Prologue.
A/N: Seikirei. Wow, this is something you don't see much on this site despite it's rather massive fanbase on . This was resting in my HD for awhile, time to take it out for some sun.
/x/
Yuit de Rabat watched the smoke and flames consume the keep, as the stonewalls infused with the strongest alchemy and magic crumbled like sand under the intense heat of the inferno. Her heart leaped as yet another smaller explosion blew open a segment of wall, her vision blurred from anxiety as the tiles of the roof tumbled off the smoke engulfed walls to the paved roads below. Yuit tugged at her golden trimmed collar and pulled the rest of her olive green and white coat closer, despite the layer of sweat on her face. Her knife-like ears twitched with each wall that blew out, her petite frame leaned closer to the blonde elfish automaton Vante who's shoulder she sat on with every cry of pain and rage from within the burning crucible that was the keep.
Around her, the elite of the Rebel Army watched, unable to burst in to assist their leader on pain of the shame of disobedience. A curvy, muscular woman with teal hair in red plate armor adorned with jewels turned to Yuit, her wide eyes and round face a mask of desperation and worry.
"I know what you're thinking, Mirim," Yuit said, her gaze still firmly fixed on the burning keep. "But orders are orders. Big Brother Annelotte ordered us to honor the Queen's Blade in session, and we will not interfere lest the match be declared null and void."
"We won the war!" Mirim shouted as she swung her red sword around, the serrated edge buzzed and crackled with red lighting. "Even if we pull Big Sis Anne out of the fire-"
"And render Annelotte a usurper," Yuit said, the icy glare that fell on Yuit had the teal-haired warrior step back. "Think of what you're saying."
"All I'm saying," Mirim grit out through her teeth," is that we should be less concerned if Big Sis can sit on the throne in Gainos with less nobles bellyaching and more of her roasting alive."
Yuit stared evenly at the face of Mirim, her grim determination accentuated by the orange pall from the flames before she raised her hands and several Horse Guards pointed their spears at Mirim. The bronzed gems on Mirim's armor sparked to life as a red energy field raised to shield their mistress
"Yuit?! How could you!"
"I can, and I will. I intend to honor the Queen's Blade, and allow the match to come to its conclusion. Let the next rightful queen emerge from the fire. I will kill anyone who will disobey our leader's orders!"
"Big Sis might die, Yuit! Maria Keep might become her tomb!"
The ground shook, and the deafening din of burning wood and rock had the Rebel Army recoil several paces back from the impact and heat that emerged when the twin gates to Maria Keep shattered in a howl of heat and light. An armored rider astride a cyan horse with a mane of azure fire rode out of the smoke, the plates of her golden armor stained with soot and dried blood. Her cheeks were deathly pale, her eyes ruby red as her stead trotted towards the Rebel Army. The golden lance she wielded on her right hand had blood that dripped from its tip, and it turned to a dull metal sword when the weapon slipped from her fingers followed by the rider herself.
The crowd surged forward, before Vante dislodged her right hand and fired a single shot from the hand cannon hidden beneath.
"Bi- Knight Princess of the Rebellion, Annelotte Kreutz. As Angel Nanael who oversaw your Queen's Blade match had retreated after suffering from an injury being caught in the crossfire, tell me! Who won that match?! Who now is Queen of the world?!"
Annelotte's hair, black as the deepest night faded into a gentle lavender as the knight staggered to her feet. Panting, Annelotte's gloved fingers searched beneath her armor, before she ripped out a brass tiara. A green gem set in the middle crackled with lightning, before Annelotte rose to her full height with a roar that was matched by the gathered horde.
"I have defeated the Stormcloud Queen, Claudette Vance! Let the Angels bear witness. Let the ancient skies see! Let the nurturing earth hear! Let the boundless ocean sing! I, Annelotte Kreutz am the forty-first champion of the Queen's Blade."
Like a wave, the Rebel Army surged forward and hefted Annelotte above them. Their roars drowned out the inferno, and the earth trembled at their revelry.
"Long live the Queen! Long live the Queen!"
/x/
Yuit shuddered as she pushed past the flaps of hemp cloth that divided the command tent with the rest of the camp. The Little Elf sighed with relief as the cloth came down, the enchanted spell weaved into the fabric blocking unwanted noise and filtering all but the loudest. Vante bent forward, and began to massage Yuit's sharp ears before her mistress waved her away. Yuit turned her gaze towards the interior of the tent, where Annelotte sat surrounded by pillows and dressed in a simple powder blue bathrobe, her bare feet in a brass pail of steaming water. Two Horse Guards in simple tunic, pants and boots attended to her.
Huh? How long has it been, Yuit thought as she glanced at the swords that hung from their belts, since I've seen the Horse Guard besides Big Brother in so small a number, with so little arms at their sides
Yuit bowed her head as Annelotte glanced at her, the soon to be queen's cheeks flush from wine, her eyes set in a frown. The two Horse Guards bowed and left the tent as Annelotte waved them away, and Yuit walked closer as Annelotte moved to the side of her chair. Yuit looked at the vacated space on the chair of her leader, the inviting smile on Annelotte's face before she sighed and took up the new queen's offer.
"Your Majesty-"
"Strategist, please!" Annelotte said, "I'll be dealing with the fawning courtiers and snakes of potentates soon enough when we march unopposed to Gainos. Surely you can speak to me like you always do? Everyone else in the Rebel Army does?"
"A fact I'm planning to correct,"Yuit sniffed. "The Angels have sent Hachiel to confirm you as the winner. Now the only thing left is your crowning at the Grand Cathedral in Gainos. The future army of the Queen should learn to respect the Crown."
"Put into the stocks," Yuit said as she grabbed a nearby pillow and smacked Annelotte on the nose with it. "Twenty lashes with pillows for the first offense!"
"Fine!" Annelotte giggled, "And thirty for you!"
Yuit squealed as she dodged the counter throw before she dived into the chest of Annelotte, and both of them tumbled to the floor while laughing. A guard stuck her head into the tent, saw her Strategist and future Queen in a pile on the floor and decided to shrug and go back to her duties of looking for anything suspicious. Yuit choked on her laughter as Annelotte pinned her down by her chest, while she used the pillow's edge to tickle the elf's nose.
"Do you yield?" Annelotte screamed as she pressed the pillow down on Yuit's face.
Yuit said something, but all Annelotte heard was muffled shouting.
"Can't hear you!"
More muffled shouting, and Annelotte lowered herself closer to the pillow before Yuit kneed her in the side to push her away. The elf gasped for air while glaring at her giggling liege, who laughed harder as Yuit straightened her clothes in a failed bid to restore her dignity.
"So, Big Brother. How did you defeat Claudette in battle? It took yourself, Mirim, Luna-Luna and the Yang siblings before we cornered her in Maria Keep."
All mirth fled from Annelotte's face at the question, and she jumped to her feet before she sat on the chair. Her blue eyes glistened as the fire from the lamp was reflected in them.
"I didn't beat Claudette in battle," Annelotte hesitated, "at least I don't think so."
"Explain."
"I ran her through with Grim Venus' lance form and she fell towards the burning basement, true. But at the moment when my weapon struck true, I felt as if she held back."
"So Claudette held back and lost," Yuit huffed. "You still beat her even if she's technically stronger."
"Maybe so," Annelotte said wistfully. "But I have the feeling she got what she wanted in the end."
Both women turned their heads towards the entrance, as the sound of pounding footsteps approached.
"Well, the messenger's loud and audible," Yuit said as she quickly placed the pillows back onto the commander's seat. "Good to know the selective silence ward is working."
"Report!"
The entrance flaps flew open as a Rebel soldier in full armor ran in, a piece of grey coiled metal in her hand.
"We've completed the investigation of the ruins of Maria Pass. We found pieces of this strange metal when we were clearing the foundations of the ruins."
The basement.
Yuit took the piece of metal from the soldier's hand, and examined it closely before she yelled out a curse.
"Strategist?"
Yuit hurled the scrap metal to the floor in frustration, and watched the metal bounce off the soft carpeted floors before she turned to her leader.
"This was a piece of a Queen's Gate! Claudette Vance is still out there and alive!"
/x/
The town- no, city- which I found myself transported to was otherworldy. Towers which reached into the sky, their exterior plated with glass and steel. Garish lights from signs in a script that was a mix of Hinomoto characters and some foreign scribbling, while a teeming mass of people went about their business on the streets like an ant colony on the march. The crystal blue sphere of light behind me vanished with a pop, but the sound of the collapsing Queen's Gate was drowned out by the sounds of people. So many people. Thousands? Hundred thousands? Millions? My eyes struggled to look beyond the horizon here on the street, where the chaotic array of lights disoriented my focus and vision.
Still, there was benefit to this riot of colour,noise and smell. Bareheaded, with my red hair flowing freely down my back over my white mantle I would attract all sorts of unwanted attention. Of course, the most attention grabbing part of my attire right now would be the copious amount of blood that trickled down from my left ribs. Already part of my clothes were already being dyed with my own blood, enough so that several of the locals gave me a wide berth.
Well, some. A few of them, dressed like the Beautiful Fighters in the Continent approached me with admiration in their eyes. A man with in black, glistening leather and strong smelling spiked red hair admired the blood stains on my left boot before he gave me a thumbs up sign.
"Damn, girl! You're hardcore!" Spiky Head spoke in a Hinomoto slang I wasn't familiar with. "How'd you get that authentic iron smell in your fake blood anyway? And that grimace of pain as you clutch your sides beneath your cloak? Now that's dedication!"
A strange man, who spoke with a mix of Hinomoto dialect and bits of Trade. More of his tribe, dressed in the same queer dress. They spoke in that rapid-fire mix of Hinomotian and Trade, with some Dwarvish and Continental mixed in. But at least it was with admiration rather than hostility with which they viewed me. Plus, the focus on the boots and blood meant they're not watching my claymore Thunderclap sheathed behind my hip. Giving the best smile I could, I approached Spike Head in hopes of gathering my bearings and securing the help of a healer.
"Good evening, sir. Mind telling me where-"
Halfway through my sentence, Spike Head expression went from excited to panic as he began babbling something about a gaijin. He attempted to speak to me in Trade, before the loud crack of gunfire caught my attention.
Matter of fact, it caught everyone's attention. Spike Head and his tribe stopped staring at me and turned towards the sound of gunfire. Fear. Trepidation. Their faces, drained of color and vigor reminded me of a fresh recruit in my armies or an aspiring Beautiful Warrior on her first match. My vision focused, as I found myself walking towards the danger while I pushed Spike Head and his people behind me. Even the pain of the gaping hole Annelotte left in me with a demonic lance was pushed to the back of my head as my body came alive.
The clouds gathered, as Thunderclap began to sing at my approach.
/x/
I have seen many things, but a completely localized thunderstorm isn't one of them.
A grey-haired woman, tall and elegant in a white lab coat watched out of her window as clouds gathered just beyond Harujuku. Flashes of light brightened the wine colored sky, and she reached for the scar over her left eye as she pondered if the Plan has changed.
Is it possible for Seikirei powers to evolve independently of tuning or use of the Norito? Even a self-winged Seikirei? The woman thought as her finger retreated from the urge to scratch her left eye. None of the known Numbers using lighting based powers actually caused changes to local weather conditions.
Another series of thunder strikes, and her cold eyes narrowed as she saw the front half of an MBI APC spat out by a ball of fire. The grey-haired woman sighed at the carnage so early in the day, before she turned to her phone and frowned as she saw the incoming reports from the MBI forces sent to retrieve the escaped Scraped Number. A red exclamation mark on her phone's screen signalled a successful-but costly- end to the operation.
At least my paranoia at sending out assets in force turned out justified, she thought as she saw a flashing red icon on her messaging app. And it seems the show's over.
"Sahashi"
"Ma'am," a voice with a thick Algerian accent spoke in English on the other end. "Were we informed of elements of the DGSE having MBI assets? Because the workman's comp for this operation will be higher than a Code Black situation."
"Code Black? How does retrieving one Scrapped Number equals meeting a Winged member of the Disciplinary Squad?"
Takami's Sahashi's eyes narrowed as she heard the merc commander swear a blue streak in Arabic and French under his breath, but kept her silence as she heard fumbling on the other side.
"A bleeding woman in white clothes, used a sword almost as tall as her to attack us when she saw us bringing the Scrapped into the containment truck. She blasted us with lighting that came out of her and the sky. She moves as fast as any Seikirei I've seen."
"And yet you stopped her," Sahashi pointed out.
"No, ma'am. She stopped because she seemed to have almost ran out of blood."
Sahashi wished she could smoke in here, but waited for the other shoe to drop.
"Send me a photo of the new, undiscovered Seikirei."
Sahashi felt her patience fray as she watched the photo load, and then her jaw dropped when she saw the picture of the red-haired woman in white.
"Ma'am?"
The head researcher ignored him, as she fell backwards onto her work chair. Sahashi clenched her fist as the sound of rolling test tubes and pens reminded her of those dark days.
Well Claudette. Fancy meeting you again after leaving you for Count Vance to raise.