Chapter 1: Tomoe’s Suffering
The Free City of Sheldan was known throughout the Continent as one of the areas which held Queen’s Blade matches.
At the large arena, able to accommodate tens of thousands, the crowd’s voice was sounding like a huge musical instrument. What the audience was chanting was the name of one Warrior Priestess, who had come across the sea from the island of Hinomoto (to the eastern end of the Continent) in order to participate in Queen’s Blade.
“Tomoe! Tomoe!”
Since she entered Sheldan’s arena half a month ago, she currently holds the record of 5 consecutive preliminaries victories.
Preliminaries.
That was how matches before the Queen’s Blade tournament proper are regarded as.
In the Tournament, matches are decided by the Queen and overseen by the Magicians. Whereas preliminary matches can happen between any beautiful fighter that has signed up, and has the crystal ball that summons the magic umpire who approves and mediates the ‘Skirmish’.
These preliminary matches allow participants to grasp each other’s strengths in preparation for the true Tournament, so they fight frequently to measure their own competence.
So it is natural to assume that when two participants meet, a preliminary fight will likely take place.
As Tomoe received the cheers from the audience behind her, she pointed her sword at her opponent.
Today’s opponent wasn't using speed to play around with her, nor was she following through any plan. She was coming to attack her squarely. One could say that was proof of confidence in her own ability.
“Hard, isn’t it? This ain’t your home ground anymore!”
A female warrior, a redhead licked her lips, her brown pupils scowling at Tomoe. The name of this woman was Risty. She was an outstanding “power fighter” in Queen’s Blade, known as the Bandit of the Wilderness.
Could Tomoe reach her six winning streak facing her? Or would the Warrior Priestess from Hinomoto be the one collapsing on the arena’s stone pavement?
The eyes of the spectators filling up the seats converged on the two.
“It’s fine tho, playin’ the villain from time to time ain’t half bad!”
Her red hair shook as she swung her mace with an incredible force.
It wasn’t just a simple mace, but a Morning Star. An iron ball was at its tip, which exerted its maximum striking force at the moment of impact, crushing everything under it: it was an extremely powerful weapon.
Tomoe held a katana. No matter if this was a masterpiece by the swordsmith Kuchinawa from the Masakado shrine, known even in the Continent, it would be impossible for it to receive the attack from Risty’s mace.
And yet, contrary to the expectations, it did endure the strong blow released by the redhead's stout arm, without losing to her weapon.
The arena was surrounded in cheers of amazement.
“A head-on fight? That’s how I like ‘em.”
Risty grinned, glaring at Tomoe’s face.
“I always face battles head-on.”
She answered calmly as she opposed Risty, who kept pressing against her weapon as they heard a grinding sound, now with even more power.
[For the moment, I can match her, but I don’t think I have much time. If I don’t change my stance, she’ll soon overcome me. It’s slightly vulgar, but I can only use “that.”]
Tomoe made her decision.
“Haah!”
Tomoe’s red hakama fluttered widely at the same time as that spirited yell.
“Nhah!”
Tomoe’s unexpected action tinged Risty’s expression with surprise. The audience’s eyes focused on Tomoe’s white thighs.
One of Tomoe’s special techniques, the Warrior Kick, caught Risty in the flank.
[That gave a good response!]
“Guh!”
After taking such a strong kick, Risty groaned and stepped back.
“Good kick there. You’re a real fighter.”
Despite being a feint to break the stalemate, such a clean hit should have had enough power behind it to knock her unconscious.
“It’s my turn now!”
Risty raised her mace, and jumped at Tomoe in a straight line.
[Do I retreat? No, Warrior Priestesses never shy away from a challenge.]
Aware that she was repeating her previous mistake, Tomoe took up her sword.
*Thump!*
“Nuh!”
The shock ran from Tomoe’s arms to her shoulders, went through her spine and ended at her feet.
“I’ll crush you as you are.”
Risty gathered more power into the blocked mace.
“I'll have to decline."
As she used her sword to wrestle the increasingly heavy mace, Tomoe jumped back. Now free from her sword, the accumulated power made the mace go on and crush the stone pavement with a dreadful momentum.
The arena’s stone pavement was about as strong as a castle wall. Still, Risty’s muscular strength could smash it. Tomoe went wide-eyed before that terrible power.
“It’s just like a siege weapon.”
[Can I even block it again?]
The impact from the blow she hadn't been able to parry was making her body go numb. She looked at her sword and at the mace alternately.
Her blade made a vibrating sound and shook minutely, proof that some remainder of the shock it hadn't been able to withstand still lingered. If it had been a blunt sword, it would have shattered long ago. It truly was an excellent sword worthy of the Kuchinawa name.
[However, I can’t keep this up forever. For now I can pull through thanks to the charms that were still full of spiritual power, but it’s obvious I’ll be overpowered if I fight a defensive battle.]
“I can still go on-!”
Risty drew near as she swung her mace wildly, making buzzing sounds. Her opponent was still full of energy.
The mace drew close as it noisily tore up the air.
[My only respite is that her swings are huge. Thanks to that, if I stay calm, they won’t be that difficult to see through.]
“I wonder how long you can keep your cool?”
Her mace approached with a force reminiscent of a storm.
“Haah!”
With a sudden yell, Tomoe pushed out her sword.
[Risty is concentrating on the offense, so she can’t possibly avoid it. The previous Warrior Kick proved that she wasn’t that quick; after all, I only meant the attack as a feint, and it worked beautifully.]
Tomoe aimed for the moment Risty would do a huge swing; her sword’s tip was so close to her now.
“Fufun.”
Maybe because she had anticipated Tomoe’s attack, Risty repelled her thrust with her shield.
“Ya think this shield is just for show?”
She shouted, swinging the mace with all her might. Likely believing that her opponent wouldn’t be able to dodge this time, a victorious smile appeared on her face.
Tomoe also smiled. Her sword was stopped short of getting to Risty’s bosom. She could only rely on the amulets that had received the blessings of Lord Masakado.
*Shud!*
Risty’s blow impacted Tomoe’s body a tad earlier than expected. The amulets that were protecting Tomoe’s body physically with their spiritual power were torn by the mace’s pressure, and scattered away.
Feeling pressure as if she was carrying a huge boulder, Tomoe almost fell down on her knees despite herself. If she hadn’t used up the amulets to disperse Risty’s force, she would have been squashed ungracefully.
However, she hadn't been crushed, and she actually managed to mount a counterattack: she then switched her blade to strike with the back of the sword, and the attack found its target.
“Ohh my.”
Having been dealt a heavy blow to the side of her head with the flat of the sword, Risty staggered, dizzily.
“That gave a good… response.”
Tomoe quickly sheathed her sword. While the audience watched with bated breath, the redhead slowly collapsed.
“It seems I was successful... at losing the battle to win the war."
A sigh of relief escaped her lips, as she saw Risty’s figure down on the cobblestone.
“Winner, the Warrior Priestess Tomoe!”
The umpire that judged the preliminaries gave the victory to Tomoe.
“Tomoe! Tomoe!”
As her successive victory record was updated, a call like a storm poured from the audience. With Risty falling unconscious, the victory had gone to Tomoe.
Waving towards the audience, Tomoe stood beside the fallen Risty.
“I lost.”
She had woken up, but she remained lying on the stone pavement as she sighed:
“I thought I had won, so… nah, no excuses, you’re strong.”
Risty honestly acknowledged Tomoe’s strength.
“Did you wake up?”
“Yea. Everyone’s bein' so damn noisy, I can’t sleep.”
The red-haired warrior got up and shook her head a bit.
[What’s with her recovery power?]
Tomoe had won the fight, but still felt threatened by Risty’s extraordinary stamina.
“How’s another battle?”
The warrior picked up her mace with a wry smile.
“I don’t mind.”
Tomoe replied, pretending to be calm.
“If we fought like savages, with no rules, I don’t think I could beat you no matter how many times I tried."
Under the red hakama, both her legs were trembling like jelly.
[If we have a rematch, can I win…?]
“Just kiddin’. A loss is a loss, I’ll humbly retreat for today.”
She kept laughing heartily as she poised the mace to her shoulder.
“I’m out. Lookin’ forward to have a rematch with ya in the tournament.”
Risty stated so towards the umpire image, and after her figure was wrapped in the light the magic circle emitted, she disappeared from the arena.
“Well then…”
With Risty gone, Tomoe was now alone in the arena, so she raised her voice towards the audience.
“Is there any warrior willing to fight me here?”
A sepulchral silence fell upon the stands.
“Is no one coming down?”
No one was stepping forward.
“In that case, it seems I might win this competition.”
The excitement over defeating Risty had loosened her tongue for a change.
“Challenging the seat of the Queen didn't turn out to be all that difficult. Western warriors, fear not, for I’ll prove that Hinomoto’s Warrior Priestesses are the strongest.”
The audience began to rustle, triggered by what Tomoe had said about the seat of the Queen. They knew the priestess’ strength all too well, seeing as she boasted of a 6 consecutive victory streak by now. There was a good chance this woman who came from Hinomoto could win the tournament and get to challenge the current Queen.
“Well said, there.”
Drowning out the audience's buzz, a well-projected female voice reached Tomoe’s ears.
“If you’re going so far, why don’t I play with you?”
At the center of the arena, a shining magic circle suddenly appeared next to where Tomoe stood.
“Warning, warning, the Warrior Priestess’ preliminaries have ended.”
As the umpire image issued a warning, one warrior appeared from the magical figure.
“Wha!?”
Tomoe was speechless seeing the woman’s appearance.
She had brown skin, and long ears characteristic of elves. She wore scarce attire that exposed her skin (apparently a trademark of the fighters in the Continent, who favored light clothes to move easily in). The most remarkable part of it was, she was wearing no such thing as underwear. One snake was wound around her waist in place of underwear, which barely hid her private parts.
[If you look at her from the rear, her buttocks are probably exposed. I’ve never seen such shameless attire in my life.]
“Usage of forced displacement magic violates the rules of the region. It won’t be accepted as part of the current battles.”
Tomoe might have been at a loss for words, but the umpire image resumed its calm warning.
“Heh, heh.”
The warrior shrugged, and made a jokerish pose.
“Now, lamb from Hinomoto. Do you accept my challenge?”
“What is your name?”
Tomoe looked away from the warrior. Wherever she looked, her eyes would end up on the snake around her hips.
“You don’t know me?”
“With all due respect, I don’t know anyone like you.”
“So I should introduce myself to the Great Warrior Priestess…? How rude of me."
The warrior pointed her finger up to the sky, and called out to the audience.
“Who am I?”
“Echidna!”
The audience answered her call.
“Echidna! The Veteran Mercenary! The undefeated legend!”
In a moment, the whole arena was shouting Echidna’s name.
“So you are Echidna…”
Even Tomoe had heard about the strongest mercenary in the Continent. She was regarded as one of the favorites.
“Yep, that’s my name. I wish to play with you, Tomoe.”
[This is a heaven-sent opportunity.]
If she managed to beat Echidna, she wouldn’t only prove her skills, but also the fact that the strength of Hinomoto’s warriors knew no peer among the Continent.
“I accept your challenge.”
Tomoe replied, trying not to look down the elf’s waist.
“Skirmish approved. As per the arena’s use schedule, your match will be in 3 days.”
The umpire image’s words made the audience into an uproar. The admission ticket to the Tomoe vs Echidna preliminary became a “platinum ticket” in the blink of an eye.
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