swung back on our right (presumably), swing the flat of the blade at the first side we hit.

[Hello Purvis]

> Dash forward a couple of steps toward Rinnosuke and, now that the sword has been swung back on our right (presumably), swing the flat of the blade at the first side we hit.

>You close in and strike him again, this time catching his hand covering his side, and drawing a cry from his lips.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Is this all you have to offer in defense? Or do you plan to yield and obey like you should?"
> Pull the sword back into another ready-to-swing stance while talking.

[Hello Purvis]

> "Is this all you have to offer in defense? Or do you plan to yield and obey like you should?"
> Pull the sword back into another ready-to-swing stance while talking.

>"Is how you plan to stop me?" he says.
>He is planning something. You can feel it.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> He must be planning to get in our head again, like he did in his basement earlier today.
> "If you truly believe this will fail, then perhaps you should stay still and let yourself be maimed."

[Hello Purvis]

> He must be planning to get in our head again, like he did in his basement earlier today.
> "If you truly believe this will fail, then perhaps you should stay still and let yourself be maimed."

>"Who's running?" he says.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Swing the flat of the blade against the side we missed the first time around.

[Hello Purvis]

> Swing the flat of the blade against the side we missed the first time around.

>You strike him again, this time connecting with his side, and drawing another grunt. You can feel...something closing around you,
>"I told you," he says, giving you a hot glare, "You cannot afford that!"
>A fierce ache suddenly explodes in your sides and left hand, nearly causing you to drop your umbrella in surprise.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Something? Can we tell anything about what this something is?

[Hello Purvis]

> Something? Can we tell anything about what this something is?

>You are certain it was him.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> It must have been him, but how did he do it?
> Sword entity! Could you tell what just happened?

[Hello Purvis]

> It must have been him, but how did he do it?
> Sword entity! Could you tell what just happened?

>You imagine it was something involving this strange perversion of faith.
>You ask the entity for its viewpoint. It does not know how Rinnosuke did what he did, nor does it care.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> His faith in equivalent exchange. How dare he not know his place and consider himself equal to us?!

[Hello Purvis]

> His faith in equivalent exchange. How dare he not know his place and consider himself equal to us?!

>You believe this may be the case.
>Crush him.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> How does he appear to be faring in the place where we just hit him?

[Hello Purvis]

> How does he appear to be faring in the place where we just hit him?

>He does not seem be particularly bothered by it; he has stopped clutching his side as well.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

Okay, I'm suddenly thinking releasing the sword entity might not be such a bad idea.

> That's it. He gave his pain to us.
> And we allowed ourselves to take it? That is unacceptable. We must resist and refuse all his efforts to give his pain away.

[Hello Purvis]

> That's it. He gave his pain to us.
> And we allowed ourselves to take it? That is unacceptable. We must resist and refuse all his efforts to give his pain away.

>You decide to resist his efforts. But seems to have already been done.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> That is fine. We now know what he does; we will likely have to resist when his 'something' tries to interfere with us again.
> Entity! I know you do not know or care how this insolent does what he does. But as long as he keeps transferring his pain, he will continue to go unpunished, and continue to spit in our face. When he tries it again, help me rebuke his efforts! Help me force him to experience his own pain!