Cocytus looked the human woman up and down, she was a dozen paces away, her entire body a patchwork quilt of bruises set against her alternating farmer's tan and pale skin. Her nose was broken and a few teeth littered the sands around her feet. They were so coated with sweat that sand clung to her skin like replacement shoes, her blonde hair touched with red stains. Her body rose and fell with heavy breaths, and what clothing she'd come with had seen far better days.
But?
The human peasant named Enri Emmott was still on her feet. Clenched in her sweaty hands which had two broken fingers was a practice sword meant to be twice the weight of a steel one of the same size. She had no chance. Even without his weapon, with even one finger and ninety percent of his strength removed, he had far more than he needed in order to end her if he wished.
But still she was on her feet.
"You. Have. A. Strong. Will." Cocytus praised her, "It. Is. Near. Dawn."
Enri spat blood into the sand and blinked back tears, "I'm protecting my sister. Of course I won't fall without a fight, Lord Cocytus."
"You. Will. Lose." He said.
"Until I do, she is here. Here she will be safe." Enri said, her body swayed back and forth as the giant insectoid took a long step closer to her.
"Nazarick. Does. Not. Tolerate. Waste." Cocytus repeated the phrase he'd given to her the night before.
It served as a motivation for Enri that carried her throughout the waning hours of the night and down to this very moment.
"If I- If I die, you will look after her?" Enri pled.
"Show. Me. Your. Resolve." Was his only answer.
Enri felt her body swaying harder, she thrust the tip of her wooden sword down into the sand, scattering blood stained granules around, Cocytus stopped and waited while she righted herself again. The wooden weapon wobbled a little, but inch by inch the tip was raised like a head to stare at the coming danger, daring Cocytus to come one step closer.
She bit her lip and drew blood, recalling everything she'd been taught in the last few hours. Not to mention the taunts of Lupusregina, who now waited with arms crossed in front of her chest while leaning against the arena wall. That smug smile on her face paired perfectly with the arrogance in her golden eyes.
'We are weak things, weak and small… even our strongest… but if I can do this?' Enri thought the question to herself, Lupusregina's promise rang in her ears, 'If you die out there, don't worry, I'll make sure little Nem-Nem gets to stay on as a maid, something tells me she'll be fun. Course, if'n you quit, well who needs the blood of quitters in Nazarick -su?'
Cocytus did nothing to disabuse her of the notion, and Lord Momonga had not come to watch…
From what depths of fury and frustration came her battlecry, even Enri didn't know. She arched her back and screamed in banshee-like defiance, and half staggered, half ran toward the monster. 'All I can do is trust that they will keep their word… and watch from whatever the other side is like.' She closed her eyes so she wouldn't see the finishing blow, but that did not change that she felt it.
Enri felt the pain in her head, and the sudden heaviness of her body as she slumped forward, but not the sand, save where it already stuck to her flesh. Instead she felt the icy touch of frozen insectoid hands as Cocytus caught her fast and held her erect. "She. Will. Die. If. She. Is. Not. Healed." Cocytus said, though Enri could no longer find the strength to open her eyes, nor even close her hands into angry fists…
The sword slipped from her grasp and fell silent into the sands at her feet, her arms hung limp, her body's great agony began to fade. 'He's not talking to me.'
"Aye, that's right. I guess she had it in'er after all. -su." Enri could hear the begrudging acknowledgement in the mocking maid, and wished for the strength to smile.
'Nemu will be alright. Nemu will be alright. Nemu will be alright. I'm not sad. That's what I wanted.' Enri told herself.
"Lupusregina." Cocytus said, and then Enri felt a steely hand press against her back.
"Aye, here we go. -su." Lupusregina's voice carried to Enri's ear, and a sudden warmth began to rush through the peasant woman's body.
"Good thing I'm amazing, or this might be hard. -su" Lupusregina laughed as her magic coursed over the limp peasant, the blood remained where it stained, but the bruises faded away, the teeth grew back in her mouth, the bones knit back into place and the labored breathing of someone with a punctured lung became hale, hearty, and deep again.
"She. Is. Not. Moving. Were. You. Too. Late?" Cocytus asked as the dead weight of the peasant remained unmoving in his arm.
"Nah, Lord Coctyus." Lupusregina said and tapped the hand against Enri's back, the warmth of life was very clearly present, "It's just she reached her limits today. -su. Humans like her can't go for days, she's gotta rest, that's all. I'd say she's passed out from exhaustion. All she needs is some rest and she'll be good to go again in no time."
"Then. Take. Her. To. Her. Room." Cocytus instructed.
"Aye, course, Lord Cocytus. -su." Lupusregina answered at once and when he tilted the peasant's body toward her, Lupusregina caught her with ease and then shifted and rocked her around so that Enri was now on the maid's back with her arms draped over the maid's chest. She discarded her first impulse, to simply drag the peasant by the foot, choosing to abide by Cocytus's implied orders.
"But what you wanna do with her, now that she's done all that? -su?" Lupusregina asked when she saw Cocytus crouch down and pick up the practice blade.
"I. Believe. She. Will. Make. A. Fine. Paladin. One. Day." Cocytus said, and Lupusregina let out a low, surprised whistle through puckered lips before turning it into a jaunty tune which she whistled up to the very moment she flopped Enri down into the bed of her temporary room.
The werewolf Queen put her hands on her hips and looked down at the sleeping human lying prone on her back. "You might be some fun after all, human. Sleep well. And when you wake up, you can apologize for making me carry you. -su." Lupusregina's tittering laughter trailed behind her as she left the sleeping woman to recover on her own.