Chapter 2: Angel’s Protection
“Oh dear, I’m in trouble~”
Airi lightly scratched her head, looking at the place Fio had escaped towards.
“She must hate Airi a lot, if she runs away just by seeing her.”
*Kishishi*, she laughed, then looked at the church, Airi’s usual stern expression back on her face.
[Now, what should I do? Getting in trouble with the church isn’t a good idea, and my mistress won’t appreciate it either.
I’d rather steer away from trouble.]
“Maybe she came out the other side?”
The evil spirit muttered, in a carefree manner.
“Oh?”
It probably had nothing to do with her remarks, but the doors to the church opened, and a girl with blue hair came out.
Or rather, she wasn’t just a random girl: silver shining steel armor covered most of her body besides her torso—wrapped in turn in a snow white camisole.
[Plus, she has pure white wings growing from her back (in different sizes too), doesn’t she?]
“Whoa, an Angel.”
[With this, I can accomplish one of my objectives.]
The thought made Airi smile brightly.
“Ookay, you wraith maid over there, the great Angel of Light Nanael will be your opponent, so be a nice girl and take out your crystal ball!”
The mention of a crystal ball caused the maid to put on a troubled face.
Certainly, it was commonplace for a beautiful fighter participating in Queen’s Blade to own a crystal ball with her information on it. Meaning that, revealing her crystal ball was akin to exposing her true identity. And her mistress had said to try to hide it as much as she could.
“Ah, I’d rather not. I mean, I do have my own crystal ball, but still.”
She declined the angel's demand.
If they didn’t show the crystal balls to each other, a preliminary wouldn’t take place, which meant that it would only be considered as a private scuffle. And those were strictly prohibited in the capital, since they disturbed the peace and order.
“Do you want to battle without a crystal ball? Well, that totally works for me.”
The angel grinned, moving her floating sword in front of her.
“Yeah, I could tell. Guess the rules on the surface don’t apply to Heaven.”
“You got that right.”
Besides being in a battle without crystal balls, fortunately they also didn’t have an audience.
[If the church people keep their pie holes shut, we won’t be blamed.]
“Err, I have some business with this Fio chick, who ran into the cathedral.”
*Bzz*, with the sound of something fast cutting through the air, the Celestial Saber grazed the side of her head. A lock of cut off hair fell on her shoulders, which then disappeared as if soaking into her.
“ ‘No use arguing’, huh? Well, that totally works for me, too.”
*Kishishi*, she laughed, shaking the same hair that had been supposedly cut off, and made a weapon appear in the palm of her hand. With a *byoing*, her arms extended into a scythe.
And the very next moment, the arms that should have been stretched returned to their original form as she clenched her scythe.
“First of all, I’ll introduce myself: Infernal Temptress Airi! Pretty sure that’s it?”
***
“You call that an introduction?”
Nanael retorted despite herself.
[This opponent’s a bit weird. The hair I cut off her grew back, and the way she brought out her weapon is odd as well. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she made both by transforming her body.]
“Well, it’s just fine, right? Don’t sweat the details.”
Airi slowly prepped her weapon.
“So, you turn now, Angel.”
“You don’t need to tell me!”
Keeping her arms folded, she spread her wings and flew to a position where she could look down at the other.
“Angel of Light Nanael. I’ll bring down divine punishment on those who defy me!”
As soon as she said so, she made her saber fly.
“Whoa.”
Airi parried the weapon with her scythe, rushing right beneath Nanael with the momentum.
“Standing right beneath me, how dumb can you get!”
The angel accelerated downwards, her toes pointing towards her foe.
[I won’t hold back. If I do this, I might as well pull out my deadliest blow. Don’t hold a grudge over this, now.]
“Falling Star Kiiiiiiick!”
The angel’s sure-kill technique where she turned herself into a meteor caught Airi.
There wasn’t anyone who would escape unharmed after taking a direct hit from that. And since the other was right below her, her victory was all but assured.
…However!
“Hyaah! Whew, that was close!”
By a hair’s breadth, Airi twisted her body, dodging the strike. Or rather, she “deformed” her body; changing its shape and bending it like candy or clay.
“Whuh?”
Nanael’s eyes went round at that unexpected movement from Airi’s body. That wasn’t how a creature with a spine was supposed to move.
“Hey you, what kind of body structure do you have?”
Using the recoil of the Falling Star Kick that had resulted in failure, the angel shot up at tremendous speed.
“Well, this should be what people call ‘innate talent’, don’t you think?”
*Tut-tut-tut*, the other shook her fingertip, provoking the blue-haired girl.
“Kuuh, if it comes to this, I’ll unleash my strongest attack!”
She sucked in more air, and flew further up.
“Oh~, if you go that far up, I can’t see your polka-dots.”
A vein popped in Nanael’s temple when she heard the redhead’s carefree remark.
[I’ll crush her! I’ll completely crush this maid!]
With her gaze fixed on Airi, anger burning in her eyes, the angel started a sudden descent towards the other. The air in front of her got compressed due to the terrific acceleration, and began glowing red with the frictional heat.
A scorching hot nosedive that exceeded even the Falling Star Kick, where she turned herself into a meteor. This was Nanael’s last secret art, the Holy Dive.
“Eh? That’s no joke.”
Airi found herself unable to move before the looming shine. The air pushed out by her foe’s rapid acceleration exerted a palpable pressure on her, as if pulled by a weight.
“H-Hiyaaaaaaaah!”
Nanael’s body, turned into a shining hot meteor, hit Airi dead on.
“I did feel that hit!”
Without even trying to break her own fall, the maid’s body was flung on top of the stone pavement.
The Holy Dive had succeeded… and yet she saw a strange scene again.
“Eh?”
After taking a direct hit, Airi was spread on the stone pavement. Not like “lying spread-eagled”, but as in “spread flat like a ripe fruit thrown against the wall”.
[I mean, Fio told me she was a wraith, but this is ridiculous.]
“J-Just what are you?”
Before the eyes of the confused Nanael, Airi began bulging up like a balloon.
“What do you mean? As you can see, I’m a maid.”
She pinched the edges of her skirt and gave a small bow.
“Oh no, this Angel is strong, I’m overwhelmed already.”
“How ‘bout that, did you realize my strength!?”
*Eheh*, the angel threw out her chest, hands on her hips. The Holy Milk hanging by her waist hadn’t spilled, not even a drop.
“Now you know what happens when I get serious. Now, be a good girl and turn tail back home!”
“Yup. I’ll do that.”
“Oh?”
Airi’s honest attitude threw her off.
“But, there’s something I need to hand over before that.”
With those words, the maid rammed a hand from over her clothes into her own chest.
“Uhegh!”
Seeing how it sunk up to the wrist, Nanael gave a shriek.
“You say you’re an evil spirit, but you’re nowhere near human, are you!”
The angel spat out, looking at the other like she was something gross.
“Oh well. You angels are pretty much the same.”
“Don’t lump me up with you!”
Nanael retorted.
Even if she was an angel, she still pretty much moved like a human. She couldn’t do any of that stuff like changing her body, creating weapons or getting flattened after a shock.
“Now, now, don’t get so angry.”
In a motion that seemed accompanied by the sfx: ‘plop’, Airi pulled her hand out of her chest. There was a small pouch in her hand.
“Can you give this to Fio?”
“It’s quite conceited for the loser to ask things from the winner.”
“It’s fine isn’t it? It’s just to celebrate your victory.”
Put it that way, Nanael didn’t have any problem with it.
“I’ll hand it over, so hurry and leave.”
The angel took the pouch and shooed her away like one would a stray dog.
“Hm, I’ll leave it to you.”
Smiling like she didn’t care if she had lost, Airi turned on her heels and left Nanael’s sight.
***
“It appears the battle has ended.”
“Yeah…”
Melpha and Fio, watching the fight from inside the church through a gap in the door, gave a sigh of relief when they saw Nanael had won.
“Still… she isn’t Airi… so who is she…?”
Seeing the maid leave while humming, Fio was finally convinced she was a fake.
[That can’t be Airi. First of all, her way of fighting is different. The moment Nanael touched Airi’s body, her vitality should surely have been drained.
Second, she didn’t disappear when she was defeated. At the very least, her clothes would have gotten transparent, if not disappeared… though, then again, if she accepted defeat of her own free will, she didn’t necessarily have to disappear.
To begin with, from the moment she started walking, I could tell it wasn’t her. Airi doesn’t walk. She only glides, ever so gently, without actually stepping on the ground.
So if she isn’t who she claims to be, who is she? I don’t think you can actually find anyone who looks like somebody else’s spitting image that easily.
And finally, the shape of her pupils was different. Instead of the usual round pupils, she had them in the form of a cross.]
He had never seen a creature with cross-shaped pupils before.
“Hmm…”
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t reach a satisfactory answer.
“W-What’s wrong?”
Concerned about his groan, the priestess called out to him.
“Say, Melpha.”
“Yes, what is it?”
“Do you know any creature with cross-shaped pupils?”
“Cross-shaped?”
“Yes, cross-shaped.”
Confused about his question, the blonde made a pensive expression.
“Err… err… why do you ask?”
“The eyes of the opponent Nanael was fighting, they were cross-shaped.”
“Y-You sure have good eyesight.”
His first instinct was asking ‘You didn’t see that?’… but when he saw that she was wearing glasses, he decided it was a moot point anyways.
“Yeah, I do have a good sight. I still can’t see stars under broad daylight, though.”
[Apparently Melpha doesn’t know about the fake Airi. Who is she, then? And why was she following me?]
There were many things he didn’t understand, but he knew one thing for sure: Nanael had fought to protect him.
“Howzzat? See, you only had to ask.”
After finishing the fight, the angel busted the church’s doors wide open in triumphal return.
“C’mon, praise me. And be grateful!”
“Y-Yeah… thanks.”
Overwhelmed by her attitude, Fio replied reflexively.
One might argue that saying thanks after being helped was the natural thing to do… but when he thought about what would come next, he could only fear the worst.
Nanael was aiming at the Sword of the Unicorn. She could very well ask for it as a reward for having saved him.
“Ookay, we’re cool now.”
Unlike what he was expecting, it seemed the angel was satisfied with just being thanked.
“Eh?”
“What’s wrong? Something on my face?”
Nanael peered into his surprised expression.
“Ah, no, it’s…”
“Well, not like I care what faces you’re making. Ah, here.”
In a rude manner, she pushed out the pouch she had just received towards him.
“From that maid, to you.”
“T-Thanks…”
He took it while replying timidly, and went to examine the contents right away. If it was something suspicious, he’d have the church dispose of it, now that he was there.
“Oh?”
Inside were three talismans with magic characters in it, and a letter.
“What is it? It appears to be a letter.”
Melpha, who was by his side, came to take a quick peek at his hands. Since she was so close, her big, soft breasts touched his head.
“Uwaoh!”
Experiencing that pleasant feeling comparable to a cushion left under the sun, Fio raised a surprised scream.
“Kya, ah, I-I’m sorry.”
The priestess realized what had happened and hurried to step back.
“Forgive me, I was rude. I shouldn’t peek at others’ letters.”
In contrast with the bowing blonde, Nanael peeked into his hands with a grin.
“What’s it say?”
“Ah, I’m not reading it here. I should read it when I’m alone.”
“Whaat, I drove the maid back and brought it to you, and you can’t show me even a little bit?”
“No, well…”
Fio couldn’t come up with a suitable reply. He had every right to refuse, but rejecting Nanael over and over and angering her wasn’t a wise policy. She fortunately appeared to be in a good mood enough to help him out, but he couldn’t forget that properly speaking, the angel was still bordering on “enemy” right now.
“That’s no good, Lady Nanael.”
Melpha threw a lifeline to the stumped boy.
“Aah, the opinion from someone who was trying to get a quick peek just now isn’t very convincing~”
He gave a sigh of relief when Nanael changed her target from him to the priestess. If he had to be honest, he had trouble dealing with the angel—who, again, was aiming at him.
“Ah… that’s… yes, but…”
“Well, it’s cool if you don’t want to show me, I won’t force you.”
With a wink at him, the blue-haired girl started rising slowly in the air.
“Is there a place hidden from others’ eyes?”
Looking away from the floating polka-dots pattern, he asked Melpha.
“Well, we have confession rooms, if you are fine with one.”
She pointed to a few small rooms, for one to repent from their sins, which had been set up.
[If I go there, no one will see. Seems like they only fit one anyways, so there’s no risk of anyone looking.]
“But if I go to a confession room, the priest in charge…”
“It will be okay. This is supposed to be cleaning time!”
She motioned with her cleaning tool so as to prove it.
“Besides, even if we were to hear, we would never speak a word to anyone about it.”
With a bright smile, she pushed on his back.
“Thanks, Miss Melpha.”
He thanked her and headed towards the confession room.
“Now then, Lady Nanael, the cleaning…”
The priestess looked all around the cathedral.
“Oh my?”
Before she noticed, the angel had disappeared.
“Where did she go now…?”
***
A pleasant melody was flowing inside Cattleya’s weapon shop. A crystal-clear whistle sound came from the Sword of the Unicorn Leina had placed beside the counter.
“What’s that? Doing things on your own, are you?”
Hearing the melody made her pout despite herself.
And then, the music stopped, as sudden as it had begun, plunging the store back into silence.
The Sword had the characteristic of playing a tune matching Fio’s singing. Which only proved that Fio was singing out there somewhere.
“He’s trying to make some money on his own.”
[If I think back on it, it feels like I haven’t heard his songs for a while. Even though he loves singing and dancing, too.]
“I’m always having him go the extra mile, aren’t I…”
She rested her chin on her hands on top of the counter, sighing. Fortunately, there were no customers in the store, so she could afford indulging in her thoughts for a while.
Leina tried recalling her journey ever since she had met the boy. It was her who had been deciding their destination, but it felt like she had been leaving all the odd jobs in the middle to him. Especially with the travel expenses, it was natural for a renowned singer such as him to have a different way of earning income than Leina—who was no more than an adventurer.
Just because he had chosen to be with her, it still didn’t make up for the fact that traveling on adventures was hard for him.
“Perhaps I should have taken his feelings a bit more into consideration…”
Leina’s journey was an aimless one, ever in search of improving her fighting skills.
That’s why she should have listened to his words and taken things slow. The idea of going through the villages on the way while showing off his songs, whether they received some requests or did a little adventuring, was sounding better and better…
“Maybe he’s vented his anger by now…”
[Should I go looking for him? If I rely on the Sword, I can probably find him easily.
I’ll have to leave the store unattended, but I’m sure Miss Cattleya will understand if I explain things to her.]
“Okay!”
With impeccable timing, the very moment Leina got up from the counter, the store door opened.
A *clang clang* from the bell informed her she had visitors.
“W-Welcome!”
Leina’s greeting came with a smile on her face.
“Oh, doing’ pretty well, aren’t ya?”
An elderly man came into the store, smiling at her while stroking his rich beard.
“I couldn’t believe Lady Exiled Warrior was tending to a store.”
When she saw his face, her expression changed to a tired one. The man who had just come over was one of her few acquaintances in the capital.
“Hans, did you come as a customer today? Or just to make fun of me?”
[First Echidna, now Hans. Seems today is going to be a day full of hardships.]
“Hey now, is that an attitude you wanna be showin’ to a customer?”
His eyes slowly moved towards her chest.
“If you’re a customer, don’t look there, please look at the products instead.”
She pouted, covering her chest.
“Isn’t the store clerk part of the products?”
“This isn’t that kind of store!”
*Slam* resounded the counter when she hit it, the violent shock making the small accessories on it jump up and her breasts shake.
“Hm. Nice shake there.”
He stroked his beard like Leina’s anger didn’t concern him at all.
“Feels like there’s no point in getting angry with you.”
“You get it now, that’s good.”
After confirming that she had regained her composure, he looked behind the counter.
“Oh?”
His eyes changed.
“Hey, you sell that thing?”
“Which one?”
“The one by your feet.”
She looked down.
“Ah!”
The Sword of the Unicorn had rolled casually there. It seemed her hitting the counter had sent it rolling down.
“It’s not an article for sale though…”
“Can I take a quick look?”
His eyes took on the shine of a merchant. For some reason, he had judged it as more than simply a weird-looking weapon.
The Sword of the Unicorn was a magical sword that could be called Fio’s other half. Just like its size and hardness varied depending on the boy’s excitement, any stimulus applied on the sword would reflect on his body and mind.
[If Hans touches it here, the feeling will be transmitted to him.]
“Is there any problem?”
Fio had fainted just after defeating Airi at Sheldan’s underground; Leina thought the agonic scream of the defeated opponent, transmitted through the sword, had directly affected his psyche.
[That’s why I can’t use it readily, and I can’t give it to a third party, but…]
After thinking it over for a while, she reached a conclusion.
“C’mon, it’s just a little touch.”
The man brought his face close.
“Fine, but just a bit.”
She readily held it out for him.
“Yeah, excuse me.”
His rugged fingers held the Sword.
[What kind of face will he make now? I wish he’d come back when he feels the reaction from the Sword.]
***
The moment he placed his hand on the door to the confession room, Fio felt a jolt run down his spine.
“Auh…”
He thought he felt a tight grip, but then he was stimulated by a caress on the surface.
As a man, it was impossible for his important part not to react when someone was examining its size and shape carefully.
“Kuh…”
His voice leaked, despite his best efforts.
[Still, I can’t let the two girls behind me notice. Least of all Miss Melpha, who still thinks I’m a girl…]
Staggering, he opened the door to the confession room.
Inside, there was only a small chair. If he spread his arms, he’d be able to touch the four walls.
“So cramped~~~”
However, it was supposed to be a place to repent to the priest on the other side of the grid before the chair; there was no need to make it wider.
“Phew…”
Finally confirming he didn’t need to worry about anyone peeping, he gave a sigh of relief, spread his legs and sat down on the chair.
“Still… this is… troubling…”
He looked down at his own crotch. Part of his skirt was tenting, as if he was hiding a dagger. He didn’t think he could get out of the confession room without calming that somehow.
“Sheesh, Leina… what are you doing?”
Fio grumbled alone. He knew that feeling was coming from the Sword of the Unicorn. Just like the weapon changed shape when he got excited, the reverse phenomenon also occurred.
“Oh my oh my, I knew it. So you were keeping it hidden, weren’t you.”
He suddenly heard Nanael’s voice from somewhere, and hurried to close his legs.
“Too naïve!”
The front of the grid burst open, and the angel jumped out of it, clasping the boy’s crotch.
“Auh!”
The sudden shock made him give a short scream.
“I wanted to get a good grasp of the Sword of the Unicorn at least once.”
Nanael grinned, gripping it with her hands.
“Eh… ah…”
It was so abrupt an event, Fio couldn’t figure out what to do. What was for sure is that he could be said to be in the most critical situation so far, in a way.
“Take this!”
Fully believing that what she was grasping was the Sword, Nanael pulled forcibly.
“Kyaaah!”
Unable to endure the pain, he reflexively threw a roundhouse kick at the angel.
“Get out!”
In such a cramped room, there was no way for Nanael—still holding his crotch—to dodge it.
“Kyauh!”
She gave a cute squeal as she got pushed out of the room, almost tearing off the door in the process.
However, as expected from a beautiful fighter challenging Queen’s Blade, she instantly fixed her posture and objected back at him:
“Heey! If you kick an angel, divine punishment will fall upon you!”
“I’m not afraid of any divine punishment!”
With a loud yell, he slammed shut the door to the confession room.
“Come again! That’s enough heresy from you. See if I…!”
The angel tried to place her hand on the room’s door… and that’s when she felt someone reaching out to her.
“Say~, Lady Nanael…”
“Eek!”
She gave a small shriek when she heard the faint anger in Melpha’s voice.
“Before you go on with your business, I would very much like it if you gave me an explanation on why you came to this confession room, Lady Nanael…”
Regarding the confession rooms, it was a tradition that no one was to enter except for the person confessing and the one doing the absolution. Even the apostles of God weren’t above the rule.
No matter how gentle Melpha usually was, she couldn’t dismiss the precepts and the traditions.
“I just thought I’d listen to Fio’s confession for a bit. It’s not like I was interested in the contents of the bag, or because I wanted the Sword of the Unicorn.”
Melpha couldn’t avoid showing a wry smile when Nanael ended up exposing her true intentions.
***
“Thanks.”
Satisfied after rubbing it for a while, Hans left the Sword of the Unicorn at the counter.
“Are you done?”
“Yeah, it ain’t for sale then? If so, that’s enough.”
He said, showing his palms.
“Still, that has a quite nice shape, doesn’t it?”
Looking alternatively between the Sword and her breasts, he made a slightly vulgar grin.
“A nice shape?”
It was the first time she had heard a comment like that.
“In thickness and shape, isn’t it a pretty fine one?”
“Hmm.”
Not understanding what he was saying, she just grumbled in appreciation.
“By the way, where’s Cattleya?”
“Too bad, she’s out.”
Leina replied curtly. If it was Hans she was talking with, she didn’t need to sound even the least bit hospitable.
“I was just askin’ for the heck of it. Ever since I saw you tending the store, I could tell she was out.”
[Don’t ask then.]
Enduring her urges to retort, she balled up her fists under the counter.
“Do you have any business with her?”
She went on to ask, repressing her anger.
[I don’t really want to deal with him, but if he has business with her, I can at least take the message.]
“Ah, well, even if I didn’t, it’s not like I wouldn’t like for her to take care of me in one or two ways, if you catch my drift.”
Leina gave a sigh when she saw that filthy grin on his face.
“Miss Cattleya is a married woman. You’d better not have any weird expectations from her…”
“Oh, but I say this *because* she’s a married woman. Besides, her hubby is still missing.”
Cattleya’s husband, the adventurer Owen, had suddenly disappeared one day.
“Just because her husband isn’t here, it doesn’t mean Miss Cattleya is going to be swayed by somebody else.”
She asserted so emphatically. Were she in the veteran merchant’s shoes, she couldn’t imagine being unfaithful enough to fall for other men while having a husband.
“Guuh, you don’t get it, that’s why you’re a kid.”
“A-A kid?”
“Compared to Cattleya? Definitely.”
He poked her breasts lightly with his fingertips.
“Wha!?”
Not even Leina was able to avoid such rude action.
A tender feeling came from the tip of the breast he poked.
“Oh my? Did I hit the tip?”
“Y-You certainly didn’t!”
She shouted back, despite (or maybe because of) him having hit the bull’s-eye.
“For now, tell this to Cattleya.”
He ignored the girl—still reeling from his mischief—, and kept talking:
“ ‘For the matter we’ve been talkin’ about, I was able to make a bill for one thousand people’s worth, so prepare the items’.”
“One thousand people?”
“Quite a tall order, ain’t it.”
He grinned.
“You might say that the client is an emerging nation, or a reviving dynasty… Anyways, I think that for Cattleya, it’s a good chance for a profitable business—with no drawbacks either.”
Leina took notes so as not to forget it.
[Where is this emerging nation which needs as many as one thousand weapons?]
Forgetting about going to search for Fio, she began thinking about who could be Hans’ enigmatic client.
“Well, I’m going back. Keep it up with the store tendin’.”
Hans said farewell to the pensive warrior, and left the store.
***
“Sheesh… can’t be too careful around that gal, huh.”
After firmly closing the door, Fio looked around carefully, once again.
Because of the commotion just now, his previous excitement had completely settled down, the bulge in the skirt withering as well.
From what he could hear, Nanael and Melpha were now a distance away from the confession room.
“There’s nobody here, right?”
He muttered, looking into the other side of the grid; after confirming there was nobody this time around, he pulled out the letter from the pouch.
“Let’s see… whoa!”
The moment he spread the letter, what appeared made him scream in surprise.
A small Airi floated on top of the letter that fit in his hand.
“Long time no see, Milady… I mean, young master.”
The little Airi started talking, apparently speaking aloud the contents of the letter.
“We might have run into trouble back in Sheldan, but Airi loved you, young master. I still do.”
“If you say that out loud, it gets embarrassing.”
He answered the letter without thinking.
“Unfortunately, as a result, there is no way I can compensate you, young master, for all the trouble I put you through. Therefore, I had Mistress create an item to rid myself of the infamy and restore my honor.”
[An item?]
Fio took out the small amulets from the pouch.
“You mean this?”
He picked up the wooden talisman with carefully scribed magic characters on them. They had quite a number of decorations on them, one would think they would fetch enough of a high price just with that.
“If you grab an amulet and wish upon it: ‘Help me, Miss Airi’, I shall appear unto you right then and there, that’s the kind of wonderful item they are. You may not only call me, but also spend your wish to be granted an impossible request.”
“An impossible request…?”
“You get three amulets in total. When you use the three of them, you’ll be teleported here with me. Aah, what brilliant craftsmanship.”
“Nguh!?”
[So if I use the three amulets I’ll go straight to Airi…
I definitely CAN’T use them!]
“That’s why, young master, please hurry and make your wishes upon the talismans.”
With a smile and a bow, Airi’s shape disappeared.
“Now this is a problem… Using these is not worth it.”
Fio was troubled.
[Being able to summon Airi is an attractive deal. These would have been extremely useful to have the other day, when we were back in the desert area.
However, if using them will result in me going back to Airi, that would make the vow I pledged to follow Leina, back in the Sheldan basement, useless. And it would also undermine Leina’s actions—coming to save me risking her life.]
“I’ll just hold on to them for now.”
[I won’t reach an answer anytime soon, so no matter how much I think about it, it will be a waste of time.]
The boy switched gears, and left the confession room.
***
“Oh, you’re out already.”
“Well spill it, how was it?!”
As soon as he came out of the confession room, Nanael and Melpha came close to Fio, sandwiching him between the both of them.
“I-It was nothing of importance, just some small talk in there.”
Since the priestess was there, the boy decided to answer with the most formal tone he could muster. The angel might be a lost cause by now, but he wanted to get along well with the one they called Priestess of Gainos.
“Whaat? So boring.”
With a murmur leaving clear that she had lost all interest, the angel rose gently in the sky.
“Hey, Melpha, you should send the kid home.”
“I-It’s alright. I can go back on my own.”
“No can do. What would you do if the maid from before came out again? Don’t you usually go around with a beautiful warrior?”
Fio was quite surprised at the angel’s unexpected proposal. He never thought she’d go that far to back him up.
“But, the work in the church Miss Melpha is doing…”
[I’m sure she has an ulterior motive.]
The boy looked at Melpha, trying to refuse discreetly.
“E-Err… I do not mind. Soon, it will be time for community service.”
The blonde grinned, cleaning tool in hand.
“Ah~, but, I wouldn’t want to impose on you.”
“No, lending a hand to those in need is a matter of course~”
Melpha would have backed Nanael up even if it wasn’t Fio they were talking about. The angel sure knew how the priestess couldn’t refuse to help anyone.
“So that’s~ okay. Also, if something were to happen to you, Miss Fio, and I could never listen to those wonderful songs of yours anymore… I could never forgive myself.”
Melpha looked at the boy with an enraptured gaze, just a bit shy.
“So, let’s get along~. Now, why don’t you rest here for a while until Melpha gets ready?”
“Sure… I guess I have no choice.”
Fio nodded, sighing, and sat on a chair for worship.
“S-Say~, Lady Nanael…”
“What is it, Melpha?”
The angel, still floating, looked at her.
“I see you in a more positive light now, Lady Nanael. Fighting without compensation for the sake of those who are really in trouble, and even worrying of what would become of them…”
“Melpha, just what was your initial opinion of me?”
“E-Err… ah, no, that’s…”
The priestess couldn’t help stammering before the retort.
“The leader of my troupe always said, you don’t get nothing for free. I would like to thank you in some form.”
The boy spoke to help Melpha out.
“Hm~, it’s not like I want anything in particular, but I’ll accept whatever you give me.”
Arrogant as always, the angel turned her sight to him.
“What did you have in mind?”
“I can only thank you with a song, but…”
“Then, a song will do.”
“Eh?”
“What’s with the disappointed face?”
“I was sure you’d ask me for *that*…”
By mistake, he brought up the Sword of the Unicorn.
“Will you give it to me if I just ask for it?”
“Ugh… that’s impossible. I don’t have it on me.”
He moved his hand to his waist, emphasizing that he didn’t have anything.
“I don’t want to force you too much. If you give it to me, I’ll gratefully accept.”
The angel insisted, as if nothing had happened back in the confession room.
“By the way, just who ARE you?”
“Err…”
He hesitated before that fundamental question.
It was something he didn’t usually mind much, but he didn’t actually have any memories about his own origins. He couldn’t remember anything before the chief of the itinerant entertainers, bewildered, took hold of the Sword of the Unicorn; his memories literally cut off at that point.
“You can’t possibly have amnesia?”
“Probably. I don’t really know who I am.”
“Ooh~”
As if admiring him, the angel crossed her arms.
“What? Do you know something, Nanael?”
“I do.”
A nasty grin showed on her face.
“Eh?”
“I know, but I won’t tell you. If you want to know, break up with Leina and bring me the Sword of the Unicorn. Become mine, and I’ll tell you everything.”
“I do want to know, but not that badly. I refuse.”
[Given our current situation where Leina doesn’t need the Sword, maybe I could stand to give it a little thought, however.]
“That was fast!”
“Oh well.”
Fio pouted, his lips a bit as if he was blowing a whistle.
[Now that I think about it with a little calm, I can pretty much tell Nanael doesn’t know my identity. If she had, she wouldn’t have asked *who* I was.]
“Why do you want the Sword of the Unicorn so much?”
“T-That’s…”
This time it was Nanael’s turn to stammer.
“Because it’s an order from Heaven?”
“Yes, an order from Heaven! I’ve never ever thought about making my wings even with the healing power!”
After blurting out her inner thoughts, Nanael hurried to put a finger on Fio's lips.
It seems she wasn’t listening to any more questions.
“So, Melpha, are you ready yet?”
Changing the subject, she turned to Melpha. For the time being, he had at least understood why the angel wanted the Sword, which was a step up.
“Y-Yes.”
The blonde replied, along a clatter of cleaning utensils, as she put them away. It seemed she had been seriously cleaning the cathedral, even while Fio and Nanael talked.
“Before going home, I want to repay my debt.”
“Your debt?”
“You forgot already!?”
His tone got more casual than he intended when he heard Nanael’s straight, if spaced out, reply.
“Aah, the song, right. Well, you should make it one song to praise me.”
“A song to praise you…”
Fio inhaled briefly, and turned to look at Nanael, who had begun to kick back above his head.
[Lyrics are flowing into my head. I can feel this is going to be a good one.]
The singer put a voice to the melody that rose from deep inside his body:
“A ray of light painting the blue sky
Shining brighter than a shooting star
It’s your light which paints the sky
Just as some wish upon a shooting star
I’ll make a wish upon you
Ah, you’re our angel
You angel of the brilliant light
Because there was an angel when I looked up at the sky
We can live
And believe in tomorrow
Shining angel
Show your figure to us
Light our path, with hope
The light shining in the blue sky
Is the angel of hope protecting us
Shine a light on the true, correct path
Ah, you’re our angel”
Fio closed his eyes when he finished singing.
“Hm?”
Feeling something warm suddenly approaching, he opened his eyes, and when he did…
“Brilliant, right on! Gosh, you’re the best!”
Nanael’s face was right in front of him. With no regard for how confused he was, she brought her face closer, and put her lips on top of his.
“Ngh!”
The dancer’s body stiffened, standing stock still.
“Oh dear!”
Melpha stared at the kiss scene between the two, surprise clear in her eyes.
“Nfufufu~”
Separating from his lips abruptly—which made a small squeaky sound—, Nanael looked into his face with a grin.
“As a reward for the wonderful song, you get an angel’s kiss!”
Nanael’s skin seemed to shine kind of glossier now.
“E-Excuse me… Lady Nanael?”
“What, Melpha? If you want to spoil my mood, I’m hearing none of it.”
“Lady Nanael, Miss Fio sang to thank you for having gotten rid of that Miss wraith maid. But if you reward her for her song, at this rate she won’t ever be able to settle her debt, will she?”
A few seconds passed in silence.
“Ohohohoho, if you’ve realized that much, isn’t it obvious how it’ll turn out?”
Nanael threw out her chest with a chortle.
“By having her keep her debt forever, someday Fio will be mine!”
Nanael pointed at him as she delivered the powerful assertion.
[I bet you just came up with that right now.]
“Why did this happen to me…?”
Before Nanael’s absolute confidence, even his retort came out weak.
However, there was one thing he now knew for certain: Nanael was a virgin.
“What good is it for me to find out that an angel is actually naïve about those things…?”
He whispered softly, as if talking to himself.
***
“Wow, that’s a capital for you. You can easily get what you want.”
Muttering to herself in a deserted back alley, the girl who looked like Airi slowly changed her appearance. The surface of her body trembled as if making ripples, and the next moment—when her whole body seemed to have changed into a jelly-like substance—, her maid shape changed, and turned into someone completely different.
“So, who should I fight next?”
The figure grinned as she asked, now looking like Nanael, who she had fought a while ago.
“And, before that…”
After taking on Nanael’s figure, she casually took out a crystal ball from inside her body. Unlike the crystal balls with an emblem the Queen’s Blade participants possessed, in this one there was a haze-like darkness.
“Switch on…”
With a small vibration noise, magical letters floated on top of the darkness wriggling in the ball.
“Private call to Airi.”
Following her words, the darkness transformed into a girl in a maid dress. There was no doubt about it being the very same girl she had imitated up till moments ago.
“Alo~, Airi? It’s me.”
“Who are you?”
The Airi inside the ball had a dubious look.
“Huh? You can’t tell?”
“How about you stop carelessly playing around with other people’s looks, Melona?”
“Noo~, oh you Airi, always so harsh~”
As she spoke, the girl called Melona made her whole body quiver, changing into a different shape than Nanael’s.
Protrusions like rabbit ears extended from her head, and a part of her bangs became some sort of hands, and stretched on to firmly hold her own abundant breasts. It was a sight worthy of being called “weird.”
Her true identity was the Protean Assassin Melona. A shapeshifter who could turn into anything, and who, like Airi, served the Swamp Witch.
“So, what do you want?”
“Well, I felt like reporting to you, Airi.”
“To me?”
“You know, the summoning amulet thingies? I totally gave them to Fio.”
“You did?”
The crystal ball reflected the maid with a smile of joy on her face.
“I so did~. Someone got a bit in the way, but you can tell the mistress the mission was basically successful. Well, that’s all.”
After rattling on one-sidedly, the shapeshifter aborted the remote call.
[This might be the special crystal ball of my mistress and all, but this is Gainos, the home of the Queen. If I get sniffed out by any of her personal court magicians, it’s going to be so annoying.]
For now, she had to keep even her very presence hidden from the Queen’s side.
“This will work fine tho… now, should I play in the capital for a while?”
With a whisper, she changed into someone else’s form again, and got lost inside the crowd in the capital.
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