Queen's Blade Rebellion Illustrated Stories: Showdown, chapter 11

Extra chapter, probably the longest, and the very last one! I chose this bland preview with Aldra in case you haven't seen the awesome illustration yet...

Last battle!
Enjoy the Rebellion finale!

Showdown, chapter 11: Conclusion, And...

The Sacred Treasure Fortress Bligh advanced through the marshland. Luna Luna was devoting herself to dancing in the altar located in its heart, to store magical power.

“Magical power supply, entering threshold.”

On Bligh’s throne, deciphering the information sent by Vante, who integrated with the Fortress’ control unit, Yuit added one more order.

“Launching Sealed Weapon: Magic Lightball!”

The lightball released from Bligh’s widely open mouth vaporized the miasma on their course, transforming the marshland into solid ground.

“C, cool… That was amazing.”

Witnessing such a dreadful power, a power capable of destroying the world like only legends sang about, Izumi revealed her honest thoughts with a blank stare.

“If we had such a thing, why didn’t we use it in the battle against the Queen?”

“The whole Gainos would have disappeared if we had shot this. Or rather, at that time we didn’t even know how to use it.”

Yuit answered with embarassment to Mirim’s question.

“It seems Luna Luna didn’t know it either until she heard a story from a snake goddess in a prophetic dream.”

Until just the other day, Luna Luna didn’t know the location of the altar that she needed to dance on in order to shoot.

“Tarnyang, how is Luna Luna doing?”

“Ah, seems like she can’t do it anymore. She’s at the limit of her fatigue.”

Yuit nodded at Tarnyang’s report from the altar, and Bligh accelerated. They had to arrive to the witch’s castle before the miasma they had blown away came back drifting.

“Wait for us, big bro... You mustn’t be hasty.”

 

Even with Annelotte’s strength after changing into a demon of her own volition, facing the witch by herself couldn’t be said to be anything but hard.

“Older sister...”

Annelotte approached slowly to protect Aldra. She needed her cooperation to fight the witch.

“ “We can’t oppose her”… what do you mean by that?”

She asked in a whisper. Was there a law from the Netherworld in effect that she didn’t know about?

“The Marshland Witch... That body is our mother’s, Werbellia’s...”

“W, what did you say?”

Annelotte involuntarily gasped at Aldra’s words.

“S, so that means, if we kill the Marshland Witch...”

“Yes, we’d be killing our mother.”

Annelotte’s parents, the ones who had raised her, were the couple from the Kreutz Margraviate. Though that didn’t feel like a lie, having met her true mother, who wasn’t a human at that, was enough to perturb her.

“What are you whispering about... are you reconsidering if you should surrender?”

The Marshland Witch wriggled her body in an obscene gesture as she flexed her whip.

“Well, fine... you should know that any plans are useless before me... just with a glimpse of my power, behold an Unholy Pose.”

As the Marshland Witch made a dirty gesture as if to tempt them, countless ghosts appeared from the darkness.

“Kuh! T, this is...”

The ghosts appeared everywhere. Ghost came out from Annelotte’s and Aldra’s shadows as well, and immobilized the two.

“L, let goo!”

“What rude fellows, to make a move on madam.”

The summoned beasts drove away the ghosts that approached Aldra. But, since Annelotte didn’t have guardians of her own, there was no way for her to repel the innumerable ghosts.

“Come now, Annelotte. You should kiss my leg to make an oath of obedience.”

The Marshland Witch stretched her leg in front of Annelotte’s lips, who was made to kneel on the floor. Immobilized, Annelotte couldn’t even turn her face away.

“What curse should I cast on you... a curse to “Deny” your way of life... a curse to “Refuse” everything... maybe I should make you unable to live without my help...”

With a smile, the Marshland Witch put magical power into her fingertip, gathering force for the curse.

She couldn’t attack with her weapon due to the witch’s skill with the whip. She was no match for the demonic strength of a genuine inhabitant of the Netherworld like Werbellia… she couldn’t win... at this rate, let alone kill the witch, she wouldn’t even be able to touch her.

The moment Annelotte felt close to despair, the sound of a trumpet shell echoed from somewhere far away.

“Guwaooooooh.”

The undead that were immobilizing Annelotte screamed in death agony after hearing the trumpet shell’s sound.

“What’s that unpleasant sound? Airi, what’s happening?”

The Marshland Witch frowned in annoyance, and summoned Airi.

“Great Witch, it’s Bligh! Bligh is in our territory.”

“Damn them... Airi, suppress them with the undead, you may use an evil god, it doesn’t matter even if you kill the beautiful fighters as a warning to others.”

“Acknowledged.”

Airi disappeared just like she had appeared. Understanding that Bligh was getting close from the conversation between the two, Aldra raised her lowered face and looked at Annelotte and the Marshland Witch.

“Are you alright, madam? At this rate, your younger sister will become her servant.”

“Besides, aren’t the lives of your comrades in danger?... The Witch is merciless, mada-m.”

They thought that the Marshland Witch wasn’t supposed to be able to kill the beautiful fighters, but it had been a big misunderstanding. Like she did with Captain Liliana and Menace, she could resurrect the deceased and rule over them. There was no reason she’d hesitate to kill them if she had to.

“I can’t allow... such a thing.”

Aldra made up her mind.

“Will you oppose her? Madam, you intend to oppose her.”

Aldra nodded and, thrusting out her arm, ordered the summoned beasts.

“Mr. Belphe! Mr. Dogor! Initiate the attack! Aim at the witch’s underwear!”

“Uhohoho, what a delicious sounding order.”

The two summoned beasts, both the stuffed frog Dogor and the stuffed bear Belphe, jumped out vigorously.

“You servants are a million years too early to touch me!”

The Marshland Witch swung her whip when she sensed the summoned beasts approaching, and knocked down the two animals with lightning speed.

“Oooh, wonderful!”

“T, this is, more like a reward!”

Though they had been struck by the whip and the cotton padding inside them had spilled out, for some reason the two beasts smiled with great joy and bounced excitedly on the floor.

“Older sister!”

Encouraged by Aldra’s participation in the battle, Annelotte took hold of her lance-sword and stood up.

“The main part of the Marshland Witch’s body controlling Mother is that ominous underwear, if we tear if off from her body...”

“I agree!”

As soon as she heard, Annelotte stuck out her lance-sword, and charged towards the Marshland Witch.

“How foolish, to charge over and over again without a plan.”

The Marshland Witch faced Annelotte with a defenseless posture.

“What? T, this...”

The point of the lance-sword curved without touching the witch’s body, idly cleaving through the air.

Around the witch, strong enough on her own, there seemed to be an invisible, peerless shield.

“Hohoho, it’s as the witch says. Madam.”

“That’s right... Around the Marshland Witch, there’s a barrier formed by a huge magic supply from the Netherworld. It’s because of it that we can’t get close.”

Grumbling, the summoned beasts pointed at the back of the throne the witch had sat on.

Unless the radiance from the Netherworld stopped shining on the throne from the depths of the earth, there wouldn’t be a chance for the two people to win.

Bligh rose with a roar, pushing its way through the countless undead that loomed like fog. On its head, Izumi tooted her trumpet shell, raising the allies’ morale.

“That’s as far as you go. We’re expecting no visitors!”

A huge shadow showed up to halt Bligh’s advance.

“Geh! What is thaat!?”

Izumi exclaimed involuntarily.

The huge shadow that stood in the way before Bligh was an evil god from the Netherworld with the lower half of a serpent. On its shoulder, carrying a scythe, could be seen the figure of the witch’s loyal subject, the Infernal Tempter Airi.

“To send out such a thing.”

Mirim’s voice trembled before the figure of the evil god sung about in legends.

“I guessed as much! Go!”

Coming near beside the frightened Mirim, Yuit rushed Bligh.

“Thrust into the castle as is! Maximum battle speed!”

They didn’t need tricks or plans anymore.

They could only achieve their goal by striking from the front.

In that situation, how could they cut off the supply of demonic energy from the Netherworld?

(Think, Annelotte, think)

If the ebb and flow continued, it would be them who would lose their stamina.

If they could at least prevent the light from the Netherworld...

The very moment Annelotte closed her eyes with a feeling as if praying to the heavens, a miracle happened.

The ground rumbled with a thunderous roar, and the ceiling of the hall where Annelotte’s party and the witch were fighting crumbled down.

“W, what is it?”

Along with the rubble, a huge foot appeared trampling on a gigantic arm. It was the large build of the Sacred Treasure Fortress Bligh.

“You’re telling me you couldn’t stop Bligh?”

The witch shouted inside the collapsing rubble.

Bligh kept moving without stopping, and trampled down on the throne, the rubble blocking the point of contact with the Netherworld.

Unable to let this opportunity slip, Annelotte started running towards the confused witch.

“Mr. Belphe! Mr. Dogor! Please seal the witch’s movements.”

Seeing Annelotte’s actions, Aldra gave an order to the summoned beasts. Inside the Witch’s Castle, now crumbling due to Bligh’s ramming attack, the last battle had begun.

“What a delicious body, I’m salivating.”

“Low lives... you better step back!”

As an effect of the light from the Netherworld being blocked, the barrier that should have been formed along the witch’s voice didn’t appear.

“Uhyohyohyo, this is quite sweet.”

The summoned beasts pounced on the witch’s voluptuous breasts.

“You servants!”

As the witch tore the summoned beasts off herself, Annelotte drew near among the crumbling debris.

“Annelotte! I decided on the appropriate curse for thee!”

The witch tore the summoned beasts off her clothes, and with her breasts exposed, turned towards Annelotte with a curse on her finger.

“When your soul receives this “Despair” curse, you’ll surrender before me.”

She risked being cursed. But even if she was cursed, she should be able to reach the witch’s body.

“Now! Anne!”

Seeing the witch’s opening, Aldra grabbed the witch from behind, immobilizing her.

“What? When did you...”

The witch was bewildered by the surprise attack. But, it only lasted for a moment.

“In that case, you’ll be cursed first.”

The witch turned towards Aldra, clinging to her, and pointed the cursing finger at her.

“Witch! Your opponent is me!”

Annelotte cast aside her lance-sword and extended her hand.

“Did you throw away your weapon because you realized you can’t make it?”

“No. I threw it away to win, witch!”

That was a desperate tactics after noticing how Aldra’s unarmed surprise attack had been a success.

“Nonsense.”

The cursing miasma collected around the witch’s fingertip distorted the air. But, the curse didn’t leave her finger.

“Why? Why didn’t the curse take place?”

Annelotte’s fingertips bit into Werbellia’s underwear, and tore it off from her body in one go.

“Guoooooh! Damn! Damn!”

Releasing a screaming shockwave, the jet black underwear left Werbellia’s body, moving its limbs like a spider.

“Just a little more... even though I had abolished that annoying Queen’s Blade forever... Damn…”

At the same time the witch’s words extinguished, the dark clouds that toppled the marshland went away, and warm sunlight shone in.

Separated from the body she inhabited, the Marshland Witch was gone.

“Farewell... Marshland Witch...”

In Annelotte’s hands, losing its strength, the witch’s main body became worn-out and slid down.

Though she was wounded all over from being hit with the rubble, Annelotte was convinced that it was their victory.

A victory she couldn’t have possibly achieved on her own, if it hadn’t been for her sister Aldra, Yuit who operated Bligh and her comrades from the Rebel Army, they wouldn’t have triumphed over the Marshland Witch and released their mother.

“It’s our victory... Annelotte.”

Annelotte and Aldra felt the sun on their backs, and ran up towards Werbellia, who was getting up.

“You did it... big bro...”

As they watched from atop of Bligh the joyful reunion between parent and children, the beautiful fighters realized that the battle had ended.

That day was received as a big occasion in the history of the Continent.

The nobles that had long corrupted the Continent had been eradicated by Queen Claudette’s great political purge, and the technology of instruments operated by magic put in place during her mandate revolutionized the life of the people.

The great political purge had ended in calamity due to the curse cast on Queen Claudette by the Marshland Witch, and thanks to the Rebel Army led by the Princess Knight Annelotte marking the end of the Marshland Witch, the Continent had regained peace once again.

“...I revoke my own proposal that made me into the Queen here, and I declare a Queen’s Blade tournament to decide the Queen of the next era.”

It went without saying that the whole Continent got in an uproar of joy when Claudette’s declaration was propagated all over by the crystal ball.

A true Queen determined by Queen’s Blade. That was what the people of the Continent were asking for.

“Will you really do this?”

At the Queen’s Castle, Claudette was talking to Annelotte in the backyard.

“No one would complain anyways if you got the throne of the Queen.”

“I was able to achieve my goals. The Marshland Witch that brought calamity to the Continent was defeated, I reunited with my sister, my mother was saved, and Queen’s Blade was restarted. That’s good enough for me.”

As Annelotte said that, she shifted her attention to her comrades from the Rebel Army gathered in the courtyard.

“Thank you for all until now. We made it thanks to everyone.”

“S, so this... is goodbye?”

“No, we’ll meet again. In the next Queen’s Blade, we’ll fight properly then, aiming for the throne of the Queen.”

Before Annelotte’s declaration, Claudette showed a smile no one had ever seen before.

“I’ll look forward to it, rebel Princess Knight... no, Patriot Princess Knight.”

The era of the rebellion that had caused many calamities in the Continent had passed, an era where the new Queen would be decided in a fighting tournament was about to begin.

The sisters gathered under the flag of the Rebel Army, each with their own goal, separated to fulfill their dreams. Some people will carry out the mission they were born to, and some people will improve themselves...

They’d meet again in the great competition Queen’s Blade to decide the next Queen, but whether that victor will be Annelotte, or it’ll be someone else entirely, they won’t know that unless they fight.

One girl was wandering through the wilderness, not knowing where to go.

The girl, whose body was clad in maid clothes and who didn’t look like either an adventurer or a traveler, was holding a black piece of cloth that released a sinister miasma.

“Please wait a little... I’ll find a suitable body for you, Mistress...”

Where was Airi heading to, and which plans she had with the piece of cloth, that’ll be another story.

-END-

>That was the story, but now a little bonus:

The Marshland Witch’s Secret

Roughly 100 years ago. The Marshland Witch who appeared suddenly openly hated the living things and Queen’s Blade, and building a gigantic castle in the Large Marshland, begun spreading the marshland through her magical power.

The Marshland Witch was a bodiless spirit, if she didn’t possess anyone, she couldn’t display her full power. Although the witch had tried many bodies so far, none of the bodies could withstand the use of her mighty magical power for long. Therefore, the witch set her eyes on Werbellia. She was a beautiful high ranking demon, daughter of the Demon King of the Netherworld. The Marshland Witch summoned her from the Netherworld under the pretense of helping to conquest the world.

On the other hand, a man known as Pope Stephan, the supreme leader of the religion, got to know that the Marshland Witch was cooperating with the daughter of the King of the Netherworld, and went to subjugate them. Although the Pope lost the battle facing Werbellia in the marshland, he actually succeeded in sealing her power. That is, Werbellia fell in love at first sight with the Pope and gave herself to him.

The Marshland Witch was stumped. As long as Werbellia continued her sweet married life, let alone her body, it’d be near impossible to borrow her strength.

5 years passed, husband and wife had two daughters, and they formed a happy family. Then, the witch eventually kidnapped the two daughters, luring the Pope to her own castle and sealing him alive in the Netherworld forever.

Though the Marshland Witch tried to usurp the body of Werbellia, despaired at her husband’s disappearance, her plan failed. Werbellia was a mightier being than she could have imagined. She got angry, and went back to the Netherworld. Her two daughters escaped secretly to the town by the hand of an identified human.

 

And then, time passed, and the moment came when Aldra was defeated at the tournament. Once again, the witch summoned Werbellia. The witch had obtained the “Controlling Treasure” handed down by the Amara Kingdom from Menace, and using the treasure on that body, she controlled Werbellia. As Werbellia, the Marshland Witch first cast the “Amplification Curse” on the new Queen. If she amplificated her personality that respected the order to an abnormal degree, it’d be easy to manipulate her in the future. Placing Melona (a fake Ymir) as a supervisor, the Queen substantially belonged to the witch. She was made to declare the abolition of Queen’s Blade, calamity befell and a “Beautiful Fighters Hunt” began to erase the people according to the prophecy. But the prophecy said that she couldn’t kill them. Then, the witch rendered them powerless, casting on them curses crueler than death. This way, the witch’s preparations to rule the Continent were complete, without her actually finding herself on center stage. She was keeping an eye for a chance to depose the Queen, and seize the throne for herself.

But the two daughters of the "vessel" she had kidnapped became an obstacle! Why didn’t the prophecy told her about the existence of these two people? Wasn’t the prophecy that almighty, or did the "vessel"’s maternal instincts hinder it? That will always remain a mistery.






Whew, so that was the whole thing... Guess there's a lot to comment about, but I'll just highlight a couple of things for now:

The Witch does have 4 "Unholy Poses": Control, Corruption, Despair and Pain. We'll have to wait for her book to actually see them, but unlike the Holy Poses, seems like they require the user's own energy.

Also, I was rather convinced the summoned beasts would turn on Aldra sooner or later. It was rather refreshing to see them staying beside her (and staying as perverts, while at it), truth be told...



Still, the Continent was saved, and the Witch was severely (fatally?) weakened, but what happened to our heroines...?

Next: Rebellion endings, start!