Chapter 104: Seriously Though She’s Actually Better

- Dwarven Settlement, Calidus, Sens Estate Private Training Facility and Dojo - Rose's POV -

[So fight me, this time for real.] - Karen

[...] - Rose

How did it come to this you may ask? It's simple, my crush is a product of her environment through and through. Competitive to a fault as well as former disciples of the same dojo under a literal God, although we didn't know it at the time, we had always maintained a friendly rivalry during our time in martial arts training. And, while my own skills were woefully inadequate in my previous life to do more than kind of keep up with her in the best of situations, my current skills were a far cry from those previous fumblings.

Fuelled by my more powerfully built body and much larger size I'd adopted a much more power-hitter style with emphasis on heavy attacks with overwhelming offensive ability. In other words not exactly something I'd have been able to even attempt before hitting triple 7's on the genetics lottery in regards to my current form.

Karen, on the other hand, had always had the power to back up her skill. Which was also substantial in comparison, to be honest. This skill had been further amplified by her now completely boneless body that could deliver high intensity and high-speed blows unmatched by her previous form. Although it did come with a woefully inadequate defense if you could deliver the correct type of damage since her body, being made of something similar to gelatin, was completely incapable of actually mounting any real solid blocking ability.

And so we came to now.

Karen, knowing all of this even before our earlier fight, had been extremely discontent with my failure to put up any real resistance previously and, after convincing me to come back to my worried classmates she had one-sidedly announced that we were going to have a rematch. To the shock of the entire class although I couldn't help noticing a knowing smirk coming from a certain devilish legal loli who then immediately approved said rematch. Apparently, the rest of the training matches had been put on hold after I'd fled so we'd be the second people to have a match as well as the first. Damn.

Seriously?!? Is that damn loli in on th- OH SHIT!

[You just wanna get some payback for last night, don't you! Ah!?!] - Rose

[Definitely, now come at me bro!] - Karen 1Dated I know but I laughed. Early 2000's here I come!

Realizing that Karen was only slightly joking I was still taken by surprise when her rush forwards was accompanied by a strong right straight, her attack a clear attempt to take advantage of my momentary surprise. Luckily I was able to leverage my body's much higher physical abilities to my advantage here and, using my tail as the fulcrum, I instead deflected her strike while pulling myself back. A move intended to put Karen off balance as her momentum continued to drag her forward.

Instead I was even more shocked when her forward movement was coupled with her form turning semi-solid as she followed me in my retreat. How the hell do I fight this?!?

[Nice try but no dice!] - Karen

[Shit! Unfair! Ah!?!?] - Rose

Recovering quickly from the unexpected situation I put into practice my 5 months of training with arguably one of the strongest fighters on the continent as I used the new mass following me to propel myself into a backhanded strike that brought a grimace to Karen's face as she deflected it over her head, my much larger size pressuring her by its sheer presence. Pressing my momentary advantage I followed through with a tail whip that would have gouged out the floor of the dojo if it wasn't protected by an enchantment, the brief flicker of blue light in my periphery the only indication that something was muting the overwhelming power of my massive tail. I really had to see if there were weapons designed for that at some point, maybe something cute but deadly...?

[Stop getting distracted Rose! Hah!] - Karen

[Oh crap!] - Rose

Pulling myself out of unrelated thoughts floating through my head I realized that I'd been a second too late as something unexpected happened. I was airborne!

[HOOOOOOOOW!!! Ow.] - Rose

[Hahahaha! You can do better than that right?!? Come on!] - Karen

She was getting excited. Shit. After somehow lifting my entire enormous length off the ground I felt myself being thrown, although not as far as expected considering her usual moves. Thanking my good fortune as my tail only barely left the ground I silently thanked my large body as well for what was most likely supposed to be a much more damaging move but only ended with me only slightly clearing the purple slime girl's shoulder as she tried to slam me into the floor. The heavy crash as I hit was still painful though so it didn't particularly help much to be honest.

And worst yet was the twinkle of excitement present in my long-time crushes eyes as she fell headlong into her competitive tendencies. Luckily in our previous world while I was sometimes the target of her competition spirit I was mostly unable to match her for too long which generally limited the amount of time I had to get tossed around as she let off steam. Right now was completely different though and for the first time I could see that Karen was starting to see me a little differently than before. The glint in her eye as we sparred, the measured way in which she assessed our abilities. She seemed to be finally at least trying to look at me as I am.

Or I could just be reading into it too much and she was just in the zone.

[Will do! Haha!] - Rose

- Dwarven Settlement, Calidus, Sens Estate Private Training Facility and Dojo - Rose's POV -

[Hah Hah, I needed that. Heheheh.] - Rose

[Honestly me too, too many of my fights after coming here have been too serious for my tastes. Not enough friendly sparring in my opinion.] - Karen

Welp I still lost. Breathing hard as we giggled together I suddenly sighed happily. It had been a while since we really let loose like that, and last time had ended with me pulling something.

[Haha! You call that friendly huh. Haaaaah... Hey Kare Kare, I'm not the same person as I was, but I still love you even so.] - Rose

Comforted by her answer I leaned back against her as we sat facing away from each other, our hideaway away from prying eyes that were currently paired up in their own groups as we rested from our own bout. Apparently Lolianne Sensei had been particularly impressed by our fight despite neither of us using anything other than pure martial skill rather than our other abilities. Although now that I thought of it we hadn't ever actually agreed to keep the bout purely physical so that it just happened to turn out that way was probably a remnant of our old world's practice matches showing through.

Regardless I was comforted by her presence as I leaned more heavily into her cool figure.

[Aust- No. Rose, I know that you've changed; to be honest, I have as well. 2 years of isolation in the middle of a forest will do that to you. I'm... I'm open to learning about you again.] - Karen

[Friends?] - Rose

[Friends.] - Karen

[I'm still gonna rock your world when we tie the knot though.] - Karen

[Pfft! Kof Kof! K-Karen!] - Rose

[Heheheh...] - Karen

- 3 Days Later, Crossroads, Merchant Lord Aste's Sector - Queen Laura's POV -

[What's the word on the early arrivals?] - Queen Laura

[Your Highness, we've word that the Beastfolk King, Leo, has arrived from Fastus, as well as the Gnomish Council Delegate from the Labyrinth City. The rest should be arrived by tomorrow, with the exception of a few of the smaller human nations that border Church-held territories which should be arriving the day of the Conference.] - Queensguard Miriam

[Hah... then seems like they'll be our biggest obstacle, this time.] - Queen Laura

The last few days had been hectic ones, mostly spent diverting aid from royal coffers to where it was needed within Abelis, money which we'd loan King Nero at no interest for up to 20 years to allow him to repay us without bankrupting his own country. The price demanded by our squabbling nobles? The land won in the short conflict. Many of them, seeing profit in the large influx of separated land, were already lobbying my court to give them the stewardship of the captured county. And none of them were trustworthy enough to allow for rule of such a removed location that they could fall back on in times of hardship.

Regardless, annoying noble families were the least of her worries as no less than 10 assassination attempts had been made on the captured Hero's life since his restraint. Luckily none of them had gotten close yet but it was only a matter of time before they did if they kept being as persistent as they had been. A tired guard is a bad guard.

Hence my hurry to call for a Conference; our mutual defense was only held by the weakest bonds at best and no bonds at all at worst so I'd need proof positive that the attack we suffered was from the Church rather than religious fanatics from one of the outer congregations, as the Church was already claiming. That proof of course was the Hero, his shattered mind useless on that front but if we spun it right we might gather enough votes to at least form a levy in the various allied nations without standing armies already. If we were forced to we could most likely fight off the Church forces with our own and that of our close neighbors but the cost would be devastating and would leave us open to further attack by unrelated groups and perhaps even our own allies if we were truly put in such dreadful states to require aid from those unfriendly to us within the Council.

Regardless we needed vigilance in this time against ALL enemies, both within and without.

[Begging your pardon Your Highness but my sources tell us that the largest impediment to this conference is King Leo, our spies have intercepted some internal documents that show that he was investigating Your Highness' Niece even before the incident. Our intelligence believes that they may stand in our way of keeping her uninvolved in this affair.] - Queensguard Miriam

[Miriam?] - Queen Laura

[Yes my Queen?] - Queensguard Miriam

[Send word to our allies in the Labyrinth City that we may require their delegate to second us on a motion, I'd like their Council to deliberate on this action beforehand so they can be ready to make a swift decision.] - Queen Laura

[Understood. If you'll excuse me.] - Queensguard Miriam

Cursing inwardly at both King Leo and the Gnomish Council I was barely able to register as my Queensguard vanished from my perception, her stealth abilities only surpassed by those of the Blackguard themselves and even then, only a few of the more skilled individuals. Even this awareness was due to having been in a party with one of the most skilled assassins to ever slither the face of Miscalis.