A few terminology notes going forward- the 'inorganic voices' that announce things tournament related will be referred to as Announcers, and the scrying mirrors that let you watch the matches from anywhere will be called Screens.
Mostly to make scenes a little clearer going forth, and also a small nod to how there's some modern sensibilities woven into the format of the Queen's Blade, given its similarities to a global sport broadcast.
Site is still a mess, so if the update is hard to access at first or I'm slow to reply to reviews, that's the reason.
Yuuji had been working for Menace for just shy of two weeks.
Though Claudette was still imprisoned in the basement, she wasn't bound and imprisoned because 'it would be a shame for those lovely muscles to atrophy from lack of use', or so the Princess said. Claudette did have nice muscles (along with nice everything else), so he respected that particular usage of the royal wisdom.
Claudette was still wearing bandages, though.
… Mostly because her current wardrobe selection was limited to bandages or birthday suit. Not the same set of bandages thankfully, and it hadn't stopped being funny bringing Claudette a 'new outfit' everyday.
Normally Yuuji would at least offer his shirt, but he hadn't even seen a shirt since he'd been there, let alone one of his.
In fact, bandages were arguably the most common style of clothing, given that's what the other servants wore.
Turned out that mummies did in fact walk the face of Gainos, they were just a little different than any of the ones in Earthly media Yuuji was familiar with.
To start with, there were no actual corpses involved. A mummy took on the appearance of an invariably buxom woman, tightly wrapped from head to toe in pristine bandages. With the facial features wholly concealed, yet the outfit going so far as to leave the mummy's breasts individually wrapped, to Yuuji, it kind of resembled a primitive bondage suit.
Except that glimpses through the occasional gap in the bandages revealed that the mummy was just bandages- there was no body underneath.
According to Setra, they were the lingering souls of servants that had awoken from their 'desire to be of service to their Princess once more' that Menace had then bound to an object.
When Yuuji asked what the difference between a walking mummy and a floating party favor was, Setra had loudly declared that it was the difference between 'a child's scrawling in the mud and the masterpiece of a once-a-millennia artisan'.
So basically no difference aside from which was quieter and more fun to look at.
Also, the mummies made food and Setra did not, so the floating party favor clearly didn't understand which side of the comparison applied to him.
Putting the other residents of the pyramid aside… oh, not dodging there would be a good point to end off on.
Letting a long bare leg sweep his ankles out from underneath him, Yuuji calmly broke his fall, landing flat on his back. Moving with swift surety, his attractive and nearly naked sparring partner pinned his arms beneath her legs, smiling down at him.
"An impressive effort my servant," Menace praised. "You managed to make me exert myself somewhat."
Yuuji throwing fights to make his boss happy aside, Menace actually was pretty good at unarmed fighting. 'Amara-Style Hand to Hand Combat' was a grapple-favoring martial art that was often showy but rarely impractical- kind of like if pro-wrestling was unscripted and no-holds-barred.
Even easier to take seriously when you were like Yuuji, and had once watched Danny kill an enemy soldier with a DDT.
"Indeed, I believe a reward for your performance is in order." So saying, Menace nimbly spun herself around on his chest so that she was facing his feet. Her head went down as her butt pushed back, closer towards his face.
Yuuji, having had ample time to have learned what she meant by 'reward', didn't outwardly react as the short kilt he was wearing was pulled down, instead lifting his hands to push aside the blue and white striped panties that were presented before him.
Soft lips planted a dainty kiss on the tip of his shaft, so Yuuji obligingly reciprocated by flicking his tongue lightly against Menace's exposed slit. The sigh of appreciation against his wet skin was felt rather than heard, and assumedly the Princess was feeling extra energetic given that she wasted no time at all in deepthroating him.
It wasn't the first time a grappling session had devolved into a 69 session, or rather, basically every grappling session ended in some kind of sexual activity.
But far be it from him to complain that his current employer was hot and horny.
He didn't even mind that she seemed to take a little bit of his mana in the process- not like it was a permanent loss, more like sex took a little bit more exertion than usual, and Menace seemed a little perkier for a bit afterwards.
It didn't harm him, and it seemed to help Menace, so Yuuji had decided that it was fine for the time being. Seemed like Menace was being careful about the whole thing anyways, maybe because sessions tended to be short when the 'drain' occurred.
Following his employer's preferences, Yuuji patiently ate her out to match her timing and make sure their finish was mutual.
Magic, possibly cursed pyramids weren't a bad place to work, let the record state.
The mainland was a strange place.
A strange, violent place- one day herself and Shizuka had been chased down a mountain by a herd of aurochs, and had been forced to ride the beasts to safety to survive (Tomoe kept it to herself that she had actually somewhat enjoyed that, unaware Shizuka had seen through her). Then, not even a day later, they'd been assaulted by a roving warband of lesser oni, or orcs as the mainland called them, though that had arguably been a fortuitous encounter for them.
After all, the yokai they'd slain had been following the road towards the settlement Tomoe and Shizuka had stayed at the night before, allowing the two to repay the villager's kindness in a way that would hopefully never be revealed.
At least the first group of bandits had been thoughtful enough to give them a full two days without conflict, before attempting to raid their camp in the dead of night.
Not that it had mattered much, as the only thing more foolish than attempting to catch a warrior priestess defenseless, was attempting to catch a warrior priestess defenseless when she was traveling with a kunoichi. Shizuka had been a bit too cavalier about the affair for her tastes, yet there was no denying that the bandit's ill-gotten gains were a welcome bolster to their travel funds.
And then came the first battle of the Queen's Blade Tournament, which held the tiger's share of the mainland's oddity in Tomoe's eyes.
One of the contestants had been a woman that even she had heard of- the Lord of Thundercloud, General Claudette Vance. One of the most formidable foes Tomoe would need to overcome should she wish to be victorious.
The other was Kazami Yuuji.
… Tomoe was still processing that one- putting aside how one of her countrymen, of significant enough lineage to possess a family name, was competing in the Queen's Blade without her knowledge, Kazami was a man.
And what did Shizuka mean when she said 'she wouldn't mind checking, just to be sure'!?
… Ever since the battle had ended with both fighters plunging into the river below, Tomoe had prayed nightly that whatever spirits were listening would look kindly upon that mysterious young man.
Enigma though he was, potential obstacle though he may have very well been, she did not wish him ill.
Quite the reverse, if she was being honest.
Though her glimpse of his eyes had been ever so brief, Tomoe's own eyes saw more than most.
A man so young must have suffered much to have eyes that reflected no light.
Just as much if not more than her faithful friend, her only source of comfort and companionship in-
"Sooo Lady Tomoe, do you want the good news or the bad news?" Shizuka came to a sudden stop, looking back at her with a cramped smile.
"... Shizuka-san?" as a strange sound caught her attention, Tomoe's hand found the hilt of her blade.
"Well, good news is, we're lost!"
"H-how is that good news!?"
"Cuz the bad news is… that?" Shizuka pointed with her finger just as 'that' crested the rise, coming to a halt to leer down at them with many beady eyes.
"I-is that a tsuchigumo!?" Tomoe exclaimed, Kushinawa leaping from its sheath as she took in the sight of the monstrous creature. It somewhat resembled an enormous spider, being equal in size to a small wagon, but its frontmost limbs were akin to the clacking pincers of a crab, and a powerful tail with a stinger like a bulbous spear arched high up over its back, ready to strike.
"I think that's a giant scorpion, Lady Tomoe," Shizuka cheerfully explained as they backed away slowly from the worryingly motionless creature. Hinomoto didn't have scorpions, much less giant ones, and it was kind of gross to look at, so it wasn't all that surprising Lady Tomoe would mistake it for some kind of yokai.
"Don't know why it wandered out of the desert we've been going around on purpose," Shizuka shrugged, "meh, maybe it was just hungry? Speaking of hungry, what do you say we have lunch after this, Lady Tomoe? Assuming we live and all that."
"Is this really the time to be joking?" Tomoe hissed, eyes never leaving the scorpion.
"Huh? No, I really am hungry, no jokes about it." Shizuka replied while palming a few smoke pellets. The scorpion came charging down the rise, pointed limbs making a horrible din as they scraped across sandstone.
Shizuka hurled the smoke pellets in its face the moment it hit flat ground, and the two women cartwheeled in different directions as the scorpion kept on coming, barrelling through the smoke with pincers snapping.
Rather than wheel, the scorpion skittered sideways without just as much speed as its earlier charge, a heavy sweep of its pincer rotating it to face Tomoe as the miko hopped lightly away.
Shizuka grimaced as that put its stinger in line to plunge down at Tomoe from above, but a quick parry from Tomoe diverted the stabbing point just in time. Smoothly flowing from defense to attack, Tomoe sliced at the scorpion's tail, biting deeply into one of the joints before leaping back once more to avoid a one-two snap of the scorpion's pincers.
Before the scorpion could chase her, a flash came in from the side, the chain of Shizuka's kusarigama wrapping around the tail of the scorpion to make the hurled sickle bite into the damaged joint.
The scorpion flailed its suddenly bound tail, and Shizuka naturally threw her weight in the exact opposite direction, letting her opponent share the work of severing the stinger from its body.
With the scorpion deprived of one its most worrisome weapons, Tomoe took immediate advantage. Inhaling smoothly and deeply as she channeled ki into her legs, Tomoe released that energy with a sharp cry and an explosive leap, easily clearing snapping pincers to come down on her foe from above.
Spinning smoothly as she descended to match the scorpion's facing, Tomoe saddled the overgrown arthropod, seating herself just behind its head.
In the same motion, her sword, gripped with both hands in reverse, came down point first, piercing neatly into one of the larger, central eyes.
All of its limbs jittered as one before the scorpion slumped twitching to the ground.
Rising from the corpse with a soft sigh, Tomoe flicked her blade clean with a sideways swing before sheathing it, turning to find Shizuka giving her a thumbs up.
Tapping a finger to her chin, Tomoe's demeanor offered no clue at the rare glimmer of mischief welling up from within.
"With that dealt with, Shizuka-san, does that mean us being lost is the bad news now?"
Tomoe was forced to turn away to hide her own blooming smile as the grin on Shizuka's face froze.
Though Shizuka hadn't had lunch yet, she was already satisfied from hearing Lady Tomoe make a joke.
Shizuka could count the amount of times that Lady Tomoe had made a joke on one hand, and three of them had happened after they'd crossed to the mainland!
In spite of the weight of responsibility on those slim shoulders, in spite of the danger they'd already faced, the open road had done wonders for her friend's spirit. 'Getting lost' and delaying their arrival at the hot springs had been worthwhile for that alone, regardless of how successful her little trick had actually turned out to be.
Or maybe she was just telling herself that to soothe the sorrow of postponing her healing (the mental healing of getting to bathe with Lady Tomoe, that was), but still, good things were good things!
"... Shizuka-san, are you sure you're alright?" Lady Tomoe asked with a tinge of concern in her voice. "You've been awfully absent-minded today."
"I'm fine, I'm fine," sleep deprivation was nothing to a ninja, "there's just something a little weird about this map, take a look!"
Doing as she was requested, Lady Tomoe glanced at the proffered map, then closed her eyes with a long, soft sigh.
"Shizuka-san… the map is… sideways."
"... Oops~!" Shizuka knocked a fist lightly against the side of her head, cutely sticking out her tongue.
Then she stiffened in place as Lady Tomoe stepped right up to her, close enough to bring their foreheads together and check her temperature.
"A little warm, but not unusually so," Lady Tomoe murmured with her eyes closed. "... and getting warmer still?"
Looking confused, Lady Tomoe withdrew to get a good look at Shizuka's face.
… Shizuka's flushed red face.
"No fair Lady Tomoe, sneak attacks are my job!" As if she needed an up close and personal reminder that her charmingly naive best friend was also ridiculously gorgeous!
In an adorable display of innocent confusion, Tomoe tilted her head to one side, slowly blinking those soulful violet eyes of hers as she watched Shizuka fidget in place.
Maybe the heat was getting to her after all?
In an odd sort of way, Claudette had adjusted somewhat to being imprisoned.
Though a new experience, it wasn't as if being held for ransom was an outlandish concept given her station, so perhaps it was a matter of perspective.
Perhaps it also had something to do with how she had been embarrassed rather than tortured. Being well-fed also softened the blow so to speak, more so now that she could freely train her body.
Or perhaps her current sense of ease had nothing to do with any of that. Nothing to do with any of that, and everything to do with how Yuuji had been her only daily source of human interaction for nigh on two weeks.
Having his will bound to that of a desert sorceress had seemingly done little to affect his personality, and daily opportunities to verify his continued good health had done wonders for her mental wellbeing.
… That she had not seen him don a shirt at any point during their time in captivity was also… somewhat pleasant, but no one needed to be aware of such thoughts.
Naturally, as one who had been on the receiving end of countless lecherous gazes, Claudette took great pains not to be the source of such gazes.
It was simply that she had steadily grown more… conscious of Yuuji.
More conscious of Yuuji, while being granted an excess of time to contemplate precisely what that meant, with a clarity almost painful.
It was a strange quirk of the shabti, those bandage-formed retainers of the Amaran royal dead.
The shape of their spirit mimicked the shape of their former physical body, binding the bandages that formed their body into the shell of their former selves.
It allowed them to preserve some facsimile of identity even after the passage of countless eras, retaining a simplistic but ironclad semblance of sanity. The benefit was that even four thousand years of slumber had proved no obstacle to them faithfully serving their royal charge.
The consequence was that the shabti retained in full many frailties of their mortal body.
Which led to the present situation- that being her, using her bare hands to strangle a slave bitch with no throat.
Sneering, she put strength into her hands until a muffled snap quietly resounded, the shabti's long legs spasming fitfully before falling limp.
The spirit convinced of its own death, the vessel lost shape all at once, leaving her knelt upon a patchwork sheet of bandages with no function.
Untangling herself, she rose to her feet and slipped into the shadows, peering around the corner.
Two more shabti coming her way- perturbed but not alarmed, more curious than cautious.
When they were close enough she sprung, locking her arm around the neck of one and using it as a fulcrum to swing her legs up, pincering the neck of the other shabti between her calves.
A forceful twist of supple muscles hauled them off their feet and over her body, slamming both headfirst into the ground in perfect unison.
When they flopped to their backs, she wrenched her body the other way while flexing, breaking the 'necks' of both her toys at once.
Taking to her feet once more, she allowed herself a shiver of joy. Maybe she should get rid of all the servants, quietly isolate the royal bitch one kill at a time.
She'd wake up demanding for servants that would never arrive, throw a fit that no one would hear.
Then, little by little, she'd come to realize just how foolish she'd been to return to her own tomb.
And then, for the second time, Anarista would bury her alive in it.
Ah… a second life was worth it just for that.
Now, where to go next? The layout was just as she remembered it, the fangs inching towards the back of her neck were-!?
Anarista whirled, leading with a heel lashing out at neck height but catching nothing but air.
And bringing her face to face with a gaze like a darken mirror, reflecting back at her scarlet eyes widened in shock.
"I guess you're not a late night guest, huh?" it was a voice as cold as the stone surrounding them on all sides.
Within the gloomy halls of a pyramid bathed in moonlight, two beasts faced off in the dark.
With something only vaguely approaching curiosity, Yuuji regarded the intruder before him.
The first thing that leapt out at him was that the intruder looked less out of place than he did. The second was even less of a surprise, in that he was facing down yet another dangerous beauty in an outfit better suited for a strip club than a battlefield.
Whereas Menace looked about his age, the lady before him looked closer to late twenties early thirties, just like Echidna outwardly did.
Like the elf in question, she was somewhat dark skinned, but with more of a golden undertone; an olive complexion similar to Menace, albeit several shades darker. Probably had spent a good deal more time under the sun compared to the pampered princess.
Silver hair with blunt bangs falling down to her lower back, gleaming scarlet eyes glaring past a winged metal eye-mask.
An outfit concealing only the bare minimum revealed a strong and shapely figure, fairly busty but toned enough for a faintly visible six pack. The centerpiece was what Yuuji could only describe as a 'fishnet leotard'- metal caps hiding her nipples, and a tiny loincloth hanging from a sort of chain belt. Bands of blue and gold metal covered her wrists and ankles, as well as a sort of beaded golden torc protecting her neck.
That she was confidently unarmed suggested a fighting style that didn't rely on weapons.
"Oh~? Now hasn't the Princess found herself some fine company~?" a dulcet purr drifted loose as the woman propped a hand on one thick hip, looking him up and down with clear appreciation that the mask did nothing to hide. "Company I doubt a spoiled girl knows how to satisfy, so what do you say you and I have some real fun~?"
"I don't doubt at all that you're great in bed," Yuuji dryly retorted. "But something tells me you're a little too into choking for my tastes."
A flicked of bloody light as the woman blinked, before throwing her head back in a burst of dark and honeyed laughter.
"Ahh… I haven't laughed like that in a very long time, boy," her body swayed to a rhythm savage and sensual as soft hands whispered their way up rich curves.
"Just for that, if you last through the hell I'm about to show you, I'll send you off with a little taste of heaven~" she took a grappler's stance while licking her lips, vicious hungers growing ever more potent.
Yuuji took a breath, then raised his fists.
Wrong wrong wrong wrong-
With an explosive gasp she awoke, tearing away the sheets that had clung to her sweat-soaked body.
A disgusting sensation so profound it felt as if her very soul had been dirtied.
The sanctity of her domain had been violated while she slumbered, tainted perhaps beyond all hope of cleansing.
"... Setra… Setra, where are you!?"
Obeying her summons, Setra came soaring through the threshold, radiating panic and dismay far beyond what his carved features could sufficiently convey.
"Invasion, your Majesty, your halls have been breached! Quickly, my liege, we must get you away from here!"
"Away!? Never! I will not abandon my domain no matter how many-"
"... Your Majesty," Setra cut her off with just two words, and that brought Menace up short like nothing else.
Setra never cut her off when she was speaking.
"... Explain the situation, my servant."
"There is… no invading army, my Lady," Setra's voice was measured and heavy. "The only invader is… her."
As if to mirror the heart of its mistress, the foundations of a stronghold that had stood unbowed for millenia began to tremble.
Yuuji side-stepped a low tackle, and the intruder went lower still to avoid the backhand chop aimed at the base of her skull. Without turning, the woman planted her hands and coiled like a spring before launching herself back at him feet first.
Yuuji threw himself into a back-bridge to evade, and their eyes briefly met as she sailed over his head.
Twisting back up to his feet, Yuuji reminded himself he had yet another thing to be grateful to Alleyne for. The time she'd spent drilling him on the ways warriors could pull off inhuman displays of athleticism had probably just saved him from a broken collarbone.
Helped him be ready for things like his dance partner launching herself almost four meters with basically just arm strength alone.
The intruder stuck the landing on all fours, skidding a few feet but remaining low, the resulting posture exuding a sort of carnivorous sensuality.
The several minutes of fighting had all but confirmed the suspicion birthed in their initial clash- not only did this woman use the same martial arts as Menace, they might have even had the same teacher.
Most of the differences he'd noticed could be written off as differences in the practitioner's temperament, as well as the differences between the sparring he'd done with Menace and the deathmatch he was having now.
The lariat the intruder had thrown his way earlier had borne an uncomfortable resemblance to an executioner's ax, and more than once he'd caught signs of her aiming to take things to a grapple.
The intruder rose slowly to her feet, licking away a trace of blood from her lips with a seductive shiver.
"Mm, you don't disappoint, do you~? I'd love to spend the night with you, but I've got places to be."
As if on cue, the floor shuddered and a thick wall of stone slid out from one wall to slam against the other, cutting her off from sight. If Yuuji hadn't caught her leaping back in the split second before she'd vanished from sight, he would have thought she'd planned that.
A muffled stone roar echoed down the halls as another, stronger shudder shook the whole pyramid.
Or rather, the pyramid-shaped dungeon that he'd been staying in for two weeks or so, serving its dungeon master.
… Probably time to grab Claudette and bail just in case any real monsters started showing up.
Pushing the intruder from his mind, Yuuji took a moment to pop his pinkie back into place before taking off.
Roused by its mistress' anger, and tempered by her deep-seated sense of responsibility that hid itself well, the walls of the dungeon shifted and twisted, sheltering her few subjects from the lone invader.
Sheltering her subjects… and orchestrating a direct collision course between dungeon master and dungeon invader.
An unsettled grudge had been revived after countless millennia, and both desired to see it end over the broken body of their ancient enemy.
Even if he didn't fully understand the reasons behind the brewing chaos, Kazami Yuuji didn't waste the chance it presented.
Being stuck in a jail cell while the solid stone surrounding her was rippling was an admittedly stressful experience.
It was as if the pyramid itself was going mad- or perhaps returning to form, regaining its proper identity as a dungeon.
Woefully lacking in information for the current situation though she was, Claudette was no stranger to dungeons. Typically, drastic changes in the dungeon were tied to the dungeon itself being in some way threatened- dungeons were alive after all, and reacted organically to foreign threats.
Either the dungeon or the dungeon master itself was likely endangered in some way, most likely from a foreign element.
The question was, were those 'foreign elements' a threat to Yuuji and herself?
And where was Yuuji right now? Was he safe? His current ensorcelled state was a serious cause for concern- if the princess serving as dungeon master went wild, what effect would that have on him?
As Claudette's mind raced with the possibilities, her hands had not been idle- not that day nor any other since her restraints had been taken away.
Her subtle efforts to weaken the bars with mana were just no longer subtle, a gamble to be sure, but a gamble she may not have another opportunity to make.
"I'm sure there's more going on under the surface, but to me it looks like you're bending metal bars with your bare hands."
The tension in her muscles, and the flow of mana, faltered as Claudette's head snapped up to catch sight of a raised eyebrow on an otherwise expressionless face.
"Yuuji!" A few scrapes, and bruises forming here or there, but his standing posture was as it always was, suggesting no serious injury.
And perhaps most telling of all, he was wearing not the short kilt that had become his 'uniform' of sorts within the pyramid, but the elven travel garb she was familiar with.
His heavy knife hanging from his belt, strapped to his leg, and the sorely missed sight of Thunderclap's hilt, peeking out from over one shoulder where he had the strap slung.
"Are you… are you alright?"
"Hm? Yeah, crossed paths with the source of all the commotion, but it wasn't a big deal," nothing Menace couldn't handle. "Good chance to see ourselves out though, so we might as well bounce. Didn't find anything like a key or a repeat mechanism though, so I'll have to break you out the slow way."
That hadn't exactly been what she was asking, but Claudette pushed that thought aside for the moment.
"No need to complicate things, pass me my sword and stand clear."
When Yuuji did just that, Thunderclap sheared the locking mechanism in twain, and Claudette stepped out as the door swept open.
Leaning her sword briefly against the bars, Claudette stretched herself out with a satisfied groan- spacious though the cell was, it had still felt cramped when she had no option to leave its boundaries.
Yuuji handed her one of the bags he'd brought a moment later, and her eyes brightened as she found her traveling clothes contained within.
Truth be told, the bandages hadn't covered much less than her usual attire… it was more so the comparatively frail nature of the bandages, especially when it came to the task of containing her bosom. The metal brassiere of her travel attire was a far more practical garment than one might think.
Without a word, Yuuji walked into the cell, leaning against the bars with his back to her and giving her some measure of privacy.
Claudette directed a small smile at his back before turning away herself- no doubt, he had noticed her hesitating to step back into the cell herself. Yuuji being in the cell allowed her to step around the corner, breaking line of sight. Less embarrassing somehow, even when she knew full well that she could trust Yuuji not to sneak glances at her.
Not that she would have minded if he did, but reasons for feeling embarrassment were often not logical reasons.
But by the Goddess had she missed the sensation of wearing garments that she wasn't one good flex, twist, or bounce from bursting her way out of.
And did it make her an odd woman that Yuuji calmly taking those inevitable wardrobe malfunctions in stride made her appreciate him more?
Once properly clothed for the first time in two weeks, and with the comfortable weight of Thunderclap in hand, Claudette followed Yuuji's lead, up the long stone staircase and onto the main floor of the pyramid.
They had scarcely made it off those stairs before they were delayed.
Not by enemies seeking to imprison Claudette nor punish Yuuji for breaking her out, nor by monsters running wild as the pyramid embraced its true nature as a dungeon.
Instead, what they were met with were silent, desperate, yet strangely easy to comprehend pleas for their assistance, from the odd bandage-women that served the master of the dungeon.
Perhaps had her time in captivity inflicted more than a bit of embarrassment than Claudette would have voiced some manner of opposition.
And yet, when Yuuji unhesitantly voiced his desire to aid their captor despite how they were meant to be escaping from her, Claudette found she didn't mind in the least.
Perhaps it was the sense of solidarity that came from knowing that she wouldn't be there at all, had Yuuji turned his back on her after being wronged.
Far be it from her to deny that.
In response to her will, the center of the pyramid had hollowed itself out, presenting at its highest point a broad sandstone walkway. A fitting stage for a final showdown.
The moment their eyes met, the inside of her head turned red as blood, as if the damnable color of those traitorous eyes had dyed her thoughts with their color.
"Oh my, I was wondering if you'd come to greet me, your Highness~" the traitor spread her arms wide, that venomous smirk curling her lips. "It's been too long, hasn't it~? Good to see you too, Setra~"
Setra made no motion to reply, hovering behind his mistress, just below eye level as was proper. Menace took a slow breath to quell the fury in her veins, determined to keep her composure.
"Unpleasant though your intrusion may be, I am glad to see you alive and well, Anarista."
"Oh~? Did you miss me~?" Though her steps had slowed, the traitor never stopped advancing.
"Indeed!" Menace declared with full confidence. "I was most distraught to imagine that I might never gain the chance to kill you with my own hands!"
The traitor stopped in place, licking her lips as she looked her former mistress up and down.
"That Witch did get all the sexy little details right when she brought you back, didn't she?"
Ah, so it was the Swamp Witch who was both to blame and to thank for the present situation. Menace hadn't cared much to consider such things in the face of righteous and sorely overdue retribution.
"You are just as I remember as well, Anarista," Menace said softly. "And it will make punishing you for your crimes all the more satisfying. Setra, do not interfere."
"... As you will, Milady," Setra spoke for the first time. Burning with rage though he was, it was not his place to intrude when the Sun of Amara wished to personally purge the filth from her lands.
But it would be his privilege to witness and never forget the very moment when the Princess broke the back of the reborn insurrection.
"I'm glad a few thousand years hasn't robbed you of the ability to talk dirty~" Anarista's smooth hands took a moment to grope her body in an expression of wanton delight, before snapping up into place in the very same stance she'd taught Menace some millenia back.
Her eyes and her smile widened in savage glee as Menace closed the distance in seconds.
He was glad Claudette had gone along with his selfishness.
He was also glad that she was watching his back, because that meant she couldn't see whatever terrible expression he was probably wearing at the moment as they raced through the halls.
Menace could 'handle it'?
What the hell was he thinking? He of all people should have known it wasn't that simple.
A woman with a personal reason to be the enemy of a princess revived from thousands of years ago? A princess of a kingdom that Yuuji knew little of the history for, beyond that the Kingdom of Amara was said to have been brought low by betrayal?
He'd basically given the physical embodiment of any trauma Menace might have free reign to waltz right into the throne room.
If he didn't get there in time, there was only one way he could see it ending.
… A repeat of four thousand years ago.
Menace felt her lip split as Anarista's elbow clipped her cheek, but came out the better in the exchange when she drove her knee into the traitor's gut, doubling her over as strong abdominals proved not strong enough to withstand the blow.
Hooking her forearm beneath Anarista's throat as she doubled over, Menace reversed the direction of her bend, slamming her hard onto her back. She then followed up with a quick stomp aimed at Anarista's exposed throat, but the traitor twisted like the snake she was, narrowly dodging the blow.
At the same time, legs darker in tone than her own lashed out, taking her feet out from under her before she could react. But Menace threw her upper body back, catching herself and cartwheeling away from any further danger.
Without even stopping to look, Menace lashed out as she whirled back to face her foe.
The soles of their sandalled feet smashed together, making the air shake as two kicks met, so identical in execution that their bodies all but mirrored one another.
Menace scowled, and Anarista smirked.
Disengaging with matching timing, they lunged for one another, locking hands.
"I was worried you'd get rusty, but you didn't forget all those lessons I beat into you, did you Princess?" the older woman teased.
"Let me show you," Anarista's eyes widened as she abruptly lost the test of strength and was forced onto one knee," precisely what I've learned!"
Stepping up onto Anarista's raised knee, Menace quickly mounted her shoulders, pinning Anarista's head between her thighs and calves.
Throwing her body back into a powerful flip, Menace dragged her opponent along for the ride, extending her legs as she did for maximum distance so that Anarista's neck was pinioned solely between her calves.
The ground cracked and the bridge shook from the mighty impact, and Menace loosened her legs as the body between them toppled away.
"Your Majesty!" Setra had seen what Menace had not- the traitor had impacted the ground with the palm of both hands and not the top of her head.
Menace twisted and whirled, coming back to her feet a bit slow to find her ancient enemy practically on top of her.
Toned, tanned arms coiled tight around her waist, hauling her from her feet and crushing the breath from her lungs all in one motion.
Her arched back was still trembling in Anarista's arms as Menace's bleary gaze caught sight of movement from a lower level.
The newest addition to her subjects was there, beside the feisty violet-haired beauty.
Her servant Yuuji was there, gazing up at her with eyes that seemed to carry nothing but disappointment.
Oops~
Having an audience had snapped the royal brat out of her little daze, and that elbow to the collarbone was still stinging like a snake bite.
She still had the advantage of momentum though, and Anarista enjoyed it to the fullest.
Menace dodged a lariat, then went stumbling as a foot snapped back and planted itself against that cute bubble butt.
Dashing forward quickly, Anarista caught Menace in a headlock and kept going, leaping to drive Menace face-first into the ground- a wrestling move Yuuji would recognize as a 'bulldog' or 'faceburster' (named the Beast Breaker in the Amara Style, after an ancient Pharaoh who had used it to great success breaking the muzzles of the wild beasts he would wrestle for sport).
Menace managed to get her hands between her face and the stone floor, but even with the edge of the impact taken off, it was more than enough to stun her, head swaying drunkenly as she rebounded into more or less a kneeling position.
With a low laugh, Anarista placed her hands on the unresisting princess's head, swinging one leg over Menace's shoulder and then the other before snapping her legs together, drawing a choked gasp from her prey. Menace was forced to look up at the smiling traitor as muscular thighs casually constricted her dainty throat, hands slapping against tanned skin in futility.
Anarista placed her hands on her hips and let her eyes drift lightly shut, all the better to savor the blissful sensation of the royal brat slowly dying between her legs.
Her only regret about the fall of Amara was that burying the princess alive had meant not killing her with her bare hands. Poetic and all, but a bit of a waste in retrospect.
She could feel the disturbance of mana in the air, the floating sextoy was just about done deciding between obeying orders and saving the princess's life, and the two spectators were…
… Huh, that hottie she'd tangled with earlier had one hell of a glare, but… where was he looking?
Disbelief warred with an outrage that wanted to make her scream at the injustice of it all.
The only reason the traitor hadn't killed her a second time was because she was taking sadistic amusement in drawing it out.
… And she had no one to blame but herself for holding back her true might, and insisting upon hand-to-hand, no one herself to blame for the hubris of believing she could best her own teacher with the fighting arts she had taught Menace.
Yet more proof that she was wholly unworthy of the august legacy she was meant to inherit.
A reminder of why she insisted upon being called 'princess' in a kingdom with no king or queen.
… It wasn't fair.
It wasn't fair that all Amara had left was her, it wasn't fair at all that that traitorous bitch would have her way once again, it wasn't fair it wasn't fair it wasn't fair it wasn't-
"Oi, Menace, when are you going to stop fighting like shit?"
That wasn't fair at all!
Amidst a shifting desert where time stood still, the grasping weight of history was shaken loose by the words of a walking variable.
Claudette couldn't believe what she was hearing.
They'd just established that they were too far away to aid the princess in her struggle- Claudette due to the indiscriminate nature of her power, and Yuuji because he was confident that hurling his only weapon at that… Anarista woman would simply mean Anarista was armed and Menace was not.
And Yuuji's solution was to… insult Menace!?
How completely, utterly…
… Brilliant.
With a burst of rage-fueled strength, Menace clamped her hands onto Anarista's thighs, pulling her from her feet and slamming her onto her back.
Hardly a decisive blow, but it served the purpose of loosening Anarista's legs enough for Menace to escape strangulation.
They rolled in two different directions, and one made it to her feet much faster than the other, yet made no move to press the advantage that was still very much hers.
Instead, she crossed her arms beneath her breasts and watched with a smirk as Menace whirled on Yuuji and stamped her foot, cheeks flushed in a way that made it hard to tell if it was from being choked or simply embarrassment.
"H-how dare you, you insolent-!"
"I reserve the right to speak up if my boss makes me look bad," Yuuji cut her off with indifference.
"Y-you… you insolent-!"
"Was vocabulary not a part of the royal education?"
That Anarista woman didn't even try to hide her laughter.
"And why is that woman free, my servant!?" Menace demanded, thrusting a finger down at Claudette. "Rebellion!? Insurrection!? Are you attempting to flee like thieves after-"
"Aha! There you are!" a gentle distortion of clear blue that made Claudette imagine the sky rippling like a pond, and suddenly, they found themselves in the presence of the divine.
… A familiar presence of the divine, as floating above them all was the angel who had officiated the inconclusive Queen's Blade match between herself and Yuuji.
Did that mean perhaps…?
"Man, it's hard to find you," the angel stopped and peered down at Menace and Anarista, "... mostly-mortals when you're tucked away in a dungeon like this, but here I am, thanks for waiting! Oh and look, you both have boobs so I know one of you isn't a guy in disguise!"
Yuuji returned that pointed glare with outward indifference, but Claudette could tell that he was actually a little annoyed.
"The Ancient Princess Menace against Anarista, the Scorpion of Amara! A grudge match four thousand years in the making! I Nanael, in the name of the Goddess, declare the beginning of this Queen's Blade!"
As the Screens blazed their way into life, projecting the renewal of hostilities to all Gainos, Anarista couldn't contain her delight.
A chance to humiliate Menace in front of the entire world? Who knew the wish that had lured her back to the world of the living would come true so quickly?
Unfortunately, she had misread the situation, and misread it badly.
Menace had been shocked into silence by the sudden arrival of the angel, but she had not been listening in silence. Menace was not used to being insulted, nor was she used to being interrupted, and in the past hour she had been subjected to what was, by her standards, a lifetime of both.
Menace had not been listening in silence, Menace had been fuming in silence.
Perfectly timed and perfectly executed, Anarista went at her in a low and silent rush as Menace stamped her foot and resumed her tantrum with a vengeance.
"- Interruptions, insults, insubordination! Disrespectful, ungrateful, annoying, rude! I have had enough!"
A rush that ended with a graceless tumble to hands and knees, as Anarista was left empty handed and prostrated sideways before her royal target, all but presenting her bare back to a shapely leg raised high.
"And you!"
The timing was indeed perfect, in a sense- Gainos did not bear witness to the earlier fight, did not bear witness to Menace being dominated and humiliated by her ancient foe.
"You most of all!"
What all of Gainos bore witness to was the swiftest victory of the preliminaries, and the Princess of Amara bringing down her heel to stamp out the reborn insurrection in a single blow.
"KNOW YOUR PLACE!"
"Oh my, I do believe I heard vertebrae cracking."
"Glad I'm not the one who has to fight Menace."
"Weren't you the one antagonizing her mere moments ago?"
"Come to think of it, that did happen."
"Perhaps now is a good time to run away?"
"Probably… and now she's looking right at us."
The far too casual conversation came to an end as Menace glared down at Yuuji, one foot still planted atop Anarista's motionless body.
"... Get out of my sight," Menace declared as she kicked the limp body from the ledge without looking. "I have had more than enough rebellion for one day. You are banished, both of you, upon pain of death. Begone!"
… Neither missed the peculiar lack of heat present in the voice used to declare the royal decree, but neither were about to stop and question it either.
When they were gone, Setra silently floated to the side of his liege.
"... As expected, your Grace, the traitor's body vanished well before it should have vanished from my sight." Those vanquished in the Queen's Blade were forcibly returned to their last place of dwelling- though the wounds sustained were their burden to bear, it was at least assurance that the victor could not readily choose to finish the job.
"It is of little import," Menace brushed a hand through her locks with indifference. "All of Gainos was there to watch me put the traitor in her place, and if she attempts to avenge herself I will finish the job next time."
"Of course, of course, if she could not best you when you were holding back your true strength, then she is no longer an opponent worthy of concern!" Setra asserted with confidence, while preparing to take steps to insure they would never be caught unawares again. "But, if I may ask a question, your Excellence?"
"Speak freely, my loyal servant," Menace smiled without glancing his way.
"Why did you release the brat- I mean, the boy from your service? Insufferably rude though he may have been, did you not possess some measure of fondness for him?"
"Hm? What do you mean, Setra?" Menace turned and gave him a look of innocent confusion.
"... Your Majesty?"
"Perhaps you misheard, Setra," Menace began to explain, her smile turning impish. "While it is most certainly true that I banished my servant, I don't recall ever releasing him from my service?" That would have been terribly ungrateful of her.
Setra was still for several long moments, and then he burst into laughter, Menace swiftly joining in with giggles of her own.
Indeed, she had not the slightest intention of releasing dear Yuuji from her service. Her foul-mouthed servant would return to her in due course, as everything that belonged to her would surely return to her in due course.
And when that diamond in the rough did return to her, polished by the countless struggles he would no doubt meet upon the winding road, he would be better equipped than ever to serve her as he should.
"... Did you notice anything in particular about that match, Nowa?" She asked softly, gaze still fixed on where the Screen had vanished from sight.
Nowa gave a soft hum, absentmindedly petting Lou. "Hmm… well I did notice that it looked like they'd been fighting before the match started," she said, "but more importantly, that angel was talking to Yuuji, wasn't she!?"
A small but earnest smile spread across Alleyne's lips, both in approval at Nowa's observation skills, and…
"Indeed she was… it seems the travels of my student continue," while she would have much preferred to see him through the Screen with her own eyes, it was reason to believe he was sound of body at the very least. Though tales of angelic compassion were but hearsay even for Alleyne, it seemed unlikely that a woman as expressive as that angel, divine being or not, could gaze upon the walking wounded with indifference.
Out of the corner of her eye, Nowa watched the last little bit of tension leave her benefactor's shoulders, and sighed with relief.
"Ah yes," She found herself sitting up straight as Alleyne's tone regained its usual stern timbre. "Despite the brevity of the match, seeing two bare-handed fighters of no small skill," though the one called Menace was clearly more than that, "reminds me that your grappling needs work. Come join me down below, Nowa."
It had been two weeks since Nowa and her simian companion had become guests in her home. Naturally, Alleyne being who she was, twelve of those fourteen days had been spent training Nowa in the art of combat.
After all, what was Alleyne supposed to do, not train a talented youth that she found in her care?
Soon, she would appoint Nowa a proper role, allowing the girl to feel like she was earning her place, an admirable but unnecessary goal that Nowa pursued with painful earnesty.
Perhaps Alleyne herself was to blame for not being able to properly give it voice- that whatever Nowa felt she may owe her, making her home feel less empty was repayment enough.
Their departure from the pyramid led them right back to the river's edge, and neither were entirely sure how they felt about that.
But the river barge was a pointed message, especially when it was, of all things, stocked with the packs they'd lost the first time they'd gotten acquainted with the river.
Thankfully, it turned out Claudette wasn't as bothered by boats as she was with freely running water in general, so Yuuji steered the boat while Claudette sat in the front and brooded in silence about something, shooting occasional glances back his way as they sailed west.
Yuuji wasn't sure if those were hints for him to speak up, but he also didn't care so he decided to let her speak in her own time.
"... Yuuji."
"Yeah?"
"When did… when did the spell break?" It must have broken, if Yuuji was free to defy the Princess's will, though then again, was he defying the Princess's will? She'd clearly meant for him to depart her lands, just how far back had she planned-
"You all keep going on about that, and honestly I've just been humoring everyone." How was he supposed to tell if magic was forcing him to do something he planned to do anyways? It wasn't like listening to Menace was a big deal when they sort of owed her for fishing them out of the river. He'd just broken Claudette out of her cell because it saved time negotiating for when their time in the pyramid was up.
All in all, he'd just been treating Menace like a rich, bratty protection client. It wasn't anything new for him.
Having already turned his gaze back to the river, Yuuji didn't notice the way Claudette's eye had begun to twitch.
Was Yuuji enchanted by the desert sorceress, forced to obey her every whim?
The only one who knows for certain has decided it would be more fun to leave everyone guessing.
That person being me, of course.
We haven't seen the last of Menace or Anarista, but next chapter, Yuuji and Claudette's path will cross with another wandering duo (you can probably guess who).