Since the official AWR is delayed, here's a sneak peak- the Roaring Knight fight!
*The Roaring Knight appeared! Now is the time to ACT!
*Echo chose ACT ā> FLIRT
*Susie chose DEFEND
*Ralsei chose DEFEND... wait, Echo, what do you mean, flirt?
*Echo tried to impress the Knight with their pickup lines! It was... terribly ineffective.
*The Knight is CONFUSED! ATK DOWN for this turn!
"Echo... I hope you have a plan..." Ralsei said, narrowly dodging one of the Knight's slashes. Echo shrugged.
"I'm mostly making it up as I go along." They said. "But don't worry, I totally got this."
*The north wind blows fiercely.
*Echo chose ACT ā> BE DRAMATIC
*Susie chose MAGIC ā> RUDE BUSTER
*Ralsei chose DEFEND
*Echo twirled around, showing off the swish of their Shadow Mantle, and coincidentally, knocking the Knight's knife back at them! The Roaring Knight takes 140 damage!
*Susie bust'd the Knight! Dealt some damage (I don't know how much she deals)!
The Knight slashed the air, sending projectiles flying towards Echo, who barely managed to dodge most of them and got hit by several. Ralsei hid his face in his scarf in alarm, while Susie bared her axe.
"Come on, Echo! Let me beat this loser up!" She said. "I thought you had a plan...?"
"Oh, I'm mostly winging it. Wing dinging it, perhaps." Echo said.
Dead silence.
"Man, tough crowd. Okay then." They shrugged.
*Your heartbeat becomes twisted. You can feel their rage.
*Echo chose ACT ā> GET LUCKY
*Susie chose ITEM ā> TVDINNER (Echo)
*Ralsei chose DEFEND
*Ooh, is that a coin? 50% chance for the Knight's attacks to not deal any damage this turn!
*Also, Susie, you don't have enough TP for a rude buster! Be patient!
The Knight became increasingly frustrated, completely bypassing their phase 2 attacks to try and finish Echo off with a flurry of slashes, so fast Echo could barely see them. Yet, somehow... none of the attacks that got past their dodges managed to hit them. Visibly exasperated, the Knight let out a roar of frustration and sent a levitating sword flying straight at Echo's head.
"Wait, is that a Dark Dollar? How in the world did that get there...?" Echo bent down to pick up the dollar and the sword flew over their head.
*The Roaring Knight is contemplating giving you the Tenna Treatment.
*Echo chose ACT ā> WATER BALOON
*Susie chose MAGIC ā> RUDE BUSTER
*Ralsei chose DEFEND... no seriously Echo what are you doing???
*Echo takes out a water baloon and throws it at the Roaring Knight! The minor spelling mistake discombobulates and disrupts their attacks! The Knight's ATK dropped severely!
*Susie bust'd the Knight! Dealt some damage.
Echo could hear heavy, rasping breathing emanating from the Knight as they wiped off their head\helmet. They only had a moment to prepare before the Knight drew back their blade and sent a hurricane of slashes flying towards Echo. Ralsei yelped and threw himself to the ground, terrified, but none of the slashes came near him.
Susie grabbed Echo and pulled them out of the path of the slashes just in time, but some of them still grazed them. Finally, the flurry subsided.
*Susie grew pale. Ralsei shivered in fear. Something is coming...
*Echo chose ACT ā> LOCK TF IN
*Susie chose DEFEND
*Ralsei chose DEFEND
*Echo enters the flow state! Suddenly, all is clear. Everything they have trained for... it all leads up to this. Whatever comes next, they are READY FOR IT.
The Roaring Knight rose up into the air, glowing. Star-shaped projectiles began spiraling out from them, flying towards Echo and their friends. Not a single one of the stars hit them. Echo was prepared for every move.
The Knight drew their blade back and slashed down for the final attack, and Echo seamlessly parried the strike. They both fell back, exhausted. Susie staggered to standing.
"What in the Angel's Heaven was THAT??" She said.
"I... huff... I remembered something a... huff... red cloaked bug once told me... to get good. And I did." Echo said.
"That was incredible." Ralsei said. "I always knew you could do it..."
Susie pulled out her axe. "Permission to finish this loser off?"
"Proceed." Echo said in an eerily monotone voice.
"Wh- what?" Susie said.
"Nothing." Echo said, holding back laughter. "Go ahead."
Susie edged forward, blade glowing with a purple sheen, towards the Knight's limp, floating form.
Slowly, the Roaring Knight raised their gaze to meet Susie's, then Ralsei's, then Echo's.
"ENOUGH."
They raised their knife, its blade gleaming a perfect, opaque black, as if preparing to plunge it into the earth. Everything seemed to slow down.
"Oh, don't you DARE!!!" Susie roared.
She leapt towards the Knight and slammed her axe into the Knight's black knife, forcing them to take a step back, lowering their guard. Susie struck, and the Knight met her strike, each struggling to overpower the other.
Finally the Knight threw Susie back, a piece of their blade chipping off and landing, gleaming darkly, on the snow. Echo's vision dimmed as the Knight raised their blade.
A slash cut across Echo's screen.
Ralsei fell to the ground.
Another slash.
Susie dropped to her knees, barely bracing herself up with her axe.
And another slash.
Echo felt the impact of the blade hit them, and they fell to the ground, all the breath knocked out of them.
They struggled to raise their eyes to meet the Knight's, but Echo knew they were there.
The Roaring Knight laid their blade on Echo's shoulder.
Echo snapped their gaze up to meet the Knight's.
Their eyes met.
Burning rage.
And burning determination.
A silent agreement.
This isn't over.
