Chapter 36
After observing the spectacle of the tournament for the past few hours, it finally came down to a familiar scene, the final two. She stood and held up her hand before the two young suitors, Reino and Kuon. She had witnessed this before, but with an entirely different outcome. An outcome that she was not going to allow. In a loud clear voice, to make her parents proud, she made her first declaration as the Crown Princess.
"STOP! I invoke the rules of the original tournament!" She called out as the two faced off to each other, then turned to look at her in shock. Kuon just shook his head, knowing deep in his heart that she would do this, and Reino's invader stood in shock, wondering if she actually would be allowed. He'd never heard of something like this before.
A wave of gasps and murmurs, swept through the onlookers.
"Can she do that?"
"What are the original rules?"
"Highly unusual!"
"This is outrageous!"
"SILENCE!" Kazu barked, then turned to his daughter. "Kyoko, are you sure you know what you're doing? You can't take it back, you could get hurt." He asked a final time. It was the question he'd been asking her for weeks, hoping that she'd change her mind.
She nodded with a confident look. "I know what I'm doing Father." She glanced at Reino and Kuon. "If my betrothed cannot best me, he has no business being my King. These are the final two contestants." She turned to them from where she was standing above them. "If they cannot subdue me, I do not wish to have them stand by my side."
Kuon stared at his beloved in awe. He had been warned something unusual would happen and was told to have faith in her, but this? Sure he'd suspected, but he didn't want to hurt her, and wasn't that what he was being asked to do? No, no, all he had to do was subdue her. All he had to do is remember his training, and the fact that she was just as powerful as he was. She was not the deceptively delicate little flower, and her armor was not for show as the other contestants had thought. He had trained with her many times, and knew her strengths and weaknesses. He narrowed his eyes and grinned wolfishly. "I AGREE TO HER TERMS!"
Reino just stared at him in shock. "WELL, I DON'T!" He was unsure that he would be able to best her. He'd never seen her fight and he most certainly hadn't hired anyone to investigate it like he did for the other suitors. Not only that, he didn't want to hurt her if he was stronger than her, and ruin his chances at the crown once again.
Kazu turned to both the young men and shook his head. "Accordingly to the original tournament rules, It doesn't matter whether the suitors agree or not. They must fight against her and win. It would do no good to have a powerful queen and a weak king." He glanced at Kyoko. "Are you absolutely sure?"
She nodded.
"LET THE TRUE TOURNAMENT BEGIN!" He smiled at her. "Do your best and fight until you can't fight anymore." He hugged her and kissed her temple. "Good luck, Sweetie."
She nodded, stepped to the edge of the balcony, stripped off her ceremonial armor down to her silk bra and loin-skirt, and her bare feet. She took a deep breath, unfurled her large, beautiful, white wings, and stepped out, landing firmly on the dirt ground of the arena, causing a cloud of dust to stir up around her and a perfect little small crater where she had landed.
As the dust settled, she emerged clad in the black, chitinous armor that she had naturally developed during training, and her favorite weapon, a large, long-handled black scythe.
Reino's invader swallowed nervously. This was something he'd never seen before. She had gold runes running up the sides of both legs, wrapping around low on her waist, trailing up her belly, and between the valley of her breasts, then over her collar bones, on her shoulders, up her neck, down to her fingertips, and finally on her face to her temples. He watched as she waved her hand before her face, and an ominous skeletal mask with horns covered her visage, leaving long, silken, raven-black locks flowing behind her.
Kuon took in the familiar, skimpy-looking, black skeletal armor and chuckled. He bowed low. "I look forward to our encounter, Milady."
She shivered inwardly. It would seem that the Emperor of the Night would be her opponent for this.
She stood stately, and nodded stiffly. "As do I, Lord Kuon." She glanced at Reino, and announced to them both. "Do not think that I will wilt like a delicate little flower." She told them and twirled her weapon expertly. She smirked as Reino stepped back. "If you try and fail, I will kill you, but..." She smiled euphorically. "not before I enjoy giving you an extensive amount of pain."
Reino's spirit, and his invader shuddered. He hated pain and it seemed as though she just might enjoy inflicting it, considerably. This was most certainly not what he signed up for. Nope.. Firstly, he didn't know what she was capable of, too many surprises with her. Secondly, they would be going by the original tournament rules and he wasn't sure of what they were. Would she be allowed to tear him apart? Injure him to an extreme or even kill him, without consequence? Thirdly, if he used the blade he'd poisoned on her, he knew there would be some serious consequences to that action. Not so much if he used it on Kuon, and it was discovered. After all, all's fair in love, and war. Not that he was actually in love with her, but you know.
He looked up at the balcony where Kyoko had alit from. "I WITHDRAW!" He would find another way.
Kazu narrowed his gaze at the boy. He waved his hand toward the exit. "Then you must leave." He looked at Kyoko and Kuon. "PROCEED!"
The pair nodded to him, and prepared to fight by taking up their correct stances, as Reino hastily left the arena, only to be taken into custody of the monks that Miroku had gathered for the final exorcism.
"I won't make it easy for you, Kuon. I can't. Not after what I invoked." She told him as they circled each other, lunging, parrying, and swiping their blades at each other. She, blocking his strikes with the handle of her scythe.
He nodded. "I wouldn't expect you to, My Love. Do you really think I didn't know about those old rules?"
She furrowed her brow and glared at him angrily. "And you didn't say anything?!" She lashed out, sweeping with her scythe, as the onlookers gasped at the dazzling, deadly display.
He spread his wings and leapt back, just out of her reach. "No, I had a hunch you would do something like this." He waved his hand, and skeletal hands emerged from the ground, and held her legs firmly. He chuckled as she struggled.
"Why can't..." She went silent, feeling invisible hands restraining her arms firmly at her sides, and covering her mouth. There was no way she could call her minions this way and he knew it. Her eyes went wide as he approached.
I should have known he'd use our sparring matches against me. How could I be so stupid to forget? She groused inwardly as she struggled to get free, angry because she allowed herself to be distracted by him, but still a little happy and relieved that it was him conquering her.
He chuckled as she stared at him with wide eyes, and her body firmly restrained. "I look forward to our wedding night, My Love." He purred, as he disarmed the blushing beauty, and tossed the scythe out of her reach, if she got free. "Now... What shall I do first?" He pondered, circling her smoothly like a predator with its prey. The Emperor was decidedly more intense with those enchanting green eyes.
She shivered as she felt his fingers gently graze her neck, his lips and breath close to her ear.
"Ah yes, I will be sure to get a very good taste of you first." He licked her ear as he gently lifted her visor to see her wide eyes and blushing face.
"Lord Kuon..." Kazu chuckled, and Kuon looked up at him a little surprised. He'd almost forgotten what he needed to do next. "Sir Lory did brief you on procedure?"
Kuon nodded. "Yes Sire, he did."
Kazu gave him a pointed look. "Well?"
Kuon nodded a little sheepishly. "Uh, yes." He looked down at Kyoko, quickly pulled her into his arms, and murmured. "I love you, Kyoko. I meant for this to take place tonight. Sorry if this embarrasses you." He confessed as his minions immediately released her into his arms, and he promptly pulled her into a passion filled kiss.
She struggled briefly, then relaxed into the kiss, enjoying the feeling that washed over her. She softly moaned and he hummed in approval with a smile, as she returned with equal passion. "I really tried, Kuon." She pouted a little when he finally set her back on her feet.
He chuckled. "I know Princess, but this was something I wasn't going to lose." He told her.
"He was going to try and kill you." She murmured.
He gave her a sharp, inconspicuous nod. "I know... I planned to take his arm first. You didn't need to do this, but it did make it more fun." He sighed a little. "I understand, but... let me handle things next time? Please?"
She groaned a little as they approached the balcony. "We're supposed to do it together, Kuon. We're supposed to be a team."
He looked at her a little surprised. "I'm sorry... Sometimes I forget, and just want to protect you. I will try to remember in the future that my bride is not a helpless little bunny." He chuckled and took her hand in his. "Are you ready?" He asked as they watched an elaborately dressed, irritated man step forward, complaining about how unusual the circumstances were.
Kyoko looked up a little confused.
He chuckled. "You invoked the old rules, My Love. Remember? We're getting married right now."
She gasped and he grinned, shaking his head as he watched her freeze a little. "Right now?" She whimpered and he nodded with a chuckle.
"Lord Kuon, Lady Kyoko, you stand before these witnesses and the world today to rule in the future as one." He turned to Kazu and Saena. "Do you approve of this union?"
"Her mother and I do." Her father answered.
He turned to Kuu and Juliena. "Lord Kuu and Lady Juliena, Do you approve of this union?"
Kuu smiled brightly and Juli nodded wiping her tears. "His mother and I do."
The priest took a deep breath and stared out into the crowd. "Then by the power bestowed upon me, I present to you... The future King and Queen of New Asia."
And as it was indicated in the old texts, that Lory had casually set in front of Kuon one afternoon without a word, Kuon picked her up, flung her over his shoulder and carried her out of the arena with a satisfied smile on his face. After all, she was the one that wanted it this way, and he was more than happy to oblige.