Know Your Units: Kuldak and Kresnik
Jul 31, 2017 23:42:12 GMT
KOTails, Poe [DEATH], and 1 more like this
Post by Esdeath on Jul 31, 2017 23:42:12 GMT
Helloooooooo Ishtaria! I'm your host Esdeath and I'm here to bring you a double feature for this issue of Know Your Units, in a sense. The poll from the last issue was a victory for Kuldak. However, my research quickly showed me that doing a KYU on just Kuldak is impossible. Kuldak and Kresnik are inseparable and must be done together. That said, let's dive into this background information.
Mythological Information
In Slavic mythology, the Kuldak is a vampiric species that is at constant war with Kresnik (Krsnik). Kresnik is classified as a Shaman, utilizing astral protection to send his spirit into battle against the Kuldak at night. Both Kuldak and Kresnik appear as animals in combat against one another. The animal that is Kresnik's soul appears as a white animal, while the Kuldak (inherently the "bad guy" due to being a vampire) appears as a black animal. This tale of good against evil is one of the descriptions of these beings.
Another version of the duo is actually two separate factions of people born with the ability to shapeshift into animals and are naturally wise. Like Star Wars, these people have to pick which side they're on in the struggle for normalcy in nature. Victories for the Krsniks result in positive affects on nature, such as diseases being cured, crops growing efficiently, etc. The opposite is true for victories for the Kuldaks. In spite of the Kuldaks being proponents of bad luck and destruction, they aren't considered evil. Rather, both Kuldaks and Kresniks are seen as components opposite components in reality, where both are necessary.
In-Game Description
Kresnik
"With pure conviction and hope, I wield these sacred stakes. Conceived from prayer, only good flows through this body. This virtue... I reject it all. For all I need is hate. All I feel is their screams... Their screams to kill her. That is why with love and detestation I raise these sacred stakes."
The Ishtarian Kresnik is your usual story of a noble fighter taking sacred weapons to hunt down the ultimate evil; it's nothing out of the ordinary, but it's exceptionally well done, especially considering that the developers have only a few words and even fewer pictures to tell the story. The story told is what you would expect if you crossed anime with the old Slavic legends. This story is different in that Kresnik is deviating from her purpose; her actions are the same, but her motivation is vengeance for the fallen rather than simply ending the unnecessary deaths. For her, it isn't just her purpose. It's personal.
Kuldak
"I am the darkest sin, the most crimson despair. Conceived from cruelty, only evil flows through this body. I do not fight it, though... I've accepted it. Dripping with hatred, these stakes pierce my body. Love me. Kill me. For that is all I desire."
We now see the battlefield from the other side. Someone born to do evil, Kuldak accepts that the inevitable end of the path she's on is a bloody death. She doesn't fear it. She welcomes it.
From the descriptions of these characters, there is an implied past friendship (or even sisterhood) between these girls. That is why they both refer to Kresnik killing Kuldak as an act of love. By killing Kuldak, Kresnik frees her soul from the life of carnage her nature has forced her into. This doesn't end without a fight, though. There's no honor in killing a defenseless person, so they must fight. A fight to the death to determine who is in the right. This is very similar to one of the story elements from the greatest anime of all time, Akame Ga Kill. Spoilers ahead; if you haven't seen it, I recommend watching the anime before reading what's ahead.
Akame and her sister are assassins on opposing sides in a civil war. Her sister Kurome feels betrayed by Akame's loyalty to the Resistance, and she feels that the only justice that there can be is if she kills Akame herself. Akame, similarly, feels that it has to be her that kills her sister. Only the person who loves her the most and knows her the best, has the right to kill her. To this day, that scene brings tears to my eyes. Even reminiscing about it as I type this is making my eyes misty. The similarities between these characters and Akame and Kurome are astounding, both in terms of personality and motivation. Well, war never changes, so the same is the case of Kresnik and Kuldak.
Highlight the text above to read the spoilers... if you dare.
Quotes
Kresnik
Base: "There you are, Kudlak. You realize there's no where to run, right?"
+1: "I'm sick of your nonsense. I will shut that mouth for you."
+2: "I will not kill you once... But again and again and again!"
Here, we get a sample of Kresnik's personality in action. All business and steadfast in her purpose, she confronts her greatest enemy and dearest friend with as much emotional detachment as she can muster. However, toward the end of the quote, she loses her composure and lets her hatred for what Kuldak has become evident. We also see that this is apparently a neverending conflict. Killing Kuldak is only a temporary fix. She'll be back, and Kresnik will have to kill her again. Hopefully, Kuldak has some legendary drops so that killing her repeatedly will be worth it.
Kuldak
Base: "So glad ya came to see me, Kresnik!"
+1: "Look what I did while I was waitin' for ya, Kresnik..."
+2: "Kill and then kill! Love and then love! Time to enjoy this never ending night!"
Kuldak loves this unending game of cat and mouse. While Kresnik is passionate and ready to kill Kuldak, Kuldak is living in the moment and loving every minute of it. This fighting is the only way that she can still get to spend time with her old friend Kresnik. Because of that, she enjoys it. She embraces the darkness of what she's become so that she can hold on to the only thing that remains of her old life, that precious friendship.
Frontpage
Kresnik
Base: "You. Speak if you have something to say."
+1: "No matter what you say, It does not matter to me. I must kill that Kudlak!"
+2: "Stop looking at me like at. I know you are just worried - I... Thank you, Knight"
Kresnik's devotion to her purpose has made her robotic and tactless in conversation, which explains the first two quotes. In the final quote, the Knight's sincerity breaks through that ironclad shell just enough for her to acknowledge that he wants what's best for her. She still isn't going to change her course, but it's a nice sentiment.
Kuldak
Base: "Heya, Knight! Want to have some fun?"
+1: "Kresnik? Of course we're friends! She's come to kill me, ya know!"
+2: "A fight to the death with a dear friend... What could possibly be better, Knight!? Care to join?"
Kuldak enjoys spending time with Kresnik so much that she wants to share this happiness with the Knight (seriously, this guy must have irresistible charm or something). More importantly, the idea mentioned earlier that both of these characters think that one of them has to kill the other for justice is reinforced. Kuldak sees Kresnik's intention to kill her as the greatest show of friendship, since killing her (if she can manage to end the cycle) will free her from bondage to her murderous nature.
Skills
Kresnik
Rush Skill: Some Sacred Stakes- As is common knowledge at this point, the only way to kill a vampire is to drive a stake into its heart. In Kresnik's case, she's using a set of stakes that were specifically intended to kill Kuldak. Their effectiveness is currently unknown.
Passive Skill: White Amnion- This is where it gets a little weird. In fact, I was going to leave out the details from my research about this because it's so odd, but then I saw this skill and realized I had to include it. Without further ado, here comes the weirdness...
In the second type of legend of the Krsniks and Kuldaks, we saw that some people were born with the power of the Krsnik. The way they knew who had the power was whether or not they were born with the "Veil". The Veil referred to a portion of the placenta (this portion being the amnion) that was covering their face at birth. If you had the Veil, you were a born Krsnik. The skill calls out a white amnion because Kresnik is supposed to represent absolute purity.
Kuldak
Multi Skill: Some Snarling Stakes- A play on words with Kresnik's skill, the developers continued with the theme of Kuldak being the anti-Kresnik by inverting "Sacred" to "Snarling".
Passive Skill: Red Amnion- The same description of amnion applies here as it did for "White Amnion." This time, it's red. This is because Kuldak was born to be a bloodthirsty murderer.
It should be noted that Red and White Amnion are nearly opposite skills. White boosts your team's attack and heals over time, while Red lowers your enemies' defense and health. To the end, Kuldak is Kresnik's antithesis.
Power Plays
Black and White: At this point, we would be shocked if there wasn't a Power Play for having Kuldak and Kresnik together. As expected, this is it. The incessant fighting between these two best friends warrants an attack boost.
Images
You didn't think we were done, did ya? We're not done until I say we are, and I'm just getting this ball rolling!
Before we get into the characters individually, keep in mind that these characters are portrayed as polar opposites, meaning that a detail that stands out on one is probably going to be the opposite on the other.
Kresnik
Let's start with Kresnik's clothes. Her base wears a lightly armored white trench coat covered with pockets. These pockets are tactical in nature, as any hunter, soldier, or self-defense expert will tell you. In modern applications, these types of pockets are used for storing knives, pistol magazines, or even small guns. What she's storing in them is probably a question we don't want to know the answer to.
Her pants are actually a pair of shorts with lacy leggings underneath them. This gives the picture a little more color and makes her a more valuable unit since everyone knows that sexualizing a unit makes it worth exponentially more on the bazaar. Both her sword and her pin are in the shape of a cross. This is a reference to the meaning of Krsnik, which is "cross". Strangely, this name came about before Christianity reached the Slavic people, so the Krsnik has no direct correlation with Christianity. It does work out nicely that one of the traditional methods of repelling vampires is to hold up a cross in their presence.
Her hair is a cotton candy pink and flows freely. Her hair and coat seem to draw their color from the aura shining about her feet. Her skin is pasty white like a vampire, and her yellow eyes add to that image. As far as the Ishtarian lore goes, this makes sense because both of these girls are assumed to have equal and opposite origins. We'll see more of this as we look into her evolutions.
At +1, Kresnik starts breaking the rules of the game. Rather than getting less armor as she evolves, she gets more. The aura seen around her feet has changed to more of a golden color, and her hair and coat have followed suit. Note that her coat never truly changes color, but the color seen is the light reflecting off her solid white coat.
Her sword now has an engraving of a cross close to the hilt similar to the pin on her coat. She's also added a sharp spiky belt. It doesn't really add any functionality unless she plans to give Kuldak a whipping she'll never forget. Either way, it's a great aesthetic addition. The most interesting change is the color of her eyes. They've gone from yellow to a vampiric red. It's possible that Kresnik, born in the same way as Kuldak, suppresses her vampiric characteristics for the sake of those around her as well as her own sanity until it's time to give her all in battle.
At +2, Kresnik is in full battle mode under a full moon. She's gone full vampire as her eyes shine blood-red in the moonlight. She's now covered from head to toe in crosses, from the pin on her coat to the daggers on her belt to the buttons on her pockets. She also has some... companions (good demons?) whose physical manifestation is that of a beast made of fragments of her coat. She's surrounded by a bunch of floating stakes (the Sacred Stakes) shaped like crosses. One of these stakes is in her left hand, poised to strike. He sword is plunged into the body of some unfortunate soul. That person whose blood is flying all over the place is the one who's also about to get staked. Who is it, you may ask? None other than Kuldak herself. Look at her description: "Dripping with hatred, these stakes pierce my body." The moment pictured here is the moment described in Kuldak's description. This is the moment that Kresnik fulfills her purpose, but it probably isn't the end. From the clues, it seems that Kuldak may die here, but she'll be back soon.
Kuldak
Kuldak's base is openly vampiric (red eyes, pasty white skin, and pointed ears), unlike Kresnik. She has no reason to appear otherwise, seeing that her reputation precedes her. Her attire is a cross between a typical black schoolgirl dress seen in so many animes and a Victorian era dress. Like Kresnik, the fabric making up the lining of her dress is an elegant purple. Interestingly, the umbrella she holds has a cross on its handle, a violation of the rules of being a vampire. The same aura seen shining in Kuldak's base is the same aura seen in Krsnik's base, indicating that both of them are there, engaging in the pre-battle banter that naturally accompanies rivals fighting. Kuldak has a common motif between her forms, and that is the use of bows. Each form makes use of bows as a primary accessory, as we'll see ahead.
As she powers up for the big fight, Kuldak changes her theme color from red to purple in her +1, mainly affecting her eyes and her collar. Just in case you forgot that she's a vampire (Shame on you!), she's surrounded herself with bats to really drive the point home. I think it bears noting that Kuldak's hair is pink here, but she was blonde in her base. On the other hand, Kresnik's base has pink hair while her +1 has blonde hair. Opposites yet again.
Kuldak +2 is full of new detail while retaining the characteristics of her previous forms. Her dress is still black, her eyes are red,she's still surrounded by bats, and she's decked out in bows, except the bows have a more "haunted house decoration" vibe to them than her other forms. Her umbrella still has a cross on the hilt, but the handle is now a sharp blade, so carrying it opened is more of a necessity than a show of elegance. Like Kresnik, Kuldak also has demonic minions coming out of the hems of her clothes. This is why it's so important to have your clothes hemmed properly. If you don't, demons will probably spawn out of them.
Now for the most interesting detail, which has 2 possible meanings. Just like Kresnik, Kuldak has blood spewing across the picture, indicating the death of one of her victims. Now, there's a chance that this picture is just a picture of one of the countless slaughters committed by Kuldak. However the more likely (meaning more interesting) scenario is that this is an alternate ending to the story. In Kresnik's +2, Kresnik is the winner, but what if the winner in the story is actually dependent on which unit you're looking at? The blood we see in this image belongs to Kresnik. Just like Kuldak, killing Kresnik isn't a permanent thing. These are 2 separate fights, each having a different victor.
Thank you all so much for taking the time to read all of this! This has been one of my favorite KYUs to date, partly because of the memories of my favorite anime that it brought back and partly because it's a great story with great details.
Mythological Information
In Slavic mythology, the Kuldak is a vampiric species that is at constant war with Kresnik (Krsnik). Kresnik is classified as a Shaman, utilizing astral protection to send his spirit into battle against the Kuldak at night. Both Kuldak and Kresnik appear as animals in combat against one another. The animal that is Kresnik's soul appears as a white animal, while the Kuldak (inherently the "bad guy" due to being a vampire) appears as a black animal. This tale of good against evil is one of the descriptions of these beings.
Another version of the duo is actually two separate factions of people born with the ability to shapeshift into animals and are naturally wise. Like Star Wars, these people have to pick which side they're on in the struggle for normalcy in nature. Victories for the Krsniks result in positive affects on nature, such as diseases being cured, crops growing efficiently, etc. The opposite is true for victories for the Kuldaks. In spite of the Kuldaks being proponents of bad luck and destruction, they aren't considered evil. Rather, both Kuldaks and Kresniks are seen as components opposite components in reality, where both are necessary.
In-Game Description
Kresnik
"With pure conviction and hope, I wield these sacred stakes. Conceived from prayer, only good flows through this body. This virtue... I reject it all. For all I need is hate. All I feel is their screams... Their screams to kill her. That is why with love and detestation I raise these sacred stakes."
The Ishtarian Kresnik is your usual story of a noble fighter taking sacred weapons to hunt down the ultimate evil; it's nothing out of the ordinary, but it's exceptionally well done, especially considering that the developers have only a few words and even fewer pictures to tell the story. The story told is what you would expect if you crossed anime with the old Slavic legends. This story is different in that Kresnik is deviating from her purpose; her actions are the same, but her motivation is vengeance for the fallen rather than simply ending the unnecessary deaths. For her, it isn't just her purpose. It's personal.
Kuldak
"I am the darkest sin, the most crimson despair. Conceived from cruelty, only evil flows through this body. I do not fight it, though... I've accepted it. Dripping with hatred, these stakes pierce my body. Love me. Kill me. For that is all I desire."
We now see the battlefield from the other side. Someone born to do evil, Kuldak accepts that the inevitable end of the path she's on is a bloody death. She doesn't fear it. She welcomes it.
From the descriptions of these characters, there is an implied past friendship (or even sisterhood) between these girls. That is why they both refer to Kresnik killing Kuldak as an act of love. By killing Kuldak, Kresnik frees her soul from the life of carnage her nature has forced her into. This doesn't end without a fight, though. There's no honor in killing a defenseless person, so they must fight. A fight to the death to determine who is in the right. This is very similar to one of the story elements from the greatest anime of all time, Akame Ga Kill. Spoilers ahead; if you haven't seen it, I recommend watching the anime before reading what's ahead.
Akame and her sister are assassins on opposing sides in a civil war. Her sister Kurome feels betrayed by Akame's loyalty to the Resistance, and she feels that the only justice that there can be is if she kills Akame herself. Akame, similarly, feels that it has to be her that kills her sister. Only the person who loves her the most and knows her the best, has the right to kill her. To this day, that scene brings tears to my eyes. Even reminiscing about it as I type this is making my eyes misty. The similarities between these characters and Akame and Kurome are astounding, both in terms of personality and motivation. Well, war never changes, so the same is the case of Kresnik and Kuldak.
Highlight the text above to read the spoilers... if you dare.
Quotes
Kresnik
Base: "There you are, Kudlak. You realize there's no where to run, right?"
+1: "I'm sick of your nonsense. I will shut that mouth for you."
+2: "I will not kill you once... But again and again and again!"
Here, we get a sample of Kresnik's personality in action. All business and steadfast in her purpose, she confronts her greatest enemy and dearest friend with as much emotional detachment as she can muster. However, toward the end of the quote, she loses her composure and lets her hatred for what Kuldak has become evident. We also see that this is apparently a neverending conflict. Killing Kuldak is only a temporary fix. She'll be back, and Kresnik will have to kill her again. Hopefully, Kuldak has some legendary drops so that killing her repeatedly will be worth it.
Kuldak
Base: "So glad ya came to see me, Kresnik!"
+1: "Look what I did while I was waitin' for ya, Kresnik..."
+2: "Kill and then kill! Love and then love! Time to enjoy this never ending night!"
Kuldak loves this unending game of cat and mouse. While Kresnik is passionate and ready to kill Kuldak, Kuldak is living in the moment and loving every minute of it. This fighting is the only way that she can still get to spend time with her old friend Kresnik. Because of that, she enjoys it. She embraces the darkness of what she's become so that she can hold on to the only thing that remains of her old life, that precious friendship.
Frontpage
Kresnik
Base: "You. Speak if you have something to say."
+1: "No matter what you say, It does not matter to me. I must kill that Kudlak!"
+2: "Stop looking at me like at. I know you are just worried - I... Thank you, Knight"
Kresnik's devotion to her purpose has made her robotic and tactless in conversation, which explains the first two quotes. In the final quote, the Knight's sincerity breaks through that ironclad shell just enough for her to acknowledge that he wants what's best for her. She still isn't going to change her course, but it's a nice sentiment.
Kuldak
Base: "Heya, Knight! Want to have some fun?"
+1: "Kresnik? Of course we're friends! She's come to kill me, ya know!"
+2: "A fight to the death with a dear friend... What could possibly be better, Knight!? Care to join?"
Kuldak enjoys spending time with Kresnik so much that she wants to share this happiness with the Knight (seriously, this guy must have irresistible charm or something). More importantly, the idea mentioned earlier that both of these characters think that one of them has to kill the other for justice is reinforced. Kuldak sees Kresnik's intention to kill her as the greatest show of friendship, since killing her (if she can manage to end the cycle) will free her from bondage to her murderous nature.
Skills
Kresnik
Rush Skill: Some Sacred Stakes- As is common knowledge at this point, the only way to kill a vampire is to drive a stake into its heart. In Kresnik's case, she's using a set of stakes that were specifically intended to kill Kuldak. Their effectiveness is currently unknown.
Passive Skill: White Amnion- This is where it gets a little weird. In fact, I was going to leave out the details from my research about this because it's so odd, but then I saw this skill and realized I had to include it. Without further ado, here comes the weirdness...
In the second type of legend of the Krsniks and Kuldaks, we saw that some people were born with the power of the Krsnik. The way they knew who had the power was whether or not they were born with the "Veil". The Veil referred to a portion of the placenta (this portion being the amnion) that was covering their face at birth. If you had the Veil, you were a born Krsnik. The skill calls out a white amnion because Kresnik is supposed to represent absolute purity.
Kuldak
Multi Skill: Some Snarling Stakes- A play on words with Kresnik's skill, the developers continued with the theme of Kuldak being the anti-Kresnik by inverting "Sacred" to "Snarling".
Passive Skill: Red Amnion- The same description of amnion applies here as it did for "White Amnion." This time, it's red. This is because Kuldak was born to be a bloodthirsty murderer.
It should be noted that Red and White Amnion are nearly opposite skills. White boosts your team's attack and heals over time, while Red lowers your enemies' defense and health. To the end, Kuldak is Kresnik's antithesis.
Power Plays
Black and White: At this point, we would be shocked if there wasn't a Power Play for having Kuldak and Kresnik together. As expected, this is it. The incessant fighting between these two best friends warrants an attack boost.
Images
You didn't think we were done, did ya? We're not done until I say we are, and I'm just getting this ball rolling!
Before we get into the characters individually, keep in mind that these characters are portrayed as polar opposites, meaning that a detail that stands out on one is probably going to be the opposite on the other.
Kresnik
Let's start with Kresnik's clothes. Her base wears a lightly armored white trench coat covered with pockets. These pockets are tactical in nature, as any hunter, soldier, or self-defense expert will tell you. In modern applications, these types of pockets are used for storing knives, pistol magazines, or even small guns. What she's storing in them is probably a question we don't want to know the answer to.
Her pants are actually a pair of shorts with lacy leggings underneath them. This gives the picture a little more color and makes her a more valuable unit since everyone knows that sexualizing a unit makes it worth exponentially more on the bazaar. Both her sword and her pin are in the shape of a cross. This is a reference to the meaning of Krsnik, which is "cross". Strangely, this name came about before Christianity reached the Slavic people, so the Krsnik has no direct correlation with Christianity. It does work out nicely that one of the traditional methods of repelling vampires is to hold up a cross in their presence.
Her hair is a cotton candy pink and flows freely. Her hair and coat seem to draw their color from the aura shining about her feet. Her skin is pasty white like a vampire, and her yellow eyes add to that image. As far as the Ishtarian lore goes, this makes sense because both of these girls are assumed to have equal and opposite origins. We'll see more of this as we look into her evolutions.
At +1, Kresnik starts breaking the rules of the game. Rather than getting less armor as she evolves, she gets more. The aura seen around her feet has changed to more of a golden color, and her hair and coat have followed suit. Note that her coat never truly changes color, but the color seen is the light reflecting off her solid white coat.
Her sword now has an engraving of a cross close to the hilt similar to the pin on her coat. She's also added a sharp spiky belt. It doesn't really add any functionality unless she plans to give Kuldak a whipping she'll never forget. Either way, it's a great aesthetic addition. The most interesting change is the color of her eyes. They've gone from yellow to a vampiric red. It's possible that Kresnik, born in the same way as Kuldak, suppresses her vampiric characteristics for the sake of those around her as well as her own sanity until it's time to give her all in battle.
At +2, Kresnik is in full battle mode under a full moon. She's gone full vampire as her eyes shine blood-red in the moonlight. She's now covered from head to toe in crosses, from the pin on her coat to the daggers on her belt to the buttons on her pockets. She also has some... companions (good demons?) whose physical manifestation is that of a beast made of fragments of her coat. She's surrounded by a bunch of floating stakes (the Sacred Stakes) shaped like crosses. One of these stakes is in her left hand, poised to strike. He sword is plunged into the body of some unfortunate soul. That person whose blood is flying all over the place is the one who's also about to get staked. Who is it, you may ask? None other than Kuldak herself. Look at her description: "Dripping with hatred, these stakes pierce my body." The moment pictured here is the moment described in Kuldak's description. This is the moment that Kresnik fulfills her purpose, but it probably isn't the end. From the clues, it seems that Kuldak may die here, but she'll be back soon.
Kuldak
Kuldak's base is openly vampiric (red eyes, pasty white skin, and pointed ears), unlike Kresnik. She has no reason to appear otherwise, seeing that her reputation precedes her. Her attire is a cross between a typical black schoolgirl dress seen in so many animes and a Victorian era dress. Like Kresnik, the fabric making up the lining of her dress is an elegant purple. Interestingly, the umbrella she holds has a cross on its handle, a violation of the rules of being a vampire. The same aura seen shining in Kuldak's base is the same aura seen in Krsnik's base, indicating that both of them are there, engaging in the pre-battle banter that naturally accompanies rivals fighting. Kuldak has a common motif between her forms, and that is the use of bows. Each form makes use of bows as a primary accessory, as we'll see ahead.
As she powers up for the big fight, Kuldak changes her theme color from red to purple in her +1, mainly affecting her eyes and her collar. Just in case you forgot that she's a vampire (Shame on you!), she's surrounded herself with bats to really drive the point home. I think it bears noting that Kuldak's hair is pink here, but she was blonde in her base. On the other hand, Kresnik's base has pink hair while her +1 has blonde hair. Opposites yet again.
Kuldak +2 is full of new detail while retaining the characteristics of her previous forms. Her dress is still black, her eyes are red,she's still surrounded by bats, and she's decked out in bows, except the bows have a more "haunted house decoration" vibe to them than her other forms. Her umbrella still has a cross on the hilt, but the handle is now a sharp blade, so carrying it opened is more of a necessity than a show of elegance. Like Kresnik, Kuldak also has demonic minions coming out of the hems of her clothes. This is why it's so important to have your clothes hemmed properly. If you don't, demons will probably spawn out of them.
Now for the most interesting detail, which has 2 possible meanings. Just like Kresnik, Kuldak has blood spewing across the picture, indicating the death of one of her victims. Now, there's a chance that this picture is just a picture of one of the countless slaughters committed by Kuldak. However the more likely (meaning more interesting) scenario is that this is an alternate ending to the story. In Kresnik's +2, Kresnik is the winner, but what if the winner in the story is actually dependent on which unit you're looking at? The blood we see in this image belongs to Kresnik. Just like Kuldak, killing Kresnik isn't a permanent thing. These are 2 separate fights, each having a different victor.
Thank you all so much for taking the time to read all of this! This has been one of my favorite KYUs to date, partly because of the memories of my favorite anime that it brought back and partly because it's a great story with great details.