Chapter 95 - The Secret Of The Maidé Ball (Part 2)

When Commander Chunhua had finally finished her speech, she signaled for a pair of [Cultivators] to seize Akira.

"Dammit," he grumbled, as they proceeded to drag him by the arms—both legs trailing through the dirt—then brusquely tossed him down, before the Commander's impatiently tapping steel boot.

Said foot drifted closer toward him...

"What's with the disappointed look, prisoner?" she taunted. "Were you"—she bent forward, her hands on her hips, giving a wicked smile—"expecting someone?" She gave a cold laugh. "Or, is it that you thought I was only joking earlier?"

Akira turned his head to the side, stubbornly refusing to so much as look her in the eye; only further magnifying her anger.

"Speak, dog!" She demanded, gritting her teeth in a wrathful snarl.

Yet Akira remained silent, facing down.

Chunhua's gaze narrowed—it was time to unveil her trump card:

"Zhao won't be coming, you know."

At this, Akira sharply faced up at her with wide eyes. Only to be immediately met by her boot, harshly planted on the top of his head, grinding his nose into the dirt.

"Cocky bastard!" she snapped. "You underestimate me because of my looks, and the fact that I'm a woman!" she said, squeezing her unmovable sole even harder against the back of his head, bearing a maniacal glare. 

"Of course not!" Akira adamantly protested. "It's the current year, so I respect all women and view them as equals!"

"As you said. Because, it's all thanks to my genius female intuition that I could tell you two were plotting something," Chunhua went on to say, shrugging with an indifferent smile. "So let's just say I left Officer Zhao all 'tied up,' back in the barracks, until further notice." 

"You mean literally, don't you?"

"But of course" —she flaunted her hair—"a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do."

"You sure...bring up the fact that you're a woman a lot," Akira said, as he struggled to raise his head, despite it still being firmly set underneath her planted foot. "If I didn't...know any better...I'd almost say that the proud Cultivator commander was a bit...insecure!"

In response, Chunhua recoiled with an angry scoff, reflexively reaching for the hilt of an [Iron Sword] hung upon her hip. However, ultimately refraining from drawing it with a sinister grin. "Well, it hardly matters what you think," she said, turning her back on Akira. Adopting a more casual tone, while hailing toward the nearby watchtower: "Your head will be rolling across the stones, soon enough."

Moments later, Vash and Rudolf watched from the crowd as a bulky bear-man in a chain shirt and executioner's hood emerged from the watchtower. Brandishing a giant ax on his shoulder, as he approached the center of the square with a workmanlike swagger.

Vash was horrified. "I read in a book, once, that executioners stopped using axes in favor of swords"—he swallowed nervously, tugging at his collar—"because they made for cleaner cuts."

Rudolf gave a small grunt. "Aye, there's why we Norns never bother learning how to read."

This [Town Executioner], as he was called, took his position at the bloody altar in the square with a huge stretch followed by a yawn. Then an irritated scoff, when he saw just how many "customers" he would be receiving today.

"Alright," he said like a defeated groan. "Let's get this shit over with."

Chunhua, smiling cordially as she was promptly moving out of his way, gently laid a hand on his shoulder in passing. "Noble executioner, won't you be a dear and provide all these Stormfleece scum, as well as our firstcomer"—she glared down at Akira—"with a quick demonstration of your technique?"

To this end, by Chunhua's order, a [Chicken] was promptly plucked off the street, through the efforts of five Cultivator soldiers having to chase and lunge at it, for several minutes, before finally succeeding in restraining the presumably high spirit rank floundering, frantic fowl.

It was then brought to the executioner, too tuckered out by this point to resist any further. Its neck thus laid out across the altar, with little difficulty.

And then, because this story hasn't featured nearly enough animal abuse…

Rather than lift his rather large and imposing ax, the executioner instead retrieved a keychain-sized object that had been dangling from his belt: an object which Akira immediately recognized, with unparalleled surprise.

For, within the executioner's grasp, was a small wooden sphere identical to the one given to him by Zhao.

'Huh? He's going to summon something?'

"Lorica, I choose you!" The executioner cried. As the sphere expanded, to fill his entire palm, before he tossed it up into the air where it became enshrouded in bright light. Then firing out in a thin, white beam: toward a clear spot in the square, where it formed the silhouette of an emerging entity...

Whatever it may be, it was small and humanoid; distinctly feminine in shape. Armed with a long, bladed weapon wielded in its hand.

Within a span of a few seconds, the bright light dissipated to reveal a little girl dressed in a more "stylized" version of the executioner's garb: A thinly strapped brown leather bra, covering her washboard-flat chest. A chain skirt with chainmail leggings, rusted iron gauntlets a and greaves, speckled in dried blood. A black executioner's facemask, as opposed to an all-concealing hood. Short, black hair that curled up at the tips. Big, beaming black eyes.

"At your command, my love!" the little girl declared, holding aloft a chipped and worn greatsword.

Akira continued to watch, dumbfounded, as the hurled wooden sphere she had seemingly emerged from then swiftly returned to the executioner's hand, shrinking back to its original size.

"What the—" Vash exclaimed, pointing at the little girl with a look of awe. "It's just like...Mockémon!"

"It's like what now?" Rudolf inquired, with a raised brow. Then abruptly nodding, with a look of understanding. "Oh, right. You aren't from Seaspan, so you must not be familiar with things like [Maidé Balls], or the Fight Girl Concordant."

Vash shook his head. "Ah, but isn't it just Mockémon, only with little girls?"

"You've lost me, friend. But basically, a treaty of total armistice was signed between the sovereign rulers of Seaspan—the Cultivators—and the Faefolk of the Sunset Isles. Declaring that all those native to Seaspan are disallowed from engaging in combat, or any form of bloodshed."

"Oh…" Vash said, sounding more than a little disappointed as the pieces were already coming together in his head: to form one very strange, very stupid picture.

However, Rudolf, in failing to sense their fading disposition, still went on to explain: "that is when we began to harness the technology of the [Maidé Balls], first developed by the ancient [Gnomes], to capture our country's womenfolk and train them to fight in our stead. Also called [Pocket Maids]."

"Rudolf-san…" Vash shook his head, sighing. "No offense: to your people or your culture, but that's the most insane thing I've ever heard."

Meanwhile, Akira had jumped to his feet, smiling profusely.

"That's the most awesome thing I've ever heard!" she declared excitedly, openly brandishing the [Maidé Ball] in her possession. "Now that I know what this thing is, I guess it's as good a time as any to unveil my secret weapon!'

Chunhua, who had been watching with a smug air until now, suddenly gawked. "What?" she sharply said. "How the hell did he get a hold of one of those?"

Her eyes narrowed. 'Unless…'

"Zhao!" she said, in a hushed growl.

In the ensuing tense silence, the demonstration luckily managed to flutter away in a clucking racket—leaving just Akira and the [Town Executioner], with Lorica, standing off against each other in the village square.

Chunhua held up her arm, giving a signal. "Archers! Take aim, and—"

"Wait!" The executioner quickly said.

Chunhua shot him a glare, furious at the inconceivable interruption. "Eh? What is the meaning of this?!"

"The prisoner has invoked an old Norn tradition: the 'Blood Mercy,'" he said. "Where, as it is stated in the ancient texts, the accused is permitted to engage their executioner in battle—for a chance at gaining their freedom."

"Tch! Absolutely not!" Chunhua snapped back, rushing forward as she reached for the sword on her hip. "I'll just have to do it myself, then!"

Suddenly, Lorica appeared to block her way: giant greatsword at the ready.

"Executioner, call off your [Pocket Maid]!"

He shook his head, remaining focused on Akira. "I'm afraid I cannot comply with your order, Commander. For although it is true that the Cultivators have claimed dominion over Seaspan"—he tilted his head, glancing back at Chunhua—"we Norn still have our rights."

Chunhua's shoulders were reared, her teeth clenching in anger. "Why you…" Knowing full well that the executioner had spoken the truth.

That ultimately, as the laws of the treaty did stipulate, it was his final say.

"Good man," Rudolf said as he smiled to himself, upon viewing this display. "It appears the perverted one might well live to see another day, if he can somehow manage the impossible."

"What do you mean?" Vash questioned.

"Naturally...the role of [Town Executioner] is only reserved for those among the most elite, skilled warriors in all the land. As it is they who must be counted upon to uphold the peoples' justice, whenever the need arises."

He paused to look at the executioner's Pocket Maid, Lorica, as she now stood staunchly unmoving in the space between him and Akira.

"No doubt, his Pocket Maid will be no simple task to defeat as well. 

"Whereas this will be Akira's first time," Vash added, a line of nervous sweat trailing down the side of his face. "Not to mention, there's no telling if he even has a decent Pocket Maid."