Chapter IV: Battle Amongst Otome
Shizuru woke at the same hour, peering past the heavy curtains that fell over her windows to stare down at the ever-changing city of Windbloom. More slums had been the victims of burnings-down, meaning that more civilians were left roaming the streets before being banished to the unforgiving lands outside of the city. Shizuru scowled at the misfortune caused by Nagi's hand. Her fingers tapped out a vague tune on the glass as she mulled over the previous day's events.
The Meister's thoughts turned to her blue haired lover, crimson eyes sliding shut as she exhaled slowly. She missed the touch of the other woman, missed those spare glances with each passing day. Shizuru knew that their separation was hopefully temporal, yet if things persisted like this, then the chances of reuniting were growing much more slim. If she kept dancing with her morality on the line, her morality as the price she would pay if she slipped up, of Nagi's twisted game, then all chances would be shot. Shizuru knew that she was laying her life, as well as her trust with Natsuki, on the line just for this one objective.
She prayed that Natsuki would find it in her to forgive her after the storm had weathered. But Shizuru doubted that the situation would push her to drastic actions. She doubted that her morality and the decision she chose would crumble so severely.
The soft click of her door opening announced the arrival of her uninvited guest. The girl's presence every morning had eventually ceased to disrupt Shizuru from her early morning thoughts, and the woman remained rooted to her place at the window, silent and her crimson gaze still bearing down on the corrupt city.
"Oneesama," Tomoe addressed the woman softly, pausing a few feet away to allow the Meister her space. "Nagi-sama has requested you meet with him today, as soon as you have prepared youself."
Shizuru remained silent, letting Tomoe's words register in her mind. She nodded slightly, never letting her focus stray from the streets below her. A small faction of socldiers caught her attention, and her gaze shifted to them. Her eyes narrowed when she noticed them approach a group of children, reprimanding them for their actions before threatening them with the promise of harm if they didn't comply with their orders.
Her gaze wavered and the Meister turned from the scene unfolding down below. She meet Tomoe's gray eyes, noticing the flush spreading across the girl's pale skin. Shizuru offered Tomoe a small smile, one that never quite reached her eyes when it came to the Coral Otome standing before her.
"Tomoe-san is very kind for caring for me. Did Nagi-sama say the reason for wanting to see me?" Shizuru edged closer to the girl, bridging the space between their bodies, yet never quite touching.
"N-no, Shizuru-oneesama. He merely requested that I tell you he wishes for you to meet with him." Tomoe stuttered, no doubt because of the Meister's sudden and close proximity with her. She felt her breath quicken when the Meister brought a slender hand up, fingers brushing through the teal strands that framed her face.
Shizuru withdrew her hand, letting it rest at her side. "Thank you, Marguerite-san." The Meister strode over to the wardrobe, letting her hand rest on the polished knob of the door. "It would be rude to make the Grand Duke wait, if you don't mind..." Shizuru's message was clear, and Tomoe nodded, bowing as she exited from the room, allowing for the Meister to ready herself.
~~~~~~~OTOME~~~~~~~
"The Bewitching Amethyst seems to have adjusted quite well to the antigens, my lord." Smith set the report on the Meister next to Nagi, inclining his head slightly out of respect. "Here are her results from yesterday. I think you'll be impressed by them."
The Grand Duke took the folder in his hand, flipping back the front cover and filing through the ream of paper. A smirk grew on his face as he pored over the results. A delighted laugh came forth as the pale haired boy threw his head back. "These results are ridiculous!" He brought a hand to rub at his face, peals of laughter still wracking his body. "Ah, I commend you, Smith. You've truly done well." He smirked at his balding accomplice, pale eyes glinting.
Nagi picked the results back up, skimming over them once more. "Enhanced speed, endurance, and skill in Butou. Heightened senses and reflexes, a boost in stamina. All of these attributes without causing harm on the Otome's body. Splendid." Nagi clasped his hands beneath his chin, mulling the results over in his head.
The Meister seemed less inclined to double-cross him, which he was admittedly surprised by. No longer the struggling hostage from earlier, Nagi found the Meister's change in attitude of mild concern, pushing it to the back of his mind. If the woman was willing to side with him, then so be it. He wouldn't question the lucky hand that fate had dealt him. The young Duke was pulled from his thoughts when the Meister cleared her throat, announcing her presence.
"You called, Grand Duke?" Shizuru questioned, her crimson eyes trained on the form of the Grand Duke. Her eyes narrowed when she realized that the boy had seated himself on the Queen's throne and she found herself restraining from spilling every accusation that threatened to slip past her lips.
"Prompt as usual, Shizuru-san." Nagi looked down at her from his high perch, letting the Meister know that he was higher than she. "To start, I want to commend you for your performance yesterday. The results were outstanding. Second, I see no harm has been done to impair you from Butou today." The Grand Duke snapped his fingers and two figures stepped forward.
Shizuru's eyes widened when she recognized them, then remembered the information that Tomoe had let slip. The Meister looked up from her lower position at the two Otome who stood at Nagi's left hand, both bearing the Cursed GEM that adorned her own ear.
"I believe you three are acquaintances?" Nagi spoke in a nonchalant tone, almost bored as he waved a lazy hand at both Laula and Rosalie. "These two have been so kind as to willingly undergo the same Prototype as you, Shizuru-san."
The Meister felt her jaw clench at the loose way the Duke spoke her name, remaining silent as she watched the two Otome. "Laula-san...Rosalie-san..." Shizuru muttered, astonishment evident in her words.
"Shizuru-oneesama." Laula regarded the Meister with an aloof nod and that characteristic stony look in her violet eyes.
Nagi remained silent as he watched the exchange between the three Otome, a curious glint in his pale eyes as he rested his cheek on one hand. "Well, as interesting as this is, I suppose that we should get on to business. Why wait until later?" He rose from his seat, smoothing the fabric of his overcoat. "We're conducting another test run on the antigens, but between Prototypes." He descended from the platform, his boots echoing in the throne room.
The other two Otome followed wordlessly and obediently, passing by Shizuru without a second glance. Shizuru narrowed her eyes at their retreating backs, remaining rooted to the spot before following suit.
~~~~~~~OTOME~~~~~~~
"Please Materialize." The same scientist from before addressed Shizuru, her eyes remaining trained on the clipboard in her hand.
Shizuru nodded, flicking the hair from her left ear. "Materialize!" The familiar light surrounded her and the Meister stood, clad in her altered Robe. The scientist nodded for Shizuru to step onto the platform, jotting down a few final notes before the Meister entered the arena.
Shizuru spotted Laula and Rosalie standing atop the other platform, both clad in their Robes and turning their Elements over in their hands. They paused their actions, sparing a quick glance at the Meister, before turning to each other, no doubt exchanging words of a private conversation.
Shizuru kept a watchful eye on the other Otome before turning to regard Nagi. He had approached the microphone, leaning on both hands as he peered out over the arena. "We begin experiment two, with Meister Shizuru Viola facing against Meisters Laula Bianchi and Rosalie Claudel." His pale gaze flickered to the holographic countdown, a sly smile on his face as he watched the numbers decrease. "Begin."
Shizuru's opponents dashed forward, throwing the Meister off-balance as they both swun their weapons simultaneously. Shizuru dodged both attacks, retaliating by swinging her blade into Laula's exposed side, throwing the other woman into the ground below. The Meister blocked an incoming attack, locking weapons with her blonde adversary.
"You have some nerve, Claudel-san. I don't see why you would willingly choose this fate." Shizuru hissed through clenched teeth, the muscles in her arms straining against the force that Rosalie was putting on her weapon.
"Because it's our obligation as Otome." Rosalie responded, breaking from Shizuru and edging back as her partner came careening towards the Bewitching Amethyst, slamming into Shizuru's back and sending her towards a wall.
The Meister struggled to get her bearings again, extending her blade so that it wrapped around one of the thin columns. She felt the velocity with which she was travelling decrease and came to a stop mere inches from the wall. She balanced her feet on the surface before propelling forward, weapon angled to strike. The blade of her weapon connected with Rosalie's torso, throwing the blonde woman into her partner and sending them both towards the arena wall.
The duo collided with the wall before collapsing to the solid ground beneath them, groaning from the impact. Fighting another Meister Otome was easy, yet fighting against a Column Otome was an entirely different story. They had known going into this fight that facing Shizuru would be difficult; they had seen the Bewitching Amethyst fight before, and there was no doubting her prowess in Butou. But the woman's skill had been enhanced tenfold by the antigens and although they had also been injected with the same antigen their strength remained lower than Shizuru's.
Laula rose from her position on the ground, standing while levelling her glare at the hovering Meister. The Otome was readying for another attack, yet a slow clapping from the stands interrupted them. The three of them turned to look at Nagi, who stood with a smug look on his face as he praised them with a slow, condescending clap.
"As fun as it is, watching Otome beat each other senseless, I'm afraid that your Butou is over. We can't have you killing one another, can we?" Nagi smirked, shrugging his shoulders. "You're dismissed. I'll have some of the Valkyries escort you back to your rooms." He paused, sparing a quick once-over of Laula and Rosalie. "And the medical team."
Shizuru landed on the ground, dematerializing as she turned to exit. The Meister was halted by Nagi's voice over the microphone. "Not quite yet, Shizuru Viola-san. I have things of importance to discuss with you." Shizuru turned back to regard the young Duke, a scowl on her face.
"Shizuru-san, I'm concerned about where your loyalties lie." Nagi eyed her with a morbid curiosity, sly grin spreading on his face as he noticed the tension in the Meister's posture. "My sources say that those who fled have become the underground insurgents, working to reclaim your precious school. I presume you know that your beloved Headmistress is among those rebels?"
Shizuru bit her tongue, feeling the skin rupture and the raw taste of copper over her tongue. "I was unaware that an uprising has been formed." Shizuru spoke through clenched teeth, her eyes narrowing dangerously at the Grand Duke.
"So be it, but know that if I hear word of you even trying to reach members of that insurgence, I will make it so that harm comes to any Otome involved." Nagi's eyes held a dangerous glint as he sneered down at Shizuru, a wicked grin playing wildly on his face.
Shizuru found that grin unsettling, frightening even, yet couldn't look away. The Meister closed her eyes briefly, apologizing for the actions she was being forced to take. She dropped to one knee, prostrating before the Grand Duke. "Understood, Nagi-sama." The words were bitter on her tongue as she willingly turned her loyalty over to the greedy hand of Nagi.
From his perch above, Nagi kept his eyes on the kneeling woman, his chest swelling with an overwhelming sense of victory. Not only had two Meister Otome already sworn loyalty, but he now had the Third Column bowing before him. A sudden wind pulled at his hair. The storm aas fast approaching, yet Nagi could sense victory-his victory- on the horizon.
~~~~~~~OTOME~~~~~~~
The fading sun cast its gentle light over the surface of the water filling the fountain. Slender fingers skimmed the still surface, breaking the smoothe stillness with ripples, as Shizuru bent over the edge of the fountain. Thoughts of earlier filtered through her mind and the Meister grit her teeth, lips pulled back in a small snarl.
Her anger wasn't directed at anybody except for herself. It had been her own foolish decision to betray Garderobe, to betray Natsuki, and overall, to betray her country. And she couldn't do a damn thing about it.
She supposed that after this was over and done with she would be kept in the holding cells once more while legal issues regarding her status were discussed, she would be given a trial, and then she could just explain her choices to Natsuki afterwards. As if it were that easy. Shizuru certainly wished it were, but life was never that simple. There were always complications, and betraying her loved one and her country were large complications.
Shizuru let out a stressed sigh, rising from the edge of the fountain and brushing away any dirt from her dress. She studied the sky, standing still in the silence of the courtyard. It would've been peaceful had there not been evidence of the coup that had yet to be repaired. The Meister began to leave the courtyard, wind pulling at her hair as she climbed the steps and the stone surface of the railing cold against her palm.
Another set of boots trailed behind her, yet the sound fell upon deaf ears. Shizuru, too caught up in her thoughts, jolted when the hand of the stranger came down on her shoulder. A sharp gasp escaped from her lips and the Meister whirled around, poised to attack, with her arms held in front of her, before she relaxed, recognizing the aged face and hawklike, piercing green eyes.
"Miss Maria." Shizuru breathed out, steadying her rapid heartbeat. "You startled me."
"So I noticed, Viola-san." The elder's response was straightforward and a bit scathing as she narrowed her eyes at the younger woman. The elder Otome caught sight of the Cursed GEM, scowling almost immediately. "So you've become one of them." It was a more of a statement, one that brought everything that had happened up till now to Shizuru's mind.
The young Meister averted her gaze, bowing her head as if ashamed. "It wasn't by choice."
"Perhaps not, but now you are willingly serving the Grand Duke of Artai, or am I mistaken?" Miss Maria countered, edging closer to the younger woman.
Shizuru made to protest, yet paused, the words dying in her throat before she ever spoke them. She resigned herself to her surrender, shoulders falling with the faintest hint of dismay. Her brow furrowed as she contemplated the woman's words, the truth that lurked behind the simple accusation. Miss Maria had confirmed what Shizuru had not yet accepted-the truth of her deciet finally dawned on the Meister.
"So be it." Shizuru's voice barely rose above a whisper as she narrowed her eyes at the older woman standing before her. "But I am not as changed as you think me to be. What I have resigned myself to is out of necessity. Drastic? Perhaps, but if it means lending more time to those not held captive here, then I'm willing to do what I must."
Tension settled between the two Meister, heavy in the silence. Crimson bore into emerald, unspoken words clashing violently. Miss Maria relented first, an obvious look of disdain and perhaps even disappointment crossing her features. "I hope you are not mistaken, Shizuru Viola."
The younger woman remained silent, merely nodding her head to let the her mentor know that her words hadn't been ignored, before retreating back up towards the school. The sharp presence of Miss Maria's eyes boring into her back was a constant reminder of her actions, yet Shizuru kept her eyes forward, refusing to let the burden that had been so mercilessly strapped to her shoulders weigh her down.
Condemning herself to the authority of Nagi meant that, perhaps she was a traitor. Or perhaps she was simply carrying out her job as an Otome, as a soldier.
~~~~~~~OTOME~~~~~~~
Emerald eyes roved over the plans for the fifth time over the last few hours. A sigh, and then the shuffling of papers as they were messily reorganized. Natsuki slunk back down to her seat, throwing poise and posture and all that nonsense to the wind as she slouched low, arms crossed over her chest. The situation in Windbloom was becoming more troublesme the longer they waited and Natsuki wasn't sure if she wanted to know what the situation inside Garderobe was like. She wanted to know what had become of Shizuru and she wanted to know what Nagi was planning.
The Meister doubted Shizuru would withold information, unless her life or another's was being compromised. The seedling of doubt had started to grow over the days, and Natsuki was more than guilty for thinking such things about Shizuru. The blue haired woman startled when a newspaper landed in front of her, and she sat up, casting a curious look at Nao before flipping through the pages.
One article, in particular, caught her attention and she slowed down to read it, brow furrowing. "What? That's...impossible." Her mind reeled as she read the same sentence over and over again. /Shizuru Viola swears allegiance to Nagi Dai Artai./ It couldn't be, could it? Had Shizuru gone and betrayed her? Betrayed Windbloom? Something about the entire thing felt off, but that was a minor detail in the overall situation. Natsuki felt her heart quicken as she tried to process the article. It was unlikely that Shizuru would really align herself with a sleaze like Nagi, yet Natsuki didn't know how likely it was that the whole thing was a setup and that Shizuru was manipulating Nagi.
"Oi, you okay there, Natsuki?" Nao pried the paper from the bluenette's hands, glancing down at the woman with a look of worry.
"No, I'm not." The Otome rose from her seat, bracing her hands against the surface of the table. "Windbloom is falling, Garderobe has been taken over, and my girlfriend might have betrayed me."
Nao frowned, contemplating Natsuki's situation. "Those were just rumors."
"Rumors or not, they can still be true. What worries me is the extent that Shizuru can go to if pushed hard enough." Natsuki gathered the files in her hand, slipping them back into the folder. "Anyway, we should head out." They had plans to seek help in Aries, and time was not on their side.
The blue haired woman walked by Nao, not waiting for the other woman to follow as she strode through the door. There was no room for argument, especially not when Natsuki was as determined as she was. Nao let her gaze follow the retreated back of the Headmistress before trailing after.
~~~~~~~OTOME~~~~~~~