Here we are at Chapter 26. The tournament is getting closer to its end, but will it end so swimmingly? I do not own Code Vein or Skeleton Knight. They belong to their respective owners. I only own my OCs. Here's chapter 26. Enjoy.
Chapter 26: Ready to Rumble!
Fuyumi and Iris continue to advance through the tournament, already having won their second matches in the finals. After finishing up her match, Fuyumi decides to find the others so see if they made any progress. They end up meeting back up at the inn they're staying at.
"So, have you guys found anything that could help us on our mission?" Fuyumi asks, petting Umi on her shoulder.
"Perhaps. I heard something on the street about covered cages being brought in to one corner of the city, near one of the smaller arenas. Unfortunately, I couldn't figure out exactly where they were being brought in. Just rumors and gossip from local taverns," Elane notes.
"No doubt they won't do anything near the main arena. Too many eyes. Now that the preliminaries are over, there's less attention on the smaller arenas, and less security. For those in the market for them, the smaller arenas might be a good place to conduct their business. Might be best to give that place a look around," Fuyumi thinks
"It'll be best for you to remain near the main arena. You're grabbing quite the attention. Think it'll draw some of these guys out?" Anelia asks.
"I hope so. The main reason I entered this tournament was to draw them out. I am bait for two reasons. One, I screwed with their operations so I'm a thorn in their side. Two, I'm sure that I'd fetch a high price on the slave market if they were to get their hands on me. I'm irresistible," Fuyumi notes, waving a hand through her hair.
"Um, are you sure that's something you should brag about?" Elane deadpans.
"Anyway, I think after my next match, we'll all go to check that area out and see what we can find. Any information we find and slaves we free will be a success for us," Fuyumi decides.
"Sounds like a plan. Or at least, an idea of a plan," Elane notes.
Just then, they hear a knock at the door. Elane quickly pulls her hood up to hide her ears. Anelia walks over and opens the door to find Iris on the other side.
"Um, can I help you?" Anelia greets her.
"Sorry for the intrusion, I was looking for a woman named Fuyumi," Iris says, only to spot said woman sitting on a bed behind her. "Fuyumi, good to see you again,"
"Hello, Iris. Always a pleasure," Fuyumi waves back.
"Fuyumi, you know her?" Anelia looks between the two.
"Iris, why don't you come on in. We can all introduce ourselves," Fuyumi offers.
"Okay, as long as I'm not intruding," Iris accepts the offer and comes inside, taking a chair to sit in.
"Okay, first let me introduce you. Everyone, this is Iris, a fellow competitor in the tournament. I met her when she helped me deal with some perverts that wouldn't take a hint. We've become fast friends since then," Fuyumi says.
"A pleasure to meet you all," Iris bows her head.
"Iris, this is my friend Elane, you've already met Umi, and this is Anelia, my fiancé," Fuyumi gestures to the rest.
The last one gets Iris's attention, "You're... fiancé?" her expression shows both surprise and... sadness?
"Yes, Anelia is my fiancé. I have no interest in men, to be clear," Fuyumi says.
"Also, to be clear, Anelia is her second fiancé. And it wouldn't be a shock if she added a few more to that list," Elane notes.
"I am not some womanizing pervert, Elane!" Fuyumi retorts.
This perks Iris up a bit, "Ah, yes, I remember that you're engaged to Lady Emilia Crystalglove. I've no issue with that sort of union. But, I was not aware that you were engaged to two women,"
"It hasn't made the rounds yet, but yes, I love both Emilia and Anelia equally. My love is not so small where I can only share it with one person," Fuyumi says almost dramatically.
"I... see," Iris is not quite sure what to make of that. "Does that mean there might be... no, no, there are more important things right now!" she shakes her head.
"So, with that out of the way, do what do we owe the pleasure of your company, Iris?" Fuyumi asks.
"Yes, I guess I just wanted to talk with you, and I wanted to ask... what do you want to get if you win the tournament? I already told you my reason, but I never exactly heard yours, so I'm curious," Iris asks. The girls look between each other, feeling unsure about what to say. "If it's something personal, then I understand if you don't want to share,"
"No, no, it isn't that, Iris, it's just..." Fuyumi trails off when an idea forms in her head. "Wait, I think we can trust Iris to help us on this. Plus, this was a mission given to me by the king himself. If Iris were to help us complete our mission, then maybe I could convince her father, or even his majesty to allow her to become a knight. It would be through her own efforts as well! Perfect!" Fuyumi smiles as a plan comes together. "Guys, I think we can trust Iris here. I think I'm a good judge of character, and Iris is a good person at heart. Besides, she may be able to help us,"
"Are you sure? I'd rather keep it between us," Elane isn't so sure.
"As long as you're okay with it, then I'll support you," Anelia takes Fuyumi's side, followed by Umi who caws in agreement with the later.
"Then it's decided," Fuyumi claps her hands together.
"What's decided?" Iris cocks her head.
So Fuyumi informs Iris of her mission, given to her by the royal family, and her reason for entering the tournament. It was quite a surprise for Iris to hear that such horrors were occurring within her own kingdom. Personally, she had no animosity for the elves or other races. She'd rather judge a person based on their actions. After explaining why Fuyumi entered the tournament and why they came to the city, Fuyumi asked Iris if she'd like to help with the investigation.
"Yes, I will help you. It would be dishonorable to turn and run away after hearing of your noble mission," Iris gave a determined answer.
"Okay, then now we have a new pair of eyes. And she's good in a fight. I've seen her in action. Okay, for now, the two of us will continue what we're doing when we have a fight, while Elane and Anelia continue on their end. When we have a chance, we go with them to the arena where the supposed slave trade activity is going on. If we can find something, anything, it may point us in the right direction," Fuyumi says.
"What if we find nothing?" Anelia asks.
"Then we just keep looking. We can get lucky only so often," Fuyumi shrugs her shoulders.
"What should I do in the meantime?" Iris asks.
"Well, I've got another match coming up, but you're good for the day, so you head with the others to checkout that one area. I'll be in the arena," Fuyumi says.
"Alright then, I'll meet you guys outside," Iris stands to leave, but Fuyumi escorts her out. "Listen, I will help you with your quest, but I want to remind you that I intend to win the tournament,"
"I would expect nothing less from you, Iris. I won't hold back either. I've never been a fan of losing," Fuyumi saunters up closer to Iris. "And I you do become a knight, I said I'd give you a reward. I hope you haven't forgotten," she smirks sultrily.
Iris blushes and looks away, "Please, no games with me, Fuyumi. I'll be waiting for the others outside," and Iris leaves.
Fuyumi giggles at her reaction before returning to the others.
…
Iris, Anelia, Umi, and Elane head out to their destination while Fuyumi heads to the main arena for her next match. Reaching the arena without much trouble, she realizes that if she wins this next match, then she and Iris will face off in the next match in the semi-finals of the tournament. For now, her focus is her next opponent.
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it's time for another main event massacre! These next two competitors have proven their skills so far in this tournament, but now they must prove who is stronger. In our first corner, we have a man of few words, but many actions. He's shown he's swift with a blade and even swifter with victory. Give it up for Bolt Voltex!" the fans cheer as a young man enters the ring.
The man carries dual single-edged blades on his hips, each with a bright gemstone on their hilts. He has unkempt black hair, and is wearing blade and yellow clothing with little armor on. He has green eyes and a very serious expression.
"And in the second corner, she's struck down all comers with her blade and her beauty. She's kept her cool even in the hottest of situations. Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for the beautiful Sword Maiden, Fuyumi Kusanagi!" the announcer calls out.
Fuyumi enters the arena, much to the crowd's joy if the cheers are anything to go on. She meets her opponent in the center of the arena.
"So, you've made it this far. You must be pretty good then," Fuyumi notes, hand to her hip.
"I am required to fight, so I fight. That is all," Bolt replies.
"Oh, no interest in the reward?" Fuyumi asks.
"I care not. Improving my skills is my goal," Bolt replies, drawing his swords.
"Well, I can't exactly argue with that. I've been hoping for a challenge lately," Fuyumi draws her sword.
"3...2...1...Begin!" and the match begins.
Bolt makes the first move, quickly getting in close on Fuyumi. He makes a strike with his right blade, but Fuyumi blocks with hers. He tries with his left, but Fuyumi leans back to narrowly dodge it. Bolt keeps the pressure on with a series of quick strikes, forcing Fuyumi on the defensive.
"He's fast. I see why they call him 'Bolt'. But, speed alone isn't enough to win, and I've got plenty of tricks up my sleeve," Fuyumi notes.
Just as Bolt makes another strike, Fuyumi casts Vanishing Hollow, dodging the attack by disappearing into mist. Bolt looks around to see Fuyumi appear from his side, making a strike at his body. Bolt blocks the strike with his left blade before countering with his right. Fuyumi disappears again and reappears nearby, smirking.
"Spirits of thunder, strike down my foes across my blade. Bolt blade!" Bolt's swords take on lightning across their edges before he goes back on the attack.
Fuyumi casts Lightning Weapon and Raijin's Veil, coating her own blade in lightning and increasing her resistance to the same element. The two fighters clash with their blade, sparks flying around them.
"You're not affected," Bolt notices.
"Neither are you. You must train very hard for that. Impressive," Fuyumi compliments him.
The two make a dance of steal and lightning as they move across the arena, parrying each other's strikes as they each try to find an opening. Each time Bolt thinks he's got an angle on her, she has something waiting for him. He combines his blades together at the pommels, forming a dual blade weapon. Twirling the weapon around, he and Fuyumi duke it out.
…
Meanwhile, Anelia, Iris, Elane, and Umi check out the smaller arena where the supposed slave trade is going on. When they arrive, it's just as they thought; few people are around. There are some guards around, but most security is at the main arena.
"Any idea exactly where the slave trade is going on here?" Iris asks.
"Unsure, but I'll bet my bow that it's somewhere in the shadows," Elane notes.
"Maybe we can follow the security here," Iris suggests, gaining her friends' attention. "Think about it. Slavery is illegal in this kingdom, but it might be happening here. One of the best ways for that to happen is if the slavers have someone working in the city aiding them,"
"You mean like Duke Androma?" Anelia asks.
"It may not have to be the duke. Someone that works for the administration here, or even corrupt security guards taming bribes. Even the duke can't keep track of everything that goes on in a city this big," Iris says.
"Then we follow any guards walking around that look suspicious," Elane takes the lead, keeping her hood up to cover her ears.
They keep out of sight as they move around the arena. Stands are few and most people are either inside their homes or at the main arena. As they do, they notice two guards separating from each other.
"I'm heading to the arena. See if I can catch a few matches before the day is done," one waves to the other.
"Just make sure not to drink too much and end up being late tomorrow, or the captain will have both our heads," his buddy waves back before leaving.
The one that spoke about the arena watches his friend leave before going is own way... around the smaller arena and in the opposite direction of the main arena. Nodding to each other, the girls follow him stealthily. He ends up coming around to one small building next to the arena and knocks five times on the door. The door opens a moment later and the guard heads inside. The girls can't see who let him in as the door closes. They reach the door and wait a few moments before trying the same pattern. As soon as the door opens, Iris busts in and knocks the door keeper to the ground, followed by an armored boot to the face to knock him out. They close the door and make sure the guard is tied and gagged to keep him out of the way. They look to see a stairwell leading further down, most likely to some underground room of sorts.
"Alright, let's see where this leads. Keep close and watch out for anything. I wouldn't be surprised if they had traps lying in wait for intruders," Elane says, readying her short-sword.
The others ready their weapons and proceed further down to their destination. The hall is lit by lanterns and soon enough, the stairs end to a hallway. They slowly move forward, coming to a fork in the path. Elane peers around to look both ways, finding one path closed off by some doors, and the guard they were following down another path towards another set of doors with two supposed guards in black cloaks. The guard speaks with them for a moment and pays them some coin before they open the doors and let him in. Some noise is heard in the background.
Elane turns back to the others, "That way. Two guards at the doors. I can hit them with my arrows, but we need to be fast and quiet. There may be more guards on the other side.
"I can help with that. Get your arrows ready," Anelia says. Elane knocks two arrows and pulls them back slightly. "Spirits of wind, grant me the speed of the air itself. Air splicer," Anelia mutters a chant and focuses currents of wind around Elane's arrows. "They'll fly faster when you fire them now. Hurry,"
Elane waits one moment and then aims around the corner to fire her two arrows. The arrows zoom through the air so fast the two guards don't react until they're imbedded deep in their necks Elane and Iris move swiftly to catch their falling bodies before they hit the floor and quietly place them down. After checking the bodies, the girls turn to the double doors before them. Elane squints through the lock hole to peek inside, seeing another hallway, but with several cells on the sides. She also spots the guard speaking with three more goons in cloaks.
"I only see four of them. Get ready," Elane warns them.
They wait three seconds before bursting through the door, with Elane firing off arrows and Anelia casting an air cutter. The surprise attack catches them off guard and quickly takes out two of the cloaked goons.
"What the hell?!" the guard freaks out.
"You were followed. Damn amateur," one cloaked figure curses before drawing a pair of daggers while the second draws a longsword.
"Spirits of wind, slice through my enemies. Air Cutter!" Anelia fires off another spell at their foes.
The two cloaked figures dodge it, but the guard gets hit on the leg, making him fall to the ground. Iris and Elane ready their blades and close in on the remaining two enemies. The one with the daggers makes a series of strikes at Iris, but she deftly dodges them all before making a clean swing through his chest, making blood spray from his wound as he falls to the ground. Meanwhile, Elane slices at her opponent's sword arm, making him drop his weapon before she finishes him off with a stab through his neck. Pulling her blade out, Elane watches disinterested as the body falls to the ground.
"Now then," Iris looms over the guard, aiming her sword at him. "What is going on here? I want the truth!"
"Y-You're not supposed to be here. They didn't say anything about this!" the guard cries.
While Iris is focused on the dirty guard, Anelia turns to one of the cells and gasps, "By the goddess,"
Inside are several young women in rags for clothes, all bound in chains. They check the other cells and find more women, and men, in the same condition.
"This isn't the place where they would keep prisoners or criminals. These are definitely slaves," Iris notes with disgust.
"But... there are no elves here. Where is the rest of my kin?" Elane wonders with worry.
"How long as this been going on?" Iris interrogates the guard.
"Hey, just take it easy. Look, how about we come to a deal? These slaves would fetch a good price. We could split the profits 50-50. Well, sound like a plan?" the guard pleads.
Iris thrusts her sword into the floor, right between his legs to freak him out, "Don't you dare presume to think that I'm a dishonorable piece of trash like you! I don't harm innocent people, and I damn sure don't help with enslaving them either. Now, how long has this operation been going on here and who else is involved in it? Answer me, now!" Iris yells.
"N-N-not long! Just me and a few of the other guards. If the duke found out, we'd be hanged for sure!" the guard spills his guts.
"Who is in charge here?!" Elane comes around and grabs the guard by his collar.
"I don't think you'll have to worry about that," they hear a new female voice and turn around to find a newcomer in a dark cloak. "After all, you won't live long enough to find out,"
Anelia freezes in place. She recognizes that voice.
"It's the woman we encountered in Ustia!" Anelia realizes.
The woman pulls out two spheres, making Anelia widen her eyes in horror. She's seen them before two. The woman presses the button on them and tosses them towards the girls.
"Run!" Elane yells.
...
During this time, back in the arena, Fuyumi continues her duel with Bolt. Fuyumi has to admit, he's skilled with his weapons. But, that just makes things better for Fuyumi. Someone to test herself against. The last time that happened was against the mysterious woman with the slavers. Bolt's strikes start to get a little faster; he's getting serious now. But, whenever he comes in at an opening, Fuyumi disappears again. Just as she disappears into mist again to dodge it, Fuyumi casts Countermeasure, causing several projectiles made of ichor, which look like pure energy to those watching the match, form and fire at Bolt. This takes him completely by surprise and he barely blocks three of the shots, but a fourth shot gets him in the left leg, nicking it. For a second, his stance stumbles, giving Fuyumi the chance to counterattack. She unleashes Circulating Pulse, a quick series of strikes with her blade. Bolt is fast enough to block three of them, but the fourth and fifth strike get his right arm and his left side. The strikes are somewhat shallow thanks to Bolt's reflexes, but the damage is still done.
The lightning fades on both of their weapons by this point, but Fuyumi is standing without a scratch while Bolt is hurt and his stance is off.
"If you wish to surrender now, I'll accept it," Fuyumi offers. Bolt grits his teeth, but shakes his head in reply. Fuyumi sighs, "Very well then. It was a good fight actually. Be proud of yourself and keep training," Fuyumi raises her hand into the air and casts Cloak of Winter.
The whole inner area of the arena, towards the edge of the arena wall, freezes near instantly. Even Bolt isn't fast enough to dodge this attack when it hits the whole area at once. All around Fuyumi, ice forms across anything her ability touches, including her opponent. The ice freezes Bolt's body all the way up to his neck. Fuyumi finishes it off with her blade aimed at his neck.
"So, care to surrender now?" Fuyumi asks, smiling.
Bolt, his teeth chattering from the cold, barely nods, "I-I-I-I surrender," he concedes the match.
"And it is all over! Fuyumi freezes the lightning-quick Bolt in his tracks, along with the whole arena. With that, Fuyumi is moving on to the semi-finals!" the announcer declares.
The crowd cheers while Fuyumi dies down the ice to free her opponent, "Not bad. Any faster and I might've been in trouble there," Fuyumi notes.
"I'll keep that in mind," Bolt replies curtly before exiting the arena.
Fuyumi shrugs her shoulders after watching him leave first. She gets ready to leave when suddenly an explosion occurs outside the arena. Following that, other explosions occur around the city and even a few within the stands of the arena itself.
Fuyumi looks around as the smoke rises, "Oh no..."
And that's the chapter. Fuyumi gets further in the tournament, and her friend find the hideout for the slavers, but things don't go quite according to plan. Now, chaos erupts around the city, with Fuyumi and her friends caught in the middle. Will Fuyumi save her friends and the city? Until then, please Read and Review.