Miko clings to her delusions despite her fall and fights it out with Roy.
Cast
Transcript
- Panel 1, Page 1
The first panel appears to portray the exact same instant as the last panel of the previous strip: Hinjo runs up to the throne while Miko is looking at herself in confusion. This panel additionally shows Roy and Belkar looking on in shock.
- Panel 2, Page 1
Hinjo runs past Miko, who is slowly stepping backwards.
Belkar: YOU KILLED THE WACKY OLD DUDE WITH THE CAT?!?!?
- Panel 3, Page 1
Hinjo: Uncle!!
Miko: I don't...
Miko: I don't understand!
Belkar: I mean, I actually LIKED that guy! He made fun of Roy right to his face!
- Panel 4, Page 1
Roy: Remember when I suggested that we not get involved?
Roy: Change of plans. Let's get involved.
Belkar: As much as it gives me the tingles when you go all badass, I can't really help you there, Roy.
- Panel 5, Page 1
Belkar: No thanks to you, I still can't inflict wounds inside the borders of a city, remember?
Belkar: Unless you're suggesting that I tackle her with my imposing 3' 2" physique.
Belkar: Because a defensive back, I ain't.
- Panel 6, Page 1
Miko picks up her katana.
Miko: How could this happen? It all made sense, for the first time in years. The gods showed me his treachery... How??
Roy approaches from behind her, sword in hand.
Roy: Here's a thought: Who the hell cares?
- Panel 7, Page 1
Roy: All that matters to me right now is that you just killed the only other person who was actively trying to fix this stupid end-of-the-world thing.
- Panel 8, Page 1
Roy: Which means I am kicking your Fallen ass RIGHT NOW!
Roy slashes Miko with the Greenhilt Sword; green flames leap from the blade.
Miko: Aaaaah!!
- Panel 9, Page 1
Miko: YOU! Of course! It's all YOUR fault!
Roy: Yeah, I never should have said "kill your master" when we were playing Truth or Dare. What was I thinking?
- Panel 10, Page 1
Miko slashes Roy rapidly, "slash! slash! slash!
Miko: You tricked me! You staged all of this so I would strike down my Lord!
- Panel 11, Page 1
Roy swings Greenhilt, which lands with a "THUNK!" on Miko's armor.
Roy: Wow. Miko Miyazaki ignoring all possibilities in order to arrive at a preconceived conclusion that happens to support her existing emotional state.
Roy: Who could have possibly seen THAT coming?
- Panel 1, Page 2
Miko tries a jumping slash.
Miko: If I bring you to justice, the gods will see that I have always been their servant.
Roy parries the slash with a "clatang!"
Roy: You feel free to give that a try.
- Panel 2, Page 2
Roy stabs through Miko with Greenhilt with a "SHPLURTCH!"
Roy: Of course, the last two times we fought, I was using a nonmagical club instead of my ancestral weapon.
Roy: Oh, and you hadn't bisected any unarmed octogenarians recently, so that's changed too.
- Panel 3, Page 2
Miko: No! This isn't fair!
Miko: I have to...
Miko: I have to think.
Miko: I need time to figure out what the gods want me to do next.
- Panel 4, Page 2
Roy: I can't believe I actually wanted to date you at one point. Can you imagine that relationship?
Roy: "Honey, we're out of milk."
Roy: "Clearly, that means the gods want me to kill you!" Slash! Slash! Slash!
- Panel 5, Page 2
Roy: On the other hand, maybe all of this could have been avoided if you had just managed to get laid once in a while.
Roy: You can't even tell me you'd be this tightly wound if you were receiving Treasure Type O regularly.
- Panel 6, Page 2
Roy: Although which paladin they'd have to draft into that duty—
Miko kicks Roy in the face.
Roy: UGH!
Miko: STOP TALKING!
- Panel 7, Page 2
Roy: (dizzy) Whoa... How'd she get the room to spin like that?
Roy: Must be a Monk thing...
Miko runs.
- Panel 8, Page 2
Roy: Aw, man, she's getting away!
Roy: Belkar, stop her!!!
- Panel 9, Page 2
Belkar: You know, Roy, I was just thinking. You and Shojo are pretty smart guys, right? So maybe the "Mark of Justice" is just an illusion, and it's all a trick to keep me in line.
- Panel 10, Page 2
Belkar: You know, make me think I'll become incapacitated if I attack so that I'm too scared to ever try it, but I can't ever find a way to get rid of it because it's not really there.
Belkar: I'm just bringing this up because if that's the case—
- Panel 11, Page 2
Miko is rushing right at Belkar, katana raised.
Belkar: —now might be a good time to let me know.
Belkar: No, really, Roy, now's the time.
Belkar: Roy?
Belkar: Crap.
D&D Context
- In AD&D (1st edition), each monster in the Monster Manual was listed with one or more Treasure Types, which one would then look up in the Treasure Type table in the Appendix to determine what treasure they might have. Treasure Type O has a 25% chance of 1,000-4,000 cp, and a 20% chance of 1,000-3,000 sp, though of course in this case Roy means something different.
Trivia
- The title is a play on a quote from the 1992 The Simpsons episode, "Bart the Lover" in which Homer writes a breakup letter, "Dear Baby. Welcome to Dumpsville. Population: You."
- The rules of Belkar's Greater Mark of Justice are given in #295, Belkar Leashed.