Headed by a Snake

"Forgiven," Landris smiled, "but how about we put away our swords, huh? Catch up for a bit?"

"No thanks, nerd," Valeria grinned. "⌈Blood. Hand. DesTRUCTION!⌋"

Valeria held her hands out, forming a bubbling, crimson sphere of energy between her palms. ⌈Blood Hand Destruction⌋ was something her body could only handle once per sun, but with recent developments in mind, it was appropriate.

Her opponent was none other than the exiled Prince Landris, the last surviving *true* member of the Wyndham royal line.

Ugh. It was a really bad situation.

It was all Dunzis' fault!

Because of that scumbag and *only* because of that scumbag, Valeria was guilty of attempted regicide!

If word made it back home... her family would be stripped of their dukedom.

TherefooOore...

Landris had to die.

Therefore, Valeria literally used her most powerful spell.

But something even worse happened.

Prince Landris... he didn't run away... he didn't even try to block it with his magic sword.

He just... held his hand out?

A pale white arm burst out of the ground. It wasn't a human arm... it was much too long... and thin... and it was twisted and gnarled with bony knots like it had more than one elbow.

A dozen more arms came too, just... appearing out of thin air. They... grabbed onto the burning sphere of mana.

The ghostly flesh burned-- melting like wax, but leaving blackened bone behind.

Those arms... they dragged Valeria's ⌈Blood Hand Destruction⌋ into the black hole in the dirt...

And then the hole disappeared... like it was never there.

"(You've grown up, Duchess Romanov,)" Said Landris.

Valeria wanted nothing more than to slap that stupid smile off the Prince's face.

"Seriously?" Valeria rolled her eyes, "(I'm using a code name for a reason, idiot-- just like you are--) and the hells is a Wroe, HUH?!"

"(It's a kind of bird,) I... think."

"AND what the f*ck was that WEIRD-ASS SPELL just now?"

"(That was what true love looks like, Sunshine,)" Landris replied.

For that, Valeria made a promise to herself. She was going to kick the exiled Prince in the nuts even harder than she kicked Krysaos.

"(How did you know it was me?)" He asked.

"Oh, I dunno," Valeria groaned. "Maybe the fact that you're the only successor to the Zarovich Sword Style? Or that the words coming out of your mouth make you sound like a (stupid idiot?)"

"W-well, in my defense..." Landris coughed, "Nemayan isn't my first language."

"I was talking about your Common," Valeria sneered.

Inside her brain, she was groaning to herself. When she was younger, she idolized Prince Landris. In the looks department, the losers in the Imperial Family were nowhere close!

Landris. Hottest noble in the Eastern Continent. Period.

Even when Valeria saw him before they fought-- when she thought he was just a no-name knight, she thought there was something special about him...

...But it didn't take long until his presence made her want to puke.

...Because Landris had a mouth... and therefore was capable of speaking.

"And what do you mean tRuE LoVe?!" Valeria snapped, "Are you talking about that DUUUMB elf girl? The one that walked into the No-Elves-Allowed-Forest on her own two feet? Like, what did she think was gonna happen???"

"Nah, I don't really care about her," Landris shrugged.

...wat?

Valeria stood up straight, all sense of urgency gone without a trace.

"Why... are you even here, then? ...Is it because you're in that boy's club behind you?"

"You know," Landris placed his hand on his chin... "I may not be single anymore, but if you're interested, I could introduce you to my brother-in-arms. He's a Prince from the Free Nation."

"I'm not single either, you featherbrained *imbecile*!" Yelled the Formation Mage in the distance.

...His deep voice and accent were oddly charming-- but it was safe to assume that person was as dumb as the people he kept around him.

"Landris!" Valeria shouted, "Fight me, b*tch. Best of three exchanges!"

"Hm," Landris smiled in a way that his eyes turned into half-moons. "Just like in the Academy, then. Were any of my records still there?"

"Psh. Your shite records have all been broken," Valeria smiled... "by a certain Duchess."

"One whose beauty is unparalleled, I'm sure."

Landris put on the same smile with... different eyes.

Did... he like her? No way!

That would be-- ugh, just disgusting!

Maybe it would have been a little bit attractive it belonged to literally anyone else, though.

She tried to transfer the fiery feeling in her face into her next words:

"State thy name and patron..."

"Sorry, could you say that again?" Landris asked. "My ears are still ringing from the explosions."

"JUST ACCEPT THE DUEL, B*TCH!!"

"Oh."

Landris... or Wroe... whatever he wanted to be called-- he saluted by lifting his sword upright, between his eyes.

"My name is Landris," He said, "High Prince of House Wyndham... Warrior of Sol Invictus."

Sol... Invictus? She was fighting against *the* Sol Invictus?

She recognized the name.

...But she learned it from her sword instructors-- and they were so old, they probably used to fight wars with sticks instead of swords.

"Ehhh? That old guild?" Valeria grimaced, "I SAID... Warlock of Sol Invictus... name. your. *patron.*"

That wiped the smile off of Landris' face.

Valeria felt pretty satisfied with that.

Landris cleared his throat and nodded.

"My name is Landris Wyndham... and I serve the Lake Goddess, Erza Aerzin."

The Lake Goddess? The Dragon Goddess sealed in the Well of Eternity?

It was no wonder that his magical power was comparable to hers...

Landris finally put his smile back on, "You'll name yourself too, won't you, (Sunshine?)"

Hmph. That person might have been the Prince of the Realm, but he was also an idiot.

"Oh ho ho hoh!" Valeria laughed, "Dear Prince, for that... you'll have to do far better!"

Valeria slashed her sword, forming thirteen sizeable spheres of volatile magic in front of her.

...That might have been enough, but she wanted to be sure.

Twice more, she swung her sword before willing her deadly magic forward.

But that infuriating Prince!! With every explosion, he flashed in and out of existence, seemingly unharmed.

The only movement technique he should have known was ⌈Misty Step⌋... but for some reason, he had no limitations on its usage!

"Is this good enough for you, Princess Romanov?" Landris quipped.

"(You MOCK ME?!?!)" Valeria shot back.

Only a Wyndham could dare take the Duchy of Romanov lightly. However... the Wyndham Empire had fallen a thousand years ago.

And anyroad-- family names weren't important in the face of pure power!

She smashed her sword against her scaled forearm and it shattered, releasing a miasma of raging golden mana.

That too, she sent at the descendant of Wyndham.

Landris stepped out of a silvery fog, gently landing on one foot. He closed his eyes... as if he was shutting out the world.

A regular person would have probably thought he was giving up...

Valeria was not convinced.

Landris was praying to his goddess.

...And if he didn't die soon, that goddess would definitely answer.