Queen's Blade Unlimited Story: Chapter 1-3(a)

First of all, the QB twitter hinted yesterday about Nowa's Captain being on the horizon, so maybe we can look forward to her soon...?

Regarding the Unlimited OVA's poll, "looking forward to it" and "ready and waiting like you wouldn't believe!" won with 24v-43% and 14v-25% respectively. After that was "sorta neutral" with 9v-16%, and with a slight difference between the rest, there was "wait, there's gonna be a new QB OVA?" with 4v-7%, "nope, not interested" with 3v-5% and "not all that interested, meh" with 1v-1%.
Well, count me in among the ones eager and waiting~! With our author at the helm of the story, it might very well be the QB anime season with the best story, y'know :D

Since we're in a rut coming up with new polls lately, how about bringing up this oldie, let's say for the sake of how you'd wish the Unlimited OVA to develop~?

And here we begin the 3rd and last chapter of the so-called volume 1! As the author basically spoils in the very title, someone becomes a proper Beautiful Fighter in this one... heh, Siam would be proud...

Enjoy!




Chapter 1: Elina’s Journey (Part 3)

The story thus far…
In the midst of being hunted down by the Netherworld Wraith Airi, the boy Michel, keeper of a whistle with the miraculous ability to recover one’s vitality, came across the Vance noble Elina, who stepped in to his aid.

Retreating to a nearby bathhouse to recover, a conversation between the two unveils the boy’s goal to be the very same as her sister Leina’s: to seek the land of Maramaks.

In light of this revelation, Elina decides to accompany him, but just as she decides to do so...

Elina, Becoming a Beautiful Fighter

[We’ll start by securing someplace to sleep, then head out first thing tomorrow. This shouldn’t be too hard, I already have that recommendation from the beautiful fighter we passed by on our way out after all.]

If a church authority like the Radiant Priestess was willing  to stay there, Elina figured the inn’s services had to at least be adequate enough to suit her standards too. Plus, with a fighter like Melpha staying there, at least their anti-wraith measures would be on point.

Worse came to worst, she could always try and pit Melpha versus Airi directly too. A wraith trying to take on a priestess? Who wouldn’t want to see a Queen’s Blade match like that?

[A brilliant plan, if I do say so myself.]

Elina mused, smiling happily to herself as she looked up to the evening sky… when suddenly, the blonde felt every single ounce of her strength fading away from her body.
“W-What’s going…”
She felt a cold breeze rising from out under her.
“L-Lady Elina.”

The blonde motioned the boy to keep his distance, then swiftly took hold of her spear and stabbed it through the ground, disturbing the magic circle that’d been placed beneath her. Like the fleeting gust of petals in a spring’s breeze, the magic circle faded away, leaving nothing behind but street corner.

“I expected no less. Brilliant deduction.”
From within a pool of shadows, Airi emerged, clad in that same maid uniform as always.
“I see you’re already well acquainted to this sort of affair.”
Lightly teasing at her own lips with a touch, Airi bowed.
“Lady Elina, daughter of the Earl of Vance. I’ve come to retrieve Lord Michel, to whom you’ve so graciously taken care of in my absence this past while.”
“W-What did you… do to me…?”

It was as if every shred of energy inside her had simply been wiped clean. The Vance girl found herself forced to cling to her spear to avoid crumbling down.

“Oh, I just helped myself to some your essence. Honestly, Lady Elina, as you are no beautiful fighter, I really should have just done this from the start.”
The maid grinned, clearly brimming with confidence, and turned her back on Elina.
“That’s some nerve you got there, looking away from your opponent in the middle of a fight.”
“A fight? *Giggle* Surely you jest.”
Airi smiled and continued.
“You can barely stand, let alone fight. Really, Lady Elina, stealing away any more from you would no doubt result in my dooming you to serve me at this point…”
Airi’s skirt fluttered as she spun back around, her lips curled in obvious joy.
“But then again, if you insist, I’d be more than happy to oblige!”
“Lady Elina!”
“Don’t panic, Michel.”
Elina flashed an energetic smile to the boy some distance away.

[I can’t afford to lose this way, this is my one real clue to Leina’s whereabouts so far and I’m not about to shame myself by failing to protect this boy I swore to keep safe just a little while ago either.]

“If you think your little surprise attack already won you this fight, then you can think again.”
Elina pointed her spear’s tail end in Michel’s direction and held on.
“What?”
The blonde’s weapon fired, suddenly extending the hidden wire within and embedding its sharp tip straight past the boy and into a wall behind him. Elina then rewound the mechanism, dragging her tired body back to the boy’s side in a flash as Airi could only watch on in mute confusion.

A technique Elina that had also used earlier, during their high-speed dash through the rooftops.

“I’m not letting you take the kid.”
She promised Airi, placing herself between the wraith and the boy.

“*Giggle* ...Can you even move?”
“What? You mean that little bit of essence you stole from me? It’ll make the perfect handicap for taking you on.”

Elina kept up the attitude, with all the fatigue and weakness coursing through her from Airi’s surprise attack… if she didn’t at least keep her mouth in the game, then she might end up collapsing on the spot instead.

[If I had a bed right about now, I’d probably just drop on it like a rock. Too bad that’s not an option.]

“Crushing that pride of yours will be satisfying.”
A scythe appeared in Airi’s hand and a spirit orb by her side.
“In fact, do forget the crushing part. I do believe I’ll be slicing it to ribbons instead!”
The maid pointed her weapon at Elina, when the unthinkable happened.

A ray of light shone down from the heavens.

“Wha-...!?”
Airi jumped back instinctively. Heavenly glows were far from a good thing for her, being a wraith and all.
“Man, talk about fighting spirit! Oh ye who would face adversity and demonstrate the resolve needed to protect others even when in the face with overwhelming odds: we deem you worthy to becoming a beautiful fighter!”

A heavenly voice resonated from up above.
Michel tried gazing up into the light, and reflected in his eyes was what appeared to be a one-winged angel.

“Now’s our chance, Lady Elina!”
While Airi still recovered from her shock, the boy handed his whistle over to the the Vance girl.
“Blow!”
And as instructed, Elina played. She felt it steadily pulsate and grow larger in her hands, and before long the weariness that previously afflicted her vanished.

“Elina Vance, dost thou wanna become a beautiful fighter?”
The blonde lifted her spear up in response.
“Alright! Then in the name of the Referee Angel, Nanael, I hereby appoint ye a beautiful fighter!”

The Beautiful Fighter’s crest appeared before Elina, shining brightly.
“Good luck with your match, and have fun!”
Nanael’s cheery voice echoed. For someone overseeing a match, she didn’t really sound like she gave a damn.

“Now, let’s take this from the top. This time however, how’s about we make an official match out of it, shall we?”
Elina shouted to her foe, tossing Cathedral back to Michel.
“I would like nothing more!”
Airi’s fighter crest manifested too.
“Both fighters have agreed to their match! Now, declare your wishes!”
The loser to an official match had to submit to the winner’s order.

“My wish is but a simple one.”
Scythe in hand, Airi declared hers first.
“Stop helping Michel.”
Again, Airi’s task was simply to secure the boy. Defeating or making a slave out of Elina was of little importance in the grand scheme of things.
“Mine is…”

[What should I do?]

Elina had no clue what to order her. “Stop targeting Michel,” was the obvious first thing to come to mind but knowing people like Airi, Elina fully expected the maid to dig and dig until she found SOME sort of loophole that let her continue her dogged pursuit.

“Uh, y’know? Not that I really care of anything, but I don’t have all day~”
Nanael nagged, trying to rush things along.
“Nh--, I’ll think of something after I win.”
[Let’s see if that works. If I can’t put this on hold, then I guess I’ll just have to wing it.]
Those were Elina’s thoughts as she answered the angel.

“C-Can she actually do that?”
Airi stared in wonder. As far as she knew, this was unheard of.
“T-That’s simply not fair! There’s no way that can be allowed!”
Airi protested to the airborne angel, but judging from Nanael’s ruthless looking grin, she’d already made her choice…
“Ah~ well, we’ve already wasted enough time, y’know? It’s a bit of a pain, but sure, whatever: Queen’s Blade, start!”
Apparently, Elina’s proposal was approved.
“Kuh! Irresponsible angel!”
“Hey! I’m the one who calls the shots here!”
The angel puffed her chest up with pride, dismissing the wraith’s complaints before spreading out her arms.


“Now, fight well! O ye beautiful fighters, may all bear witness to your struggle! Fight courageously and without restraint! Give us a battle worthy of the Queen’s Blade!


Nanael’s proclamation boomed as the two shining emblems began their rapid approach towards one another before finally colliding and vanishing in a burst of light.

“You just watch, I’ll beat her black and blue.”
Positively radiating confidence and with the strong conviction in her heart, Elina winked to Michel before quickly brandishing her spear.

Fwoosh, flickering embers filled the air.
“Not even worth my full attention.”
The fight barely even started and already Elina made quick work of one of Airi’s spirit orbs, fired at one of her blind spots.

Elina pointed her spear to the maid and charged.

“She’s fast!”
Airi couldn’t help but comment on the Vance girl’s attack speed. In the time it’d take your average beautiful fighter to unleash a move, Elina had already thrown out not one, not even two, but 5 or 6 lightning quick thrusts instead. Forget three times faster, the blonde was already well beyond what the redhead could keep up with.

More importantly however, was that speed meant Elina was free to prepare any sort of offensive she wanted after dodging enemy attacks. Airi was far from your average fighter however, her wraith abilities had already secured her several victories as a fighter so far…

But… things were a little different this time. For some reason, apparently calling out will-o’-wisps for offense was out of the question, forcing her to rely on her far less dependable Spirit Orbs for a distraction at best. Not to mention how absolutely sluggish her body felt…

Victory only seemed to stray further and further away from the maid. The barrier surrounding the town only worked to Airi’s detriment and in a situation where the very terrain itself neutralized most of your combat abilities, just about any beautiful fighter, no matter how strong, would find herself having an a difficult time.

And that fact couldn’t be made any clearer given how easily Elina evaded every single one of the Airi’s attacks.
“Huh. And here I thought you might be a challenge.”
A series of fortunate coincidences, all working in Elina’s favor. You could almost call it destiny.

Normally speaking, wraiths couldn’t even be hurt by physical attacks. Only sanctified weapons or those processed with magically based minerals (including silver) were capable of harming them; the latter of which came into play here with Elina’s spear, processed using Mithotil ore, a unique mineral from the Iron Mountain that couldn’t be found anywhere else.

No, absolutely nothing was going Airi’s way today.

“This can’t be… How can I be losing…”
The wraith desperately struggled, doing her best to at least avoid any finishing blows.

Each dodge just a fraction of an inch away from defeat.
Every one of Elina’s strikes she scarcely managed to avoid, another piece of her maid outfit torn, exposing more and more of the pale skin beneath.

Frankly, all she she had left to cover herself at this point were frills.

“Time to end this.”
The princess straightened her spear one last time.
“Eat this, Vance Style - Spear Arts Secret Technique: ‘Draco!’”
Conceived by the founder of the Vance family, it was an attack designed to fell a dragon.

In a display that’d solidify just what members of the Vance house were capable of outside of their nobility, Elina put an end to the fight.

--



Spoilers? As our astute readers would have surmised, the new technique Draco is a reference to the constellation... besides being a nice parallelism with Leina's "Dragon Tail" attack, that is~