Wow, I wasn't expecting such a close tie, and much less for Unlimited to win... guess it's true that she needed a bit of a redesign to attract more fans...?
And now it's time for Echidna's poll~!
So for the story, Risty pops up again with some juicy info...?
Enjoy!
Chapter 2 : A match before her Majesty the Queen (Part 2)
Roommate ~ Warrior Priestess Tomoe (2)
The stadium was fitted with both lodges and taverns, and it was in a crowded corner of one particular drinking establishment, surrounded by people raving on about their tool shops, special massage parlors, drugstores and weapons shops specially catered towards Queen’s Blade participants and fans alike, where Elina found Risty.
“There’s something I wanted to ask you about.”
“Whoa kiddo, you never heard of manners?”
The bandit gruffly answered mid-laugh, bemused by Elina’s attempt to start an interrogation without even introducing herself first. It looked like the bandit had some alcohol in her.
“But, y’know what, since I’m in a good mood today, I’ll let it slide.”
“Can’t say that I care either way.”
Elina snapped her fingers and within a moment’s notice, Airi brought forth a mug of ale. Like the saying goes, alcohol made for loose lips.
“My treat.”
“Oooh, so you do got some manners.”
The amazon grabbed the gift and without the slightest trace of hesitation, downed its contents in a single gulp.
“Treating those who help you is also a ruler’s duty.”
“Right, so waddya wanna ask?”
“I need information regarding a beautiful fighter you fought some time ago, I believe she defeated you…”
The redhead frowned.
“Ya got a lotta nerve, askin’ me ‘bout one of my losses right after a win.”
“People tend to say that about me.”
The blonde casually shrugged with a smile.
“Y’know, come to think of it… I get the feeling I’ve seen that face of yours before…”
“We’ve never had the pleasure of being properly introduced, Miss Bandit of the Wilderness, Risty.”
“Risty’s fine, but yeah, so you two beautiful fighters too?”
“Indeed, my name is Elina and this is the Infernal Temptress, Airi.”
“You don’t got a title?”
“I haven’t thought of anything quite yet.”
“Better settle on one ya like fast, before some angel goes and decides it for ya.”
“They can do that?”
“Yep, know a bunch of sad saps who had to take an early retirement after being dealt real stinkers by that Nanael angel or whatever too, so it’s kind of a big deal.”
“A bad title?”
“The type of thing any lady worth their salt would rather die than be heard saying out loud, y’know?”
The bandit grinned, a hint of vulgarity clear on her face.
“I see… then I suppose I’ll need to take care of that.”
The blonde brought a hand to her chin and pondered on the unexpected dilemma. She’d never really give much thought on the importance of a warrior’s title before. Bad enough she was a beautiful fighter now to begin with-- her father would be absolutely livid the moment he found that out-- but to add a humiliating title to herself on top of it? There’d be little chance of her family’s good name surviving that one unscathed.
Then again, while circumstances may have led her to becoming a Beautiful Fighter, it wasn’t as if she’d set any real goals related to the tournament either.
“So yeah, warrior titles aside, you wanted to ask me somethin’?”
Risty’s words shook Elina back to reality.
“Who do you wanna know about? Tomoe or Leina? Those are the only two who managed to beat me.”
The Vance girl smiled, hearing the all too familiar name.
“The one I have questions about is… Leina.”
Her fingers snapped again, ordering yet another helping of ale from the maid.
“And start from the beginning.”
“You for real? All-you-can-drink…? Heh, works for me, I’ll tell ya all I got.”
Her new mug of ale firmly in hand, the bandit began recounting the tale of what had happened the day she encountered Leina.
***
Today’s battles done, the arena gates were shut closed.
“What a bore.”
Queen Aldra sighed, tiredly gazing at the flickering shadows created by the fires within the stadium.
Another day ventured, another day wasted. She’d hoped to find formidable contenders, travelling around the city and watching matches, but…
Even watching over 10 matches every day, few ever managed to hold her interest, the lone exceptions being any match that happened to involve the Warrior Priestess from Hinomoto. In fact, she honestly found watching the priestess adapting to whatever tactics her opponents threw at her and subverting them with both her sword and amulets quite enthralling.
“You certainly must be very bored if you’re telling that to yourself out loud.”
A faintly exotic fragrance drifted into the room before a young woman with tan skin took a step inside.
“Princess Menace… We look forward to seeing you fight soon too”
Unlike Aldra, who’d obtained the title of Queen through her victories in the Queen’s Blade, Menace was born from a royal family.
“My turn will come~, though it won’t be for a while~.”
“What a pity.”
The Princess’ fighting style, learned from times long past, was something the young Queen wished to see for a variety of reasons. Sadly, even if Aldra were to try to arrange a match before the Queen involving her, she had little doubt that, even under orders, Menace would be nowhere near as enthused as she was, likely opting to surrender instead.
That said, if Aldra could not arrange for a match with the princess as one of its participants, she at least knew of one participant who could still entertain her...
“Time to call up the angel…”
Looking up at the evening sunset, Queen Aldra began readying her plan.
***
“Whoa, you reek of alcohol.”
Was the very first thing Michel, holding little back, said to Elina the moment she returned, helped along by Airi.
“Hn~~~, sniffing girls, well that’s no good, now is it~?”
The blonde brought down her face nice and close to Michel’s, her breath heavy with the smell of ale.
On the bright side, her mood seemed good.
[Just how much could she possibly learn about Leina drinking like this…?]
“D-Don’t get too close.”
Immediately ignoring the boy’s protest, the Vance girl hopped atop him. Now sandwiched between her firm thighs, there was no escape.
(U-Uwah…)
Her outfit was an absolute mess, her breastplate barely managing to hang on.
“What do you think you’re looking at?”
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
(Miss Elina is an awful drunk!)
Doing his best to avoid catching another eyeful, Michel turned to Airi looking for help.
However, much to his chagrin, the wraith was too busy sifting through their luggage to even notice.
“Whuh?”
Suddenly, the noble girl raised her head up in slight confusion.
“Where’d that lady go?”
“If you mean Miss Tomoe, she left a while ago.”
“For someone I tasked with protecting you, she sure was a let-down~”
“Ah, wait, she didn’t sink her grubby mitts on you did she!? I shoulda known she’d be the type to keep her deviancy under wraps beneath that weirdly thick outfit of hers. She got you, didn’t she!?”
While completely off the mark, her words managed to remind Michel of the priestess’ supple and shadowy curves through the curtain anyhow.
“O-Of course not! L-Lady Elina, do you have something against Miss Tomoe?”
“Hmm~ can’t say that I like or dislike her really.”
She closed her eyes and tilted her head up in thought.
“I just don’t like others infringing on my living space.”
For Elina, who’d lived her entire life as a noblewoman, her current lifestyle pursuing Leina was a constant trial.
“How ‘bout you, Michel?”
Still straddling the boy, Elina closed the distance between her face and his again. The space between them had dwindled so much they could feel each other’s warm breaths now.
“Do you… prefer girls like her?”
“No, you’re…”
“Maybe it’s a brunette thing? I think I remember Menace having black hair too.”
“You’re wrong, alright!?”
The boy yelled.
It wasn’t guilt that brought about the sudden outburst, but respect. To someone like Tomoe, willing to devote herself to potentially endless battle with scarcely any hope in sight, not for herself but for someone she held dear, he could only give his utmost respect.
“You barely even know me!”
Both girls stared at him, wide-eyed in shock.
“This happened back with Menace too! If I were a woman, I wouldn’t have to keep justifying my tastes for every new girl we meet, would I!?”
“I-I’m sorry…”
Bewildered by the boy’s angered look, Elina apologized.
“I was only teasing…”
And with a hint of sadness, the Vance girl slowly let him go.
“Let’s take a bath, Lady Elina.”
The redhead intervened to soften the tension, grabbing a few items for said bath before they left.
“Y-Yeah, let’s… it would seem that I, of all people, allowed myself to go a bit too far with my drinking.”
***
Heavenly lights bathed the stadium balcony.
“Ah, there she is.”
Queen Aldra murmured, looking up to the angel descending from the light.
“Now see here, while it may be within your Queenly privileges to call on an angel whenever you want, even if it’s not tourney related, calling ME whenever you want is just a pain in the ass, got it?”
Slowing her descent, the angel landed on the balcony edge. The blue-haired, one-winged angel tournament referee, the Referee Angel, Nanael.
“We appreciate you answering our call, Nanael.”
“Yeah, well you better.”
Answering casually, the angel hopped off the edge and stood next to Aldra.
“So, what do you want? I’m a busy angel, I’ll have you know.”
“Oh dear, how inconsiderate of us.”
Aldra presented the angel with the stipulated tribute, Holy Milk.
“Well, so long as you get it, Drizzie, then it’s all good.”
The angel chugged down the drink, then wiped her mouth.
“We’d like to declare a match before the Queen from you.”
“Hm~, playing favorites, huh? Y’know you don’t have to play hard to get, Drizzie, you’re the Queen, if ya like someone that much just call em over~”
“We have no such interests.”
The Queen sighed.
“We honestly tire of these beautiful fighters: strong for the sake of being strong, techniques that are fast yet hold little substance and beautiful only as far as the surface goes.”
“Yeesh, well aren’t we picky.”
“That’s how one’s life as a Queen tends to go.”
“Well, guess I can kinda get tha--”
“However, there is one fighter in particular that has caught our eye. We’ve already sent her a summons letter. The only problem is her lack of an opponent. Could you introduce her to an equally interesting beautiful fighter?”
Looking over the letter Aldra handed to her, Nanael’s face lit up with a smile.
“Hm~ not entirely sure this girl gets what the Queen’s Blade is even all about.”
“And that is exactly what makes her so intriguing. You rarely see fighters like her, those who venture the fine line between hopelessness and triumph time and time again.”
“Now you’re just being sadistic.”
The angel grinned.
“But if you’re asking, then yeah, I got an idea of who she could fight. Girl just came into town in fact.”
“Oh?”
“A beautiful fighter I appointed myself, she’s still a little wet behind the ears when it comes to match numbers… But hey, if it’s a match before the Queen, not like she can duck out of it that easily anyway, right? So should be fine. Anyhoo, I’m a busy girl so if that was it then I’ll be seeing ya~~”
Aldra never bothered to reply as the angel flew back to heaven.
“One can only hope she is also a beautiful fighter with the power to defeat even us…”
Hmm, that last line suggests that Aldra's motivations are different in Unlimited.
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