Finally Raki was reaching his goal : the exit of the Claymoreland, a simple cave at the bottom of a mountain, was in sight. How could he be sure? Well, he could feel it in his gut.

The ten feet high glowing letters saying 'Claymoreland's exit' above it were also a big clue.

Finally, he was going home, away from horny hot ladies, guts-obsessed queens and cooks, and random flashers.

"HALT!"

Of course, there had to be one last hurdle. A figure stood, riding on the back of a huge, odd-looking horse, blocking the entrance of the cave. The rider wore a form-fitting armor of blindingly white metal, which did nothing to hide a female body fit for a goddess. Removing the helmet that concealed her face, she revealed long wavy blond hair and a face which put any woman in the Claymoreland to shame. The faint smile on her lips only served to enhance her beauty even further.

As the helmet fell forgotten to the ground, Raki swore he could hear a choir of cheering fanboys and had to refrain himself from drooling.

"I am Teresa, the White Knight." the woman introduced herself regally. "And this is my loyal horse, Octavia." she patted the strange horse on the head. The horse snorted and stood on its hind legs, startling Raki and nearly sending its rider on the ground.

"Sorry, she's a bit wild." Teresa apologized.

"Right, no harm done. Look, I'm in a hurry so could I please go through that cave, just behind you? Thank you." Raki said as he tried to move around the horse and into the cave before something happened.

Something like a huge sword dropping right in front of him and cutting his path.

"I'm sorry but you can't go." Teresa replied, her smile never faltering.

"But why?" Raki whined.

"Because the inhabitants of the Claymoreland don't want you to."

"But I want to leave!"

"Are you sure? Haven't you made good friends here?"

"I wouldn't call them friends. The Cheshire Cat already asked me the same thing anyway."

"Didn't you feel appreciated here?"

"The Queen did enjoy my cooking. A little too much." He shuddered at the memory.

Teresa's smile fell briefly at the mention of the Queen but she recovered. "See, it wouldn't be so bad. Please, I'm asking you stay." She then used her most secret weapon : the Teresa Special Faint Smile™, guaranteed to reduce any man to mindless babbling jelly. It was this smile that had made fanboys cry years after the Queen had beheaded her.

Heck, it was the reason she was here as the final obstacle thrown in by the Mad Writer.

"Sorry but I must go." Raki insisted, somehow managing to resist her ultimate attack, albeit with much difficulty.

Teresa increased the power of her smile, somehow radiating a mesmerizing aura of pure brilliance, but Raki closed his eyes and mustered all his will. "No, no, no… don't break…"

*Teresa Special Faint Smile™ 10x power EX combo*

"I… must…leave…" he gritted his teeth.

Teresa stopped her attack and stared at him in disbelief. "What the hell? Don't tell me I'm losing my touch! Or worse…"

"What?"

"You're gay, right?"

()()()()

Author note : Look and behold, Teresa appears! Was anyone expecting her? And yes, the horse IS Octavia. The reveal of her actual size in chapter 143 nearly changed that, but it was too rich to pass so I kept it.