Round Dance, The Dreaming Mermaid Princess

"Round Dance, The Dreaming Mermaid Princess" is the second episode of the Queen's Blade Grimoire anime.

Story
Somewhere in a temple, Kaguya receives offerings from her suitors, one of particular note is the Fire Rat Gauntlets. Her enjoyment is cut short as a flying ship blasts away a part of the building. Liliana, the ship's captain, descends to rob Kaguya of her treasures. After Kaguya's attempt to attack Liliana with the gauntlet fails, several elderly people plead with Liliana to spare Kaguya, and because of her Pirate Aesthetics, she agrees, and heads toward the next target Seiten mentioned: The Seabed Kingdom.

Deep down in the Seabed Kingdom, The Seabed King is holding an audience with Kyuel, who announces that Mel Fair Land is hosting a Queen's Blade tournament, and desires one beautiful fighter from them, which is Tiina. The Seabed King angrily denies that his kingdom has anything of the sort, and they bicker back and forth until Tiina arrives, eager to see the visitor. Before Tiina is able to talk to Kyuel, The Seabed King pokes her air bubble surrounding her, causing it to burst, sending her flying out of the kingdom. With his mood ruined and after a quick remark lamenting "people with two limbs", he asks his daughter Tiina to dance for him, in order to lighten his mood.

Hurriedly swimming back to the surface, Kyuel makes it to a beach, but is caught by one of Alicia's traps, who is still trying to get home. Meanwhile, Tiina is visiting an abandoned ship, against Kanim's warnings, and looks at a picture with humans dancing, and laments on the fact that she can't dance like them, and wishes she were able to have human legs. Her father, secretly tracking her, is angered to see that she has come back to the ship that he forbade her to go to, and reminds her that her very own mother was killed by humans, even though she wishes to be like them. He sends a torrent of water, destroying the ship and flooding Tiina out.

Alicia demands an answer from Kyuel on how to get home, but to no avail, as even Kyuel does not know. Kyuel brings up the idea that Alicia may be from Mel Fair Land after all, but Alicia denies that fact, but those ideas bring forth memories of when she was a child. Alicia then learns from Kyuel that the Queen's Blade tournament is being held in Mel Fair Land, and with if she were to win it, she'd likely find a way home. She agrees to enter.

In Tiina's chambers, Kanim comes to comfort her. Kanim remarks of The Seabed King's actions and as a result, tells Tiina that it'll take her to a ball. Tiina accepts the offer, but since she is a mermaid, she feels it wouldn't be possible with her appearance. Kanim then tells her there is a way to grow legs, but doing so would require the Water Orb, the Seabed King's most precious treasure. Tiina takes the Water Orb, and her and Kanim take the orb and perform a ritual, and after an intense transformation, her mermaid tail changes into human legs.

Tiina ventures into town and heads to the ball, excited to be finally able to participate. She asks a man if he'd like to dance, despite her wet appearance, but as she looks around, all the people's faces take on ghastly appearances, and Kanim laughs, stating that the ball is one for dead people, and that living beings such as Tiina will never be able to attend a ball. Suddenly, Kanim materializes into Seiten. The Seabed King finds the actual Kanim, unconscious, and Tiina runs away from Seiten, attempting to escape. Seiten mocks Tiina as she runs away, stating that since nothing else mattered to Tiina except that fact that she has human legs, she reveals that Tiina will remain that way forever. Tiina, realizing her mistake, pleads with her to change her back.

Alicia is gathering firewood on a beach, while recalling what Kyuel said and the memories that it brought up. Moments later, a distressed Tiina runs toward her, pleading for help. In the Seabed Kingdom, The Seabed King discovers what Tiina has foolishly done. Alicia scolds Tiina for her actions, while not truly understanding the meaning behind them. Regardless, she remarks that TIina does indeed have her wish granted, however it may have been done, and Tiina requests to dance with Alicia, to try her human legs out. She initially does not accept, but Tiina wins her over. As they dance, Tiina says that it would have be more preferable to dance with a male, but Alicia states that she doesn't "swing that way", causing Tiina to respond with the question of if she dislikes her for who she is, in which Alicia says no, and they resume dancing. She remarks that even though they seem very different, they have both done actions that have caused them to be put in positions in which they cannot return home.

Shortly afterwards, they are both attacked by Captain Liliana, who captures Tiina, taking the Water Orb from her relaying her Pirate Aesthetics as reasons for why she cannot give the Water Orb back. With the Water Orb now in Liliana's hands, she uses its power to bring the Seabed Kingdom from the bottom of the so that she can rob it of all its valuables. Kanim reports to the Seabed King that they are under attack, and the Seabed King demands a counter-attack, but Kanim reveals that the pirates have Tiina as a hostage.

Alicia, also captured by Liliana, finally awakens, realizing her predicament. Liliana remarks on how Alicia recognized her and Seiten, noting that she may not be native to Mel Fair Land. Alicia demands to know how Liliana was also able to come to Mel Fair Land, but she herself does not know either, she's only after treasure. Alicia attempts to encourage Tiina to fight back, and her emotions for her father cause the Water Orb to temporarily flash, blinding Liliana and causing her to drop it. Tiina grabs the Water Orb and asks for its assistance in defending the village, and it responds, giving Tiina a surge of power. Tiina begins to sing, and sits down on the Water Orb, channeling a powerful water blast. After knocking Liliana down, Tiina summons a water lance, and the two clash. Attempting to take advantage of her newness to her human legs, Liliana is caught by surprise when Tiina is able to turn them back into her mermaid tail, evening the odds. Tiina realizes that she can dance beautifully even with her tail, and because of it, she lands one powerful final blow, besting Liliana. Tiina, preparing to drive the pirates off, once and for all, summons a kraken, which Liliana cowers in fear of, because of her past experience. At the same time, Kaguya snuck aboard her ship, and took back all the treasure Liliana managed to take from her. Alicia finds the skeleton wearing her clothes, and defeats it. Tiina launches a powerful orb attack, knocking Liliana and her ship into the sea, and Alicia as well, clutching tightly onto her outfit. Tiina dives after her, saving her.

Shorty after, Tiina apologizes to the Seabed King for her mistakes, but he tells her that the "two-limbed people" are truly at fault, not her. As such, he makes a declaration to personally enter the Queen's Blade himself, with Tiina noting that because he's male, that might not be possible. Tiina says that she'll go, even though the Seabed King initially refuses, but knowing his daughter, he allows it. Alicia makes it back to where she trapped Kyuel, only to find that she escaped. Lamenting on the state of Mel Fair Land, the Tailor appears, instantly fixing her tattered outfit. Immediately after doing so, he vanishes, as Alicia searches for Kyuel.

Seiten talks to Snow White, saying that Alicia will get in the way of them organizing the Queen's Blade in Mel Fair Land, while a summoned Sigui stands by.