Caina vs. Mazael – who would win in a fight?

This is a common reader question, and like all good questions, the answer is “it depends.”

Specifically, it would depend on the circumstances. If Caina and Mazael were dropped in a small room together by an evil wizard (or a malicious author) and told to fight to the death, Mazael would win handily. Mazael has Demonsouled strength and speed and healing abilities, and while Caina is in excellent physical condition and unusually clever, she is in all other respects a physically normal twenty-one year old (by the time of GHOST IN THE FORGE) woman. In some circumstances, brute force prevails.

But if Mazael and Caina had a larger battlefield – say, Castle Cravenlock or the Vineyard, then they are more evenly matched. Mazael is an excellent tactician, but so is Caina, and she’s very good at tactical improvisation. Additionally, the longer Caina observes Mazael, the greater her odds against him. If she observes his strengths and weaknesses long enough, she has a better chance over devising a strategy to kill him. But if Mazael can catch her right away, before she can observe him at any length, he can kill her.

In a city the size of Barellion or Malarae, the odds definitely favor Caina. She is adept at disguise, and Mazael is not. Mazael is a knight, which means his skill set favors battlefield tactics and personal combat, not standing unseen in a crowd. Caina could easily gain the time she needs to observe Mazael, gauge his strengths and weaknesses, gather allies, and prepare a trap capable of defeating him.

So, the answer is that in a straight-up fight, Mazael wins. But the longer she has to prepare, the more likely it is that Caina wins.

-JM