act9mini

卡西米尔1.5-3

Fifteen knights, fifteen chances to take first prize!

Who's the Knight tonight?! Who are you betting on?! And who's going to walk out of the bloodbath with a handful of gold? Who'll stride through the storm to win our admiration?!

We're ten minutes away from the official start of the match! Don't miss this chance to get filthy rich overnight! You'd only end up kicking yourself! Now let's witness the birth of a rising star!

What's your name?

Do you need something?

C'mon, drop the act for a minute. It's not every day you see a Zalak knight around here, so I'm just popping over to say hi, that's all.

Nervous?

Are you... Infected too?

I mean, who wouldn't be? Only Infected would fight a match like this... our lives are a goddamned game here.

What'cha staring at me for? Spooky.

It's just... you seem a little... familiar.

Mmm? Trying to cozy up to me?

No. Maybe you're right about Zalak knights... being pretty uncommon.

Well, since life's bundled us together, how about we team up?

Huh?

Quit playing around. I'm in this to—

To give the knight nobility a little hands-on knock-knock?

...How do you...

Got it in your eyes.

It's too obvious. There's disdain, there's anger, and they've been your bywords for a little too long—those couple of bigshot knights up in the stands, they're beginning to notice you, y'know?

This place isn't worth that.

Don't jump to conclusions, okay... take a look around. What are the different kinds of Infected knights around here?

Some bought up by the big shots as a little gambling pastime. There's a share in it for them if they make it, and if they lose, hoo boy, let's not get into that.

Of course, you've got some anonymous nobodies, thirsty for a real-ass high-riding knight or some merchant to pick them out. Thirsty to become... a tool.

They've got no other way. Infected never get any other way.

What are you getting at?

C'mon. Let's team up, okay?

Your chances in a melee, see, they're always better with a little personal alliancing, y'know?

So why do you want to win, then? For the prize money?

No. Because I can't let anyone else win.

—The hell.

There's something going on behind this match. A couple Infected... I'm not too sure yet, but my worry's they've 'settled on it,' so to speak.

They've decided to trample the others, haul themselves on up, for better odds of survival.

The only real choice, right? Too real for plenty here to not be thinking it.

—That's why I can't let them win. If someone wins, someone loses. Big whoop. But if someone's living, then... someone's dying.

A vague sense of justice isn't gonna win you much trust.

But—sure. Right now is make-or-break for Knights Association approval...

I'm in. Zalak and Zalak. Beats teaming with some rando any day.

Eh? For real?

If you just came over to screw with me, then I'm gonna start with you.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, no, I'm real. Let's take this melee together, Ashley.

Greynuty Kaliska.

...Kaliska...?

Joke of a surname. Just pretend you don't know, even if you've heard it before.

Now! Let's welcome—

You can call me Sona, Ashley.

...Sona.

Mmm? What's up?

Back then, at the end, you took my points out of nowhere, didn't you?

...Ahaha... Ashley, c'mon... that was, uh...

C'mon, are you still not over that?

Don't you think I might be a little stuck on it?

Well...

But not because you stole the crown from me.

Uh...

You said you couldn't let anyone else win... and I was just the same.

Urgh!

What are you overreacting for? We'd only just met then. It's normal not to trust.

No, well... uh... actually, yeah...

Look, weren't we going to see how the Infected ghetto was doing? Let's move.

Allow me! To come up with an excuse! To restore our bonds of Knightclub trust—!

Since when were we in a Knightclub?!

...Heh.

Since sooner or later, Ashley.

You mean... that Knightclub for Infected?

Pinus Sylvestris.

I came from around Victoria, if you're curious. Plenty of that sort of pine tree around, back when I was young. These days they're long gone, though.

...Pinus sylvestris? Pinus... sylvestris...

You were one of those Zalaks who got hit by that Catastrophe?! You got left for dead by the knights too—the Kaliskas abandoned you...

Let it go, Ashley. It's bygone stuff.

But... then your infection was... my family's fault?

Didn'tcha already break from your family? They don't count as family anymore, then.

You're not feeling any guilt for me, not on my watch. Oh, right, weren't you just talking about how I stole your championship?

We're even.

So you're... 'Flametail' Sona?

You know me, then.

Haha, not many Infected around who win knight titles. I know them all.

So Pinus Sylvestris is led by the one and only 'Flametail' Sona... that puts me at ease, then.

You look after those kids?

I do. Er, but I only took them in... and a couple of them aren't Infected, actually. I was gonna send them to an aid station somewhere.

So I can't come along for the ride. Sorry, Flametail.

Can I get your name, at least?

...Jamie. Call me Jamie.

Jamie, then. You said you know a couple Infected knights?

Every Infected keeping up the independent fight is an ally in waiting.

I remember one making a big splash lately... a Liberi, a sniper.

You're right, and there's a Kuranta... she's 'Leader' to a couple Infected knights, and to others, 'Wild Mane.'

...*Spit*.

Yo, Iwona. Tired?

Hey there, Sona.

You, uh... seem pretty smooth rolling, still. Strong stuff.

Not really. Just... always gotta keep up some of the lax act.

You tired too? Didn't know you felt it. Figured you were always like that, on the forward march.

Ahaha...

Hah. That proves you trust me, though. Looking that beat in front of me.

So, this, uh... Armorless Union biz. How do we deal with 'em?

Do everything we can to keep them from knowing where exactly the Infected are settled.

So long as they hide in the city, an Infected's got nowhere to go.

We'll get found sooner or later, Sona. This isn't gonna solve anything.