Queen's Blade Rebellion Illustrated Stories: Showdown, chapter 7

 In this chapter, Captain Liliana arrives to the capital, but what are her intentions?

Enjoy!

Showdown, chapter 7: Challenge

 

A gigantic shadow was cast on the Queen’s capital, where a large battle had just ended.

Everybody looked up at the sky and barely believed their eyes. What appeared there, was a huge pirate ship.

“Oh my, it seems the great war ended somehow.”

Turning her gaze from the figurehead to below her, the person with pink hair, the Great Pirate Captain Liliana muttered so tiresomely.

“If you see a situation where both sides are exhausted… the 21^st Pirate Aesthetics says, “Don’t miss a golden opportunity to defeat an opponent”! My rascals, prepare the bombardment!”

The ghost crew received Liliana’s command, and started preparing it.

“Target, the Queen’s room, start the bombardment!”

As Liliana swung her rapier down, innumerable shells were fired along with jet black fumes.

“Keep attacking, we’ll give them a destruction splendorous like thunder, and graceful like rain. As the 8^th Pirate Aesthetics says, “To get all the treasure, hand me all the shells!””

“W, what is happening?”

Receiving a bombardment all of a sudden, Yuit was staring in wonder.

“Sister, it’s dangerous here.”

Due to the incessant rain of shells that came with a thunderous roar, the ceiling of the Queen’s room collapsed helplessly, and rays of light shone through.

“What… is this!”

Annelotte squinted to see the figure of the phantom ship floating in the sky.

The phantom ship’s stern and the pirate flag hanging on the mast belonged to the legendary piratess Captain Liliana. But she was attacked by the Sea Demon Kraken and met a watery grave before Annelotte was born…

“Yahoo, Liliana, you’ve come to rescue me, right?”

Melona crawled out of the cage bent out of shape by the shock.

“What do you mean, is that another underling of the Marshland Witch?”

“Giggle, there are still other hidden-ball plays in the game. Because, we aren’t as nice as Claudette. If you’re saying you’re determined to fight us… since you’ll meet a terrible experience, you’d better get serious.”

Laughing, Melona changed her shape into a bird and flew away.

“Ah, wait!”

Yuit tried to spray the change-stopping drug on her, but didn’t make it in time.

“Sister Annelotte, at this rate…”

The bombardment from the phantom ship continued without stopping.

“If the bombardment stops just for a moment, I’ll use my Holy Pose.”

Sigui looked up at the sky as she avoided the shells. She had failed when her opponent was Queen Claudette, but with a phantom ship as her opponent, the work of her miracles would be most effective.

“It’ll be fine, I can stop the shells.”

They suddenly heard an unfamiliar voice.

“Behold. The might of the War God Fencing Style!”

Standing on the edge of the Queen’s Castle crumbling down due to the bombardment, the figure of a girl in a loincloth pulled out a huge nodachi.

“Samurai of the War God! Izumi arrives!”

Izumi ran out right in front of the bombardment with a scream, swinging her sword.

“Towah! Seyah! Take this!”

Her intention seemed to be to strike back at the shells, but there was no proof that her sword had actually hit anything. Rather, it was nothing short of a miracle that she hadn’t been hit by the rain of shells.

“What’s, that girl…”

“Yahoo, Liliana, thanks for coming.”

A pink crow flew down on the phantom ship behind Liliana, and changed its form into a person.

“Melona… I didn’t particularly come to pick you up.”

Liliana frowned, instructing their subordinates to further continue the bombardment. But, the bombardment didn’t restart.

“Oh my? Did we run out of shells? If that’s the case, let’s go here with the 24^th Pirate Aesthetics, “Don’t let them realize your defects.””

Liliana put the pirate hat over her eyes, and gave the sign to withdraw to the phantom ship crew, glaring at Annelotte’s party below her.

“My greeting will end at this. Tomorrow, I’ll show you my earnest. Do be prepared!”

Governing an overwhelming power, Liliana left Gainos’ sky after informing them about the rematch.

On that day, everybody’s eyes were fixed on the figure of the woman who had emerged in the crystal ball, that hadn’t projected anything since the Queen Claudette had announced the abolishment of Queen’s Blade.

Though the winner of the previous Queen’s Blade, the Exiled Warrior Leina, had handed over the Queen’s seat to Claudette, a beautiful fighter that was in hiding had declared war and gathered others to defeat Queen Claudette, and that war had proven the existence of the Marshland Witch as a presence controlling all from the shadows, a threat that called for the cooperation of the people.

By all rights, everybody would agree with the words of this beautiful fighter who should have become the Queen, and the whole Continent would attain a momentary peace.

“Did you see that, this is the spirit of a samurai. I stopped the bombardment and got them to leave.”

Compared with Izumi’s triumphant look, Yuit’s was cold.

“Well, I think they were simply out of ammo. Well then, you weirdo should back off, since Yuit has to report the present situation, just like always.”

Before the beautiful fighters gathered in the vacant Queen’s room, Yuit stepped forward a little.

“Let’s see, on how to treat the guest of honor, Queen Claudette. Although the person herself wished for execution, big bro won’t allow it.”

“That’s right. Even if the Queen’s government went too far, in the beginning it was carried out with ideals and good will in mind.”

“There’d also be various problems if a Rebel Army abolished a Queen chosen legitimately through Queen’s Blade. She’d be able to make up for it if she could recover her true character…”

“Yeah, I think what the world needs is to have a chance to regain the lost territory.”

“But, how will we get to this enemy of the world?”

“If Bligh was in good health, we could possibly break through comfortably through the Marshland overflowing with miasma.”

Bligh had been partially destroyed due to Laila’s fierce attack, and it showed no signs of moving soon.

“A way to break through.”

The Iron Strategist Ymir, who had been immersed in research in her basement during the war, talked gloomily. Beside her was the figure of the Gemstone Princess Eilin, who had been rescued by Tarnyang’s party.

“During the day, somebody will board on the flying pirate ship that were being attacked by.”

“Board it… how?”

“Look at this.”

Ymir took out one sheet of paper with a design.

“By Queen Claudette’s orders, I researched into a flying device, we should be able to jump at this fellow’s pirate ship…”

“Queen Claudette’s orders?”

“Right, Her Majesty the Queen is a person who can think ahead. As soon as the main war ended, she had thought about subduing the Witch. So, various methods to try to jump over the Marshland miasma were considered.”

“Thank goodness for that. And, is that flying device operational?”

Hm, Ymir nodded at Annelotte’s words.

“The first prototype is complete.”

“Why wasn’t this used in the battle against us? Even without weapons, if you had sent an assassin into Bligh under the cover of the night, the flow of the battle might have changed.”

Ymir laughed at Sigui’s question.

“This guy was to be used to fight the Marshland Witch. What would we use it against you for?”

“Queen Claudette was certain her main enemy was the Marshland Witch…? We made her realize the smallness of her insight.”

Turning her gaze to the spire where Claudette had remained indoors of her own volition, Annelotte let out a small sigh.

“Everybody, listen up.”

Annelotte called out, and everyone turned her gaze to her.

“I was convinced that this would all end when we defeated the Queen. But so far the war shows no sign of ending. The Marshland’s Witch plan of settling in the throne herself, replacing the Queen, has already failed. Queen Claudette has recognized herself that she was cursed, and lady Maria is also by her side. There won’t be an oppressive reign anymore.”

She took a pause to survey everybody’s faces.

“So there’s no more pressure. If you want to live peacefully, you can stay here.”

“Ah~, I didn’t say it because it’s annoying, but I wanna go, can I follow you?”

Before anyone noticed, there sounded voice of Izumi, who had joined the place.

“I’ve come to the Continent, wishing to fight. I’d be disappointed if the war ended and I missed this exciting opportunity.”

“Though I don’t like wars, if we leave the Marshland Witch alone, won’t she keep on cursing people?”

“It was our intention to follow Sister Annelotte.”

“If the Witch goes strong, we can’t return to our hometown in peace.”

The beautiful fighters that had fought alongside Annelotte stepped up, coming forth one after the other.

“Thank you, everybody…”

Annelotte involuntarily suppressed the tears that were about to overflow, and tightly clenched her fist.

-To be continued-

That's quite the impressive entrance Liliana made, a pity Izumi couldn't quite look as cool as her, though.

Seems like there are a lot of "pirate aesthetics" rules she's following...

Next chapter: can they get on board of Captain Liliana's phantom ship?