One Down, Two to Go

The battle doesn't let up for a minute. Pimpington has become a brawler with a mix of long-distance attacks thrown in for good measure. When he isn't up in Sam's face swiping at her with his claws, hooves, or vines, he's turning his attention to Meri to rain down more of the same.

Zutiria remains in the back row, keeping herself on her feet by leaning precariously on her staff.

Every second of the fight, Pimpington's anger to rises to more and more depraved heights. Gone is the calm and collected warrior the three narrowly defeated. All that remains is a haggard, pitiful powerhouse. He possesses a superficial likeness- nothing more.

The vines wrapped around his legs unfurl. Thoughts rush through my mind about what he could possibly be doing with them, but then Pimpington starts kicking and cracking the vine whips with his feet.

He does this in tandem with the vines held in his wrists, Pimpington unleashes a whirlwind of attacks with four vines all at once. Sam starts getting pushed to her limits, trying her best to avoid every single strike but failing once every few hits. Her brown gambeson begins to tear wherever his vines shred, revealing glimpses of her tender, bleeding skin hidden beneath.

Meri is faring even worse since she can't move from her spot. The Shield Maiden is stuck idling behind her tower shield, taking in all the relentless vine attacks. Worse than that, it's not as if she can reflect them- it would only destroy the vines and not go near the pimp.

I order Sam to slice through the plant matter, but it only causes Pimpington to chuckle and regrow them in a heartbeat. We're making no headway other than making him use his stamina at a rapid pace. The monstrous form of Pimpington is dripping with sweat. His once sharp, determined eyes have become tired, distant, yet somehow still focused in their rage.

"This isn't working, nyaa...!" Peri bites her lip.

"Maybe Mistress Zutiria can do some more stuff? She still has a good chunk of mana left." Cherry points towards the Mage's Taskmaster screen.

"Zutiria, are you alright?" I ask, despite knowing the answer.

'Not really,' She hasn't been hit by a single attack this whole dungeon, yet Zutiria looks like she's in the worst condition of the three adventurers by a long shot. 'What do you need me to do?'

"I... don't know," I admit to myself aloud.

'I'm going to collapse if I do any more spellcasting. I'd prefer if you let things play out and have my last bit of mana go towards an emergency.'

I frown and lean over the desk in a defeated manner. Snow begins to rub my back, saying, "Tell the girls to keep drawing out the fight. Pimpington can't keep this up forever, nyaa."

I relay Snow's instructions with a nod of my head and get a suspicious reaction from the girls. Neither can talk on account of being under siege from the boss monster, but they don't seem very thrilled that their best bet is to keep stalling.

Unfortunately, this strategy doesn't hold out long. Pimpington grows irritated at the turtling Meri and the evasive Princess. "I know what y'all are trying to do! Y'all think ya can just wait me out till I'm tired, huh? Well, good news, bitches! This pimp can go even HARDER!"

At a high cost to himself, Pimpington raises his hands and lashes out. His vines begin to glow with his energy and they wrap themselves around Sam and Meri tight as they can. Using this, he lifts Sam into the air.

The blonde warrior struggles and tries hacking at the vines, but finds she can't move her arms. The plants constrict her tighter still, and the Princess drops her heavy blade while ascending into the sky. A titanic sound of metal on metal echoes out as it hits the golden floor.

Meri's magical cleats prevent her from being lifted up along with Sam, but Pimpington doesn't know that. "Keep it up, d-dummy! You can pull all day, and I won't budge!"

He struggles and groans, trying unreasonably hard to lift the young adventurer. Eventually, he gives up, but a wicked smile grows on his face. "A pimp can work with this,"

Pimpington begins swinging Sam around in the air at mortifying speed. It isn't long until his intention becomes clear. The crazy fucking bastard is going to launch Her Highness straight at Meri...!

"Holy FUCK, I'm gonna throw the hell up!!" Sam warns everyone as she gets twirled like a fully extended yoyo.

"Does this count as an emergency, Zutiria?"

'I'm on it...' The Mage yawns, struggling to keep her eyes open.

As Sam fights a losing battle to keep her jerky in her stomach where it belongs, Pimpington throws the Princess towards her shielded party member with everything he's got.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Meri mumbles as Sam hurtles right at her like a speeding arrow tearing through the wind.

Sam covers her face in mid-air with her gauntlets, screaming, "ZUZU, HELP A BITCH OUUUUUT-"

Zutiria raises her staff and mutters, "Clou... clou... tr..." before Pimpington raises one of his feet and kicks out the vine whip towards the Black Mage, hitting her square in the chest. For the first time, she takes the brunt of an attack and is slammed into the nearest golden wall.

The kitties gasp, and my glasses nearly fall straight off of my face. The worst-case scenario occurs; Sam collides with Meri's shield face-first. Both girls scream from the sudden damage as Pimpington stands triumphantly over them, sneering and basking in his small victory.

"Everyone, get your Returners out! Warp back here, NOW!" I scream in a panic. Completing the quest becomes a distant memory in my mind as the safety of my girls takes on its rightful place as my sole priority.

Before they can respond to my orders, the monster kicks them across the room- even Meri. Apparently, the pain distracted her so much that it dislodged her cleats from the ground. She and Sam tumble twenty feet violently into the distance.

Everyone's health bars have reached a terrifying low, especially Zutiria, who took on a full strike while wearing little armor. As I continually play with ideas and strategies in my head to make it out of this deadly situation, Zutiria rises to her feet.

"Zutiria, can you get in close enough to use Returners?"

'We don't need them.'

"...What?"

'Sam, Meri, use the last bits of your health potions when you get the chance.' As she speaks, the pimp rears his head towards the Mage, noticing her and disliking the fact that she's not been dealt with.

"Shit, I coulda sworn one-hit woulda been enough for a runt like you, ya dig? No matter, easy enough fix for that." The monster raises his right hand once more, attacking with the vine whip.

"ALLENTROPY," Zutiria slams her staff against the ground. Her voice is distorted, sounding less like the Mage I fell in love with and more like a corrupted mockery of the soft-spoken prodigy. By her will, the world becomes an authentic, frightening dark so deep and black that calling it 'black' is almost an insult to the purity of this void. It is the ultimate absence, and even for myself, it's hard to look at.

"Oh n-no, nyaa... not this stuff again...!" Peri whines and ducks out of the way, hiding underneath Cherry's skirt. Cherry blushes but allows her friend this simple comfort if it helps her.

The darkness begins to infect the heart and mind of Zutiria's enemy. Before it can hit her, his whip flops uselessly to the ground, and soon after so does he. Pimpington falls to his knees, and he grasps his head in his shivering hands. "What... what the fuck is this shit?! Why do I feel this way?! Stop it... STOP IT!! I KNOW I MADE MISTAKES, GODS DAMN IT! MAYBE IF MY STUPID FAMILY DIDN'T PUT SO MUCH STOCK IN-"

"Shadoette," the Mage utters. That's the same spell she used to cut off his tail. But her mana meter is already basically empty- how is she doing this? Right as I think that, I notice something odd- her skin is gradually becoming a black, misty void that swirls about endlessly in the shade.

Zutiria raises a hand of darkness and from out of the despondent monster's shadow rises an identical clone made of the same ephemeral blackness. 'Allentropy allows me to remake the world around me in darkness. By allowing some of it inside me, I'm able to cast many dark spells easier and at a significantly lower mana cost.'

My mouth opens while comprehending the effects of such a powerful spell. "That... doesn't sound too good. Are you going to be alright?"

'I'll be fine,' She orders the shadow pimp to wrap its own vine whips around the true Pimpington's neck. It begins to strangle him, and he gasps at the sudden onset of pain and suffering. 'Darkness is nothing- harmless, by itself, really. It's what lies in the dark that should be feared. I'm definitely going to be out cold for a day or four after this, though...'

I watch as Sam and Meri struggle to get up off the ground. They link hands and rise, only to look on in horror to see Zutiria back at it again with the evil magic shenanigans. Following her advice, they both drink what I believe is the last health potions they have in stock.

Zutiria's parade of violence continues as the darkness of the room coalesces on Pimpington. It creeps up his form from every conceivable angle, coating his furred legs and his tattooed skin, much to his horror. He tries to shout no, but the shadow pimp only strangles him harder the more he struggles.

Now, every part of his body is covered in an inky void beside his neck and face. The light starts to fade from his eyes, and it won't be long till she's knocked him out.

But before it can happen, Zutiria falls to her knees and begins vomiting darkness.

"Zutiria, no! Just a little more...!"

'I'm... try... ing...' She clenches her mouth shut and raises her hand, blackness trickling out of the gaps in her teeth. The petite Mage clutches her hand towards him, making a painful squeezing gesture. She squeezes her hand so tight that her nails pierce her own skin. Blackness falls out of the wound, too. Not a drop of blood in sight.

Zutiria uses everything she has and then some in her effort to make the encroaching shadows swallow up Pimpington whole, but she can't do it. She falls facedown on the ground in a pool of her own magical blackness. 'I'm sorry, Sir... I... did what... I... could...'

The Mage shuts her eyes and falls unconscious.

"DAMN IT!" I stand up and pound my fist on the desk much, much louder than I planned. It freaks the kittens out, and Peri jumps out of Cherry's skirt.

Zutiria's magic is undone. The shadow pimp falls back into Pimpington's shadow like water going down a drain. Soon, the stain of dark leaves his body completely. The large, looming boss monster looks much worse for wear even as the light returns to the golden chamber.

His skin is blue and cold, his eyes glossed over with haze. It almost looks like the monster aged a decade in the minute, or two Zutiria's spell overtook him. Sadly, it does not last. The light restores his color, and his eyes flicker with awareness not long after.

He gasps for air and holds himself, shivering. "F-F-F-FUCKING DARK M-M-M-MAGIC, I-I said I hate that shit, didn't I?! Fuck!" I grit my teeth upon hearing that. Our only source of dealing dark elemental damage is out cold. "That 'lil sassy-ass bitch needs to go before she gets up again... Sorry, Master, say your goodbyes now."

Pimpington stands and stomps his way towards Zutiria but is stopped by a combo maneuver from the two warriors. Sam, now fully healed, grabs Meri by her midsection. The Princess spins about in place, gathering momentum to throw the young brunette as hard as she can. "Stay away from Zuzu, you creep!" Sam shouts as she tosses her Guildmate.

Meri's energy coats her shield as she prepares herself for a mighty shield bash aimed right at the back of Pimpington's head. It connects, and the meaty impact smashes off his left horn. "Got him!" She explains. Again he cries out in pain after Meri jumps off him and falls down to the ground.

Sam is there to catch her, and miraculously, the shameless flirt manages to pick Meri up in perfect bridal position. The blonde girl teasingly licks her lips. She leans into Meri's face, asking, "Hey, sugar tits. You come here often?"

"S-S-Sam!! Now is NOT the time...! A-And, please come up with something cuter than 'sugar tits', next t-time!" She blushes and pushes Sam's face away.

"How about 'chubby bunny'? Your bow kinda makes you look like a-"

"T-T-T-THAT'S EVEN WORSE!" Meri's face gets even redder. I'm with her. I personally think Meri's bow makes her look decidedly puppy dog-like, not bunny-like ... but that's beside the point.

Peri is giggling on the pet bed, but Snow and Cherry continue to take the situation seriously.

"She's right, Sam. Save the flirting for later- Zutiria is knocked out. You need to get over there and use a Returner on her straight away."

"W-Wait... really?!" Sam's face goes white as a sheet, and she plops the Shield Maiden onto her feet. "Zuzu!" She cries as she races across the room.

Pimpington is still reeling in pain, so she runs right by him before reaching the sleeping Mage. "Fucking hell," Sam bites her lip, her eyes on the verge of crying. "Can we do this without her, Boss...?"

A pair of cat eyes on my left glares at me, just as eager to hear my answer as Sam is.

"Princess, I don't know... logically, my brain says this could go a hundred different ways. But if you ask me what I believe, that's another story. I am so pumped full of adrenaline from watching the ups and downs of this battle that all I can say is, yes. Yes, you fucking can. Send Zutiria back home and get back in there, understood?! You too, Meri."

Sam ends up smirking at my words. "That's what I wanted to hear," she says.

"Me too, I won't let you down...!" Meri pumps her fist to fire herself up.

Sam pulls out a returner from her bag and throws it at the ground towards the unconscious Mage. The Return Gate activates in the other room. "Peri, Cherry, take her upstairs and help her drink one of the health potions in her pouch. It won't wake her up, but she needs it."

Both kitties stand up and rush to help their magical, injured, Mistress. I grab Peri by the hand before she goes. "When you're done, you can have a third of one of her potions, Peri."

The blue-haired Catfolk blushes and smiles, reaching back to her bruised and beaten cheeks to rub with her other paw. "T-Thank you, Myaster..."

Snow frowns like she doesn't like her authority being superseded but quickly returns her focus on the Taskmaster screens. I join her and see that Pimpington has returned to his feet, now more determined and angry than ever before. "Ya just lost, Master," He grins. "Ya think two brats can beat me all on their own, huh?"

"When you're in such a sorry state? Yes, I do." I lie. "But if you were actually able to make use of your skillset instead of pretending to be something you're not, then we might actually have a problem here. You're weaker like this, Chasteworthe."

"SHUT! UP!" His anger erupts forth like a volcano. "Percival Chasteworthe died ten years ago! Now, the only thing that remains-"

"Is a monster wearing his shell. Adventurers hunt down monsters like you. So if you're going to forsake everything that made you who you are and fight like a wild animal-"

"T-Then, we'll be happy to put you down like one!" Meri taunts the monster, her face becoming more determined by the second.

Sam steps in and rears her sword, pointing it at the pimp-beast. "What do you think we should send the Association as proof of kill, Boss? His dick?" She sniggers to herself.

"DON'T YOU DARE MENTION THE GODS-DAMNED ASSOCIATION OF ADVENTURERS! YOU DON'T KNOW ME, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DID TO ME! IF I BECAME A MONSTER THEN, IT'S ONLY BECAUSE THEY MADE ME THIS WAY!" Pimpington loses any semblance of humanity as he charges brutally at Sam, drool trickling out the corners of his crazed mouth.

There's not much more left... Snow takes me by the hand and holds me tight. I squeeze her soft, fluffy paw and clench my teeth. She shuts her eyes from anxiety, muttering, "Myaster... why are you saying these things...? It's almost like... you're trying to help him..."

"...I was lying, Snow."

"Nyaa?"

"Throughout the dungeon... I was more interested in his personal story than I let on."

She watches me with her striking yellow eyes before giving me an aloof smile. "You like to act tough and pretend it's all about the mission, yet... you really are a good person, aren't you?"

"No. If we couldn't complete the mission, I would definitely have pulled out and abandoned your girls. It's just that... someone very important to me told me that Guilds are meant to help people in need. If that's true, then Guild Masters should-"

Right as Sam dodges out of the charging monster's way and slashes at his arm, Snow makes the choice to kiss me. Her full, round lips press against mine, and my eyes open wide when she slips her warm, wet tongue inside my mouth. Peri was telling the truth- a Catfolk's tongue is slightly textured, but it's just as soft, sultry, and sensual as any other woman's.