Afterword
The battle of the beautiful fighters has only just begun!
After parting from that tremendous power—more than humans are capable of handling—and becoming a lone Exiled Warrior once again, what kinds of adventures are waiting for Leina, now that she’s challenging Queen’s Blade? And what kind of fierce battles will we witness in the main tournament, which has finally started?
Even though I’ve given more than a passing thought to her new fights, after this tale of the sacred treasure Sword of the Unicorn and the Exiled Warrior Leina who held it, I would like to put down my pen for a while.
I’m really thankful.
The full compilation of the 5 volumes of Queen’s Blade: Sword of the Unicorn was completed successfully. Including the anime, it’s one of the projects that had contributed to Queen’s Blade development the most, gearing up for the next series.
I knew from the beginning that figures were being developed for Queen’s Blade, but I couldn’t hide my astonishment when even the Sword of the Unicorn was made into a figure. No, seriously, when I saw the image, I worried thinking someone might be reading my mind.
Two years ago, if I remember correctly, I was like: “let’s release one volume and see how it goes”, but I surely couldn’t have anticipated at the time that this would become a long series with five volumes.
At the beginning, the naughty li’l rare treasure that is the Sword of the Unicorn wasn’t going to appear, and with the content being basically Leina punishing the baddies who killed using boys and girl with regenerative abilities, there was something sorely lacking. And that was a weapon.
Holy swords and magic swords are clichés in fantasy. At that moment was when the Sword of the Unicorn and the story behind it were born.
Fio’s secret identity—which remained a mystery—, the interest of Heaven in retrieving the Sword, the scheme of the Swamp Witch’s party—aiming at Fio’s power—. The fact that I was able to write these stories safely to their conclusion, with even visuals fully drawing out the charm of the beautiful fighters—thanks to Mr. Eiwa, in charge of the illustrations—, is the result of the support and cheering I got from all you my readers.
I’m really thankful. (Once again)
The main guest this time is the Iron Princess Ymir. With her inclusion, my personal ambition of making all the released Queen’s Blade visual books appear in the text (‘Fierce Battle’ included) was successfully realized.
So, seeing as this was the conclusion, I had many thoughts like ‘I want to bring this one out’ and ‘I want that one to play this role’. Due to the plot at the onset, it was beginning to turn into a bit of an all-star cast situation that escaped my control.
‘This won’t do!’
With Mr. M’s editing advice on how to shape the characters a bit more and make the development more flashy, it ended up in its current form.
That’s why it’s no exaggeration to say that half of this episode was completed thanks to Mr. M’s cooperation. I’m happy I was able to spend those happy days writing, blessed with such good staff.
I’m really thankful. (And once more for good measure)
Eiji Okita
I'm Eiwa, the one who did the illustrations. Well~, we've finally reached the end with Volume 5. How was it? Honestly, I never thought there would be five volumes (laughs). I believe it's all thanks to the readers. Kudos to Okita-sensei for your hard work. With so many strong and unique characters in Queen's Blade, it must have been challenging. I look forward to your future works. Well then, until we meet again somewhere~
Special Epilogue: Dawn of the Final Tournament
In the capital Gainos, the excited cries from the arena never stopped. The court magicians moved restlessly through the corridors of the great stadium, and the crystal balls that recorded the battles flew through the sky with the same kind of hurry.
It was by their hands that the fights of the beautiful fighters got relayed throughout the Continent. There were people looking up at crystal balls all over the land.
They were the final moments of Queen’s Blade. The final tournament, where the beautiful fighters who had won the long battles over the last four years would be participating, was soon about to start.
Who will they fight now? It was something that wasn’t told to the beautiful fighters participating in the matches, let alone to the audience. Only one thing was clear: the winner of this final tournament would be the only beautiful fighter who could challenge the reigning Queen.
***
The Great Colosseum, located in the center of the capital of Gainos. The huge castle integrated with the residence of the Queen, symbolizing the Queen’s Blade regime, and surrounded by the frenzy from the audience.
In the basement of the Great Colosseum, there were the beautiful fighters’ waiting rooms. They were filled with a chilly air—none of the feverish hot air from above reached there. The waiting rooms were devised with ingenuity so that every room’s occupant could get to the arena without meeting the others face to face.
Also, the names of the beautiful fighters weren’t written in the nameplate of the rooms; it was only numbers which were assigned there.
In the waiting room allocated as number 1 there was a beautiful fighter and one court magician. He was there to adjust the crystal ball—that acted as proof of a beautiful fighter—before the main tournament, one of their jobs as well.
“Honestly speaking, I never imagined you would enter the main battle.”
The court magician in a purple robe talked to the beautiful fighter in front of him, as he handed her the ball she was to use in the final tournament.
“I thought that someone like you, who fought THE Golem Warrior, would be regarding Queen’s Blade and such as little more than child’s play by now. And yet, you didn’t try to use that power.”
He kept talking, looking at the woman and noticing the wry smile on her face.
“No, you’ve advanced so far without using it. Why don’t you use it?”
“I can’t use something that doesn’t exist. Besides, it wasn’t my strength in the first place.”
The woman answered in a gentle tone, the crystal ball now in her hands.
“So, what we heard about that power returning to Heaven was true.”
“Yes… And sure, if I had had that might, making it so far would have been a cinch. But, what meaning is there in borrowing someone’s power? I wanted to come so far with my own power.”
Those were the true feelings the beautiful fighter couldn’t fake: she wanted to fight with her own might.
As if standing by those words, she had kept refusing any rewards for defeating the Golem Warrior up to that day; it hadn’t been her own power which had beat the creature, it had all been thanks to Fio’s cooperation.
That’s why she didn’t need that power to fight in Queen’s Blade, which she challenged of her own free will.
“I understand. Please tell me your entry name.”
It wasn’t ‘The Golem Slayer’, or ‘The Unicorn Knight’. She would challenge Queen’s Blade with the name she had decided herself.
With that determination in mind, she opened her mouth to speak:
“The Exiled Warrior, Leina. That’s my name.”
“Okay, Leina. Are you confident in defeating the big four?”
“I don’t intend to lose. I came here to win.”
She flatly asserted so, with an awe-inspiring look that drifted elegance. Among the beautiful fighters called the 4 strongest in the Continent was Echidna—the Veteran Mercenary—, someone she had made it her goal to cross swords with.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that, ever since the day Echidna had told her she wasn’t even worth playing with, she had fought in order to get into a match with the elf.
“Those are some words of confidence.”
The magician flashed a smile, and deployed a magic circle that shone white on the waiting room’s floor.
“The tournament will be inaugurated now. Please proceed to the magic circle.”
Prompted by him, she stepped into it. The magic circle’s glow increased, enveloping her body with light.
The moment the light disappeared, she will have been transferred from the waiting room to the stadium located overhead.
Awaiting there would be the beautiful fighters who intended to cross swords with her so as to be able to challenge the Queen.
[Whoever my opponent ends up being, I’ll give it my best effort.]
Leina bit her lips and closed her eyes.
***
Queen’s Blade, the wide-scale competition used to choose the Queen who will rule the Continent.
Any woman aged 12 or higher could participate in the final stage of this fight. The beautiful fighters who had fought to the bitter end as mighty warriors to earn their spots assembled in the large arena in the capital of Gainos.
Was it glory and victory that awaited them? Or perhaps crushing and utter defeat… maybe even death?
They won’t know that unless they fight!
(End)
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