Heh, don't the votes form a nice ladder from 7 to 3~ Not a follower of the games myself, so I can't comment alas...
Next poll, QB cosplay yay or nay?
And we're right in the climax of the battle!
Enjoy!
“Young master… what are you…?”
The boy’s sudden yell stopped Airi in her tracks.
“I’m sorry, Airi. But, I want to be free.”
He stared right through her.
“I want to live. So I can’t go back with you.”
The maid stiffened, her eyes set on him.
‘Sword of the Unicorn’ ...hearing that suddenly reminded Leina how she’d left the thing sandwiched between her breasts.
[It must have fallen along with my breastplate…]
Leina hurriedly looked to her chest.
But the sword was nowhere to be seen.
However, she did feel a strange discomfort coming from her right arm. And within a gap in the leather belt she kept wound around herself in place of protective gear--which she figured more effective, freedom of movement wise--, she found the sword entangled inside, now shrunk down to the size of a paper knife.
It seemed Lady Luck hadn’t abandoned Leina just yet.
[Now’s my chance, while Airi is distracted.]
She hurriedly grabbed the mythical sword.
“How do I seal the contract?”
“Just kiss it!”
Nestled in her grip, the sword grew to the size of a short sword in the blink of an eye.
“That’s it?”
[If kissing were enough, Tomoe did that earlier herself, same with me right after the baths.]
“What matters most is how I feel about it… Let me be your strength, Leina!”
*Shoom!*
Suddenly, the sword grew even taller, larger and stronger.
“Then I accept.”
Leina’s lips touched the sword.
And in that moment, a beautiful chime reverberated like a shockwave around the warrior.
(Guaaaah!)
(I’m disappearing! I’m disappeaaaariiiing!)
Struck by the shockwave, the lesser spirits drifting around Airi all began to disappear one by one.
“W-What is the meaning of this!?”
Signs of bewilderment took hold of the maid’s face.
“Why? How is this happening!?”
A string of notes followed from the sword, and for each note that washed over her, Airi felt herself grow weaker.
Unable to understand how the situation had gone so wrong, the maid was beside herself.
Unlike the wraith, Leina felt her body fill with vigor, just like when she’d kissed the sword back at the baths. Her recovering wound further indicating this.
And as the melody continued to play from the sword’s grip, its length grew larger and sturdier in the blonde’s hands.
“I-I can’t allow you to do this…”
Now fully aware of what the song was, the wraith’s face had twisted in terror. It was a holy song, used to drive away evil and bring strength to the living.
“How could you know to use that song here…”
As the music played, the magic circle on the floor also began to fade.
“Stop it!!”
The evil spirit roared, swinging her scythe. There were no signs of the earlier finesse or composure in her actions now.
Still holding the sword, Leina saw through her opponent’s slash as it came swinging down and calmly dodged it.
“Make it stop!!”
Frantic, Airi let loose a flurry of blows with her scythe.
However, in contract with the maid’s panic, the blonde merely answered her onslaught by calmly and precisely evading each strike. With each miss, the redhead’s clothing grew thinner and more transparent. The magic circle now gone, Airi was rapidly losing the vitality she needed to even stay materialized in this world.
The standing between the two had completely turned.
“Please exorcise her, Miss Leina!”
Tomoe exclaimed, feeling pity at the sight of the wraith so desperately swinging her weapon.
“Airi, you can probably already tell. But you don’t stand a chance of winning now.”
This time, it was Leina’s turn to ask her opponent to bow out.
“Put down your weapon, and return to your Mistress.”
The warrior stated, now holding the sword with two hands, given how big it had gotten.
She knew full well how Airi would respond. Having crossed swords with her so many times already, the two knew each other at least that well. In the same way she fought for honor, the wraith fought out of loyalty for her Mistress.
Surrender was never an option.
“I could never… How could I even dream to do such a thing!?”
The maid, now clad in only her underwear and with hot tears streaming down her eyes, swung her weapon again, putting every ounce of power she had left into one final downswing.
Sadly, her blade never even made it that far.
“Ah…”
Airi looked down to see something large and thick piercing her body. It was the Sword of the Unicorn’s blade.
“I really hate… disappearing…”
Leaving behind those parting words, Airi faded away like smoke.
One of the crystal balls slowly came floating down and stopped in front of Leina.
“Skirmish over, winner: The Exiled Warrior, Leina.”
The runes flashed over it, declaring her the winner of the fight.
[But can I really call myself the winner here? This victory belongs more to Fio, doesn’t it…?]
She grabbed the trinket with a mixed expression showing on her face before closing her eyes.
***
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