The magical girl Purity thrusts her heart shield forward, throwing the strong mer warrior off her and onto the sandy beach before her.
Through the air, her opponent flips, landing on the near tip of her tail, balancing upon perfectly toned muscles, almost like a snake rearing up against her opponent, a trident held in her hands.
"Where are the missing Anteronians?" Purity asks, standing between the warrior and the civilian man, keeping her shield up. "And who exactly are you?"
The warrior lifts her trident in one hand, striking her breastplate with the other, "I am the Champion of the great Abyssal city, here to bring judgment to your land-dwellers and murderous ways."
"Is that right?" says Purity, digging her boots into the sand. "And what gives you the right to kidnap people? To lure them in with the pretense of fun and love, only to drag them away to the murky deep?"
Alda snorts. "And who are you to presume our purpose, killer of the fish folk?"
"I'm Purity," says Purity, forming a heart in both hands and holding it over her chest. "I'm the protector of the virginity and sanctity of love here in Anteronia! And you've violated it with your traps."
Alda narrows her gaze. "Is that what you believe?" she asks. "Well, Purity, be you someone else carrying the mantle or Chastity in a new guise, you and your kind have sinned against me and my people!”
Alda leaps in a flopping attack, thrusting her trident forward. Still, Purity parries it, pushing the fish woman aside to fall onto the sand.
The magical girl holds out her shield, sending a ray of pink energy towards her opponent.
Alda spins her trident, the sheer speed of the maneuver deflecting the beam and sending it shooting off toward the sea. The magic ripples through the water, sending waves on either side as it crashes through the shoreline.
"Calm your tits!" Purity shouts.
"I am calm. Focused, determined!" Alda snarls, lifting her tail and slapping the magical girl on the calf. That muscle is so powerful and the scales so rough that it sends Purity tumbling forward, face-planting into the sand.
Alda rolls from her downed position to lay on the magical girl, hooking her trident over her head and pressing the coral against the human's throat. Hissing, she whispers into Purity's ear.
"I've worked my body to face off against the powers you possess. All so I can have the satisfaction of having my revenge."
Purity coughs, wheezing as air barely passes through her throat. The only thing keeping her from being crushed is her perfectly positioned fingers, keeping the bar from pressing against her, cutting off her breath.
"Y… you're clouded," she coughs. "You're not thinking straight!"
"This is the only thought I've had for many years!" the fish woman says, whispering this thought to the magical girl's ear. Her sheer weight pushes Purity down, squishing her against the sand and immobilizing her under this mermaid’s mercy.
Purity croaks with a questioning squeak, shifting and gripping the rough and rocky trident.
"That thought," the mermaid continues, "Is what manner of coward can single-handedly destroy two of our greatest men with naught but a simple strike."
Purity's eyes roll back, her breath getting more and more ragged.
"And you are disappointing to me," Alda snarls. "Is this the best your people can muster? Are you all that's able to face me?"
Tears well up in the magical girl's eyes as her breath gets hoarser and hoarser.
"Tch… what a waste," Alda growls, and suddenly, as she gets the magical girl into that hold, she lets go, rolling off of her.
Purity gasps, rolling away from the fishy female and scrambling to sit up.
Alda plants her trident on the ground and stands, leaning upon it, watching Purity with disgust and contempt on her face.
Purity stumbles to her feet and dusts off of her jacket. "You let me live?" she gasps. "Why?"
"I'm not like Chastity," the mermaid growls. "I will not kill that which is defenseless."
Purity pants, shaking her head, taking a few more deep breaths before she speaks up again. "Then, you'll have to take me with the others."
Alda blinks, digging her trident into the sand. "Excuse me?"
"I've lost to you. As a warrior, you should have some victory over me. If you will not take my life, then take my service. I can’t offer you the city. But I can offer you myself.”
Alda hops on her tailfin, slowly approaching the magical girl until she's standing before her, chest to head, looking down at the human through narrowed eyes. "And what can you possibly offer me?"
"My body, of course. Like the other women that were stolen."
Alda turns around, facing the sea. "I do not need a servant," Alda says. "What I want is a worthy adversary."
Purity lowers her hands. "Is that all? I can get you that."
Alda quirks an eyebrow, smirking through sharp teeth. "Is that so? I doubt that.
"A rematch then… when we're both prepared. Trained to face each other in all the skills we have."
Alda taps her trident against the ground. "Perhaps… three days." She snaps her finger. "Male, my throwing trident!"
The young man yelps and scoops up the trident, rushing toward Alda. She snatched it from him and took his bag from the poor passerby. "Payment rendered. I'll return with your lady love on the day of the battle. Here, on this spot. Should you win, Purity, I shall bring forth all the captured land dwellers."
Purity rubs her neck. "And if you win, I'll submit myself to your justice for the crimes committed by the previous defender."
Alda lingers her gaze on Purity for a moment, nods, and then, with the power of her impressive tail, leaps into the air and dives into the water, leaving the magical girl and the young man to watch in awe.