Johnnie
*Mevis and Hitoshi wouldn't 'want that?' What did this woman, Katherine Vayne, know about what they wanted? Of course Artoria knew that they didn't want her to continue her path or arson; she was experiencing the consequences of it all right now! The image of Mevis's charred body, burnt almost to a complete crisp, still remained in her minds' eye even after all these months. If he'd died there, Artoria would never have forgiven herself, even though she knew it was because of an accident.*

*And she said that she'd SAVED the kitsune before? It was one thing to insult Mevis and Hitoshi by patronizing them and claiming to know what they want, even though she doesn't have the slightest clue on the matter. It was another thing entirely for a nameless stranger to claim that she had 'saved' Artoria once before - that was an insult directly to the fox. She'd never need saving in her life. She was the one people needed saving FROM. If what she said was true, she was saving others by trying to strike Artoria down... A fools' errand at best.*

*Seeing Katherine swing her blade down, Artoria was able to sidestep away with ease, dodging the fiery blade as Katherine rushed towards her position. She scowled, using her other hand to conjure a light brown ball, bits and pieces of earthy material swirling around it. As Katherine charged towards Artoria, she would fire the ball right towards her center, hoping it would impact her because of the distance between the two. Though, as an extra precaution, she would also jump back a bit after she did so.*

"You think YOU know what they want? Don't even get me started. You know close to nothing."
Jose
*The blazing blade cleaves straight through the earthen sphere, and she charges yet again, in a downward diagonal slash from left to right.*

"That's because I know them! I've done jobs with them, and with you! We took down a wight, the four of us. You met up again by chance, you had already started to go down the path."

"On that job, you nearly died. Syele. Remember her? She was there. A crossbow bolt to the neck, turned you into a vampire. Remember that? Waking up, finding your skin is cold and clammy, sunlight burning your skin and searing your eyes, even the mildest of foods ruining your stomach. I dragged you out of there. Hitoshi...*She*, now, saved me. Fucking saved my life after I was attacked by a Red Oni. With enough strength to crush a helmet in his hand."

*Katherine begins to launch an onslaught of strikes, alternating from right to left, all diagonal and downward. Her sabatons begin to glow a pale blue as her footwork seems to increase in speed.*
Johnnie
*Seeing the sphere be cut into two by Katherine's sword, Artoria had to back off even more as Katherine continued to advance on her position. She needed to create some distance between the two, otherwise she'd be put on the spot.*

*As to what Katherine said? Artoria definitely recalled that one job with Syele and another person. It was the one where they had to raid an underground guild encampment to rescue some captured kitsune slaves, yet it was also the one where she'd been shot in the neck by a vampiric bolt which forced her transformation into a vampire. The kitsune, however, hadn't recalled someone like this ever fighting alongside her. All that shit about the symptoms of a vampire, too? That's just common knowledge.*

*The news about Hitoshi, however, was a bit surprising. Red Onis, to Artoria, were just stupid brutes that knew nothing other than sword swinging and combat. She wasn't surprised that someone with enough strength to crush a helmet in hand showed up, yet she was a bit curious on how Hitoshi managed to 'save' her. That was something for another day, however; she needed to focus on the fight.*

*Holding out her other hand towards the shifting Katherine, keeping the woman in her line of fire, Artoria cast two spells; Force Blast and Shocking Bolt. As Katherine approached Artoria's position - 3 meters to 2 meters - Artoria would sidestep to her right as Katherine swung her sword downwards to the left, aiming the force blast towards Katherine's upper chest and the electric bolt at her left leg.*
Jose
*The force blast would catch the woman straight on, and she has to take a step back in order to regain her balance. She could feel her left leg becoming slower, and it didn't seem like melee combat was going to be possible.*

*Time for solution 2. Stepping forward slightly, a sphere of blue energy would gather in her palm, and Katherine pushes it forward, creating a massive blast of flames hurtling towards the Kitsune.*

*It didn't look like Katherine was able to jostle Artoria's memories of her. A disappointment, but expected. She was never the best fighter, nor the most prominent.*

"How about the time I nearly killed the group? Syele, you, and... One other. Zombies. Fire magic burned them, but smoke filled the room. We nearly suffocated. The same one you got shot."
Johnnie
*Catching Katherine in the chest, the force blast and electric bolt would both find their targets. She would notice Katherine gather some blue energy in her palm, however, signalling the casting of a ranged attack. Because of this, Artoria would cast Magic Shield, hiding her head and upper body behind the rippling purple energies. Her leg armor shouldve been able to withstand the fire, anyhow.*

*When the cone of fire was blocked, she then would capitalize on Katherine's vulnerability, dropping her weapon to the ground. As it left her hand, Artoria would aim four more electric bolts at Katherine, 3 headed for her chest and 1 towards the left leg that had previously been struck.*

*What she said next, however, had rung a bell in her head. She faintly remembered that someone on one of their jobs had nearly gotten the entire party killed; was that person Katherine?*

"So that was you? Wow... What, do you want me to thank you? I remember almost dying in that job, definitely, but I do NOT recall you being my savior. Syele was the one who had saved me back there. Not you."
Jose
"So that's how you remember me. Syele didn't drag you out. I'm not saying she didn't save you; she did. But you don't remember the whole picture."

*The accusation stung just like the incoming electric bolts, Katherine being forced to kneel after feeling the left leg of her armor paralyzed. Her chest would also end up feeling sluggish. This wasn't good. She didn't recall Artoria using lightning magic. She would gather what seemed like more energy in her left hand as her right stabs the sword into the ground to brace herself, and launches another flaming blade at who she once considered a friend, now simply a criminal. The attempt almost seems desperate, a last ditch attempt.*

"Syele didn't cry over your dying body. She didn't drag you out through the pain of a fractured skeleton."

*Underneath her helmet, a single tear would run from her face, yet it would be hidden by the metallic mask.*
Johnnie
*Artoria advanced towards Katherine's position as she was taken to a knee, keeping her magic shield up in front of her. Unfazed as Katherine launched a last ditch flaming blade towards Artoria, which was easily blocked because of the shield, Katherine would be sent to the ground as she lost control of her sword. When Katherine fell, Artoria would subsequently dispell the shield, putting both arms down by her side as she stepped closer to her enemy. She stared down at the pitiful sight of the macen in front of her; the woman was completely neutralized.*

*When Artoria got within a couple inches of the fallen Katherine, she would crouch as the macen's voice projected itself through her metal mask. 'Syele didn't cry over your dying body?' To be frank, that sounded exactly like something Syele would have done, judging from the time Artoria had spent with her taking up quests and the like. 'She didn't drag you out through the pain of a fractured skeleton?' If Katherine was trying to get Artoria to emphasize with her, it didn't work. In the end, It didn't matter if Katherine was the one to save her in the past or not. The fact is that she came here today looking for a fight, and despire the initial reluctance of her opponent, Katherine still had the nerve to try. It was a bit pathetic; she knew she was outmatched, but she couldn't stop herself from giving into her foolish pride.*

*She took her spare hand, summoning three discs between her five fingers. One by one, she'd throw them out above Katherine, causing each to hover 7 meters above the macen in a sort of rough triangle shape. She was in the process of summoning the talismen, however, when she stopped. She wanted to let loose her discs on her enemy, but was there even a point to that? She's already won. At this point, further injury would only be kicking a dead horse. And... If by some infinitesmally small chance that Katherine was telling the truth - that she was the one who saved Artoria that day - killing her right now would leave a stain on the kitsune's conscience for a good bit, even though it wasn't confirmed.* 

*Artoria, pausing briefly, would then dispell all of the discs midair, leaving nothing behind but sparks of red.*

"Defeating you like this," *She began.* "Is enough. Killing you has no meaning. Now get lost."
Jose
"I can't... It is my duty. I have to try, even if it kills me!"

*Her left leg would soon become free from the paralysis, and would immediately kick off from the ground as she drops her sword and hands becomes alight with azure flame. She attempts to brashly charge straight through the magic barrier, ramming it with her shoulder. Her left hand burns with fire as she tries to grab the Kitsune, and the right creates a massive burst of flame. A yell can be heard from behind the helmet. Her bravery, if not stupidity, was certainly worth noting.*
Johnnie
"Then you're a fool."

*The moment Artoria saw movement in the Macen, she would cast another instance of force blast towards Katherine's back. The blast would cause the macen to be grounded, leaving her completely vulnerable to anything.*

"There's a difference between stupidity and heroism, you know. A hero knows when to back off - that way, they know what to expect when they encounter their enemy next. A fool, however, only takes into account what's ahead of them. That's you, by the way. You're a fool. I guess in the end it's about knowing when you're beat and knowing what to do when you ARE defeated. But you, you just don't know, do you?"

*With this, Artoria would stand up. In both hands, she would summon 9 discs, the first 6 of which would have to be thrown out above Katherine before the last 3 could subsequently follow. All 9 of the discs began to hover above the macen, suspended in midair as Artoria conjured 9 paper talismans in her both of her hands once more. She shot these talismans out across Katherine's body: One towards the back of her neck, one for each arm, one for each leg, 2 on the back of her head, and the last two placed on her back. The kitsune backed off, watching as all the discs suddenly elongated into crimson bolts of fire. Their brightness dyed the area around them with a collective tint of red, pointing down at Katherine.*

*There was a moment of respite where the bolts lay stagnant in the air.*

*Then they all came crashing down on the macen where the talismans indicated.*
Jose
"Arthur..."

*Her struggle would be clearly visible, but it seemed like Katherine was too tenacious for her own good.*

*The bolts of pitch would almost explode, covering their whole radius, the burning pitch easily getting _everywhere_ on the inside of Katherine's armor, coating her entire body with hellfire.*

*And it burned, her left arm and both legs disappearing as the fragile phantom limbs were destroyed. The flames easily set alight the aketon underneath the armor, and it burned right through the little linen that was there, seeping through any chainmail. Massive heated fumes of smoke and fire made their way into the vents of her helmet, filled with the stench of singed hair, making their way deep into the lungs.*

*All she could feel was the searing pain of the Profaned Smite. She had to take off the armor. She had to, otherwise she would be cooked alive. As if she wasn't already.*

*With a hurtful scream, Katherine turns over, and the shining, almost bluish armor disappears, leaving only a burning, screaming girl like a demon from hell, her flesh so charred one couldn't tell it apart from the remains of her black shirt. Her entire body was aflame, each and every part wracked with the agony. Her voice wasn't her own, her throat ruined by breathing in the blaze.*

 ***"ARTHUR! PLEASE, MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP!! PLEASE!!!"***

*Even though she knew it wouldn't.*

*And her face... The bolts aimed at the back of her head didn't quite hit directly, but the gaps were there. Her neck is burned, her hair singed short, her once pale face now charred beyond belief.*

*And her eyes. She couldn't see. All she could feel from them was the horrible searing feeling of the hellfire, purging her vision utterly and completely.*

*And all that's left are guttural screams and cries of pain, coming from a burning cripple.*