Nisha's Story: Rust

Chapter 4: VS Quiahuitl

Sep 14, 2023

Open on Grand Festival Hub

Nisha and Walakea on screen.

Walakea: Are you sure you’re prepared?

Nisha: I’ve prepared what to say to Hákon. And Tetlacatl seems to have already planned every step of the battle with Quiahuitl. I’m starting to think he should have taken part in the tournament himself.

Walakea: You can rehearse lines in an empty room, but to face someone and say them are different.

Nisha: Why are you so opposed to me dropping out of the tournament when you openly regretted my participation?

Walakea: Dropping out is different from not participating at all. When you win this battle, you’ll be in the semi-finals. And your opponent there could be Hákon himself, with myself on the other side of the round.

Nisha: Then those battles can be arranged some other time.

Walakea: You still don’t understand the tournament, do you? It’s your decision however, even if I think this one is unusually hasty for you.

Nisha: You’ve always had issue with all my contemplation, but maybe you simply enjoy being contrary.

Walakea: I do enjoy arguing, but that’s beside the point. Regardless of what happens afterwards, I hope you win this next battle.

Nisha: So do I.

Exploration Start

You’ll need to jump up on some slanted platforms as you make your way to the next battle. You might want to take this time to see how some of your moves interact with uneven terrain. Finding all the NPCs to talk to requires going a little out of your way as well, but it isn’t hard.

Bitter Lunan Noble: Please let Quiahuitl lose this round, it’s bad enough she beat the king.

Loyal Xilian Soldier Things have definitely changed under her reign, but Our Revered Lady Quiahuitl united the whole region and made us stronger. I hope she takes the whole thing.

Awestruck Dravalan Noble I knew she was powerful as a dragon, but seeing Nisha fight makes it even more clear. Even if she’s not really on our side, I hope she wins the whole thing.

Approach Tetlacatl to start the next fight.

Exploration End

Tetlacatl: I’ve made extensive prayers to every god I can learn of for Quiahuitl’s loss. I’m sure she only made it this far to lose to you.

Nisha: I hope so. The gods being against me is the only way I can imagine losing to the likes of her. Either way this will finally be over.

Transition to Burned Grove

The stage is set on a small pyramid in a grove, fighters can duke it out on the pyramid’s flat top, or go down the steps to the forest floor, where you’ll quickly run into the trees that serve as the stage’s walls.

In the background are burnt trees, giving the stage its name. A statue of a female talpman stands in the background on the top of the pyramid.

Nisha and Quiahuitl are standing at the top of the pyramid.

Nisha: So we finally meet. Of course despite that, I’m aware you already hate me.

Quiahuitl: Those are my words as well. At the very least, that druid of yours hates me and seeks to undermine my empire, so I had to counter your assault.

Nisha: Tetlacatl hates you and your regime, but that doesn’t mean we’re trying to sabotage the empire, only your erasure of history. If you accepted the past for what it is, we wouldn’t have this conflict.

Quiahuitl: Why does a dragon like you care so much for the past? You were born from the heavens themselves, you have no right to talk about legacy or history as though you have anything to do with it.

Nisha: It’s true I have no inheritance, no birthright, nothing that was passed down to me. I envy what you mortals have. Which is why I refuse to tolerate someone like you who throws it away.

Nisha: Literacy is a power that transcends time. To butcher historical records is the same as destroying your own ancestors. Someone like you doesn’t deserve to have ancestors in the first place.

Quiahuitl: This conversation is over.

Battle Start

Time to start thinking with angles, because this stage is defined by the staircases of the pyramid. Your chandelier traps become both more and less oppressive depending on if the opponent has the high or low ground, they can mess with jumps from the low ground and be easily leapt over a higher part of the stage. Projectiles like your cube will automatically go with the slant.

Quiahuitl’s own gimmick is that she has a rubber ball projectile that can be bounced back at her with any attack. You can rally it back and forth, which increases the damage it does if it connects with someone, so be aware that this carries some notable risk. If you don’t want to engage with the rallies just try to block the ball.

Aside from that Quiahuitl is also good at getting in your face and keeping up constant aggression. You’ll want to keep her at a distance, don’t let yourself be cornered. If you can push her to lower elevation than your own it will be easier to keep her at bay. You can try baiting her down the stairs and slipping past her or just go for old fashioned pressure.

Now it’s time to start worrying about the super moves your opponent can do too. Both of Quiahuitl’s revolve around her ball mechanics, Fourfold Strike lets her throw out a ball with power equal to a four hit rally on her normal one, Rubber Rain on the other hand sends out four at once to overwhelm you.

For countering Rubber Rain you need to remain calm and focus on defense, once they hit the ground twice in a row the balls will vanish. Fourfold Strike can be bounced back, but the risk and reward is even higher, you can win faster off a rally, and win more consistently by blocking it.

When it comes to your own super moves Metal Rain will strike the highest part of the stage first, so keep that in mind before using it. The changes in elevation can be manipulated to make it easier to dodge by going to the top after it’s already been hit, but you can make that part of your plan.

Armory Assault remains a good option for solid damage if you can count on it hitting, it interacts with slopes like a projectile so watch your footing before using it. Most of this battle comes down to judging risk and reward, so it’s up to you to decide which risks to take. Regardless this will be difficult, but once you get a feel for the stage victory should be yours.

Battle End

Nisha and Quiahuitl are back to round start positions.

Quiahuitl: No! I can’t lose to some self righteous history obsessed librarian.

Nisha: You did. And I’m the one who will be writing the books that determine how the future looks back on this moment.

Quiahuitl: At least I have more than three others of my kind.

Nisha walks away.

Transition to Grand Festival Hub

Nisha walks on screen, Walakea snd Tetlacatl are waiting for her.

Tetlacatl: I’m as proud of this victory as if it were my own. Even if you drop out now, you’ve developed some solid fighting skills.

Nisha: Thank you. I’m looking forward to the fighting being over.

Hákon walks on screen.

Hákon: You’ve done great getting this far Nisha.

Hákon: It looks like we’ll be facing each other in the semi-finals, I’m looking forward to it. With how things got so complicated in the earlier rounds it’s going to be great to have some simple fun.

Nisha: Regarding that…

Hákon: What?

Nisha: It’s nothing. I’ll see you in the semi-finals.

Hákon walks away.

Tetlacatl: So you’ve changed your mind.

Walakea: I assume you’re glad you didn’t put your plan to drop out in writing now.

Nisha: Please don’t get smug about this.

Walakea: I’m smug about the shortcomings of writing, not about you changing your mind. How do you feel about your decision now?

Nisha: Things aren’t simple with Hákon, but I didn’t want to disappoint him. There are only so many dragons in the world. Perhaps facing him will let me understand what he sees in this tournament.

Tetlacatl: Either way, you’ve come so far now that you may as well see how far you can go.

Tetlacatl: Also, it’s not improbable now that you and Walakea could face each other in the grand finals. I’ll be rooting for you in that case, and either way I’ll win the title of best husband for not fighting you.

Walakea: Now I see, that must be why you didn’t sign up for the tournament, you schemer.

Nisha: Not this nonsense again.

Nisha: (Though now I am curious. What would it be like to face Walakea?)

Chapter END

Note from the Author: “Literacy is a power that transcends time” is a good way of summing up Nisha’s overall beliefs, one of those lines where you’ll likely see similar sentiments in any Nisha centric narrative. So I’m happy with this chapter for having that scene.

Optional Discussion Prompt: What did you think of Nisha and Quiahuitl’s argument?

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