Queen's Blade Rebellion Illustrated Stories: Upheaval, chapter 3

Since no one seemed to volunteer to translate these, I guess it’s up to me.

If you’re not familiarized with them, the Illustrated Stories are the way Hobby Japan are telling Rebellion’s canon story on an episodic basis. The first volume worth of stories was compiled here: Mirrors/Sendspace, and the first 2 stories of the second volume were translated (also by Fabio) here: Mirrors/Sendspace.

With that said, it’s time for the next story, originally posted on this Hobby Channel page, to shine. Feel free to correct me if you notice anything wrong with the translation, and enjoy!

Upheaval, chapter 3: Coming! Twin Taimashi

The Margrave Kreutz’ territory.

The Margrave Kreutz’ territory had once been a famous place in the kingdom, it had started as a desolate outpost but due to the cultivations of the inhabitants, it became the grain-producing region of the greatest kingdom, called the “golden land” for its development. 

The Margrave Kreutz was a man famous for his loyalty, who didn’t join the conservative forces in their opposition to the count Earl and the Queen’s Blade tournament that determined the next Queen, and pledged alliance to the successive Queens.

One year ago, the former Queen Aldra was defeated at Queen’s Blade, and during the coronation of the new Queen Claudette, the fate of that land and its population was reversed.

The rumor that the Margrave bitterly faced Queen Claudette, who advocated for the abolition of the aristocracy, is said to have been the beginning of it all.

Even the nobles, with forces opposing the Queen and harboring similar emotions as the Margrave Kreutz, couldn’t attack.

A rumor instantly expanded "Seems like the Margrave isn’t pleased with the new Queen’s plan to abolish aristocracy”. Even more, you could say it didn’t take long until it was exaggerated as much as “The Margrave is going to rebel" and “He’s training even unarmed women and children in order to make his whole territory into a rebel army”.

And finally, to prevent a royal suppresion army to turn towards his territory and crush the inexistent, illusory rebel army, the Margrave Kreutz’ territory was dragged into the vortex of the flame.

Even that Margrave Kreutz was relentlessly, crushingly smashed by the Queen’s faction.

The several aristocrats who had underestimated the new Queen's seriousness didn’t fight after that, and relinquished the territory to the Queen.

That was, one year ago.

That had happened no more than one year ago.

And yet, Annelotte remembered it.

And yet, she… she had to come this far.

"Big bro!"

Annelotte was interrupted by Yuit’s voice calling out to her.

“Ah, uuh… so, how’s the situation inside the castle?”

“Right, the reparations are almost complete, since it was a splendid castle from the start, it’ll make a great stronghold for us!”

“Is that so?... That’s very good.”

“Ah ... I’m sorry, big bro... I’m remodeling a castle with so many of your memories…”

"It’s fine. It’s much better than it just rotting away.”

Annelotte hurried to reply with a smile at Yuit, who was making an apologetic face.

Yes, where they were now was the Margrave Kreutz’ territory, where Annelotte was born and raised.

It was because of the castle.

On a certain day, Annelotte and the others had gone to the Large Fang Mountain but didn’t meet the "Bandit of the Wilderness" Risty, and it wasn’t by chance, as they got to know the facts from the mouth of the person who had escaped from there.

Due to the raid of a mysterious opponent, the Rebel Army had been partially destroyed.

In order to let the others escape, Risty had gone missing.

They couldn’t meet Risty herself, but they befriended her companions, fellow warriors with the will to face the Queen’s Army.

And due to Yuit’s suggestion, they had abandoned the ruins and were remodelling the Kreutz castle for it to become the stronghold of the Rebel Army.

“It’s reassuring to have more people… but there’s a big problem.”

Yuit sighed.

"As I thought, is it the severe shortage of goods?"

“Yes… now, with the bandit group… no, Risty’s companions that became members of the Rebel Army, who stole some of the supplies from the Queen’s Army, we’ll be able to endure for a little more… but if we keep up like this, a subjugation army will surely be dispatched.”

“In that case… we still don’t have a chance."

“I seems so .... although I’ve set some traps to defend us for now, I can’t honestly say if they’ll buy us enough time."

"Traps ....? I don’t find it pleasant for you to get used to and add strange mechanisms to this castle…”

"Hmph, big bro, isn’t that harsh. Don’t you understand, "Necessity knows no law"?"

“I get it, I get it… though logic and feelings are different things.”

Despite Annelotte saying that, Yuit was opening her mouth to explain it all once again from scratch, when:

“Gaoou! Gaoou! "

Waiting behind Yuit, the “Clockwork Automaton” Vante raised her voice in a roar twice.

“Vante?"

When Yuit heard Vante’s voice, her facial expression changed completely from Annelotte’s protégée to genius strategist in a moment.

“Yuit, what’s wrong? What did Vante find?”

Yuit replied briefly to Annelotte’s question.

“…An intruder, big bro… “Somebody” other than our comrades, is approaching the castle…”

---

Kreutz’ castle, before the castle gate.

Two girls were standing in front of a huge iron door, shut firmly.

The duo was wearing the national costume of Shai-Fang, the place north of the continent considered an Eden for its mountain glaciers, both of them joined by a metal ring on their necklaces, connected by a string.

The necklace and the string where called the “Ryu-Rin-Nen”, and it was proof that the twins were the Taimashi [antidevil experts] that protected the unexplored region of Shai-Fang, the Eden with its mountains that parted the clouds.

“Easy, Sainyang! Don’t get cold feet after coming this far!”

“I don’t mean I’m particularly frightened… I just mean we should proceed a bit more formally… going with sis’ violent ways, it won’t turn out well…”

"Don’t you understand, if we don’t try, we won’t know if it turns out well or not! We’ll age faster if we only think about how we’ll fail before we do it!”

“We, we won’t age faster…”

The moment Sainyang flinched, Tarnyang turned her body to the gate, opened her mouth widely and shouted.

"Is that…?  That one too…? "Princess Knight" Annelotte!  “Alchemy Strategist” Yuit! Both of them have come out, we can fight them if we need to!”

“Hey, sister… just stop… When we met those people last time, we couldn’t grasp their strength.”

“Sainyang, you coward! Have you forgotten how we were deceived by them and the terrible experience we had?”

“It sure was a terrible experience… but, but…”

As Tarnyang turned her gaze away from her, Sainyang murmured in a whispering voice that couldn’t be heard by anybody.

“But, wasn’t it because of sis’ hostility…”

Tarnyang didn’t hear Sainyang’s murmur.

Because, peeping out the windows of the castle walls, Yuit turned up and asked Tarnyang a question.

“Long time no see, Tarnyang, Sainyang. Did you find the goshintai [object of worship containing the spirit of a deity]? What terrible experience did you have?"

“Whaat? Gaah!”

Tarnyang raised her brow at Yuit’s casual question.

“How can you say such a thing! What do you know! What do you know of the hardships we suffered!”

“Wh, wh, what are you talking about?”

As far as Yuit remembered, when they met before, two people were on a trip to look for the “goshintai” that was stolen from the “Eden” Shai-Fang.

They had travelled together just for a few days.

On the way, they were able to hear some rumors about the “goshintai”, and went to confirm them.

Tarnyang’s and Yuit’s parties had gone in different directions.

“Because of… Because of you I thought we would die! So hot, narrow, stinky, itchy… I remember it aaaall!”

“Mostly, I think you reap what you sow, as Tarnyang recklessly plunges into things.”

Behind Tarnyang, that was making a fuss, Sainyang whispered in a low voice.

“A, anyway… I more or less get it, you experienced something terrible… then, what do you intend to do?”

Swish! Thrusting the finger in her direction, Tarnyang declared loudly.

 “Yuit! I won’t be satisfied unless I beat you up! Fight!”

"Eh... ?"

Yuit was flabbergasted at the unexpected words.

She turned to look at Tarnyang with a very apologetic face.

“Wai, wait a second, a fight, can’t we talk it over?”

“Shut up shut up shut up! Until you crawl to my feet and say you're sorry, my anger won't settle down!"

"Huh... why did it come to this..."

Yuit sighed and looked up at the sky, then cast her eyes to the ground again.

At that time, her expression had become one of complete resolution.

"It can't be helped, if you say that much, I guess I can't do anything... But!"

Yuit raised her hand towards the sky, and snapped her finger.

"Gaoooon!"

Along with the roar, a shadow of a person that was holding back behind Yuit appeared, aimed at the ground, and jumped down from high above!

"Your opponent won't be me... but Vante!"

"Wait, uh, you can't hand it down! Fight yourself!"

Tarnyang was panicking at the unforeseen development, but Yuit answered with a straight face.

"Vante is a Clockwork Automaton my mother built. That is to say, Vante will fight whenever I fight! Now, Vante, let's go! Let's cool down her head!"

"Gaon!"

Raising up both arms of steel, Vante threatened Tarnyang and Sainyang.

Responding with an even more fearless smile, Tarnyang adopted a peculiar pose.

"Fufun, when this automaton gets knocked down, it'll be your turn next! Sainyang, don't lag behind, let's go!"
"Eh, uh, y, yes!"
Called by Tarnyang, Sainyang got ready while keeping her always reluctant facial expression.
"Two people as one! Watch carefully, the might of the Twins Dragon Formation!"

"Still, if you think about it, I feel we don't really need to fight, though..."

"Shut up! Like the old saying goes, "In for a penny, in for a pound"!"

"You're using it wrong..."

"Sainyang, we don't have the time to look away now! Look out, it's coming!"

"Eh... Hyaa!"

Vante had charged at them from afar, closing the distance at a speed beyond common sense, to strike Sainyang while she wasn't prepared!

"Haah!"

Tarnyang pulled the string that connected Sainyang and her, and thanks to her drawing her sister towards herself, Vante's fist stopped just before Sainyang's eyes.

"Hey, Sainyang, this will get dangerous if you don't pick up the pace!"

"...But, I've been serious so far."

"I, I mean, get even more serious! C'mon, let's go!"

"Y, yeah..."

After Tarnyang said so, she held both of Sainyang's legs by the side, and held her up in the air.

The expression with which she glared back at Vante was brimming with the confidence of victory.

"Take this, Twins Dragon Formation!"

"D, Dragonic Spin... ...!"

"Deeeyaaaaah!"

Slam!

Along with the scream, Tarnyang swung Sainyang's body desperately and attacked Vante!

"H, how... what?"

The scene stunned Yuit a little.

But, the Dragonic Spin wasn't a technique out of desperation.

Swinging Sainyang was making full use of one of their art's strong point, increasing the two people's offensive strength several times, up to tenfold.

"Gaoooon!"

Crossing both steel arms, Vante was blocking Tarnyang's attack.

But, the two people's attack was so heavy and strong that both her legs were firmly digging  into the ground, as she was pushed back more and more.

"Nuaaaa!"

"Hyauuuu!"

Letting out a roar, Tarnyang was swingng Sainyang.

Raising her voice in a shriek like manner, Sainyang's body was striking Vante.

Vante's whole body was creaking, and it appeared to have reached its limit.

But, Yuit smiled with a daring grin, even confronted with a situation of obvious inferiority.

"Vante, now!"

Just then, she pointed at them and gave an order.

"Gaoooooooonn!"

Letting out a remarkably loud roar, Vante extended both hands, and simultaneously grabbed both Sainyang and Tarnyang, who still held her.

"Hyann?"

"Wh, what?"

"Vante, noooow!"

"Gaoooon!"

Vante threw Tarnyang and Sainyang together.

"Hyaaaaa!"

"Uwaaaaa!"

The duo screamed while flying through the air, as they were heading to a canal close to the gate.

Splash! Raising a great spray, both of them landed on it.

Fortunately, it seemed that the water had dried up halfway and they were only around waist level deep.

"Sa, Sainyang! Hurry up...!"

"...W, wait a second, don't push, sis...!"

After being thrown, both of them had become intertwined in a weird posture and they couldn't stand up easily.

Laughing at the situation, Yuit shouted.

"There's no way to escape! I made it myself, behold the power of the Kreutz castle's defensive system!"

Saying that, Yuit turned on a device.

"Wh.. what-what!"

"Wawawa .... wawaa!"

As their bodies were lifted up, Tarnyang and Sainyang embraced each other and screamed.

A trap knit with a thick rope had been built into the bottom of the canal, and had picked up the two entwined people and lifted them up.

“Like this… oww, I can’t move…!”

“I told you so… calm down…”

“You’re 100 years too early to beat the intellect of myself, Yuit, the “Alchemy Strategist”!”

Yuit declared proudly, looking down on the two people who complained under her gaze.

"Sure, if you fight fair and square, you’re stronger than Vante. But your weak point is that you two are connected by your necklace, and your honest characters. .... In some respects, you're similar to a certain somebody."

---

“…What's taking so long, Yuit?"

Informed about the captured visitors, Annelotte came and, seeing the two soaked people hanging, asked with an amazed look.

“The castle’s defense is working properly, we had to show you, big bro.”

“That may be true… but that doesn’t mean you can keep them hanging up forever… release them immediately.”

 “Uuu, Annelotte! You deceived us once, but we won’t forgive you! If you release us from this trap, we’ll fight you again!”

“...Again… I think we lost completely… however, if you keep struggling… it hurts…”

Annelotte tilted her head at the words of the struggling Tarnyang.

"Deceived? What in the world…?”

In the end, Annelotte and the others understood the reason behind the misunderstanding of Tarnyang’s party.

-To be continued-

---

So, that's it for this chapter. I don’t think this was mentioned before, but Vante’s usual cry, “Gaon”, is the onomatopoeia of a lion’s roar.

And since they were just introduced, I should note that Tarnyang is supposed to speak with a noticeable Chinese accent, as she ends most of her sentences with the chinese “ne” (something rather untranslatable). Sainyang doesn’t, though, but even in the gender-ambiguous Japanese language, she gets directly referred to twice as a “she”, in case there was any doubt.

So, look forward to the next chapter, and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!