"Oh! I finally see it, guys!" she called out over the rushing wind.
Flying behind her was her ente: Shifu, Hachi, Kaori, Ari, aa. Each rode atop their own armored dragonfly, s in formation as they approached the nation.
"Wow, it's beautiful," Kaede said in amazement, taking in the breathtaking view of Raja. led between two t cliffs and surrounded by shimmerihe kingdom reminded her of a casg waterfall.
Ari scoffed. "It's pretty, I suppose. But once we're done, Maple Tree will be far more stunning, this pce won't even pare."
Kaede chuckled in amusement. "I'm sure," she said, as the others nodded in exaggerated agreement.
Ahead of them, two wyverns asded to meet them, each ridden by a young knight.
"Oh, look. A weling party," Kaede mused with a smile as the riders approached.
"This way," one of the knights, a brown-haired young man, called out, guiding his wyvero lead them.
"Wele to Raja!" the other knight greeted warmly as he flew beside his partner.
"It's a beautiful kingdom," Kaede remarked, voig her admiration.
"Why, thank you!" the first knight responded, pride evident in his voice. "You should have seen it in its prime, truly enting."
His panion coughed lightly into his hand, prompting the first knight to realize his mistake. His eyes widened as he quickly bowed. "Ah, five me, Yhness!"
Kaede waved off his with a gentle smile. "No, it's quite alright! Your pride in your homend is a wonderful thing. Never let go of that feeling."
The knight's eyes glistened with emotion, his lips curling into a determined smile. "Thank you, Yhness! I promise I won’t!"
Kaede chuckled softly, pleased by his siy.
---
"Allow me to introduce you," Shifu said, gesturing toward Kaede. "This is the leader of the nation of Maple Tree, Kaede Honjou."
Kaede nodded politely. "Thanks for having me."
Queen Towa weled her with a warm smile. "No, thank you for visiting our humble kingdom. It’s a pleasure to meet you, truly."
She paused, studying Kaede for a moment. "You really are human."
Kaede tilted her head. "Hmm?"
Queen Towa shook her head. "It’s just... it’s rare for a human to create a nation of monsters."
"Oh? Well, my friends always called me weird," Kaede replied with a pyful smile. "I say, what better way to live?" She pced a hand over Ari’s, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
Ari smiled and squeezed back. "Thanks, Mom."
Queen Towa chuckled. "Well said, Lady Kaede. My kingdom has survived this long because we stand together, regardless of race. It’s incredible what we aplish when we unite."
Kaede nodded in agreement.
Queen Towa’s expression turned serious. "Which is why I requested an audieh you."
Kaede focused, her expression matg the queen’s.
"I would like to establish diplomatic retioween our two kingdoms," Towa stated firmly.
Kaede listetentively, waiting for her to tinue.
"I assume you’ve gathered some information about our kingdom. If so, you’re aware that we are in dire need of assistaoced her hands oable.
Ari opened her mouth to speak, but Kaede cut her off. "I have, and you are. I am not against opening diplomatic retioween our nations." she said, sighing. "But I'm irely sure if you have anything to trade."
Internally, she groaned. 'Nope. Not letting Ari speak right now. She’d probably try to twist this into making Raja my vassal. This is a kingdom in need, a kingdom simir to my own.'
Queen Towa’s expression grew heavy, the weight of her kingdom’s struggles clearly etched onto her face. Though she bore the look of a woman under immense pressure, her eyes still held determination, she had not given up.
'Dishoy will do me no good here. Not with how powerful they seem,' she thought.
Taking a steady breath, she began, “Raja does not have any local specialties, nor is our food produ very high.” She met Kaede’s gaze, her tone unwavering. “We have always relied on imports to sustain our popution, paying for them with the gold extracted from our mines.”
Then, her shoulders sagged slightly as she admitted, “But soon… even that will no longer be possible. Our mines are poisoning our water supply, and at this rate, our people won’t st.”
The room remained silent as she tinued. “inally, we sidered cultivating the Jura Forest to secure more resources, but the presence of the Storm Dragon made that idea impossible. We had no hope of establishing a foothold there.”
She g Kaede’s ente before log eyes with her once more. “Then your subordinate arrived in my kingdom, bringing news of a nation of monsters, created by a human, no less, within the Jura Forest. At that moment, I khis portunity I couldn’t afford to overlook.”
Kaede nodded, her expression unreadable. “So, what exactly are you proposing?”
Queen Towa took a deep breath before speaking. "I would like to propose a mutually beneficial agreement."
She leaned forward slightly. "If you grant us permission to farm within a designated portion of your nd, Raja will, iurn, provide a portion of ricultural yield to Maple Tree as pensation. Additionally, we are willing to offer skilled borers and craftsmen to aid in the development of your nation."
'Ehh? That really isn't much. But their kingdom needs help so...' Kaede tapped her fingers oable, sidering the offer. "You want to use the nd under my trol, in exge for a share of your harvest and workforce?"
"Yes," Towa firmed. "Maple Tree would not have to oversee the process. Raja will handle everything, from the initial setup to long-term cultivation. We simply require the nd and your prote from external interference."
Kaede g her subordinates, noting Ari’s expression of barely restrained disagreement. "And how do you io ehat this deal remains fair? ertage of the yield are you ?"
'She's asking me? Holy, she could ask for fifty pert of our yield and we would have no choice but to ply. My gamble actually paid off.' Towa met her gaze without hesitation. "Twenty pert. A fair amount, sidering we would bear the cost of bor and maintenance."
'I don't want to put too much stress on their nation. Even if Maple Tree doesn't be.' Kaede hummed in thought. "Twenty pert is fair… but if my nation provides additional security, resources, or assistahat pertage may o be adjusted accly."
Towa nodded. "Of course. If circumstances ge, we reiate. My people simply need a ce to rebuild, and I believe this agreement could be us both."
'Ari probably doesn't think so. I'll have to talk to her ter.' Kaede studied her for a long moment before finally speaking. "I’ll ime to sider the specifics, but the general idea… I don’t hate it."
A flicker of relief passed over Towa’s face, but she maintained her posure. "That is all I ask. Take your time, Lady Kaede."
Kaede exhaled, a small smile pying at her lips. "With that done, I would like to take a look at your ke. There may be something I do to help."
Queen Towa’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Truly?" But she quickly posed herself, shaking her head. "No, you trouble yourself. We've tried everything, and nothing has worked. The only thing I do is se the ke with magi time to time."
Kaede’s gaze lingered on the red tiara atop Towa’s head. "It’s killing you, though."
Towa inhaled sharply, momentarily caught off guard. Then, she smiled, a broken, weary smile. "You tell?"
Kaede nodded.
Towa exhaled slowly. "This tiara is the reason I protect my people."
"But iurn," Kaede interjected, "it afflicts you with cursed poison."
Towa’s voice was barely a whisper. "Every power es with a price."
Kaede stepped forward, raising her hand. 'Artificia?'
The ministers shifted uneasily as she approached their queen.
Kaede clicked her tongue. 'Losing your touch, Artificia? Though, I suppose I shouldn’t expect you to know about this. In the game, we had something called status effects. And given the demoniature of this curse… I know just the skill.'
She smiled reassuringly. "Do not be afraid."
A brilliant white light engulfed the room, and in an instant, a heavy pressure desded upon the kingdom.
Kaede’s eyes turned a deep sapphire blue, her hair bzing into a golden hue. She refrained from summoning her wings, but a dense, milky aura spread outward, seeping into the castle, the city, enveloping all of Raja in its sacred glow.
This was the effect of a subskill of her Ultimate Skill: || Guanyin, Lord of Mercy ||
[Presence of the Heavenly King]
A sacred zone is established around the user. All skills inating from 'evil' sources within its range, including those of the user, are nullified.
Toed as thick bck smoke erupted from her body. Uo tain her agony, she let out a bloodcurdling scream.
"My Queen!" Mobuji cried in arm, rushing toward her. "What have you done!?"
Behind him, Hiiro swiftly positioned himself between Towa and Kaede’s group, his stance defensive. "Expin yourself!"
Kaede's eyes darted around. 'Where's the third one?' She turo her panions. "Guys..."
Before she could finish, Kaori aa exged a knowing gnd smirked.
"We're on it."
In an instant, the eldest Tengu and the Wolf Faunus disappeared from the room.
Kaede blinked. 'Wait… I didn't evehem anything.' She g Ari, who was smirking. 'Did I miss something?'
A sudden shift imosphere pulled her attention back to Towa. The bck smoke darkeurning into a deep, menag purple. For a brief moment, Kaede felt something staring at her, something odd and a.
Then, just as suddenly, the smoke dispersed.
Towa colpsed fasping for breath. "Hah!"
With a sharp g!, the tiara slipped from her head and hit the ground, its once vibrant red hue now a dull, lifeless bck.
"Guards!!" Mobuji roared, positioning himself protectively in front of the queen as the doors burst open.
The room tehe momeering on the edge of chaos. Kaede watched as a group of fuards wielding spears positiohemselves between Kaede and the queen.
Hachi (who I definitely did not fet about her existence.) exhaled calmly, releasing a soft emerald mist into the air. [Paralyzing Breath]
The moment the smoke touched them, the guards, along with Hiiro, froze iheir bodies log up as the skill took effect.
"Stop!" Queen Towa's voice rang out, cutting through the tension.
Everyone immediately ceased their as, well, everyone except Kaede, Ari, Shifu, and Hachi, who hadn't been doing much to begin with.
"Queen Tolease escape while you ," Hiiro gritted his teeth, struggling against the paralysis. "I'll hold them off as long as possible."
Kaede gave him an unimpressed look. "Cute." She then turned her attention to the queen. "How are you feeling, Queen Towa?"
Towa shakily pushed herself to her feet, a bit of color returning to her face. "You shouldn’t have dohat, Lady Kaede." Her voice was thick with . "How will I protect my people now? That tiara was the only way."
She reached out toward the lifeless tiara, desperation in her eyes.
CH!
A dark boot came down, shattering the tiara into useless fragments.
Toed, her expression turning to devastation. Hiiro trembled, tears threatening to form as he realized he had failed to protect the person who had saved his life.
Slowly, Towa looked up at the one responsible.
Her eyes met Ari’s.
"That is no way for a queen to act, Queen Towa," Ari said coldly. "Especially since my mother has aowledged you." She shot a g Kaede, who frowned slightly. 'For some reason,' she thought, before turning back to Towa. "A, you didn't even realize your kingdom was being sabotaged. Mured it out instantly."
Towa visibly tensed. "Sabotaged?"
Kaede raised an eyebrow. 'I did what now?'
---
Deep within the lower levels of the castle, a lone figure dashed through the dimly lit corridors, panting heavily.
"That bitch! How could someone like that be here!?" he hissed, clutg his chest as he ran. "It burns... damn it all!"
The fleeing man was Chikowan, the demi-human doctor responsible for tending to the Queen of Raja.
Or rather, Chikowan, the Arch Devil secretly ensuring the queen ruly recovered.
His breath came in ragged gasps as he stumbled forward, his body weakening with every step. The very air in the castle felt suffog, thick with Kaede’s lingering aura.
'I… have to… escape…!' he thought desperately, gritting his teeth against the overwhelming pressure.
"Now, that won’t do, will it?"
A voice echoed through the corridor, halting him in his tracks.
Chikoun around, eyes darting frantically. "Show yourself!"
From the shadows of the dimly lit hall, Delta stepped forward, a predatrin stretg across her face. Her fangs glinted ominously as the torchlight reflected off them.
"Did you really think you could escape?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. "Your fate was sealed the moment my master set foot in this nd."
Chikowan snarled, raising a trembling hand. "I won’t just stand here a you mock me, you little shit!" He thrust his palm forward, eyes fshing with rage. "Die!!!"
.
.
.
Nothing happened.
Chikowan’s breath hitched. His fiwitched uselessly.
"What!?" he gasped, panic setting in. "My magic! What happened!?"
Of course, as a devil, being within range of Kaede’s Ultimate Skill meant his powers had been pletely sealed.
Whiaturally, meant...
Delta’s grin widened into something feral.
"I haven’t had a chew toy in a while." Her cws extended, sharp and gleaming as she took a slow, deliberate step forward.
Chikowan yelped as a wave of pure killing i crashed over him. His legs nearly gave out as fear rooted him in pce.
The hallway darkened, shadows stretg unnaturally as Delta’s voice rang in his ears.
"Want to py with me?"
SaberGlory