「Shishima Chronicles Arc: Daiyoukai Spawns. 011 - A Snail Maiden's Heart!」
The red moon hung high overhead that night. A lone figure glided along grass, away from the kingdom, leaving a damp and reflective trail behind them. The silhouette encroached deep into the palace gardens, looking sorrowful while weaving their way to a wide pond. There they could peer into their own miserable reflection, revealing themself to be the snail daiyoukai Rasenkara. Tears fell from her tentacle-eyes, rippling the silver surface and disturbing the lilies.
"Being a youkai is surely the cruelest of fates… yes we may be inherently wicked and selfish, but then why must we hide our hearts? Why do we have them to begin with? Oh if I could just tear mine out and be done with it… as demons we don't even have anyone to pray to in our hour of need!" She then proceeded to sob loudly, her wailing audible through the trees. Any nocturnal youkai in the gardens could find her, but she was too overwhelmed to care. After some minutes she finally stopped and sniffled. "Oh, Unagi… from the bottom of my heart, I love you…"
The night was still, then a gentle breeze rustled the nearby leaves.
"Um, hello." A tiny voice caused Rasenkara to gasp.
"Who's there!?" She twisted her stretchable body this way and that.
"Down here, actually." The voice came from a human standing upon one of the lilies drifting along the pond.
A girl with honey-brown hair tied back in a short ponytail and bangs framing her face. She wore black clothes: a jacket, skirt and boots. Rasenkara's vision wasn't as good in the dark as youkai of other species. She leaned down and blinked those tentacle-eyes. In the soft ruby rays she could make out the human's face, winged eyeliner and frost-blue eyes. The figure was no bigger than a beetle. She gave a small wave and Rasenkara gasped, leaning back.
"What are you? Some kind of water nymph? Why are you so small!?"
"My name's Amira Hashiru. And I'm a human. As for why I'm so small, I don't know, but everything here seems really big."
"A mortal here!? It's impossible. It's unheard of. It's-"
"Yeah, very weird I bet. Anyway, you're the first giant I've actually tried talking to since I came here. I heard you crying over this Unagi and just wanted to-"
A tendril whipped at the lily and Rasenkara watched it sink below the surface. She stared and when hearing the same voice behind she twisted her head around.
"What a shame," Amira said while massaging her shoulder. She was standing amidst the grass; beside her rested a leaf equal in size to her body. "I was hoping you might help answer some questions-"
"In exchange for not spilling my secret, right?" Rasenkara furiously erupted, lashing another tendril but again Amira was gone, then somehow she was standing on a branch of the nearest tree so they were eye-level.
"What? No, I just want to figure out where I am and how I can get back home."
It was well-known among young youkai that the best answer to being blackmailed was to dig up blackmail on the other person as well. While defeating this small being in a duel would only be a mild humiliation, it would be a humiliation nonetheless and maybe, possibly, something Rasenkara could use against her. She reached into her shell and pulled out her deck of cards.
"I'll duel you, and if I win you have to keep quiet about what you heard!"
"You guys duel here?" Amira shook free of the revelation. "Fine. And if I win you have to tell me everything I want to know."
"Agreed!" A stone table appeared before the snail. Conversely, a tiny human-sized table appeared on the branch Amira was standing on.
When the shields appeared both sides were large but the opponents frowned when realising the setbacks caused by their different sizes: Neither player would be able to see the cards on the other's tabletop, only the creatures that were summoned.
Above Amira's tree a white portal howled, emanating energy from the abyss.
"Since I'm using Zeron, you get to start with six cards in your hand." Amira grinned.
"Did you say, Z-Zeron?" Rasenkara stuttered.
"So you've heard of it?"
"Of course I have! Zeron is the dragon of the abyss! He's the ultimate ruler of nothingness and the end!" The giant snail blubbered.
"It's just a trading card?"
"He's not just a card!"
"Hm… unless, maybe this is the creature world." Amira scratched her chin.
"How could you not know that you're in the Twilight Kingdom? Did you get amnesia?"
"No… let's just say coming here was a weird accident."
Xibir - Dimmu Borgir
Rasenkara drew her extra card. She may have been terrified at the prospect of facing Zeron, but a snail maiden had a duty to protect her own heart! She garnered as much courage as she could.
"Me first! I charge mana and turn end!" It was a light-water twinpact card.
Amira drew and her eyes widened. She couldn't imagine getting a better starting hand than this. It was almost perfect. She could see the next few turns unfolding before her and figured Zeron would come out in no time flat. She charged darkness and it tapped.
"I summon Gyasuka, the Malicious Madman!" A strange-bodied mutant crawled forth with skeletal limbs on 4000. "As per its effect… I must discard my hand." She dropped four cards: Dugenda Gig, Codename Dread Blood, The Lost Dark Armor and Bloody Cross. "Now as I end my turn I fulfill the Ceremony of Hands…" Winds began to howl and circle the portal above her. "This lets me Gacharange Summon so…" She turned over a card from a separate deck and another creature appeared: this one a floating amethyst rectangle orbited by three eyeballs. It was also 4000. "Perfect. This is Tei-Yonshiki Shinigami. Turn end."
"M-my move!" Rasenkara drew with a slimy tendril, adding the card to her hand. She already completed one of the ceremonies for Zeron on her first turn! She charged water, "Galaxyshield! I put Aegis of Stream onto my shields and freeze Gyasuka from attacking next turn!" A shield-shaped mecha unfolded mechanical wings, attaching itself to one of her panels. "E-end!"
"Team Ginga, right?"
"Yes!"
"My turn, and I'm afraid it's all over for you… First I send one of my shields to the graveyard to revive The Lost Dark Armor!" As a panel dissolved a jagged blue-caped warrior sprang into play. "This fulfills the Ceremony of Resurrection and I mill two." A purple sarcophagus rose behind Amira's left, smoke wafting up in streams. Spiner Shock Doctor and Dugenda Gig dropped into her graveyard. "Next I destroy The Lost Dark Armor and my Tei-Yonshiki Shinigami to revive Codename Dread Blood!" A zombie dragon on 9000 emerged with a mane of snakes around its skull head, giving a grizzly snarl. "First I will activate Shinigami's effect and mill two," she dropped Ragnarok the Clock and Hayabusamaru into her graveyard. "This totals to eight and fulfills the Ceremony of Graveyard!" Shadows began to circle the giant portal above and Amira couldn't help grinning as the power intoxicated her. "Then of course, since three creatures have been destroyed this completes the final ceremony, the Ceremony of Destruction! Zeron is born!"
When the matching purple sarcophagus raised on her right there was a blinding flash along with the sound of a door unlocking. When Rasenkara blinked her beady eyes up it was at the monstrous Zeron looming down at her. A pale unholy beast with many red eyes, teeth and horns.
Amira leaned back and raised her arms, "who needs a chosen phoenix when you have this!"
"She birthed Zeron… on her second turn and with just one mana…" The snail hid inside her shell, only her tentacle-eyes peeping out.
Amira savoured the power with a breath. "Now… since I haven't even drawn yet, I'll do so." She picked up a card and charged it. With Gyasuka frozen her only creature that could attack was Zeron. Well, no reason to rush. Amira wanted to familiarize herself more with her new finisher's power, especially since she saw no way she could lose. She decided she'd save all her attacking for one hit. "I end."
Dimmu Borgir - Dimmu Borgir Orchestral Version
Rasenkara stared for several seconds before snapping out of it. She slinked out, a tendril slithering to her deck and drawing "Well first… I move out Aegis of Stream and this time I freeze… Zeron from attacking next turn!" There was a flash of blue and Amira frowned.
"Saved yourself another turn. Good for you."
"I cast Kenzan Charger! My top card is… Purelove Crimson." It wasn't a blocker so it had to go to the bottom of her deck. Rasenkara drooped and Amira started laughing. "T-turn end."
Amira drew and charged the card, "turn end."
"I summon Blazing Armstrong!" A muscular robot appeared in white and gold, looking like a Roman soldier. It was a blocker with cannons protruding from its shoulders. "I gain a shield. And now, whenever I gain a shield I can freeze one of your creatures from attacking for a turn. I choose Zeron!"
Amira's smile was gone. She looked up at her stationary giant before drawing her only card then charging it as her fourth mana. "Turn end."
"No charge! I use Galaxyshield twice! Nevergiveup Ring and another Aegis of Stream to freeze Zeron yet again!" An angel warrior sculpture and that blue winged shield appeared by her panels. Blue flashed once more like a freezing photograph. "Turn end."
"No charge. I cast Bone Dance Charger and mill two." Amira wanted another creature she could sacrifice for, but she discarded Bloody Cross and Spiner instead. Frustrated, she decided she was sick of waiting, "Codename, double break!" She pointed at the Galaxyshields and when her zombie dragon clawed through them Amira blinked in surprise.
"No triggers." Rasenkara reported.
Amira thought her opponent would block. All she'd done was give her back that Aegis of Stream so she could use it all over again. Amira clenched her fists. Since when was she reckless? Never. Amira had always been careful and always safe. But with her newfound ability to teleport at a whim, came a dangerous sense of invincibility. She hung her head. With the power of Zeron emanating behind her she'd not lost confidence in her win, but did accept it wasn't going to be achieved without a fight.
"If I'd only attacked with Zeron the first damn time… I end."
"How could someone entrusted with the legendary Zeron not know how to use him properly? Shouldn't you have charged more mana before throwing away your hand, and then destroyed all my creatures after summoning Zeron anyway?"
"Yes, well…" Amira struggled. "This is only my first time using him in a proper duel so…"
"Then lucky me!" She charged her sixth mana. "Now triple Galaxyshield! I put Nevergiveup Ring, Hope from Sunset and Aegis of Flow on my shields, freezing Zeron still!" A gold, white and blue mecha swordsman joined the two shield creatures from last turn. "I end."
Amira drew Codename Dread Blood and decided to keep it. If she could only get this in her graveyard she could sacrifice Gyasuka and Zeron to summon it, since Zeron could never leave the field so long as its power stayed at zero.
"Codename, attack the Hope and Ring shields!"
"Aegis of Flow blocks!" Her first blocker flew into the dragon's claw and exploded. Since Blazing Armstrong was also a blocker and stronger than Gyasuka, Amira had to end her turn there. Rasenkara drew, "My three creatures emerge and Zeron stays frozen. I summon a second Blazing Armstrong, regain a shield and then freeze both Codename and Gyasuka from attacking next turn as well."
Amira gulped. While almost all her opponent's creatures were blockers they could still attack.
Rasenkara's sluggish head stretched up, "Nevergiveup Ring attacks a shield!" The statue angel swerved forth and slashed a panel.
"Shield trigger! Ragnarok the Clock!" The cybernetic wizard weaved his hands and the clock behind him tolled loudly, ending the turn.
Amira hastily drew, "I cast Bone Dance Charger!" She milled Lapis Lazuli and Dugenda Gig, cursing as she ended her turn.
"I cast Final Stop!" The spell shone yellow in her tendril. "I draw and now you cannot play spells until your next turn." Then she turned over the card she drew "also, Galaxyshield! Another Aegis of Stream keeps Zeron frozen just in case."
"He's been frozen all game…" Amira looked up with disbelief and sadness.
"Nevergiveup Ring, attack her shield!" A tendril nudged the card sideways. Her warrior slashed through another trigger, but Team Tech's Wave Go! was useless to Amira now. "Aegis of Stream, go, attack her shield!" The other creature flew through a panel and luckily this next shield trigger was a creature.
"Spiner Shock Doctor!" The dark physician zapped electric prongs together. "I can use his -3000 ability three times! Twice to destroy a Blazing Armstrong and once to destroy Nevergiveup Ring!" It leapt and fired most of its volts into the robotic knight, then sprang away to electrocute her statue.
"When Nevergiveup Ring is destroyed it becomes a face-up shield! This triggers my second Blazing Armstrong's effect and now your Codename Dread Blood also can't attack next turn!" At those words Amira was speechless, she simply didn't know enough about the effects of Team Ginga cards. Rasenkara's tendril flexed, "Hope from Sunset breaks your final shield!" Glass flew, no trigger. "Now Blazing Armstrong, todomeda!" As that knight launched and aimed a punch at the miniscule Amira, her eyes widened before she combusted into black. That fist snapped the branch she'd been standing on then the creatures faded.
Rasenkara slouched her gelatinous body, similar to sitting "Thank goodness… I won. But it doesn't matter… I'm still going to be ruined." Yes, once her angry impulse was satisfied she realised the human wouldn't care about losing, since she had no reputation to tarnish in an alien kingdom. Rasenkara started weeping once more.
Amira straightened up in the grass once she finished picking up her scattered deck, "phew… good to know. So my new powers mean I can lose duels without a scratch? Useful." She noticed the giant snail shaking with sobs again. "Um… why are you crying?"
"Because… now everyone… will know my secret!" She blubbered.
"Hey… I lost, didn't I? A deal's a deal. I promise I won't tell anyone."
"You're lying…"
"Why would I lie?"
"Because! You have no reason not to!"
"How about not being a shitty person, does that count?" Amira watched as the snail stopped crying and sniffled. "Look, I might not be the most dependable person, but I won't go out of my way to hurt somebody for no reason."
"...I don't understand. If you're not going to blackmail me, why won't you expose me and watch me fall apart?"
"Because I don't care about you!" Amira yelled. "I don't know who you are! I just want to know how I can get back home!"
Sniffle, "Mortals are stranger than I thought…"
They heard a distant call and Rasenkara stiffened, "Someone's coming! Quick! Hide inside my shell!" A tendril slithered over to Amira who jumped back. "Mortals would be hunted on sight! You must!" After quick consideration Amira reluctantly climbed onto the squishy surface. It wrapped around gently and she was tucked under the gap into her shell. It was dark and Amira was placed on a flat ridge where she could sit down. A moment later Rasenkara's deck was placed beside her, the stack of cards almost matching Amira in height. She could hear conversation outside.
"Forgive me," the gardener gave a submissive bow to the daiyoukai.
"You're… Nekohana, right?"
The purple lioness was mixed-breed with flowers in her mane. It wasn't just her unusual appearance that enabled Rasenkara to recognize her, but a series of cruel rumours she'd happened to hear about the night-time gardener servant. She often looked beaten and there was talk her soldier father abused her. Rasenkara supposed it wasn't all that uncommon among the lower-class youkai. They were roughly the same age.
"Yes, I am her." There was an edge of wariness in Nekohana's voice as she straightened. If she was known by name then an upperclassman could easily start trouble for her if they wanted. Nekohana went on to explain, "I heard the sounds of a duel and saw a huge creature over here. I just wanted to make sure the plants weren't harmed." The broken tree branch caught her eye, she stepped over and fitted it back, then it was fixed as if it'd never been broken. Nekohana smiled at the tree like it was a dear friend.
"I must be going now." Rasenkara glided off, dewing the grass behind her.
Any other daiyoukai her age would've lorded their class over the servant for a bit, and probably made a show of indignancy over being disturbed. But Rasenkara was never good at doing that. She should enjoy her superiority and take advantage of others, but truthfully she would much rather leave everyone else alone and get the same treatment in return. She was Hyouma's friend/underling along with Senhari only because it was social convention for a noble to want to elevate their status. And also there was utility in alliances as most loners were good targets for underhanded schemes. Thinking of her friends made her realise where she should go next. Reaching back into her shell she felt around for her enchanted earrings - they'd all started wearing them most of the time.
Amira was leaning against the shell's smooth insides, "...Nekohana? Where have I heard that name before…?"
。
"What was so important that it had to interrupt my croquet practice?" Senhari was let into the kitchen by the guards. She rested her little mallet against the wall before trudging over to the back corner.
It was at Yoruma's - Hyouma's father's place - where they usually hung out. He had the nicest home and as the leader it was expected for Hyouma to host for them. Since Hyouma had started teaching herself how to bake pastries the kitchen was where they spent time lately. The room was white, a mixture of marble and quartz with three rows of smooth benches. Each had drawers full of different utensils and ingredients for countless dishes that may be requested. Being a particular man, Hyouma's father didn't like to have the same meal twice in one decade.
"Relax, obviously whatever it is must be big news." Hyouma was delighted, her tail flicking while expecting gossip.
Behind her the cupboard door was ajar and on the bottom shelf sat the stolen Scientiae Bonietmali plant. Hyouma didn't know how long it would last in there without light from outside, but it was a magical and mysterious plant, and showed no signs of death yet. There were still plenty of purple berries for her. If the cooks found it they'd known to keep their mouths shut. Stretching back she closed the cupboard with her hindleg.
"I don't think either of you realise how competitive croquet is among the daiyoukai," Senhari continued to pout as she sat into a prickly ball. "The junior team only needs eleven more games before we qualify for the century cup!"
"And I had a piano lesson, but if Rasenkara is willing to-"
"P-please listen to me!" The snail interrupted her friends who looked at her. "What I have to show you is very strange…" The two blinked. A tendril extended and looped around under her shell. She then placed it on the nearest countertop. "While I was in the palace gardens I found…" She retracted her tendril so they could see "...a mortal."
The other two crawled over, their faces moving to the edge. Amira blinked up at the giant panther and echidna that were peering down with demonic eyes full of curiosity and surprise.
"...I actually thought that maybe humans were make-believe." Senhari stated. "Tiny little people that fuel the spirit realm with belief? Yeah right."
"Well as you can see, this one is real." Rasenkara slid over and all three were staring down at her. Amira crossed her arms defiantly.
"We should take her to the queen." Hyouma said. "A human in our world might be very serious."
"B-but… they'd probably hurt her… and also-"
"She has a unique smell. Someone might find her, and we'll get in trouble for keeping this a secret. We have to report her." Hyouma decided. "Oi, do you talk?"
"Of course I talk, you giant hairball." Amira said.
"How dare you!" Senhari rushed to the defense of her leader. "Hyouma is among the highest of noble statures in the kingdom!"
The black panther didn't respond, she merely hovered her hand above then swatted the counter "...there. Should teach the human some manners." When she lifted her hand Amira was gone.
"I think you did it too hard…" Senhari said but when they heard a tiny throat clearing the youkai turned around. There on the silver cooker Amira watched them with arms still crossed, she raised an eyebrow.
"It seems she can transport herself without the need of a portal." Rasenkara explained. "Isn't that so, Amira?"
"Amira…" Hyouma peered close again. "How did you end up in the Twilight Kingdom?"
"It was a lousy mistake…" She sat down on the edge, her legs hanging over what was for her, an enormous cliff-drop to the kitchen floor. The young daiyoukai trio sat and listened curiously as Amira began her tale.
One month prior…
Amira had knelt down and sworn off all loyalty to her planet Aurellia, the guardian phoenixes and her role as a chosen. The shadowy figure looming above her was none other than Gatekeeper Pluto, raising a dainty finger, the tip of which burned with black fire. Standing back and watching, Urobach was in his military uniform and saying nothing. When that finger pressed her forehead Amira felt immense power rush to fill her being. She was engulfed by tall black flames and her back arced as she made gasping noises at the endless purple space above. Pluto's silk kimono and onyx earrings blew then as the blackness receded he smiled.
"Even for a General from our colony, she's a gifted conduit for Gatekeeper power…"
And that statement was found to be true. Amira was a natural who took to teleportation with no problem at all. She went from lame chosen of a doomed world and always on the run, to a bigshot with extraterrestrial magic. Where once she'd been shy and overly concerned with her safety, now she could literally be anywhere with just a thought. Untouchable, out of everyone's reach. She should've known she wasn't invincible, and yet for an ordinary person to have this kind of power, it made her feel like a god. Her ego bloated. Try as she might to keep a proper perspective, she did feel invincible.
Within a week Amira had changed her style of clothes, exuding confidence instead of hiding inward. Urobach was showing her a photo of nearby space on his monitors, just above the stratosphere. It looked like a clear smudge or camera flare.
"This is the vortex me and the lieutenants came through when we arrived at your planet." Urobach explained. "It's probably connected to related timelines, meaning someone with skills like yours could potentially find us more worlds if you peered in."
"How does that work?" Amira leaned back on her chair, lifting and crossing her legs but Urobach pushed her boots off his table. She sighed and sat up.
"Transporting through space with Gatekeeper power is limited to individual dimensions. But being in a higher-dimensional space, like where vortexes connect alternate timelines, you might be able to sense out other worlds for us. It's beyond my capabilities, but I've never seen anyone take to these powers as fast as you, so it's worth a shot."
And so later Amira was suited up, a cord attaching her to a government space-pod. She could teleport it with her easily and even as she appeared floating in the silence of space there was no fear. She always knew the moment something went wrong she could vanish and reappear somewhere safe. As she drifted she took a moment to gaze at her vast planet, a sight that made her eyes glisten in awe, but then she returned her attention to the weird mirage ahead. Amira used gas canisters to propel herself forward, the tether elongating and prepared to pull her back if needed. As she passed through space looked broken up, like glass fragments or a kaleidoscope.
There were no stars. Then Amira's mind couldn't comprehend what it was seeing through her helmet. Her human brain was stop-starting, trying to make sense of the data it was presented with but unable to assimilate surroundings that looked nonsensical. It couldn't compare to anything she knew or had evolved to know, only familiar with space in its regular three dimensions. So she closed her eyes to block it out, and tried to sense with her newfound powers. That's when everything went wrong.
She started racing by at what felt like the speed of light. Her tether was gone. Her suit was tearing and dissolving. She panicked, unable to teleport herself back. She tried to think of grass, of trees, of mountains. Take me back to Aurellia! Take me home! But instead she was sucked backwards into a rabbithole. No place like home.
Amira found herself lying in a giant landscape. The grass, leaves and trees were all a hundred times bigger than normal. She pulled off her helmet and looked around, panting. This wasn't just some alternate timeline. This was completely different.
"Fuck..."
Weeks went by. Amira could still teleport herself around, thankfully, but like Urobach had said the power was limited to individual universes. She could no longer wish herself back home. She considered trying to connect with the Gatekeepers through their link but knew right away it was a bad idea. If she reached out those deities would likely eat this world and her along with it. So she had no choice but to wander aimlessly…
She survived off sweet-smelling fruit in trees, which while abundant there were still many dangers that took many forms. What seemed to be ghosts filled the rivers, one even approached her on a spooky vessel, calling out and terrifying her enough to teleport away. She'd been dragged under once while bathing. She'd also been swooped and grabbed by bugs, recalling one monstrous dragonfly that'd pounced on her with long prickly legs before she teleported out of reach the next instant. The first time she saw truly giant beings she hid but was amazed to see them move… intelligently. Then even more amazed to see them talking to each other. She peered up from under a flower with petals larger than her head. The bipedal wolf could've easily been a hundred metres tall. So perhaps this strange and terrible world was some kind of mix between a regular one and the Duel Masters creature world? It would explain the ghosts and giants and sentient beast folk.
In the end Amira would follow the travelers back to the Twilight Kingdom's palace. She investigated cautiously. It didn't seem possible to return home, but as time had gone by Amira found herself growing increasingly sick of the dangers and missing the comforts of human society. It wasn't until she saw a giant snail crying about a broken heart by a garden pond - such a vulnerable, human thing - that she would decide to show herself and make contact. If there was some kind of magic that might allow her to return home then it was worth a try.
When Amira finished telling her story she looked down at the three listening giants.
"Amazing," Senhari admitted, her spikes quivering.
"Wow…" Rasenkara's small mouth formed a little circle.
Hyouma rubbed her chin thoughtfully "...so even if we handed you over you'd just teleport away. And if another youkai was ever near you could teleport someplace safe, and come back later." Her eyes widened and a feline smile formed "Girls… I just got a great idea. This mortal here can be our spy."
"Pardon?" Amira said.
"Oh yeah!" Senhari spoke excitedly. "Think of it, she can teleport anywhere in an instant! All we'd have to do is disguise her scent and she could sneak anywhere and nobody would notice her! So who should we get her to spy on first? That slippery eel, Unagi? Or make sure your new enemy Hikumi isn't plotting anything?"
"The Prince."
"The Prince!?" Both Senhari and Rasenkara shouted then covered their mouths.
"It's just like with Queen Koushishi." Hyouma explained. "I can't afford to be wasting my time with smaller issues. My ultimate goal is to secure the prince's hand in marriage and rule beside him as queen one day. Well Prince Shishima spends all his time fighting the war for Purgatory alongside his father the King, he only comes back to the palace for a little while and then leaves again for several months. Everyone who speaks with Prince Shishima says he's cold and aloof. He has no friends and keeps to himself."
"How strange…" Rasenkara murmured. Amira was whipping her head between them, annoyed at being ignored. "Even with our demon heritage, most youkai aren't total loners. That would get very boring over a few hundred years…"
"In all this time nobody at the palace has succeeded in befriending him. So how could I expect to just walk up and it be any different? No… I've watched Shishima at every event, every big dinner or theatre show I could. He's only ever treated others coldly, with the exception of his father and mentor. Well getting to Shishima through the king would be even harder, and Fukurokuju's near-omniscience makes it impossible to fool him. So I need our new little friend to watch the prince and report back to me everything she sees."
"Ingenious, Hyouma!" Senhari praised.
"Yes, that is very smart." Rasenkara joined in sucking up to their leader.
"Maybe there's something there… a hobby, a passion or better - a secret I could use to get close to him. That's when I'll make my move." Hyouma went back to scratching her chin. Then she closed her eyes and spoke wistfully, as if she were deep in thought "First impressions can be the most important. My parents taught me that. Shishima probably knows I'm among his closest relatives, and if he's anything like his mother he must be sharp enough to know that I want to marry him for the throne. But in all my life I never once approached him. I knew he'd expect me to, so I wanted to rouse his curiosity by staying away until he came to me instead. Then much like the prince himself, I planned to be courteous but distant, like someone also secretive and leave his company as fast as I could politely do so…"
As she spoke softly her consorts leaned in closer "I'm sure that by intentionally keeping my distance, I've made him curious. I'm sure he must wonder about me. But alas, in all his life he's never approached me either. And since he occupies his time killing angels and learning to be king someday, he has much less time to wonder about me. Anyway… I will not approach Shishima and break the air of mystery I cultivated around myself until I have a proper plan. Like with Koushishi, I have to fascinate him further."
"Yeah sorry to interrupt your royal strategy meeting…" Amira stood. "As weird and interesting as it is, but I have no interest in being your spy."
"Yes, you will." Hyouma said assuredly.
"No, I won't. You said this Shishima comes back to the palace once every several months? Well my home planet might already be destroyed by then. And even if I'm small enough to hide it's still dangerous. What if someone steps on me before I see them!?"
"You have no choice. We're nobles with access to most vaults of magical knowledge in the kingdom, and even the places we can't go we're more likely able to sneak into." Hyouma explained calmly.
"We've sneaked into lots of places," Senhari added with a wink. "Don't worry about it."
"Well yes I am worried!" Amira raised her voice. "And I do have another choice! This place is full of youkai and I could go to anyone else!"
"We'd report you to the royal guard, then nobody else would risk not reporting you either." Hyouma threatened.
"Then I'll tell them your scheme to woo the prince and that you wanted to use me as a spy!" Amira threatened back.
"I could come up with excuses to fix that." Hyouma acted unbothered, turning her head. "But in your case, the sealing corps would use magic to trace and bind you so you couldn't escape. Then the Queen would torture you for information, and once you served no other purpose, she'd cook you up and eat you."
Amira narrowed her eyes at the smug daiyoukai. She waited to see who was going to fold on their bluff first. Hyouma wasn't budging.
"Fine… but I want proof that you have a way to send me home! That means that until Shishima returns to the palace I want to see you all figuring out a magical spell to get me back. Deal?"
Hyouma faced Amira again and a smirk etched its way along her mouth. She reached over, carefully lowering the claw of her pinkie, and Amira reached up to grab it in a gesture of promise.
"Deal."
⟨author's note⟩
Wow even longer... I guess I should've named this chapter something to do with Amira's entry into the arc, but I couldn't pass up on "Snail Maiden's Heart" xD To think I actually wrote a chapter with that title xD
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