ᴇᴍʙᴇʀꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴀ ᴅʏɪɴɢ ꜱᴋʏ | ᴛᴇɴᴢᴀɪ & ᴄᴀʀᴘᴇ ᴅɪᴇᴍ

[Tenzai]

ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ʜᴏʟʟᴏᴡ ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ | ᴋᴀɴᴘᴇᴋɪ ↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​ As if the princess herself could tell that this crime against her companion's warrior spirit was enough to make it a shadow of its former self, Neon's eyes grew wide in surprise, finding Ophelia defending her in front of the woman that stripped her of her confidence in her abilities. "Silence. Neon is stronger than any warrior in my kingdom ever was. I will not allow you to sully her name when she gave me an unforgettable fight." Not only did she offer a special place by her side; the fencer was willing to defend her name. She was far better than any random recruit their team could've found as a replacement for their leader. Ophelia was quickly becoming someone priceless in the eyes of the vampire. Ophelia's warmth had lingered on her lips longer than it had any right to. Perhaps this was not the sensations that came from pure thermodynamics alone but rather a growing sensitivity to her physical proximity and a quiet, growing yearning for her presence. Given the fact that the warrior princess had not only beaten her fairly in combat and that she was attractive enough already, now that she was defending her as well on top of everything else, she couldn't help but develop a genuine crush. She saw Neon at one of her worst states and instead of acting like an ordinary noble, she was willing to fight for her, even when she was outnumbered and even when her body was outnumbered and outpowered by Idra's numerous bodyguards. Though, where one woman's fascination had been born, another's ire was won. Idra hated the thought of this backwater princess without a kingdom speaking to her as if she was her equal. Her clothes had seemed bought from an alley boutique. Her weapon's material was bland, its only redeeming quality being that it was a single grade above common and that its craftsmanship was above average. Behind her fans, her smug grin had shifted to a tense frown as a vein on her head had cracked through her artificial beauty, revealing some of the ugliness within. "Then it seems like your kingdom and name had no one noteworthy to begin with." Immediately, Idra fired back a retort "Then again, its to be expected of a kingdom that only spanned a single planet." "Is this how you usually get by. Bullying, intimidation? Do you think that your words hold any weight for me? You are nothing to me. You've been nothing from the moment I first set eyes upon you. Even the discarded trash could be more useful. To make handmade decorations, for example." An icy fugue had grown in between the two princesses. Once neutral, the team that gave Ophelia a new home had become what ultimately split the two apart. Forced into two opposite sides over Idra's past and over Ophelia's future, the guards and Neon had failed to notice the dark tendrils crawling into the room due to the tension between the two until it was too late. "How fitting of trash to see trash as worthy of decoration. Shame to think that August and Medina are among heathens. Even Shiro deserves better than-" Her voice was hushed as the dark tendril wrapped around her throat. Neon on the other hand had seemed unscathed, being instead, pried free from the grasp of those who's stealth cybernetics had made it hard for even her with her vampiric senses and her own cybernetics to detect. With their bodies held, the light that once refracted around them began to reflect where the tendrils had touched them, revealing her many allies that accompanied her over the sake of pursuing her wealth. Though the vampiress' mind wasn't focused on them. What caught her attention instead was the difference in Ophelia's voice; The taint of her eldritch influence had made the sound the vampire's ears had grown accustomed to near unrecognizable. "Enough. Get your craven hands off my friend. Before I snap your neck in half... I will teach you a sliver of the hell I've experienced. For laying your hands on my Neon, that is a fair price. Your filthy soldiers... pull them back before I leave you without an entourage." Dark threats and ghastly commands had caused Idra to relent. This was not the right place for a princess to fight. With the tendrils giving her space to respond, she delivered her order. "Back off from the snake." Those who had yet to be caught had stepped back, refusing to make contact with the entity that watched over Ophelia. "FURTHER! NOW!" Her voice has spoken with authority, causing those that worked for her to place distance in between them and the two girls. Finally finding the tendrils slowly seeping back into the shadows of the room, once Ophelia returned back to normal, the eyes that looked down at her had vanished, only to be replaced by those that saw her as a genuine threat. She was as Sen said she was, a powerful artifact of a different time, one that was to be respected as such, rather than diminished as a result of her place in history. "And as your senior, I will teach you a lesson in humility. It is clear nobody else has bothered. Let's have our own wager, shall we? Return Neon's sword if I win. It's only right. If you win, I will join you instead. Surely my power will be a boon to your squad. And I'm sure you would relish in the opportunity of having me under your boot. I am not untamed; I know to obey orders. I will swear fealty to you." "... So this was all a ploy for you to get your weapon back?" Idra looked at the two, crossing her arms while whispering to herself a golden wall to form a ward against her darkness. "Fine. If you manage to beat me, I'll let you have her sword back. I was planning on selling it off if I managed to beat her again with it before it lost even more of its value, but I suppose, it would suit me well to place it on a wager." The princess backed up into a spotlight, preferring to stay in the company of the light where no shadows could touch her. "But as for what I get if I win, I have something else better in mind than having something like you with me." Placing both fans in one hand and pointing at Ophelia, the princess had made her terms known. "If I win. I want you to break her sword in front of her. Right in the arena in front of everyone else. August, Medina, and Shiro included." If Ophelia was to become their strength, Idra was going to wield their new friend against them. "I'll see you soon. Don't embarrass yourself too much when I go all out." Appearing unphased from the sudden surprise of her magic, the princess had left the two girls to themselves, letting the sounds of Neon's embarrassing moment play in the speakers as she left. By the time their confrontation was over, Ophelia had found Neon on the ground, brushing the bruise on her neck with her fingers. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?" Neon shook her head. "Not bad. My throat's sore. Fuckers' got a strong hand on them, but I'm alive." Her blush was still apparent on her face. "You didn't have to defend me like that you know... I... I never wanted to get you into a fight with her in the first place." She coughed for a moment, trying to straighten out the coarseness in her vocal tones. "But... Thank you. For what you said in the arena and... For what you did for me in front of Idra. I mean it, Ophelia. I... really appreciate that." Her bloodied fingers tracing across her lips had led to a gentle kiss over the top of her hand. Even if she could never be her knight, that didn't stop her from trying, especially if it gave the vampire an excuse to taste her blood the same. "I'll let you drink as much of my blood once this is done, so hang in there, won't you? It'll only be a moment. And Neon? Please find Gust, Shiro and Medina and leave. I've fought gracefully so far. I have given you all a fight that is worthy and dignified. But this next match... I'm afraid you won't be able to see me the same way you have once you see me the way that I am when I let anger overtake me." Neon raised an eyebrow, shaking her head. "Please go. I must prepare for my fight. I promise I won't kill her. But... I can't promise anything more than that." "Lia. I'm never going to hate you. Say what you think, but what you did. What you said here. The glimpse I got of you..." Taking her bloodied hands in her own, Neon held her without fear in her eyes. The ancestors of the vampires of the modern day were known to have bloody gods and terrible rituals. Her father was no different. To Neon, the only thing that made them different from monsters were the reasons why they would commit to such magic in the first place, not the capabilities that came with the corrupted arcane. "No matter how bad things get, I'll be right by your side. I can't say the same about the others, but I know myself enough to not care. You'll never be a monster to me. I know you won't." "Monsters would never defend the people they love... So kick her ass for me." ──────・୨ ✦✦✦✦✦ ୧・──────​ In the stands sat Neon by herself. Keeping true to her promise, she had asked for the others to not come. While it was hard for them not to want to watch their party member come in person, she had convinced them with her eagerness. It wasn't often that Neon had genuinely asked the others for a favor rather than taking something herself. The fact that she was willing to ask meant that this meant a lot to her, and that alone had made it enough for most but Shiro. To the divine catwoman, there was something that her curiosity could not deny. Whatever was to happen here in the arena, her foresight couldn't read. There was a black fog that prevented her from already knowing the outcome of the fight, and for her, that was more than enough to make it interesting. While Ophelia had waited on the battlefield, instead of having to wait for an announcement for applause, it seemed that she was already a well known face for those who engaged with the crowd fare of the combat sport. She had risen the ranks, making a spectacle of herself in doing so by ensuring that none of her matches had ever become boring. Each was a thrilling clash of blade and spell from beginning to end. Where others were able to predict the abilities of those who were familiar faces, to the crowds, everything about Ophelia was a mystery, drawing their attention to the up and coming rookie that was soon to take on last year's champion. With a familiar cat announcer descending from his floating platform, he brought the mic to his lips. "ARE YOU READY FOR THE FINALE?!" His voice came from various speakers and drones that floated across the arena, giving his charisma amplitude that could not be denied. A welcome roar and the sounds of celebratory cannons were fired in the air. The dragon tribe she had bested the champion of, the vampires that had made a up Neon's primary company, and even the two members of the team themselves had joined in the celebration, cheering on the princess below despite the audible intensity of the crowd's sound being enough to rock the very station itself with their vigor. "PRINCESS VERSUS PRINCESS. TWO DAUGHTERS OF THEIR KINGDOM BEING BROUGHT TO FIGHT. YOU KNOW THEM. THERE'S NO NEED TO ANNOUNCE. CAN I GET A ROAR OF APPLAUSE FOR OUR CONTESTANTS?! OPHELIA! IDRA!" Finally leaving her side of the arena, Ophelia had found her golden counterpart donning armor that was worth planets. Blessed with a gift of divinity, the blonde angel had her fans in hand, only for them to turn into a shield and spear upon a swing. Divine energy had consecrated the ground underneath her feet. This angel had truly acted like the epitome of combat, mimicking the strength of the first hero of the stars. "I'm surprised you came. I thought you'd be smart enough to forfeit." The visor of her helmet flashed with her light as she uttered her syllables. "I wonder if that confidence is born of foolishness or ignorance... Unless, you preferred to ruin Neon's sword, that is." On one sheath in her armor rested Neon's sword itself. Still in the pristine condition that she had left the weapon in upon losing, it seemed to hold the power of her ancestors. "How poetic would it be if it was Neon's blade that did you in, hmm? Don't worry, Ophelia. I won't do you the disrespect of underestimating you again." Raising her shield in one hand and her spear in the other, a glowing bubble had formed around her. "Come. Test your mettle against the epitome of holy construction. Show me the limits of your resolve."​

 

[Carpe Diem]

◤━*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┓

┗━━━━━━━━━━━━━━✧༺♥༻∞━◢
✬ Ophelia ✬
❝ You paint a picture in my mind, you wanna leave it all behind
In a world that's turning all the time, nothing could stop me longing for your eyes ❞
​

"Monsters would never defend the people they love... So kick her ass for me." 'Nobody said anything about love, you idiot...' The cheers of the crowd nearly fell on deaf ears as Ophelia's mind rewound back to the conversation in the lockers, when it was just Neon and her. To think that she was yearning for more, that she regretted leaving the samurai behind to face this battle. In an ideal world, she would've had more time to speak more honestly to the pink-haired vampire, especially after the short but intense fallout they'd had. There just wasn't enough time for them to talk before Idra had come to ruin their moment together, and it only made the princess resent Idra even more for it. While the cute cat announcer did his thing by, well, announcing their names, Ophelia's face contorted with discomfort, looking down at her left hand. She opened and closed it, or at least tried to, but her hand just wouldn't work the way she wanted it to. 'It still hasn't recovered from the fight. I can barely feel it, let alone hold my rapier with it...' To think that her battle with Neon would put her at such a disadvantage. Try as she might, she simply could not feel the bloodflow in her left hand, forcing her to use her right hand to wield the rapier. Yet another reason to resent Idra for pitting them against each other. Even if she didn't know this would be the result, the princess' intentions had been obvious; to weaken either of the two opponents to soften them up when it came time for her to fight them. Even so, Ophelia did not let it show in her face besides a short moment of hesitation as she unsheathed her rapier, holding it in the opposite hand than the one she'd been using so far. "I'm surprised you came. I thought you'd be smart enough to forfeit." "Careful now, Idra. Any more talk like that and I'll start thinking you're afraid of fighting me. Didn't you say the same thing back in the lockers? 'Do yourself a favor and give up now'? Could it be that you're scared? Is it that you are afraid of losing to this thing that came out of an accursed tower? Is your pride so fragile you would use any trick, any cheat to avoid confrontation? Or is it that you're scared now that your little toy soldiers are nowhere to be seen? It's just you and me..." "And that thing that had you cowering behind a little magic wall. Don't worry, I'll only use a fraction of its power to clip your wings." "I don't need any more than that." She watched from behind red eyes as the woman used divine magic to create weapons out of those gaudy fans of hers, her eyes narrowing now that she knew they had a purpose beyond making her look even more insufferable. Still, after all of that, Ophelia couldn't help but let out a small, quiet scoff behind her numb hand. "You look ridiculous under all that armor. Are you that scared of getting hurt?" Contrasting her immaculate appearance, Ophelia had taken the time between matches to patch up the cuts that Neon had inflicted over her body. Umbra's dress had held up well enough, but there were exposed parts around her waist and upper chest area that Ophelia had to wrap up, as well as her arms. She'd particularly tightened up her fingers to make them more responsive, but that hadn't worked. In contrast to Idra, Ophelia looked like she'd taken quite a beating and one might even think she was on her last leg after the last fight. But the eldritch magic that pumped throughout her body not only dulled the pain, but stitched up the wounds with ease and quickness. It was actually unsightly, which was why she'd opted to wrap them up so people wouldn't see the way her cuts healed themselves in real time. It was not the kind of sight that the average viewer could see and not feel sickened by. "Come. Test your mettle against the epitome of holy construction. Show me the limits of your resolve." "I have a question for you, Idra." Rapier at the ready, she held it up while bringing her other arm, still numb and lowered to about the height of her waist, Ophelia's eyes stared straight through the princess, as if she was nothing more than a simple obstacle for her to overcome. There was no respect in her gaze, unlike the grace and honor she'd granted to Leandro and Neon; she held no such respect for someone as disgraceful as Idra, who would sooner use dirty tricks outside of battle than face her opponents head on. "Do you wield your weapons. Or do they wield you? It is like a child wearing a tunic three sizes too big for them. Such equipment is wasted on a coward like you." "I'll release it from the disgrace of being worn by you." With a single stride forward, her body became a blur. While she'd waited for her other opponents to make their move, to observe their battle style before making a move of her own, she saw no need to exercise caution against Idra, jumping headfirst with a speed that made it clear she had been holding back even after all this time. Perhaps her other opponents would see it as a showcase of disrespect, to use anything but her entire arsenal against them, but she had never intended to use this amount of power when she signed up for the tournament. She didn't want to use It. "So much for your pride. Did she anger you that much? You barely know this girl, yet you would suffer the price of my power for her." 'I'll pay any price, just--" "Consider this one a freebie. I look forward to seeing her face twist with horror." Internally, Ophelia sighed a breath of relief as she was spared of the heavy price of using her patron's magic. Her rapier channeled eldritch magic through its blade, striking true against the divine shield, the dark energy spreading into the blessed armament to break it down. Darkness and light battled, the divinity imbued within the shield fighting back against the unknowable as best as it could. The princess jumped back instantly, not letting her guard down for but a second as she followed up with a blast of eldritch energy flying out from the tips of her fingers, one bolt for each striking against the chestplate in a bid to keep a distance between them. "Tell me, Idra," Landing back on her feet a fair distance away, Ophelia took a moment to recover her footing. "Have you ever personally buried one of your subjects? Have you given them their passing rites? Have you laid down flowers on their last resting place?" Painful memories of her past crossed through her mind, causing her breath to quicken. The pain in her chest was unbearable, but she needed this. "Have you had to meet the eyes of a widow as you tell her that her husband remains could not be recovered? Had a child ask you why they couldn't see daddy anymore?" "If you have not suffered along your subjects, don't you dare call yourself royalty!" Divine magic combined with the eldritch, Ophelia's fingers crackling with arcane energy as she cast a spell she'd become most familiar with. A giant fireball shot from her fingertips, flying at blinding speed towards Idra. The same fireball was laced with black energy, making its flames reminiscent of those sent from hell itself. It exploded on impact, engulfing the entire arena in black and orange flames that burnt the grounds without a sign of stopping. Umbra's dress was as good as it got when it came to magical protection; only the uncovered parts of Ophelia's skin seared with burning agony. But it was nothing compared to the agony she'd experienced while all alone. It was nothing compared to the shame she would feel if she let down Neon. "Until... you can resonate with the suffering of others, you will never be a true monarch. Give up now... before I make you regret ever crossing paths with me."

 

[Tenzai]

ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ꜱᴛɪᴄᴋ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴏᴡɴ ʙᴇʟɪᴇꜰ | ᴅʏɴᴀꜱᴛʏ ᴡᴀʀʀɪᴏʀꜱ: ᴏʀɪɢɪɴ - ᴏꜱᴛ ↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​ "Do you wield your weapons. Or do they wield you? It is like a child wearing a tunic three sizes too big for them. Such equipment is wasted on a coward like you." Her eyes furrowed at the idea that her taunts were cutting deep into her pride. Her armor was glamorous, befitting of the higher circles of her species, though as a result of it given her young age, many others in Heaven had assumed the same. Her title and her parents had afforded her power and status at the cost of being seen as an inheritor of it, rather than someone who had earned it via her own works. "I'll release it from the disgrace of being worn by you." The first slash came fast, much faster than Idra had expected. However, the holy warrior princess did not move nor stumble. Her divine shield was resolute, acting as a match for Ophelia's carving darkness. "Tough words coming from someone who wasted her years in a tower." Her armor seemed unscathed by the swiftness of her first strike. While she herself might have gotten the question of the divine, her armor was blessed by a holy blacksmith, one that could be seen handling the work of gods. "I've trained with the armor of gods. All you have is nothing but experience with shadows." Despite her words, her boots were pushed back, leaving a trail of shifted dirt from the force of her attack. Her armor was impeccable but her stance had hinted at her dependence on her gear for her success. Ophelia had the speed to go against Idra's resilience. She wielded darkness against Idra's light. "Tell me, Idra," A plume of dust had shot up from where she landed, leaving clouds born of sand around the battlefield. Even though the crowd had cheered their names, to Idra, her battlefield was silent. All that mattered were herself and the woman in front of her and she knew she couldn't afford to lose, especially not to someone so new in name and title. Ophelia was no champion. She was no renowned warrior. She was a lucky human that ruled over a backwater world generations ago, nothing more. "Have you ever personally buried one of your subjects? Have you given them their passing rites? Have you laid down flowers on their last resting place?" "My subjects are eternal. They are perfect. They know not of defeat." A smirk crossed her face from underneath her helmet finding another significant difference between her kingdom and Ophelia's. "Looks like your kind are only good at dying. Quite like your team, how fitting." The pain from her past fight was made apparent, leading to her limbs moving slower than they had when fighting Neon. Though where she lacked in freshness, her vitriol had served instead as fuel for her speed as well as some other unknown dark force. "Have you had to meet the eyes of a widow as you tell her that her husband remains could not be recovered? Had a child ask you why they couldn't see daddy anymore?" Idra grew quiet, hearing the same thought be brought up by her dad before he passed. The painful memory of his lectures alone had caused her to grit her teeth, making her shield grow even brighter with divine resistance. "If you have not suffered along your subjects, don't you dare call yourself royalty!" "What do you know about royalty?!"​ Pointing her spear at the growing amalgamation of darkness in front of her, the princess of light had readied herself to pierce through the corruption that came from Ophelia's patron's boon. However, before she was able to stab through it, the small ball of darkness suddenly grew massive, overtaking her shield, leading to it cracking upon impact and finally... Breaking. With a single attack, Idra's concentration on her defense had cracked, shattering the indomitable protective outer shell that so many others had struggled with piercing through in the past. The fact that she had done so that quickly had caused a roar to take the stands, leading to even Neon standing from her seat to cheer. While Neon herself might have been able to break through the shield, it wasn't without tons of sacrifice to come before. Perhaps Ophelia stood a chance. "KICK HER ASS!" "THATS MY PRINCESS!" "MAKE US PROUD!" "... Clap clap clap. Woooo." Her team had offered Ophelia her hopes as Idra swiped her blade to clear the arena of the dark soot and smoke that clouded her vision. Her armor was still stubbornly standing, though from the looks of it, it was the last layer standing in between her and her vulnerable flesh. "Until... you can resonate with the suffering of others, you will never be a true monarch. Give up now... before I make you regret ever crossing paths with me." The offer of surrender had made the princess laugh. "You're asking me? The future queen of the Northern Sky, to give up? How ignorant you are! Let me show you the power of someone deemed to lord over Heaven." Her spear glowed annoyingly bright, illuminated enough to render those too close and without protection blind. From the channeling of its energy, it seemed that the denial of vision was not its only intended effect as the very air molecules around began to heat up with divine fire. "Try and dodge this if you can." With her massive weapon, she threw a wave of light back in Ophelia's direction. Though her attack was slower than Neon's were, it made up for that lack of speed in size and power, bathing the arena in force as it traveled towards Ophelia. However, while it might've made short work of her if she was unable to rise off the ground, Idra was far from done. Following after her first volley, the back of her armor sprouted wings as jets underneath had given her speed to adjust for her armor's overwhelming weight. It was through the expert use of her gear that made her a dangerous foe to most, one that required Ophelia's answer to her god. Wielding her massive spear, its point reached Ophelia's rapier as she charged, forcing it to bend as it parried away most of its force into the ground, causing the very floor itself to crack, bending light as it collided only to leave behind a glowing mark of consecrated dust behind. "How dare you speak to me like we're equals! Your entire kingdom had lived for only a portion of my father's own!" Massive thrusts had afforded Ophelia enough time to strike twice in between every handheld artillery strike driven into her position. Though with every cut of her rapier, the tip bounced from swiftness alone. Whichever force that existed behind her blade needed to work in tandem with her and her deity. "I will not let you speak ill of it or me! You haven't earned that right!" Becoming disgruntled at the fact that her spear was too slow with her shield unable to block in time, Idra finally let go of the shield, letting it fall with a heavy thud as she wielded her spear with both hands. If she simply let this fight go on as is, neither of them would be able to strike down their opponent and she wasn't going to let someone speak ill of her entitlement to her royalty without suffering the taste of defeat at the hands of her light first. By surviving the first attacks and breaking through her shield, Idra had deemed her worthy of her effort and her fight. "Is that all your tough words have? Is that all your strength amounts to? Don't make me laugh." "If you were worthy of your title, you would've landed a meaningful blow by now."​ Realizing that Ophelia's method of escape was to always remain out of reach instead of casting a shield to protect herself, the princess had shifted her tactic, casting a spell that created a shield which forced her inside. The wall was transparent, too thick to cut through easily without risking herself with another eldritch fireball. "All that talk just for you to disappoint your friends." Reaching towards a sheath that rested at her hip, as she let go of the spear, it vanished into golden sparkles. only to have a certain vampire's blade take its place. "It would be poetic for Neon's blade to be what does you in." A fan of the theatrics, the angelic princess had infused Ophelia's friend's weapon with a shroud of her own light, tainting its darksteel-forged origin with consecration gold. "A perfect end for such an imperfect being." "Be proud that your common blood had brought you this far."​

 

[Carpe Diem]

◤━*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┓ ┗━━━━━━━━━━━━━━✧༺♥༻∞━◢ ✬ Ophelia ✬ ❝ You paint a picture in my mind, you wanna leave it all behind In a world that's turning all the time, nothing could stop me longing for your eyes ❞ "Looks like your kind are only good at dying. Quite like your team, how fitting." ​ "You may be right..." Ophelia smiled bitterly, finding no lie in Idra's words. "But it is through my kind's deaths that we continue to grow. Though we may never reach the heights of the divine, my kind continues to muddle through, finding their own way. As I'm sure those four will, whether I'm there or not. That's the kind of people they are." She did not let Idra's taunts get to her, instead glancing towards the stands, where the four stubborn girls remained despite Ophelia's request for them to not be around for the fight. She should've known they wouldn't leave for any reason, but she still sighed with a shake of her head. "What do you know about royalty?!" ​ The princess smirked, knowing that her words had found effect in the once indiscernible angel's exterior. It seemed that they truly were a match made in heaven - diametrically opposed, never to find each other agreeing on a single thing. Every word that Ophelia uttered got under the blonde's skin, just as every word spoken by Idra fanned the flames of her anger, making her magic flare ever higher with each moment that the battle went on. With her shield shattering, Ophelia's confidence only grew ever higher, her sardonic smirk deepening as she gripped her rapier tighter, readying herself for another bout once their exchange had ended. Of course she didn't expect Idra to surrender, but the fact that she responded to the offer was enough for Ophelia. The fact that she would even give the statement the benefit of a response meant something. What that something was would only show itself with time. Time that Idra was not willing to give her. "Try and dodge this if you can." Like usual, the angel gloated before she was even done making a move. The human princess stood ready, though her feet were wobbly from her fight against Neon still. Whatever reaction she would have wouldn't be as swift as it had been when she fought against Leandro or her vampire companion. True to her word, Idra's attack blinded her, forcing Ophelia to jump in one direction. She barely missed the brunt of the attack, sacrificing her left arm to the divine fire in order to not be scorched completely. It had already been left useless from her clash with Neon, so she decided that it was a worthwhile sacrifice. She didn't pay any mind to the pain of divine magic burning her to her eldritch-touched core, as if it was nothing compared to what she had endured. It was not enough to dodge, however. Idra's overwhelming strength left her with little options. It was the best she could do to parry the spear, keeping her body safe from being impaled by the divine weapon. "How dare you speak to me like we're equals! Your entire kingdom had lived for only a portion of my father's own!" "And yet for as long as they had me as their scapegoat, they prospered! It wasn't until... until...!" She could not rebuke her. It was her own fault the kingdom had fallen; how could she claim that her kingdom was any better when they had suffered? And Ophelia had borne witness to every second of it, courtesy of her patron? With the difference in strength growing apparent, Ophelia's rapier fell to the ground as she herself fell to her knees, stabbing it into the hard floor beneath her. She gazed up at Idra, her chest heaving with exhaustion, as if she'd given it her all. The angel's furious, righteous onslaught had left it clear that the difference in strength was overwhelming even for her. And with the shield brought up around her, there was no place for her to run, for her to hide. "If you were worthy of your title, you would've landed a meaningful blow by now." "I never claimed to be worthy of my title, Idra." ​ [Ophelia shook her head with resignation; yet another misunderstanding between them. While Idra claimed pride over her title, Ophelia only found shame in her own. She only continued to carry it out of a sense of shame - a reminder of who she was; and what she had done. She was the reason her kingdom had fallen, when her desire had only been for it to prosper. In the end, she let herself be seduced by dark power. It brought peace, but it also brought shame to her father's legacy, and taint to her lineage. Her red eyes looked up from the ground as she let go of her weapon, exchanging it for another. In that moment, Ophelia's eyes lit up with understanding that this was what Idra had wanted all along - to cause a rift by not only forcing her to break Neon's blade upon losing the match, but by making said blade be the one to take her down. The theatrics of it all could only draw one reaction from Ophelia. "Ha... hahahaha..." It was soft at first, barely but a small giggle. "Be proud that your common blood had brought you this far." "A piece of advice, Idra?" ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: Mili - Paper Bouquet ↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺ "Never monologue. And never let go of your weapon..."​ As if her earlier docility had been nothing but an act, Ophelia's red eyes glared up at the supposed victor. "I think... under different circumstances, under a different sky, you and I..." She stared straight up, letting out a sigh that made her chest feel light. "... could've come to an understanding. Maybe... I could've seen you as a friend. Who else could ever know the weight that a crown bears? All dream of holding it over their head, but none know the feelings of inadequacy that come with it... And yet..." "Every word you say... every sentence you form... every time you look down on me, or on those that I care about..." Ophelia dodged to the right, barely evading the downward slash of Neon's blade by Idra. The divine light scorched her yet again, but there was something different than a moment ago. Where Ophelia's arm had been rendered completely unusable by Idra's attack earlier, it was now completely fine. Her arm was completely exposed, not even Umbra's superb threadwork being able to withstand Idra's attack, but the human's arm was completely fine, other than the sizzling as the muscles and skin reformed in real time. "IT PISSES ME THE HELL OFF...!!!!!!" ​ Imbued with every bit of eldritch magic that her body could handle and more, Ophelia swung under Idra's arm and smashed her fist straight into her visor, letting the recoil of it send her flying against the barrier of her own making, but not before she used the opportunity to snatch Neon's blade from her filthy angel hands with her other hand. It was better used in her hands, a person who was more acquainted with the dark arts. She pushed down the sword on the ground next to her rapier, creating a small but powerful eldritch barrier around both of them to protect them from what was about to come next. "So you have learnt to use your armor and weapons to a masterful degree. I'll take back my words about your gear wearing you. However..." Eldritch magic crackled in one of her palms, while the other crackled with her own, divine magic in the form of pure, unfiltered and unformed energy, glowing an ominous red. She pushed both hands together with some difficulty, as if trying to press magnets together while they were on the same pole. "... You're still naive! To gloat over an enemy you have not yet defeated. To assume you know every trick under their sleeve. 'Appear weak when you are strong, appear strong when you are weak'. Even as a child, I knew this. Yet you... you're nothing but a stupid child if you think something like this will stop me from using magic...!!!" She pushed both palms forward, sending the ball of chaotic magic straight towards Idra with blinding speed. Even if the angel were to put down the barrier in an attempt to run away, it was too late; the explosion would catch them both in its detonation. The barrier broke regardless, sending Ophelia flying back against her own barrier, where both her rapier and Neon's sword remained unscathed. She could feel every bone in her body shattering from the sheer force of the explosion, but they reformed within the same second, leaving her insides to crackle as punctured organs and muscles healed themselves back in an instant. The pain, however, could not be avoided. It took a moment for Ophelia, who had grown used to pain by now, to recover as she stood back up, putting down the barrier to retrieve both blades from the ground. "And one more thing..." "I'm ambidextrous. But I'm sure my acting lead you to believe my right hand is weaker, no?" ​ Ophelia smirked, giving Neon's sword a few swings to get used to its weight. It was a lot heavier than her own rapier, but she had some extra strength thanks to her patron, so it was hardly a problem for the time being. "I'm actually most comfortable when I have two blades in both of my hands. Thanks for the gift!" The princess mocked, tapping her boots on the ground beneath her. "Now that I've shown you a few more of my tricks..." "Shall we kick it up a notch?"​ Using the debris that her earlier blast had created around them, the princess took inspiration from a certain spell her witch friend had used to help her not too long ago. The stone and concrete rose from the ground, levitating at varying heights and distances around both of the princesses. One moment, Ophelia was on the ground. The next, she was a blur as she hopped onto a nearby piece of debris, before hopping onto the next. She jumped around several times, adding an element of uncertainty as to which direction she would attack from before mimicking the way Neon used her own blade against her to propel herself towards Idra. She imbued Neon's sword with her patron's magic as she slashed at Idra's back. "You won't mind if I get a little serious now, will you? After all, you're the one that wanted this!" With even more speed than before, Ophelia jumped away to a piece of debris that was high up in the air before Idra could trap her in another one of her barriers. "I wonder how much it'll hurt when I beat you with Neon's weapon?"​

​

 

[Tenzai]

"A piece of advice, Idra?" Advice? Who was she to offer the princess leagues over her advice? "Never monologue. And never let go of your weapon..." Crimson hues stared with intensity back at the angelic warrior. The sigh that followed was akin to someone dealing with a nuisance rather than their greatest enemy. "I need not try my best against you. Now that I've seen your works in all its power, it's safe to say..." "You're a lot more disappointing than I thought you would be." ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴠᴀʟʟᴇʏ ᴏꜰ ꜰᴏᴏʟꜱ | ᴍᴀʀᴢᴜᴋᴜ ↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​ "It seems that the most dangerous part about you is your choice of words." Refusing to take her advice without being seen as an equal, she continued to gloat, believing that she held full advantage with Ophelia being trapped within her bubble. Its gilded surface was impenetrable from both directions, inside and out. "I think... under different circumstances, under a different sky, you and I... could've come to an understanding. Maybe... I could've seen you as a friend. Who else could ever know the weight that a crown bears? All dream of holding it over their head, but none know the feelings of inadequacy that come with it... And yet... Every word you say... every sentence you form... every time you look down on me, or on those that I care about..." Believing this moment to be the perfect opportunity to strike her down, Idra swung with Neon's blade, whiffing towards what she believed to be her wounded side. However, one clear look had hinted that in the time she had spent speaking, Ophelia regenerated her strength, taking full advantage of the princess' pride. Underneath her helmet, she gritted her teeth as the stubbornness of her opponent's body, finding it annoying to face another opponent similar in resilience to herself. Her armor was made to be impenetrable, a stalwart tool against all adversity. Its greatest weakness was the wielder inside of it. "IT PISSES ME THE HELL OFF...!!!!!!"​ "How unbecoming of you." Ophelia's anger was something she deemed unlady-like. "If your body could heal that fast, then it just means you'll bear more of my punishment. You'll simply lose for longer." Idra swung again, finding her divine fire scorching her opponent's body a swing earlier being a good sign. Though, as if she had expected it to come, Ophelia had moved at a cross angle that was hard to see given Idra's visor's sight limitations. With her hook sent straight into her visor, the sudden momentum had caught Idra off guard, forcing her armor against the shield itself. [Armor integrity at 70%] Regardless of what her armor warned, her own body was much more fragile than its divine reinforcement. With Neon's sword dropping as she was sent in the opposing direction, both glowed with a dark hue as they fell under her god's protection. "So you have learnt to use your armor and weapons to a masterful degree. I'll take back my words about your gear wearing you. However..." [Warning. Level 5 eldritch magic has been detected in your vicinity. Warning. Level 7 eldritch magic has been detected in your vicinity.] Standing herself back up, as her armor warned her of what was to come, she prepared to plant herself in place to prove that her magic would not move her. She was a massive target, one that was heaving from the pain she felt when her armor had been used against her, turning it into a painful, brunt force prison. By now, Idra was coughing, each contortion of her chest being heard from the speakers on her armor. "... You're still naive! To gloat over an enemy you have not yet defeated. To assume you know every trick under their sleeve. 'Appear weak when you are strong, appear strong when you are weak'. Even as a child, I knew this. Yet you... you're nothing but a stupid child if you think something like this will stop me from using magic...!!!" Dark sparks had led to sweat dripping from her brow as she felt her survival instincts scream for attention. A chill had ran down her spine finding the rapier wielding mage risking herself as she prepared a high level eldritch spell befitting a battlefield rather than that of the arena. With each flung spark came a loss of color from their surroundings, only to grow more rapid from its channeling before finally being released in a blast that broke her concentration. [Armor integrity at 50%] The wall had shattered. Her armor, while still standing, was showing signs of wear and tear from steam shooting out of the exhaust ports for having its electronic components be overworked to the point of heat exhaustion. She couldn't deny that her body was in pain. As she stood up once again, Ophelia could see her joints wincing. Regardless of how strong the armor was, the blast had reached Idra inside. "And one more thing... I'm ambidextrous. But I'm sure my acting lead you to believe my right hand is weaker, no?" With her weapon in her enemy's hand and her body recovering fast from the sudden snap of her bones, now it seemed like Idra was on the losing end. Her body was moving slower, as if each limb was just as heavy as her lance, and surprisingly, she was quiet. The sting of her wounds had placed her priority away from her gloating. Unlike her former opponents, this one had the power to hurt her through her divine construction. "I'm actually most comfortable when I have two blades in both of my hands. Thanks for the gift! Now that I've shown you a few more of my tricks... Shall we kick it up a notch?" And she was far from done. The dust and debris had lifted itself, beckoned by her mana and will to act as a bridge for the eldritch princess to hop across. With each shard of rubble, orbiting around the woman who could barely move, she was given freedom in her attacks, allowing her to strike Idra from any angle. "You won't mind if I get a little serious now, will you? After all, you're the one that wanted this! I wonder how much it'll hurt when I beat you with Neon's weapon?" 'Shit. I need to give my armor some time to recharge.' With her energy dedicated to her shield capacitors, she couldn't wield her magic as well without her armor having more energy to spare as a catalyst. Though, before it was given a moment to charge, strikes from above, behind, and below had rendered her batteries overwhelmed. "Ach... Oof... Mhmphf." She was but a sitting duck, a punching bag for the very sword she had stolen from the vampiress a year ago. Their duel had begun to turn into an embarrassing display once it was made obvious that she was too reliant on her armor; That without her father's gifts, she was nothing. [Armor integrity at 40%] With each passing moment, her armor was losing its combat capability. [Armor integrity at 20%] Soon, it would be stripped of her, leaving her with nothing but her own flesh to handle Ophelia who only seemed to be gaining more momentum now that the tides of battle were shifting in her favor. [Armor integrity at 5%. Shutting down.] Quietly, she muttered a prayer to any god that would listen to her for strength befitting that of a queen. However, as if the gods were made aware of her taking their gifts for granted, none had come to her aid once the last swing had knocked the armor off of her, unveiling itself into a metal box that landed to her side, leaving her in nothing but her jumpsuit. Without her armor in the way, Ophelia was able to see the bruises she had left on the supposedly perfect princess' body. She was not immune to her attacks despite her best attempts to act as such; In truth, she was just as ordinary as most others in the galaxy, save for her overwhelming sense of pride for a species whose gifts she inherited instead of earned. Taking her sidearm, she attempted to make a last ditch attempt at gunning down the princess, only to have the weapon knocked out of her hand. Nearly defenseless, the princess bit her tongue hard enough to bleed, hating the feeling of so many eyes on her watching her at such a vulnerable state. "Why won't you understand your place?" She swung her arms with terrible posture, being easily dodged before feeling the blunt side of Ophelia's strike. She was but prey to be toyed with; A terrible woman who had yet to be met with the consequences of her pride. "Take me down. Stop playing these games with me." She thrusted her arms again, causing the angels in the stands to look away from her shame. They were meant to be the epitome of species when it came to combat; Not victims who were incapable of defending themselves. "Do me the honor of a proper defeat, Ophelia! What are you scared?!" Throwing her hands in a wild display of disgrace as she charged forward in heels that never belonged in the arena in the first place, taking merely a side step for her to end up falling to the ground, covering her once perfect face in a layer of dust. Coughing, as she attempted to get up, she eyed the shadows of the princess she looked down on, finding herself now being the one to be in the position beneath her. Their fight was over. The posturing she had delivered had come to an end. Now it was merely time for Ophelia to decide how she wanted to end this fight. With the eyes of the crowds from both in person and online looking towards her, her own found family watching from the stands and the very hero that ordered them to find her in the first place observing her as well, Ophelia was given the spotlight to decide the fate of the woman that had done so much damage to her team before. "What do you think she's gonna do?" Medina tilted her head, sitting crisscrossed on her seat with popcorn in her hand. "I don't know." Given the sheer amount of distance in between them, Shiro was unable to rely on her future sight to determine the fate of the princess below her boot. "Oh no, I hope Lia doesn't go too far." August seemed nervous, watching how her magic was beginning to corrupt her speech. However, Neon was of a different mind. "What do you mean? Have you forgotten what she did to us last year?" The vampire samurai had yet to forgive her for the wrong she committed. "She hurt us, Gust. She hurt me. Made me a fool in front of everyone." She sighed, remembering the feeling of loss. "The rights of the defeated go to the victor. Its up to her to decide what she wants to do. Whatever happens, Idra has no right to complain if she can't grant grace in victory herself." Gripping her skirt, nervous as to what Ophelia would do, the witch was of a different mindset. At the end of the day, they were still allies fighting on the same side of the front. While she wasn't against Ophelia teaching her a lesson, she didn't want her to be unnecessarily cruel as well. "But Lia isn't like Idra! She's better than that." Both women had faith in the princess from different directions; Neon was proud of her combat prowess, finding her victory to be the work of perfect cinema. August had seen Ophelia for her humanity, remembering the joys they had in the peace. "Then lets leave it up to her to decide, Gust. However she delivers her lesson, I'll accept her. No matter what happens, she'll always be our Lia."

 

[Carpe Diem]

◤━*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┓ ┗━━━━━━━━━━━━━━✧༺♥༻∞━◢ ✬ Ophelia ✬ ❝ You paint a picture in my mind, you wanna leave it all behind In a world that's turning all the time, nothing could stop me longing for your eyes ❞ "Why won't you understand your place?" "I'm trying to. Gods know I'm trying to." ​ "But I know it is not kneeling before you. Not in a million years, Idra." The princess that had spoken about disappointments less than a couple of minutes ago was now screaming at her like a petulant child who had lost a game and was now throwing a tantrum. Ophelia's boiling yet cold rage was incapable of retaining that heat when he saw Idra like this, when she saw her for who she really was - a girl trying her hardest to fit boots too big for her. It cooled to a simmer, but refused to fully leave her as it was now accompanied by an aloof sense of pity. "Take me down. Stop playing these games with me." "Not yet." Her eyes left her opponent - a careless mistake against someone capable, but a luxury she was afforded against someone powerless like Idra - and looked to the crowd, searching for that head full of pink. So much for saying she only fought for herself; here she was, trying to find the best way to honor her friend. The same friend she had blasted away and cursed off just the night prior. A small scoff left her lips, not out of disdain or mockery towards Idra, but towards herself. What a hypocrite she was, saying such words and yet acting so recklessly. Using so much of her patron's powers would surely come at a steep price once this was all done, but for now she only cared to do right by Neon. "Do me the honor of a proper defeat, Ophelia! What are you scared?!" "You dare speak of honor after what you did to Neon?" "The rapier that Medina made for me along with her gloves. The dress that protected my body from your attacks, made by a seamstress who accepted me despite my rudeness. The bandages of an angel who said he would offer no discounts, yet gave me them free of charge. And the sword of a friend that you tried to strike me down with." "You insulted all of them. Yet you would ask for grace in defeat after all of that?" ​ Ophelia took a step back out of reflex, the movement so telegraphed it didn't even warrant thinking about as she dodged her awkward lunge. It was almost like sidestepping a child who was running without paying attention to their surroundings, except she didn't bother to catch her as she tripped over her own feet. Instead she looked down at her with disdain and pity, her lips sealed tightly in a slight scowl as she found herself conflicted. "You don't deserve honor. What you deserve..." Ophelia's own high-heeled boot made contact with Idra's chin, an upward kick to send her reeling back as she bought herself some more time to reflect. She scanned the crowd yet again, finding Neon's expectant gaze over them. And next to her, August's concerned eyes. She frowned in confusion; why was she so disconcerted? Ophelia had won. Without her armor, Idra may as well been weaker than a wild boar that she could easily dispose of with a single thrust of her rapier. There was no reason for her to be worried any longer. Other than... If she lost herself. ​ This was why she didn't want any of them to watch. Because once her emotions ran high, it was hard to control herself. The grip on her rapier tightened for a moment before loosening in the next, a deep, quiet sigh escaping her as she sheathed it within the scabbard Medina had made for it. Neon's blade remained in her other hand. "... is a bitter lesson. Just like the one I learned when I became trapped in that tower. Except you won't have to simmer in this lesson for that long. You won't have to stare into the abyss to understand." She shook her head, trying to erase all the times she'd nearly blinked while staring into that deep, endless darkness. How close she had become to losing herself in the madness. Instead, she focused on the single ray of light she had been blessed with. "... You wanted to follow in his steps too, right?"​ Her gaze and voice both softened in that moment, staring down at Idra. But what she saw was not the angel that had mocked her endlessly from the moment they met. Instead, she saw a reflection of herself, younger and innocent. Amber hues stared back at deep crimsons, her expression unreadable. She bit back bitter tears of regret. "Boots so big you could put your entire arm in them and still couldn't reach the bottom. Crown so big you couldn't even dream of it ever fitting your head. Yet you still dreamt, and dreamt, and became so desperate. You could hear the whispers. A child. How will she ever measure up to him? Anger. Frustration. Fear." 'You would do anything if it meant you could stop feeling that way.' "But those voices will never be satisfied, no matter what you do. Instead, you need to follow your own heart. Do what you think is right, not what others expect of you." ​ "There will always be regrets. But the path you choose for yourself is the one that will have the least." If only she'd known that before. Despite what others said, she would live her life filled with regrets. This moment was but a nanosecond compared to the memories that would haunt her for as long as she was allowed to live. It didn't have to be the same for others. "May this be one lesson you can never forget, Idra." As if she was done lecturing her now, a green flame coated Neon's sword, its ghastly hue telling of its origin. Despite its simplicity, the enchanted flame was of a higher degree than anything she'd used in the entire prior match, sucking the very light surrounding the blade. With a single, swift and surgical movement, Ophelia swung it down, creating a cut that started from just above Idra's brow and ran across the bridge of her nose all the way to the top of her cheek. The wound didn't even have the chance to bleed as the flame cauterized it instantly, but that didn't mean that it wouldn't fill the angel with pain. Such powerful magic that she had imbued into the blade meant that no ordinary healing magic could ever hope to heal the scar. Only divine magic of the highest order would have the hopes of removing it entirely, and even that was a maybe. The scar would burn now, and at random intervals for as long as it remained on her, to forever remind Idra of her loss here today. The blade dragged over the ground, sizzling against the concrete as the flame burnt through it and then vanished. There was silence in the arena, the crowd stunned for a moment before... "WE HAVE A WINNER!!! IN AN UNPREDICTABLE, UNPRECEDENTED TURN OF EVENTS, THE LAST PRINCESS OF THE LAMPROS KINGDOM WINS TO TAKE ALL!!" ​ It erupted into deafening cheers and screams of disbelief and amazement. The very ground rumbled under the sound of the crowd exploding with excitement, and for the first time Ophelia felt dizzy. She stumbled back, holding her face as the world around her began to spin. She granted Idra one last glance before she turned on her heel, straining herself to keep an air of dignity as she left the ring behind the same way she'd entered it - exuding nothing but pure confidence and determination. The moment she was out of the limelight and on the hallway, however, she nearly tumbled over. She felt as if her body was being torn from the inside out. "I knew you wouldn't let me have this victory for free..." Ophelia laughed bitterly only to spit out black blood from her mouth, her hand shooting up to catch it rather than let it stain the floor. "Gone silent again already? You were having so much... fun earlier...!!" The pain. It was excruciating. Every bit of pain that she had caused to Idra was reflected back on her a hundredfold, and then some more as a reward for some good entertainment. But Ophelia remained stalwart, using Neon's sword to support herself as she forced herself to the nearest locker room and shut the door behind her, falling onto her knees as soon as the door clicked closed. "Gods... this is always the worst part..." It felt like a million needles were stabbing her at once, like her bones were being liquefied and crushed at the same time. Like her blood was being turned into acid. And in the literal sense, it was. Just not to her. Not the her that was lying on the ground, anyway. But no matter how much it hurt, she could never let anyone know of the cost that using her patron's powers took from her. Because she knew that those four would do something stupid and reckless if they knew... That the Ophelia they knew was nothing more than projection. ​ In a way, she was a conduit for her patron to see through her. To enact its twisted desires upon this foreign world. Foreign from itself, at least. In flesh and blood, this Ophelia was real, but she was not the real Ophelia. That one was still trapped in the very bottom of the tower, suffering thousands of deaths for every spell she used that wasn't her own. "Haha... It's okay. I-I... I took back your sword, Neon. I hope... I can see you smile once you have it back. F-For now... I just need a little bit of... rest..." Holding the blade to her chest as if to protect it with her life, Ophelia crumbled to the floor, lying on her side as the pain ravaged her insides to the point of exhaustion, forcing her body to shut down from pure shock. Even so, she wouldn't let go of the sword for any reason as she laid there, blood dripping from her mouth and nose. "Just a little... snooze is fine, right...?"​

​

 

[Tenzai]

"You insulted all of them. Yet you would ask for grace in defeat after all of that?"​ "It is my right as a princes-" A swift boot to the chin had knocked out all sense of confidence and certainty. Without her armor standing in the way, the pain had genuinely stung. Blood dripped from her lips due to how fragile she was underneath her father's gifts; Now stripped from the strength of her bloodline, she was little more than an ordinary girl with an affinity for holy magic, a child forced into a role she should have never been inside in the first place. "You don't deserve honor. What you deserve..." With her eyes turned to the crowd, August and Neon had looked on with curiosity, each holding their opinions of what was most right. However, despite their looks, they still seemed to look on to Ophelia with hope. Regardless of what would happen, at the end of it all, their friend had claimed victory. That alone had made them proud of her. "... is a bitter lesson. Just like the one I learned when I became trapped in that tower. Except you won't have to simmer in this lesson for that long. You won't have to stare into the abyss to understand." Now brought to the floor, Idra did not offer any counterargument. She did not speak against Ophelia. Instead, she listened. It was Ophelia's right as the victor to speak as she wished no matter what the content of her words may be. "... You wanted to follow in his steps too, right?" And it seemed that her message would be far more involved than any she received in the past by someone else that wasn't her father. Where there were once fierce eyes that sought to best represent her father's valorous own, the Lamprosian princess had found softening hues as a response to the words she embedded within her opponent. Despite the massive gap in time period, there were few others who could understand her more than another princess that held the weight of her kingdom on her shoulders. "Boots so big you could put your entire arm in them and still couldn't reach the bottom. Crown so big you couldn't even dream of it ever fitting your head. Yet you still dreamt, and dreamt, and became so desperate. You could hear the whispers. A child. How will she ever measure up to him? Anger. Frustration. Fear. You would do anything if it meant you could stop feeling that way. But those voices will never be satisfied, no matter what you do. Instead, you need to follow your own heart. Do what you think is right, not what others expect of you." "...But what if I don't know what's right?... What if I do something I'd regret?"​ Her words were too meaningful for the once proud princess to ignore. Strength combined with humility in victory was what made her father great. He always held better goals than pride alone in mind, making her wonder what he valued so much that made him different from the many other angels in his cohort. To see the very same in Ophelia was a reminder that she was far from what she wanted to be; She was no more deserving of the title of princess than the vampire she tried to break. Cursing herself, not for her loss against Ophelia, but rather for her loss against her own pride, Idra slapped herself in the face, tearing up from the sudden addition to the previous pain only to hear a certain depth behind her words that feigned wisdom tempered by immortal experience. "There will always be regrets. But the path you choose for yourself is the one that will have the least." At least Idra wouldn't be forced to make the same mistakes nor would her future people be subjected to it either. "May this be one lesson you can never forget, Idra." Watching as the green flame overtook the eldritch spellcaster's blade, Idra didn't step away as she approached. With a precise and quick slash, Ophelia's had left her signature on Idra's body where it will never heal; A soon to be scar was made present from the side of her forehead down to her chin. "... I won't forget it... I- I'm S... Sorry, for what I've said and done to you... And your team..." Whispering, a crack of honest understanding had shone through her gilded heart, giving the princess a glimpse of the girl underneath the noble blood. Underneath everything else, Idra was still a princess that wanted to make her father and her people proud, taking this lesson as a painful memory that would act as a foundation to helping her become the princess her kingdom deserved. With the crowds watching the once proud champion be brought to heel, they roared as once the announcements were made, crowning one of the newest talents of the citadel as the champion of the arena. The girls on her team cheered, barely able to be heard while they were drowned out by the audience excited over the upset. Though their cheers would be cut short noticing the sudden lack of strength in her legs, Ophelia was soon to fall, assumed to be most likely as the result of her using so much magical ability and strength so quickly. "Neon, you see that?... Neon?" August was the first to note the shift, only to turn to see Neon already missing. "Medina, Shiro. Come with me!" The three others rushed through the crowds to reunite with their fifth quickly. "Just a little... snooze is fine, right...?" Boots had sounded from the door leading up to the halls where the arena's contenders would pass, only for Ophelia to feel the familiar, cool hands of a vampire samurai wrapping around from underneath her legs and behind her back to lift her up. "Snooze all you like, Lia. You earned it." ──────・୨ ✦✦✦✦✦ ୧・────── ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ɴᴏ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪꜰꜱ | ꜱᴀᴘᴘʜɪʀᴇ ↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺ ──────・୨ ✦✦✦✦✦ ୧・──────​ The smell of fresh apple cider over ice had tickled Ophelia's nose by the time she woke up. The ceiling above her was familiar: It was her room's ceiling, this time accompanied with the sounds of the few voices that she had grown to be comfortable with. "Yes. I think she would find the gesture welcome." Standing at the door, Shiro was speaking with Idra on the other end. In her hands were painkillers meant to help aid with the recovery of the unconscious woman as well as a few candles and snacks to act as a housewarming present. "... And tell her to get some rest when she wakes up. I don't want the girl who beat me to end up losing to exhaustion." On the couch in the living room sat Medina and August. August had her eyes scanning through some books, curious as to what spells she had casted and how to cast it the same herself. Medina on the other hand was more keen on keeping track of Ophelia's diagnostics ensuring that her recovery process was going well. Though, right as she turned in search of Neon, she felt the softness of a pillow underneath her head shift. It was far too warm to simply be one of the pillows she was given, each ensuring a coolness to sleep thanks to the quality of their material. No, these pillows belonged to someone that was living. "Good morning, Lia." Smiling as she looked down at the princess, it seemed that Neon didn't let the princess leave her sight ever since they left the arena in the first place. "Or well... Good midnight, specifically. You were out for a while. A few hours to be exact." Taking a cloth from her hand stained from previous wipes, she cleaned the excess tar from her lips. "You might've pushed yourself too hard back there but... You did one hell of a job. Thanks for winning for us." Blushing as she remembered the feeling of the touch of their lips, the vampire didn't make any sudden moves. "Relax, those drinks aren't alcoholic. its apple cider, specifically. Cider from real fruits." Stroking her head with her free hand, once she put down the rag, she grabbed her glass from the table nearby to show her the delicious solution. "It was a gift from Sen for performing so well." "Oh! You're finally awake!" Medina was the first to come, only to be followed by August next. "How are you feeling? Thirsty? Tired? Horny? Hungry?" The doctor rattled off her questions to the amusement of the others once they saw that she was awake again. "Don't mind her. We all just wanna know how you're holding up." Sitting beside her, the others in her team had sat around the woman that had accomplished what many believed to be improbable. "Especially after going against an angel. You were pretty cool out there! The dark magic explosions! The acrobatics! All of it! It was..." Taking a sip of her drink, Shiro looked up at the girl that disrupted her foresight. "Incredible." Noticing her shifting, Neon shook her head. "Lia, its cool. No need to get up. You've pushed yourself through enough today already. Way more than you ever need to for a while." The vampire samurai didn't mind the feeling of being her pillow. It was the least she could do after seeing how far Ophelia was willing to go for her team. "Just rely on us, yeah?" "We're your friends; Your team." "Give us a chance to have your back too."​

 

[Carpe Diem]

◤━*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┓ ┗━━━━━━━━━━━━━━✧༺♥༻∞━◢ ✬ Ophelia ✬ ❝ You paint a picture in my mind, you wanna leave it all behind In a world that's turning all the time, nothing could stop me longing for your eyes ❞ ✦ ── ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: Breathlessly · Katawa Shoujo ── ✦ ↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺ "Hey, you're back." ​ Ophelia's eyes opened to find herself in a deep, dark, endless void. Her eyelids fluttered for a moment, as if she'd just woken up from a deep, deep dream, and was only now waking up. There was nothing as far as the eye could see. So dark, so infinite that a mind would shatter at the mere mention of it. But Ophelia knew this void already. She'd only seen it once, when she first entered a contract with It, but she'd never been able to forget it. If she was here, it meant... "You died, yes. Not just your projection, but... your real body." ​ "I didn't break the conditions of the contract, by the way. Your body... it simply couldn't take the pain. Thousands of years of not using my powers will leave you rusty. What did you think would happen, pushing yourself so hard?" "I didn't think anything. I'm sure you're well aware of that. I just had to. For Neon's sake, for..." Ophelia's eyes gazed up, meeting the gaze of another woman who stood in the middle of the void unabated. She wore an easy smile upon her face, contrary to the seemingly mocking words that she spoke. There was no sense of malice or mockery in her gaze or voice, but simple curiosity. In her hands was a shoddily-made book, like a picture book put together by a child, and ready to fall apart if it was handled the wrong way. This was the form It had taken when they first met in Its domain. A random face it was not, instead taken from deep within Ophelia's mind. If it wasn't for the fact that the princess knew it meant no harm by it, she would've thought that It was mocking her by putting on such a face. That was the worst part of it; the lack of malice in any of Its actions. No matter how terrible the things It did were, they were done not out of malice or sadism, but out of some childish sense of curiosity. Like It wanted to know how she would react. Like a child might poke a bee's nest with a stick or prod a dying animal it found on the side of the road, prolonging its suffering without even meaning to. The face It wore was of Sabrina, Ophelia's first friend. She was a farmer's daughter that the princess had met by pure chance one day, when she had grown so tired of the castle walls that she snuck out with the help of some of the maids. Sabrina had been running around with a bag full of copper coins when she ran into Ophelia, scattering the entire contents of it all on the floor. Ophelia immediately went to help, and even offered a gold coin when she heard the money was to buy medicine for her grandmother. The two had become instant friends and Ophelia snuck out often to meet with her. Sometimes, she even made it as far as the farm and helped out tilling the fields just so they could play together faster. Sabrina had no idea that Ophelia was the princess, and yet she had accepted her all the same. For the first time in her life, it felt like someone had seen her for who she really was rather than her title. They grew up together, and Ophelia felt like Sabrina eventually figured it out, but never once brought it up. It happened years before the war. A great disease had struck the kingdom, taking out most of the populace of the Lamprosian Kingdom. If it hadn't been for that, maybe they wouldn't have lost the war. Maybe Ophelia wouldn't have had to take the contract. But what ifs were not her concern. Sabrina's father was old and died shortly after the outbreak. Sabrina took taking care of the farm without a second thought, without even being able to shed a tear or properly grieve her last remaining family member. She herself had lost sight in her left eye, and yet she soldiered on. Ophelia had, just like when they were children, broken out of the castle despite her father's warnings, only to find Sabrina standing in the middle of the field, hoe in hand, tilling away like she had grown used to seeing. Except, as she approached, Ophelia noticed that she wasn't moving. She had died standing.​ When Ophelia first made a contract with It, It only had one condition for using Its power. It would bring her back if she died, but in exchange, she would have to give up a precious memory of hers, for her to keep. The memory of Sabrina's death was the first that it took. But it had left the knowledge that it had been taken in Ophelia's mind, just so she would know t hat she had lost something precious. In turn, it took her face, just as she had looked when she died. ​ "For someone else's sake, as you always do. And yet the same thing happens. You hurt, while they don't. Why did you push yourself for a swordswoman that put her blade to your neck before you even had a chance to exchange words? The same person you said you hated the night before. Why would you die for someone like that?" "Because I couldn't bear to see the pain in her eyes as she was forced to relive that painful memory. She's so quick to blame herself. She's an idiot, and I..." "And the witch, so presumptuous. She took you out of the tower and thought you would be so grateful. She said so many grand things, but isn't she just so useless?" She was sitting on a mahogany chair, an ivory table in front of her and It sitting across from her, sipping tea in one hand while still holding the book of memories in the other hand. Not just her memories, but the memories of every person it had killed, seeking something within the pages, yet never finding it. "Maybe she is. But she's trying her best. She's obviously so good with magic, but so helpless in everything else. I just want to..." "And then there's the cat. So taciturn, so hard to read. Even I can't tell what she's thinking half the time. What I would do to get into her brain too..." "I can never tell what she's thinking. I want to know. I want to learn more about what drives her. I..." "And the dog! Quite the polar opposite. She would talk your ear off if she could, and then talk some more. What's her obsession with watching girls kiss anyway..." "She cares so much, I'm afraid she'll get hurt. The others say she's tougher than she looks, but diamond is the hardest yet also so brittle. All it might take is a blow on the wrong spot and she'll break. I know it. That's why I..." "And that silly princess. The wingless angel. So useless without her toys. It was so fun to see her break! The most entertainment I've had in the five thousand years we've been together. Oh, it was so worth it to see her scampering around, crying like the snotty brat she was!" "I want to go back. I want to see them again. Even if it's just one more time, I..." "Why?" ​ "All you do is suffer. The amount of pain they've brought you outweighs whatever fun you've had with them, as far as I'm aware. So why? Stay here. You don't have to suffer while you're here. Isn't that what you want? To forever be free of the pain you feel? I'll take it all. I'll take all of your memories, leave you an empty, unsuffering husk. You can just sleep forever, as you have wished for so long. Just--" "Fulfill your end of the contract. Bring me back. I want to see them." "You know the price. So pay it."​ Ophelia bit her lip, shrinking back only now that she actually had to face the consequences of her actions. "What do you want this time?" "The memory of your first kiss, with that vampire. It looked so precious." "No." "Then the memory of your victory against that princess. What was her name again? Ah, so insignificant, but her eyes were so honest." "Her name is Idra, and again, no. I won't let you take any memories about them. Nothing recent." It rubbed its chin, pensive for a moment. While it could not fathom why she was so adamant about keeping those memories over any others, it did not question it. "Then... the memory of your mother's face. The face that flashes in your mind every time you brandish your weapon. The face you call upon when you need the bravery to fight." ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ "Good morning, Lia." ​ "Ughhh... why's your dumb face the first thing I have to see when I wake up... Why couldn't it be Gust..." She teased, sticking her tongue out at the vampiress. She looked around as well as she could, her body still exhausted and with no strength left even after 'sleeping' so long. She didn't know how long she'd actually been sleeping, and how long she'd been actually dead, but seeing as she was in her room rather than in the morgue, she supposed it hadn't been that long for them to notice. And she hoped they would never find out. "Guess Idra's not joining for the celebration, nor is Sen, huh? So much for being the champion. Where's my buffet..." "Or well... Good midnight, specifically. You were out for a while. A few hours to be exact." "Good to know... What's not good to know is what you've been doing to my unconscious body all that time. If I find something weird, like a bite, I swear I'll put you through worse than what I put Idra through." She joked again, her smile sweet yet menacing. She didn't expect Neon to be that kind of person, but, well. One could never know for sure. "You might've pushed yourself too hard back there but... You did one hell of a job. Thanks for winning for us." "Hmph. I won for me. Idra was pissing me off. -- Hey, don't start blushing on me. You'll make me blush too..." If she could punch Neon's shoulder, she would. But she was too tired. Too tired to care either way. But if Neon kept on blushing, the others might realize something was up between the two, and Ophelia didn't have the energy to explain. "Relax, those drinks aren't alcoholic. its apple cider, specifically. Cider from real fruits." "Neon, I'm fine getting drunk. I just want to be fully lucid if something... between us happens. I want to be able to remember." Heavens knew memories were a luxury to her. If something was to happen between them, well... "Oh! You're finally awake!" Whatever conversation they could've had was broken by the eager puppy that came to greet her, smiling and wagging her tail so hard she could feel a cool, pleasant breeze. "How are you feeling? Thirsty? Tired? Horny? Hungry?" Ophelia laughed lightly. "Hmmm, all of the above? I'm sure you could help me with at least one of those things, though." She winked at her before turning her gaze towards August. "It's fine. You'd be surprised at how fussy maids get over the smallest cuts. Oh, the tree branches I've fallen through in my days. Branches are surprisingly sharp, did you know?" She reminisced for a moment, but even just remembering her past invited that empty feeling in the back of her mind. "Especially after going against an angel. You were pretty cool out there! The dark magic explosions! The acrobatics! All of it! It was..." "Incredible." "Thanks, you all. And I'm sorry that I made you worry about me. If I'd been stronger, I could've finished that fight sooner. I just... nghhh..." Ophelia attempted to push herself to a sitting position, so as to stop being a burden on Neon, but her body barely budged. "Lia, its cool. No need to get up. You've pushed yourself through enough today already. Way more than you ever need to for a while." "Nonsense. We have a mission in a few days, don't we? I'm supposed to guide you once we're at the castle. I can't be a burden to you four..." More than a burden, she needed to make sure they all made it out alive. Otherwise, what was the point of her coming back? She needed to be stronger so that they could keep smiling. "Give us a chance to have your back too." "Ffffiiine..." For once, she was willing to give in without a fight. Just this once, she'd share the load with others. Maybe this time, she'd be able to achieve something without regrets. But only time would tell. "Then feed your champion. I can't reach the snacks or the cider. And those painkillers. My arms and legs are killing me. Quick now, before I crumble to dust..." She huffed and puffed dramatically, like the kind of theatrical plays they would put on in her father's court. Except she couldn't gesture exaggeratingly like the actors did. "By the way, what does winning the tournament even get me? I joined out of a whim, so I didn't really investigate? Is it just the clout and glory of being the champion for a year? Am I expected to 'defend' my title next year, or can I just bow out of it? I'm not too keen on repeating this all next year..."

 

[Tenzai]

ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ɪᴡᴀᴛᴏᴅᴀɪ ᴅᴏʀᴍ | ᴘ3 ʀᴇʟᴏᴀᴅᴇᴅ ᴏꜱᴛ ↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​ "Then feed your champion. I can't reach the snacks or the cider. And those painkillers. My arms and legs are killing me. Quick now, before I crumble to dust..." The sound of her selfish demands had brought a smile to the vampire's face, seeing her exaggerations a welcome change. After all she had experienced and endured, being able to find an ordinary Ophelia capable of complaining like everyone else was a good change from her unconscious state. "Yes, yes. Need me to sing you a love song too your highness?" The vampire slowly lifted her head off her lap to fetch her a plate, chuckling. As Neon made her way towards the table that held all the cooking, August took her place, sitting beside Ophelia. The prior comment of her preferring the witch's lap over her robotic counterpart had left evidence of what it did to her on August's cheeks. "Hey Neon, can you get me a drink too? Watching the fighting had left me parched. You all were really quite the show!" The vampire waved the compliment away, prepping another glass just for the witch to join them in their drinking. "Gotchu. I'll grab you a glass of the mead-lite." "Thanks for being kind, Ophelia." While she was away, August whispered. Regardless of what she may have done, something about Idra's past had made Gust feel that there was some good still lingering underneath the surface; All she needed was some humbling to finally bring it out. "I know how hard it must've been, and I just wanted to let you know how proud I was of you." Stroking Lia's hair out of her eyes, she gave her a kind look. "You really are something special." "By the way, what does winning the tournament even get me? I joined out of a whim, so I didn't really investigate? Is it just the clout and glory of being the champion for a year? Am I expected to 'defend' my title next year, or can I just bow out of it? I'm not too keen on repeating this all next year..." "A favor from the heroes." Overhearing her talk from the couch, Neon spoke up while she poured out the drinks. "Last year, I wanted to win our boss a spot in Sen's super soldier program. Wanted to get her the best help we could find for her replacement parts and what better than cybernetics from her childhood hero... Then that happened." She sighed, taking a drink first before uncorking another bottle to pour out a refill. "What Idra got in return for her victory was a massive upgrade to her ship." August shook her head at the idea that people would fight for reputation and the maintenance of their title alone. "The title itself is nothing more than that, just a title. What matters more are the people that notice!" She hummed, thinking of the many people that had asked for Ophelia's autograph while her team had carried her through the halls of the citadel. "You became an inspiration, Lia! I don't doubt that there are some interesting people that wanna get to know you too!" Both humans and kind eldritch alike made the most of the people that could be considered Ophelia's fans, though the crocodile tribe she had bested the leader of had also joined the company in favor of her presence aboard the ship. "Especially after an exciting performance like that!" "Makes me wonder what Sen is thinking." Medina scratched her chin, wondering what was to come given the fact that Ophelia's capabilities were now known to those within his cohort. While most people within his company were loyal, there were others that were more than happy to dismantle whatever power he could have to keep him within control. Though, instead of overthinking, she shook her head at the conclusion that there were more battles to come as a result. The galaxy was a big place after all; What was one watched tournament when it came to the grand scheme of the galaxy? Let alone that of the system itself? "Well, I'm sure we're going to have some good come from it! Even if it is an one and done!" "Here, for both of you." Offering the two girls a drink once she sat back, she nudged herself in between Ophelia and August, amused at the response that Gust delivered back. "You two are awfully stingy of Ophelia." Shiro was first to note the added chemistry of the two girls, causing them both to chuckle at their little game of being their newest companion's lap pillow. "Don't worry you two, there's more than enough of her to go around I'm sure. We do have a day and a half before our mission." Slowly pulling out her rapier, now repaired and reinforced with new material bought with the bet money, Medina presented her new gift to the duelist princess. "Oh yeah! I wanted to give this to you, Lia. Now that I got to get a good glimpse of what you're capable of, I thought about using the money from betting on you for something special! Behold, your first set of combat armor, courtesy Umbra herself!" Following rapier came a new set of clothes: Similar to that in which she bought earlier, this one was a bit heavier, still offering freedom in movement while offering more protection and channeling capabilities to bring out the best in her rapier. "Apparently her business got a huge hit of attention after your performance! Safe to say, you earned it!" Her tails wagged on hearing Ophelia's response. "Awww, thank you! I'm sure Umbra would be happy to hear that too~" "So what now?" Scratching her chin at the best course of action, Neon was the first to answer. "We celebrate and we relax. No point in pushing ourselves any harder until our actual battle." Slowly lifting her own family's blade, she gave it a long look before hugging it, welcoming it back to her side. "Thank you, Lia. For everything. I think you should choose the favor for yourself." The girls smiled upon turning their focus to her. "Just the fact that one of us was able to win is reward enough." With Medina and Shiro raising their bottles and Neon and August lifting their glasses, they all clinked theirs right on top of Ophelia's to give her a cheer for the drink before finally splitting off into their own food and activities, leaving the princess with the samurai and the witch. "... So uh..." With a blush across her face, August traced her finger in circles above her skirt. "About what you said earlier, when it came to... your needs." Focused on her response, she didn't seem all too against spending the night with the princess alone, already finding her company something she felt welcome to and safe around. "I don't mind attending to them if you're willing to show me how." Hearing August's bashful attempt at flirting, Neon wrapped an arm around the back of her head, chuckling. "Just say it how it is, Gust. If you like her, say you do." Licking her lips, the vampire looked up and down Ophelia. "If you need help though, I'm down to help you both make tonight memorable." The sudden invitation had made August gasp, rubbing her thighs together at the thoughts that ran through her imagination. While the idea of having three people engaged in the same act was alien to her, it wasn't something she was against either. Neon was someone she trusted enough to respect her words should she feel uncomfortable. "Don't worry babes. I promise I won't drink. I want to stay sober if you're willing to be adventurous~ But if you prefer just the company of each other or just me, I won't bite." Neon gave Ophelia a wink. "Given what you did already, let's just say you gave me more than enough fuel to help me relax." Going around August to sit on the opposite end of Ophelia, she slowly picked her up so she could feed her without making a mess. "... But let me feed you first. If you're gonna have some fun tonight, the least you could do is do it while not starving, right? Don't want the fun to get ruined because you're hollow... Say aaa." Lifting a piece of cheese gifted by Idra embedded in between two crackers, she offered her a sample of some of the best cheese money had to offer. "Good girl- Oof. Haha." An elbow cut off her tease, leading to another giggle from the two girls that made her new world feel a lot less lonely. "Well, we shouldn't be pushing you much. What do you think we should do?" A lewd grin cracked over her fanged lips. "Then it means, we just have to let her relax while we give her our reward." ──────・୨ ✦✦✦✦✦ ୧・──────​ A flicker of candlelight had lit up Ophelia's bedroom as the angel and the ghost had made their way back to the shared room leaving behind the human and the vampire. To allow for a bit of privacy, only to come in if the vampire was welcome, August walked in with Ophelia by herself, her lips tainted with the scent of fruit and alcohol. She was nervous, given that it was soon to be her first time doing anything like this with anyone else; However, regardless of how anxious she might have been over whether she would even perform well enough to feel good in the first place, she was excited. Ophelia was attractive to her and the feelings that Gust felt towards her were real. "H-hey, Lia. Woah-" Stumbling into the bed as a result of her buzz, the witch that welcomed her first had ended up looking up to the princess. Ever since the haunted house itself, this was the first time they had genuine alone time from the rest of the other girls in their cohort. "...D-don't just stand there and look at me; You deserve more than that. There's more than enough space on this bed for both of us and I'm yours for tonight so... Come here..." Slowly lifting her arms as if welcoming her into a hug, the witch gave her a warm smile, her thighs slowly spreading apart to welcome the princess' body in between. "I want you to enjoy me as much as I enjoy you... And I want you to show me how to make you feel good too." "Care to teach me how to treat you right?"​

 

[Carpe Diem]

◤━*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┓ ┗━━━━━━━━━━━━━━✧༺♥༻∞━◢ ✬ Ophelia ✬ ❝ You paint a picture in my mind, you wanna leave it all behind In a world that's turning all the time, nothing could stop me longing for your eyes ❞​ "Thanks for being kind, Ophelia." "...?" She looked up from her spot lying down on the couch, her eyes meeting August's as she whispered her gratitude to her. "I know how hard it must've been, and I just wanted to let you know how proud I was of you." "It's nothing so grand, Gust. I just..." She swallowed her words. How could she say that she'd seen a mirror of herself in Idra, that she hated the idea of the princess committing the same mistakes that she had? Given their longevity, it was entirely possible for Idra to make a grave mistake that caused her empire to fall, only to become a disgraced princess like herself. If anything, it was out of some selfish feeling, like she didn't want to see another one of herself. One Ophelia was more than enough for the entire universe. "A favor from the heroes." Neon enlightened the princess on the winning prize for the tournament. It was simple in theory, but these heroes were apparently a big deal around here, so maybe that was actually a huge deal. The fact that it was a favor of all things, however, made her a bit curious about whether they could deny it for any reason. There were obviously certain requests that they probably wouldn't fulfill no matter what, but Ophelia was curious about the degree of the favor she could ask for. And what she would even use it for. As far as Ophelia cared, there was nothing that the heroes could really give her; she had want of nothing, at least currently. Letting the bitter memory of last year pass by without comment, August was the one to clarify about the title and 'defending' it. In an honor sense, Ophelia felt compelled to still participate next year, but it would depend on how much stronger she could become. If possible, she wanted to win without relying on her patron's boons, but that meant better controlling her own magic and using it to her advantage. While she had done a good showing of it, the problem was that she lacked the proper spells to make the most out of the seemingly-bottomless well of magic that resided within her. Her explosive spells were all she could manage as of now, but she knew that she could do more if only she learned how to harness it properly. "You became an inspiration, Lia! I don't doubt that there are some interesting people that wanna get to know you too!" "Ugh, I've never been good at meeting people. Maybe I could stay holed up in my room?" As a child, she had always used any chance to sneak away to her room to read books whenever there was a banquet or a ball. As she grew older, it became harder to do and so she had to learn to make nice with strangers and influential people she didn't like. Her people skills had all but vanished over the eons, however. One could call her cranky and socially inept and they would not be wrong, though Ophelia would still smite whoever disrespected her like that. "Oh yeah, speaking of which, Gust... That sword that you got from Leandro? Is it possible you could give it back to him, if you have no need of it? I know it was your wager against h is, but I can't help but feel it is wrong to rid someone of their precious weapon. It would be no different than what Idra did to Neon." Well, there was something different - Ophelia had never meant to humiliate Leandro, unlike Idra. She had only met his taunts equally, and only when he was the one who started it. Even then, she just felt it was right to give back what was his, but it was ultimately August's prize and not hers. She had put her own grimoire on the line, after all. That was no small thing for a spellcaster like her. "Makes me wonder what Sen is thinking." "Humph. I wonder if he's regretting having you guys take me out of that tower yet." Ophelia took a sip of her drink with a dismissive huff, brushing her hair behind her ear as if she was literally brushing off the thought of Sen. She was not shy in making it apparent that she was still none too fond of the so-called hero, although she had no real reason to hold any legitimate animosity towards the man. It just so happened that she had little concern for all the politicking and running around struggling for influence instead of actually doing something for the good of the world. Until she saw someone doing something, her opinion of them would not change. "You two are awfully stingy of Ophelia." "...?" Ophelia hadn't really noticed until Shiro pointed it out, but Neon and August were being awfully clingy now that she mentioned it. She sipped on her drink, staring at the two as they seemed to hold a competition on who got to sit next to her when there was plenty of space on the sofa for all three of them. She granted them a bit of a side eye, letting them squabble with each other as she remained unbothered by it for now. "Oh yeah! I wanted to give this to you, Lia. Now that I got to get a good glimpse of what you're capable of, I thought about using the money from betting on you for something special! Behold, your first set of combat armor, courtesy Umbra herself!" "Something about you betting on me feels shady..." The princess mumbled before looking down at the dog girl's offerings. "Oh! I'll have to thank her personally when I have the chance. I felt awful about the dress she gave me being destroyed, but it did give me enough time to win that fight. Without her outfit, I likely would've lost. And without your rapier, I wouldn't have gotten as far as I did. It's thanks to you two that I was able to win." She contemplated them both before neatly folding the combat armor and setting it down properly. She'd need it for the mission. As for the rapier, she studied it, noticing that it looked a lot sturdier than before. She sheathed it back into its scabbard. It would surely make the perfect partner to that. If the castle hadn't been looted to hell and back, it should still be there, right where it had been left. With Medina's rapier in one hand and it on the other, she felt like she'd never lose a fight again. "Thank you, Lia. For everything. I think you should choose the favor for yourself." Ophelia sipped from her cup again, considering Neon's words. "Well, I have nothing for now. I suppose I'll save it for the time being. You never know when you might need a favor." Something told her she would need it after the upcoming mission. Call it a sixth sense. "About what you said earlier, when it came to... your needs." "What?" She was blindsided that August of all people would bring that half-joking utterance of hers up now, after so many minutes had passed. And why was she fidgeting so much? She expected it out of Neon or even Medina, but not the witch herself, who seemed so socially awkward that even the mention of sex felt like enough to send her spiralling. "I don't mind attending to them if you're willing to show me how." "What." Her shock came not from disgust to the idea, but rather how sudden it felt like it had been brought up. Just a minute ago they were talking about all the benefits that being a champion brought with it, and now August was offering to... tend to her needs? Ophelia was blushing from cheek to cheek, across her nose, and Neon's teasing didn't make it an easier to deal with. "If you need help though, I'm down to help you both make tonight memorable." "W-Wait. You're not joking, are you? I-I..." She searched for help by looking between Shiro and Medina, but found none as the girls seemingly accepted that this was the natural order of events. At what point had Ophelia managed to woo the witch and the vampire to such an extent that they were both eager to bed her? And while she was still reeling from that taxing fight, too. There was no fight left in her, if she ever dreamt of fighting her fate here. She wasn't going to. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ​ "H-hey, Lia. Woah-" "You have legs like a newborn fawn, Gust. Maybe you shouldn't drink at all." The princess teased her as she helped her to her bed, big enough to let three people sleep in it comfortably, without getting in each other's way or tangling unless they wanted to. The way things had progressed, however, they were going to be tangling quite thoroughly. "...D-don't just stand there and look at me; You deserve more than that. There's more than enough space on this bed for both of us and I'm yours for tonight so... Come here..." "To the victor go the spoils, Gust. I'll watch as much as I like. And what a masterpiece you are." ​ She pressed her index to her own lower lip, licking her tongue as her mouth watered at the sight in front of her. How was it that such an innocent thing like August could look so luscious and seductive? There was a slight haze in her eyes, the product of slight intoxication, but clearly just enough to lower inhibitions. A bit of liquid courage, so to speak. "I want you to enjoy me as much as I enjoy you... And I want you to show me how to make you feel good too." "How could I ever say no to such an enticing invitation?" After feeding her eyes on the feast that was the witch, Ophelia joined her on the bed, being welcomed by her arms in a gentle, warm embrace. Her body, slightly cold, yearned for the warmth that she offered, and Ophelia simply locked eyes with August at first, her own lips curling in a small, mischievous smile before she shut them. Her lips met the witch's soon enough, the soft smack of soft lips against warm ones bouncing off the walls, the soft lighting of the room causing their bodies to meld together as Ophelia let herself sink into August's body. Her chest pressed against the witch's, her clothes loose enough to hide Ophelia's above average bosom. They were closer to D-cups than they were to C-cups, and they were plush and pliable to the touch, not that anyone had ever had the chance to feel them before this. "Care to teach me how to treat you right?" "You assume I know. This is my first time doing something like this, August." ​ "I want you to touch me like you desire me. Put your hands on me. Anywhere you want..." Her voice was sultry and soft, yet also vulnerable and fragile, as if she was equally amounts of excited and scared of this. Of intimacy. Of letting someone else in. What if August could feel the influence of the eldritch all over her body and was disgusted? Then she would never lay hands on her again. "Just promise you'll be gentle, August. My heart is more fragile than you could imagine. Just..." Her lips brushed against August's, a soft sigh escaping her lips. "Let us both enjoy this moment alone. Then..." She allowed herself to glance behind her, at the closed door, remembering that the vampire was waiting on the other side, either to be invited in or shooed out. Ophelia, of course, had no intention of letting her leave the apartment tonight. But for now, it was just her and August, her first friend in this world. And now, her lover. "... we can call Neon in once I-I'm ready. If that's okay with you."

 

[Tenzai]

"You assume I know. This is my first time doing something like this, August." Upon having her lips relinquished from the sudden intimate show of affection, August gasped in relief, breathing slowly to catch her breath once her heart had found itself catching momentum at the feeling of her princess' breasts pressed against her C-cup own. "That's a relief." Her face was red; Though shy, she was excited. "I didn't want to disappoint..." Extending her arms around Ophelia's neck, she met her partner's romantic advances with that of her own, chasing what felt good rather than what looked good. As a result, the human girl, while inexperienced, was quickly learning how to kiss the princess properly. Their lips were bound in where they felt the most right, filling the gaps where each other had left behind in a bath of saliva and warmth. "I want you to touch me like you desire me." Her vulnerable whispers in between kisses were tantalizing, making the novitiate lover yearn for more. "Put your hands on me." Her voice was a haunting invitation, one that August could not ignore. "Anywhere you want..." As if each syllable were magical when combined with the texture of her lips, she felt compelled to act, bringing her hands from Ophelia's neck down to her waist, tracing her form before slowly coming over the lower rim of her shirt. "You make me feel so weak, Lia. Especially when you talk to me like that..." Her bewitched lover whispered in exchange, looking deep into the eyes of the woman she took from the tower, the same girl she offered her home and heart. "I can't help but wonder how to respond with anything better than... Wow..." August was not one who was well read on books of romance like her team's medic. To her, Lia was the first that she had ever found herself interested in romantically, and all the more the first that had ever managed to bed her as such. "Mind if I....?" Slowly rolling her fingers against her skin around her waist, she gestured in a way to ask non-verbally if she was ready for August to explore her body without fabric separating them. "Just promise you'll be gentle, August. My heart is more fragile than you could imagine. Just..." Another kiss had followed, only this time, August did not simply remain subject to her advances, following through with her own as their lips melted into each other's. Closing her eyes, she took her time, letting Ophelia's tongue bend her own to her will, only for a string of saliva to act as evidence of a shared longing for each other. "I'll be as gentle as you want me to be. Its only right since I want the same too." She chuckled, finding herself barely able to avoid stuttering from how excited and nervous she felt experiencing these new feelings. While arousal was something she had felt before, to act on it with another was something that she never fathomed. "Let us both enjoy this moment alone. Then..." A look over her shoulder had insinuated she was referring to Neon. "... we can call Neon in once I-I'm ready. If that's okay with you." Nodding her head, August slowly turned her around so the princess would be underneath her to give her a moment to rest. "I would like nothing more. Really." Now sitting atop of Ophelia's lap, the witch gingerly brought her shirt over her head, tossing it to the side to examine the very same skin her mind was scrambling to inscribe in her imagination. "Just leave it to me. You must be exhausted... Sore..." The witch brought her lips down to Ophelia's own at first, pecking her mouth before leaving behind little warm touches as she made her way down her chin, only to stop at her neck. With her hands brought down to her bra, the witch's gloves catered to body from beyond her clothes. "I know it might sound a bit crude of me... But I like the way you taste, Lia." Reaching towards her hand after whispering into her ear, August kissed from her arm down to her hands before placing her finger in her mouth to suck. "The way you sweat for us. The way you fought so hard. The flavor your body gives off tastes so right to me." Not knowing the right words to choose to explain how she felt, August chose to utter what felt the most right in the moment, making her heart transparent all throughout. With a face red seeing the trail of reflective saliva bouncing off Ophelia's skin, she smiled, finding her leaving a mark on her body. "I'd offer you a massage, if you'd like. I'm not that great at them, but... I don't think I could do that bad of a job if I make you sound like that already~" The witch giggled, before returning back to Ophelia's neck, working her hands down her body just to stop around her thighs. "Every inch of you must be so sore... Let me see if I could help you with that." Whispering a spell right on her tongue, her mouth began to glow dimly, only for her to brush her fingers over her lips to give her gloved hands the same enchantment as her tongue. "This should help you feel better." Bringing her mouth to her neck, as she kissed Ophelia's body, the princess could feel the soreness escaping her body, as though this was some sort of healing magic. "Mhmm... Bmhmmtter?" She mumbled into her neck, her eyes finding contentment in Ophelia's vocal response and facial reaction. Working on both sides of her neck and shoulders, August's hands made their way underneath Ophelia's skirt, tracing the skin in between her crotch and her sock in order to offer her thighs the same service. Brushing from the outside towards within, her fingers grazed mere centimeters away from Ophelia's panties, only for the witch to be struck by a lewd thought made apparent in her stare. As she made her way from Ophelia's shoulder down towards her breasts, a magical hand had tugged at her bra, assisting the princess with taking them off. "I love the way you look topless, Lia." She voiced, accidentally grazing her hands over Ophelia's panties. "I wonder if I could feel your heartbeat on my tongue." With her lips now pressed against Ophelia's breasts, her tongue swirling its glow around her nipples, her hands had slowly worked their way down Ophelia's legs, stripping her socks to free her from another layer that got in the way of their intimacy. "Oh... You're a little cold. Here, let me help you with that." Refusing to let her be the only one topless, Gust brought Ophelia's hand to her shirt, undoing the buttons for her to make it easy for her to loop over her head. With her long hair coming free of her fabric, she was met with the sight of a black bra covering her lover's chest. "...I know I'm not perfect and all but... If its fine, I'd like it if you could act like I'm pretty." Humble over her own features, now that her body was made known, Ophelia could see the sight of past magical mishaps. Mana scars had covered her shoulder to her left breast and a bit of her stomach as well. "I'll be fine, I promise. These don't hurt anymore." Bringing Ophelia's hands to her scars, she didn't seem to wince, suggesting that they were old. "But... The nerves underneath them aren't dead, so I could feel you touching me here..." Smiling, she began to undo her bra, letting it fall to the side right where Ophelia's own was. "Do you like what you see?" She gave a pause, only to hug Ophelia with her breasts pressed against her lover's own. "They might not be perfect, but I think they'll feel nice against you, don't you think?" Wrapping her hands around Ophelia's back, the witch began to make out with her with her breasts exposed. With her body rested in between the witch's thighs, as August began to lose herself to the princess' touch, she unconsciously began to split her legs as well, resting her thigh against Ophelia's panties while Ophelia's own pressed in between her legs. "You make me feel so good like this." She bit her lip, not realizing that some of her newfound euphoria came from her grinding against Ophelia while they were kissing. With her panties growing increasingly wet, she had left the princess' thigh moist to the touch. "I hope I'm not being too rough with you or anything. But its really hard not to want more..." Ophelia's saliva was still present on the witch's lips as she spoke. Her body was covered with goosebumps from the cool touch of her lover's body. With the low light of the room illuminating her pale skin, Ophelia was offered a sight that none other knew: Of the human witch wet and in need of touch and affection. "... So would you allow me more, if I asked nicely? Please?" She spoke with longing eyes, lifting her hand to her chest for her to feel her increasingly rapid heartbeats. "I wanna get to know you more..."

 

[Carpe Diem]

◤━*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┓ ┗━━━━━━━━━━━━━━✧༺♥༻∞━◢ ✬ Ophelia ✬ ❝ You paint a picture in my mind, you wanna leave it all behind In a world that's turning all the time, nothing could stop me longing for your eyes ❞ "I know it might sound a bit crude of me... But I like the way you taste, Lia." ​ "Careful now. You're starting to sound like Neon, and I only need one girl trying to eat me alive in my life..." The princess giggled softly, both out of amusement for how honest August allowed herself to be now that it was just the two of them, and because the way her lips touched over her body made her feel ticklish. Ophelia's arms instinctively reached up to her chest, trying to cover it out of a sense of vulnerability and insecurity. She didn't want to hide herself from the witch, but she'd never bared herself like this to anyone before. It was scary. And there was the slightest night breeze coming in through a small crack in her window, offering a gentle whistle that made the candlelight dance, their bodies like shadows. "The way you sweat for us. The way you fought so hard. The flavor your body gives off tastes so right to me." "Way to make me self-conscious about not washing before this. Remind me to bathe next time..." Again she giggled, but her cheeks were rosy with embarrassment at the realization they'd jumped straight into this. If given the proper time to prepare, she would've taken a long, warm bath with some bath bombs or solutions to make herself smell nicer. Maybe she would've even worse something special, rather than the slightly tattered dress that Umbra had made for her. That kind of shopping she'd do alone, just to surprise her lovers. Now, though? She had never dreamt of sharing her body with someone else, especially so soon after meeting them. "I'd offer you a massage, if you'd like. I'm not that great at them, but... I don't think I could do that bad of a job if I make you sound like that already~" "Haaaa... Stop teasing me. I have half a mind to do to you what I did to Neon last night. But I would not hate a massage..." Quality did not matter to her; it wasn't as if her fatigued body could really tell the difference between an amateur and a professional at the moment. All she cared about was that August didn't stop, no matter what. Her legs shifted slightly, pressing together as the feeling of August's fingertips made her feel less ticklish and more sensitive. Her fingers threaded together, clasped in a small prayer for the one that would make her feel so fragile and yet so at ease at the same time. Ophelia nibbled on her own lip, her breath hitching as August's hands stopped. Anticipation welled in her chest, her red hues softly closing as she prepared herself for what would come next, whatever it may be. For some reason, she was scared, as if it would hurt at some point. All the books she'd read had lead her to believe that her first time would be painful, though they were all about a man and a woman, rather than two women. The witch's hands were a lot softer than the princess had imagined in her own daydreams, the ones where she'd sit in her room and wonder what it would be like when she inevitably became wed to someone she didn't love, and how disgusted it would feel to have their hands on her body. August was nothing like that, and in fact Ophelia was afraid she'd become addicted to the feeling. It was cheating that she'd use magic. "A-Ahhhnnn... you didn't say you'd use magic..." Her hands were more than she could handle, and now she had to worry about August using magic? The witch was really asking for it. She'd get it... when Ophelia wasn't a drooling mess, her brows crinkling together, her mouth cracking open as she let out a sigh of relief, her aching body welcoming the soothing sensation of her mana coursing through her. It was different than a healing spell in the middle of combat, adrenaline running high and numbing all sensations that might hinder survival. Her muscles relaxed, her body feeling all the more sensitive for it. "... Mhhhh..." Every moment that August's hands touched her thighs was a moment where Ophelia's anticipation would build up, leaving her body to be more alert and more sensitive. And the longer that anticipation remained without release, the more a certain kind of frustration built up inside her. The worst was that she couldn't tell if August was teasing her or not. At least if it was Neon, she'd know that she was building up that anticipation on purpose and she could say something, but with August? Her heart could not handle being mean to her even for a second. "W-Wait..." Even though they were moving at such a slow pace, the princess was still not ready for her chest to be bared completely, her hands trying and failing to clutch at her bra. She relaxed after a moment, resolving to trust August to set the pace and let her do as she pleased, her arms resting under her breasts as her chest rose with a deep breath and then slowly lowered. "Now who's staring..." After getting told not to stare, too. Not that she resented August for looking. It made her feel... special. Not in the same way being a princess was special, or how her powers, both innate and borne from her contract made her special. But beyond that. She was special for being just her. "Oh... You're a little cold. Here, let me help you with that." "I'm always a little cold..." Ophelia chuckled slightly, lifting her legs to help August take her socks off. Then, she looked up at August, her red hues gazing up at her curiously, her lips parted slightly in awe as she peeled off her own top. Her eyes stared up with no hint of disgust, but pure admiration at her body. Whatever insecurity August may have felt as she bared herself to the princess, she would not find judgment in her gaze. Instead, there was curiosity, a wonderment in her eyes. Questions as to what had caused such scars to form on her body. To the princess, scars were not something to be ashamed of, but rather stories to tell. After all, one did not get scars by living a stagnant or safe life. She did not hesitate to touch as August directed, a small, almost imperceptible smile on her lips as she kneaded her breasts, letting her fingers trace over the scars gently and reverently. "Don't be ridiculous, August..." She whispered gently. "You are perfect to me. Or almost perfect. If I had one complaint, it would be..." She brought her index to her bottom lip as if she was deliberating, only to deliver a coy smile up at the witch. "... that you think you're anything but perfect. You say you like the way I taste, for how I sweat and work hard for you? Well, I can't help but admire you, for these scars are proof of the hard work you've put in. Of the pain you've went through. Your self-doubt..." Ophelia touched her cheek with cold fingertips, her crimson eyes warm and soft as she stared into August's own ambers. "Would you shed it as well? For me? As long as you're with me, would you believe me when I said you're nothing but beautiful to me? Even that cute little insecure side of you." Though she said that, Ophelia wouldn't judge her if she kept on feeling insecure. But if she thought for a moment that she was anything but the most beautiful girl in the universe right now, then the princess wouldn't have any of it. Any reprimanding would have to wait, as their lips once again made contact, and Ophelia shuddered as she felt something soft and warm against her core. At the same time, she felt something warm against her own thigh, and she knew instinctively what was happening. She grinded her own hips against August, letting out a shaking, shuddering moan against her lips. For a moment, she feared she'd cum just like that, her inexperience apparent by her eagerness. "... So would you allow me more, if I asked nicely? Please?" "You're asking after getting this far?" Once again, Ophelia giggled, her smile free and shy at the same time, her blush crossing from cheek to cheek as the starlight reflected upon her eyes. She slid a hand between them, going straight for August's crotch and pushing her palm under her panties, touching her soaked pussy directly. "You're a bad girl, August~ And bad girls like you should just take what you want. Unless you'd like me to take over? You would have this princess work for what she deserves?" "I wanna get to know you more..." "I am yours to know to your very desire. The question is..." She gently touched August's clit with the tip of her finger, her smile turning seductive as she pressed the thumb of her other hand to August's bottom lip. "... how thirsty is this witch, for the forbidden knowledge this princess holds? How willing are you to fall into desire with me? Would you be willing... to give it all up for me?" Then, she let out an airy laugh. "But of course, I'm joking... or am I? Are you willing to find out?"

 

[Tenzai]

"Would you shed it as well? For me? As long as you're with me, would you believe me when I said you're nothing but beautiful to me? Even that cute little insecure side of you." Perfect. The witch, despite all of her imperfections was perfect. The same body that she had felt doubts about; The very same flesh that had often been used by outsiders to compare to her more developed sisters in her coven, was the same source that brought out her lover's tender nature; The very same that drew out her companion's trust and chemistry as much as it did her pleasure and lust. She might not have known the answer to what was best for Ophelia, but she never needed it: By trying her best, August was more than enough to sate the curiosities of her flesh. "If it pleases you, I don't think it would be too hard. You make me feel good in my own body, Lia... You make me want to be... Me..." ──────・୨ ✦✦✦✦✦ ୧・──────​ "You're a bad girl, August~ And bad girls like you should just take what you want. Unless you'd like me to take over?" The sudden intrusion of Ophelia's hands below her skirt had caused August to arch her back, dragging her nails against the skin she embraced. "Mhmph!" Biting her lip only to release a gasp as she felt her fingers massage her lower set of lips, she was quick to bathe the princess' palm with her melted emotions made manifest, leaving behind a warm slime that acted as a physical confession to how comfortable Lia had made the witch feel. "You would have this princess work for what she deserves?" She shook her head, clinging tightly to Ophelia as she stroked her clit. With her hips slowly grinding back against her hand, it was clear that she was losing herself to the pleasure; The witch's exposed body was a tribute to their relationship. "I wanna get to know you more..." "I am yours to know to your very desire. The question is... ... how thirsty is this witch, for the forbidden knowledge this princess holds? How willing are you to fall into desire with me? Would you be willing... to give it all up for me?" Feeling her thumb brush against her lip, the witch had taken her finger into her mouth, kissing her nail before gently caressing her thumb with her tongue, looking down towards the very same eyes that had captured her heart and unraveled her body in the first place. Moaning into her hand, once her mouth was freed from the company of her finger tip, August had delivered her confession. "I... I don't know..." Her mind was made mush as her hips continued to rotate and twist against Ophelia's thigh and fingers. "But... I know I really want you. I know I want to feel you..." Slowly bringing her trembling hands up towards Ophelia's chin to lift her partner's gaze from her body to her face, Gust met Lia's eyes with her conviction to see this through. She wasn't scared of the soul that lay underneath the surface; Where others may have felt fear, she had felt passion. Where others have met her with coldness due to her position and power, August had offered warmth through her gentle, welcoming flame."If giving myself up would let me feel that... Then I don't mind." "I know you'll treasure me all the same."​ Granting her a kiss to her lips as a reward for her understanding when it came to accepting August into her life, once she felt truly comfortable in her body, the witch had brought her hands down to her skirt to strip it off, letting her panties follow down to her ankles before being kicked to the side, leaving her in nothing more than her socks. "I like the way you blush when you see me nude." The witch chuckled before trembling, feeling herself being offered fingers in exchange for her cute moments even as they explored a new world of pleasure together. "Ah~ H-hey, that's unfair." She pouted, finding there to be an imbalance in between the pleasures she felt and the pleasures the princess was receiving. "I want to make you feel good too." In an attempt to imitate the feelings that Ophelia had stirred in her partner, as August planted her hips down on Ophelia's thigh, binding her hands underneath her weight while her fingers were still inside of her, the witch slowly pulled her panties down to her knees before circling her clit with her fingers, working her body in a way that she had grown comfortable with when it came to exploring herself. "It won't be fair if I'm the only one who's having fun here." Her reaction had caused her to stick her tongue out teasingly, only for a giggle and a blush to follow her act. In truth, she was still nervous in spite of it all, though to do away with the feeling of not being enough, she had settled on humor and fun to warm the initial ice that came from exploring something new. "You know, I wonder if you prefer me being a little bad..." Thinking of her words from earlier, August leaned herself down, bringing her hands up towards Ophelia's free hand to link with her before thrusting her hips against Ophelia's fingers. "Ah!" Her eyes rolled back for a moment, realizing how good it felt to be more self-indulgent. "If you want me too... I won't mind acting a bit more selfish." "You make it hard not to be... Especially when you feel this good." Bringing her mouth to the side of Lia's ear, as her body began to fuck Ophelia's hand, she began to moan quietly, granting Ophelia a window towards what sounds her partner would've made in private. "If I had to be honest... You have come to mind when I was... Alone, maybe once or twice... Or thrice..." Her lewd confessions were whispered as her thighs were pressed against Ophelia's bare pussy, grinding into her as a consequence of chasing her own pleasures. "And your moans... They're hotter than what my imagination had conjured up... Even in lewd dreams... And I'm happy you're my first." Slowly lifting her hips, the witch smiled at the mess she had made on her partner's fingers, slowly lifting her now drenched hand to her lips to get a taste. "Ahnn~" Running her tongue over her digits, August cleaned her hand up, lubricating her tongue in her solution. "All clean~" Holding her hand proudly, she kissed her knuckles before noticing the sudden other wet spot on the bed and on her thigh. All throughout it, it seemed that the princess had had her own fun as well. "Oh...?" A warm grin had come across her lips, curious as to how Ophelia would've tasted like as well. Bringing her head down towards the space in between her thighs, August looked up at the princess as she pulled her panties off, leaving nothing in between her mouth from her lower set of lips. "You must be aching here too... Here, let me help you out with that." With a glowing tongue enchanted in healing magic and drenched in both saliva and her natural lubricant, August swirled her flesh over Ophelia's clit before making that same glow disappear inside of her. With her eyes looking up at her face, staring in between her breasts towards her eyes to see her reaction to her mouth, the witch became overjoyed finding her reactions to be as enthralling as her words. Her head slowly worked deeper the more comfortable she felt inside. The cool walls that slathered her thighs were now being massaged intimately, offering relief to the aching caused by her prior yearning for another's company compounded by time and chemistry. Upon rolling her tongue and bathing her walls with her essence, August slowly pulled her head back to breathe, panting against her outer lips. "To think, you're letting all of this out for me. Thank you for spoiling me, Lia." A trail of saliva had separated the witch's mouth from Ophelia's body. "I hope my magic feels just as good as your fingers do." Slowly returning her head back down, August brought one of Ophelia's hands towards the back of her head so she could guide the tempo of her mouth's body language as it inscribed sweet hymns into her lover's body. All the while her mouth was at work, her hands massaged Ophelia's thighs and calves, tracing across her muscles in the hopes that her full body massage would serve to make her more flexible for the remainder of the night. While her initial goal was to reduce the soreness in her body completely to reduce the consequences of pushing her body so hard in the fights, earlier the naughtier and more passionate the witch got, the more her reasons became corrupted as well. Instead of simply being done for more wholesome reasons, the witch was becoming self-indulgent, preferring Ophelia to be fresh for the physical trials that had yet to come. Pulling her mouth out and smiling with wet lips, she licked her lips to take her in and swallow her essence. "...I wonder if you'd offer me the chance to know how you taste when you cum, Lia."​

 

[Carpe Diem]

◤━*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┓ ┗━━━━━━━━━━━━━━✧༺♥༻∞━◢ ✬ Ophelia ✬ ❝ You paint a picture in my mind, you wanna leave it all behind In a world that's turning all the time, nothing could stop me longing for your eyes ❞ "I know you'll treasure me all the same." ​ "I'll do more than just treasure you, August..." Lying back on the bed, petting the witch slowly within her palm, Ophelia smiled up cheekily at her, licking her lips moments before they were taken in yet another kiss. It broke off just as it had began, leaving the princess breathless as she watched her lover remove the last pieces of clothing that kept them both from fully connecting their bodies. Ophelia's cheeks flushed as she stared up, admiring the body that August felt so insecure about, scars and all. In fact, she was particularly enamored with those, her mind wandering to the kinds of stories they told. She didn't stare as one would stare disrespectfully at a maimed soldier on the street, but reverently in the face of someone who had struggled repeatedly and overcome it all. "Ah~ H-hey, that's unfair." "What are you gonna do about it...?" Ophelia giggled, undeterred by the witch's complaint. If she wanted the princess to stop, then maybe she ought to do something with her own two hands, rather than whine about it. Of course that's exactly what she did, practically restraining Ophelia under her weight as she went on to remove her own bottom. Ophelia bit the inside of her lip, suddenly feeling insecure herself as she was slowly stripped of her clothes. It didn't stop her from wriggling her fingers around while she still could, "Mmmfff~ Ahhh~" An eye for an eye, she supposed. After teasing her, it was only fair that August got to toy with her too, though wasn't she going overboard? Ophelia's knees pressed together, trembling as a pleasure she'd never felt before took over her body. "If you want me too... I won't mind acting a bit more selfish." "Mmm~ Ahhnnn... m-maybe... not so selfish~" This was embarrassing. She couldn't even speak properly, and it was just because a little bit of touching. How was she supposed to remain regal and dignified when pleasure could seize her so completely? "If I had to be honest... You have come to mind when I was... Alone, maybe once or twice... Or thrice..." Such a lewd thing to confess to. Had she known August would be so unashamed, she wouldn't have been so quick to rile her up. She would've expected her to be the kind of meek, shy girl who would freeze up in bed, but it seemed that it was quite the opposite. The flame that Ophelia had set alight was only getting hotter the longer they spent together. "And your moans... They're hotter than what my imagination had conjured up... Even in lewd dreams... And I'm happy you're my first." "Y-You're my first too, s-so... so be... s-slow down a bit... ahhh~" Although she said that, her voice kept leaking out those moans that August praised, her brows knitting together slightly as she tried and failed to keep her voice down. She really was shameless, pulling Ophelia's fingers out of herself and not only staring at the mess, but brazenly licking her fingers clean. The princess shuddered, simply watching the spectacle unfolding in front of her without a word, only blushing as August's tongue ran over her digits. "... Pervert." she mumbled, adverting her gaze from the witch as she cleaned her fingers up like she was cleaning pudding or some other treat off of her. "... H-Huh...?" Of course, taking her eyes off the enemy during battle was a fatal mistake, and Ophelia knew it. To think she'd be so careless right after lecturing Idra about being cocky. This battle was different, but it was one that Ophelia was set to lose because of her carelessness. "W-Wait... d-doing that is... Ahhh...!" She threw her head back slightly into the pillow under her head, sinking deeper into the bed as she felt both magical and physical warmth envelop her clit. It was both soothing and maddening, her hands shooting down to grab at August's head. Her legs draped over her shoulders, almost clenching against her shoulders as if to keep her there. Even though her eyes were traced with panic, there was also an undeniable arousal and hazy pleasure plaguing her red, eldritch-touched eyes. The thing in the back of her mind wiggled in excitement as well, but Ophelia still had the presence of mind to settle it down. No way It was going to be getting any of this. That said, between the pleasure, the embarrassment of having someone lick her insides, and having to fight back the being in her head, Ophelia was not having an easy time keeping it all under wraps. Something had to give, and that was her voice. Her lips parted to let out a loud, steamy gasp as she finally gave in, letting her voice out once it became apparent that she couldn't push it all down. She couldn't even come up with a cheeky or witty response to August's words, simply moaning in response as her small, pink tongue hung out slightly from her mouth. The worst of it all was her trembling, her attempts at keeping the mounting pleasure from pushing her over the edge becoming like a beaver's dam upon a tsunami. "Hnnghhh... I can't...! I can't-- not yet-- no... mmm~ I'm... I'm...!"​ Her resistance was null, futile as her mouth let escape the accumulated pleasure she'd been pushing down. She cried out without restraint, her nails digging into the witch as she let go and let it all go, climaxing with her entire body and giving August a taste of exactly what she wanted; her cumming. It was far from the dignified, honorable persona she put on around others, yet still sweet and girly, as she'd never felt what it was like to be made to cum. Only ever made herself cum. She didn't even know she could make sounds like that, and yet August was determined to bring them out of her all the same. "Haa, haa... W-Wait..." This time, her voice had a little more strength to it, showing that it was more than a weak protest. She didn't push August off, but she did use her arms to push herself up to a sitting position. Her legs still draped slightly over the witch's shoulders, hanging lazily off of them with no strength. "I-I think I need a second to recover. H-Ha. And... I'm a little, uh... thirsty?" She could use an actual glass of water right about now, that was for sure. But they had nothing right there, so she'd probably need to go to the kitchen to get something. "And, uhm... I think I'm ready. W-We should call Neon in. If you're okay with it too. I don't mind it just being us either, but..." She did feel a little bad for making Neon wait any longer than this. She didn't know if she could hear them from behind the door, but she couldn't imagine the anticipation being easy to deal with. "Your call though... I don't think I'll be able to walk with these jelly legs anytime soon..."

 

[Tenzai]

Wholesome deliverance made possible with her tongue. August might not have been the best nor most experienced when it came to the topic of serving another with her mouth, but where she lacked, she had made up for in her passion, effort, and curiosity. It was enough to make her friend squirm, coating the witch's tongue with a splash of her princess' flavor as a reward for being the right person to make her melt. As she shuddered, August hugged Ophelia's legs, holding her close and embracing her lower half as it grinded in response to her physical euphoria. She was her first; Her one and only, and she wanted to make sure that Ophelia knew how much she treasured this moment with her. Only when her body collapsed did she finally relent in her overwhelming offensive, releasing her from her hold as she licked the release off her lips. "Happy to be of service~" She winked, blowing a little kiss with a bit of pride At first, going into the bedroom, the witch didn't know whether she would be enough to sate the princess' desires; However, upon her satisfaction being made evident through the cum that coated the walls of her throat, she felt like she earned the right to flirt back; This time, she was enough to entertain the company of someone she genuinely enjoyed spending time with. Her anxiety for the moment had ceased. With her princess panting to catch her breath, once her request for water was brought up, a glass had dropped itself onto the table, filling itself up with water. It seemed that the engineers of this place were keen on the activities that would happen within their bedrooms, and as such, designed the responsive functions for the rooms well in advance to ensure that the Citadel's warriors were well taken care of in exchange for their work in ensuring the galaxy became a safer place. Slowly crawling up from the part of the bed she ate her lover out in, August slowly wrapped her arms around Ophelia's neck, letting her legs rest in exchange for giving her top half some post-release intimacy and aftercare. "I'd tell you I'd be thirsty the same, if not for you quenching my thirst." She teased, not as someone who saw herself as someone above her partner, but rather as a partner proud that she was able to deliver in the first place. "Though..." Slowly tracing her fingers down her neck towards her chin, Gust gently stroked Ophelia's cheek. "I wouldn't be against more if you would be so welcome." "Uhm... I think I'm ready. W-We should call Neon in. If you're okay with it too. I don't mind it just being us either, but... Your call though... I don't think I'll be able to walk with these jelly legs anytime soon..." The sudden welcoming to more had made August's face brighten up. She didn't want their first moment to end so quickly, especially if her body was left yearning for touch as well. Ophelia had struck the first spark in her fire; It only felt right that she would also be the one responsible for extinguishing it too. "I'm not against it! I'm sure, Neon is just as excited to get to know you like I do!" Slowly lifting herself off the bed, the witch reached for her panties and her bra, donning both to ensure that her friend wouldn't immediately catch her naked should there be anyone else left outside. "I'll be back soon! Promise~" Slipping towards the door, Ophelia heard Gust's giggling from the other end as her footsteps drowned out due to distance and material getting in the way, only for a pair of two footsteps to return to the door outside. "You don't think she would be against me, would she?" Neon blushed, a little hesitant to act after their first rendezvous had went the way it did. While she might have acted confident immediately in front of Ophelia, behind her back, she was just a normal girl when it came to the other members of the team, holding onto a number of vulnerabilities she otherwise preferred to keep secret. "Not at all!" Gust wrapped an arm around her neck, gently patting her bare shoulder supportively. "If you don't know, she asked for you herself. Don't second guess it." Finding her warrior friend embarrassed over her own body, the witch couldn't help but try to reconcile her feelings. Her pride was still somewhat diminished as a result, though she couldn't blame her. Neon did have a tendency to act rather brash after all. "And besides, you're really pretty too, Neon. I don't think you should think yourself as any lesser when it comes to how you look." Tracing her hands over Neon's body, she felt confident, especially after having her own flesh be so respected despite its scars and bruises. "Just be patient with her, okay?" Neon nodded her head, blushing as she noticed the wet stain on August's panties. "If... If its okay for me to ask, do you mind giving me a few minutes alone with her too?" At first, August's thighs rubbed against each other, eager for her release. However, after seeing a sudden pleading in her friend's eyes, she felt that she could stave off her needs for the moment; If it meant that they could all be happy, she wouldn't be against being deprived just a little bit. "Sure thing Neon. Just don't keep me waiting for too long, okay? We both deserve to have our time with her." As Neon returned to the room, August made her way to the couch outside, only to find sweat and lubricant on the dark couch cushion that made it glisten in the light. Given the distance the couch was from the bedroom itself, it was easy to assume that, while the words were muffled, the moans and screams weren't. "Oh, Neon. Maybe I should apologize for keeping you waiting." She whispered to herself, finding another chair to make a mess in the meantime. "Hey, Lia." A new voice spoke in the dark room. With neon pink eyes glowing in the darkness, it was clear just who was talking and where she was looking. "Shit. Gust must have done a number on you, hasn't she?" She smirked, finding the stains on the cushions displaying clues of what might've occurred between them. Though that smirk came to a slow halt as she laid by Ophelia's side, sharing the same pillow she had screamed incoherent praises on moments ago. "You look really fucking good in the dark. You know?" The way that the stars touched her body, making her sweat glimmer in the light had made Neon's hands run across her own body. "And the way you moan too? Fuck. I couldn't help myself from... Touching myself to your sounds." Like August, she showed little shame when it came to expressing her intimacy. However, there was something different in the way she spoke. Where August held a sort of emotional drive to explore her partner's body, Neon on the other hand, in spite of all of her experience, seemed to be speaking from a place of tender want and desire, much unlike how she was when she was drunk. She didn't see this moment in bed as an intimate duel, but rather a sensual partnership; One born of a trust earned by defeating the very girl that had broken her just a year prior. Finding her shared thoughts amusing, Neon didn't cease in her tenderness when it was brought up. "Can you really blame me for feeling this way? A girl, pretty as fuck, suddenly comes out of a haunted tower full of eldritch shit and beats the shit out of someone that broke me with swordsmanship unlike anything I ever seen." She blushed, slowing her hands to a stop as she confessed. "I don't think it gets any more storybook as it gets. You've made me feel like a princess damn it. Let me crush over you too." She rolled her eyes playfully, before slowly bringing Ophelia's exhausted hand to her cheek and taking a deep breath. "Hey... I really appreciated what you did back there for me. Even if you didn't do the same to Idra, what you did there was enough, and.... Hell... More than I could've ever asked for." Neon held her gaze, staring at her own reflection in the princess' eyes, finding not a warrior but rather an ordinary girl that sought love and companionship too. "Whatever happens tonight between you and me... You earned it." Slowly bringing her hand down her robe that left her shoulders exposed, she let Ophelia split her clothes apart, only to find no underwear underneath the surface. To Neon, undergarments only got in the way when it came to feeling free in her body outside the battlefield. "Think of this as my thank you for being there for me, Lia. Then again, is it really a thank you if I want it bad too?"

 

[Carpe Diem]

◤━*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┓ ┗━━━━━━━━━━━━━━✧༺♥༻∞━◢ ✬ Ophelia ✬ ❝ You paint a picture in my mind, you wanna leave it all behind In a world that's turning all the time, nothing could stop me longing for your eyes ❞ ​ Chest heaving, sweat glistening against fair skin, staining the sheets under her, Ophelia's arm crossed over her face, her legs still shaking from such intense lovemaking. It didn't take a genius to see that August had done a number on her, though Ophelia still had to put on an air of dignity through it all. Her pride wouldn't let her stay a mess for long, even if she couldn't hide the evidence. She grabbed the glass of water the room gave to her (she was still coming to grips with all this weird technology stuff, though her patron fed her information she shouldn't be able to know) and then, in a bit of a gambit, "Uh, how about a towel?" she made another request. Sure enough, she was given one by the room as well, allowing her to clean up a bit before she was visited again. She prioritized her upper body, drying the slick film of sweat from her arms and chest and stomach, but it didn't take long before the door slid open. "Hey, Lia." The vampiress came alone and for just a moment Ophelia looked over her shoulder, half-expecting August to be tagging along. "Hey Neon. You and Gust are going to be taking turns on me all night? I thought I was supposed to rest..." She teased, shrugging her shoulders to show that she wasn't actually bothered by it. She could do with a bit of alone time with Neon too. Stars knew she'd been waiting long enough for her turn. "Shit. Gust must have done a number on you, hasn't she?" Ophelia rolled her eyes. "Ugh, for heavens' sake, don't be crass about it. I'm a princess; treat me like one." She giggled. For someone who had renounced the title, it would seem hypocritical, but Ophelia was aware, and only took the title back when it was convenient for her. It had always been that way for her. She never really cared about being a royal. In a way, the fall of her kingdom had been a curse and a blessing, granting her freedom at the cost of so much pain. Hers, and that of others. She had wanted nothing more than to break free of that gilded cage, yet she didn't know what to do now that she could spread her wings and fly. "You look really fucking good in the dark. You know?" Again she rolled her eyes, letting out a soft 'pfft' in response to Neon's praise. "I always look good, Neon. But thank you, I'm glad my shameful looks don't turn you off." She once again teased, slightly covering herself despite herself. It was still embarrassing. It wasn't as if she was unused to being undressed in front of others - she'd be dressed by her maids on a daily basis - but it was different given the context. And given that they had only known each other for about a day now, it still felt like a dream to Ophelia. It would not be the first time her patron had put her in a dreamscape, giving her so much that she wished for only to take it away. But this felt too vivid. The joy she felt was nothing like the hollow happiness that It made her feel in those moments. Ophelia chose to move past the carnal detail that Neon offered to the spectacle she and August had offered her. Instead, she only responded with a slight flush and the averting of her eyes, even more mortified that Neon had heard all of that. "Can you really blame me for feeling this way? A girl, pretty as fuck, suddenly comes out of a haunted tower full of eldritch shit and beats the shit out of someone that broke me with swordsmanship unlike anything I ever seen." "If you think that was impressive, you should've seen the one who invented that swordsmanship. It was-- ughhh--" It was a sensation that could not be described as pain, but it was unpleasant all the same. Like static. Like someone had grabbed a picture and scribbled all over it. She could remember the details separately. Deep blue eyes, a small nose and plush lips. Brown, flowing hair that she had inherited from her, while she had inherited her once amber eyes from her father. But it was like having all the puzzle pieces, yet none of them fitting together, no matter how much she tried. It hadn't just taken the memory, but fragmented it in her mind, forever lost, yet still taking up space. "I-I'm fine. This sort of thing happens sometimes." Noticing Neon's concern, she brought her hand up. No need to tell her that it was self-inflicted. That no matter how futile she knew trying to remember was, she still tried to. Because choosing to forget would leave a bigger hole in her than trying to remember would. "I don't think it gets any more storybook as it gets. You've made me feel like a princess damn it. Let me crush over you too." "You and August both..." She sighed, the static slowly clearing from her mind as she pushed the thoughts away. "Just don't go falling in love now. Everything I loved. Everything that's ever loved me... it's all in ruins now. I don't want to ruin you too." But they would do it regardless of what she said, wouldn't they? It didn't matter what she said when they were both so stubborn. Honestly, it was a bit irksome, but also kind of cute. "Whatever happens tonight between you and me... You earned it." "Neon, you..." She brought both of her hands up to Neon's cheeks, slowly and carefully studying her features through her fingertips. "... idiot. You're not a prize to be earned, not a trophy to be fought for. If you're doing this because you feel like you owe me even an ounce of gratitude for what I did, I want you to leave this exact moment." Her fingers pinched on both of Neon's cheeks, her own puffing up with indignation at the mere implication that Neon was something that Ophelia had earned. Ophelia had already said that she had joined the tournament for her own whimsy, and while that had changed after seeing what Idra put her through, it did not change that the princess fought for her own reasons. That Neon had become one of those reasons was something that held no relevance to what was happening right now. "Think of this as my thank you for being there for me, Lia. Then again, is it really a thank you if I want it bad too?" "Oh, maybe you can thank me some other way, then." Her stern expression softened into a smirk, pulling Neon closer. She tugged on her arm, pulling her down with surprising strength before shifting over until she was laying on her side, caressing her cheek. "Neon, about what I was saying before Idra interrupted us... I meant it. Every monarch chose a warrior amongst their people to be their knight. To swear allegiance. You don't have to swear loyalty to me, but I would still ask you... would you be my knight? To be there, beside me, when we fight? I would not ask for you to die for me, but I want to be next to you, shed blood together with you. Feel the pain that you feel. And maybe... just an ounce of the joy--" She lowered her face, meeting Neon's lips once more. There was a soft, quiet smack before she pulled away, smiling with rosy cheeks as she caressed Neon's cheek. "You and Gust... neither of you know what's good for you, do you?"

 

[Tenzai]

"I-I'm fine. This sort of thing happens sometimes." Recoil. The way her body just reacted mid conversation had drawn an air of concern in her eyes. Even as Ophelia attempted to wave off her concern, Neon couldn't help but feel that a part of the consequences Ophelia faced after pushing herself so hard was the vampire's fault. The one rapid heartbeat had dropped to an easy calm as her thoughts had drifted from the allure of sex and attention towards the care for a friend. If now was not the right time for their flesh to make sense of one another, then as long as she was alive and well, there would be time again for another. "Neon, you... idiot. You're not a prize to be earned, not a trophy to be fought for. If you're doing this because you feel like you owe me even an ounce of gratitude for what I did, I want you to leave this exact moment." Talk of herself being worth more than a simple prize to be earned had drawn her heart towards the surface. Even with talk of her not wanting what they had to be anything deeper given their lack of time spent together, she couldn't help it. What Ophelia had done in days, none other had done for her in years. Her family was small, made up of her team, Sen, and a few other familiar faces beyond them. She had not come to expect the kindness of strangers; Let alone one that she had such a rocky start with. The princess' hands on her cheeks drew her inward and a tug of her arm had brought her to her side. Letting Ophelia move her, she wasn't in the place to fight back or act dominant. This was an act she wished for; A quiet, private moment to be herself in front of the princess she cared about, shedding whatever ego she once had and leaving it at the door. "Then, think of this as my thank you for being there for me instead, Lia. Then again, is it really a thank you if I want it bad too?" She whispered, bringing her hands down towards Ophelia's waist. "Oh, maybe you can thank me some other way, then." "Oh? what do you have in mind~" To Neon, there were few greater joys than spending a night in peace sharing a bed with a companion post a day full of combat. To her, this was one of the simple things she could fight for an eternity. Pulling herself closer to kiss the spellsword on the lips, she stopped herself inches away as she felt the princess' words touch her lips. "Neon, about what I was saying before Idra interrupted us... I meant it. Every monarch chose a warrior amongst their people to be their knight. To swear allegiance. You don't have to swear loyalty to me, but I would still ask you... would you be my knight? To be there, beside me, when we fight? I would not ask for you to die for me, but I want to be next to you, shed blood together with you. Feel the pain that you feel. And maybe... just an ounce of the joy--" Meeting her halfway, Neon closed her eyes once she felt her partner's warmth, melting away in the brief moment their lips touched. "You and Gust... neither of you know what's good for you, do you?" "If we did, we wouldn't be half as interesting." A ginger smile cracked over her lips, now stained and spoiled by Ophelia's touch. With a string of saliva bridging the two, she felt pride in her reflection in Ophelia's eyes, watching her lips glisten as evidence of their kiss. "I would like nothing more than to fight by your side... As equals... As friends..." Bringing her head back, she pecked her on the lips, returning her invitation with some effort of her own. "If that means becoming your knight, so be it. As long as you don't mind becoming my lady." A tease in response to her kindness, though one that she seemed fully invested in. "I'll offer my body, my blood, my sweat in exchange for yours, Ophelia." Slowly stripping herself free of the robe that bound her, she left her cloth remains atop where August had left her clothes, giving her an unobstructed view of her metallic flesh. Lines of where synthetics had touched skin were carved over her body in a sleek format, tracing her form with glowing pulses that matched the pace of her breathing. The cyborg samurai was content with the presence of her eyes, truly granting Ophelia full freedom to explore her body as she wished as her promise suggested. Interestingly however, she didn't seem to act on her; As though she were treating Ophelia as fragile. "So don't be afraid of me. I won't bite unless you want me to~ Promise." The feeling of fingers on her silicon made her lips contort into a silent o. She was someone who was used to topping her prey in bed, not someone used to being made subject to the touch of another. With her eyes orbiting over Ophelia's form, she had brought her own hands back on the princess in return, not to act quite yet, but rather to embrace her; To let her feel as though this was something that Neon wanted too. "No need to be so gentle. I'm a lot more durable than you think." A smug grin had turned into a shocked blush as she felt the intensity grow. With each molding of her flesh, of both organic and synthetic, she had uttered a moan, unafraid of being caught by her friend outside. Neon did not feel any regret or hesitance in the offering of her own body. To her, this was new and exciting. "Be selfish with me. I want to know what privileges you'd offer someone who'd be willing to devote her best to your fight." Speaking like a warrior did to their master, each grope, each slap of her body, each hold of her curves were all euphoric trials to endure. While the thrill of returning every touch and feeling she felt to the princess in revenge was tempting, she couldn't help but feel nervous the same. Just what was she hiding? ​ Her eyes were distracted, as though her body was difficult to wield. Her soul might have still been recovering from the use of surplus mana to wield the eldritch spells high level enough to crack through Idra's divine protection. Regardless of how eager she was to devour the princess, she couldn't help but feel that she would break on her touch. Not only did she run away from her before as well, but she also casted lightning as a response to acting upon a misreading of her feelings too. As a result, she was hesitant to act further without some form of an expressed consent. The mark of her shocking spell still had yet to fade. Whenever her fingers ran over one of those cracked marks, instead of moaning, Neon gritted her teeth, still sensitive where she had yet to heal or repair herself. "Don't worry about it, okay?" Neon exhibited a strained smile when she felt her dark marks grabbed. "... Just... Take it slow around there. I'm not going to let a little sting take this away from me. What's a little pain before a lotta pleasure?"

 

[Carpe Diem]

◤━*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┓ ┗━━━━━━━━━━━━━━✧༺♥༻∞━◢ ✬ Ophelia ✬ ❝ You paint a picture in my mind, you wanna leave it all behind In a world that's turning all the time, nothing could stop me longing for your eyes ❞ "If we did, we wouldn't be half as interesting." ​ "Nothing wrong with being a little boring..." she teased softly with a half-smile. She'd had her own fair share of interesting tales throughout her life, enough to fill entire books with, but she wouldn't have complained for a less interesting life. Maybe, in a different world, she would have grown to become a run-of-the-mill princess, then a queen, living up to her destiny of conquering her entire planet, just like all her other predecessors. In some other timeline, she might have been like Idra, conceited and proud of her heritage. Her bloodline always had the potential for immortality; maybe she could've achieved what her ancestors couldn't. But she'd never know now. Instead, her life had been tainted by the blood on her hands. And though Neon and August both saw past it, she wasn't sure she deserved it. "If that means becoming your knight, so be it. As long as you don't mind becoming my lady." "I think we might be a little past the stage of friendship..." Ophelia giggled, lifting her own arms up and threading her fingers through her long, dark brown locks and lifting her legs up, taking a more relaxed position with Neon than she had with August. The first time was the most nerve-wracking, and now that she had released a lot of that tension, she was feeling a little more at ease, especially with her intimacy. "I'll offer my body, my blood, my sweat in exchange for yours, Ophelia." "Oh I'm sure you'd love a taste of my blood. I'm surprised you didn't have a little nibble while I was out. Did the others stop you? You pervert." She let out an airy laugh, letting her jumbled mind go back to a laidback state. It took a bit of effort from her, but she could will the broken pieces of her mind, the ones that she could never get back, deep within the crevasses of it, where she would have to go digging for them if she wanted to be tormented by them again. She sometimes forgot, but she would always go digging back, as if they could piece themselves together without her knowing. As if they were wounds she could forget about and look back on as scars. Except these were gaping wounds that would never heal, no matter how much she tried. Even the intimacy and trust she had with both Neon and Gust could never quite fill the gaps that the unknown stranger without a face - with her friend's face - had lefti n her. After all, one precious memory was like a piece of a puzzle in her life. She couldn't simply try to shove in a different piece in where she wanted. Neon, August and the others were precious and irreplaceable, just like the memories she had sacrificed to remain alive, to meet them and to remain next to them. "So don't be afraid of me. I won't bite unless you want me to~ Promise." "Then bite me already. I'm honestly offended it's taken you this long..." Letting her hands reach for Neon, she let her hands explore her body with both curiosity and awe, letting her soft fingertips brush against her skin without restraint. She smiled down at Neon, her hands lowering down to her thighs, caressing before she raised them back up to her chest and squeezed her breasts, a handful between her fingers. "Be selfish with me. I want to know what privileges you'd offer someone who'd be willing to devote her best to your fight." "If you left your best at the arena, we'll have to start talking about training together. I still didn't give it my best in the end. Though you did make me drop my weapon, unlike Idra. Don't let that get to your head." Again, she teased, leaning down to press a kiss to Neon's lips just moments before she pulled back and tilted her head to the side, baring her next for Neon to take with her fangs. Both in an expression of submission, and one of trust; letting Neon know that she trusted her with her life already, and that she could take as she pleased. "... Just... Take it slow around there. I'm not going to let a little sting take this away from me. What's a little pain before a lotta pleasure?" "Don't act tough on me. I'm the one who did this to you." As if to punish her for trying to act like it didn't hurt, Ophelia pushed her fingers on the dark, cracked, bruise-like marks that she'd inflicted upon her. It wasnn't out of sadism or cruelty, but a selfish frustration. "Every part of you, got it? I've already seen you at your lowest, and I fought... I fought till my body couldn't take it anymore. Did that mean nothing to you? Do you think that showing it hurts will make me less attracted to you? I want to see every part of you. The good, the bad, the ugly... because you're beautiful all the same." "Each part of you is as beautiful as the next." ​ She smiled down at her again, pressing her lips to the cybernetic samurai's for another kiss, this time pushing her tongue between her lips for a more passionate exchange, a dance between their tongues. Her own voice leaked out from between their lips, moaning with pleasure as she let herself get lost in the pleasure. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ​ "Phew..." Never in a thousand years would she have expected a night like that. While the witch and the vampire had insisted that she needed to rest after her battle with the angel, the princess didn't sleep a wink when stuck between the two. The morning after was a little awkward, if only because, after launching herself into the throes of passion, Ophelia couldn't find the right words to face the two together once it had all settled down. She practically threw them both out of her apartment after they'd dressed and had some breakfast, if only so that she could sort her own feelings. And conserve a bit of her dignity after seeing the messed they'd made of her sheets. Fortunately, replacing the sheets was easy enough with the help of the apartment's automated systems. Ophelia spent most of her day just getting acquainted to her room and resting. After all, the next day would be vital. Returning to her planet was not something she was looking forward to. Ruins upon ruins of her old civilization flashed through her mind as she cleaned up her living room and ordered herself some breakfast, different scenarios running through her mind as she ate. She was to be their guide once they were at the castle, but what good was a princess who had been exiled to a tower for thousands of years? There was no guarantee the castle would be like she remembered. She was surprised to know there was even a castle to begin with, having thought disaster had razed it to the ground like it had destroyed everything else. But given the official mission debrief (she'd thankfully learned to read and write Common at a basic level by now thanks to her patron's boon), it seemed that it wasn't just there, but that it was now a fortress to rebels from a war she still didn't understand. "I think... I'm as ready as I'll ever be. So now..." After donning the new dress that Umbra had tailored for her and putting on a new set of gloves, Ophelia fastened her belt and the sheath of her rapier to it. While a full day's rest wasn't enough to help her heal to the fullest after her battles in the arena, the princess was ready. She couldn't be the burden to the group's progress, and Sen had put much faith in their success. Whether she felt up to it or not, Ophelia was going out there. She threw a few bandages into a small bag she had grabbed and secured the tome that Neon had bought for her to the other side of her hip, ensuring it wouldn't fall off no matter how much she moved around. With a deep, sobering breath, she picked up her phone, bringing up the chat app, which she'd gotten more comfortable with using during her rest day. After all, she had to make sure the others wouldn't worry about her shutting herself in for a whole day, reassuring them that it was only to conserve her energy for the mission. 'I'm ready to head out when you girls are. Just let me know where the meeting spot is.' She typed out and sent before slipping her phone back into her pocket and heading out of her apartment.

 

[Tenzai]

"Each part of you is as beautiful as the next."​ Beautiful. A term she had never imagined being called herself, especially when around women like Medina, August, and Shiro. She had often been seen as the tomboy who was too flirtatious for her own good, not a lady to be treasured and especially not as a flower that could be seen as a work of art. "...Thank you." Neon muttered in between their kisses, finally losing herself for the night. If her words felt that good, what more would her body feel like when being pressed against one another in the dark. ──────・୨ ✦✦✦✦✦ ୧・──────​ Mission day. In front of the girls sat many ships, each preparing for takeoff. Sen wasn't the type to simply focus on the success of one mission but rather many missions at the same time. It was through shared hundreds of successes that wars were won, in the past and in the present, and in the future, it seemed no different. Nearby, there were lizards in armor, many preparing for a vanguard engagement against a rebel stronghold located on Ophelia's planet. With a wave from a familiar bipedal crocodile warrior, Leandro had offered the girls his best regards. "Ophelia isn't with you?" He noted the missing member of their team. "Do tell her I wish you all the best of luck. There's nothing wrong with a bit of it to ensure our safe journeys home." Neon nodded her head. "I'm sure she'd really appreciate that. I'll let her know when she meets us here." Elsewhere, Idra was donned in full armor, delivering orders to her staff and company about their engagement that was soon to come. Given the extent of her wounds that had yet to heal, she was assigned the responsibility of being a distraction for Ophelia's team with the goal of preventing potential rebel reinforcements from shifting the odds of success for their mission. Upon making eye contact with August who waved in response, the princess had sighed, pointing at her shoulder in the hopes that the witch would double check the status of her dress. Turning around to her own shoulder, she found Shiro already working on it, tying the scarf where it was tied poorly to ensure that it wouldn't fall the moment they met any wind or turbulence. "Thanks Idra!" Gust yelled in the hopes that she could hear before focusing on the newest notification on her phone: One new notification from: Lia. [I'm ready to head out when you girls are. Just let me know where the meeting spot is.] Typing a quick response in return, she took a selfie with the other girls in armor before sharing her location. [The Dockyard. We'll catch ya there <3]​ The dockyard. A massive structure that made up a good percentage of the station's real estate. While fighters and other small transport vehicles made up many of its parking spaces, there were also massive battleships that treated the citadel as its home. It was the first and last place that many soldiers and travelers go to see and it would see in between travels and missions and as a result, was the most frequented by others. With Medina firing up the engines and doing the last diagnostic checks to ensure their small ship's flight capabilities were greenlighted and ready to go, the other girls waited outside only to find Ophelia dressed up in her newest clothes. "Wow! I swear, Umbra really has a way with bringing out the best in you!" August was the first to comment, now fully comfortable with the princess after a night spent exploring each other's bodies. Upon being treasured despite her scars and being supported regardless of her anxieties, she didn't feel the need to hold her own thoughts back from her. "Yeah. It looks like she really likes you." Neon on the other hand had seen Lia as her equal. Now being her knight, the samurai wasn't against bearing herself in all her different colors as well. Finding the seams similar to the same work she put into her dress, it was clear how the spider seamstress felt. "She put a ton of effort into it." Turning back to August, she raised a question. "You think she saw the fighting too?" The witch nodded her head. "Absolutely! She was gushing over it on the group chat!" Now present beside where their ship was beginning to start, its ramp lowered itself, revealing its insides as their entrance. Waving the others in, Medina brought her mic close to her mouth. "Come on in everyone! We have some work to do. We'll handle the mission briefing along the way!" With nothing more holding them back, the other girls began to file in slowly, eventually leaving Neon and Ophelia as the last to come aboard. "After you." Her knight chided, offering a bow as she gave her preferential treatment before being the last to follow. With the air conditioning on and their holo-table in the center of their chairs glowing, Ophelia was given a view of her castle through a holo-map as the ship took off from station. Given the sonar and x-rays used to scout out the building, from its transparent exterior, she was met with a brief view of what her home looked from within. It was a terrible shift from her past. Where there was once beauty and order in its sculpting, there was nothing but devastation and ruin as a result of many centuries of war that took place in between her imprisonment and her rescue. All the talk of sacrificing herself for her kingdom were mute when much of their downfall had not come from forces outside, but rather within. A bell sound similar to a call had made itself known through the speakers as Medina had allowed Sen an entrance into their feed. Within seconds, a holographic version of him was made present within the ship. "Glad to see you all were able to get your rest and recuperation. You two especially." He turned towards Lia and Neon, giving them a knowing look after watching the tournament himself before gesturing back to the holographic castle. "Now here's the deal. There is a natural fortification we could use to launch a spearhead into enemy territory; The ruins of a castle that appears to be held by rebels. Intel suggests they are led by a spellcaster attempting to follow some sort of past, necromantic ritual." Showing the magical activity within the area, several bars had displayed various statistics related to measuring magical elements and power. "I'm going to need you all to claim this old stronghold back. I assumed that out of everyone here, Ophelia would most likely hold the most information about it. As such, I planned on deploying your team." Switching his attention from the mission table back towards Ophelia, he gestured to the other girls to redirect their attention towards her. "If you have any questions, I advise you to ask her now. And I appreciate your help, truly." "Don't think I'm sending you there to handle this on your own." ​ In the distance, other lights were present, moving in the same direction as them. Allied ships had accompanied them, carrying teams that were to be deployed beside them to help secure the massive structure together. "I trust that this will be enough for you all to handle the rebels." The look of relief had come over the other girls as they found others from the citadel flying beside them towards the same destination. With Medina tilting the ship downwards as it made its descent into the atmosphere, Ophelia's castle came into view. Other lights had flashed over its rooftops, signaling the vibrant lights of futuristic spells and weapon fire being flung in the distance nearby; They were simply one part of a major offensive, one of the first armies to make proper landfall on this continent. "And Ophelia." While the others were focused on the scene taking place beyond the ship, Sen's hologram waved her towards a single bag inside. "Do please take care of these girls. They're among my favorite teams around. They deserve a woman befitting of their company." As he vanished once she got close, inside the bag, she was able to find a pistol that served as a magical conduit for her separate from her rapier. Upon touch, it matched the color of her soul, affixing the strength of her spirit to its power cell. "Alright girlies; Here's the plan!" As they got close to the building, Medina's plane became invisible. "Sen's commanders have ordered us to take over the top floor of the castle first before working downward, so I'll be dropping you off at this point." A piece of the castle had highlighted red, showing Ophelia's bedroom once upon a time. "We're nearing it now so please hold tight; I don't want to lose any of you because of a fall." Taking Lia with one arm, Neon smiled as the cockpit began to open for their descent. The other girls, now used to this form of deployment, had held on tight to the handles near the entrance as they waited for the greenlight to appear to signal when it was safe for them to hop out. "Looks like this is our stop." The vampire smirked, excited for battle. "Hold on tight and have faith in me. I won't let you go." Green light. It was time to jump. With August's feather fall spell being cast on them, Shiro and Gust had hopped off first, landing slowly on the balcony of her room. "We can't let those other fuckers show us up, now can we?" ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴘʟᴀʏꜰᴜʟ ᴍᴀꜱꜱᴀᴄʀᴇ | ᴀᴢᴀʟɪ ↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​

​

 

[Carpe Diem]

◤━*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┓ ┗━━━━━━━━━━━━━━✧༺♥༻∞━◢ ✬ Ophelia ✬ ❝ You paint a picture in my mind, you wanna leave it all behind In a world that's turning all the time, nothing could stop me longing for your eyes ❞ ​ Following the directions to The Dockyard was easy enough. Between the reading and the resting, Ophelia had spent much of her free time getting acquainted with her phone as well, learning the ins and outs of it with a little bit of help from the occult. Understanding the language, both spoken and written, did a lot to help her become accustomed to the modern world she had been thrust into, something she hadn't had the chance to do between all the shopping and excitement. And the fighting, of course, but who was worried about that? The tournament had in fact prepped her for the mission better than anything else she could've tried. While her patron's magic kept her body in the same shape as it had been when she first died, her reactions had become lethargic and her ability to use magic had become stunted after years of monotony. In a way, participating in that tournament had been akin to going to the gym after years of not exercising and doing a full body workout. It had left her very, very sore and exhausted, but now she felt like she could bring out more of her strength. The movements that she visualized were a little easier to actually execute, though she was not back to a hundred percent just yet. "Wow! I swear, Umbra really has a way with bringing out the best in you!" "Yeah. It looks like she really likes you." "Alright, that's enough out of you two. Flattery will get you nowhere you haven't already been." Ophelia smiled, pushing her hair behind her ear as she approached the ship, casting an overviewing glance across the dockyard and noticing all the hustle. It was easy to tell something big was happening, although she hadn't been informed of anything besides the raw details of their mission. Maybe all of this movement was for other missions that were being executed simultaneously. For all she knew, Sen had a habit of planning big mission days to save up on the fuel or something like that. Admittedly, it was a smart thing to do, although she wouldn't say that to Sen's face. With the ship's ramp lowering, Ophelia let out one last, centering breath. She closed her eyes, visualizing the castle, each and every hallway. She knew every inch of it like that back of her hand; it had been, after all, the gilded cage she always wanted to escape from. And yet, the first thing she was going to do after breaking out of it and the tower was to go back. Go back to the home that had all but exiled her. The home where she no longer belonged. "Glad to see you all were able to get your rest and recuperation. You two especially." The hero's voice was not as unwelcome as she would've wanted to say it was. Ophelia sat on one of the empty chairs, looking at the hologram of her castle, ruined by time and strife, yet still standing strong. The Lamprosian Kingdom had been built to last tens of thousands of years, at least, and thought every other building had been destroyed by cataclysm after cataclysm, the castle remained even after all those years. The princess tried not to show her shakiness at seeing the building, the memories creeping up in the back of her mind and getting gobbled up and spat back out by the being behind her eyes. "Now here's the deal. There is a natural fortification we could use to launch a spearhead into enemy territory; The ruins of a castle that appears to be held by rebels. Intel suggests they are led by a spellcaster attempting to follow some sort of past, necromantic ritual." "A ritual...? It couldn't be..." Her eyes lit up with subdued recognition, narrowing with the slightest hint of doubt at Sen's words. It was not that she didn't believe him, but rather that she couldn't; if she was right in her suspicions, then the implications of it were simply impossible. But perhaps she was wrong in her assumption - there was no need to draw conclusions so quickly. "If you have any questions, I advise you to ask her now. And I appreciate your help, truly." "Please bear in mind that my information may be outdated by a few thousand years." Ophelia cracked a wry, bitter smile, gripping at her dress under the table. She bit the inside of her cheek, staring deep at the small-scale model of the castle, trying to see if there was anything different at a glance. Besides it being weathered and broken in certain places, it was just as she remembered it, down to the last stone brick. "I trust that this will be enough for you all to handle the rebels." Ophelia turned to see the dancing lights outside their ship, now realizing what all the hustle from before was about. 'So this mission is important enough to spare this many people...' That was not pressuring at all. Nope. It didn't form a lump in Ophelia's throat as she realized the scale of their mission. "And Ophelia." As if he had somehow read his mind, Sen turned his voice to her. Red hues fell on the projection of the man, her expression cold and ambivalent. "Do please take care of these girls. They're among my favorite teams around. They deserve a woman befitting of their company." "I'll perish before I let anything happen to them." ​ The woman muttered simply, looking towards where his hand motioned. She grabbed the bag and fished out what was in it, turning the gun in her wrist as she regarded it. It was different than the guns she'd seen Shiro wield. She could feel it connect to her, ready to siphon her magic if she so much as thought it. Curiosity had gotten the better of her after seeing Shiro take care so diligently of her guns, and she had learned a bit about them. The Great Equalizer, some people called them. Upon their invention, no longer was physical strength or magical talent a defining factor of one's prowess in combat. Now, anyone with enough diligence could fight. It was still best to sharpen one's mind in Ophelia's mind, though. While a gun was a powerful weapon, it was only deadly in the right hands. Ophelia holstered it, keeping it handy on her hip as they began to descend. "Hold on tight and have faith in me. I won't let you go." ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: Yuvi's Longing | Hagali ↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​ "Yeah..." Ophelia's mind was elsewhere as they slowly fell through the air, her eyes lighting up once again with recognition when she laid eyes upon that balcony. Neon's words found their way to her ears, but the princess was already pushing the glass doors open, a cloud of dust floating out as if it had been waiting to be freed. She coughed a little, waving her arm around to clear the brown cloud from her view. "This is..." It was just like how she'd left it. But how was that possible? How had no one, in all the centuries that they had scorned her as the Princess of Ruin, been curious about her room? She could justify them not wanting to sleep in it, as if sharing the same room as her would invite the same monster that had tempted her into their dreams. It was nothing like that; for some reason, her patron had set eyes on her and her alone. It had no interest in others, at least outside of watching them writhe and suffer. Ophelia walked over to one of her dressers, pressing her gloved thumb over the thick layer of dust that covered it. Although she had no evidence of it, Ophelia knew that her room had not been touched ever since the day she left it. It was just as she remembered it, save the dust and cobwebs. Each and every bookshelf was just as she had left it, filled with books that she was sure Medina would love to read, were they not in her native language and prone to turning into dust with a single touch. Her bed was a mess; blankets a bunched-up mess and pillows strewn about the floor. She'd had a breakdown the night before she left, and had broken many a things, never intending to go back. Across from her bed was a family portrait, depicting both an older man and a young woman, with a much younger Ophelia held in the woman's arms. While Ophelia shared the man's dark hair, her eyes were just like the younger woman's, a light, piercing hazel. "Ugh..." ​ Once again, that unpleasant buzzing in her ears returned, scrambling her mind the moment she laid eyes upon the woman's face. She could see it - she had it right in front of her! But despite that, Ophelia's eyes saw nothing but a garbled mess. Pieces that were meant to go together, but her mind was simply incapable of comprehending. "... Let's go." The longer she lingered on it, the more messed up her mind became. She couldn't stay here. She couldn't remember. All she could do was move forward-- Hiss! ​ ... And then she realized why her room hadn't been touched in her absence. As soon as she touched the door handle, her hand burned painfully. She tried again, this time putting her palm to the door. Boom! ​ This time, she was thrown back several meters, crashing through one of her bookshelves. An arcane lock, built to last millenia without being disturbed. She could already see them - the cautionary tales to keep the children away from the devil's room, and a powerful spell to keep them away despite their curiosity. "... Okay. Let's try a different approach then." She didn't think she'd get to use it this quickly, but-- Crackle-- Boom!!! ​ She pulled out the gun from its holster, harnessing her innate magic into a form she could envision. A small bullet flew out the moment she pulled the trigger, hitting the door and spreading into a purple lightning. The spell on the door resisted, but Ophelia pulled the trigger again, and again, alternating between fire and lightning until the wooden door exploded into pieces, splinters flying out in every direction. Smoke filled the room and Ophelia walked out undeterred, stepping over the debris. She took one glance around the hallway, finding no one guarding the door. They'd probably realized it was impossible to come inside, or decided it wasn't worth the trouble and had focused their efforts in other places. "Down the hall -- opposite of the staircase." She pointed to her right, where there was nothing but brick and stone. "There's a secret passage down to food storage. Assuming the potato fumes don't kill us, that should be our quickest and safest way down, assuming the rebels don't know about them. The castle is full of secret passages like that... but they may also be filled with traps. I would advise caution; I doubt I'm welcome here anymore, and I don't doubt they thought I would come back for vengeance one day." "They were half-right, at least..."​

​

 

[Tenzai]

ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴍᴀʀɪᴀɴ | ʟᴇᴠᴇʟ ɴɪɴᴇ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​

Click. Click. Click. Once the witch had descended from the sky, her boots had met the same ground that Ophelia had wandered around as a child. To her, the scene in front of her was akin to a picture in a storybook, speaking of a time alien to her of stone castles with no question of conquest towards the stars in the sky. "Wow... So this is what it must have felt like being a princess in a fairy tale!" Looking out from the balcony as other lights rained down like shooting stars from the distance, some even landing on different sections of the castle, her eyes glimmered like jewels, as though she were walking within a painting itself. "Yeah..." The princess' eyes were hollow; There was something between her and this place that the samurai herself couldn't quite put her finger on. However, right now was not the time for interviews or questioning; They had a job to do and the samurai wished to keep her safe all throughout. "Looks like this is our stop." Upon landing with a thump, Neon relinquished her grip on Ophelia, letting her find her step before turning around and waving to Medina. [Dina. We'll catch you soon.] With Shiro landing nearby with a rifle ready, the ship turned around to take off towards a nearby battlefield in order to offer air to ground combat support. [See you all soon! I'll be just a few minutes away whenever you need me!] With the lights of her engine growing brighter as she shot herself away with speed, within moments, she was no more than another glimmer on the battlefield; One that the samurai offered a quiet prayer for. "This is... Ugh..." August raised an eyebrow, turning her attention towards Ophelia while the other girls scoured every corner and closet to clear the room. "Lia? You okay?" Curious, she approached her from the side, only to look over her shoulder and find what seemed to be a family portrait. Save for the fact that it was covered in dust, it seemed as though it was a finishing piece to someone's bedroom. In the woman's arms however was a clue that made her eyes widen: The young girl in the painting looked a little like Ophelia. "Hey... If you need a little bit of time or something, just know I'm her-" Before she had a chance to place a hand on her friend's shoulder, Lia was ready to move on. "... Let's go." "Oh- Are you sure? We do have a couple minutes-" Neon shook her head. "Lia's right. We can't afford to stay here for too long. Even if it brings back some memories." Some names on a few books had hinted at whose room this was. The fact that the princess' eyes already knew where to go upon coming in was evidence that this was Ophelia's once upon a time. As she spoke, a tinge of sympathy had flavored her voice. She understood the value of one's past; The katana she received back from Ophelia was testament to that fact. "Once we're done clearing this place, I don't think Sen would be against us exploring it. Maybe by then, we'll have all the time you need." "Hmm." Shiro on the other hand seemed to be staring directly at the door handle. With her rifle slung around her neck, as she got close, her hand froze. There was something magical imprinted on it that she had yet to identify, though they didn't have the time to disarm it. They needed a way through. Turning towards Ophelia as she approached the door handle, the smell of burnt gloves was enough for the riflewoman to reach over to her medical bag. However, before she was able to pull out some bandages, a sudden force had pushed the girls down to the ground, only for the catgirl's eyes to spot something underneath the bed: A single book. Believing it to hold some form of information, she placed it into her bag before turning around to hear the sound of a gunshot followed by another, then another, and another after, adding more and more until the doorknob itself was reduced to ash. With the other girls looking at the new entrance, they listened to Ophelia as they made it through the next room. "Down the hall -- opposite of the staircase. There's a secret passage down to food storage. Assuming the potato fumes don't kill us, that should be our quickest and safest way down, assuming the rebels don't know about them. The castle is full of secret passages like that... but they may also be filled with traps. I would advise caution; I doubt I'm welcome here anymore, and I don't doubt they thought I would come back for vengeance one day. They were half-right, at least..." Neon and Shiro nodded their heads, moving quickly towards the hall opposite the staircase. Now that their presence was most likely known, for the two veterans, they recognized that it was only a matter of time before their enemies could prepare, most likely now alerted to the presence of intruders within the castle. With the sounds of gunshots, spells, weapon clashes, and lasfire echoing through the halls, there was no need to guess: The time to act was now. August looked nervous, finding Ophelia acting so differently around the castle. She seemed not herself; her mind being brought to another place, unaware of the familiarity she held when it came to each hallway, nook, and cranny this castle had to offer. This was her home, a place now being fought over by two strangers seeking asylum and strength within the work of her ancestors. "Shiro, take care of traps. I'll be sure to cover your back." With the words of the other girls down the hall beckoning her legs forward, the witch made a mental note of Lia's eyes, careful not to distract her while she did so to avoid making another mistake. "On it." With the door to the food storage in front of them and the sounds of footsteps and yelling behind, the two gave each other a look, nodding their heads before committing a hand sign to the witch: The signal for haste. With her lips mouthing the spell's appropriate incantations, the three girls beside her had begun to blur with their added speed. Mirror images had cloaked their form. "I'll take left. You take right. Lia, Handle whoever is in front of us. On three. One. Two." Whispering her words, the moment her lips mouthed three, the samurai immediately kicked down the door, charging a demon to the left while Shiro poured rounds into a naga on the right. In front of Lia stood a stunned werewolf armed with a two handed great phase blade. With his nose immediately detecting them upon them reaching the door, he was prepared, swinging down his blade only for a magical shield to deflect his attack towards one of her mirror images. "Lia! I got your back! Take him down!" While Ophelia acted, the Neon's blade met her opponent's twice before she was able to cut through their weapon, shattering it and splitting her enemy into two. Shiro on the other hand had brought her snake to the floor with a couple well placed shots, only for the third flash towards the head to be the last that the naga would ever live to see. In a near instant, their sudden ambush had ended. At least, this time, they were enough. Scanning the other girls for injuries, Shiro sighed in relief when she found nothing more than scratches on their weapons. While her foresight was a boon, it had only done so much when it required concentration, especially in combat. "... Good. Do be prepared and don't take a break for long. There will be more. Much more for us to deal with." August gulped, taking deep breaths to calm herself down after the sudden burst of violence. She was a support caster; Someone that brought the best in others who struggled with being dangerous herself. Even though she was a soldier, it was Neon and Shiro that held little qualm with taking lives, even up close. Their lives before joining Sen's service were rife with violence and fighting. August on the other hand was someone who was recruited straight from the tower, never needing to use her magic for any more than chores and similar busywork in the past, unlike her more capable and potent sisters. She was afraid that her dangerous magic would be uncontrollable due to its intensity being guided by emotion. "You okay, Gust? Lia?" Neon checked in, only to find August losing the color in her face seeing the bodies of their enemies up close. There was no amount of experience with the battlefield that could make her ever get used to the stench and sight of humanoid corpses. The sweet, sickening smell was something she hated. Fighting monsters was one thing, but fighting people she imagined she could've befriended in another life was another. "... Lia, I'm no good with words and I think we bought ourselves a couple minutes. Can you talk some sense back into Gust, please?" Unlike August and Medina, the other two were soldiers who preferred the strength in their weapons and tactics over their affinity with voice and written word. Leaving the two behind to scout out the immediate surroundings, the room had grown still with the sounds of faraway fighting disrupting the silence as the witch attempted to hold her insides together. In truth, she wanted to vomit. "I... I'll be alright." August held her hand over her mouth, trying to appear strong. "I c-can't hold you all back again. So I-I'll be fine, don't worry about me." Feigning strength, the witch's knees were speaking a different story. She was scared. She had just lost her commander in the last mission as well, and a part of her had felt like it was her fault. "Just give me a moment, okay? I just need to take a breath." One deep breath after another, the haunting sounds of weapon fire and spells intended to bring down their enemy refused to let up on its frequency, denying her peace. Out of her cohort, she was the most normal of them all, holding onto more humanity than the rest of the other girls who deployed directly into the field on her team. "We're... We're going to be alright... Right?"

 

[Carpe Diem]

◤━*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┓ ┗━━━━━━━━━━━━━━✧༺♥༻∞━◢ ✬ Ophelia ✬ ❝ You paint a picture in my mind, you wanna leave it all behind In a world that's turning all the time, nothing could stop me longing for your eyes ❞ ​ What was it about this place that brought back a distinct feeling of ennui in her? Why was it that, as she walked down the same old tiles, the weathered tapestry looking just like how she remembered it, that she felt her mind turn into a deep mist? Despite eons passing her by, the landscape looked as gray as it had when she was still young and idealistic, yet not realizing she'd always been a caged bird. This castle had been her prison, her penitentiary for a sin she had yet to commit. "Shiro, take care of traps. I'll be sure to cover your back." Holstering her gun, Ophelia exchanged it for her rapier, readying herself for close-quarters combat; the halls were not big enough for the wide-range spells that she'd shown in her battle before; thus, she would have to rely on her nimble movements instead to fight off their enemies. As she did, she caught August's eyes, the same concerned gaze she'd grown used to when there was something on her mind drawing a half-smile upon Ophelia's face. She understood in a moment what the concern was about - and that they had little time to address it right then and there. In fact, there was no time. "I'll take left. You take right. Lia, Handle whoever is in front of us. On three. One. Two." While August was the one that the others clearly looked to for executive decisions, it seemed that Neon took on the role of CO when it came to field operations. It was easy to tell that she was the one most capable of barking orders and making split-second decisions. It was not meant to the witch's detriment, but Ophelia could already see the cracks in her judgment, most likely from a sense of inadequacy and low self-esteem that manifested in the worst possible moments. Put in the nicest way possible, August was simply not cut out for battle. At least, not yet. But she was capable of protecting others, and that was good enough. "Lia! I got your back! Take him down!" There was a split second between August putting up a barrier to protect the princess and her bringing her rapier up, thrusting it upward into the werewolf's throat and piercing through his tough skin, then pulling it back to stab him in the heart with surgical accuracy. He was dead before he knew it, the moments of his passage between life and death seeming eternal but being no more than a few seconds in Ophelia's eyes as he glared up at her with a mix of horror and hatred. The princess stared back with detachedness, letting out a soft sigh as she swung her rapier clean of his blood. Her heart thumped against her chest, the adrenaline coursing through her veins. Fighting in a battlefield was different from an arena, where one's objective was not to kill and one could easily surrender the moment they knew they were trumped. Here, on the other hand, there were no half-measures, no mercy to be had. The luxury of mercy was only for those strong enough to know they could lose nothing by giving it, for there were those who would respond to such grace with treachery, plunging their blades into the back of their benefactors the moment they turned away from them. The moment of respite after the fight was longer than the few instants of battle, but felt much shorter in a way that was paradoxical. "... Good. Do be prepared and don't take a break for long. There will be more. Much more for us to deal with." "I'm afraid so. More than we may have accounted for initially." Already, Ophelia could feel the air thrumming with arcane energy. They were traces of it, as if its purpose had already been fulfilled, but its sheer power remained. It was not the work of a single person, not even that of an entire platoon of magic users, but that of centuries, even eons of magic that had built up, all finally put to a purpose. Perhaps August didn't realize it because she was struggling with something else entirely. "You okay, Gust? Lia?" "Don't worry about me. This is not my first battle." Ophelia uttered dryly, her eyes narrowing as she recalled a harrowing memory. That one had remained untouched, as if It had no intention of ever taking it from her. The sounds of tearing flesh, the crunching of shattering bones and the shrill screams of horror all coalesced into a cacophony, yet she could make out every sound and sensation as if the very tendrils and spikes that destroyed her enemies were a part of her. As if she could touch them with the tips of her fingers, press her ears to the skin as it was torn asunder. She gripped her arm, instead casting her gaze upon the witch, who was clearly in worse shape than any of the other three. She sighed sympathetically. "... Lia, I'm no good with words and I think we bought ourselves a couple minutes. Can you talk some sense back into Gust, please?" "She's the only one with any sense left, Neon." Ophelia bit back bitterly before sighing again, shaking her head at herself. "No, sorry. I didn't mean that... I'll talk to her." It was neither the time nor place to bicker about the idea of what made sense and what didn't. They had a mission to accomplish and they couldn't afford any setbacks that they could avoid. Ophelia walked to August, not even having the chance to alert her of her presence before the witch spoke up. "I... I'll be alright." Ophelia frowned; she was clearly not alright, and it didn't look like she would be anytime soon, but they didn't need to say what was already clear to them all. "I c-can't hold you all back again. So I-I'll be fine, don't worry about me." Again, Ophelia closed her eyes, a feeling of frustration rumbling in her chest. She had to actively push it down, letting out only another sigh to hint at her discontent. But she let August speak without interruption, letting her process her own thoughts out loud. So Ophelia could understand. So she could speak clearly and without misunderstanding. "Just give me a moment, okay? I just need to take a breath." "... August. Do you remember what I told you the first day we met? That I don't... like girls who are dishonest. And you are being very dishonest right now." She knelt down, reaching for the witch's hand and gently gripping it under both of her own. Her expression was flat, her voice stern, as if she was scolding a child for lying or hiding something they shouldn't have. "It's okay to not be alright. It's okay to see all this death and be sickened by it. There are those of us who have become desensitized to it, but for every person you kill and feel nothing for, you lose a bit of your humanity. You might even come to enjoy it a little, the same way a hunter might enjoy the thrill of the hunt. Bit by bit, you become a monster, little by little. Before you know it, you shed your own blood and the blood of others without a second thought. But... not you. You shouldn't. You can't." "You can't lose your humanity, August." ​ She stood back up, her gaze on August alone. For the first time since they'd landed, her eyes were not somewhere far away, but lay solely on the witch herself. "You have to remind yourself that this is not right. Violence, killing strangers and loved ones... it's not right. It has never been right. It's the answer for all the fools who are not willing to compromise. If there is any hope that we can find a better alternative... it lies in people like you. So steel your heart, but don't let yourself lose this feeling. And remember..." "You are the one who gave me hope again." ​ A small, wistful smile colored her contours as she slowly helped August back up to her feet. "We're... We're going to be alright... Right?" "We'll all make it through in one piece. Together." 'No matter what I have to sacrifice.' Slowly, gently, she let go of August's hand, nodding towards Neon and Shiro. Making sure that August was not far behind, Ophelia made her way to them. "I think we're good to go." She cast a glance to the witch, offering the slightest smile of support before reaching for her rapier and unsheathing it. "Stick behind me, August. I'll protect you... and I know you'll protect us too. Have faith in yourself, and have faith in us." Her smile slowly faltered as they cleared the door from the storage, the stomping of footsteps outside mixing together with the thumping in Ophelia's chest. They pushed forward, bursting through the door to see yet more enemy soldiers on the other side. More demons, a lizardfolk just like Leandro and goblins, among other humanoids. The princess jumped forward, covering August with her body as a beastkin rushed at them with a longsword. She parried it, knocking the blade from his hand before he had a chance at another swing. Then she stabbed him through the heart and pulled back her blade, watching him crumble only for another assailant to come after him. If the rebels didn't have much in terms of skilled fighters, they made up for it in sheer numbers. Ophelia continued to fight the same way, using her technique to parry the attacks she could not dodge, and her footwork for the ones she could. With August's support, she was able to make it through with relative ease, except for a single, stray arrow that flew out in the witch's direction. The fencer caught it too late to simply deflect it, instead jumping in the way. It hit and pierced through her shoulder, and immediately she could tell it had been laced with something. Poison coursed through her veins. She fell to her knees, yanking the arrow out of her shoulder. Blood spurted from the open wound, but closed up unnaturally after a few seconds. The poison weakened her, and she even spit out blood, but thanks to her eldritch patron, she had a resistance to all things foul, including a natural resistance to poisons. It didn't make her inherently immune to them, however. It still took her out for several seconds, long enough for her to feel woozy as she stood back up to her feet, still holding her aching shoulder, even if it had healed already. After all, her accelerated healing did not make her pain go away, because otherwise it would be too easy for her, and her patron did not want that. Fortunately, it seemed the battle had ended by the time she had recovered. Or so it seemed, at least for a few seconds. The hallway, now strewn with dead bodies and smeared a deep red, was a little wider than the one on the top floor, where Ophelia's room laid untouched. Yet it seemed about the same size, if only because of the statues that decorated it. They each held a weapon in hand, their features chiseled with meticulous detail, and a plaque under their feet, unfamiliar, ancient words on each one. Ophelia recognized the language as her own native tongue, and she could make out names for each one, not a single one the same as the last. There was a thrum in the air, like the rumble in the skies warning of a deluge to come. "... Don't lower your guards!" The princess called out desperately just seconds before it happened. Statues made of marble and granite shifted from their spots, brandishing the weapons they held in their hands. Their expressions did not change, causing an eerie disconnect between their calm and collected expressions and the way their bodies, fueled by magic, moved in a way that could only be described as human-like, but not quite. The stone became flexible enough for them to move as if they had natural joints, but were still stiff enough that one could tell they were uncanny. "They are... heroes of this kingdom. Each king and queen chose one hero to immortalize. The strongest of their tenure, forever etched into their peak as warriors. It involved a ritual that took a piece of their soul and put it into a statue made in their image..." Ophelia explained, bringing her rapier up to block a strike from one of the spear-wielding statues. Her own blade struck at it, but bounced off. Yet, her strike still cracked the stone. Another thrust was enough to create a chink in its exterior, causing its arm to crumble onto the ground. At least fighting these statues would not be as gory as the living soldiers, but... "... They were denied the peace of death. All this time, a piece of them has been trapped within these statues, unable to move on. The only way for them to move on would be to..." She trailed off, fighting off another statue, this one wielding a greatsword. It swung with stunning speed, barely missing her as she sidestepped it and struck at its neck, infusing her rapier with the power of the thunderclap, the strike coming first, before the sonic boom came after, obliterating its head entirely. "... The royal crown. It must still be here. The rebels must've found it. Only by using its power could these statues be brought to life." Their objective was now clear to Ophelia. It would be one thing to rout all the rebels, or at least eliminate the leadership in order to make them surrender, but if they also had these statues in their control, there was no way they would survive. "... The throne room. The ritual to activate the statues can only be done through there. There's still time... they must not have completed it yet. We must go!" The princess' desperation came not only from the fact that, if completed, the ritual would cause an unstoppable onslaught of stone warriors and rebels, but also of the implication behind activating such a ritual. She could not voice it, for to do so would be enough to make it true. She could not manifest the thought that one of her people, a Lamprosian, was still alive. And worse still... They were her enemy now. ​ "It can't be... no... no, I have to be mistaken. I have to..." She muttered to herself, unholstering her pistol and charging up a powerful blast of sheer magical force that obliterated the remaining statues. "Y-Yes... that's right. They must've... they must've reverse engineered the ritual. That's right. Those impostors... I'll make them pay..." "They'll suffer for making a mockery of my people..."​

​

 

[Tenzai]

ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ʀᴏᴏꜰᴛᴏᴘ ᴅᴀꜱʜ | ᴀᴢᴀʟɪ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​

"We'll all make it through in one piece. Together." The witch had felt sick to her heart. She failed in her promise once again, lying about how she felt. However, instead of being met with a punishment for her poor deception, she was given support; Unlike how she was before, this was had a clear reason. August was not a monster. She was not someone who found a thrill in besting another in mortal combat. While she understood that there would be a cost in participating in war, she had always sought victory over the sake of peace: To return the stars back to a state of safety where happiness could be pursued without risk to one's wellbeing for existing, simply in the wrong place. Her magic was more than just a weapon. It was what preserved her happiness. "Thank you, Lia. I'm... I'm not okay, but I'll try my best to keep up with the rest of you. I just want to keep you all safe." Neon and Shiro smiled at the sound of her words. It was very much like her to put the wellbeing of her friends over anything else. "I think we're good to go. Stick behind me, August. I'll protect you... and I know you'll protect us too. Have faith in yourself, and have faith in us." August nodded her head, remaining close to Lia's back as they walked down the dark hallways. She felt heard and understood, and as a result, had the strength to keep pushing onward in spite of the death and destruction they were fated to encounter. "I've never stopped believing in you ever since I promised myself to you as your friend, Lia." Gust smiled, bringing her magic spell book close to her chest. "And I never will. You're all special to me." The next room they encountered beyond the storage room was a dining hall full of demons, lizardmen, and other rebels, each devouring the remnants of food they stole from a shipping container meant to be delivered to one of the forward bases on the planet. Feasting at first, once one of them had made eye contact with Ophelia, it was already too late. A gunshot from the angel's rifle was sent through the largest of them all, signaling the beginning of combat. "I'll cover you, Neon." Shiro spoke, taking shots at those who intended on attacking the samurai from her flanks. "Ophelia, keep August safe." While Neon's weapon had clashed against a horde of smaller goblinoids, some lizardmen had spotted the spell caster supporting her party with haste and shield based buffs, drawing the attention of others to attack her position. One by one, they charged once they were able to draw their weapons, only for her to parry and cut through the first while the next was met with a similar fate. However, throughout the fighting, August had noticed the glint of a hand bow pointed towards Ophelia. Raising a hand to try and deflect it, a dagger had stabbed right into her spell book, causing her to become distracted enough to be unable to cast her spell in time. Shlick. As quick as she saw it, the arrow had embedded itself in her princess' arm where her armor was weakest, draining her of stamina through poison. Though, unfortunately for those who believed this was the perfect opportunity to strike, the adrenaline coursing through her body had slowed its effects long enough for Neon and Shiro to turn their attention back to them, reinforcing their split ranks and doing away with the last stubborn reserves of the dining room's defenses. The only blood that deserved to be spilled today was their enemies', not their own. "Ophelia! Are you okay?!" August ran to her side first, examining her wounds. Surprisingly, they healed much quicker than she expected, not necessitating magic to seal it. Noticing her veins darker than usual, Neon was aware that there was most likely poison at the other end of the shaft, though one look at those dark spots shrinking had brought her mind to question: Just what was she? Her body looked human but was more resilient than any other human she had ever met. It was likely that she was something taking the form of a human, even if she didn't know it herself; But for now, that wasn't the main concern. They had a job to do. "Leave the rest to us, Lia. If you need to take a break to try and recover, we could-" "... Don't lower your guards!" Not even given a moment to rest, the girls were met with living statues that saw them as intruders into their castle; An organic cancer that was meant to be excised. A single round at the statue that mimicked the form of an archer had only chipped at her head, yet she still moved, emotionless. "...Damn." Their foe, while not impenetrable, were immune to the psychic vulnerability of pain and stamina. They moved on magic, marching in rock as they did in life. "They are... heroes of this kingdom. Each king and queen chose one hero to immortalize. The strongest of their tenure, forever etched into their peak as warriors. It involved a ritual that took a piece of their soul and put it into a statue made in their image..." "So this was how your heroes were awarded? A life forever encased in stone?" Neon deflected the first strikes that came her way, feeling her hands vibrate upon collision with their weapons. Her sword was meant to cut through flesh and bone, it wasn't the best when it came to dealing with hard material specifically, especially with a quarter of its battery meant to fuel its jets spent on their previous skirmishes against the rebels. "That sounds terrible." "... They were denied the peace of death. All this time, a piece of them has been trapped within these statues, unable to move on. The only way for them to move on would be to..." Watching Lia engage in combat, August lightened her steps with a haste spell, further enhancing her physical ability to resist any debilitations dealt to her as a result of the poison that infiltrated her body. With a single smash of her blade's infused spell shattering the air around her opponent's head, the hero's body was left headless as it splintered into many pieces, yet still, it proceeded onward. "... The royal crown. It must still be here. The rebels must've found it. Only by using its power could these statues be brought to life." They were outnumbered and with every passing second, that number differential grew. If these durable defenders were going to get in their way, it would be only a matter of time before all her new friends "... The throne room. The ritual to activate the statues can only be done through there. There's still time... they must not have completed it yet. We must go!" A wave of her hand followed by a muttering had done away with many of them, only for others to arrive in a matter of seconds. The castle was full of heroes collected over generations, many coming well after she was imprisoned in the first place. "They'll suffer for making a mockery of my people..." Desperation was made present in her voice as the other girls had begun to follow her from behind, sprinting through living walls of material shaped in the bodies of former heroes. "These things are catching up, Lia." Neon found them fast, giving no more than a few moments to run past them as they freed themselves from their pedestal resting places. "Shit! They're really not going to let us go, huh?" Stopping her feet, she turned around to face her princess' former allies. If she were to be her knight, she shouldn't run away from the enemies that sought to do her harm. "You three go without me! Let me handle them! Just make sure you hurry!" Drawing her blade with one hand and uncorking a potion in another, she drank a drug that was meant to be used in an emergency. "Come on now. Show me the might of the Lamprosian heroes. I want to test your strength for myself and prove myself the best knight her bloodline ever had! Let me be the one to lay you to rest for a final time!" Concerned over the vampire's wellbeing, as a marble arrow flew through the air to catch Ophelia's back while her attention was focused ahead, a magic wall had denied it access to her body. Nothing would touch her family while she was prepared to fight. "I'm not gonna leave you alone, Neon." Raising her hand, she reinforced the wall that separated the statues from their friends. "Leave them to us. I'll make sure that Neon can fight at her best while keeping the rest from chasing you!" Smiling and looking to the other two girls for confidence, she gave a wink. "I trust in you both. Handle the rest for us, okay? We'll see you soon." Nodding her head, before Ophelia had a chance to protest, Shiro took her arm and continued running further into the castle, getting a gist of where to go through the use of her foresight alone. With her choices in direction being reinforced by the princess' footsteps running beside, eventually she came to a stop as they stood in front of a couple massive doors that separated them from the throne room. Many bodies of both rebels and allies alike had littered the floor on the way here, with broken statues acting as evidence of what they faced on the way here. They were beyond the control of both of them, doing away with many unprepared and unknowledgeable of the weapons of the past. "It seems that whatever is leading these things are on the other side of this door." Drawing her weapon close, she set her weapon from single-fire to automatic, replacing the magazine with larger rounds in exchange for smaller calibers in order to maintain volume of fire despite their shrunken numbers. "This was your home once, wasn't it?" While the two had prepared for what was to come ahead, Shiro made her assumption known. It was growing abundantly clear ever since they came that she wasn't herself. She was too familiar with the castle and the pictures that were hanging in her room were evidence enough to the cat girl that this was more than just a mere castle she visited. "... In truth? Whatever is happening on the other side of this door is something that I can't determine even to the best of my abilities." For the first time, Shiro's face showed an air of genuine concern. There was no guarantee this time that they would come out unscathed. "I advise us to be careful, even more than usual. There's only so much that I could do from here... And I'll need your help, Ophelia." Upon touching the door, dark lightning had shot from the doorknob, conjuring dark runes over the angel cat markswoman's flesh. It was cursed. "AH!" She gritted her teeth tightly, dropping her weapon and falling to the ground to wince. Whatever dark magic was protecting the door seemed to be especially effective against her kind, leaving her vulnerable as she winced through the pain. "Tch... Did they expect us? Or... Is this magic so dark that not even I could touch it?" Taking a deep breath, she placed a hand on her chest to try to catch her breath, only to rise and feel the dark static take her attention. The curse she was afflicted with by surprise would not let her go without them defeating the one who had cast it in the first place. Everyone else was relying on Ophelia to survive. "This... This is nothing. Let's handle this enemy together." Reaching into her bag for some sort of explosive to break down the door, if Ophelia didn't act now, it was likely that the cat woman would instead blow a hole in the wall beside it rather than deal with trying to enter through the same way again. "And I don't think there's any better way of attacking them than through a surprise."