The Venom of Darkness and the Resilience of Light

While Kimi oversaw the forging of the ever growing stockpile of identical swords to hers, as well as the various, roughly hourglass-shaped shields with pointed corners and angles - Kana was preparing to have her fortress form an outer wall around Kimi’s existing fortress and armory. Kan observed and surveyed the surrounding areas of Kimi'd fiefdom and where the fortress and armor were situated within it. Unlike in her fiefdom, all of the open space and otherwise natural vastness, was really situated in front of the fortress and armor - as opposed to the sides or the back, for the fortress and armory backed up into a red, snow and frost covered mountain range. 

“Ensure that we have one tower each on the of the Slayer Queen’s fortress and armory, with the third in front of the main gate, with the walls around her ramparts as well.”

Kana directed as the Common Folk under her who had limited but effective Sorcerer and Sorceress powers, used their combined mystical abilities to make the rectangular walls of her shining white and gold fortress hover - and thus move it into place as she directed. It was a sight to behold as the walls hovered and moved slowly - a soft hm cutting through the air as Kana's Common Folk worked with the diligence and obedience of true craftsmen and craftswomen - ensuring that each movement with their looted but effective powers of sorcery and enchantment were put to the best use possible. Kana observed this, all the while wondering how truly effective this combining of fortifications and ramparts would be once they were tested in combat?

“Take heed to use care in this defensive endeavor, we cannot afford to allow for the presence of preventable weaknesses to take root.”

Kana added with caution, then seeing as the wall was safely lowered in place, after it was hovering with a golden aura around it. The Common Folk who carried out this jointly mystical and tactical task all sighed with relief, with each of they nodding and smiling to Kana, their Sorceress Queen. Not long after, Kimi made her way out to greet Kana as the three towers were put in place as Kana had instructed. All around them, the bustle of defensive combatant preparations took place. Chatter and soft banter could be heard all around this area - the Common Folk of Kimi and Kana alike discussing who they were, what they'd done for work and/or school back in the other world, back in Japan. And yet, for Kimi and Kana - all that they could see through the noise and through the seemingly endless movement - were each other!

“OH MY GOSH! YOU’RE REALLY MAKING THIS HAPPEN!”

Kimi squealed as she jumped into Kana’s arms to be bridal-carried, with the humorous irony not lost on any viewers to this show of affection that Kimi’s title was Slayer Queen - and yet she was showing such giddy tenderness! On that, none of the Sorcerer/Sorceress Common Folk under Kana, nor the Slayer Common Folk under Kimi seemed to mind, in fact they seemed to be delighted at that moment of levity. Soft cheers, polite claps, and even some supportive whistles could be heard from them as they continued to work tirelessly, while Kimi looked into Kana's eyes, and Kana looked back into Kimi's. The warmth of love that was between them took their minds off of the cold air that surrounded them.

“Yes, yes we shall bolster our defenses to the utmost! What do you have planned on your end of this combined endeavor?”

Kana asked, sitting on a nearby frost and snow covered red boulder as she sat Kimi across her lap. She smiled and nodded to Kimi with the feeling and expression of that signature warmth that she'd radiated thus far. Kimi couldn't help but be captivated by that sensation as she also considered how to answer Kana's question. Even though the business of the preparation for war was at hand, Kimi couldn't her but wonder what it would be like if they had met back in Japan, if they'd never come to this realm, this other world? Would they be able to actually be together like this, or was it sumo,y the circumstances of necessity, mutual safety, and the calming of nerves through heartfelt company that brought them together here? To Kimi, it seemed that either way, she and Kana would feel this way about each other, as their relationship blossomed like a sakura flower. 

“Well, I’m thinking that in addition to essentially non-stop weapons and armaments smithing and forging - I’m going to have larger version of the blades of my and their swords installed into the outer walls on my fortress and armory - so that even if yours are breached - the Common Folk from the fiefdom of darkness and ruins will be delayed. Plus, they’ll be enchanted! I’ll also have a deep moat of enchanted flames - thanks to one of the Sorcerers and Slayers cards in the deck that I was given.”

Kimi said with confident ease as she snuggled into Kana, their tight, thin, feminine full body, ornate armor once again meshing nicely as part of their loving embrace. Kimi was surprised that she'd actually been able to articulate all of that, as she'd never thought about such matters outside of when she was back in the other world, in Japan, outside of the context of lands that she'd considered to be completely fictional, and thus harmless. Yet now, she was really in one of these worlds - standing amidst the preparations for the preparations for a fantasy war in another world. 

“That reminds me - I have a fail-safe Sorcerers and Slayers card just in case: it’s called ‘Holy Martyrdom’ - check it out!”

Kana added, pulling the ever-pristine card out of her armor as she showed it to Kimi. Kana observed Kimi as she held the card, looking at Kimi and waiting for her answer. Kana too, couldn't believe that she was actually here, incarnated so to speak - as the Sorceress Queen character that she'd created out of a an otaku passion and thus for card games, anime, light novels, and manga, was now her. As Kana looked at the card that she'd given to Kimi, she couldn't help but think about how she'd planned to go on a stream online and review the cards, and maybe even make some extra Yen by writing in depth articles for credible online outlets about the new Sorcerers and Slayers card game, its artistic design, and its gameplay mechanics. Ironically now, she'd be the one that would be in the midst of it all in a way shed' never thought possible. 

Holy Martyrdom - Effect: Allows the Sorceress Queen, if she is about to perish in battle - to transfer her powers to a Slayer or Sorcerer/Sorceress King/Queen.

Kimi looked at the card carefully - sighing as he had to take in the gravity of what if implied. It seemed as if there was silence between her and Kana in that moment, despite the fact that the defensive fortification efforts that were being jointly undertaken by their respective Common Folk all around them were quite loud. Kimi stared at the card, trying to consider what this meant - even though it was obvious. Kimi had never been in a relationship before, nor had she really been as close to anyone as she was to Kana - so the weight of the effect of this card, what it said - took her aback quite a bit. Kimi then sighed, looking at Kana as she tried to prevent soft tears from forming and rolling down her porcelain cheeks. 

"Kana - are you sure, are you really sure that this is what you want to do if all else seems or is lost in battle? How, how are you so calm with showing me this.......?"

Kimi asked as her voice then trailed, with Kana adjusting her seating position slightly and laying Kimi across her tightly armored lap a bit more as she gently smiled down at Kimi with an unmistakable ease.

"In all honesty - I'm scared, I am. None of us knew that this would happen, none of us knew that we'd be suddenly transported to another world from our world, from Japan - and yet here we are. The only way that I see it, is that if we have to choose, if we truly must accept that our fate is to be here, at least for now in one way or another - then I choose to embody the character that I created and am now essentially incarnated as, that my cosplay turned into real armor, and my imagined powers of magic and enchantment now turned unmistakably real as well, I choose to use all of these aspects to live up to the stature and character of the Sorceress Queen that I created. I have to do that, and I know that you can too."

Kana said softly, sincerely, and sweetly as she pulled Kimi in to hug her, while Kimi hugged Kana back. Kimi nodded as she took in what Kana was saying, knowing that even though it was a heavy burden to accept - it was real. 

Meanwhile, Riku was looking over the floating grimoire in his throne room amid the muck, mire, and rotting blackened bamboo ruins - amazed at one Sorcerers and Slayers card in particular:

Venom of Unholy Evil - Effect: Allows for the Common Folk under the Sorcerer King to be turned into venom-fueled berserkers who won’t stop an attack until vanquished.

“Ah yes - yes this will do beautifully, like an unending tide of pestilence, my swarm will overtake any and all fortifications before us!”

Riku said to himself while his tight-fitting, rags for clothes-wearing Common Folk with their own diluted darkness sorcery powers mumbled, grumbled, and mulled about - all doing their best to avoid their ruler in stewardship. Sota merely watched as he hovered before the throne area of Riku, gazing on with an interested, but neutral attitude. The entirety of this fiefdom of the realm was grim and forbidding - with the feudal Japanese style ruins lit by paper lanterns that somehow hadn't rotted away either from the ever-present miasma, or the near inhospitable nature of trying to settle in that part of the realm in general. 

From the entryway of what looked to be the ruins of a house befitting of that part of the realm, one of Riku's Common Folk sat cross legged and played the shamisen upright, interestingly enough  - but this shamisen was made of bone, the calcium shine glistening in the putrid air of Riku's fiefdom that he ruled over in stewardship. Like the other Common Folk in this part of the realm, she wore the same style of stitched together tight fitting, dark rags for clothes that covered her arms, legs, torso, and some of her neck, save for that she also had a poncho-like rag over her torso that just reached her waist, her thin, feminine body and her pale skin concealed and comforted as nicely as could be expected among her and the other Common Folk under Riku. Her dark hair draped over most of her face, covering all but her beautiful, typically effeminate mouth, while her delicate hands played the bone shamisen in its upright position, the tunes of her strumming the strings of this macabre but traditionally suited instrument providing a haunting melody. Sota listened carefully to it, enjoying its eerie yet beautiful music. 

Back in the fiefdom of frost and snow amid the red mountains, the defensive preparations continued.

“Ok - make sure that there’s five rows of figure blades each on both walls - but not on the main doors to the fortress and armory! And make sure that the moat is as deep and as wide as can be - perhaps two freeway car lanes in width and depth.”

Kimi said as she smiled, still sitting across Kana’s lap, and directing her Common Folk accordingly from such a position of comfort. Her Slayer type Common Folk worked tirelessly and with great effort - making sure that these defensive measures were input to the greatest degree in terms of combat engineering (sapper) quality and effectiveness. 

“Sota takes no interest in the Sorcerer King under him, I can sense it.”

Haruto said as he flew over gently, his wingless dragon form settling into a soft hover in front of Kana and Kimi, with Akio then joining them.

“Indeed - though I do suspect that his arguable neutrality does not mean disinterest in the outcome, merely in the character of his ruler in stewardship.”

Akio added, to which Kana and Kimi nodded, before looking at the swift and efficient defensive measures being put in place. The eve of the battle was soon to be upon them.