Hikikomari Kyuuketsuki no Monmon Vol 10

There was radical hullabaloo in the Netherworld.

Star Citadel had vanished, but their little souvenir sparked conflict between the countries of the Netherworld in a way that made sports-war seem like baby games. The Toumor Republic, in which the mining city of Neoplus resided, was no exception, declaring war on multiple countries for invading its territory.

Our only hope of stopping the conflict was to collect the six Dark Cores.

That way, we could undo the seal on the God Slayer Tower and meet Spica La Gemini’s friend, the first Miko. Apparently, her clairvoyant abilities were even stronger than Vill’s, and she would be able to tap into them to find a method of bringing peace to the world.

That said, our first order of business was to take a break.

We had lost far too much in the battle against Tremolo.

Primarily, Fuyao Meteorite.

She had wielded her sword for the sake of her friends, taken down our wicked foe, and died a noble death.

Spica and I had sustained serious injuries, too. I knew we needed to keep going so Fuyao’s death wouldn’t be in vain—but I still couldn’t process it.

Our hearts are what make us people.

When your heart is in mourning, even eating can be an insurmountable task.

We needed the break to heal.

But…

“Why are we camping…?”

The surface of the lake rippled.

I sat by the water’s edge, hugging my knees as I heaved a sigh.

The Inverse Moon folks were chopping wood in the clearing a few feet away. I could feel the earth shake with every swing of Spica’s ax. After one of her swings, somebody shrieked; Cornelius’s glasses had split in two.

Talk about dangerous.

My preferred resting method would’ve been shutting myself up at an inn to binge several novels, but Spica had just declared, “We’re going camping!” out of nowhere, the rascal.

I’d had no right to argue, for fear of my life. Outrageous.

“Komari, I made sandwiches. Do you want one?” asked Lingzi.

“Yes.”

Lingzi offered me a basket. I picked the one with the most lettuce; I loved the crunch.

“These are great. If only I could enjoy them indoors, that would be perfect…”

“You don’t like camping?”

“I don’t hate it, but it feels inappropriate at a time like this. I mean, people all over the Netherworld are suffering…”

“You’re so kind,” Lingzi said with the sweetest smile. “But I think it’s important to rest. Your body won’t withstand endless fighting… And I’m sure Fuyao wouldn’t want you to overexert yourself, either.”

“Mmm…”

“Don’t dwell on it too much and enjoy the great outdoors, yeah? We all need some escape sometimes.”

“Yeah…”

Lingzi was right.

Since coming to the Netherworld, I had been fighting in crazy superpowered battle after crazy superpowered battle. My poor, ailing, shut-in body would explode if that kept up. It would be best for me to take it easy, hunker down, and recover my energy, at least for today.

“All right! Let’s get that tent set up for a good day’s nap!”

“Ms. Komari! I caught one!”

I turned to the sound of my name.

Sakuna gleefully skipped over to me. She was cradling a giant, thrashing fish in her arms. It could very well be my size—a tuna??

“The heck is that?! Why was there something so big in this lake?!”

“It’s a freshwater tuna! It’s almost lunchtime, so let me cook it for you!”

I had never heard of freshwater tuna… Maybe it was just a normal thing in the Netherworld. Anything went here, I supposed.

“Huh?” Sakuna whispered and came to a halt. “Ms. Lingzi, what are you doing?”

“Hmm? I made sandwiches for Ms. Komari…”

“You made them?”

“Y-yes. With lots of love.”

“………”

“She hadn’t eaten yet, so… Oh, Komari, you have some mayo on your mouth. Stay still.”

“Mm?”

Lingzi wiped my mouth with her finger.

Then she brought it up to her face—and licked it.

Crack!!

Sakuna made a weird noise.

Or rather, the tuna did—as Sakuna strangled it with her bare hands.

…Uhh? What? Why are her eyes so cloudy?

Did she just dissociate and kill that tuna?

“…Ms. Lingzi, I’ve been meaning to tell you, but…I believe you’ve been too chummy with Ms. Komari…”

Sakuna spoke with reservation.

At least in words. The aura about her was scary. Like a killer’s.

“Y-you think so…?”

“I don’t think you should monopolize her…”

“But I’m her wife…”

“On paper, right? Not in reality, right? You just had to do it because of the Matrimonial War, right?”

“Umm…”

“I feel bad about how you’ve been forced into that arrangement. If you don’t mind, I would very gladly burn any documents related to your and Komari’s union… And although I would rather refrain from violence, I would also kill every official involved with creating the papers and rewrite their memories… It would be for the best…”

“I—I don’t think you need to go through the trouble.”

“That’s just your opinion.”

“Eep!” Lingzi yelped.

“Your marriage is going to be annulled, so I really don’t think you should be getting that close to Komari. And if you try anything more, I’ll slice your head from your—”

“C-calm down, Sakuna! Your face is looking pretty terroristic right now!”

“No way.” Sakuna giggled bashfully.

Yes way.

Why is she acting like this? What’s grinding her gears? I was just eating Lingzi’s sandwiches, hogging them all for myself while Sakuna was working up a sweat fishing for me…

Wait, that’s it!

Maybe I should go fish for a tuna, too.

I looked around in a daze, searching for a fishing rod.

“…Umm, Sakuna, you can have some, too.”

Lingzi offered her the basket.

“Huh?” Sakuna was taken aback.

“I am not monopolizing Ms. Komari. I know about your relationship with her. I’m also willing to undo our marriage if you and Ms. Villhaze won’t support it.”

“…”

“So, could we please try to get along…? I’d like to be your friend, too. I want to get to know you…since Komari cares about you.”

Lingzi fidgeted shyly.

Sakuna was frozen in shock.

Whatever’s happening, now’s my chance.

“Y-yeah! Grab a sandwich and let’s have a fun chat, Sakuna! It’s not every day you get to go camping.”

“Yes. Let’s all eat together. Please.”

Sakuna remained silent.

After staring into Lingzi’s eyes, she made a short grunt.

She looked like a denizen of the dark purified by light. No, what am I thinking? Both Sakuna and Lingzi have light affinities, duh.

“Th-thank you.”

Sakuna gave in to Lingzi’s gaze.

She grabbed a sandwich and took a bite.

“Ah… It’s delicious.”

“Happy to hear it. There’s plenty, so help yourself.”

“You’re surprisingly normal, Lingzi,” said Sakuna.

“Yes. I am a very normal Immortal.”

Sakuna blushed.

“I was mistaken. I thought you were a sicko trying to pervert Ms. Komari…”

“What the…? No way Lingzi would do that,” I said.

“It seems so.”

Sakuna giggled.

I felt like something beyond my ken hid behind this exchange, but oh well. Sakuna was a pretty girl, so there was no problem. Prettiness solves everything.

“Ms. Lingzi, I hope you will have some of the tuna dish I’ll make later, too.”

“I would love to! Thank you.”

“Hee-hee. I’ll put my all into it, so everyone likes it!”

Sakuna clenched her fist with a smile on her face. So cute.

Any and all unrest dissipated. Everything was right again.

To remind you, I had a personal danger evaluation system.

I ranked people on a scale from one to five, depending on how harmful they might be to me.

Vill was a sicko, which made her a clear five. Nelia treated me like her younger sister, so that gave her a three. The Empress was a sicko, but a reasonable sicko, so she was also a three. Prohellya I still didn’t get, so she was a provisional three. Karla and Lingzi, being pacifists, were ones. Esther was a super-duper good girl, so she got a one. Lolocco was my nemesis and a five. Spica was so bad that she was like an eighteen.

If memory served, Sakuna was a two. I’d increased her rating because she’d gone overboard after Vill’s sicko-ness rubbed off on her. But getting another glimpse of her smile now, I was reminded of what an adorable thing she was. So she was back to a one.

Anyway, it was time to have some fun chatting.

It had been a while since I last talked with Sakuna.

Karla Amatsu was a bundle of nerves.

Her long-lost brother, Kakumei Amatsu, was right in front of her.

How had she used to act around him?

How should she act around him now?

I don’t know what to do. Just try not to annoy him. Start with something innocuous, like the camping trip…

“The years haven’t been kind to you, have they, Uncle Kakumei?”

Karla nearly fell to the ground, foaming at the mouth.

Koharu had been nibbling away at some sweet bean jelly next to Karla as she lobbed that grenade.

“K-Koharu! Rude doesn’t even begin to cover what you just said! I can’t believe my ears! Apologize to him right away! Or you won’t be getting any more jellies!”

“I don’t mind. Let her have her jellies,” Kakumei said, unbothered.

They were in a cabin on the camping grounds. Karla’s cousin, sitting on the opposing sofa, looked sterner than she remembered.

The previous Goddess had ordered him to infiltrate Inverse Moon.

Had his torturous days as a terrorist reduced him to this state?

“Is Grandmother doing well?”

“Y-yes! Too well, even! She punched me into a pillar the other day!”

“That’s because you were napping on the clock…,” Koharu said.

“I was taking a break! Brother, don’t believe the lies coming out of Koharu’s mouth!”

“You always liked napping. I remember you drooling all over the Amatsu mansion’s veranda.”

“B-Brother…! How long ago must that have been?”

“I’m pleased to report Lady Karla still drools to this day,” said Koharu.

“Stop embarrassing me!”

“…In any case, I’m glad you’re in good health. You, Koharu, and Grandmother, too.”

Kakumei poured some tea.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to go back to the Heavenly Paradise,” he said.

“No…”

“And I cannot go back even now.”

Karla raised her head in shock.

“Yusei has to be stopped. Both the Netherworld and the other world will suffer if we don’t.”

“Is that what the former…what the future me said?”

“No, your future self said it was Spica who was dangerous, not Yusei. But as it stands, they’ve swapped places. I intend to find Yulinne Gandesblood and help pursue Star Citadel.”

Kakumei worked as a spy for Inverse Moon. He was also fighting against Star Citadel as a member of Full Moon. In an attempt to thwart the terrible Goddess Karla had prophesized, he was giving it all to bring peace to the world—that was the gist of what Kakumei had told Karla.

He felt so far away. He had always been far beyond her reach, even back then.

“…You’re so admirable, Brother. You work so hard for the good of the world.”

“I don’t deserve any praise,” he said with surprising frigidity. “I’m not thinking about the world. I don’t care about other people’s happiness. Inverse Moon, Millicent, Gerra-Aruka, even Terakomari—they’re nothing but pawns to me.”

“Then what do you fight for?”

“…” He kept quiet.

“I know,” Koharu whispered into her ear. “Uncle Kakumei’s fighting for Kilty.”

“Kilty…?”

“He fights terrorists for the sake of his beloved. Ain’t that cool?”

Now Karla really felt like her soul was leaving her body.

Huh? Really? They were like that?

He’s working himself to the bone for Kilty Blanc?

Sure, Kilty is very cute when she’s not in shadow form. I can see how someone would want to protect her.

I see, I see. So that’s why he never came back to see me… Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.

Stop laughing!

“Brother?! What is your relationship with Ms. Kilty?!”

“Kilty…? She’s a fellow member of Full Moon.”

“Please don’t try to hide it! You… Err… Is there something special between you two…?”

“I don’t understand what you’re getting at…” Kakumei took a sip of tea. “Kilty is my comrade in arms in the fight against Yusei. We work together to try to protect the world as we see fit. So leave it to us; you should focus on leading the Heavenly Paradise as its Goddess.”

“Of course, I mean to do that, but…”

“And be careful not to overuse Waving Moment. You’re still young, and you could cause irreparable damage to yourself by activating it repeatedly. I would say you have about five or six uses left in you.”

“I know that! But don’t try to derail the conversation! What is going on between you and Ms. Kil—”

“Amatsu! We’ve got a problem!” A shrill voice echoed.

Speak of the devil. The girl in pitch-black clothes, Kilty Blanc, rushed in.

“What is it? Have you found a lead on Star Citadel’s whereabouts?”

“Umm… The thing is, that girl is…”

“What girl?”

“Sakuna Memoir… She’s going on a rampage with a giant fish… I’d get out of the cabin if I were you…”

Karla was dumbstruck.

Ms. Sakuna…? What are you doing…?

(A little earlier)

The other world was also in chaos. As a consequence of the shattering of the Enchanted Lands’ Dark Core, a number of important people were spirited away to the Netherworld, including the Six Valkyries.

It happened to Nelia, Esther, Vill, Lingzi, Meihua, Prohellya, and Leona.

And to me.

The Six Nations held a summit and decided they would employ a search party to rescue the vanished individuals.

Karla and Sakuna were among the people who had plunged into this mysterious world to help me.

The search party was split into two teams.

Karla’s team had headed south—to the mining city of Neoplus—to find Lingzi and me.

Gertrude and Pitolina’s team had headed east—to Lumiere Village—to locate Nelia and Prohellya.

I wonder how Vill and the others are doing? Hope they’re healed by now.

Spica and Amatsu had told me I “needn’t worry” about them, but I couldn’t rest easy until I saw them with my own eyes.

“Thank goodness we found you, Ms. Komari.”

The edge of the lake.

Sakuna ate a sandwich with a smile on her face.

“I was so worried about you. I thought I would find you sobbing over having no idea where you were.”

“I am a scholarly intellectual, and scholarly intellectuals don’t cry. But I’m happy you came for me.”

“Hee-hee. Now I don’t need my life-sized Komari doll anymore…”

“Mm??”

“Forget I said anything!” Sakuna shook her head hard.

Lingzi tilted her head in suspicion.

A doll…? A mannequin my size? Was she using it to practice her conversation skills or something? Yeah, I can see that—Sakuna’s the kind of cutie who gets all shy talking to people.

“A-anyways, I’m glad I’m able to talk with you again. I was worried sick when I saw you drenched in blood.”

“I’m lucky Karla was around to save me. And Inverse Moon.”

“Yeah…” Sakuna stared at the water with a conflicted look on her face.

Right. Inverse Moon put her through hell. Odilon Metal killed her family and used her like a tool.

“…Ms. Komari, I don’t think you should get involved with Inverse Moon. Let’s forget about the Netherworld and go back to the Mulnite Empire…”

“Huh…?”

“The reason we’re camping is to rest up before going to the God Slayer Tower, right? But there’s no need to do that. We don’t have to hang out with them like they’re friends. We can just ditch the Netherworld.”

“I can’t do that.”

I understood how Sakuna felt, but I couldn’t stop.

“A lot of people here need help. If I have the power to do something about it, then I want to try. That’s why I’m working with Inverse Moon for now.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“I see.” Sakuna smiled in resignation.

I explained the situation with Inverse Moon to everyone I was camping with.

Sakuna understood what Spica was trying to do, but that didn’t mean she could accept cooperating with them on an emotional level. Even if it was only indirectly, that lollipop-sucking terrorist had basically killed her family.

“Very well. I will follow you, then,” she said.

“Thanks.”

“But… If my eyes meet the Wicked God Slayer’s… I might not be able to hold myself back…”

“Huh?”

“I think I’ll end up killing her… Killing her and rewriting her memories… Turning her brain into a capybara’s. Yes, that’s perfect. Capybaras are gentle creatures… She’ll no longer be a barbaric terrorist. She’ll walk cheerfully on all fours… Eat cabbage and apples… She’ll spend the rest of her life devoid of human dignity… Hee-hee.”

“………”

Lingzi wiped away the sweat dripping down my cheek.

Watch out, Spica. You gotta stay away from this girl…

The moment after I had that thought…

“Terakomari, we don’t have enough food! Go kill a bear for us, will ya!”

“!”

…Spica’s stupidly loud voice hit my eardrums.

The twin-tailed vampire with a weird hat came over to me.

I saw the light leave Sakuna’s eyes.

“B-bear? What’re you talking about?” I asked.

“There’s no grocery stores around here! But I found a sign saying Beware of Bears! That means there’s gotta be a bunch of ’em in the forest!” said Spica.

“So what?! Are you insane?!”

“We already settled on having roast bear for dinner tonight! C’mon, let’s go hunt some!”

“Sounds like a one-way trip to a bear’s stomach! I’m perfectly satisfied with Lingzi’s sandwiches, thank you very mu—HEY! LET ME GO!”

Spica cackled as she grabbed my arm.

It would come off if I resisted, so I had no choice but to do as she said.

“All right, let’s go! By the way, we’ve got no weapons, so get ready to get those hands dirty!”

“Wait, I just remembered, we have food already! Sakuna caught a tuna!”

“I don’t like tuna! Keep refusing, and I’ll eat you instead! We’re having Terakomari for dinne—”

Fwoosh!

I heard something slash through the air.

I raised my head in wonder and saw a fist slam into Spica’s face.

“Wha…?”

It was one powerful punch.

Spica went flying, her body spinning like a bamboo-copter. Her crimson lollipop fell from her lips and into the dirt. Lingzi covered her mouth and gasped as I watched in horror.

Sakuna stood frozen in place in a post-punch pose.

She was the one who’d whacked Spica.

“Ms. Wicked God Slayer, I don’t condone the use of violence.”

No, no, no. Hold on a second.

That came out of nowhere, I thought in shock, when Spica landed like a cat on her feet.

“Sakuna Memoir? Don’t you know it’s rude to assault people out of nowhere?”

Spica’s face was unscathed.

She was a monster, too. Had I taken that punch, my face would’ve blown up like popcorn, and I’d be dead. Sakuna’s fist was that mighty.

“Rude? Says the person who did terrible things to Komari?”

“I haven’t done anything yet! We were gonna fight the bears after this!”

“You’ve already done enough. Do you have any idea how many times she’s nearly died because of you? And it’s not just her. You harmed Ms. Villhaze and Ms. Nelia and Ms. Karla. My dad, my mom, my sister…”

Sakuna grabbed the tuna.

The fish hardened as ice flowed from her fingers and spread across it.

Her fish-sword was complete.

Sakuna pointed its tip at Spica.

“This is the last of my mana… I’ll use it to protect Ms. Komari.”

“H-hold on, Sakuna! Spica’s not being serious!”

“Are you defending a terrorist?”

“Uh…”

I didn’t mean to. I just didn’t want infighting.

Sakuna ignored my hesitation.

“Stay put.”

She carried the frozen tuna on her shoulder and kicked the ground.

Then she launched herself like a missile toward Spica. It’s over, I thought, when Clang! A shockwave thundered.

Spica’s fist met Sakuna’s tuna.

I guarded myself against the resulting blast of air and yelled, “S-Spica, don’t! She’ll turn you into a capybara!”

“Ah-ha-ha-ha! You wanna play?! Try me!”

Sakuna fell for Spica’s provocation and unleashed a full-body blow.

Spica dodged it gracefully. The tuna slammed into a bench by the lake, shattering the structure into little pieces.

“Dwaaah?!”

“You will pay for this…! You’ll never get near Ms. Komari again!”

“Terakomari’s my collaborator! I have her consent!”

“I don’t care… I’m killing you anyway!!”

Sakuna and Spica’s exchange of blows was too fast for me to follow.

The tuna whipped up gusts with every swing. Spica sidestepped every attack with ease. Cornelius screamed as her pile of firewood was crushed. Tryphon’s barbecue set was smashed into pieces.

“Your Highness, could you please turn it down a bit?”

“Tryphon! This girl hates me! What am I to do?!”

“It seems she blames you for what Crimson Lord Odilon Metal did. Thoughtless massacre only brings trouble… It is our fault for failing to keep him in check.”

“Now you’re blaming me, too?! I know we overdo it sometimes, but…”

“Freeze,” said Sakuna.

“?!”

Spica stopped. Frost spread across the ground and held her feet in place.

“Magic…”

“I lied when I said that was my last bit of mana.”

With her bloodthirst raging, Sakuna charged at Spica.

Spica’s gonna get killed.

I mean, that little terrorist deserves it, but…

“It’s over.”

The tuna came down fast and hard.

Spica stayed put. Maybe she couldn’t move at all.

The fish slammed into her midsection.

Her hat went flying, and her small body went rolling across the ground. Finally, she came to a stop at the foot of a tree and curled up in a fetal position.

“Dear God! Your Highness! Are you dead?!”

Cornelius ran up to Spica, nearly tripping over the firewood on her way.

What? What came over Sakuna? Did the spirit of combat possess her soul?

No… Maybe it was unavoidable.

Spica was Sakuna’s nemesis, after all.

“…I won’t kill her. This is enough,” the silver beauty said as she threw away the tuna.

Reason had returned to her eyes.

“S-Sakuna? You’re done…?”

“Since you would do the same, Ms. Komari. Besides, we must work with Inverse Moon for now. We can settle the score later.”

Spica on the ground, the campground in shambles, Sakuna unharmed—this was insane. They say the scariest people are the ones who don’t usually get mad, but this went beyond my imagination.

“Be wary of Spica, Ms. Komari.”

“Y-yeah! I’ll be careful!”

“Just tell me if anything happens, and I’ll come put an end to her…”

“…”

Lingzi and I were baffled, obviously, but even Tryphon and Cornelius were frozen with their jaws dropped.

Spica coughed repeatedly.

She’s still alive.

“Gugh… Oof, that was something. You’re strong, I’ll give you that.”

She sat up, red blood dripping from the corners of her mouth.

“…Do you want us to keep going?” Spica asked.

“No. There’s no point in killing you here,” Sakuna responded.

Spica took a lollipop out of her pocket and put it in her mouth.

She dropped the tone of her voice a little lower than usual and said, “I am evil. Meant to be slayed in the eyes of some. I get that. It’s why I won’t strike back against you. I’ll take this blow.”

“Spica…? Did you eat anything weird?”

“I’ve always been like this. Sacrifices must be made to achieve one’s goals. But I don’t have the right to dispute it when the victims of those sacrifices seek vengeance. I chose this path, and I am prepared to be killed for it…to die for it.”

No, I’m pretty sure you weren’t like this at first.

You’ve changed a little.

Maybe this was a consequence of what happened in Neoplus—an effect of Fuyao’s efforts.

Sakuna gave Spica a sulky look.

“…Did you get hit on purpose?”

“No way! You made it impossible for me to dodge! I gotta say, it’s a shame we let a girl as talented as you leave Inverse Moon.”

Spica walked over to us with a smile on her face.

Is she gonna punch Sakuna in return?! I stood before Sakuna and adopted a fighting stance to defend her. Then Spica said the last thing I would have expected.

“Hey, Terakomari! Mind if I take her?!”

“Wha…?”

“We lost a lot of personnel in the Vampire Riots! And it’s aaaaall your fault, Terakomari! So hand her over, and we’ll call it even!”

“S-stop that…!”

Spica shoved me away and walked up to Sakuna to rub her cheek against the girl’s like a cat. What even goes through that head of yours? Sakuna just punched you! Even she’s blinking in confusion.

“Stop! You’re scaring Sakuna!”

I pushed Spica away and grabbed Sakuna.

I hugged her tight to protect her from falling into the terrorist’s clutches, and she blushed and squealed, “Hawawawawawa?!” Dunno what’s with her, but she’s cute when she’s flustered. I must’ve been seeing things when she got all violent.

“Sakuna is mine! I won’t hand her over, ever!”

“Ms. Komari…?!” Sakuna gasped.

“She originally belonged to Inverse Moon. I have a right to her as her previous owner,” argued Spica.

“Think about what she wants! You’re bad at dealing with others. You won’t get any friends like that.”

Spica’s eyebrow twitched.

“…So you have friends.”

Her words felt like a thorn in my heart.

“Y-yeah, I do! Sakuna’s my friend! Right, Sakuna?!”

“Huh? Um, yes. You’re dear to me, Ms. Komari.”

“You hear that?! Sakuna would never go back to Inverse Moon!”

“Fine, then.”

Spica gave up surprisingly easily.

I sensed a bit of sorrow in her expression. No, it must be my imagination. There’s no way someone as childishly vicious as the Wicked God Slayer would feel bad about Sakuna turning her down.

“Your Highness, I believe we should prepare dinner soon.”

“I hear you, Tryphon. No bear, though.”

I heard a voice coming from the cabin. “Ms. Sakuna?! What happened?!” Karla and Kilty rushed over in the wake of the ruckus.

Spica ignored them and said, “Perfect timing. We’ve all rested enough. Let’s talk about what we’ll do next over dinner. I’ll tell you my great plans to bring peace to the Netherworld.”

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

“Don’t you worry! You’ll be getting a lot of work, Terakomari!”

“Please don’t say that word around me…”

One month since we arrived in the Netherworld, Spica’s plans were nearing their endgame.

I decided to cooperate with her, at least for now. I understood how Sakuna felt, but this terrorist was crucial for bringing peace to the Netherworld.

“…?”

Just then, I felt a strange gaze.

It was coming from behind, as Sakuna casually hugged me.

Did somebody just pass by the lakeside…?

The sun set.

“Peace will come to the Netherworld when we collect the Dark Cores… Can we trust that?” asked Karla.

“Yeah! You know how amazing the Dark Cores are, right?! Although, to be precise, we’re getting the Dark Cores to save the Miko, and then there’ll be peace,” said Spica.

“I see.”

Karla nodded while looking down at the bell in her hand.

I kept quiet as I stared at the meat on the grill.

No better fit for camping than a barbecue. I’d always wanted to do this, since there’s a scene where they grill meat outdoors in my favorite series, The Andronos Chronicles. I had given up on that dream since the outdoors is antithetical to shut-ins, but you never know where life will take you, huh?

“Komari, this one’s ready.”

“Really?! Thanks.”

Lingzi grabbed a piece of meat with her chopsticks and placed it on my plate.

The mere sight of the slightly charred pork meat made my tummy growl.

There was actually a grocery store pretty close by. Spica hadn’t been serious when she said that thing about hunting bears, just trying to scare me. Bastard.

“Let’s eat!”

Chomp.

The moment I put the hot, steamy meat in my mouth, its rich, savory flavor spread across my tongue.

Ahh… What a feast… All my fatigue is blown away… I love camping…

“Allow me to help, Ms. Komari.”

Sakuna said “ahh” while holding a carrot up to me.

I bit down without hesitation. This was also delicious. I could eat this forever.

Now I know how rabbits feel…

“The bell pepper is good, too. Here you go.”

“No, Ms. Lingzi. Ms. Komari doesn’t like bell peppers,” said Sakuna.

“Really? Then how about this onion…?”

An infinite supply of food came from Sakuna and Lingzi on either side of me.

Meat, onion, tuna, shiitake, carrot, tuna, shiitake, shiitake, meat, tuna, shiitake, corn, tuna, meat, pumpkin, meat, shiitake, tuna, shiitake…

I started feeling like there was an excess of tuna and shiitake, but that was okay. They were all yummy.

There’s nothing better in the world than being hand-fed barbecue by Sakuna and Lingzi.

I feel bad to be the only one eating, though… I looked at Sakuna. My concern was unwarranted; she was grabbing food for herself when she wasn’t feeding me.

What about Lingzi? Yup, no problem there, either. She changed chopsticks to grab eggplant and shiitake for herself.

“Terakomari…your friends are all so weird,” Meihua whispered from beside Lingzi.

Her complexion had regained some of its color. She was still weak from all the time she’d spent in a coffin in Star Cave, but after resting by the lake, she recovered enough that she could walk on her own.

“…Weird? I mean, I am always surrounded by weirdos, but not right now, I think.”

“Lingzi isn’t weird, obviously. But that girl… Oh, forget it.”

Has anyone ever been able to ‘forget it’ after being told that?

Me. I decided not to worry about it and enjoy the barbecue.

My eyes met a green bell pepper sitting in solitude on the grill.

Normally, I would never eat it. I couldn’t find it in me to enjoy the bitter taste of those things.

But perhaps this one would be different.

“…I’m going to try the bell pepper.”

“Ms. Komari?!” Sakuna stood up, her eyes round in shock.

I understand how you feel. I’ve staunchly refused to eat them up to this point.

“A-are you sure…? Isn’t it too soon…?”

“I know you’re worried, Sakuna. But putting yourself through new experiences is how you grow. How could I ever hope to call myself a grown-up one day if I can’t even face a measly bell pepper?”

“Ms. Komari…! You really are so inspiring…!”

“Have some water, in case it proves too difficult.” Lingzi quickly served me a cup.

Nowhere to run now.

The time has come. The time to face my green demons.

My heart pounded loudly as I brought my chopsticks to the bell pepper and…

“Gobble it up already!!”

“BWAAAH?!”

All of a sudden, Sakuna and Lingzi forced a bunch of peppers into my mouth.

““Ms. Komari!”” they shrieked in unison, but the sound soon became muted as the taste of bitter despair encroached on my brain. I fell to my knees in a violent coughing fit.

Pieces of pepper flew from my mouth as my fury darted spaceward.

What in the green hell?! These are raw! You trying to kill me?!

“S-SPICAAA! YOU were the real demonnn!!”

“You get what you deserve for not paying attention! I was gracefully explaining our plan, and you’re being so rude! Stop flirting with the girls!”

“I’m not flirting! Agh, I take it back! I’m not trying green peppers again any time soon! And it’s your fault! You ruined my relationship with them!”

“That’s your biggest concern?! What are you, a baby? The people of the Netherworld are going through a war!”

“…”

What could I say back to that?

She was right. I was taking it too easy. I repented.

“Komari.” Karla gave me a serious look. “After hearing what Ms. Spica had to say, I believe we must stop the conflict in the Netherworld. It concerns our world, as well.”

“What do you mean?”

“Star Citadel is the force behind the war. I hear they’re in hiding, but they seem to simply be preparing to destroy the Netherworld. And if that’s true, then our world will be next.”

Karla was right.

I didn’t quite get why the destruction of the worlds would have to go in that sequence, but the fact of the matter was that Nerzanpi of Star Citadel was gathering the Dark Cores for evil; it was imperative we put an end to the group’s plot.

“We must join hands with Inverse Moon, as only Ms. Spica knows the exact means of saving the Netherworld…”

“Now this Karla Amatsu girl really gets it! She’s as smart as her cousin Kakumei Amatsu!” Spica declared.

Karla lowered her face, blushing. Meanwhile, Amatsu read the newspaper in silence. He didn’t seem to care Koharu was stealing his meat, piece after piece.

“As I’ve said multiple times, we need the Dark Cores to save the Netherworld.”

“So how many do we have now?”

“Two! The one I got from the Arukan Army, and the one Fuyao snatched from Tremolo Parcostella.”

We need FOUR more? I’m getting dizzy.

“Don’t worry!” Spica smiled, brimming with confidence. “Star Citadel retreated after we gave them a beating. Now we just gotta find the cores and grab them.”

“Find them? But where are they?”

“I hid all six of them in specific locations, so I have an idea of where they are. Though it seems Star Citadel dug up most of them.”

You hid the Dark Cores?! Before I could yell at Spica, she took out a map and pointed at a particular spot.

Near the campsite. A town not so far from the God Slayer Tower.

“This is the Holy Lehysian Empire, a completely neutral nation. It’s the headquarters of the Netherworld’s Holy Church. According to the documents in the Neoplus Governor’s Office’s underground, Star Citadel obtained four of the six Dark Cores—and gave them to their puppet states to fan the flames of conflict.”

“What about the other two? There was the one buried in Star Cave and…?”

“The Holy Lehysian Empire has it. I hid this one in a special way, so it should still be out of Star Citadel’s clutches.”

So this Holy Lehysian Empire was our next destination.

Yeah, best to start with the easiest ones, right?

“How far away is it? I’d rather not walk a lot.”

“Kilty Blanc has teleportation Magic Stones! Full Moon reserves them for emergency situations. They’re configured to resting spots all over the Netherworld, and there’s one by Lehysia. We’re using that!”

“Oohh…”

No need to worry about muscle cramps, then.

Just then, it hit me.

“…Wait. Isn’t Lehysia near Lumiere Village?”

“Yeah. The Holy Church are a petty bunch; they need to have their headquarters right in the middle of the world. The Holy City of Lehysia in the Foreworld was smack in the middle of the Dark Core Zone, too, remember?”

I had not a single good memory involving religion. It was always priests or knights beating me up… And the mastermind behind them was the ex-pope right in front of me. But that was beside the point.

“That means we can meet Vill and the girls, right?”

“Half of the search team headed to Lumiere, too. I hope they’re doing okay,” said Karla.

“So, to summarize! Things are looking up for us! The Dark Cores aren’t protected nearly as carefully here as they are in the Foreworld. That means we won’t have to fight a pesky vampire princess to get our hands on them! It’ll be a walk in the park!”

Spica was right.

I felt conflicted about being on the side going after the Dark Cores now, but it wouldn’t be that hard if we knew where they were. And our competitors had withdrawn.

Let’s put it all, body and soul, into this!

For world peace!

“All right, we’re leaving tomorrow! Enjoy the party for today! Tryphon, we’re out of meat! Go hunt a bear! Cornelius, enough shiitake already! It’ll kill you! And you, Amatsu, you’ll go blind if you keep reading the newspaper at dinner!”

Spica started making merry in an unnecessarily loud voice.

I’d noticed she’d been acting even more rambunctious lately since losing Fuyao.

Maybe her stupid loud voice was just a form of coping.

Had she been pumping up her energy every time she lost a comrade?

I wanted to believe I was just imagining the aura of desperation around her. And there was barbecue to enjoy here. I directed my desires at the grill and reached for a piece of meat, when…

I noticed someone standing behind Spica.

A big, buff man.

He looked older than Amatsu. A Peace Spirit or perhaps an Immortal.

His whole body was covered in belts. As in, the kind used to restrain prisoners. He couldn’t be a decent dude.

“Spica! Who’s that guy…?”

“Huh? Who?”

“Found you, Spica La Gemini.”

His voice was steady like a rock.

Spica turned around in surprise.

Practically everyone did.

Before anyone could do anything, a needle extended from his hand and stabbed her in the arm. Tryphon screamed, “Your Highness!”

The needle wasn’t meant to kill her. It was more like a syringe.

“Get away from her.”

Core Implosion: Treason’s Spirit Gate. The power to teleport objects.

Tryphon teleported the needle into the table with a loud thud. “Watch where you send it, asshole!” Cornelius yelled thoughtlessly.

Tryphon clicked his tongue and grabbed the needle.

He launched himself at the man.

“Extermination Armor 04: Bondage.”

The moment the assailant uttered these words, a huge number of belts shot out from inside his clothes.

“Wha…?!”

The belts wrapped around Tryphon and rolled him up in the blink of an eye.

Tryphon fell with a bang, overturning the barbecue grill. Lingzi and I yelped as we toppled over as well.

Karla started bouncing around while yelling, “Ow! Ow! I’m burning!” The skewers of meat must’ve gotten inside her clothes.

That jerk…! I glared at the man with chills running down my arms.

“Wh-who the hell are you?! You gotta tell us before attacking!” I demanded.

“I am Observatory’s Fool 04: Liu Luxmio. I am here to deal with Spica La Gemini and Terakomari Gandesblood. And telling you beforehand would ruin the attack.”

………

……

…A new homicidal maniac?!

What’s with these guys?! Why do people keep popping up to kill me?! Wait. Hold up a second. I feel like I’ve heard someone mention ‘Observatory’ and ‘Fools’ before.

“Hey! Aren’t you the guys from six hundred years ago Spica told us about?!”

“I won’t let you touch Ms. Komari!”

Sakuna stood before me, staff in hand.

I’m happy you did that. Really. But it doesn’t stop my heart from trying to break free from my chest.

This guy isn’t just some dude. He’s got serious, long-standing beef with Spica.

And that same centuries-old vampire was down on the ground.

“Guh… Wha… Is this…sunlight…?” Spica asked.

She was weak and limp.

Evidently, there had been something in the man’s needle.

The Tryphon burrito kept yelling. Amatsu reached for his katana while analyzing the enemy. Cornelius began packing. Hey, don’t run away!

“How do you feel? Awful, I imagine,” Luxmio said as though indifferent to his victory. “I injected you with the energy of the sun, bane of the ancient vampires, condensed a thousandfold into a drug made just for you, Spica La Gemini.”

“So that’s it. Of course…,” groaned Spica.

‘Of course’? What do you mean?

The only thing I understood was that Spica was in danger.

“Hey,” Amatsu called out to the man cautiously. “Luxmio, was it? Where did you come from? The search team should be guarding the campsite.”

“Everyone else is restrained. Don’t think I came here alone. I have about five hundred borrowed soldiers from other countries with me.”

“…What do you want?”

“Like I said, I’m here to dispose of Spica La Gemini and Terakomari Gandesblood. These two have brought too much chaos to the world. They’ve upset the order established by the Dark Cores.”

Luxmio glared daggers at Spica, who was on the ground.

Then I saw something unbelievable.

For just a moment, fear crossed Spica’s eyes.

“We’re picking up where we left off six hundred years ago. The Netherworld isn’t yours to devastate.”

“…!”

It was not my imagination.

Spica—THE Spica—was shaking.

Just from this man’s glare.

“Heh… Heh-heh… I see…! You were still alive…even after six hundred years… You’re a tough cookie…!”

“I come back when the Dark Cores are in danger—that is how the first world’s Dark Cores configured things. With the Willow Sword broken, I’ve surfaced to kill the root of all evil.”

“Ah-ha-ha-ha…! You’re even harder to kill than a cockroach… I get it. Just like when you ensnared Naturia… Six hundred years later, and you’re the same as ever…!”

“Whoa!” Spica squealed as Luxmio pulled her up by the collar.

“Silence. You are a killer and a sinner. And everyone here is guilty of the same crime.”

“—”

Spica went flying.

Wham! Her little body slammed into the table.

Bell peppers and onions flew all over. I hurried to her side.

“Spica! Are you okay…?!”

“Geh… Heh… Heh-heh… I can’t move…”

“What happened?! Aren’t you, like, super-duper strong?!”

“Actually… I was hiding my real power, just like you… The truth is that I’m a sorry excuse for a vampire with no coordination and no talent for magic…”

“For real?!?!”

“Nah…”

“Don’t joke now!!”

But that settled it. That man was our enemy. And he was powerful enough to force Spica down easily. So what now? I couldn’t think any further than this before a belt shot out from inside Luxmio’s clothes again.

“You’re next, Terakomari Gandesblood.”

“AAAAUGH?!”

“Ms. Komari! Watch out!”

Sakuna unleashed a punch at the belt, but the piece of leather wrapped around her arm the next moment. No amount of force could get it off her; the belt ensnared her entire body and hung her up by her feet.

“Guh… Wh-what is…?!” she said, bewildered.

“Sakuna?! I’ll help you…!”

“Wait, Terakomarin! That must be a special-grade Divine Instrument!” Cornelius yelled. “It’s on the same level as the Dark Cores, I think! We can’t begin to imagine what could happen if you let it get you! So maybe that means you should, for science…”

“That’s right. The Extermination Armors are the ultimate weapon, designed to uphold the stasis of the world.”

Luxmio shot out another belt.

I tottered on my feet, unable to reach Sakuna.

“W-wait! How about we talk things out?! There’s still a lot of meat, so why don’t you join us?! We’ve got bell peppers, too!” I shouted.

“I am not hungry. And there is no need to talk,” he said.

“Yes, there is! I still don’t get what’s going on!”

“Spica La Gemini knows. No need for me to explain.”

“What happened between you two?!”

“This girl brings danger to the world. And you are the same—so I’ll dispose of you.”

He had no intention of listening.

Squirming belts raced toward me.

““Komari!”” Sakuna and Lingzi screamed. Belts shot at everyone else, too; no one could help me. I had forgotten to get my blood bottle, and I was in no position to suck anyone’s blood. What now? What now? What now?

“!”

A belt drew close to my face.

I closed my eyes in despair. I never thought I would fall at the hands of a killer who wouldn’t even give me the chance to introduce myself. I felt stupid for partying just moments ago.

The tip of the belt touched my skin, and then…

RIIIP!!

It broke into pieces for some reason.

I opened my eyes in shock. The so-called special-grade Divine Instrument turned into particles of light.

“Wha…?! The unbeatable Extermination Armor…?!”

Luxmio’s brows shot up.

Huh? What just happened? I looked around with suspicion.

The belts attacking my friends had broken, too.

“You… What did you do?” Luxmio asked.

“What…? I’m just standing here defenseless,” I replied.

Luxmio froze in realization.

“…I see. So that’s how it is.”

“What do you mean…?”

“The Extermination Armor is set not to work on those of the Insaint bloodline. Gandesblood… How could I not have realized sooner—Bweh?!”

Luxmio toppled sideways.

Sakuna had dealt a right hook to his cheek.

The silver beauty recovered from the inertia as she said, “You’ll pay for ruining our barbecue…”

“W-wait.”

“Sakuna Memoir is right.” Tryphon stood up. “You humiliated Her Highness. Time to suffer.”

Using Treason’s Spirit Gate, he teleported a needle into Luxmio’s thigh. His aim was true this time.

“Gwaaah!” Luxmio screamed but regained his composure right away.

He charged at them with a sharp knife in hand.

“At the very least, I’ll take you out, Terakomari Gandesbloo—!”

“Stay put.”

“Guh!”

Amatsu swept Luxmio off his feet with ease.

Sakuna and Tryphon seized the opening and charged in, delivering blow after blow to the incapacitated Fool. They punched him and kicked him in the groin. Sakuna ground the end of her staff into him, and Tryphon stabbed him with a needle.

“Gwaaaaaaaaah!! STOPPPP!!”

Luxmio writhed in pain, yet the two of them would not relent.

I recoiled as I watched the brutal beatdown.

“What in…the world is going on?” I asked.

“Komari, should I join them?”

“Please, no! It’s not in your character, Lingzi!”

“O-okay.”

“Brother,” Karla called out to Amatsu. She had gotten rid of the meat. “Do you know anything about this man? He called himself a Fool of Observatory.”

“I don’t. Goddess Karla didn’t tell me anything about him. Has the future diverged because we changed the world…? Either way, we can’t let him go free.”

“Yes, we should capture him. Koharu! The enemy is down! Do it!” Karla shouted.

“Wha…? No way…”

Karla plopped down backward.

“Why?!”

“The army’s coming our way.”

“Army?”

Just then, the campsite shook.

The rumble of countless footsteps. I turned around in surprise. Men in military uniforms shouted and ran toward us from beyond the dark. It had to be the five hundred soldiers Luxmio had borrowed.

“The surprise attack was a failure, but I cannot return without results…”

“What are you saying? Do you have a death wish?” Sakuna grabbed Luxmio by the collar.

“Heh.” The wounded Fool sneered. “It is you who will die, destroyers of the world. Spica and Terakomari must be eliminated.”

“Nonsense…”

“Sakuna! We gotta make a break for it! There’re tons of dudes coming our way!”

“B-but Ms. Komari, I think it would be best to put down this man here and now.”

“Don’t be so bloodthirsty! Just tie him up, and let’s scram!”

“Oka—Eep?!”

All of a sudden, Luxmio sent out more belts; evidently, there had been more under his sleeves.

The belts avoided me and went straight for my friends.

But that wasn’t all. Like an avalanche, a squadron of armed troops began to surround us. The flock of murderers kicked away our barbecue equipment as they marched toward us. My friends were so preoccupied with the belts that they couldn’t even turn to get a look at the soldiers. And being as powerless as I was, I could only watch as the meat and onions hit the ground.

This has to stop!

“Dammit! Time to bust out my Core Implo—”

“F-f-fear not, everyone! I—I’m here to save you!”

A shy but loud voice echoed.

A girl in black rushed toward us from the cabin.

“Kilty?! Where were you this whole time?!”

“Huh? Umm… I’m just too shy to join the barbecue…”

“Kilty was drinking orange juice in the cabin!! All by herself!!” Koharu shouted.

Kilty turned red and squealed, “Th-th-th-that doesn’t matter! Look, I have a bunch of Magic Stones! The enemy brought poison against Spica La Gemini, so they must be prepared against the Blood Curse, too!”

It was only then that I noticed the shiny rocks in her hands.

I could only equate Magic Stones to explosions. I cringed like a turtle, expecting something to blow up.

“I-I’m gonna use them! Everyone get dow—Bwaaah?!”

She tripped.

The Magic Stones scattered to the ground, and they were already activated to boot.

Karla, who had ducked quicker than even me, screamed in shock, “Kilty?!”

There was no canceling it. The scattered Magic Stones spread their mana.

Yet no explosion came.

Instead, there was a blinding light. Mana enveloped the surroundings.

This is…teleportation!

Were these the emergency stones Spica had mentioned?

“You won’t get away…!”

Battered yet still in the fight, Luxmio shot a belt at me, but by then, I had already turned into light particles.

“Komari?! Komari!”

I heard Lingzi, Karla, and Sakuna’s voices ring in my ears.

My vision went white.

The last thing I saw was Kilty’s pale, regretful face. C’mon, girl!

A few days after leaving Lumiere Village, the Komari Club found themselves in the neighboring town of Joule.

“These are Dark Cores…? I’m shocked the Netherworld has them, too…”

Nelia stared at the two objects on the table, succinctly described as spheres that glowed like stars. Once you gathered all six of these crazy, magical items, your wish would be granted. They looked like toys at first glance, but they exuded subtle mana.

“They’re not like mine. I guess the Dark Cores change form depending on the wish poured into them…”

“Forget about the Dark Cores. I’m about to die from Komarinium deficiency. Look. My hands won’t stop shaking… Ahh… Lady Komari…”

“Get a hold of yourself, Ms. Vill! Your eyes are cloudy!”

“Esther…when I die, please adorn my tombstone with Lady Komari’s panties…”

“Awawawa, President Cunningham! She’s getting weird!”

“I’m surprised there was room for her to get any stranger.”

Nelia didn’t pay much attention to the two of them as she stared at the Dark Cores.

The person who’d given them to her had already left Lumiere Village.

She was running all over the Netherworld to put an end to the conflicts miring the realm—in the hopes this would save even one more person from tragedy. Along the way, she had obtained these two Dark Cores.

“I’ll leave these with you.”

“Please take them to Komari, if it’s not too much trouble.”

“She should be looking for the Dark Cores with the Wicked God Slayer.”

“Huh? Me? I have to go after Yusei. Thanks to the power of the two Dark Cores, I finally know where she is.”

“I won’t be able to see you again for a while. But I’m counting on you.”

“Don’t worry. Komari will do my part.”

Nelia wasn’t able to enjoy the reunion.

She wanted to talk more. To have dinner with her.

But the woman had left them with the Dark Cores and parted like the wind.

You could’ve at least waited until we reunited with Komari. Don’t you find it even a bit cold-hearted? she thought, but it must’ve simply meant the woman was just that busy.

Her parting words had shocked Nelia.

“You’ve grown so much. I know you’ll lead Aruka down the right path.”

“Miss…”

She’d strictly ordered them not to follow her. Not that it would have been possible to do so, as she’d vanished at the speed of light.

They could only do what was within their reach. First on their plate was meeting back up with Komari.

“Ahh… Lady Komari… Lady Komari…”

“Vill?! I’m not the Commander! Don’t rub your face against me…”

“What’re you doing?! Stop goofing around!”

“Bweh!”

Nelia smacked Villhaze’s head with a giant paper fan.

“Meanie.” The blue-haired maid looked up at her with teary eyes. “I’m sick. I am suffering from Komarinium deficiency…”

“And we’re going to find her! My mentor said Komari is working with Inverse Moon, but who knows if that’s true! The Wicked God Slayer might be torturing her as we speak!”

“…!” Villhaze snapped out of it. “…You’re right. I’ve no time to lose toying with Esther.”

“Am I just a toy…?!” Esther moaned.

“So Lady Komari is looking for the Dark Cores with Inverse Moon, and in the process, they defeated Tremolo Parcostella at the mining city of Neoplus…”

“Apparently.”

Her mentor had told them of Komari’s general movements. The information had come from a mole she’d planted in Inverse Moon. But the spy lost track of them around the Toumor Republic, a big country in the south.”

“We’ll go south first. We need more intel.”

“Don’t worry. My nose will lead us to Lady Komari.”

“I don’t think a dog would even be capable of that…,” Esther said.

“Agh! The wind is getting in the way! If only I had sniffed her harder and deeper!”

“Was Ms. Vill always this unhinged…?”

“You hadn’t realized? She’s one of the two greatest sickos in the world, the other being Sakuna Memoir.” Nelia sighed.

Just then, a lively voice came from the rest stop’s entrance:

“Vill! Nelia! I found some freaks over there!”

Colette Lumiere. A spunky girl without her right arm. The doctor had ordered her to rest and stay put, but she ran toward the group like she didn’t care. She insisted she was a part of the Komari Club, too.

“…Freaks? You mean like this girl here?”

“No! They’re, like, scary. But their uniforms are like Terakomari’s and Esther’s. Could this mean they’re part of the same unit…?”

Nelia met Villhaze’s gaze.

It would only take a glance to make sure.

“Ohh! If it isn’t Lieutenant Villhaze!”

Villhaze was stunned.

There was a psycho gathering on the terrace of the village café.

The members of the Seventh Unit of the Mulnite Imperial Army—the Komari Unit—were sitting around a table for a meal.

Lieutenant Caostel Conto.

Lieutenant Bellius Hund Cerbero.

Captain Mellaconcey.

Lieutenant Yohann Helders.

“…Huh? Wh-why are those four in the Netherworld?!” Esther spoke for everyone.

“A foolish question,” Caostel said with a grin that could get him jailed. “We’re in this world because the Commander is here, of course. The Seventh Unit has a duty to snuggle up to her side at every moment, like barnacles on the bottom of a ship.”

“Ewww.” Colette cringed. Villhaze sympathized.

“That’s no explanation, Caostel.” Bellius sighed. “Lieutenant Villhaze, you seem to be doing well. Glad to see you again.”

“Did you also get warped here when the Dark Core collapsed?” she asked.

“The Dark Core?” The vampires furrowed their brows.

The quartet didn’t seem to be aware of the situation. Explaining it would be a hassle, so she decided to leave it for later.

“…Could you please tell me what happened?”

“A light covered the Jingshi, and we were transported. Now there are two suns, and the constellations are all different… Are we in another world?”

“It’s been terrible. There are no Dark Cores here. Our wounds won’t heal, and we can’t use magic freely. I pine for the days when we could kill each other with reckless abandon.”

“Check it! A dry world without explosions. Who caused this commotion? We wander around, feelin’ lost and weak. But some things don’t change—Caostel’s still a freak.”

One of the lieutenants punched Mellaconcey, sending him flying.

Please don’t fight away from the Dark Core, Villhaze thought.

“So that’s how you wound up here. It appears you were sent here by force, just like us. How fortunate our paths happened to cross,” she said.

“It’s no coincidence we found you,” Caostel said.

“Excuse me?”

“We reached this place by following the Commander’s smell.”

“Lieutenant Conto, if you may excuse the rudeness, that is disgusting.”

“Oh, I’m not the one who did the sniffing. Call Bellius gross. We followed his nose.”

“Ah, then there’s no problem.”

“Please explain why it’s okay now. Is Bellius not gross because he’s a dog? That’s racist. Say that in public in the Lapelico Kingdom, and you’ll get sent to an animal court where they’ll sentence you to be battered with a cold banana—”

“Ahem, getting back on topic—Lieutenant Villhaze, is the Commander not here?” Bellius asked.

“No…”

There was no point in hiding it.

Villhaze succinctly summarized what had happened to them from their arrival in the Netherworld up to their encounter with Spica. She only omitted the part where Komari lost to Tremolo once.

“I see.” Caostel nodded. “So the Commander is currently with Inverse Moon.”

“Yes. They should be looking for the Netherworld’s Dark Cores…”

“Who cares about that?!” Yohann Helders finally spoke up, slamming his empty bowl on the table. “We gotta look for her ASAP! Terakomari’s weak! We can’t let her be with that killer psycho! She’ll get murdered!”

“The commander is weak? What are you saying, Yohann?” Caostel said.

“Are you blind?! Terakomari’s just a little feeble girl! Agh, we can’t waste our time here, we gotta go help her!”

“Listen, punk. I won’t tell you not to get worked up, but just don’t get killed, all right?” Bellius said.

“Why would I get killed?!”

Everyone fought back the urge to point out how he was always dying, and Yohann began gathering his stuff.

“You’ve got a short fuse.” Nelia sighed. “Yohann, was it? Do you know where Komari is?”

“No idea! That’s why we gotta look for her, pronto!”

“I shouldn’t have even asked. Bellius, will your nose get us anywhere?”

“She’s south.”

Villhaze looked at him with surprise.

The dog beast-folk crossed his arms and looked in the direction of the rising sun.

“I used all my mana to activate my olfactory magic. I don’t know her exact location… But she shouldn’t be too far from here.”

Nelia took out a map of the Netherworld.

Bellius drew a circle near the middle with his finger.

“She’s around here… The God Slayer Tower… No, in the Holy Lehysian Empire…”

“Dogs really can tell!” Esther looked at him with amazement.

Caostel put his hands together and stood up.

“There we have it. Get ready to head out.”

“All right! Hurry it up, guys!”

“Check it! You better make sure your gear holds up. Unless you’re lookin’ to go belly up.”

“Shut up, clown!”

Yohann and Mellaconcey bantered.

Anyhow, their course was clear.

They had to head to the Holy Lehysian Empire to bring Komari the two Dark Cores. Then, get rid of Star Citadel and Spica La Gemini and go back home. It shouldn’t be hard with so many comrades by their side.

The Holy Lehysian Empire. The headquarters of the Holy Church in the Netherworld. A completely neutral city-state.

This holy area was usually quiet itself, yet for the past few days, it had been seized by an abnormal fervor—a base clamor. The streets were filled with so many officials and soldiers from other countries that the Holy Church believers were the minority.

At the center of the city was the Lehysian Cathedral.

A grand number of VIPs engaged in fierce debate in the pope’s holy palace.

“I’ve been saying again and again that you attacked first!”

“No! We mobilized our armies because you invaded our territory!”

“What?! Are you claiming our country’s armory exploded out of nowhere?!”

“It had to be a failure of your management! Don’t blame us!”

Forty-two people sat at the round table, all important delegates from the countries of the Netherworld.

A curtain hanging from the ceiling read WORLD PEACE COUNCIL.

Yes, that was the purpose of their debate—to find a path toward peace.

“What are you plotting?!” “What are you plotting?! Using those inhumane weapons!” “Wasn’t it your nation that assassinated our diplomat?!” “Slander!” “The Heegen Kingdom and the Fayta Empire must be in cahoots!” “Calumny! We only want peace!”

No roundabout words. They blamed one another outright.

The point of this meeting was to find a way to stop the war. All year long, conflicts had been popping up out of nowhere across the globe.

Nobody wanted more fighting, yet dignitaries heading to other countries were assassinated, important bases were attacked, and military ministers went off the handle, invading other territories.

The nations collectively found this strange, and they had gathered in this neutral country to find the cause.

“It’s like a zoo in here…”

A sigh.

A young Sapphire girl sat in the most prominent seat of the holy round table in the cathedral.

She looked barely over ten. Her hair was white as snow, and her eyes wavered with concern.

It was the pope of the Holy Lehysian Empire, Clenent DIV.

Clenent DIV was the council’s organizer, but no one listened to the weak little girl. They all criticized each other in chaos. Tears formed in Clenent DIV’s eyes as she worried this would only get them further away from peace.

“Enough! Talking is pointless! Let’s take this outside!”

“Oh, you’re on! Let’s put an end to this here and now!”

The two old guys grappled with each other. Violence at a peace summit. It should have been unbelievable, yet the other dignitaries fanned the flames, shouting, ““Show him!”” Punches flew, counters blew, and frenzy encroached the hall.

Enough was enough.

Whack! Clenent DIV slammed the table and stood up.

“S-STOP FIGHTIIING!!”

Silence.

Clenent DIV used all her energy to speak.

“You are embarrassing yourselves before God! This is a place of discussion! Take your brutality elsewhere! Let’s all have a sip of tea and calm dow—”

“Put a sock in your baby mouth and stay out of this!!”

“Eep…”

She was struck down with ease.

She could do nothing against the delegates’ scary glares.

The old guys ignored the pope and continued fighting.

Clenent DIV deflated in her chair. She had sworn to God she would bring peace to the world two years back, yet her vow remained unfulfilled. No one would listen to this little girl.

“I am not worthy of the title of pope… Please forgive me, God…”

Clenent DIV’s real name was Misha Sombresault.

She was born into a common family of Holy Church believers but wound up getting embroiled in a power struggle in the Holy Lehysian Empire, and after many twists and turns, the poor girl ascended the throne as pope. In reality, she was supposed to have been “Clement IV,” but since a bigger number sounded more powerful to her, she had taken the title of Clenent DIV. Her name was also “Clenent” instead of “Clement” due to a spelling mistake on her enthronement papers that was found too late to be corrected.

It was her duty as a servant of God to better the world.

She needed to make this council a success, but the old guys were only interested in fighting instead of holding a constructive dialogue. God must have been weeping in Heaven.

The Holy Church’s teachings spoke of a Judgment Day.

Naturally, God would try to save the people when the end came to pass, but if there were too many irredeemable villains, he would sigh and throw in the towel. In that moment, demons would appear, and a hole to hell would open up. The people would burn in the flames of regret and be swallowed by the mouth of hell, after which the surface would reset.

I don’t want Judgment Day to happen.

Please, God, grant salvation to the world.

She closed her eyes and prayed, when…

“The congress dances but does not progress. It is meaningless like this.”

…an oddly clear voice echoed.

The hubbub quieted.

One of the forty-two delegates in attendance—the representative of the Nekris Kingdom—glared at the table.

His name was Liu Luxmio.

The delegate who had been in Luxmio’s place yesterday had gone back home after getting a tummy ache from overeating. Yet strangely, the envoy’s replacement had a swollen face and was supporting himself on crutches.

“Minister Liu Luxmio? What happened to you?” another delegate asked.

“I tripped.”

Everyone murmured. Clenent DIV worried for him; he should go home to rest.

“But don’t mind me.” He pulled the attention away from his condition. “You all are blind. At this rate, the war will never end. You focus on these meaningless squabbles instead of identifying the real enemy.”

“The real enemy? Did you hit your head, sir?”

“I think you should go to a hospital!”

The old guys cackled, but Luxmio did not mind.

“Do you not find it strange? Nobody here wants war, yet conflict keeps breaking out unnaturally,” Luxmio said.

“We do, and that is why we are here in this council. There is a country that does want war,” said another delegate.

“Someone wants war, but it isn’t any particular nation… Someone is pulling the strings behind the scenes,” asserted Luxmio.

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Minister of the Toumor Republic, you said you attacked a neighboring country in retribution for the destruction of the mining city of Neoplus, correct?”

“Yes. It was all a ploy of the Heegen Kingdom—”

“No. The blame lies squarely on Spica La Gemini and Terakomari Gandesblood’s shoulders.”

“Terakomari Gandesblood…?!” An old Warblade man rose to his feet, his eyes going wide. He was the minister of foreign affairs of the Kingdom of Aruka. “I-isn’t that the leader of the Komari Club?! The group who snatched the next Miko offered to us by Mulnite?! Did she do it to undermine relations between the nations of our realm…?!”

“I lack evidence to support this theory at the moment; I’ll show you later. But there is no doubt in my mind that those two are at fault for everything strange that has been happening lately. We mustn’t direct our ire at each other, but at those wicked terrorists.”

“H-he’s right! These fights are all the terrorists’ fault!” Clenent DIV stood up, clenching her fists.

Luxmio’s words were oddly convincing. She had yet to fully grasp everything, but she went with the flow. The countries of the Netherworld needed a common foe to bring them together.

“They want to plunge the world into chaos and bring about Judgment Day! Let’s beat them up together! For peace!”

“Even Her Holiness agrees. We must work together to take down Terakomari and Spica,” said Luxmio.

“But…where are these terrorists?”

“They should arrive in the Holy Lehysian Empire soon.”

“Whu-huh?!” shouted Clenent DIV.

“They’re looking for treasures known as the Dark Cores—Divine Instruments powerful enough to destroy the world.”

Luxmio stared at Clenent DIV for some reason—at the pendant on her neck, to be precise.

“D-destroy the world? That’s terrible…”

“And one of the cores is here in Lehysia. That means they’ll come here sooner or later.”

“…”

Clenent felt cold sweat drip down her skin.

The Light Orb—regalia that had been passed down across generations of Holy Church popes.

The previous pope had told her not to ever let go of this pendant, for it was proof of God’s approval. Clenent DIV followed the rule faithfully and kept it on her person when eating, sleeping, and even bathing.

She was also informed the pendant was known as a Dark Core. It had the appearance of a party ball, and it held a sphere that glowed like a star.

The point being, her standing as the pope was now in danger.

Without the Light Orb, Clenent DIV was just Misha Sombresault. God would forsake her.

Hence why she shouted, “M-Mister Luxmio?! When will the terrorists come?! How do we defeat them?! What do they even look like?!”

“Don’t worry. I’ll draw a portrait and give each of you a copy.”

“Thank you! Their faces must be frightening…”

“When they stood against Star Citadel in the mining city of Neoplus, Spica and Terakomari distributed wanted posters and had the citizens track them down. Let’s do the same here.”

“But will it be that feasible…?”

“Everything will be all right.” Luxmio curled his lips. “With the help of all the countries present, the terrorists will fall to God’s hammer of retribution.”

It was a wicked smile.

Yet somehow, it made Clenent DIV feel relieved. Baseless certainty budded within her: Luxmio would be able to stop the terrorists.

“It is time for us to fight together. Peace and order are within our grasp.”

“…Where are we??”

When I came back to my senses, I found myself standing in a field.

A half-moon adorned the sky. The constellations were a bit off from before, which meant we had been teleported somewhere far from the campsite.

“Hmm?”

I noticed something soft pushing on my back.

Someone was hugging me tightly from behind.

This chilly feeling…

“…Is that you, Sakuna?”

“Wha…?! I-I’m sorry, Ms. Komari!”

Silver knockout beauty Sakuna Memoir jumped away from me.

What was that about? Was she hugging me because she was scared?

“I… Umm… I was… I wanted to protect you…”

“O-oh…! You’re so reliable!”

I patted her head.

She blushed and giggled so adorably that it made me dizzy. Her prettiness had a healing effect—I was sure of it.

“You got teleported here, too, then.”

“It seems like Ms. Kilty’s Magic Stone sent us here…”

“Dang Kilty…”

Who even is that girl? She said she’s with Full Moon… Wait a second, wasn’t the shadow I met at the Crimson Snow Hut also named Kilty? They can’t be the same person, can they?

“Ah!” Sakuna pointed. “Look, there’s a flock of Mizuchi…!”

I shouted in reaction, too.

There were crimson-colored dragons all over the sprawling grassland. This seemed to be their territory; fortunately, they were gentle creatures. Except for Bucephalus. We wouldn’t be attacked if we kept our distance.

“Wow! Wild Mizuchi! I’d never seen a flock before!” I said.

“There must be at least fifty of them… Huh?”

Sakuna noticed something, and I followed her gaze.

A few of the Mizuchi were grouped together, eating something.

Maybe there’s a patch of good grass there?

Wait… That grass is person-shaped… Is that a kimono…? And a pair of blond pigtails? Plus a weird hat…

Wait, that’s not grass! That’s Karla and Spica!

“Uwaaah?! What the hell are you doing?!”

I charged ahead with a war cry, and the Mizuchi ran for their lives.

They stopped and stared after gaining a bit of distance from me, but my eyes were already off them.

The two girls were covered in drool. The Mizuchi had only been licking them.

“Karla?! Karla, wake up!”

“Hee-hee… What a beautiful flower field… Huh…? Grandma is over there waving at me…,” Karla said.

“Your grandma’s still alive!!” I shouted.

“Um, Ms. Komari, should I kill the other one?” Sakuna asked.

I turned around in dismay.

Spica lay face down on the ground, Sakuna’s hands around her neck.

The Sapphire girl looked serious. SAKUNA is evolving into DARK SAKUNA!

“This is our chance… The Wicked God Slayer is out cold… Heh-heh… Let’s make this slow and painful…”

“Stop it, Sakuna! Go back to being a pretty, gentle girl!”

I launched myself at Sakuna and latched onto her.

“Bwah?!” she moaned. “I-I’m joking! It was a joke…!”

“It didn’t seem like a joke! I’m not letting you go until you calm down!”

“Fwaaahh!! I’ll never calm down…”

“Why?!”

Apparently, I was the only sane one here.

Stop wasting time, and let’s figure out what’s going on!

“We’re about two hundred miles north of the campsite, I’d say! I can tell from the angle of the stars!”

Ten minutes later.

Spica had turned around lethargically before exclaiming the above.

It was already dark. The wind was warm, the cries of bugs filled our ears, and the Mizuchi curled up on some grass nearby to sleep.

“We should reach the God Slayer Tower if we walk a little farther north… If only she’d sent us to Lumiere Village!”

There were four of us in total here. The rest of our group must’ve been sent somewhere else.

“Ms. Spica, who in the world was that Immortal just now?” Karla asked, wiping her cheeks with a handkerchief.

Yeah, let’s start there.

The murderer who’d attacked us out of nowhere: Liu Luxmio. He’d gotten beaten up in the end, but his hatred for Spica was real.

“He said he was a Fool from Observatory. Do you know him?”

“He’s my archenemy.”

“What happened between you?”

“…”

Five seconds of silence.

“…He’s the man who destroyed my dream. I assumed him long dead; I never would’ve thought he could survive by putting a seal on himself.”

“Why was he trying to kill you? Is he another of those crazies who wants to be the strongest?” I asked.

“The Fools’ job is to maintain order, particularly by limiting the influence of the Dark Cores’ effect on society to the Foreworld. They hate change. The collapse of the Enchanted Lands’ Dark Core must have brought them back. They want to kill revolutionaries—in other words, people like you and me, who want to change the world.”

“Since when did I become a revolutionary?”

“You changed the hearts of the people of the Six Nations. That is a revolution in Observatory’s eyes.”

Then their eyes must not work. Talk about misrepresentation.

Anyway, this meant new killers were after me.

You beat one, and a new one pops up immediately.

“…What should we do now, Ms. Komari?” Sakuna asked, her voice tinged with worry.

“I’d like to return to the campsite, but…”

“No!” Spica exclaimed while gazing up at the stars. “Our objective hasn’t changed. Once we gather the Dark Cores and unseal the God Slayer Tower, we’ll find a clue to solving everything. That doesn’t change just because the Fools of Observatory showed up.”

“But what about everyone else?”

“Observatory is just after you and me! They won’t have the time to go after anyone else if we kick up a fuss.”

“I agree with Ms. Spica.” A bell rang to accompany Karla’s cool voice. “The teleportation split us up, so the others should be elsewhere by now. But everyone knows our destination is the Holy Lehysian Empire. We should simply follow our initial objective.”

“But…,” said Spica.

“I understand you’re worried, but the others are tough and experienced. They won’t get them so easily,” I said.

“You get it! That’s why you’re the strongest commander in the universe!” Spica said.

“…Y-yes, of course! In the whole universe!”

It had been a while since I last heard that phrase.

Anyway, Karla was smart; she should know what’s best. We didn’t know where the others had been sent to, either way, so it would be nigh-impossible for us to find them.

“Hmm?” Sakuna said with surprise. “Look, Ms. Komari. There’s a shed over there.”

“Huh? Oh, you’re right.”

There was a tiny wooden shack beyond the Mizuchi flock.

We trotted over there. It seemed to be a storehouse. The structure was full of preserved foods and weapons.

“I see. This must be a Full Moon refuge,” Karla said.

“What?” I asked.

“Ms. Kilty’s Magic Stones were meant for emergency escape. It makes sense that there would be supplies in the vicinity. Saddles and stirrups… The Mizuchi outside must belong to Full Moon. To use for escape.”

“Oh… So they can talk, too…?” I asked.

“T-talk??” said Karla.

“We can use them to go to Lehysia! Time will fly with the Mizuchi on our side!” Sakuna scoured the place in high spirits.

Right. I can’t even begin to imagine how sore we would be if we walked there; thank goodness for the Mizuchi. But it’s too late to head there now. Guess we’ll go tomorrow. I’ll try talking to the Mizuchi later. They probably won’t talk back to me around the girls, though, just like Charlotte the camel…

Then I noticed something. Only Sakuna, Karla, and I were in the storehouse.

“…Wait. Where’s Spica?”

“Huh? Isn’t she outside?”

“Forget about that terrorist, Ms. Komari. Look… There’s only two beds. Would you mind sleeping with me…?”

“No, hold up. Don’t you think she…?!”

I ran outside.

The little terrorist was lying in the middle of the field.

“…Spica? What are you doing?”

“Nothing! I was gonna sleep here!”

“You’ll catch a cold. C’mon and sleep in the storehouse with us.”

“No thanks! I love nature!”

I looked down at Spica’s body with suspicion.

She was as still as a sloth.

I tried pinching her upper arm. For someone stronger than a gorilla, she sure was squishy. As I expected, she showed no resistance at all.

“What are you doing? Wanna die?” Spica asked.

“Don’t tell me you can’t move,” I said.

“I can move! I’m just not moving because there’s no need to—Gaaah!”

Spica let out a squeal as I poked her belly button.

Then I witnessed something that could turn the whole world on its head.

Spica’s cheeks were…ever so slightly red.

That did it. Luxmio had stabbed her with a needle and injected her with a weird substance. “The energy of the sun turned against her,” or whatever. She’d basically turned into a mollusk right after that—and stayed that way.

“You really can’t move, can you?”

“I guess I’d be lying if I said I could!”

“…Was it because of the injection?”

“Yeah,” Spica said with a flat look on her face. “I am an ancient vampire, so I don’t like the sun! An injection of its compressed energy totally paralyzed me!”

“For how long?”

“I dunno. This is the first time it’s happened.”

Shoot.

I thought Spica’s super-duper powers could defeat the bad guys effortlessly.

Now the only people I had to rely on were Karla, who could turn back time but was usually weak as hell; Sakuna, who was pretty but had turned into something of an ogre; and me, who could become crazy strong after sucking blood but was usually weaker than hell.

Prospects were looking grim.

“…Hey, Terakomari.”

“Yeah?”

“I wanna use the bathroom.”

“…”

Now there was no mistaking it. Even through the darkness, I could tell she was red up to her ears. Yet her expression remained flat in an empty display of fortitude, ruined by her ceaseless and desperate blinking.

Yup. Prospects: grim.

I sighed and crouched down to help Spica up.

The Holy Lehysian Empire was just ahead of Lumiere Village.

I suggested we go meet up with Vill and the others first, but Spica said we could snatch the Dark Core in a jiffy, and we should go to Lehysia first. Either way, we couldn’t go straight to Lumiere since we had to feed the Mizuchi.

Gong! Gong!

I heard church bells as I passed through the city gates. Lehysia in the Netherworld was a small city-state with a population of about two thousand, but they seemed much more devout than the people in the other world. People of all ages and genders in religious garb were kneeling and praying in the vicinity.

“All the buildings are purple. I feel like I’ve seen this before…”

“Mandala minerals. According to the trade register in Neoplus, Lehysia is the city’s top client in exports. And clergymen love shiny things. Ironically materialistic, eh?!”

“Mm-hmm.”

The houses were embossed with light arrows and slanted crosses made from Mandala minerals.

Purple must have some sort of religious significance. It does seem kinda sacred (not that I would know).

We left the Mizuchi at a stable and went for a meal.

I started feeling hype. To be honest, I was secretly looking forward to visiting restaurants all over the world. Perhaps an unthinkable thought for a professional shut-in such as myself, I know, but as an aspiring author, I wanted to experience all sorts of things. Come on, Holy Lehysian Empire omelet rice! Show me what you’ve got!

But that aside.

“Thanks, girl! You can put me down now!” Spica said.

“…Why do I even have to carry you?” I said.

“Because I’m disabled!”

“Don’t say that! Also, why have you been licking my neck the whole time? It stings a little… Don’t tell me you’ve been sucking my blood.”

“I have, actually! And it tastes pretty bad, by the way!”

“No wonder I’m feeling faint! Get off already!”

“Gaaah!”

I threw her on the restaurant’s sofa.

“Meanie!” She frowned. Spica had regained movement in her arms, but she still couldn’t stand on her own. I could very easily sentence her to death by tickling, but after she recovered, I would be sentenced to actual death. Oh, the vexations.

“Ms. Komari, should I get rid of our luggage?”

“Huh? We brought luggage?”

“I meant if I should kill that living suitcase over there.”

“Waaah?! Where did you get that knife?!”

“She only causes you trouble… Now she even dared to suck your blood… I can’t just sit back and let it happen anymore… Disposing of her here and now would be a net positive for humanity…”

“Stop it, Sakuna! You’ll make them throw us out of the restaurant!”

I restrained her in a full nelson.

“What am I supposed to do?” Spica sighed. “I ran out of candy. I need a direct supply of blood.”

“Candy? You mean those red lollipops?” I asked.

“Yes, those are supplements for weak vampires. My body’s awfully inefficient, and I need to suck on blood constantly, or I’ll faint.”

“So how come you’re that short if you suck so much blood…?”

“…”

Wow, is Spica pouting?

I felt like I was beginning to understand the nuances of her expressions.

“…How impudent. Want me to suck you dry?”

“S-sorry. I didn’t mean it as an insult. I was just on the edge of a generational epiphany that maybe blood doesn’t relate to height…”

“You won’t grow no matter what, I can tell you that for sure.”

I pouted.

Spica was just as foolish as Vill. Little did they know I was but a baby bamboo shoot, soon to shoot up into the skies to join my full-grown sistren.

Whatever. Don’t give her the time of day, Komari. Just move on and order some food.

…Hmm? Wait. Wh-wh-wha…?

There’s no omelet rice…?!

Why…?!

“Ms. Spica, we should decide what to do next,” said Karla.

“Karla! Oh no, Karla! There’s no omelet rice in this restaurant!”

“O-omelet rice? I guess that is important… But our priority is finding out where in this city the Dark Core is.”

I glared holes into the menu.

This couldn’t be. A restaurant without omelet rice…?

“Yup! Six hundred years ago, I wished on the Netherworld Dark Cores and let my supporters at the time hide them. Couldn’t let them be used for evil, and all that. But Star Citadel found them anyway, since those things ooze mana.”

“Is the Dark Core here different?” asked Sakuna.

“Lehysia’s Dark Core is inside the Light Orb that is passed down through generations of the Holy Church’s popes. The Orb is a Divine Instrument meant to conceal mana, so that must be why Star Citadel noticed it. I wish I’d done the same to all six cores, but I only had a single Orb,” said Spica.

“I see. Then we should seek an audience with the pope. But… if it’s been passed down through generations, wouldn’t it be an important item to the Church?”

“I looked into it after coming to the Netherworld, and yeah, they made it a regalia that symbolizes the pope’s status! Now it’s valuable in an entirely different way!”

“We’ll have to ask for it with full sincerity…”

“Ms. Komari, did you find the omelet rice?”

“No! Help me look, Sakuna!”

“What about a hamburg steak? Want to share one?”

“I guess that works, too, but…………………………… Hmm??”

At the end of the menu was a little ad. No, a wanted poster.

Dine and dashers? Oof, those faces sure are evil-looking. They’re like five times scarier than the Lapelico Chimpanzee. Probably worse than any of the killers I’ve encountered up to now.

Who could it possibly be?

So, I checked the names and…

World’s biggest terrorists!

Spica La Gemini & Terakomari Gandesblood

Wanted DEAD or ALIVE!

………?

…??

I must be hallucinating. I closed the menu, then opened it back up.

Yup, that’s still Spica’s and my names on there.

“…Why am I wanted again?!?!”

“M-Ms. Komari? You should lower your voice, or they’ll kick us out…”

“Kick us out of life! Look at this!”

I spread the menu on top of the table.

Karla’s expression darkened.

“What did you do? Dine and dash…?”

“I haven’t eaten anything! For crying out loud! How many times must I be a fugitive?! Sakuna, I’ll have to live on the run! Bounty hunters are gonna be after my head!”

“Y-yes! Let’s go, it’ll be like eloping… Hee-hee…”

“No, there’s no need,” Karla said calmly. “Look at this portrait. It’s so bad, you can’t tell who it’s supposed to be.”

“Huh? Oh, now that you mention it…”

I would never look this scary. Spica might, though.

This wanted poster must be all over Lehysia if it’s even here on this restaurant menu. But we haven’t been attacked. The people don’t realize we’re here.

“Who drew this? Calling them a crappy artist would be an insult to crappy artists.”

“Whether it’s a lack of skill or lack of knowledge of your faces… The problem is, the enemy knows we’re in Lehysia, and they’re looking for us. Recovering the Dark Core just got a lot trickier.”

“The Fool must be to blame,” Spica said in a serious tone. “Observatory will do anything to put me down. They’d have no qualms getting Lehysia on their side…”

She always got so serious when talking about the Fools. The trauma had to be huge.

“Cheer up, Spica. We’ll get through this together.”

“…I’ll drain you dry. I don’t need your reassurance. I’m very cheery, thank you.”

“Okay.”

“All right, let me suck you dry!”

“I didn’t say okay to that!”

Karla got between us.

“Stop fighting, you two. And Ms. Sakuna, please put that knife away…”

“No. I can’t still my right hand. It moves on its own when I see Spica try to suck Ms. Komari’s blood…”

“L-let’s just have our meal, first, okay?! Waiter!”

A cheery voice came from the inside of the restaurant, “Yes, ma’am!”

Huh? We’re ordering already? No time to lose fooling around with Spica. I gotta find a suitable replacement for omelet rice… I surveyed the menu in a haste, when…

Crack!!

…I heard something break.

“C-C-C-Co…Commanderrr?!”

A familiar voice followed.

I turned around. Standing there was a redheaded girl in a ponytail wearing the restaurant’s uniform. She dropped the plates just now. But that didn’t matter.

“Esther?! What are you doing here?!”

“W-we heard you might be here…!”

Esther Claire.

She shivered with tears in her eyes and wiped her face with her sleeves before doing a military salute and yelling:

“Thank goodness you’re okay! We’ve been looking for you!”

“R-really? So where’s everyone else…?”

C-crack!!

Again, the sound of something breaking.

“L-L-Lady Komari…?!?!?!”

“Huh?”

Pieces of the broken glass were scattered all over the floor. The manager was yelling, “Are you gonna break everything in here or what?!” The maid charged full speed at me without a care.

Blue hair and jade eyes. Her face a mess of tears.

“LADY KOMARIIIIIII!!”

“Vill! You’re here, too—Gweh?!”

The maid tackled me in a hug, then buried her face in my belly while eerily repeating, “Lady Komari, Lady Komari, Lady Komari.” I froze like a statue out of ticklishness and embarrassment.

“Ahh, Lady Komari…! I finally found you…! This isn’t the fake Lady Komari I hallucinate every night—this is the warmth of the real-deal Lady Komari…”

“H-hey, don’t cry! I won’t go anywhere!”

“LADY KOMARIIIIIII!!”

“Waaah!! Don’t grope my sides!!”

“You won’t go anywhere? You’re a liar, Lady Komari. You left me behind in Lumiere Village. The circumstances might’ve forced your hand, but that is no excuse. Do you realize how worried I was?”

“I-I’m sorry…”

“I won’t ever let you go. Come, let’s combine.”

“Hey, don’t get even closer! You’re gonna break my bones!”

“I want to combine, too!” Sakuna jumped on my back. Now I knew how it felt to be a hamburger. I think I’ll be crushed to death…

“What are you doing? I get you’re happy, but stop calling attention to us.”

“She’s right, Vill! You’ll catch Terakomari’s shrimpiness if you get too close!”

Uniform-clad Nelia walked up to us, along with Colette.

I was about to cry from excitement.

“We finally found you. Good to see you’re doing okay.”

“Thanks, Nelia… You were looking for me?”

“Obviously! I am your big sister, Komari.”

“That’s debatable.”

“In any case…” Nelia looked down to the side at the limp girl on the sofa, Spica La Gemini. “…Tell us what happened and everything this terrorist over here is plotting.”

The Seventh Unit (mainly Bellius’s nose) had led the girls here.

I was baffled that the lieutenants were in the Netherworld, too, but they said they had gotten caught up in the Dark Core collapse in the Enchanted Lands. They were cleaning the church for some cash right now. Just don’t come crying to me if the church explodes.

“Meanwhile, we’re working at this restaurant. I never would’ve thought you’d come here.”

“Lady Komari followed my scent here.”

“I don’t even know what you smell like, Vill.”

I munched on my hamburg steak while looking around the table.

It was a big group now. There was me, Sakuna, Karla, Spica, now accompanied by the “Komari Club”: Nelia, Esther, Vill, and Colette.

There was a bit of a gap in sentiment between the former and the latter. Namely, feelings concerning the terrorist sitting by the window.

I explained that Inverse Moon had healed me after my fight with Tremolo, that we had overthrown Star Citadel thanks to Spica and Fuyao, and that we had been camping after reuniting with Karla and everyone else… That a guy had shown up out of nowhere to attack us, and that a failed teleportation had thrown us to an unknown location.

And that we had to gather the Netherworld’s Dark Cores to save this realm.

“I should use Spica as a guinea pig for new poisons. I just completed one that makes you dance until you die—let’s try it.”

“W-wait, Vill!”

I grabbed the maid’s arm as she produced a tiny bottle.

Spica really was nothing more than an evil terrorist to everyone.

“I understand how you feel, but don’t use the poison.”

“How about we throw her in jail, then? We can use her to grow mushrooms, too.”

“No! I’m telling you, we have to work with her!”

“Lady Komari…” Vill sighed, shooting me a serious look with her jade eyes. “Spica is a terrorist. A lot must’ve happened while I was away, but have you forgotten how much damage Inverse Moon did to the Mulnite Empire?”

“I haven’t. But Spica had her reasons.”

“Nothing can justify evil. You’re too naive, Lady Komari. And it is my job to make sure that your naïveté doesn’t end up hurting you.”

“But…”

“Ms. Villhaze, Spica won’t harm us,” Karla said with the ring of a bell; she looked straight at Vill. “I’ve learned that after being with her for a while. It’s true she is a cold-blooded person who’s ready to do anything for her goals, but our interests align right now. Besides, we can’t be sure she’ll stay the same forever. I think Komari’s influence has been producing a change of heart in her, little by little.”

“Mmm… Esther, what do you think?”

“Huh?! Uhh… I think Commander Memoir should decide!”

“I think you should grow mushrooms on her,” said Sakuna.

“Spica! Say something! They’re gonna grow mushrooms on you!”

“I want to make the Netherworld a paradise,” she said in an oddly calm tone. “I will do anything for it. Even work together with past enemies… Or rather, I need to do so. Fuyao would’ve wanted it.”

“Fuyao? That fox?”

“Yes,” Karla responded. “She saved Komari. Even after what she did during the Heavenly Ball… Komari changed her, and they fought together.”

“I can’t believe that. That girl was a killer. She sliced Lady Komari in two.”

“Fuyao wouldn’t do that anymore. She changed…,” said Karla.

“She taught me even enemies can understand each other,” I said.

Nelia and Vill tilted their heads.

“Hey.” Colette tapped Vill’s shoulders. “That…Spica? Doesn’t she have a weird vibe to her…?”

“Yes. I can sense her sicko aura.”

“Not that. It feels somehow nostalgic…”

“…?”

Vill stared at Spica for a moment, then gasped.

Her cool expression soon returned, and she looked at Nelia.

“…Lady Cunningham, what do you think? That terrorist worked with Madhart.”

“She doesn’t look to be resisting, so I think it’s fine. Not that I forgive her, but I think we should make use of her if we can.”

“I understand.” Vill sighed and shrugged. “I will follow Lady Komari. She won’t listen to me, anyway.”

“Th-thank you!”

“Don’t worry, I will protect you no matter what. You’ll live inside my clothes, where it’s safer. I’ll carry you around like a kangaroo.”

“Waaah?! You’re gonna ruin your uniform! Let me out!”

It had been a while. Vill’s sicko behavior caused me trouble every day, but being freed from it all of a sudden made me oddly restless… What? Do I have brain damage or something? Maids should be tame like Sakuna.

“…You really are blessed,” Spica muttered.

I was shocked by the tone of her voice.

“Spica? What happened?”

“Nothing! I just got the urge to kill you after seeing you flirt!”

“Did she just say kill? I’ll get the mushrooms ready…,” said Vill.

“Stop, Vill! As your boss, I’m confiscating that weird syringe of yours!” I declared.

“Things are just going in circles. Calm down, everyone.” Nelia cut in between us. “Spica, you said gathering the Dark Cores will solve everything, yes?”

“Yeah. And one of them is here in the Holy Lehysian Empire. The pope should have it…”

All of a sudden, it got noisy outside.

A big crowd was on the move.

“What could it be? Someone is standing on a podium over there.”

“You’re right. Is that…a little girl?”

We could see the square through the window.

A girl stood in the middle of it with a megaphone in hand.

It was hard to see from here, but her outfit was the definition of clergy clothing. It was adorned with the symbol of the Holy Church, an arrow of light on a slanted cross, and her weird hat looked like a mini version of the Foreworld pope’s.

“Fellows! Listen to me! I am the Pope of the Holy Church, Clenent DIV!”

Clap, clap, clap.

They exploded in applause. If they were the Seventh Unit, they’d be yelling, “Holy Pope!! Holy Pope!!” but it seemed the followers of the Holy Church weren’t that boorish.

But she’s the pope? That little girl?

Well, I guess Spica was the pope, and she looks like a little girl, too. Maybe age doesn’t really matter… Spica slapped my head.

“Her! That girl has the Dark Core!”

“Ow, ow, ow, don’t hit me! What if you damage my scholarly brain?!”

“Lady Gemini, I will put you six feet underground if you keep picking on her,” said Vill.

“Stop babbling! Go, Terakomari! This is our chance!”

“But I haven’t finished my hamburg steak…”

“I’ll take you to the best omelet rice place in the whole universe later, so just go!”

“?! The whole universe…?!”

“Just do as I say! Hurry, or I’ll pull that cowlick off your head!”

“Okay, okay! Don’t touch my hair!”

“Wait, Lady Komari…!”

I wasn’t bought by the best omelet rice in the world, to be clear.

I carried Spica on my back and flew out of the restaurant.

My friends panicked. Spica grabbed my hair and urged, “Faster, faster!” She was one rowdy vampire, even when incapacitated. Her friend from six hundred years back must’ve had a hard time dealing with Spica, too.

Clenent DIV’s daily life was riddled with vexations.

Now that she was pope, she wanted to show everyone in the world the grace of God. Not out of a simple clerical desire to do missionary work—because she wanted the Holy Church’s harmonious teachings to calm the conflict in the Netherworld and bring smiles back to the people.

She stood before the followers of the Church, her believers.

This was a critical step in stopping Judgment Day.

“This world is filled with tragedy! The reason had remained unclear until now, but now we know! All this suffering is the fault of a pair of terrorists named Terakomari Gandesblood and Spica La Gemini! So says God!”

These were Liu Luxmio’s words, but he suggested it would be best if they passed them off as God’s words instead. That way, it would be easier to convince the believers. Speaking in the name of God was preposterous, but it had to be done to stop the war. Clenent DIV felt oddly excited, thinking she had learned the adult method of fighting.

“And these atrocious terrorists are trying to invade the cornerstone of the world—our Holy Lehysian Empire! We’ve distributed wanted posters, which some of you may have seen already! They are after my papal symbol, the Light Orb!”

She raised the treasure the previous pope had given her, and the believers gasped in awe.

“They are devils! If they steal the Light Orb and use it for evil, Judgment Day will come, and a hole to hell will open up! We must stop them at all, ALL costs! So now, I will be sleeping here!”

There was a cottage next to her. It was made of stone and was sturdy enough to withstand arrows and bullets.

“I shall be the bait! I’ve determined! I even brought my dolphin body pillow! Come, wretched terrorists, try to plunge the world into chaos! Get within a hundred feet of this shed, and you shall die! I’ll beat you up!!”

The believers clapped again and began praying, venerating the pope’s courage to use herself as bait.

Clenent DIV huffed and puffed down the podium, her resolve steeled.

I’ll live up to their expectations! I’ll catch the terrorists!

It was Clenent DIV herself who had come up with this plan.

Luxmio and the international ministers had furrowed their brows when she’d offered to be the bait. Exposing the Light Orb to lure out the terrorists was outrageous; any pious believer would faint, foaming at the mouth at the thought. But there was no alternative. It was the pope’s job to bring peace to the world by any means necessary.

I—I hope they fall for it.

Clenent DIV looked around, restless.

Needless to say, the whole thing about beating up the terrorists was but a bluff. International armies were ready to attack the moment anyone came within a hundred feet of the cottage.

No need to worry.

Clenent DIV prayed to God as she walked to the building.

It had been a while since her last public address, so it was high time to rest in bed.

“Hmm?”

She heard screams coming from the crowds.

Clenent DIV turned around and saw someone throw something. It spun in a curved trajectory in the air—a glittery gem with an odd mark.

“What could it be? It’s so pretty…”

Clenent DIV watched the air without anxiety—without being suspicious of the explosive spell imbued into the Magic Stone.

Soon after, it hit the building.

A fantastical energy burst, one no soul in the Netherworld could have imagined.

Clenent DIV was blown away like a rag doll before she could even process what had happened. Her eyes vacantly reflected the building blowing into pieces.

“Aiiieee?!”

Her shriek kept going as she rolled over the stone paving.

They had thrown a bomb from over a hundred feet away? How could she have possibly predicted this? She could barely throw balls over a distance of twenty feet herself. Who could have dared do this to the pope, God’s strongest soldier? It could only be someone so wretched as to be called a terrori—

“!”

She raised her head.

The faithful ran every which way in pandemonium, and the international soldiers marched to the crime scene from where flames burst. So much was happening that it took her a moment for it to click, but somewhere among the crowds, she saw them.

A vampire cackling in delirium and another, pallid vampire carrying her on her back.

Their faces looked nothing like their portraits on the wanted posters, but their clothes were a decent match. Their bearings, so unlike those of everyone else, were also a giveaway. Clenent DIV had thought it would take a day or two for them to show up—not that they would attack the moment she ended her speech.

It was them.

No doubt.

Those two were…

“Th-th-the-the terroriiiiissstttsss!!!”

“Ah-ha-ha-ha! I snatched a small explosion Magic Stone from Kilty Blanc! Talk about elegant!”

“Wh-wha… WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!” I yelled at Spica on my back.

I was a fool for bringing her with me.

We had miraculously stayed off everyone’s radar thanks to the dreadful artistry of the wanted posters, but now she had to go and announce to everyone we were the terrorists?

“Huh… I didn’t peg Spica for being so uncoordinated…”

“Now you see why I should have turned her into a capybara, Ms. Karla,” said Sakuna.

“She’d be a better guinea pig for my poison. I’ll make her a special lollipop,” said Vill.

Everyone sighed behind me. As did I.

I’m never taking you to the bathroom again, Spica.

“What are you doing?! Don’t just stand there like a target! Look at all the soldiers coming out of the shadows! It was a trap!”

“Wha…?! You…?! You knew it was a trap when you threw that bomb?!”

“Yes, it’s all part of my plan! Just go get the Dark Core!”

“But…”

“Ms. Komari, watch out!”

Sakuna’s fist flew into the face of a soldier jumping at me from the side. She’d saved me again.

“Sakunaaa! What do I do? We’re gonna die!”

“Let’s give them Spica La Gemini. We can ask them to let us go…!”

She blew soldier after soldier away as she spoke.

I thought she was supposed to be more of the magical type; it looked like she’d adapted into a bruiser due to the harsh environment of the Netherworld.

“S-Sakuna, behind you!”

“Huh—”

A soldier with a sword charged at her. There was a limit to how far a frail, pretty girl could push hand-to-hand combat. I threw myself to protect her, when…

“Oop!”

“Gweh!”

Karla struck the back of the man’s head with a metal bat.

“Awawawa!” Karla dropped the bat, pale in the face. “I knocked him out…! I should heal him…!”

“Good job, Karla Amatsu! Keep it up!” said Nelia.

“No! I’m used to getting knocked out, but I don’t like the positions being reversed…!”

“I’ll give you a good beating later—just hang in there!”

“Why am I getting beat up?!”

“Stop arguing! There’s more coming!” Nelia yelled while wielding her twin blades.

The soldiers marked us as the terrorists and charged in a frenzy. No time to lose grumbling. I ran away like Spica said.

“Lady Komari, I believe our best move would be to ditch the terrorist,” said Vill.

“Spica won’t let me go! She’s grabbing my hair!”

“There she is! It’s her!”

Ahead of us, a little girl was sitting next to the exploded shed. Her characteristic white hair told me she was a Sapphire.

“Eep!” she squealed upon seeing us. “Followers! Catch the terrorists, right now! They’re coming my way!”

“Hurry up, SS Terakomari! You’re chugging!”

“You’re too heavy…!”

“No, you’re too weak! Say that again, and I’ll kill you!”

Spica was licking lollipops all the time, so she had to be bulkier than me. That said, it was true I was weak. I’d never sprinted while carrying someone on my back, and my stamina was reaching its limits.

“Ah!”

“Lady Komari!”

My foot got caught on a stone turned up by the blast, and I tripped.

“Gaaah?!” Spica squeaked as she fell off my back.

Vill managed to catch me in the nick of time…but it was all too late.

Spear-armed soldiers stood before my eyes, their sharp tips drawing closer. Vill’s kunai couldn’t possibly deal with them all.

I’m gonna die—or so I thought.

“Ms. Komari! Lick me!”

“Gwoeh!”

“Lady Memoir?!”

Sakuna showed up out of nowhere and thrust her finger into my mouth.

I felt blood leak from under her skin.

Oh, I get it.

“What are you doing?! You can’t force Lady Komari to do that! And I was going to give her my blood mouth-to-mouth if push came to shove!”

I didn’t hear what Vill said. Something arose within my chest. The feeling of swelling mana. A torrent of pure-white, freezing energy. The blood’s tinge of sweetness ravaged my mouth, and in a second—my mind switched to massacre mode.

Gwooh!! The shockwave of a roaring storm.

The international elite soldiers were blown away like leaves in the wind.

White energy softly accumulated in the square. The surrounding air turned cold, as though winter had come back already.

“G-God…is that you…?”

Clenent DIV stared at the majestic sight from the ground.

It was, indeed, godly. Like an incarnation of the supreme.

No, no. Don’t be silly. If anything, that’s the Devil. The terrorist. Take a gander at that look in her eyes; it’s like she could even kill a bunny. Yet the people around her ran and yelled, “It’s God’s wrath!”

Clenent DIV mustered her courage to yell, “F-followers! You mustn’t run! That’s the terrorist!”

“I’m no terrorist.”

“Eep?!”

The next thing she knew, the vampire clad in a white aura was right in front of her.

Terakomari Gandesblood. The villain trying to turn this world into Hell. The root of all evil.

Ice spread from her feet until it pinned Clenent DIV’s sleeves to the ground. She could not run. She didn’t want to take her clothes off to escape.

“Is that the Dark Core?”

“Huh?! N-no! This is my…”

“Let me see. I’ll give it back.”

Frightening didn’t cover it.

Clenent DIV was about to pee herself.

Then she saw the soldiers run up behind Terakomari’s.

“Th-thank God! Catch her! It’s the Devil!”

“Our orders are to kill Terakomari even if we have to take out the pope in the process! Charge without holding back! Just make sure the Light Orb is unharmed!”

“Wha…?”

Even if it kills me? You’re not saving me?

Questions swirled in Clenent’s head. The soldiers thrust their spears ahead, some even aiming to kill her. What? Am I gonna die? As she fell into the pits of despair, someone yelled from afar:

“Terakomari! Grab her! We’re taking her hostage!”

“Okay.”

“Hostage…?? Wai…WAAAIIITTT!!!”

Terakomari picked up Clenent DIV and jumped.

Or rather, flew. She shot up into the air, propelled by a mysterious burst of cold. Dizziness struck. Unbelievable nausea took hold. Clenent DIV hadn’t told anyone that she was actually deathly afraid of heights. She sweated bullets every time she had to give a speech from the cathedral’s balcony.

Terakomari did not care.

Clenent DIV’s screams left a trail like a comet.

Terakomari Gandesblood.

A girl of the Insaint—the Silver Plate—bloodline.

The Extermination Armor didn’t work on her, and her Core Implosion was extraordinary.

The show at the square was meant to be a demonstration of her power. It was obvious from the beginning that common soldiers incapable of Core Implosion would not stand a chance against her.

But she had exceeded Luxmio’s expectations.

“Th-they kidnapped the pope! Mobilizing the troops was a waste!”

“I told you! I told you that plan was stupid!”

“They seem to have barricaded in the Clement Spire on the east.”

“Just blow the place up!”

“We can’t do that! The pope might be replaceable, but we cannot lose the Light Orb. Only the Holy Church has the power to hold together this world in conflict …”

“…Minister of Aruka, I recall you telling the Holy Church to eat shit behind their back.”

“That’s just my personal view! Objectively speaking, we need religion!”

“My country agrees! We need the symbol of papal power!”

“Ridiculous! We should attack right away!”

“You’re both wrong! We should prioritize the pope’s well-being above all else!”

“No. We can’t damage the Dark Core… I mean, the Holy Church’s treasure.”

“What are you talking about?!”

Star Citadel had given their puppet states Dark Cores.

These nations relied on the magic they had “discovered” thanks to their Dark Cores, so they were against destroying the Light Orb. Yet they couldn’t let anybody else know about the Dark Core’s powers, so they pretended the Holy Church was important to maintain peace.

It was all bluster. Their plans to destroy the terrorists were already in place.

Just then, a messenger kicked open the cathedral door and darted inside.

“I have a report! We received a message from the terrorists in the Clement Spire! They ask us to hand over all the Dark Cores, or they’ll kill the pope!”

Unrest stirred among the old men in the cathedral.

I see. Luxmio curled his lips.

From what he heard at the campsite, Terakomari and company had two Dark Cores. One could assume Star Citadel’s puppet states had the rest.

They were trying to gather all the remaining Dark Cores there and then.

“No need to alarm yourselves. They cannot destroy the Light Orb.” Luxmio slowly rose to his feet. “I’ve already put together a plan. They will not defeat us.”

“…Minister of Nekris, do you think we can believe you at this point?”

“What do you mean?”

“You agreed with the pope’s idiotic plan! And your drawings looked nothing like the terrorists! They don’t look that wicked!”

“Sorry, I’m not a good artist…”

Everyone was dumbfounded.

Luxmio thought on a different level than they did.

He would rather not have to put up with these nutrients. But his credo was to make use of everything he could. If the Netherworld’s conflict didn’t stop, if this bunch didn’t find tranquility, order would never return to the first world.

Extermination Armor 04: Bondage.

He activated his Divine Instrument. Belts began to waver.

The others’ jaws dropped at the mystical sight.

“You will help me. It’s pointless for the terrorists to kidnap the pope, and it’s pointless for us to besiege them—because I have supernatural powers.”

Out of nowhere, I was now a kidnapper.

“Why?!” I shouted.

“Is this real life? No, it can’t be. Oh, I just remembered I have some dishes to do back in the Osui Palace. Better go back now before Karin gets mad…,” said Karla.

“Karla, no!! That’s the window!! We’re fifteen stories high!!”

“Let me go! Everyone will be dead anyway once the army gets here! Koharuuu! Koharu, where are youuu?! Save meee!”

An arrow dug into the window frame.

“Eek!” Karla fell on her butt.

I fearfully looked out of the window at the ground below. The army was lined up. We were quite literally surrounded.

“Congratulations, Lady Komari.” Vill clapped. “We are encircled. Checkmate.”

“Why’re you celebrating?! How did it end up like this?!”

“It’s all thanks to you, Ms. Komari! I forgot… You really deserve the title of Slaughter Champion, even if you aren’t intentionally trying to get other people killed.”

“I’m sorry,” I said sincerely. I had nothing to say in my defense.

“B-but that’s part of what makes you so delightful!” Karla added.

Glad to hear that… Wait, no?

“…But what do we do now? We have nowhere to go,” I said.

“How about we sleep together, Lady Komari? Maybe we’ll wake up and realize it was all a dream.”

“Not even a one percent chance,” I said.

“Excellent plan. I’m going to sleep.”

“Stay up, Karla!”

We were in a tower soaring up on the east side of the square.

After Sakuna’s blood activated my Core Implosion, I’d carried Spica, the pope, and my friends who were in danger (Vill, Karla, and Sakuna) up into the air. I was probably just trying to save them.

Then Spica yelled “Go to that tower!” in my ear, and I ended up following her instructions, after which the soldiers surrounded us.

The tower’s highest floor was like a palace reception room.

At the center of it was a sofa. On it, a little girl sat staring at us and shivering in fear—the Pope of the Holy Church, Clenent DIV.

“Y-you villains! What will you do to me?! Eat me?! Is that it?! I don’t think I’m tasty!”

“We won’t know that until we try it! Let’s slice off a bit of your tender belly and fry it!”

“EEEEK! Don’t touch me! Go away!”

Spica crawled toward Clenent DIV, chasing after her. I feel ya. She almost ate me, too.

“Ah-ha-ha! I love teasing girls like this! Yes, scream more!” said Spica.

“She looks serious! She’s really going to eat me!” said Clenent.

“Stop bullying the little girl.” Sakuna got in front of Spica.

She grabbed Clenent DIV by the shoulders and spoke to her gently.

“Don’t worry, we won’t harm you. This crawling lady is scary, but if she tries anything, I’ll kill her.”

“EEEK?! I sense obscenity in you! Help!!”

“Wha… Obscenity…??” Sakuna froze in shock.

“She’s a sharp one!” Spica laughed out loud.

Clenent DIV turned around and ran into the corner of the room, from where she hissed at us. Yeah. I mean, to her, we are actual terrorists making a mess in Lehysia.

“Geez. Can’t even hold a conversation.”

Spica crawled over to me.

I’d have trouble holding a conversation with you creeping on the floor, too.

“Why won’t she talk to me? Am I that scary?”

“Do you have zero self-awareness?”

“You’re one to talk! Eh, we don’t need to be friends, anyway. She just has to be our hostage.”

According to Spica, there was an international meeting currently taking place in Lehysia—all the bigwigs were here. That was why we had taken Clenent DIV hostage and asked them to give us the Dark Cores if they didn’t want us to harm her.

Crazy stuff, but it was all in the name of reaching the God Slayer Tower, supposedly.

“…Is there a point in barricading ourselves here?” I asked.

“It’s all about trial and error! If there’s not, we just take the Light Orb and run. Nothing to worry about with your Core Implosion, right?” said Spica.

“Don’t be ridiculous…”

After we had taken over Neoplus’s government office, it dawned on me how sloppy Spica’s plans were. Like, she didn’t even care if they came out right. Yet she did get results, at the very least, and that was enough for her subordinates to put their faith in her.

“Anyway,” Karla grabbed her chin. “This ten-year-old is the pope? Do you think she’s a child prodigy or something?”

“She’s smaller than Lady Komari and might even be smarter than her,” said Vill.

“Please don’t put it like that,” I moaned.

“You fools! She’s a puppet! She has no real power! Didn’t you hear the soldiers yelling to kill the pope if necessary?!” said Spica.

We glanced at the captive little girl.

She seemed to have heard us. She hugged her knees and started sobbing.

“I… I… Waaa…”

Karla and I hurried to our feet. How could we not feel bad for her?

Clenent DIV’s emotions exploded.

“I…I’m powerless…! Waa… Waaaaa… Waaaaaaaaaaa!! I curse my weaknessss!!”

“P-please don’t cry! We’re on your side!”

“L-LIEEES! WAAA! UWAAAAA…!”

“Here, I’ll give you a snack! How about sweet bean jelly from the Fuzen?” said Karla.

I felt terribly guilty.

We tried soothing the crying little girl.

“…That was unladylike of me.”

Clenent DIV calmed down after a while.

Karla’s snack helped. She chewed the jelly with tears in her eyes like a hamster. Kinda cute.

“I’ve never eaten something like this…,” said the little pope.

“I made it. I hope you like it.”

“Wha…?!” Her eyes glowed as she looked at Karla. She swallowed and said, “Y-you made it?! This delicious thing?”

“I’m glad you liked it. I have more, if you’d like.”

Clenent DIV’s smile bloomed like a sunflower.

I couldn’t believe she’d had a look on her face like the world was ending mere moments ago. Karla’s snacks really had the power to bring peace to the world. But then, the little Sapphire girl furrowed her brow.

“Mmm… Karla Amatsu, was it? There’s no way a terrorist is capable of making something so sweet and nice. What is the meaning of this?”

“I am not a terrorist. We have to talk.”

“Talk?”

“I’ll tell her!” Spica shouted.

Clenent DIV’s shoulders trembled, and she hid behind Karla, gripping the jelly tight in her hand.

You ruined it, Actual Terrorist.

“I’m scared! You might be fine, Karla, but that lady is evil!”

“Cheeky little girl! I’ll steam fry you!”

“Eek…!”

“Spica, you’re ruining it!” I said. “I’m sorry, Clenent DIV, this terrorist just can’t read the roo—”

“Eek…! Stay away! You have the aura of a killer!”

“…”

I was honestly shocked. Sakuna patted my head and told me not to worry about it. Yeah. Don’t worry. She called Sakuna obscene. That girl’s gotta be delusional.

“Ahem.” Karla cleared her throat. “Clenent DIV, could you please do me a favor?”

“What favor…?”

“We are fighting for world peace. We’re not terrorists. We need the Dark Cores to stop the war.”

Clenent DIV tightened her grip on the pendant hanging at her chest. The Dark Core—the Light Orb.

“…Are you telling the truth? Do you really seek peace?”

“Yes.”

“I…I do, too.” She sounded legitimately frustrated. “I haven’t achieved anything since becoming the pope… My job is supposed to be stopping the war and bringing smiles to everyone’s faces, but I’ve just been locked inside the cathedral reading the scriptures. I know I have no real power as the pope, but the Cardinals won’t listen to me at all. I hate how ineffectual I am…”

“But you want to bring peace to the world, yes?”

“Yes!” Clenent DIV clenched her fists and gave Karla a serious look. “I hear a voice. Voices of people asking for peace…”

“Voices?”

“I have a power. It’s one of the reasons I was chosen as the pope… I can hear the people’s wishes from my bed.”

I recalled how people in the Netherworld simply referred to Core Implosion as “powers.”

Clenent DIV’s power must’ve come from her wish to hear people’s voices.

“I don’t know who these voices belong to. But unlike the voices of demons I sometimes hear, these ones pray for peace. They say they want an end to conflict, they say they don’t want to die, they plead to God to be saved… I hear them every night. I have to grant their wishes. And on top of that…God also commands me to bring peace to the Netherworld.”

“You can hear God? Wow…”

“It’s true. God calls Herself Naturia. A divine name, don’t you think?”

Tic! Spica’s shoulders twitched as she lay face up on the floor.

…? Hmm? Did her expression just turn grim?

“I have to do it. But here I am, captured by terrorists. I can’t lead the Holy Lehysian Empire, and the cardinals treat me like I’m unneeded. I’m so, so pathetic…”

“Don’t worry. I’m here to bring peace to the Netherworld,” Spica said in a frighteningly serious tone.

“…But I heard you were the cause of all the strife in the Netherworld. And the nations joined hands to get rid of you. I think the war would end if they did it.”

“Because Liu Luxmio said so?”

Spica rolled over. She stared at the little pope’s surprised face for five seconds before sighing.

“No, no, Clenny. You’re doing it all wrong.”

“C-Clenny…??”

“Luxmio doesn’t care about the Netherworld. He’ll kill you sooner or later.”

I looked at Spica in disbelief. “Hold on. Luxmio’s leading Lehysia?”

“Rather, he’s leading the international leaders who met here! That’s the only explanation that makes sense for why we’re wanted as terrorists!”

That Immortal was pulling the strings?

“I had that feeling,” Clenent DIV agreed, to my surprise. “Luxmio forsook me during the decoy operation. He cannot achieve the world God wants like that.”

“Exactly. But we can.”

“Huh…?”

Spica propped herself up on her elbows. Her eyes reflected a will of steel.

“The Netherworld needs peace. I will pay any price to achieve it—although Terakomari’s methods are a little different.”

“R-really? You’re actually trying to bring about peace…? Karla, is she telling the truth?”

“Yes. I believe Spica seriously wants to change the Netherworld.”

Clenent DIV stared intently at Spica.

Then her eyes grew round in realization. It was as though she had removed a crumb that was stuck between her teeth, or as though something that was foreshadowed had been resolved.

“‘Spica…’ I remember now…! God mentioned that name…!”

“God…? Naturia?”

“Yes. Lady Naturia said everything would work out if Spica took care of it. Does that mean I should trust you…?”

She shook while clenching the Light Orb.

This is weird. Isn’t this Lady Naturia Spica’s friend? Why is she showing up in Clenent DIV’s dreams?

“Hey, Clenent DIV.” Then, I realized how awkward her title was; I followed Spica’s lead. “…Clenny, what is Naturia like?”

“Lady Naturia is God. She emanates divinity. Her hair is blue, her eyes are beautiful like jade, her bearing is composed and dashing…”

“Lady Komari, I’ve finished surveying the tower.”

The next thing I knew, Vill was right next to me.

“Wait, you were doing that all this time?”

“Intel is my forte. While everyone was chattering, I went out to inspect Clement Spire.”

“You’re such a hard worker, Villhaze! Won’t you come work for me again?” said Spica.

“I don’t recommend it. She’ll sexually harass you to death,” I said.

“No need to worry, Lady Komari. I will not leave your side until the end of my days,” said Vill.

“At least leave a couple of inches of space! Stop rubbing your cheeks against mine and report what you found!” I said.

“How cold.” Vill puffed her cheeks. “According to my investigation, this tower is meant to accommodate guests of honor. It has a kitchen, a bathroom, and a large stock of food. A perfect place for holing up.”

“W-wow…”

“By the way, I also took a peep at the soldiers outside, but it doesn’t look like they’ll be attacking soon. They seem to be waiting for the right moment, and they shouldn’t have the freedom to act so long as we have the pope and the Dark Core.”

Then Villhaze turned to look at Clenent DIV—Clenny.

“Uh, huh…?” Clenny’s shoulders twitched.

The jelly fell off her hands. “Ms. Clenny?” Karla looked at her with worry. The girl was dumbfounded.

After a moment, she pointed at Vill and whispered, “G-God…?”

Everyone else cocked their heads.

God? This sicko maid? There’s no way…

The veil of night fell.

Its architecture bedecked with Mandala minerals, the Holy Lehysian Empire glowed a divine purple even in the dark. The devout had already fallen asleep, but the World Peace Council was still in session. The international VIPs and soldiers walked down the streets, drinking and chatting.

Meanwhile, friends of the besieged criminal Terakomari gathered at a tourist pub in secret.

“Attack! We gotta attack and save Terakomari!” Yohann Helders slammed the table.

Death’s favorite Seventh Unit member tapped his foot subconsciously while glaring at Nelia.

“We’ve no time to lose eating here! The tower’s surrounded by soldiers!”

“We shouldn’t attack head-on. That would be a good idea in the other world, but not here, where the Dark Core isn’t around to resurrect us.”

“Guh…” Yohann ground his teeth and crossed his arms.

Six comrades sat at the round table: Nelia, Esther, Colette, Yohann, Bellius, and Caostel.

Komari’s Core Implosion had thrown everything into disarray around noon, allowing Nelia and Esther to slip away and meet up with the Seventh Unit to plan their next course of action.

“Nelia,” Colette said in a low voice. “Are they really Terakomari’s subordinates? Why do they look like criminals?”

“Because they are. Don’t get too close to them. Just stay back.”

“Okay.” Colette shrank away and nibbled a sausage.

“Geez.” Caostel shrugged. “Where are your manners? I have never been to prison, not once. I was placed in the Seventh Unit on false charges.”

“You look like the worst one. What did you do?” said Nelia.

“I only fought for the future,” said Caostel.

“Huh?”

“Let’s concentrate on what to do next. The siege must be part of the Commander’s plan, but we can’t twiddle our thumbs in the meantime.”

“That’s no plan! She’s surrounded by the enemy!” argued Yohann.

“That siege is nothing in the face of her powers,” said Caostel.

“…You haven’t realized how weak Terakomari is?”

“You’re such a fool.” Bellius the dog-man sighed. “Let me ask you, then? How did the Commander get rid of the soldiers at the square to barricade herself in the tower? That would have been impossible without her colossal might.”

“Inverse Moon’s boss did it! Right… The Commander’s with that terrorist! She’s gotta be crying as we speak! I’ll go alone if I have to!”

Nelia grew curious and asked, “Yohann, do you like Komari?”

“Oof!” Yohann tripped as he stood up and slammed his face on the floor.

“A-are you okay?!” Esther hurried to help him up.

Yohann, red in the face, glared at Nelia. “I… I…”

Caostel finished for him, “Of course! Everyone in the Seventh Unit here is attracted to the Commander’s charm and brutality! We all strive to accompany her in her noble fight, and Yohann is no exception!”

“E-exactly! She’s the glue that keeps the Seventh Unit together!”

Nelia sighed and twirled her pasta around her fork.

Spica La Gemini had said they were taking the pope hostage, which meant she had some sort of plan. Causing a commotion outside without their knowledge would only inconvenience Komari and the others—but they wanted to know they were all right.

“This is frustrating. Guess we’ll use the Dark Cores if push comes to shove.”

“The Dark Cores…? The ones the Commander’s mother gave you?”

“Yeah. They supply mana, so I’ll lend them to someone who’s good at magic in an emergency.”

“Give them to me. I’ll burn everything down,” said Yohann.

“My Void Magic would be useful, as well,” said Caostel.

“I guess I can give you one each… Hmm, wait?” All of a sudden, Nelia noticed something. “…Aren’t we missing someone? The guy in the sunglasses?”

“Mellaconcey? He said he was going to the restroom a while ago.”

“Who cares about him?! Just give me the Dark Core! I’ll take down the soldiers around the tower!”

The exact moment Yohann shot to his feet, an explosion thundered in the distance. Everyone raised their heads in shock. A chain of additional blasts followed. There was a commotion outside the bar in no time. Soldiers yelled and marched.

“Umm. Is Mellaconcey’s specialty explosion magic?”

“Yes. And he always carries a bunch of Magic Stones with explosive spells on him,” Bellius responded.

“How likely do you think those blasts are his?”

“Ninety-nine percent. Where there are explosions, there is Mellaconcey.”

“…”

“Aaahh.” Esther’s eyes spun.

Nelia had forgotten the Seventh Unit was packed to the gills with uncontrollable berserkers. These were the same dudes who had (for whatever reason) blown up the Daydream Paradise in Gerra-Aruka, after all.

“Ah…! President Cunningham! Wait!”

“There’s no time for that! We gotta check it out!”

Nelia drew her twin swords as she darted out of the bar.

Just then, a strange clergyman stood in her way.

“Excuse me. So you’re the peach-haired Warblade.”

“Huh? Who are you?”

“I have a message from the vampire with the sunglasses. ‘The enemy infiltrated Clement Tower via an underground passage. I’ll buy time while you come over to help.’”

“!”

Mellaconcey had not attacked irrationally.

The fight had already begun.

Nelia pushed the messenger aside and ran.

Komari was in trouble. She had to help her.

(A little earlier)

Scrub, scrub.

I shampooed her blond hair. As I rubbed her nape with the pads of my fingers, she squealed and went slack.

She acted just like a regular girl.

I held her up before she fell on her back. The substance Luxmio had injected her with was still preventing her from standing on her own two feet. I had to look after her…

“Oh, this is amaaaazing. It feels so nice to use you like a slave, Terakomari.”

“Can’t you show an ounce of gratitude? You couldn’t do a thing without me.”

“Of course I’m grateful! I can’t ask anybody but you for help! If I went to Sakuna Memoir or Villhaze, they’d peel off my scalp!”

“Hey, I could play a prank on you, too.”

“Nah, you can’t be mean to anybody. You’re a pushover! You’ll empathize with the evilest villains ever! And I’ll take full advantage of your chick-like optimis—GHBEH!”

I emptied the washbowl’s water on her head.

“Hey!” Spica cried while rubbing her eyes. “You got shampoo in my eyes! I’ll ground you into a patty!”

“S-sorry. Are you okay?”

“It wasn’t on purpose?!?! Your kindness is unfathomable! Now I can’t bring myself to kill you! Take it back!”

“I’d rather you not kill me.”

“Lady Komari, may I help you squeeze this bottle of shampoo right into her eyes? Now’s our chance.”

“Uwah?! Stop it, Vill! She’s incapacitated right now!”

We were in the bathroom of the tower.

Spica, Vill, and I were bathing together. What? Was that too careless when we were in the middle of a siege? I agreed, but my stomach would have imploded had we not gotten a bit of a breather. We were taking turns watching the exterior of the tower; Karla, Sakuna, and Clenny were on the clock right now.

“So… How long do you think we’ll have to stay here?” I asked while scrubbing Spica’s body with a sponge.

“Hmm.” Spica stared up at the ceiling. “As long as we can, I guess.”

“How many Dark Cores are we missing, again?”

“Three. Star Citadel’s puppet states must have them.”

“Incidentally, we already have two of them,” Vill said, sitting on the rim of the tub.

Spica blinked and stared at the naked maid.

“…What? Seriously?”

“Yes. Lady Cunningham has them.”

“How? It took me a ton of work to get just one.”

“Well…” She hesitated. “A lot happened. I’ll fill you in later.”

“Hmm… That would mean we’re only missing one, then. Let’s stay here for a while and, if the enemy doesn’t do anything, we’ll run away using Terakomari’s Core Implosion.”

“I’m not your ride.”

I washed the suds off Spica’s body. I didn’t get long to enjoy being done with this before Spica asked me to carry her over to the bathtub. Vill immediately picked her up and threw her into the water.

“Pwah!” Spica popped her head out after a huge splash. “What if I drowned?! Attempted murder’s going on your criminal record!”

“I threw you at an angle to keep you from drowning. Lady Gemini, please keep your distance from Lady Komari.”

“Geez, you’re so overprotective. How’s Terakomari gonna become independent with you clinging to her all the time?”

“People’s lives are built on mutual help; maybe you’re unfamiliar with the concept. It certainly doesn’t conflict with being independent… Now then, Lady Komari. I will scrub your body to the last pore.”

“I can wash myself, thank you!”

The sicko maid wrapped herself around me like an octopus.

I noticed a weird look on Spica’s face while Vill and I did our usual wrestling. She stared at us before huffing with dissatisfaction.

“You really love each other, don’t you? I just don’t understand.”

I flicked Vill’s forehead, and while she was recoiling, I got into the tub and sat down next to Spica. She needed my help to not drown.

“W-we don’t love each other. Vill just won’t let go of me.”

“But you support each other. Villhaze pulls you outside of your room, and you fight to your last breath for her… You need each other. That’s what weak people do.”

“No way, it’s nothing that big.”

“I am Lady Komari’s lover, wife, and maid.”

“You only got the last one right,” I said to Vill. “But…it’s true we support each other. Do you not have someone like that, Spica?”

“I…”

She stared vacantly into the void.

The last word I was expecting fell from her lips.

“Naturia…”

According to Clenny, that was the name of God.

“…You’re friends with God??”

“No. Naturia is the name of my friend who’s sealed in the tower.”

“How did your friend become God? Or is it just a coincidence they share names?”

“Naturia’s prayers must’ve reached Clenent DIV. She likes pulling people’s legs. Wouldn’t surprise me if she called herself God.”

“Huh? So she’s duping Clenny?”

“Or maybe she really did become God, and I just didn’t know it.”

“Lady Gemini, on that topic, how come Clenny also called me God?”

That was another mystery.

Clenny had taken a good look at Vill and said the maid was God. We’d cleared up her mistake right away, but if this sicko maid really were God, then this world wouldn’t last for long.

“Maybe because you look like Naturia. She has this coolness to her, and her hair is blue…though a slightly different shade.”

“I don’t get it. Is that enough for Clenent DIV to mistake me for Naturia?”

“It’s more than a passing resemblance. Your willpower is just like hers, too. I thought you were her when I first saw you… I kidnapped you so I could investigate why you looked like her.”

Spica stared at Vill with a smirk.

“It seems like it’s just a coincidence right now, but you could make a good replacement.”

“…! N-no! Y-you’re not taking Vill from me!” I said.

“Ah-ha-ha! I was joking! No one can replace Naturia!”

“Lady Komari, please say that one more time. I almost ascended to heaven.”

“N-no!”

“You damn lovebirds! I really wanna kill you now! But I’ll resist! I should be seeing Naturia again soon.”

I tried pushing Vill away as I became absorbed in thought.

Try putting yourself in Spica’s shoes, Komari. Could I stand being away from Vill for six hundred years? I don’t know. I can’t imagine it.

Maybe Spica would only become complete once she reunited with Naturia. This little terrorist was like a one-winged bird. She’d been looking at me with envy recently, and it might be because I got to enjoy spending time with my other wing.

We really needed to get the Dark Cores soon. I felt bad for her.

“…Hmm?”

Things got noisy all of a sudden. Yells and explosions. Someone came running toward the bathroom and kicked the door open.

“Ms. Komari! There’s trouble!” Silver-haired Sakuna Memoir burst in with desperation.

“Wh-what happened? You here for a bath, too?”

“Umm, I would love to… But no! The army’s moving!”

“Wha…?”

Thunder. An earthquake.

“Gaaah!” Spica squealed as the tower’s shaking toppled her over.

Freezing up, I watched dust fall from the ceiling.

Shoot. The enemy finally ran out of patience.

The international forces had a mission: attack the tower in the dead of night and retrieve the pope and the Light Orb. Clement Spire was connected to the cathedral through the underground. They waited for the moment the terrorists’ focus waned to charge in from the subterranean passageway.

Luxmio led the troops. Aboveground, the soldiers surrounding the tower would shoot cannons without relent to keep Spica and Terakomari from noticing the soldiers coming from underground until it was too late.

It was a simple plan.

And yet…

“Check it! Your surprise attack sucked! With my magic, you’re fucked! Go home or GO TO HELL!!”

“Who is this guy?!”

A weirdo in sunglasses was dashing like mad and throwing Magic Stones every which way.

Soldiers were blown away with every massive explosion.

Luxmio immediately deployed Bondage, but the weirdo in sunglasses jumped in every possible direction, gracefully dodging the Fool’s belts.

“Check it! Accurate is my armament! Villains get punishment! I’m in my element!”

And that was on top of the vampire’s nonstop barrage of Magic Stones.

The explosions gouged holes in the floor and ceiling of the passageway; the soldiers ran around like headless chickens.

“Impudent knave…! Wicked demon…!”

“Bombs again?! What is this trickery?!”

“Luxmio, sir! We should pull out! The enemy is aware of our attack!”

The soldiers shouted, pale in the face.

They could not retreat. The terrorists had to be dealt with. If Luxmio and his forces gave in here, they would never take back the Netherworld.

“Check it! You’re dead.”

“?!”

The weirdo fell from the ceiling like a spider, raining down Magic Stones.

Luxmio protected himself with layers of belts, but he could not stop the blast from blowing him away.

“GWAAAH!!”

He rolled on the rough cobblestone floor before rising painfully to his feet.

Many of his belts were broken. Blood dripped from his head where he had been stabbed by debris.

Luxmio panted while glaring at the weirdo.

Beyond the smoke, the vampire in sunglasses danced on over to him. He was like one of the demons described in the Holy Church’s Bible. He killed people with a grin and brought ruin to the world as if breaking a toy.

“You won’t get away with this. I’ll…”

“There you are!! You’re the jerk going after Terakomari!!”

Audacious flames followed hot wind. Luxmio guarded himself with Bondage, but leather was a terrible match for fire. The belts were reduced to ashes.

“DIEEEEEEEEEE!!”

A blond boy broke through the flames and threw a punch at him.

Luxmio crossed his arms in defense but was unable to dampen the full impact of the boy’s blow. He spun into the ground.

He slowly rose to his feet again, enduring excruciating pain.

This boy seemed to be using the Dark Core to launch spells. The soldiers were on their behinds, terrified. What a useless bunch. Luxmio clicked his tongue and reactivated Bondage.

He was up against the blond boy and the sunglasses weirdo. And in the distance were a peach-haired Warblade, a dog-faced beast-folk, a reddish-brown-haired vampire, and a man with the appearance of a stripped tree.

“Terakomari’s friends? What an army…”

“Mellaconcey! We just gotta kill this guy, right?!”

“Yeee!”

“Say your prayers!!”

Engulfed in flames, the boy charged forward.

No hope. They were too strong—berserkers raised in a world where resurrection was the norm. They had experience fighting to the literal death. On the other hand, Luxmio was hesitant to die; he was not capable of this.

“I’ll let the soldiers outside take care of you. Good-bye.”

Luxmio booted up his Extermination Armor. He cut down a pillar on the side of the passageway with his belts. The ceiling came crumbling down immediately.

“Huh?! What the…?!”

“He’s going to destroy the whole tunnel. He doesn’t care about his allies,” Esther said.

“Tch… Let’s retreat! Yohann! Get over here already!” Nelia shouted.

The scoundrels retreated.

The tunnel was meant for the pope to exit the country in an emergency and was equipped with many twists and turns to confound pursuers. By destroying a certain pillar, Luxmio had disrupted the balance of the passage and caused it to cave in. His foes would be buried alive in the tunnel collapse.

The ceiling crumbled. Debris rained down. The ground swelled.

He didn’t need to see their dying faces.

Luxmio used Bondage to swiftly withdraw.

The whole tower shook the moment Sakuna pulled me back into the room.

The soldiers were shooting cannons. Explosions burst without pause.

Karla held the shivering Clenny by the shoulders and cried, “Th-they’re taking down the tower walls!”

“Whaa?! We have a hostage! What are they thinking?!”

“Ms. Komari, let’s run! I’ll take the lead!”

“Sakuna, no! That’s the berserkers’ job!”

More cannon fire. The earth quaked, and the tower leaned sideways.

“Gaaah!” Spica squealed as she rolled on the floor and slammed face-first into the wall. That must’ve hurt like crazy, but there was no time to worry about her.

“Lady Komari, we have to get out of here. I just found a back door.”

“It’s blocked, too! The Blood Curse is our only hope! Just suck someone’s, anyone’s blood already!” said Spica.

“Anyone’s?! Do you think I’m promiscuous or something?”

“Stop wasting time with your moral panic and suck some damn blood already!”

“Mmm…”

Spica was right.

Damn it all—I grabbed Karla’s shoulder (she was the closest).

“Sorry, Karla! Give me a taste!”

“Huh? HUH?!”

Vill and Sakuna screeched like crazy.

“Wait, Lady Komari. Suck mine, not hers.”

“Ms. Komari, wouldn’t you say a Sapphire’s Blood Curse would be more convenient than a Peace Spirit’s?”

I overruled their objections and locked on to Karla. The Eastern girl went into a flurry, red in the face. Don’t mind me. I drew my mouth close to her neck and…

I didn’t suck her blood.

“Shut your mouth.”

“?!”

All of a sudden, I was in a full nelson.

Then I was thrown away. I bounced on the floor a couple of times. I didn’t understand anything but the pain. What in the world was going on? As I tried to get up, I felt a bizarre sensation.

My mouth was shut with potent duct tape.

No pulling could get it off.

“Mmm! Mmm?!”

“Lady Komari!”

“Ms. Komari?! Are you okay?!”

Vill and Sakuna hurried to my side.

Hold on, girls! Don’t be too forceful! You’re gonna tear my lips off! I tried shoving them away while looking around the room, trying to understand what had happened.

Imagine my shock when I saw that man standing by the window.

“Y-you…!” Karla exclaimed.

“Mr. Luxmio?! When did you get here?!” Clenny shouted.

“Haaah… Haaah… I crawled up here…with Bondage… Now you’re done for…”

Fool of Observatory, Liu Luxmio.

He was covered in wounds and was so fatigued he looked ready to keel over at any moment, but his hostile aura remained intact. Eerie belts floated around him as he looked down at us with a subzero glare.

He shifted his gaze to the girl squatting by the wall—Spica La Gemini.

“…You’re a pathetic sight. Looks like the drug did its job.”

“At least I don’t look as bad as you. Did you fall down the stairs?”

“Perhaps. But I have enough strength left to capture you…”

“Ah-ha-ha! Talk about obsessive… You hate me that much?!”

“I work for the sake of order. Only psychologically immature children like you operate on hatred.”

“…”

Spica looked furious. She was always unfazed, no matter what you said to her, yet she seemed overly sensitive to Luxmio’s remarks. I wished I could try to calm her down, but the only thing I could say was, “Mmm!”

Can nobody else do anything? I looked around, and my eyes fell on Karla. She was yelling, “Whatdowedowhatdowedo?!” and running in circles like a dog. Not you, clearly.

Spica stared up at Luxmio with a cold glare.

“…It’s always order this, order that with you. What do you take the Netherworld for?”

“Nourishment.” A plain answer. “Nutrients to foster the first world. We wish for the order imposed by the Dark Cores to be maintained and for the Foreworld to flourish. For that, we need the Netherworld to be stable. We must reestablish the order Star Citadel destroyed—the order of exploitation befitting the Netherworld.”

“Huh? So you want to end the war? Just like us… But I can’t imagine your ideal Netherworld looks the same as ours. You just want to use the Netherworld for your own ends.”

“Like I just said. That is our mission.”

“And how? These conflicts don’t seem like they’ll end very easily.”

“By creating a scapegoat and destroying it. By putting all the blame on you, Spica La Gemini and Terakomari Gandesblood, then executing you in front of the masses.”

“Mmmmmmmmmm! Mmmmmmmmmmm!!”

“Calm down, Ms. Komari! I’ll take that off you!” said Sakuna.

“Lady Memoir, you’ll rip her lips off with that gargantuan strength of yours. Lady Komari, lick the tape from inside to weaken the adhesive. I will lick it from the outside, too,” said Vill.

“Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!”

I don’t wanna get a public execution! If you die in the Netherworld, you die for real!!

Yet Spica, by contrast, looked exceedingly calm.

She sneered at Luxmio.

“That’s laughable! Such a radical method won’t work! She has to be the one to correct the Netherworld! Sorry to dismiss you just as you woke up from your six hundred-year nap, but the world doesn’t need you anymore!”

“Naturia is dead.”

All expression vanished from Spica’s face.

“Here is your proof.”

Luxmio threw two objects to the floor with a metallic clang. They bounced a couple of times.

They’re…hair ornaments? Whose?

I was immediately astonished by the pale look on Spica’s face.

“Those are…Naturia’s…”

“Yes. Six hundred years ago, you and Naturia Lumiere were separated. You don’t know what happened in the Netherworld after you were sent to the Foreworld, do you? That Miko died long in the past. Hence, her name no longer being on the Infamy Obelisk.”

“That can’t be…”

“It can and it is. Your six-hundred-year wait was in vain.”

“It can’t and it isn’t! She promised we’d meet again in 622 years! Paradox Oracle can’t be wrong! And how could it happen when she’s sealed in the God Slayer Tow—GAAAH!”

One of Luxmio’s belts struck Spica.

The Wicked God Slayer lacked the power to resist.

“You’ve only been playing games. Kidnapping the pope, barricading yourself in this tower, and all the other nonsense you did before that, too. You’re a pathetic excuse for a vampire who’s still a child even after six hundred years of life.”

“…!” Spica froze.

Luxmio turned his head to us in silence. We were next. And I could hear soldiers running up the stairs. We were on the path to defeat. If only I could take this tape off—Wait. What if I ingested the blood from my nose?

As a revolutionary idea struck my mind, Clenny stopped shaking and shouted, “W-wait, Mr. Luxmio! They’re good people! It would be best for peace if we joined ha—”

Her voice was cut off.

“Huh?” She looked down at herself. The tip of Luxmio’s belt had plunged into her belly.

“C-Clenny!” Karla screamed.

The little girl collapsed.

Sakuna let go of my tape and dashed.

“Die.”

She clenched her fist, filled it with strength, and delivered a blow to Luxmio’s face.

“Gugah…!” The Fool stumbled.

But not his belts. With Sakuna’s guard down from the recoil, the snake-like Divine Instrument crossed the room to bind her.

“Piece of… L-Let me go…!”

“What a barbaric Sapphire. But you cannot defeat my Extermination Armor… I shall tie all of you down.”

“Why…?! Clenny didn’t do anything…!”

“After the pope was martyred by the terrorists, the armies of the Netherworld joined hands in indignation against them—a well-rounded script, don’t you think?”

“…”

What is this guy saying…?

Maybe that’s one way to stop the war. And Clenny wants that, too. But you can’t throw her away like that… I could not let this man go free.

“MMMMM!!”

“Lady Komari?!”

I broke into a sprint on instinct.

I had to heal Clenny, I had to knock Luxmio down, I had to save Sakuna and Spica from the belts—this sense of purpose pushed me to action. But without power, I could accomplish nothing.

“Lady Komari!”

A belt whipped out at me, but Vill took the blow in my stead and went flying.

“Mmm!”

I could barely scream before I was slammed into the floor, too.

My back hurt like crazy. Luxmio came over and started stepping on me. I remembered his belts vanished when I’d touched them. If only I could do that now; I held out my hand, but he caught my wrist, and it was all over.

“Ms. Komar—eep?!”

“Stay put, terrorists!”

Reinforcements had arrived.

Men in military uniforms pinned down Vill and Karla.

Shit. Shit! They caught Spica, Sakuna, and Karla. Clenny was wounded on the floor. I couldn’t use my Core Implosion. Soldiers stormed the place.

“Mmm! Mmmmmm!!”

“Go to sleep.”

Something hit my neck.

The screams faded away. My vision sparked and flickered. By the time I realized Luxmio had struck me with his heel, I was already blacking out.

AN ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE HOLY LEHYSIAN EMPIRE’S HOLY SEE

The international armies have arrested the terrorists menacing the world—Spica La Gemini and Terakomari Gandesblood. They invaded the Holy Lehysian Empire and went on a rampage, taking Her Holiness Pope Clenent DIV hostage and wounding her in the process. Her Holiness was transported to the Empire’s hospital, where she is currently in a coma. But this is not the only act of savagery the terrorists have committed. They also caused rifts in international relationships and acted behind the scenes to incite war across the Netherworld. They must pay for their misdeeds. The Holy Lehysian Empire’s Holy See, in the Name of God, along with the representatives of all forty-two countries and territories, has decided to publicly execute these villains. May as many people as possible gather to pray and witness the moment evil falls, the war ends, and peace dawns.

“What is this?! What a ridiculous farce!”

The Powapowa Kingdom’s palace.

Prohellya Butchersky crumpled the notice delivered from the Holy See and slammed it onto the floor as soon as she finished reading it.

“This can’t be good,” Leona said without a hint of tension in her voice, watching from the side. “Can’t believe they caught Terakomari. And wasn’t Spica La Gemini the boss of Inverse Moon? Why is she in the Netherworld? And this public execution… Are you telling me they decided this at the World Peace Council?”

“Right! What about the lemurs we sent to the Council?!”

“We got a letter from them just now. They’re having fun in the Lehysian hot springs before coming back.”

“………Anything about the Council?”

“Nothing. I’m not sure they even attended.”

“I should’ve gone myself!!” Prohellya yelled, clutching her hair.

No, wait. Powapowa isn’t the only kingdom we’ve conquered. There’s still Ukai and Mito. No, I can’t wait for their reports. Better take action now.

“What a surprise… Who would’ve thought a kingdom by the name of Powapowa would be so unserious? Where’s their powapower? The officials nap and fight over fruit all the time…”

“I wonder why the animals deliver bananas every day. Maybe they thought they should since you became the king, Prohellya?”

“It’s animal instinct to revere the strong. But they should give the bananas to the people in hunger, not me.”

“But they’re so tasty. Powapowa bananas are famous all over the Netherworld!”

“Stop eating!”

“Ow!”

Prohellya flicked Leona’s forehead, then crossed her arms.

After conquering this country, she realized how immature the Netherworld was. Their government structure was outdated, there was no magic culture, and that was only scratching the surface. The people were mentally juvenile. Being as scheming as the General Secretary couldn’t be good for your health, but being this unserious would leave the world seriously messed up. If nothing changed, these wars would go on forever.

Spica La Gemini aside, killing Terakomari Gandesblood would plunge the Netherworld into even more chaos.

A war between the worlds could begin.

That was the problem—there were too many people who didn’t consider that possibility. Was the fool who’d come up with this public execution planning to destroy the border between worlds?

“Let’s go, Leona. We’re mobilizing the Powapowa army. Get in touch with Ukai and Mito, too.”

“Yeah. Wouldn’t feel good if Terakomari died.”

“This isn’t about feeling good or bad. I just want to save as many people as possible.”

“You’re not worried about Terakomari at all?”

“Hmph.”

Prohellya grabbed the gun that was leaning against her seat.

She couldn’t use magic, but she had Core Implosion.

And—although they weren’t too reliable—she had a bunch of animals on her side.

“We don’t need to worry about Terakomari. Her heart can overcome any adversity. I only rise in arms for the people.”

The Holy Lehysian Empire’s high-security prison—the place where they kept heretics and apostates who had been sentenced to death.

We had fallen into the clutches of Observatory’s Fool, Liu Luxmio, and were now behind bars.

“…Is it over for us?” I asked.

“Waving Moment can’t help us here. We’re on the path to public execution as it stands,” said Karla.

“Do you think it’ll hurt?”

“I’d imagine. It would kill us, after all.”

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!”

“Calm down, Lady Komari. We might be able to get away if I use Pandora’s Poison.”

“Y-you’re right! We’re counting on you, Vill!”

“Leave it to me. We just need to escape from here first.”

“Then what’s the point?!”

I struggled, but all that accomplished was rattling my chains.

Yes, our hands and feet were shackled. I was thankfully freed from the duct tape (turned out it wasn’t a Divine Instrument), but Vill, Karla, Sakuna, and Spica were in different cells. Without access to anyone’s blood, my Core Implosion superpowers were sealed.

“What do we do?! Anything besides escaping from reality?!”

“We must keep our heads in reality to find a way forward. Yes, let’s try communicating with outer space. Bibibibi… Netherworld calling, Netherworld calling. Transmitting SOS. Requesting help, requesting help.”

“Come back to reality, Karla!!”

“But we’re gonna die?! What can we do besides escape from reality?!”

We shrieked at each other before hearing a struggling voice, “Mmm! Mmm!”

I turned in the direction of the groaning, two cells down to where the pretty Sapphire girl was trapped.

Sakuna Memoir’s restraints were unique. While the rest of us just had our limbs bound, for whatever reason, she was gagged, blindfolded, and hanging from the ceiling in a tortoiseshell tie. She desperately tried to scream while wriggling like a caterpillar.

“S-Sakuna?! Why are her restraints that harsh?!”

“Because of the danger she presents. Lady Memoir is the strongest among us.”

“Poor girl… This is heinous…”

How could they do that to such a quiet, gentle, pretty girl? They had to pay for this. I needed to find a way out. I thought hard as I smoldered with rage.

I wasn’t only worried about myself. There was Clenny, too. Luxmio had stabbed her in the belly, and I didn’t want to consider the worst. Hopefully, she would be all right, but there was no way to find out while we were behind bars.

Then I looked at one of my fellow captives: Spica La Gemini.

Her rowdy and candid spirit was gone, and she sat there limply, as though she were at a funeral. I ruminated on what had transpired at the tower. She had changed the instant Luxmio showed her those hair ornaments.

There had to be a secret behind this.

“Spica… What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Her voice was cranky. Clearly, it wasn’t nothing.

“Is this about the hair ornaments? The ones belonging to Lady Gemini’s friend…?”

“…”

Spica remained quiet for a moment.

She took quick glances at Vill and me before speaking.

“Yes. I hid Naturia in that tower. She couldn’t have been killed. But those were her accessories… I could even tell from the lingering mana on them.”

“Just because Luxmio had them doesn’t mean Naturia is dead…”

“That makes logical sense. But Observatory’s Fools would kill her without blinking. Even if she were under the protection of the Dark Core… I don’t know…”

Spica was uncharacteristically ambivalent. She was deep in the dumps.

She had worked hard to reunite with her friend and bring peace to the Netherworld across the inhuman span of six hundred years. And it was all going up in smoke because of that fool… A sigh escaped my lips.

Spica La Gemini had eternally cloistered her heart.

This vampire was a shut-in to the very core.

“Spica, I said I would help you.”

“…So what? You don’t need to tell me. Your whole point is to serve me.”

“Yup. So don’t you think it’s high time you opened up to me? I doubt you’ve been frank even with your pals in Inverse Moon, have you? I mean…you hide your human side behind that strange behavior of yours. It’s kinda painful to see.”

“Maybe! I haven’t told anyone my true feelings! But it doesn’t matter. Everyone carries some pain they can’t tell anyone else. That’s normal.”

“It’s not okay that the world makes your pain feel normal.”

“………”

How did this mindset of hers develop? She kept her feelings to herself and only told pointless lies and jokes. She exploited people like tools and killed anyone who got in her way. Not even the Lunae, Inverse Moon’s top brass, knew her true thoughts. This girl had been fighting all alone for six hundred years. And she was so far gone, she thought that all this was normal.

My eyes met Spica’s.

She looked at me with surprise before diverting her gaze.

“I,” she said in a thoughtful tone. “I…haven’t changed from how I was in the locked room…”

“Locked room?”

“Maybe you’re just like me. We’re the same but walk different paths. Naturia and I were separated, but you get to be with Villhaze.”

“I will never be separated from Lady Komari,” said Villhaze.

“Naturia said the same thing to me.” Spica looked at the ceiling with a self-deprecating smile. “I hate having to admit that comparing myself to you gave me clarity on my own situation. You gotta make up for this.”

“??”

I didn’t quite get what she meant. Couldn’t she speak in a way I could understand? I felt a bit disappointed.

“Okay, then,” Spica said with a surprisingly calm expression. “I’ll tell you something I’ve never told anyone before… About my path here. It’ll be up to you to believe it or not.”

“Spica…! Thank you. Of course I’ll believe you, don’t worry.”

“…” Spica fidgeted. She looked away and said, “…If you tell anyone else, I’ll kill you.”

“Of course. I’ll keep a secret.”

“May I listen, too?” Vill asked.

“You’re basically part of Terakomari.”

“E-excuse me,” Karla cut in. “What about me…?”

“Don’t worry! I’ll kill you later!”

“Gotcha, I won’t listen to a word.” Karla tried to raise her hands to her ears but then remembered she was bound. “Wait! I can’t cover my ears!”

“It all began six hundred years ago…”

“Hold up! I don’t want to die!”

Spica paid her no heed and began recounting her six-hundred-year-long journey.

“It is not okay that the world makes your pain feel normal.”

Six hundred years ago.

I found a single shred of kindness in this ravaged world.

A girl in a cage—Naturia Lumiere.

I had a humble birth in the Mulnite Empire.

Nobody celebrated. My mother was a slave of war abducted from the Enchanted Lands, and she died of an epidemic shortly after I was born. This was in the last years of the warring states period, when all nations were far more exclusionary than now, and it was forbidden for the different races to mingle with one another. Were it to come to light that I had Immortal blood in me, the Gemini family would have lost its status in the Empire. They treated me like I didn’t exist and confined me to a room in the mansion.

I was a real shut-in, through and through. My family constantly yelled at me and reprimanded me, and they didn’t give me any blood, a vital nutrient for vampires. They could’ve killed me, but my father’s wife had just enough kindness to feel bad about taking my life.

In the middle of the gloom, out of the blue, I met her. My one and only friend. Maybe I bonded with her out of sympathy, since she was imprisoned, too.

I would escape every chance I got and go to her cage to talk, have a snack, and play board games.

But the happy times didn’t last long.

Naturia was the Miko, a cursed child kept as the bedrock of the Mulnite Empire.

A person who should have been far out of reach of a lowly vampire like me.

My situation grew dire after the bigwigs found out.

They insulted me, beat me, and humiliated me.

In the end, she and I decided to leave this world full of conflict.

Naturia said, “Let’s shut ourselves in another room.”

Had she not taken my hand, I would have never known what it meant to live.

Naturia made me human.

Naturia took me to elsewhere; I said good-bye to the Foreworld.

We went to the second world: a strange place with two suns they called the Netherworld.

It was a pure realm, populated only by innocent shut-ins.

Their civilization was underdeveloped compared to the Foreworld’s. Mana was bountiful, yet the people didn’t know how to use magic. They would look at me with surprise and glee when I showed them a spell to start a fire. As I taught them more and more spells, they began calling me the Scholar (while Naturia kept her title of the Miko).

They accepted us, and we became leaders of the world to unify these kind shut-ins. The village we used as our base came to be called Lumiere—probably a nicer name than Gemini.

So much happened back then.

The pope at the time, Clement I, visited us; the elders gave us the Dark Cores (as symbols of our leadership, apparently); we made a lollipop factory; we began expanding our territory all over the Netherworld… It was a bright life, a 180-degree departure from my time in the Gemini manor’s locked room. I had access to sufficient food, clothing, and shelter, and unlimited kindness.

All my memories go back to Naturia. Everything was fun because I was with her. I wished for those peaceful days to go on forever. An eternity in this warm cradle where no one could hurt us.

But then, I heard the peace begin to crack.

“The Foreworld is in the middle of a two-hundred-year-long war. Its people cannot bring about peace on their own anymore—which is why we’ve come here. The Netherworld will become nutrients for the first world.”

Six people showed up out of nowhere.

They called themselves the Fools of Observatory.

They were invaders, there was no way around it. They opened the gates between worlds, and the armies from the first world attacked. The Netherworld was a goldmine of mana and a source of invaluable land. The Fools wanted to force the war to an end by making the Six Nations turn their eyes to the Netherworld.

Those insects spilled out from the six gates to the Netherworld, encroaching upon our paradise.

They began establishing nations of their own without the permission of the Miko or the Scholar.

The Mulnite Empire, the Lapelico Kingdom, the Heavenly Paradise, the Polar Empire, the Aruka Kingdom, the Enchanted Lands—colonies of the first world. Massive numbers of people crossed the gates into the Netherworld and declared it their second homeland.

The original population of the Netherworld was hunted down in no time.

The Netherworld’s shut-ins were nothing but nuisances for the invaders.

Naturia and I ran.

We ran, and ran, and ran, and ran, and ran…

And one day, we had to fight the Fools.

The battle took place right by a white monument, the God Slayer Tower.

The Fools were after the Netherworld’s Dark Cores. We had no idea what they would do with them, but it couldn’t be anything good.

I fought as hard as I could, but I was unable to beat their Extermination Armors.

Naturia was gravely injured and near death.

So I prayed to the Dark Cores to “save Naturia.”

According to the elders, there were various limitations to the Dark Cores.

“The Dark Cores make wishes come true, but there are two things they cannot do. First, they cannot alter a person’s will. That is, they can’t delete, kill, or resurrect someone. Second, they cannot grant a true wish. They only realize concrete requests. For example, world peace would be too abstract for them to understand. Or they might grant it in a horrific way you can’t imagine.”

In the end, Naturia was sealed in the tower. I don’t understand why, but the Fools said Naturia was a “destroyer.” Letting her free would inevitably put her in danger, so there was a need to keep her locked away, safe from anybody’s reach.

At the last moment, Naturia used her Core Implosion, Paradox Oracle, and said to me, “Don’t worry. Let’s meet again in 622 cycles of the seasons, next to the Heavenly Jewel.”

I believed her. After hiding Naturia, I went to my supporters to let them conceal the Dark Cores. Otherwise, the Fools would use them to rewrite the world’s order again.

But then, things took a turn for the worse.

“People are infinitely foolish. They have such bountiful resources, and they don’t share them across the nations. Instead, they start wars to hoard everything for themselves. At this rate, the Netherworld will also fall into a warring states period of its own. We have no choice but to use our last resort.”

Ultimately, I couldn’t do anything.

The Fools had multiple plans for exploiting the Netherworld.

“We’ve abandoned the subplan to obtain the Netherworld’s Dark Cores. Our wishes have been adjusted and put in motion. The Netherworld will be a boxed garden to provide for the first world. You will die here.”

They activated the Dark Cores in the Foreworld. A sudden gust enveloped the Netherworld. The trees rattled, the skies were torn, and our paradise was ruined before my eyes. All of a sudden, I found myself floating.

“…! I’ll take back the Netherworld! I’ll make it a paradise with Naturia again! I’ll never…ever…give up…!”

The Fools did not hear my screams.

I was swept up by the tornado and lost consciousness in the dark clouds.

“And when I came to, I was in the Foreworld. I just barely survived.”

Spica spoke falteringly.

It was already morning.

Karla was drooling and snoring.

The story that came out of the Wicked God Slayer’s mouth was outlandish, and I was having trouble processing it all. No regular person would believe a shred of it.

But it didn’t feel like Spica was lying. Her starlike eyes were sparkling.

“They wished on the Foreworld’s Dark Cores to create a system where all the Netherworld’s energy is sent over there. By sealing the gates and using them as transporting agents, they brought over the mana and created a society where people can get endlessly resurrected. Then they set areas of effect around each nation to prevent needless conflict. Nobody would want to invade a country where all the enemies resurrect while they can die.”

“Huh? But didn’t Madhart do just that…?”

“Idiots like him pop up sometimes, but they’re not very common. By the way, the Dark Core Zone is meant as a buffer. Everyone in the Foreworld is an insane berserker, so the Fools needed to leave a place for them to vent.”

“So that’s why sports-war exists… They’re beyond repair…”

“If the Dark Cores break, so too will the Fools’ system, so they transformed the Dark Cores into different shapes and kept them under the protection of each nation. Some people began venerating the Dark Cores. Those things aren’t gods; they’re wicked devices meant to keep the Netherworld in decay. That’s why I was looking for them. To break Fool’s order and go back to the Netherworld.”

“But you are in the Netherworld now, right? Why do you need to break the Dark Cores over there?”

Vill was right.

“No.” Spica shook her head. “All the Dark Cores need to be destroyed. People should not be using them. Some, like the Fools, will use them for ill, and then even I won’t be able to stop them.”

I see. For example, if someone wished for the whole world to be turned into omelet rice, then the Dark Cores would really turn the whole world into omelet rice.

“Anyway, that’s my goal. Although it took me about thirty years to realize. The Fool’s wishes were cunning and complex, so it took me a long time to understand the system… Plus, I lost my memories from the shock of being expelled from the Netherworld. It was awful. They enslaved me, I had to run from bandits… But in the end, I killed everyone who hurt me.”

“…You talk about thirty years like it’s nothing. How come you’ve lived for so long?”

“I’m half Immortal and half vampire, so that means I have a lifespan of about two hundred years to begin with. But that wasn’t enough to take the Netherworld back. Not to mention that Naturia told me to meet with her after 622 cycles of the seasons. So, I manifested my Core Implosion to live longer. To be precise, I used the power to affect my life’s flow.”

Core Implosion is the power of the heart. It reforms the world based on the person’s will, wish, policy, or way of life.

Spica had once said she was still living on pure guts, and maybe that wasn’t too off the mark.

“I have to reunite with Naturia. And then, I have to make the Netherworld a paradise for shut-ins… Do you regret helping me after hearing all this?”

“Wh-why?”

“I want to destroy the Foreworld’s Dark Cores. If they keep stealing the mana here, civilization won’t progress. But if the mana supply stops, the Foreworld could fall into war again… And you don’t like war, do you?”

“…”

Spica had a point.

Perhaps her goals were similar to mine.

It even fit in with Fuyao’s dream of making a world where everyone could choose their place to die.

But where we differed was in our means of making that dream come true.

Spica was cruel and merciless to anyone who got in her way. She only thought of those who didn’t have the characteristics of a “shut-in”—that is, people she didn’t like—as pebbles on the road.

“…You are really wicked.”

“Yup. That’s why they call me the Wicked God Slayer.”

“But you’ve worked so hard. You’re more admirable than I thought.”

“…”

She was so pure. Her cruelty was a reversal of the strength of her wish. She wanted the Netherworld and Naturia back, no matter what she had to do to get them. And although her means were wicked, her wishes shouldn’t be denied—in fact, they should be respected.

I wanted to be friends with Spica.

There had to be a way for us to coexist.

“I still don’t really understand you, but I think we can be friends.”

“Y—” Spica’s face contorted, and she yelled like she was meeting an alien. “You’re so stupid! I can’t believe how dumb you are! You empathized that hard with me just from listening to my story? This is why all those evil killers are always nearly clawing your neck open!”

“I know that. But what can I do? I just feel like we can understand each other.”

“…”

“I don’t think we should destroy the Dark Cores. I also don’t think killing people willy-nilly is okay. There has to be a way to solve things without doing that. We just have to think on it.”

“……”

“At the very least, that Fool’s way of doing things is wrong. We gotta stop him. You agree, right? You don’t have to fight alone anymore, Spica. Let’s beat up Luxmio together.”

Spica hung her head. She played with her fingernails.

“Fwaaah!” She yawned. She wiped away her tears and put on a bold smile. “I was never alone! I had a lot of pals in Inverse Moon!”

“Right. You had Tryphon and Cornelius…and Fuyao.”

“Exactly! But I’ll use you, too. It’d be such a slog to get rid of the Fools with just Inverse Moon.”

“Sure. Let’s do this.” I smiled.

Spica put on a serious face for a moment. She looked away and, after a moment, in a voice so low I could barely hear it, she muttered, “…Yeah. Thanks.”

I felt like we could be good friends.

“…Lady Komari, I am displeased,” Vill broke her silence, seriously upset. “You keep adding new heroines to your harem, and I keep losing time to be with you, so I think I’ll grow mushrooms on Lady Gemini as planned.”

“What are you even talking about?”

“I mean I should be the one who’s closest to you…”

The maid stared at the floor with a pout.

I sighed.

“It’s my decision whom to be friends with or not.”

“Then you wouldn’t mind at all if I left you and flirted with Colette every day instead?”

“…”

“See?”

“Y-you have nothing to worry about. I want to go back to our world with you. That hasn’t changed. It’s also why I need to help Spica…”

“So she’s only a means of going back, yes? Not a new member of the harem, yes?”

“I do sincerely want to be friends with her… Hmm? Wait, what’s this harem thing you keep mentioning?”

“Lady Komari, you’re a playgirl. You’ll find any random bimbo and get married to her like at the drop of a hat (damn you, Lady Lingzi). I have to watch over you.”

“If anything, I have to watch over you. I never know when you’ll unleash your sicko behavior.”

“Yes, I shall protect you anywhere, anytime. So please keep an eye on me, too.”

“Y-yeah…”

Bang! Someone kicked the metal bars.

I turned my head in shock to see Spica clicking her tongue.

“Stop flirting!! I feel like I’ll lose my mind!! It reminds me of myself!!”

“You mean like with Naturia? No, it’s nothing like that.”

“Yes, it is! You’re kindred spirits, you’re soulmates. I’m pretty sure you’d end up just like me if you lost Villhaze. Terakomari Gandesblood, the terrorist who’ll do anything to get what she wants. You better cherish that girl.”

“I suppose that terrorist can be right sometimes, Lady Komari. It’s true, we are meant for each other.”

I ignored Vill’s response for the time being.

The longing and envy in Spica’s eyes was obvious.

Me? Become like her? Don’t be silly… But I couldn’t entirely deny it. I was only alive thanks to Vill. I’d go right back to being a shut-in without this maid.

No.

I would probably try to get her back, no matter what, just like Spica.

I felt like I was beginning to understand her.

“In any case! We gotta get out of here soon! Or else I’ll end up in hell before seeing Naturia again!”

“Meanwhile, Lady Komari and I will go to heaven.”

“I don’t want that! Dammit, how do we get out…?”

I looked around for a way out. Our hands and feet were bound, but even without the chains, we couldn’t get out of the cells. And there had to be a bunch of soldiers on watch. It seemed hopeless. I couldn’t come up with anything, and the moment of our execution was only drawing closer…

BCHCHCHCHCH!

I heard a horrific noise.

I looked at the cell next to me.

Beyond Vill and Karla’s cell.

Pretty silver girl Sakuna Memoir was standing there, panting and drenched in sweat.

Her expression was that of a monk who had overcome penance.

Wait. Why is she standing? Wasn’t she tied up?

“Ms. Komari.” She wiped the sweat from her forehead and turned around. “I finally destroyed the ropes and chains…and the gag…”

“You destroyed them? How…?”

“Muscle.”

“Muscle?!?!”

“Yes!” She smiled like a blooming flower.

I always knew she was strong, but not that strong. Luxmio couldn’t have foreseen this. “Now I really want you on my side!” Spica said with a big grin. I told you, Spica, you’re not taking her!

“I’m a little tired…but we can’t waste time.”

“Were you struggling with the ropes the whole night?”

“Yes, otherwise we would be executed. We should be able to escape once I pull these bars open… Hmph!”

Sakuna grabbed two bars and put all her might into pulling them apart…but they didn’t budge.

“Haaah… Haaah… No… I can’t break them…!”

“Obviously! You’d be way out of my regular people spots if you did!”

“I’m sorry I’m useless…”

Sakuna fell on her behind.

Breaking your restraints is impressive enough.

“…Spica, is your superpower still drained?”

“Yeah. I can move my legs, but I can’t use force like before.”

“And Karla…”

“Zzz… Karin… I’m not sleeping… I’m doing my job…”

I envied how Karla had the nerves to sleep in this situation. I wanted to be that strong.

Anyway.

Our backs were against the wall.

There was so much to think about, I felt like my head would explode.

It wasn’t just about how to escape the prison.

Where could the remaining Dark Cores be? What happened to Clenny? Our friends at the campsite? Our friends at the restaurant? Prohellya and Leona? My mom, who was supposed to be somewhere in the Netherworld? And the Fools—the guardians of order trying to kill us?

I don’t get it. Where do we even begin?

“Easy. We just have to defeat Luxmio,” Spica said calmly. “He’s stopping us from getting the Dark Cores. Once we get rid of him, we’ll be able to manage. We’ll also get a lead on Naturia…”

“But first, we must escape. If only we could use magic…,” Vill said.

“Hmm? Magic…?”

Then, I remembered.

We were gathering the Dark Cores.

And Spica already had two.

“The Dark Cores! They emit mana in the Netherworld, right?!”

“Yeah, they’re configured like that.”

“Then can’t we use magic?! We could get Sakuna to use an ice spell…”

“It’s no use.” Spica sighed. “I can’t access them right now. It would take some time.”

“What do you mean? Did the Fool take them…?”

“I hid them so he wouldn’t… So you could say they’re not here.”

It was an oddly roundabout way of putting it, but it made sense she wouldn’t be able to get them if they were hidden.

“Where did you put them? Ah, in the tower?”

“Who knows. In any case.” Spica looked at my chest. “Why did the Fool let you keep your pendant?”

“Let me…? What do you mean?”

“Nothing! Ignorance is bliss, as they say!”

“Excuse you, there is no vampire more worthy of the word enlightened than me.”

“Yeah, you’ve got the polar opposite of acumen!”

“A cumin? What are you talking about?”

“…Lady Gemini, do you know the truth of Komari’s pendant?” Vill asked, sending Spica a sharp glare.

“Yeah.” Spica cackled. “I realized during the Vampire Riots. But I won’t go after it right now. We’re comrades in the same boat.”

“…”

“You’re that worried? C’mon. Isn’t the fact that I’ve been with her all this time and didn’t do anything proof enough?”

“True… I will trust you, for now.”

What? What was this weird exchange between them?

Before I could think further about it, I heard an eerie metal clang.

I turned my head in disbelief, wondering if Sakuna had actually broken out…but no.

It was the sound of the door to the outside.

Multiple people slowly walked in. Lehysian soldiers. And soldiers from other nations, too.

At the head of the group stood an Immortal man wearing strange belts all over his body.

“Are you done saying your prayers? Have you written your wills?”

Sakuna clenched her fist. Karla woke up like, “Fweh?”

It seemed the decisive moment was here.

Liu Luxmio, Fool of Observatory, declared, “It is time for your executions. The crowds are eager to see you.”

Luxmio and company turned up one piece of evidence after another proving Terakomari and Spica were behind the conflicts rocking the Netherworld. Most of the incriminating material had been fabricated by Luxmio, yet the citizens of Netherworld believed him.

The people’s hearts were weary from the war, and it was not hard to move them by presenting them with a simple path of hope, one where Terakomari and her allies were the root of all evil and where peace would come once they were gone.

Some rational nations took a cautious stance, saying it was too soon to execute them even if they were behind it all, but they were unable to oppose the masses’ pressure. The whole Netherworld was unified in the violent rally to execute the terrorists.

The Holy Lehysian Empire was in a furor like never seen before, yet not a religious one.

People came from all over to watch the gallows.

They waited with bated breath for the moment when the villains who’d plunged the world into chaos—Spica La Gemini and Terakomari Gandesblood (plus the other three)—would be put down once and for all.

““Execution! Execution! Execution! Execution!””

The people’s excitement never let up. This was no surprise, as no person who voluntarily attended an execution could be easily pacified.

“There they are! The terrorists!”

“Those little girls?!”

“I don’t care! They’ll pay for what they did to my home!”

Fabricated hatred. Induced malice.

The moment the soldiers brought the convicts in, negative willpower filled the square.

““Execution! Execution! Execution! Execution!””

Grievous scorn came from all over the world.

And on the receiving end of the yells of abuse, the terrorists…

The crimson vampire princess…

I NEED to pee.

They had only let me go once in six hours while we were in prison. And the moment they came to fetch us, they didn’t seem to care about my bodily functions. What was the need for me to go when I was gonna die, right? I couldn’t bring myself to ask to use the bathroom.

We were brought out to a crowd so vast and dense they resembled blades of grass in a field. Everyone was shouting, “Execute them!” “Die!” “Go to hell!” Like, did you forget your integrity back home, dude?

“Dammit… You’re all being tricked! This is all Star Citadel’s fault!”

“It is shocking to see this many people here. That Immortal must’ve started gathering them before they even caught us,” Vill said.

“I don’t give a damn how it happened! We’re gonna die! Koharuuu! Brotheeer! Somebody heeelp!”

“Ms. Karla, could your Core Implosion not save us?” Sakuna asked.

“No!” Karla cried. “The Fool’s belts are wrapped around my arms! They’re disabling Waving Moment! They must have the ability to seal willpower… But even if I could use my Core Implosion, I can’t turn back time for myself. I don’t have any means of escape, so I’m gonna die here—it’s game over! Ahh, there was so much I wanted to doooo! I wanted to franchise the Fuzennnn!”

“I have things left to do, toooo! For example, going to the bathroom!”

There was no point in screaming anymore.

We were taken to the gallows across a sea of maliciousness.

Spica, who walked at the front, suddenly tripped with a “Gaaah!” and the soldiers on each side held her up. I thought it was the drug making her weak again, but no: Somebody had thrown an egg at her. She pointed her eggy face at the crowd in disbelief.

“Spica?! Are you okay?!”

“……Yes! How foolish of them to waste food!” Spica howled, wearing a fake smile.

It was worse than expected. They hated us more than I would’ve thought.

The Netherworld was Spica’s second home—no, her real home; her paradise. And its inhabitants now hated her. They were hurling abuse at her and quite literally escorting her to her death, despite everything she had done to fight for this realm.

“It’s hideous,” Luxmio whispered as he led us to the gallows. “Humanity is prone to escapism. It yearns for a moment of peace by placing the blame of its misfortune on a scapegoat. Yet it is this same peace that becomes the source of order.”

“But it’s all lies! We didn’t wreck the Netherworld!” I said.

“The world’s balance is built on a pile of lies. Truth doesn’t matter.”

“What’re you blabbing about?! Get these chains off me! And lemme go to the restroom!”

“You all are sacrifices. You will die for the sake of order.”

There was no reasoning with him.

We were made to stand on the gallows in a row, like an idol group on stage.

The audience exploded. They cheered like kids excited to see the circus. ““Die! Die!”” Even the guys in the Seventh Unit had more class than this… Okay, maybe that was a stretch.

“Spica La Gemini, it’s time to bring this six-hundred-year-long tale to an end,” Luxmio said dispassionately, as if trying to humble her. “The Netherworld will be freed of Star Citadel’s influence and return to its proper state. No development, no decline, just the proper amount of war, repeated endlessly, to export energy to the Foreworld. The people will have no way of knowing the truth, but that’s just life. Most of them die unaware.”

“You won’t get away with this… You all…destroyed our paradise…”

“Your paradise? No, no.” Luxmio snorted.

Someone in the crowd threw a rock, and it hit Spica’s forehead.

The Fool wiped away her blood with his finger and coldly stated, “The Netherworld was always ours. A tool to stop the wars in the Foreworld, and nutrients for the Six Nations. You invaded it…and even when you were expelled from it, you fixated on it. You deserve nothing but death.”

“I fought for the sake of the Netherworld… For the kind shut-ins…!”

“What are you saying? You made so many people unhappy. By developing the Netherworld and giving it magic, you gave people the means to fight. That is why all this vicious conflict has occurred.”

Spica shrank back.

“Were you trying to do this to atone? How pitiful… You will only hurt even more people in the process.”

“I only killed…unkind people…”

“You are delusional if you think your whims should be tolerated. Think about it objectively—you are a villain. Wicked from the very moment you were born. The Gemini family records show you were confined from a young age. If you had stayed a shut-in forever, countless lives would have been saved.”

“I…I just wanted to bring peace to the world with Naturia…”

“Naturia Lumiere would be so sad to see how you ended up.”

“…!”

“It’s time,” Luxmio said as he pulled out a pocket watch. “Enough idling. Preparations for your execution are complete.”

“Wait! Naturia… She…!”

“I told you, she’s dead. And now you’ll get to go to her side.”

“That can’t be! She’s on the top floor of the God Slayer Tower! I made a wish on the Dark Cores to save her!”

“The Dark Cores are warped Divine Instruments. There is no way they could properly grant your impromptu wish. After you were banished from the Netherworld, we entered the tower and found Naturia Lumiere.”

“………………………”

Spica froze.

Luxmio left like he had nothing more to say.

I didn’t care about peeing anymore.

Naturia Lumiere was Spica’s emotional support. It was no exaggeration to say she had fought for six hundred years just for her.

“Spica…”

“Heh… He-heh… Wow…”

Endless slander echoed all over the square.

Spica only smiled under the deluge of criticism.

“Nothing goes my way. Nothing. No matter how thorough I am, God in Heaven only sneers. Wish I could kill the bastard.”

“K-keep your chin up, Spica! We’re not really sure if she’s dead yet!”

“I know. But I’ve realized something. God must be this intent on making a fool of me because of all the people I’ve killed. It’s my retribution.”

Sakuna, who had been listening silently with a conflicted look on her face this whole time, parted her lips and gasped.

Spica wore a forced flat expression.

“Maybe I should’ve put more thought into the means I used to achieve my goals. This is the consequence of not doing so…”

I heard creaking next to me.

Sakuna was shooting a ghastly glare at Spica.

“W-Wicked God Slayer! Repenting now won’t…!”

“Change anything. It’s too late, I know. So I’m accepting my punishment.”

“…!”

Then I heard something like a wheel spinning.

The people in the square cheered.

The soldiers pushed over a huge cannon that seemed as big as a castle. Its crude and dreadful muzzle was pointed right at us.

I shivered. I thought they were gonna impale us with spears or something.

“O-Oh, no! They’re going to blow us to smithereens! Hey, but maybe that’s a more peaceful death than being burned alive…”

“Karla, get a hold of yourself! Dammit…”

I looked at Spica.

She had gone quiet, and her eyes were closed.

You too?!

“Spica! Are you really okay with this?!”

Spica opened her eyes, now devoid of their starlike luster.

“Why even ask? There’s nothing we can do.”

“This isn’t like you! You’ve always been so stupidly and violently simple and straightforward! Why are you getting so sulky just because the crowd yelled at you a little?!”

“I’m not sulky. You don’t get it.”

“Yes, I do get it! You told me everything in the prison!”

“…”

“Don’t make me repeat myself! I’m your ally! I get it… I get that everything will be for nothing if you die here!”

“You think I should die, too. So many people lost their lives because of me. Even Naturia…”

“I don’t think that!”

Spica blinked repeatedly.

I kept yelling at her.

“You’re the worst kind of person! But you shouldn’t die here! If you feel like what you’ve done is wrong…then there’s something you’ve gotta do!”

“Hah! Atone for my sins? Cheap righteousness. About as childish as you’d expect from a fifteen-year-old. You annoy me so much that I should kill you right now.”

“I’m sixteen! And yes, atoning is important…but that’s not what I meant! What you’ve gotta do hasn’t changed from the beginning! You gotta take responsibility and finish what you started!”

“So should I say sorry to everyone? Do you think that would satisfy them? The world is already falling apart. What responsibility is there for me to…”

“I want to see the peaceful Netherworld you and Naturia create!”

Spica pursed her lips.

Vill, Karla, and Sakuna listened in silence.

I yelled loud enough to overcome the crowd’s insults.

“You’ve been working at this for six hundred years! A shut-in like me couldn’t do that! You can’t give up here. If you say it’s too hard for you to stand up…then I’ll pull you up! So stop sulking!”

I had realized something by speaking with her. At her very core, Spica La Gemini was just like me: a helpless, timid, shut-in vampire. She had known nothing of the outside world until Naturia pulled her out. Just like how I hadn’t been able to leave my room until Vill took my hand.

And she was trying to shut herself in again.

Naturia wasn’t here.

So I had to fill her place.

“I’m sick of this world. I want to see your dream come true, Spica. It’s not gonna be easy, but I’ll help you out.”

“…………………”

Spica’s eyes wavered.

She looked away from me and ground her teeth while shaking a little.

She must have been fuming; she was red all the way to her ears. Then she parted her tiny lips to release a giant yell.

“H-how can you be so soft?! You’re wicked at this point! So dark I seem like nothing in comparison!”

“Now you’re getting humble?! You’re way more dangerous than me!”

“It’s not humility! I’m insulting you! And your reckless conduct! How can you be so foolishly honest? Are you stupid? So that’s how you’ve charmed all those girls. It won’t work on me, though…”

Spica closed her eyes.

“But yeah… You’ve got a point. You speak the truth.”

“Spica…!”

“But it doesn’t matter.” She blinked a couple of times to cool down her face. “It won’t work on me. No matter how loud you cry, my heart won’t change even a little.”

“Wh-why?! Don’t give up! Let’s do this together!”

“When did I say I was giving up? I don’t need your encouragement. Maybe it looked like I had succumbed to despair after everything the Fool said, but it was all an act. Maybe it looked like I was moved by your speech, but that, too, was an act.”

“Wha…?”

“This is all going according to plan. My heart hasn’t changed in the slightest.”

It felt like she was putting on a façade, but she was back to being imperturbable.

“I can’t use my normal powers. It’s too late for you to suck blood. Sakuna Memoir and Villhaze are immobilized. And Karla Amatsu was useless all along… However.” Spica trained her gleaming, star-like eyes on me. “Your heart is alive. Its light will draw your allies toward you… Yeah, this isn’t my plan. No matter what I do, it always turns out like this.”

“What’re you trying to say…?”

“I also noticed that Liu Luxmio was lying. Naturia has been showing up in Clenny’s dreams—she’s alive.”

“Ah… Y-you’re right!”

The soldiers began loading up the cannon.

“Everyone, stand back!” The Lehysian cardinals moved the crowds away from the danger zone.

They began preparing to blow us up.

“Wh-what do we do?! Maybe we’ll survive if they don’t hit our vitals?!”

“No, Ms. Karla! We’ll be turned to dust no matter where they hit! I must break free from our restraints again…! Fghghghgh!”

“That’s impossible! There’s only one thing we can rely on without our magic or Core Implosion—our smarts! We must use our brains to find a way out! I will begin praying to God! Don’t talk to me or you’ll distract me!”

Karla and Sakuna began working on their respective escape attempts.

I got how they felt. My heart was beating so hard that my chest hurt.

The tension, the fear, the despair—all the negative emotions were crushing me inside.

“Now then!! Everyone who has gathered here today in Lehysia will bear witness to history!!”

Luxmio was standing on a platform all of a sudden.

He shouted to stir up the crowd.

“The terrorists who led the world to destruction have been captured! The fires of God will turn them into ash, and Judgment Day will be averted! True peace will come to us!”

““Yeaaaaaaahhhhh!!””

““Death to the terrorists!! Death to the terrorists!! Death to the terrorists!!””

The people yelled, rallied by Luxmio’s speech.

It was a big ceremony to signal the start of a new age. The sheer hatred and hostility and hope for the future made my hair stand on end.

“Ready!” a soldier shouted.

Luxmio nodded. We were out of time.

“Spica! So now we know Naturia is alive! What’s your plan, then?! What did you mean by that?!”

“You’ll understand when the time comes.”

“Ughh…”

She’s still hiding stuff, even now?!

But then…

“Don’t worry, Lady Komari,” my maid said, full of confidence.

“…Vill? You’ve got a plan?”

“I don’t… But as much as it pains me to admit, the terrorist is right.”

My ears twitched.

I heard someone calling my name in the distance. And that distance was growing shorter.

“Ah…”

I recognized the voices.

Yes. Vill was right.

“See? You’re so blessed!” Spica laughed out loud.

“Could you please stop giggling?!” Karla fumed. It looked like her prayers to God and the Universe weren’t working.

But that was no problem.

Just as Spica had Naturia and Inverse Moon, I had my trusty subordinates and friends.

“Five.”

The countdown began.

Luxmio raised his hands to agitate the crowd.

“Four.”

The cannon was lit.

The soldiers ran desperately to safety.

“Three.”

My heart was jumping out of my chest. Karla was crying out, “Koharuuu! Koharuuu!”

Sakuna’s chains began creaking.

“Two.”

Seriously?! I thought, but even if she did break out, it was too late.

Nothing could save us unless that cannon was stopped.

“One.”

I squeezed my eyes shut.

I trusted them, but I was too scared. What if I really died? The anxiety tortured me so hard that it might’ve been enough to make my head explode.

Next to me, Spica looked up at the sky and hummed without a care in the world.

Were her nerves made of actual steel?

I would’ve settled for mine to be aluminum.

With the preciseness and ruthlessness of a clock, Luxmio declared:

“Zero.”

The cannon fired…

…and was blown to smithereens.

Extermination Armor 04 activated.

Liu Luxmio deployed his belts in a dome shape around his body to shield himself from the blast. Countless screams echoed from the square. The crowds were already evacuated, so no one should have been harmed by the explosion. The panic was warranted, however. Not even Luxmio understood what had just happened.

“An accident…? After the time we spent servicing the cannon…?” He grumbled while undoing the belts.

Black smoke rose.

Four figures appeared on the remains of the cannon.

A beast-folk with a dog’s head. A weirdo in sunglasses. A blond pyromaniac. A smug vampire who looked like an escaped criminal.

“This can’t be… They’re alive…?”

The four terrorists who should have been buried alive were right in front of him.

Luxmio shuddered. Their bloodlust was palpable. And the four were using magic from the Dark Cores. The troops here couldn’t possibly deal with them.

“Check it! My magic’s on full blast. Get wrecked, you dumbass. Blow up the gallows. I’ll kill that crooked fellow,” said Mellaconcey.

“Keep yourselves in check. There’s no coming back from death in this world,” said Bellius.

“Those Netherworld barbarians must pay! Our Seventh Unit will give you honor through invasion! This land will now be known as the Holy Terakomari Empire!” said Caostel.

“We’re not invading anywhere… They resent us enough as is,” said Bellius.

“Quit yapping already! They’ve got Terakomari over there! I’ll burn the idiot who came up with this stupid show to the ground!” said Yohann.

“Oh, there are troops coming. They think they can stop us,” said Caostel.

“Check itMove,” said Mellaconcey.

The Seventh Unit lieutenants charged forward from the rubble to attack.

The soldiers fought back in confusion. There were only four of them, yet they were confoundingly strong. The Seventh Unit members slashed and blew away the enemy units with the imposing force of a suicide squad. Only combatants forged in the fires of death could pull off a feat such as this.

Luxmio watched as his forces were decimated and mumbled, “This can’t be.”

In Observatory’s base, there stood a stone monument known as the Infamy Obelisk. When you doused it with mana-imbued water, the names of the destroyers—people with the potential to disrupt the Fools’ order—would appear on the statue’s surface.

There were currently only three names on the Infamy Obelisk.

Spica, Terakomari, and Yusei.

One could also take this to mean that anybody else could be safely ignored. Destroyers like Spica, who had once been harmless but showed up on the stone after six hundred years, were rare exceptions. And yet.

“These four are destroyers if I’ve ever seen one…”

They seemed more dangerous than Star Citadel at first glance.

They had to be dealt with. Just as he deployed Bondage again, however, he heard a ruckus by the square’s entrance.

Beyond the crowd full of people shoving each other in an attempt to escape, a mysterious band of soldiers released a war cry. But these weren’t the international armies stationed in Lehysia. They were all beast-folks, advancing like predators toward raw meat.

The polar bear at the head appeared to be the commander at first glance—but no. The army’s real leader was the pale girl riding atop the creature.

“March, allied troops of Powapowa, Mito, and Ukai! They’re trying to plunge the world into chaos once more by brandishing false justice! Fight for the sake of true freedom, equality, and bananas! Butcher them all!”

“Prohellya! You can’t butcher them! They’ll die for real!” shouted Leona.

“It was a manner of speech! Butcher them figuratively! Wa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!”

Insanity. Luxmio mobilized the international armies to stop the beast-folk, but it was all too sudden; they were swatted away by the sheer pressure of the enemy.

This new army was trying to stop the execution.

There was no time to lose.

He would have to cut off the terrorists’ heads himself.

“Wait.”

“?!”

Someone blocked Luxmio’s path.

Loose Eastern clothing and black hair—the characteristics of a Peace Spirit.

Kakumei Amatsu pointed his katana at Luxmio, its tip as sharp as his glare.

“What are you plotting? Why are you going after Terakomari and Her Highness?”

Luxmio clicked his tongue.

He had tried to capture everyone in the camp alive. He had to correctly distinguish those who ought to be killed from those who oughtn’t. But…

“I should’ve killed you.”

“Answer, Fool of Observatory.”

“For order. Fool 02 frequently insisted a quick job is worth more than a perfect long one… And how right that was.”

Luxmio deployed Bondage, and his belts shot at Amatsu from every direction.

Amatsu swung his katana deftly and slashed through the special-grade Divine Instrument. But that solved nothing. Bondage could extend itself infinitely, so cuts meant nothing.

“DIE!!—Hm?”

An odd feeling.

Luxmio looked down and saw belts wrapped around him, binding him in place.

His brain froze. Why would Bondage go against its user? The Extermination Armors were Divine Instruments granted to the Fools to maintain order.

“Amazing! That’s a special-grade Divine Instrument for ya!”

Someone was standing next to Amatsu.

A Warblade in a lab coat—Lonne Cornelius.

Belts exactly like those of Bondage shot from her back.

“What…? Is that an Extermination Armor…?!”

“Core Implosion: Amplifying Soul. I have the power to analyze any Divine Instrument I touch. I tried making my own based on the data I got from you. A replica, if you will.”

“That can’t be. The Divine Instruments the Insaint granted us should be unparalleled…!”

“Unparalleled? I don’t like big words like that. They’re great at getting you to think something can’t be improved upon.”

The copy of Bondage wrapped itself around Luxmio. His bones creaked. Its power was not far from the genuine article’s.

Cornelius’s eyes glowed under her glasses as she smirked.

“That’s a very interesting Divine Instrument, though. You called it Extermination Armor 04: Bondage, right? That implies there’s a 01 to 03. Maybe 05 and beyond, too? I would love to take a look at those… Amatsu! Go get ’em!”

“For once, I agree with you. This man’s weapons are too dangerous.”

“………”

The square was in chaos.

The beast-folk rampaged. The international armies fought back. Between them, the audience members ran every which way. The faithful of the Holy Church prayed to God. The city of Lehysia was being razed.

And among the disorder, Luxmio saw a girl running.

Bad news.

The terrorists were about to be set free.

Clenent DIV was no longer familiar with the concept of quiet sleep.

For her, slumber was a kind of punishment where she was forced to hear the voice of the people.

The world of her dreams was filled with the cries of people from across the globe. Pleas for salvation.

Having heard these voices from a young age, Misha Sombresault developed a strong sense of duty.

She wanted to save them. To do something for those who suffered.

Perhaps Misha had been born with that sense of justice.

Three years prior, she’d lost her school friends due to war. The school building collapsed on them, and they cried for help from under the debris, but she was unable to give them a helping hand. Her parents fled to Lehysia.

After that, she began hearing voices in her dreams.

She felt regret. She felt remorse. She wanted to save anyone she could—that desire, that will, manifested as her strange power.

This ability would lead to her being elected as the next pope.

She could not only hear the voices of the people, but the Devil, too. A strange, orange devil. She heard it whisper, “I’ll set a bomb in the cathedral.” She rushed to report it to the clergymen, and they caught a vagrant really trying to set a bomb; this proved the validity of Misha’s power.

“This girl is an angel sent by God to earth. She should be the next pope.”

It had to be the will of God. Back then, she was certain this would allow her to save more people and put a stop to the war.

And yet the world still knew no peace.

Her dreams were turbulent even today.

“Kill the terrorists! Let them know justice!”

“God, please help. Oh, God.”

“I’ve given so many alms, and God still won’t save me!”

“People died today again. The village is done for.”

“Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God.”

Clenent DIV furrowed her brow.

Her tummy hurt. She felt intermittent stings.

It had to be punishment from God.

She was the pope, the highest-ranking member of the Holy Church, and yet she was also just a kid who couldn’t save anyone. Of course she would feel a stomachache.

Just then, she saw a warm, blue light.

It grew and grew until it took the shape of a person.

“This is Naturia. Do you hear me?”

A calm yet oddly warm voice echoed in Clenent DIV’s head.

It was God, Naturia, who sometimes appeared in her dreams.

She urged, “The world is in trouble. Spica’s life is about to be taken.”

“Please help her. Please.”

“The Fools will take over the Netherworld.”

“You have the power to save the world.”

Her consciousness faded away.

God’s voice grew distant.

What was she trying to say?

What duty was on her tiny shoulders?

Clenent DIV did not understand in the slightest.

Luxmio had betrayed her, gouged her belly, and left her on the verge of death. She was a powerless pope…

“…Ah?!”

Clenent DIV woke with a start.

“Ow-ow!” She winced from the pain in her stomach.

After thirty seconds of curling up like a turtle, she finally raised her head.

She was in the hospital. Her belly was wrapped in bandages.

What happened? She had been kidnapped, taken hostage, talked with the terrorists, and stabbed by Luxmio, and then…?

“I’m alive…”

Miraculously, she had survived.

She had to thank whoever brought her to the hospital and tended to her wounds.

“…Hm?”

Then, she heard an abnormal noise outside.

She looked down at the square from the window and saw soldiers in uniforms going on a rampage—a sight unbefitting of the holy citadel of Lehysia.

“Wh-what is happening?!”

She froze in confusion.

This had to be Luxmio’s doing. His wrongdoings led to this.

God’s words came back to her mind.

“The world is in trouble.”

“Please help Spica.”

“…”

At the very least, she understood that Luxmio was the enemy, and Spica was not.

Clenent DIV clutched the Light Orb dangling from her neck.

She didn’t know what she could do, but she could not stay there shivering under the blankets. The Pope of the Holy Church had a duty to pray for the people.

The cannon exploded. Armies attacked. People ran around like headless chickens.

I immediately knew what happened—my friends were here to save me.

“W-wow! They’re taking out Lehysia’s army! I don’t know what’s happening, but keep it up, guys! Save us!” Karla shouted.

“Help has come for us, Lady Komari.”

“…!”

I saw a shadow cross straight through the crowds.

It was a girl running through the battlefield on the back of a Mizuchi.

“Komari! I’ll free you!”

“Huh?”

The Moonpeach Princess flew.

Her skirt fluttered. She spun in the air like a circus performer and landed gallantly before my eyes. Without pause, she etched lines of light using her twin swords.

Crack!

My bonds were severed.

Core Implosion: Diverse Divide—the power to cut anything. I tripped from the surprise, but Nelia caught me. Tears formed in my eyes. I refused to call her my big sister, but I had to admit her warmth brought me so much strength and comfort in the moment.

“N-NELIAAA!! THANK YOUUU!!”

“I’m sorry I’m late. The prison was too tightly guarded; this was the only time we could pull this off.”

“Waaaaaah… I thought I was gonna die…”

“You’re okay now. I’ll cut down everyone who made you suffer. C’mon, don’t cry. You’re the vampire who will conquer the world, right?”

“I’m not crying! And don’t treat me like your little sister!”

“That’s right! You’re strong!”

Nelia wiped my eyes with a handkerchief.

I couldn’t stand the kiddy treatment, but her kindness seeped deep into my soul. My heart felt so warm. Could it be that she really was my big sister all along? Should I call her that from now? Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad… I nearly lost my mind while she was patting my head.

“…Lady Komari, how long are you going to keep that up?”

“Hah?!”

My maid brought me back to reality.

I stepped away from Nelia and observed the situation.

It wasn’t just her—lots of my friends had come to help.

Nelia had brought Esther, Lingzi, Meihua, and Koharu with her.

In the distance, Prohellya and Leona were leading the beast-folk in combat. The lieutenants of the Seventh Unit were taking down soldiers like crazy. Please don’t die. I’m talking to you, Yohann.

“Let me get that for you, Commander Memoir! Let’s all go home together!”

Esther broke Sakuna’s shackles with her Chain Metal.

The silver pretty girl stumbled before Esther caught her.

“A-are you all right?! I think you should rest!”

“Thank you, Ms. Esther. I thought I almost had them… Maybe I need some more training…”

“Wha…? You were going to break your restraints yourself…?”

Esther shuddered.

“Lady Karla.” Next to her, Koharu the ninja looked down at her mistress. “I’ll help you if you agree to become my pet.”

“Don’t get haughty just because I can’t move! I’ll buy you snacks and give you money, so just please help me out, Koharuuu!”

“Deal.”

Koharu swung her kunai, and the chains and shackles restraining her boss broke. Once free, Karla rubbed her cheek against her retainer’s and cried out, “Koharuuu! Thank youuu!”

“Lady Komari, we cannot let them overshadow us. Let’s get cheek rubbing, pronto. We’ll grind each other until our skins melt together.”

“No, thanks!”

Nelia rescued Vill, too, and she jumped up to hug me.

This ain’t the time to be horsing around! I screamed internally while guarding against her rubbing. Then I heard someone call my name in the distance.

“Terakomari! Looks like you’ve escaped execution!”

Her voice was clear even amid the chaos.

I turned around and found a girl riding a polar bear: Prohellya Butchersky (plus Leona Flatt). They ran toward us at crazy speeds.

Prohellya leaped off the polar bear and took a piece of dried meat out of her bag before throwing it with a “Good work, pal!” The bear gobbled the meat up in glee, and she walked over to me wearing her typically confident smile.

“…Hey, you look better than I thought. Too bad I didn’t get to save you in the nick of time to get you in my debt.”

“P-Prohellya…! Where were you all this time?!”

“I became king.”

What.

“Terakomari!” Leona approached me with a pure smile on her face. “I was spooked when I saw the flyers for the execution! You had me worried sick!”

“Th-thanks. I’m glad you’re okay, too.”

“Hey, we fought together in the Heavenly Ball! We’re pals! But Prohellya was more worried, y’know? The moment she heard about the execution, she started fuming and going, ‘They’re not getting away with this’!”

“You’re hallucinating! I never fumed or said such a thing. But I did think it.”

“See? You were worried for Terakomari.”

“…Geez. You should do something about your habit of interpreting things for your own convenience. That’s why you’ll never grow out of being a cat.”

“Pretty sure I’ll be a cat until I die!”

Prohellya and Leona began arguing.

Somebody poked me in the back.

It was an Immortal on the verge of tears—Lingzi Ailan.

“Thank goodness. Are you okay, Komari?”

“Lingzi! Are you okay?! Wait, you gotta go hide somewhere! This place is a battlefield! A girl like you shouldn’t be out and about around here!”

“Huh? Oh, yeah… But I am technically a commander…”

Oh, right.

For some reason, I always thought of Lingzi and Sakuna as being weak.

Sakuna is pretty damn strong, though…

“A-anyways, were you all right? What happened after that mess at the campground?” I asked.

“We were teleported somewhere else,” Meihua replied in Lingzi’s stead. “We set out on a journey trying to find you, and we came across the news of your execution on a bulletin board… So we came here to the Holy Lehysian Empire. Thank goodness you’re all right, Terakomari.”

“Aw, guys…” I rubbed my eyes.

I had so many friends to count on. Could I possibly be more blessed?

I had joined Inverse Moon’s journey to fight Star Citadel because I didn’t want to get them caught up in the battle, but maybe I was wrong for thinking that. I needed their help, and this episode drove that point home.

“So, what are we doing with that girl?” Prohellya asked coldly.

Everyone turned to look at the still-restrained Wicked God Slayer.

I looked at Prohellya in a fluster.

“Spica won’t do anything bad anymore. We don’t need to antagonize her.”

“What’s your grounds for that?”

“Because she wants the Netherworld to be peaceful, too…”

“…”

Prohellya trained her icy eyes on me for a while.

“Hmph.” She crossed her arms and looked away. “If you say so. Whatever the circumstances, I’ll follow you for now. I admit I don’t feel any malice coming from her like I did when I met her before.”

“Thank you…!”

“Komari’s right. She’s not resisting, either.” Nelia swung her twin swords.

Spica’s shackles were severed with a clang!

Free for the first time in a long while, the vampire—the Wicked God Slayer—took a couple of faulty steps forward before falling to her knees.

She stood back up and looked at me with an oddly flat expression.

“…You have so much that I’ve lost,” Spica said.

“…? You mean friends? We’re gonna get her back, right?”

“Hmph…” Spica looked away, puffing her cheeks.

“So.” Nelia sheathed her swords as she stared at Spica. “What were you trying to accomplish by holing yourself up in Clement Tower? And what are we doing next?”

“I was hoping to get one of the Dark Cores, but that failed. We have to get the rest of them and go to the God Slayer Tower.”

Spica restated the situation.

The Fool was after Spica’s and my lives. He had incited the masses to eliminate us. We had to stop the war to solve everything, and we needed to change the hearts of everyone in the Netherworld to do so. That required the power of the Miko, who was sealed in the God Slayer Tower. And to undo the seal on her, we needed the six Dark Cores.

“Lady Cunningham.” Vill looked at her. “I’ve told Spica about the Dark Cores in our possession.”

“I see. My mentor must’ve foreseen this.”

Nelia looked in her pocket and took out two spheres that shone like stars.

She really had them.

“I’ve been hanging onto these since the Seventh Unit lieutenants might actually kill people if I let them have them… How many more do we need? The whole thing’s a mess, I lost count.”

“I already had two. You brought two more. The pope has one. That means there’s one more we don’t know the location of,” said Spica.

Leona uncrossed her arms then and yelled, “Ahh! Hey, isn’t that the thing the Powapowa king had, Prohellya?!”

“Looks like it. Guess my hunch was right.”

Prohellya took something out from under her hat.

My jaw dropped. It was the other Netherworld Dark Core.

“I don’t like the idea of giving it to the Wicked God Slayer for free, but we’ve got Terakomari’s supervision. Take it.”

“Wait, don’t throw it!” I panicked before catching it.

What if I dropped it?! Just as I was about to yell this, Nelia sighed.

“What a coincidence. So we just need the pope’s Dark Core? It’s like God’s on your side.”

“I don’t believe in God. This is all thanks to my—and Terakomari’s—efforts,” said the Wicked God Slayer.

“Spica!!”

Everyone turned around. It was a little girl. Pope Clenent DIV, whom Luxmio had stabbed, was wincing as she climbed up the gallows.

“Y-you’re okay?! What about your wounds…?”

“I’m a Sapphire! That was nothing to me!” Clenny said while clutching her stomach.

Karla and I ran up to her. The wound seemed shallower than I thought, but it was still grave; she shouldn’t be moving around like this.

“Clenny, you’ve gotta rest…”

“But God! She told me to help Spica!”

Clenny approached Spica, worked up and furrowing her brow in regret.

“…Which means I am not enough. It hurts. I have no power… I couldn’t lead Lehysia.”

“Hearing Naturia’s voice is more than enough power.”

I was shocked. Spica gently stroked Clenny’s cheek.

“Your Core Implosion steered us in the right direction. The Fool tricked me for a little while, but Naturia is still worried about me. You did so much for me just by telling me that… Please don’t be so sad.”

“But…”

“Keep moping, and I’ll gobble you up! Your belly looks like it’ll be juicy!”

Clenny shivered and hid behind Karla.

Again with the threats? You’re too scary to be making that sort of joke, girl… I sighed, but to my surprise, the little pope returned to Spica quickly.

“This… Take it.”

She held up the Light Orb—the mark of the pope, the symbol of the Holy Church, and the ultimate Divine Instrument, capable of revolutionizing the world.

“I had no power worthy of the pope. I still have a lot to learn. Handing this over means handing over the title. From your attire, I can tell that you’re a devout believer of the Holy Church, and God acknowledges you. I think you deserve to have this.”

“That’s not true, Clenent DIV. I’ll let you know, this vampire only used the Holy Church for her terroristic misdee—mmgh!”

“Can you shut up for five seconds?!” I quickly covered my maid’s mouth.

Clenny hesitated for a little before taking off the pendant and giving it to Spica with a bow.

“Please. Make the world God envisions come true in my stead.”

“Of course. That was my intention from the very beginning.”

Spica carefully accepted the Light Orb with a smile.

Now that we had all the Dark Cores, we just had to get to the God Slayer Tower. Once we reunited with Naturia Lumiere, she would tell us how to bring peace to the Netherworld, and our work would be done. Vill, Nelia, and even Sakuna had accepted Spica. Her old enemies were giving her the last push to fulfill her wish.

“…! We can’t keep dillydallying! They’re coming!” Nelia yelled as she pulled out her swords.

The soldiers had broken through the beast-folk army and charged with tremendous momentum. The Seventh Unit was keeping them in check, but there were too many of them, and some managed to pass through. I couldn’t let them do all the work. They had to be stopped.

“Lady Komari, let’s use your Core Implosion.”

“Huh?! But…”

“It’s all we can do. That way, we can break their spirits with your overwhelming power. Come here, I’ll give you my blood mouth-to-mouth.”

“Owaaah?! No, I’ll suck it!”

So it came to this, after all.

But I had to do what I could.

Spica’s dream wouldn’t come true if we didn’t get out of this place.

I walked up to the red-cheeked maid and aimed my teeth at her neck. Sakuna shrieked, but I didn’t have the time to ask her why. Vill’s sweet and mellow blood circulated through my body, and I felt vast mana spreading.

Core Implosion: Blood Curse.

An irresistible impulse of destruction pushed me to slowly raise my hand.

“Move.”

The founder of Observatory was a silver vampire.

Despite her species, she was fundamentally different from the girl currently tormenting Luxmio. Terakomari tried to change people’s hearts, while she did all she could to ensure nothing would change.

It happened 630 years ago.

“All people should shut themselves in.”

She went by the nickname Insaint, meaning “Silver Plate.”

Her peculiar ideology had led her to be exiled from her clan.

Her silver hair, bright like the moon, fluttered with the wind as she looked at her six warriors, their eyes kinder and calmer than anyone else’s.

“I don’t forbid you from being involved with other people, of course. But you mustn’t allow your bonds to become too deep. When people connect with each other, willpower is generated, and willpower can upset order—it can create a destroyer.”

Insaint sighed and gazed ahead at the boundless waste, a dull land like blighted leaves.

Dusk covered the heavens, and there was no sign of life.

It was a dead realm—a place they called the sixth world.

“Look at this disaster. A destroyer listed in the Infamy Obelisk did this. A girl with orange hair…”

“Is she still alive?” Luxmio asked.

“Yes,” Insaint replied calmly. “I plan on terminating her, but she is not the only destroyer; there are many more. They appear one after the other as people’s willpowers resonate with one another. Leave them be, and our homeland will end up like this, too. I think it’s their fault the war has continued forever, too.”

Insaint’s homeland, the first world, was consumed by conflict.

It was also Observatory’s mission to resolve it.

“My homeland—The Mulnite Empire, the Heavenly Paradise, the Enchanted Lands, the Aruka Kingdom, the Polar Empire, the Lapelico Kingdom—I love all of it. To safeguard it against chaos, I must shut it in. I must eliminate the destroyers. But I don’t have the power to do it all myself, which is why I ask for your help…”

“Yes, of course,” Fool 01 answered immediately.

The rest followed her lead and agreed as well.

All six were orphans.

Insaint had taken them in after the war left them without homes, food, and clothing. She raised them in the Mulnite Empire of the Foreworld.

“I bequeath you with the power to not change the world: the Extermination Armors. I made them with precious ore I found in my travels, and they are just as valuable as the Dark Cores. Although they are not as omnipotent as the Dark Cores, they surpass magic and Core Implosion.”

Luxmio was given a belt—Extermination Armor 04: Bondage. It was proof of Insaint’s acknowledgement.

“I do not want my homeland to end up like this. I will sacrifice anything to maintain this shut-in order—even other worlds, if necessary. So…please make my dream come true, my children.”

Fools 01 to 06 nodded firmly.

They had to stop the destroyers who were endangering the world.

Luxmio and the other Fools had been made miserable because of them. If all people had quietly shut themselves in, their early lives would never have been marred by tragedy.

For a world without conflict.

For Insaint’s wishes.

The six Fools—Luxmio included—were prepared to give their lives.

“Spica is so foolish. She thinks everything will be all right if she gets the help of her friend from six hundred years ago.”

A voice echoed in the darkness.

It was childish and cruel, yet oddly gentle.

The whisper of a destroyer, born to kill everything.

“Yeah,” Star Citadel member Nefty Strawberry replied halfheartedly, squeezing her bunny plushie. “What a shame. I was going to kill her.”

“Revenge for taking you out of office? That’s not a good idea.”

“Yes, it is! I studied so hard…and then she…”

“You have to learn to move on, or your heart will grow inadequate. That’s why your room is so full of trash.”

“N-no, it’s not. I like it clean…”

“There were pizza crumbs all over your office.”

“You sure are perceptive for someone without eyes, Yusei…”

“Because I like things clean. This world is so dirty that it’s better off destroyed. Don’t forget this is Star Citadel’s goal.”

Nefty looked at the coffin next to her.

Inside it slept a girl with beautiful hair, the color of the setting sun.

This was Star Citadel’s leader—Yusei.

In the distant past, she had fought a vampire known as Insaint. She managed to narrowly escape death, but many of her bodily functions were destroyed, and she became bedridden.

That aside.

After losing the battle in the Netherworld, the surviving members of Star Citadel had decided to rest in their secret hideout.

However, they hadn’t given up on their ambitions of destroying everyone in their way.

The tower was the trigger. The keystone for laying waste to everything.

“God Slayer Tower is like a ladder connecting six rooms. Forcing it open will only bring trouble. The beasts hate the outside air…”

“Hey, but you sent them right where the tower is.”

“Yes. They like to play outside from time to time.”

The bunny plush giggled.

Nefty shuddered.

Yusei was a real murderer. Not a poser like Spica.

Not even Terakomari’s heart could change her.

Even though Yusei was Nefty’s trusty partner, the girl was hard to understand sometimes. Nefty sighed; she was still just a rookie.

“This is ridiculous. She is Observatory’s archenemy…”

The Holy Lehysian Empire’s central square.

Luxmio sighed at the sight of the pile of soldiers.

The buildings were destroyed, and the world heritage site square was devastated. Yet there was not a single death; his battered soldiers were merely knocked out.

Terakomari Gandesblood had done this.

Luxmio had managed to slip away from Kakumei Amatsu in the chaos of the battle, but the situation was not in his favor. Terakomari had ravaged the square with her crimson mana, giving herself an opportunity to head to the God Slayer Tower. They should not be able to reunite with Naturia Lumiere, but they had apparently gathered all six Dark Cores. If they made an insolent wish to establish a new order, the Foreworld’s prosperity would disappear.

“We meet again. I caught you.”

“!”

A Sapphire man stepped out in front of him.

It was Spica La Gemini’s underling, Tryphon Cross. The man’s eyes glowed crimson, and the next moment, needles plunged into the ground near Luxmio’s feet.

This Sapphire was also a dangerous person, but not nearly as threatening as Terakomari and Spica.

Luxmio had no time to lose entertaining him.

He dodged the consecutive needle barrage and activated Bondage’s second implosion.

“Wha…?! He’s gone?!”

Tryphon’s eyes widened.

Luxmio’s belts had wrapped around his body, then vanished into the background. The belts had changed colors, camouflaging Luxmio so perfectly, it appeared to Tryphon as though the man had disappeared.

Extermination Armor had three phases. The first implosion enabled it to be used as a regular weapon. The second implosion was a step forward. And the final implosion was its secret power.

Bondage’s second implosion had the power of camouflage. Luxmio had used this ability to approach the destroyers while they were camping. Yet Terakomari had managed to spot him thanks to her Insaint blood.

“I must eliminate them.”

“Tsk… Wait!”

Tryphon shot needles on pure instinct, but none of them hit Luxmio.

Luxmio spread eight belts and used them as legs to propel himself away. From a bird’s eye view, he resembled a giant spider moving at high speed. There was no time to waste—he had to stop the destroyers of order.

Luxmio ran toward the God Slayer Tower.

For it was his job as a Fool.

“Oop… Gweeeh!”

The moment we reached the God Slayer Tower by Mizuchi, Spica got on the ground and puked her guts out.

Lingzi and I screamed in unison.

“S-Spica?! Did you get dizzy?!”

“No… I need the Dark Cores to enter the tower… I’m trying to get them out.”

“Get them…out…?”

“Yeah… Gweeeh!”

“Waaaah?! Vill, do you have motion sickness pills on hand?!”

“I have pills that will make you vomit to death… Oh?”

Plop. Plop.

Two somethings dropped from Spica’s mouth—two spheres that shone like stars, drenched in gastric juices. These were the items we needed to unseal the tower.

“Haaah, haaah… Finally! Whoo, that feels nice!”

“You ate the Dark Cores?! Do they taste good?”

“They couldn’t be more disgusting! I was hiding them from the Fool! I would’ve taken them out while we were locked up if they hadn’t been stuck in my stomach!”

“How indecent. That certainly isn’t an idea an upstanding vampire such as Lady Komari or myself could come up with. Right, Lady Komari?”

“…”

There was so much to take issue with about Vill’s statement that I shut my mouth.

We held a strategy meeting in front of the tower.

City ruins spread around us.

I felt like I’d seen this before, and then I remembered: it was the city I saw in the netherscreening at Frezier. There could’ve been hot springs on the opposite side of where I was standing.

I hoped that, once all of this was over, I could relax at the hot springs with everyone here: Vill, Sakuna, Nelia, Karla, Koharu, Esther, Lingzi, Meihua, Prohellya, Leona, and Spica.

“…That’s a huge tower, huh?”

“About a trillion times your height, isn’t it, Lady Komari?”

“C’mon, it can’t be more than a thousand.”

I looked up at the white tower.

I couldn’t see the top from where I was. It had no windows and no entrance. It was just like a giant pillar. But I stood there in anxious awe.

I felt like I could hear a voice coming from inside the thing. It was like the roaring of the wind.

“Question.” Nelia looked at Spica with suspicion. “The Miko’s been asleep for six hundred years, right? How could she understand what’s happening in the Netherworld right now?”

“Don’t worry! Naturia has a Core Implosion—Paradox Oracle! If we give her the blood of a single person to ingest, she can show us the best future.”

“Wait, all the blood in their body…?”

“You mean she needs a sacrifice?” Vill asked.

“Yes,” Spica said like it was nothing. “And the stronger the willpower of the person whose blood she drinks, the stronger the prediction. That’s why I saved Terakomari in Lumiere Village.”

“?!”

Nelia, Sakuna, and Vill glared daggers at Spica.

Oh, that makes sense! She didn’t save me because I had the power to help her out, but because she wanted to use me as a sacrifice…

“WAIT WHAT?!?!”

“Yeah, but I’ve changed my mind! I don’t wanna kill you anymore. I mean…” She paused. “I mean, I wouldn’t be able to face Naturia if I did. You helped me more than I could’ve expected. Maybe you’re a shut-in worthy of paradise.”

Spica was being sincere for once.

Vill and Nelia noticed her lack of animosity and took a step back with a sigh.

Sakuna clung to me. “You mustn’t let your guard down.” I was glad she was worried about me, but she was making it real hard to breathe.

“No fair, Lady Memoir.” Vill clung to me, too. I wasn’t so happy this time because I knew Vill only wanted to feel me up.

“Excuse me,” Lingzi said timidly. “In that case, how are we going to activate Paradox Oracle? Doesn’t Ms. Naturia need blood…?”

“We’ll think about that later! Let’s just get this tower unsealed!”

I had a bad feeling about this.

The voice was even louder than usual for some reason.

Could it be that she…? I couldn’t finish my thought before Spica raised the six Dark Cores and began praying.

The Dark Cores had the power to realize and maintain the wish of their holder.

One had to imbue another wish in order to free them from their role.

The six stars spun in the air.

Vast mana spread.

“Fwaah!” Sakuna exclaimed.

Her staff emitted faint light, and ice crackled at its tip.

“I can… I can use magic!”

“The Dark Cores’ reserves must’ve scattered temporarily. Now we can fight to our hearts’ content.”

Prohellya stroked her gun with satisfaction.

I hope we don’t need to fight to our hearts’ content…, I thought while staring at the spinning Dark Cores.

Finally, the light scattered, and a crack appeared in the smooth wall of the tower.

The wall sank in to create an entrance.

The six-hundred-year seal was about to be released.

“Naturia!” Spica screamed with hope.

The Dark Cores dropped to the ground once their job was done, and the Wicked God Slayer ignored them as she ran over to the tower with a childlike look on her face.

We followed her.

But as soon as I took a step forward, I heard a chuckle.

“? Spica?”

An eerie wind brushed my cheeks.

Spica was already stepping into the tower. Nelia, Prohellya, and Leona followed her without hesitation. Vill pushed my back. “Let’s go,” she said.

But I couldn’t move.

This was the same sensation I’d experienced in Star Cave.

Sadness, regret, and hostility. A wave of miasma—strong negative willpower.

“Wait. Something’s coming out…,” Sakuna said in trembling voice.

The next instant, something jumped, destroying the entrance.

A beast like a pitch-black shadow.

“Wha…?”

A Varmint.

It delivered a ferocious blow to Spica’s stomach.

Nelia, Prohellya, and Leona were similarly unable to react immediately.

I watched the Wicked God Slayer get blown away with bewilderment, and then I turned back to the tower.

The Varmint was like a giant dragon. It brought down its sharp claws.

Prohellya was first to come back to her senses.

“Retreat! This shouldn’t be happening!”

She pulled the trigger of her gun.

The mana bullet bolted forward and destroyed the Varmint’s head. Shards of Mandala minerals scattered about.

But that wasn’t the end of it.

More Varmints crawled out of the tower.

Some of them resembled dogs, some tigers, and some dragons.

They had a hungry look in their eyes, like the only thing on their minds was killing their prey.

Miasma overflowed from the tower and seared the heavens. Dark clouds appeared overhead, just as they had back at Neoplus. I stood there, powerless and perplexed. The hungry Varmints attacked one after the other. They were far more ferocious than those in the Star Cave, and so numerous that I didn’t have enough fingers and toes to count them.

They were the destroyers here to devastate the Netherworld.

But why? The Varmints were Star Citadel’s minions. They lived in the Star Cave.

And what about Naturia?

Had they eaten her…?

Liu Luxmio stopped in the middle of the wasteland.

Sinister miasma covered the sky.

The birth cries of monsters reverberated in every corner of the Netherworld.

Mandala minerals had been exported from Neoplus to every nation.

When these minerals were linked to miasma, they created Varmints.

The calamity had begun.

Even Observatory hadn’t expected this.

The Netherworld needed a certain level of stability to be exploited.

This abnormality could threaten the Foreworld’s stability, too.

“…”

Luxmio pondered in silence.

He alone was not enough to stop this, yet the other Fools still slumbered. He had to do the work of six. Executing Spica and Terakomari would not be enough. They were far from the essence of the problem. How to bring stability to the Netherworld? How to soothe the people’s hearts? How to follow the wishes of the founder of Observatory, Insaint?

A single answer came to him.

The original plan was ruined. He had to begin anew.

“…Star Citadel. I’ll make good use of you.”

Luxmio resumed advancing on his belts.

He headed toward the same place—the God Slayer Tower. To Terakomari Gandesblood and Spica La Gemini.

“Lady Komari!”

Vill pushed me off my feet.

The next moment, a Varmint thrust its tail into her stomach.

“Vi…”

She was blown away before I could finish saying her name.

I had to go catch her. I stood up, then instantly sensed bloodlust.

I turned around in shock.

A giant dragon Varmint was swinging its claws toward me.

I looked around for help.

Vill was on the ground. Nelia, Sakuna, Esther, Lingzi, Meihua, Koharu, Leona—everyone was fighting for their lives. Karla was behind a rock, curled up like a pill bug. Spica was sitting there in a daze.

“What are you doing?! I told you to withdraw!”

A gunshot roared.

As soon as I heard a grave dying shriek above my head, the giant dragon stumbled and fell with an earthquake. I looked behind it and found Prohellya scowling, gun in hand.

“Fighting would be foolish! Leona, stop enjoying the hunt!”

“I’m not! They’re stubborn…!”

“Butcher is right. No use entertaining them. Komari, let’s go back!” Nelia helped me up.

“Ms. Villhaze, are you okay…?!” Sakuna exclaimed.

Everyone got ready to leave.

I turned in Vill’s direction, wondering how she was doing, and found her leaning on Sakuna’s shoulder. A moment of relief; at least she was fine for now.

But what even happened here?

Monsters had spilled from the tower the moment the seal was broken. Were they trapped in there, too?

“It’s Star Citadel.” Spica was shaking, her eyes wide and sweat running down her pale cheeks. “Tormenting Fuyao wasn’t enough for them… They want to destroy the Netherworld. They have to be stopped… I have to stop them…”

The next thing I knew, the sky was pitch-black.

Raindrops tinged with miasma struck me one after the other.

Some of the monsters left with an eerie bellow. They must’ve gone to find other prey.

Prohellya clicked her tongue while obliterating a Varmint’s head.

“You! Wicked God Slayer! Can’t you do something with the Dark Cores?!”

“S-Spica, she’s right! They can grant any wish, right?!” I asked.

“The Dark Cores… Yes, but…”

“There is no need for that.”

Everyone turned around in shock.

In the middle of the Varmint parade stood an Immortal wrapped in belts: Liu Luxmio.

He raised his right hand at us and said, “I’ll kill everything in the Netherworld. Including you.”

“Wh-what?! Do you know why this is happening?!”

“Star Citadel. But they are only my pawns.”

I did not understand a single thing that was going on.

But as soon as I tried to ask, belts shot out from all over Luxmio’s body.

“…This is vile. They’re even stronger than Rakshasa, aren’t they?”

“Yes. They’re my cream of the crop.”

Yusei giggled.

Images of the Netherworld showed on the crystal—a simple farsight spell. Varmints were rampaging around the tower. The Netherworld would be further plunged into chaos.

Nefty watched as though it was a show while eating pizza.

“You sure about this? What if they defeat them?”

“That’s okay. Failure is the mother of success.”

“Mm-hmm…”

“Don’t worry,” Yusei said softly. “This is just a game; a little demonstration. We have to show them that when we stand back up, it will be with might.”

“This is pretty serious for just a game.”

“It’s their fault for not noticing.”

The Varmints exuded miasma as they scattered across the Netherworld. Something more dreadful than the war Tremolo had started was coming.

“The third world is my territory. A paradise of carnage filled with miasma and Varmints. It’s only natural that the monsters would overflow once the bridge to it was opened.”

“Then you didn’t need to get the Dark Cores? Tremolo could’ve survived if you just let them unseal the tower…”

“No, we couldn’t let them have the Dark Cores.”

Yusei had ravaged the world using the Dark Cores. She needed them to destroy it. Star Citadel was defeated the moment Komari and company got their hands on them. Hence why Yusei had called this a game.

“Ah… Looks like Observatory is on the move.”

“That Liu Luxmio guy? What is he even planning to do?”

“Their goal is to maintain order in the Foreworld, and they’ll do anything for it—even if it kills them.”

“…I see. You’re really rotten to the core.”

Nefty savored the pizza with a grin on her face. She liked Yusei’s rottenness.

It was payback for what happened to Tremolo and Nerzanpi.

“Hopefully Spica and Terakomari die from this, too… Whoa, look at that. The Netherworld is a mess. It could be wrecked with just a few more Varmints, don’t you think?”

“Yes. And games are more fun when taken seriously—”

Yusei cut herself short.

Nefty looked down at the bunny plush.

“Yusei? What’s wrong?”

“…”

She felt a small tremor in Yusei’s willpower.

Anxiety? Nervousness? Fear? Whatever it was, it didn’t fit a destroyer like her. The bunny began shaking.

Tap… Steps coming downstairs.

Nefty looked up.

This was Star Citadel’s underground hideout in the third world.

The third world was already in Yusei’s hands; the last bastion of resistance, the Shades’s Ishuera Empire, had been ravaged by the Varmints, and its top brass had escaped to the second world. There couldn’t be anyone who would come visit them while oozing such brutal animosity.

“I finally found you.”

Crimson mana crept across the floor.

The vampire’s blond hair fluttered as she approached them.

Her beautiful voice struck Nefty’s eardrums and rocked her to the core.

“I can’t overlook you anymore. I’ll stop you before you can hurt Komari and her friends.”

“You… It can’t be…”

Sweat was on her palms. She wanted to run.

Yusei spoke as calmly as she could, “Nefty, take my body and run.”

“Wh-why is she here?”

“I told you I sensed a detection spell, but I didn’t imagine she’d be this fast.”

“B-but the coffin isn’t ready yet.”

“Too bad, we’ll put our destructive game on hold. We should get some Varmints over here. We’ll get serious about killing Spica and Terakomari later…”

A mana slash came at Nefty before Yusei could finish talking.

Nefty shrieked and ran.

Even as the hammer of justice was falling on the root of all evil, the miasma covering the Netherworld remained.

The Holy Lehysian Empire.

Kilty Blanc, member of mercenary group Full Moon, sighed in sorrow as she looked up at the blackened sky.

It looked like what she had seen in Neoplus, but even worse.

The miasma raining from the overhead fused with the Mandala minerals in the church’s ornaments and took the form of ferocious beasts. Giant monsters, wavering like shadows. The Varmints rampaged indiscriminately from the moment they were born.

Lehysia’s people fled in pandemonium.

It reminded her of the fall of her homeland back when she was young.

The same had happened to the Ishuera Empire. Yusei’s power dyed the world black, leaving only the starry night behind. Was the same tragedy about to repeat itself?

“What is that?”

“Oh, God…”

“Is this Judgment Day…?”

The people gazed at the sky in despair.

Kilty followed their gazes north. Right around the God Slayer Tower, there floated a black iron lump.

It was like a giant cocoon. Maybe a cluster of willpower.

And the miasma filling the Netherworld was getting sucked into it.

An endless barrage of belts was shooting out from the center, gathering the miasma.

At the root of the belts, the core of the clump, someone floated.

“That’s the Fool.”

Kilty sensed someone by her side. Kakumei Amatsu delivered this remark as he cut down a Varmint.

Torn threads were hanging from his body. He and Cornelius had been restrained while Terakomari was rampaging. She would never forget the sight of Tryphon releasing them with his needles while sighing about how much they were inconveniencing him.

“The Fool? That black clump…?”

“He surrounded himself with his belts and is sucking up the miasma. I still don’t understand what’s going on, though.”

“Forget about that! There’s more Varmints coming! I don’t wanna get eaten again!” Cornelius yelled while running around.

Black rain fell on Lehysia. It fused with the Mandala minerals everywhere and created atrocious monsters that attacked the populace. Screams, shrieks, prayers—it was a hellish sight.

“We don’t have time to pursue the Fool. We need to put these things down at once…” Amatsu wielded his katana as he glared at his surroundings.

The next thing she knew, a group of Varmints had surrounded them.

God. God. God—The people’s prayers spread around the world.

And the sky darkened in inverse proportion.

Kilty felt her hands shaking.

“Only… Only a real god could fix this…”

(A little earlier)

“Wh-What are you doing…?”

The belts didn’t attack us.

For whatever reason, they shot right past us and pierced through the entrance of the God Slayer Tower, stabbing the Varmints rampaging inside. The monsters’ death cries echoed as the man manipulating the belts, Luxmio, gave me an arrogant glance.

“What do you mean? The same thing I’ve been doing all along.”

Luxmio’s body began glowing black. To be more precise, a cloud of miasma began spinning around him.

“I see.” Prohellya smiled. “Your belts are sucking up the Varmints’ willpower. Enjoying a meal, are we?”

“Indeed. Extermination Armor 04: Bondage can absorb mana and willpower to boost its power without limit. Negative willpower…is grotesque, admittedly, but this should make it easy to kill you.”

The Varmints blew up. Black willpower flowed into Luxmio via the belts, as though it was being sucked through a straw.

“W-wait! Isn’t this Star Citadel’s doing?! Are you with them?!”

“No,” he replied faithfully. “Star Citadel is Observatory’s enemy, and the miasma is one of their traps. These beasts threaten to lay waste to the entire Netherworld—which is why I’m going to use Bondage to put a stop to this disaster.”

“To save the world…? Wait, you’re a good guy?”

“Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not doing this for the Netherworld.”

“You’re a tsundere…?”

“…? My base power isn’t enough to kill you, Terakomari Gandesblood. I will exploit Star Citadel’s own trap to kill you.”

He wasn’t good or tsundere. He was a bad guy to the end!

As I screamed internally, I saw a pigtailed girl stagger to her feet out of the corner of my eye.

“What happened…to Naturia…?”

Spica. The drug was still in effect, as she could barely stay upright. I hurried to her side and helped stabilize her. Once again, I was reminded of how small and delicate she was; she was about the last person you would imagine being nicknamed “the Wicked God Slayer.”

“Naturia must be in the tower. I have to go help her…,” said Spica.

“There is no point. You can tell just by looking at this madness.”

“Naturia prophesized we would meet again in 622 years.”

“Are you stupid?” Luxmio exclaimed ruthlessly. “Do you really think she could wait for six hundred years? Do you seriously believe she wouldn’t forget about you?”

“I…”

“And is Naturia Lumiere worth waiting six hundred years for to begin with? I don’t think so. She was just a hopeless shut-in.”

“…”

Spica froze.

I could sense indescribable uncertainty and confusion brewing inside of her skull. Luxmio was like a professional at bullying Spica. I stared at the shivering Wicked God Slayer while running my brain at full speed to come up with the words to cheer her up.

“Spica! You don’t have to listen to…”

“Don’t.”

I looked at her in shock.

Her starry eyes were glistening without fear.

Don’t. She didn’t need my cheering up.

“Gosh… What a drag! Could this possibly be any more annoying?!”

Spica shoved me away and stood on her own.

She glared straight at Luxmio.

“Naturia isn’t here. Star Citadel left me a dumbass gift. The Fools I thought were long dead have come crawling back. Will God ever get tired of tormenting me?! Now I really wanna kill the guy!”

“Spica…”

“I won’t let anyone get in my way. All these idiots responsible for making a mess out of the Netherworld will pay. You are NOT gonna keep doing as you please! Now, Terakomari!”

Spica turned her bright-red face to me.

She had been burdened with a lonely lot in life. She had no one she could be vulnerable with, not even the members of Inverse Moon. She hid her true face, which burned with passion, behind a mask of silliness. But the flames of her determination had not died down even after six centuries. And now she was showing me her true radiance.

“Gimma a hand, Komari! I can’t kill this guy on my own!”

“Gotcha.” I nodded without a moment’s pause.

I wanted to see her dream come true.

I would do anything I could to help realize it.

Anything to bring peace to the Netherworld.

“Foolish. Even more foolish than we Fools.”

Luxmio’s body floated into the air.

You can fly?! I was gonna scream, but then I remembered he was an Immortal. Those guys could fly with some sort of mysterious energy that wasn’t mana or willpower.

Black belts writhed.

He was like a devil, come to destroy the world.

Spica shot Luxmio a glare that could kill even God and yelled, “Drop dead! We’re putting an end to our six-hundred-year-old grudge here and now!”

That was the cue for our battle to begin.

Luxmio charged at us, his belts spinning around.

Nelia and Leona were up front and now in a dangerous position.

I gotta save them I gotta save them I gotta…

“Terakomari!”

“Woah?!”

Spica hugged me out of nowhere.

My brain froze at the sweet smell of sugar. Was she also one of the sickos? I despaired.

But then, Spica bit into my neck. She tore my skin and sucked my blood.

I turned red.

“Wh-whoa, what’re you doing?!”

“Pwah!” She let go of my skin. “I just realized! I need blood to break the effects of the sun drug. Some nice, tasty blood—and yours is special. It’s wonderful stuff, chock full of willpower. This should get me back in shape…” Suck, suck, suck.

“B-b-but you can’t just do that out of nowhere… And how much are you gonna drink?! What if I get anemia?! It’ll be your fault if I die!”

“LADY KOMARIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!”

I heard a scream.

As I turned around, I saw my maid sprinting and slashing through the attacking belts with her kunai. Her face was an abominable mix of wrath and despair.

“V-Vill?! You’re okay…?!”

“Yes, I’m okay, thank you, but you’re in trouble! I really have to exterminate this insolent terrorist…” She glared daggers at Spica while shaking.

“Don’t worry!” Spica gave Vill a silly smile. “I won’t suck her dead! I can’t get more blood if she dies! But holy cow is this girl tasty! I wanna suck her to the bone!”

“I don’t think you can suck bone but, if such a thing is possible, then I must be the one to take her boneginity.”

“Stop it! I’ll dry up if you start drinking from me, too!”

“How about you suck my blood to compensate? And the terrorist can go slurp up a pool of mud—?!”

Vill swung her kunai at lightning speed.

A belt fell to the ground. One of Luxmio’s attacks. But he wasn’t just going after us. His endless stream of belts was pursuing my other friends left and right.

Then I saw a familiar pair running.

Koharu was fleeing from the belts while holding onto Karla’s ankle.

“Aaahhh!! Wait! Don’t pull my leg!”

“You’re the one who’s gotta be pulling my leg. Get real, Lady Karla.”

“I mean, couldn’t you carry me some other way?! You’re getting my face and clothes dirty!”

“Do you prefer dirt or death?”

“Dirt!!”

They look like they’re having fun… Anyway.

A fierce battle was already taking place in front of the tower.

The tangled mass of belts attacked my friends, dripping black willpower that encompassed our surroundings. Luxmio was bent on annihilating us.

Vill slashed down another belt coming after us.

“Lady Komari! Please run!”

“What?! I can’t run and leave everyone behind!”

“Stay put! I still need more blood! Schlurp, schlurp,” said Spica.

“When will you stop suckiiing?!”

As I struggled to break free from Spica’s hold on me, I heard a gunshot in the distance.

“Go away.”

Prohellya had fired a shot.

Luxmio created a barrier by layering belts in front of his body, just barely stopping the bullet.

Two others seized the opening.

Nelia and Leona approached the enemy, leaving a trail of mana in their wake. They were using body-strengthening magic. I’m not sure how this all made sense, but unsealing the Dark Cores must have unleashed fresh mana into the area.

“Haaah!” Nelia swung her twin swords with a battle cry.

Stripes of leather went flying as she cut down belt after belt, but her blades did not reach Luxmio. Instead, Leona used Nelia as a stepping stone to charge in. She slipped through the barrage of belts and approached Luxmio with the speed of a bullet.

“Consider your bones broken!”

She unleashed a heavy roundhouse kick onto his cheek.

Bam! Her boot hit his nose.

Bones have got to be broken for real… I shuddered, though with hope.

“Wha…?!”

“It’s no use. The miasma has made me far more powerful.”

Luxmio covered his face with his belts to guard against the blow.

As Leona reeled in shock, another belt attacked her. With Leona unable to dodge in midair, the belt wrapped her up and hung her up by her feet.

“What the heck…?! Gugh…!”

“I’ll crush you to death.”

“Leona! I don’t think punches are going to work on this guy! Go hide somewhere and hibernate like a bear with Karla Amatsu!” Prohellya said.

“I think it’s too late to say that! Uwa-wa-wah?!”

Just then, the belts around Leona were severed, and the cat girl fell helplessly.

A girl dressed like a peafowl soared through the air to catch her in the nick of time—Lingzi Ailan.

“Are you all right?!”

“Thank youuuu! This is what everyone needs! A friend who can fly!”

“H-huh? I thought Ms. Prohellya could fly with magic, too…”

“She’s not my friend! And she never helps me! Ah, look ahead!”

“Got it!”

Lingzi quickly dodged the incoming belts.

Meanwhile, Prohellya covered her with bullets from the ground. Nelia clicked her tongue and dashed. She tried to leap again to deliver a flashing strike on Luxmio, but a belt came from another direction and she nearly tripped.

“It’s like the belts each have a will of their own…! There’s no end to them!”

“We just need to force things to an end! Get the man and it’s all over!”

Bang!!

The belts blocked Prohellya’s bullet before it could connect with Luxmio.

Then Lingzi stopped in midair.

“What is it?!” Leona exclaimed in confusion.

A dual barrage of belts came at them from each side.

Oh, no. Lingzi’s in trouble! I thought, but then, a green shadow leaped.

“Core Implosion: Lovebird Infection!”

“?!”

Thump!

I heard the sound of a heart bursting.

The belts came to a halt. Lingzi’s retainer, Meihua Liang, floated before Luxmio. Her eyes glowed crimson as they locked onto the wicked Fool.

“Thanks, Meihua!”

Lingzi escaped from the encroaching belts.

Luxmio’s eyes were glued to the peafowl-like girl.

“This…can’t be…”

“Bet attacking Lingzi just got a lot harder, huh? Stay nice and still for me.”

“Impossible… How could I fall to a mere illusion…?”

I recognized that power. Meihua’s absurd Core Implosion made you fall in love with Lingzi. Although I guess it would be more accurate to say it increased your compassion for her? Either way, it had stopped Luxmio.

Nobody wanted to see an old guy pine after Lingzi for too long.

As soon as Esther saw the enemy stop, she shot the Chain Metal at him, restraining his arms.

“If you would, Commander Memoir!”

“Yes!”

Sakuna spread mana as Esther called her name.

The ice releasing from her staff bleached our surroundings and crept through the Chain Metal up to Luxmio.

It was an ice bridge. A connection to the enemy. A path to victory.

Sakuna jumped up onto the frozen Chain Metal. She ran toward him at an awe-inspiring speed while holding her staff aloft.

“Petty tricks…!”

Luxmio shot his belts at her, but then Leona shot down like a meteorite and kicked them off course, allowing Lingzi to cut them in half with her steel fan.

Sakuna took the opportunity to forge mana.

Another barrage of belts. Prohellya shot at them from behind and broke through most of Luxmio’s barrier but failed to crack the last layer.

“Tch… I’m out of ammo.”

“Don’t worry. Advanced-level freezing spell: Dust Tail Comet!”

Glimmering stars shot from Sakuna’s body. The ice bullets followed a random trajectory forward and set off a deafening explosion. Mana and steam scattered as Luxmio’s final shield crumbled.

“I-I’m at my limit…!” Sakuna groaned.

Her Dust Tail Comet fizzled out at the last moment.

But then, a peach-colored flash darted out from behind her.

Nelia crossed the ice bridge toward Luxmio.

“Diverse Divide. I’ll finish him.”

I could tell Luxmio was sweating.

Sakuna had destroyed his belts. He wouldn’t be able to send out new ones in time. Nelia aimed her swords straight at his heart.

“W-wait! The Chain Metal…!” Esther screamed.

The next instant, the frozen chain broke.

Their footing crumbled. Meihua caught Sakuna.

Luxmio broke free and moved back.

“?!”

“Ms. Nelia!”

Without a platform or target, Nelia plummeted helplessly toward the ground.

The belts took aim at the now-defenseless girl. She cut down a few of them with her twin swords but couldn’t stop them all.

One of the belts struck her blades, and she fell as fast as a meteor.

A roaring impact. Dust blast.

Everyone screamed her name.

I stared at the site of her fall in despair.

Oh no. Not even Nelia could do it… But she was fine. She stabbed her swords into the ground and got up on her knees with a scowl.

“You’re a tough guy. Those belts move so freely…”

“I’m done with these games.” Luxmio flew even higher.

A mass of belts sprang from his body.

Each one of them was a weapon of mass destruction wrapped in wicked miasma, and they all ravaged the ground in sync.

Leona and Prohellya dodged swiftly. Sakuna guarded herself with an ice spell. Koharu evaded while dragging a screaming Karla along. Meihua and Lingzi blocked the belts with a Barrier Wall, but their shield broke soon after, and they staggered.

“Ah…!”

Esther took a direct hit and went flying. She bounced and rolled on the ground as blood left my body.

We’re gonna get wiped out.

I can’t stand back and watch.

“Spica! Get off me already! I can’t suck your blood like thi—”

“Lady Komari!”

Bloodlust.

I turned around and saw the belts shoot at me with the ferocity of a dragon.

Wearing a desperate grimace, Vill dashed over to me. She was always saving me from disaster with her kunai. But this time, she couldn’t stop all the belts.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

The belts tore into the ground around me like the needle of a sewing machine.

The vibrations made me stumble. There was too much dirt in the air for me to open my eyes. It was over. I was gonna die.

“Belly’s full! That’s enough.”

Then came a tremendous blast of mana.

The belts were torn to shreds. The dust was instantly cleared away.

A vampire was standing in front of me like a shield.

Her pigtails fluttered with the wind.

My blood dripped from the corners of her mouth.

She stood firmly on the ground, making for a gallant sight. Now this was the Wicked God Slayer. The terrorist of the generation. Spica La Gemini shot a bloodthirsty glare at the Fool in the sky and sneered.

“I’m not letting you mess with the Netherworld anymore, Luxmio. It’s time for you to pay.”

“S-Spica?! You’re back…?!” I said.

“Thanks to your blood, Terakomari. Come on, then… It’s slaughter time.”

A gust kicked up, making me cover my eyes.

I opened them to discover Spica was gone.

I looked up. Her strength restored, the all-powerful, amoral terrorist charged at Luxmio like fireworks shooting into the night sky.

“Spica…!”

I shouted her name the instant her fist met Luxmio’s wicked belts.

People’s splendor declined with time.

Summer flowers withered in autumn.

No matter how fun or fulfilling the present, no matter how hard one prayed for things to last forever, the day of collapse and decay would inevitably come.

I wanted to fight against that. I had shut myself away for six hundred years in pursuit of an eternity in a higher world without conflict and hatred, only good times.

I was unlike the crimson vampire.

Terakomari Gandesblood.

Her essence was the same as mine, and we were trying to accomplish the same thing, yet her viewpoint was fundamentally different.

Through the Crimson Match, the Six Nations War, the Heavenly Ball, the Vampire Riots, the Matrimonial War—all sorts of deadly struggles—she had begun to look beyond the confines of her room.

She did not fight to obtain a quiet eternity.

She fought to protect this radiant moment in the now.

Ultimately, we didn’t seem to be compatible.

But at that moment, I could only be thankful for her presence.

I was, to my very core, a shut-in vampire princess.

Without someone to pull me up, I wouldn’t even be able to stand.

And maybe I could entrust her—Terakomari Gandesblood—with my dream.

Just like Fuyao had.

I was overflowing with power.

Terakomari’s blood and heart strengthened my body.

One could tell the potential size and openness of a person’s heart and mind by ingesting their blood. Terakomari’s willpower was as great as mine. And with a bit of her power now within me, no one could possibly stop me.

“Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! It’s time to make up for what you did to me six hundred years ago!”

I slammed my fist into an incoming belt.

My mana burned the leather, tearing it apart. But another belt instantly took its place. They attacked relentlessly to protect the Fool at their center.

I spun in the air and kicked the sea of belts away.

I broke through two and three layers of Luxmio’s barrier in one strike.

“Stop your pointless resistance.”

The Fool glared at me coldly from between the gaps in the belts.

He was my nemesis. The man who had destroyed my paradise and stolen Naturia from me.

“Naturia Lumiere is dead. That won’t change, no matter how violently you struggle. Give up.”

“She’s alive! She wouldn’t forget our promise!”

I rocketed ahead and launched my fist at his face.

He dodged by twirling with a rhythm.

“The pope said so! Naturia’s waiting for me somewhere! I won’t let you Fools get in our way!”

“You’re the fool here. Surrender.”

It was a battle for eternity.

A world where anyone could choose their place to die. A place without senseless violence. A world where kind shut-ins could hold tender bliss in their hearts. I wanted to live in such a higher world, in perpetuity, with Naturia.

And the Fools of Observatory had ruined it.

I wouldn’t be able to rest until I took revenge with my own two hands.

“You stole everything from me, and I’m taking it back.”

Belts crossed from every direction to create a cage around me, like the one where Naturia had been trapped. But a punch was all it took for me to escape. I broke through the waves of belts and charged at my nemesis.

Naturia, I’ll kill this guy and be with you in no time.

“Stop.”

A giant wall appeared before my eyes. Luxmio created a barrier by overlapping his belts. I kicked the thing, and it crumbled like a cookie.

I was face-to-face with the revolting fool.

It wouldn’t be long until I took back my paradise.

“You fell for it. Pierce, Bondage.”

I sensed hostility from behind.

Normally, it would be impossible for me to dodge that, but things would not turn out like they had six hundred years ago.

I had trained hard to obtain my utopia.

I circulated mana throughout my body to speed up.

All I had to do was impale this man’s heart before the belts got to me.

I threw my punch, and at the same moment, I felt my strength leave my fist.

“?!”

Only now did I realize a piece of belt was wrapped around my ankle. It must’ve been part of the barrier I just destroyed.

“Bondage can suck mana and willpower. Even a scrap is enough to incapacitate you temporarily. And…”

A fierce tremor in my gut.

Luxmio’s belt was gouging my flesh.

The blood I’d just sucked dripped away.

It was so sudden that I didn’t feel pain, but I lost the ability to move.

Unable to keep flying, I plummeted to the ground.

His cold voice came from above.

“Do not try to change the world. Do not try to disrupt its order. Shut yourself away.”

“…”

Miasma entered through my wound.

A black fog ensnared my heart.

This was a laughable mirage, I knew that. Only crumbs of the tragedy that idiot Yusei had created.

Belts shot at me to deal the finishing blow.

I couldn’t move my limbs.

My brain was bound by endless regret.

The tragedy of the past writhed in my mind.

The poisonous reality of all the people who had suffered because of my actions.

If I hadn’t looked for my paradise, if I hadn’t resisted the violence of the Fools or the Six Nations, I wouldn’t have killed all those kind people in the war. The same went for all those lives I ruined after creating Inverse Moon. I pegged those people as necessary sacrifices, but who says that was the right choice?

Should I have stayed locked in the Gemini manor?

Should I not have met Naturia?

I…I…

“Don’t give up.”

I felt the softness of the crimson vampire’s arms at my back.

As she held me like a princess, she raised her hand, and that alone was enough to slash through the incoming belts.

Her crimson eyes, brimming with bloodlust, prickled my skin.

She was so small that you wouldn’t believe she was sixteen, yet her heart was vaster than the sea.

Terakomari’s lips parted.

“Let’s keep going a little more.”

“Why…?”

“Because everyone’s rooting for you…”

“…!”

I heard cheers.

Back on the ground, Prohellya Butchersky and Leona Flatt had escaped the belts and were sending me their encouragement. The others were staring at me, too: Lingzi Ailan and Meihua Liang, Karla Amatsu and her ninja as they hid behind some rocks, Sakuna Memoir and Esther Claire as they treated Nelia Cunningham’s wounds, and Villhaze, wearing a frown. Everyone’s emotions were different, but they all looked at me like they were asking me to complete my mission.

And that wasn’t all.

Suddenly, I heard voices.

Prayers from all over the world.

“God, please save the world.”

“Please end Judgment Day.”

“Smite the Devil!”

Their radiant willpower cleared away the fog in my heart.

I felt ridiculous.

Yeah. Spica La Gemini didn’t know the meaning of the word quit.

I was the Wicked God Slayer.

The Netherworld’s Scholar and the pursuer of utopia.

I had a duty to fight for everyone who had fallen along the way.

Terakomari had said as much: I’d fought like crazy these last six hundred years.

I had to complete my utopia; for the people of Lumiere, for the members of Inverse Moon, for Naturia and Fuyao—for everyone who believed in me.

“God? That’s too big a mantle. You take it up instead, Terakomari.”

I forged mana.

Then I unleashed a special-grade regeneration spell: Circle of Eternity.

My flesh swelled, plugging my wound in the blink of an eye.

Terakomari rubbed my exposed belly with worry. I grabbed her hand with my left and pointed the right at the Fool.

“My job isn’t saving humanity. It’s killing the wicked God that’s hurting the shut-ins. It’s creating an eternal paradise. No more, no less.”

A crimson laser shot from Spica La Gemini’s right hand.

The mass of mana rocketed toward Luxmio, shaking the air in its path.

His belts would be useless against it. They weren’t strong enough to block it. Luxmio hesitated until the last moment, then turned away in an attempt to evade.

Searing pain. The laser sliced off some of his flank as it shot past him.

Luxmio mended the wound with his belts while glaring at the vampires below.

Spica La Gemini and Terakomari Gandesblood.

The destroyers he needed to kill.

Both of them had manifested their ultimate powers, and under normal circumstances, Luxmio could have never hoped to stand against them. But now he had Yusei’s miasma. Perhaps that was exactly what she wanted. Have the Fool absorb her power to deal with her archenemies. What a sly girl.

“Very well. I’ll do as you please.”

He coated Bondage with miasma.

Now his belts should have an effect on Terakomari.

He shot Bondage at the two rapidly flying vampires. Its tip grazed Terakomari’s upper arm, spilling fresh blood. Clearly, she was vulnerable to his enhanced attacks. If he could restrain her, it would be game over.

“Useless.”

“?!”

The next instant, Terakomari ripped apart the belt with a bang!

In a state of stupefaction, Luxmio watched the threads of his Extermination Armor fall to the ground.

This had nothing to do with Terakomari’s Insaint blood.

She simply possessed the sheer power to tear Bondage to shreds.

Even after Luxmio had coated them in so much miasma.

“You’ve got to be shitting me.”

Luxmio waved around his belts in a frenzy.

Yet Spica and Terakomari hurtled toward him, breaking through everything he hurled at them.

Bursting miasma. Tearing belts. Scattering mana.

They turned his Extermination Armor to dust with each swing of their fists. If Bondage is useless, then I should counter with pure martial arts. But the moment this thought crossed his mind…

“!”

…he tasted blood.

Luxmio had a coughing fit.

As he wiped the blood from his lips with his fist, he realized what was happening to him.

He had absorbed too much of Yusei’s miasma. His body would implode if he kept pushing it.

“Looks like you’re hurting. But I won’t hold back.”

A giant mana reaction went off in front of him.

Spica La Gemini and Terakomari Gandesblood.

These fiendish agents of chaos glared at Luxmio.

Insaint had said that the global order imposed by the Dark Cores had to be maintained at any cost. That many people would be saddened if the status quo was upended. That people should shut themselves in.

Change was harm. Progress was decline.

Villains like these two, who rallied everyone around them toward change, had to be exterminated.

He would do anything to fulfill his duty—even sacrifice his very life.

He had to give it all up for Insaint.

“Extermination Armor 04: Final Implosion.”

Luxmio pointed his palm at the heavens.

He had no choice but to use his ultimate move, which sucked the life of its user.

The belts spun at high speed, wrapping around his body. Luxmio expanded like a sponge absorbing water.

That instant, Spica stopped moving out of caution.

Even Terakomari noticed the anomaly and halted.

04-Bondage’s hidden ability turned the wielder into an ironclad giant by wrapping them in countless belts.

Luxmio grew larger and larger until he seemed to cover the sky.

“Wh-what the?!”

“Interesting. You can’t do that with magic or Core Implosion.”

“Retreat! Koharu, get me out of heeeere!”

The insects on the ground yelled in a panic, but Luxmio kept his gaze locked on the destroyers.

Terakomari and Spica circled him in the air while shooting spells, but none of their attacks could make a dent in his Extermination Armor. Even Terakomari’s fist didn’t do a thing. He was protected by an infinite barrier.

“For order.”

Luxmio had to kill them to keep the world from being thrown into disarray.

But to pull that off, he would need an attack of almighty power.

Then, it hit him.

There was a god-slaying weapon right beside him.

He reached out and dug five fingers into its white walls.

Debris plummeted to the ground.

“No way…”

“Lady Komari! Get out of there, now!”

Ignoring the girls on the ground, Luxmio put all his strength into his grip on the God Slayer Tower. It would be his spear. Imbuing miasma into his belts, he attempted to dislodge it from the earth.

The base of the tower crumbled.

Heaven and earth trembled, and a powerful gale blew.

“Not gonna happen.”

Terakomari sent a light spell straight at Luxmio’s shoulder.

Flesh and blood spattered. Pain exploded. But that was all. Terakomari lacked the conviction to kill her enemy. She had been unable to aim for his heart. But her show of mercy would cost the girl her life. He had to eliminate her before she realized it was kill or be killed. Otherwise, the world would break. Its order would shatter. For the sake of the first world. For the sake of Insaint. For the sake of shutting all humans in…

“This is my final blow.”

He raised the remains of the giant tower to the heavens.

The gigantic spear blocked the rays of the sun.

Terakomari frowned, even while infused with the almighty power of the Blood Curse.

Blood flowed down Luxmio’s lips.

His body gave an awful creak under the strain, its functions breaking down.

But it didn’t matter.

This was a worthy cause. He would give his life to make Insaint’s wishes come true.

“Die.”

Luxmio put every last bit of his strength into his throw.

Compelled by gravity, the tower closed in on Spica and Terakomari.

It was like punishment from the heavens.

She could not run.

Her friends were down there.

She only had one choice: take the blow with her own body.

Terakomari shoved Spica out of the way and deployed layers of magical barriers.

The tower broke through the first. Then the second. Then the third and the fourth. Then the fifth collapsed, and the light vanished from Terakomari’s eyes.

Her will was broken.

The last barrier crumbled loudly.

The tower struck her small body.

Screams. Yells. Despair.

The God Slayer Tower crushed Terakomari and slammed into the ground.

A powerful earthquake shook the world.

The tower broke into pieces, the ground cracked, and miasma splattered. Ruined buildings fell one after the other. The people’s foolish wishes burst into nothing. The Netherworld itself screamed. He heard space creak.

Then, Luxmio saw it.

A black hollow beyond the cracked earth.

A hole.

On Judgment Day, the Devil would open six holes to hell. More precisely—a giant passageway to the third world on the spot where the God Slayer Tower stood.

All Luxmio had to do now was wait for everyone to get sucked in. He wouldn’t need to launch a follow-up attack.

But then…

“?!”

The rain of debris stopped in midair.

Or rather, it slowed down.

Gravitational acceleration approached zero.

It was as though the rubble had been set free from the flow of time.

The moment stretched for an eternity, and the world froze in monochrome, like a photograph.

“Core Implosion: Neverfall Blossom.”

Luxmio looked down in shock.

Spica La Gemini. The debris had hit her head. The blood-drenched vampire clung to him with a murderous glare in her eyes.

“Caught you.”

The belt on her ankle was peeling off.

The seal on her Core Implosion was undone.

By the time he realized where he had gone wrong, it was too late.

“Hrk!”

He had absorbed too much miasma and lost control of Bondage.

His giant body shriveled. Spica kept clinging to him as he regained his original size and slowly fell into the hole to hell. Flying was impossible.

Her innocent voice echoed in his ear.

“I’ll kill you! This is revenge for the past six hundred years!”

“Wait, but we’ll…”

“Both die? I don’t mind!”

He gasped.

“I—I don’t mind dying, either, but I can’t bow out yet! I must see it through to Terakomari Gandesblood’s death!”

“Are you stupid?” Her crimson eyes bored into his. “I’m taking you with me so that won’t happen. I can’t let Terakomari die. She supported my dream… Fuyao gave her life to protect her…”

Chills.

Spica La Gemini was supposed to be a cold-hearted terrorist.

But now. That crimson vampire had…

“Did you have a change of heart? That means Terakomari Gandesblood is an even greater threat than Yusei…!”

“Hey, don’t get it twisted. She didn’t steal my heart! My goal hasn’t changed from the beginning. I am creating a paradise for shut-ins. It just so happens my death will make it come true.”

“Have you gone mad…?”

“I’m letting her carry the torch! Terakomari won’t waste my spirit. She’ll hold on to the wishes of everyone she loses. I’m sure she’ll make my utopia a reality. Ah-ha-ha-ha! Sucker! She’ll keep at it not knowing I was using her the whole time!”

“D-didn’t you want to see your paradise with your own eyes?”

“Of course. But hey, what can you do?”

Spica and Luxmio passed into the hole.

They were buffeted by the winds of hell.

Luxmio managed to move Bondage. He easily pierced Spica’s midsection. But she wouldn’t let go. She spat death from her fierce smile.

“I need a sacrifice to active Paradox Spiral.”

She held him tight.

An insanely powerful grip. He heard his bones creaking.

“Someone had to die. And if my blood reaches Naturia, that’s fine by me…”

“There’s no guarantee it will…”

“I left a letter for Terakomari telling her to give Naturia my corpse.”

“You’re mad! Naturia Lumiere is dead!”

“She’s not. I can tell.”

“…!”

Luxmio shuddered in fear.

Spica had found her resolve.

Or rather, she had been forced to—no matter how hard she denied it.

Terakomari Gandesblood was wicked beyond imagination.

Her bravery and kindness changed the people around her.

Made them think they wouldn’t mind giving their lives for her.

She was history’s greatest destroyer, its most vile terrorist.

She had to be eliminated.

She had to be eliminated…

My head hurt. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t stand.

I was gravely injured yet again.

The last thing I saw was the giant tower falling on me, and a hole to hell opening in the ground. The ruined city crumbled even further, and then everything got sucked into the hole.

And Spica?

Where was Spica?

Had everyone escaped?

My chest hurt.

The tragedy of Neoplus was happening again.

Was I losing more friends?

No, I couldn’t take another loss. I tried desperately to stand up, but my legs were frozen. The hit from the tower had left my whole body in agony. My Core Implosion had worn off. The miasma took hold of my heart, stripping me of my ability to move.

Standing up would be meaningless.

It was too late.

I couldn’t reach anyone or anything.

Just like when Fuyao died.

“That’s not true.”

I heard a familiar voice in the darkness.

It was curt, hostile, and inescapably thoughtful.

I raised my head.

There, I saw her.

“Fuyao…”

Her fox ears twitched. Her fluffy tail gently rocked.

Was I dreaming? She was gone. I shouldn’t be seeing her.

“You inherited my dream. Don’t you stop now.”

“B-but…”

“You can still make it. Nobody’s dead.”

Her harsh and kind words of encouragement tugged at my chest.

“It’ll all be over if you don’t do anything. I dreamed of creating a world where everyone could choose their place to die—but as it stands, that vampire is headed for an unreasonable death. Idiot. She hasn’t given any thought to what I was trying to do.”

“Do you mean Spica…?”

“Yeah, I’m talking about her. Which is why I’m asking you.”

I remembered the vow I made with this foxgirl. To make her dream come true. To not let anybody die. To not let anybody suffer.

But…

“I can’t move… What am I supposed to do…?”

“Sometimes, willpower remains even after the body decays. The people of Lunar Village taught me that. You just need a little more… Use mine.”

She placed her hand on my head.

She smiled frailly, like she had that one time.

Her silhouette got blurry. Like she was melting into the light.

She was right. I didn’t want to save the world if it meant sacrificing somebody.

I wanted everyone to survive.

I wanted a world where nobody was missing.

I couldn’t stop now.

I couldn’t let a little tower knock me down.

“It’s in your hands now. I know you can do it.”

Her voice was distorted.

Fuyao vanished with the wind.

I reached out for her.

“Fuyao!!”

I sat up.

Sat up? What was I doing?

Fuyao appeared before me even though we’d parted in Neoplus. She entrusted me with everything and disappeared… Had that been a dream? It couldn’t be.

“T-Terakomari! Are you okay?!”

“?!”

I heard a voice next to me. I turned and saw a vampire with glowing red eyes—Colette Lumiere looked at me with worry.

Huh? Colette? What are you doing here…?

“Lady Komari! Are you all right?!”

“Uwawah!”

The sicko maid threw herself into my arms.

My mind was foggy. I wasn’t keeping up with the situation.

“Are you hurt?! Should I lick your wounds?! Oh, you’re uninjured, thank goodness! Aaaahhh! Your clothes are a mess! Your soft, fair skin is all exposed! I can’t let anybody see this. Come here, I’ll cover you with my body!”

“Waaah?! Give me some space to breathe!”

“Vill! Calm down!”

Colette peeled the sicko off me. “Lady Komariii!!” Vill bellowed, writhing like a monster. I appreciate the concern, but please behave yourself.

“Umm, Colette, why are you here?”

“I followed Vill and the girls! I don’t like you leaving me behind just because I can’t fight. There are things I can do… But maybe it’s too late now.”

A cold wind blew up from my feet.

I looked around in shock.

There were traces of atrocity everywhere. Wrecked buildings and gouged earth.

And right next to me, a giant hole leading to hell.

That idiot Luxmio had thrown the God Slayer Tower at me.

I was lucky enough to survive, but what about everybody else?

“They’re all okay. Nobody is gravely injured. Lord Amatsu tripped and fainted, but he should wake up soon,” Vill said.

Nelia, Sakuna, Lingzi, Esther… My friends noticed I was awake and came running to me.

“You okay?!” “How are you feeling?!” “You should stay down and rest!” They exclaimed one after the other.

“H-huh? But how…?”

“Thanks to you!” Nelia patted my head. “You blocked Luxmio’s attack, and nobody was hurt. You also got away at the last moment… Thank goodness…”

“I got away?”

I was sure I had been a bloody mess after the tower crashed into me.

My uniform was stained with blood, too. And I could kinda tell from the smell that it was mine. So what happened?

“Terakomari.” Colette grabbed my sleeve with a sad look on her face. “I heard a voice.”

“A voice?”

“From someone called Fuyao.”

I was at a loss for words.

Colette furrowed her brow.

“My power…lets me call the souls of the dead. I can’t just summon anyone, but I can be the messenger for someone who wishes hard to be heard…”

“Y-you’re right…!”

I weakly pulled myself up.

Sakuna and Lingzi helped me to my feet.

“Lady Komari?” Vill looked at me with suspicion.

It was just like in Neoplus.

“Nobody is gravely injured.” Vill was wrong.

There was somebody missing.

My terrorist pal wasn’t here.

“Colette, where’s Spica…?”

“Fuyao said she fell into the hole with the enemy.”

“…”

The gaping chasm right next to us.

I couldn’t see the bottom, but I could feel an ominous aura coming from it.

The pit was connected to hell.

It was punishment created by the Devil—a means of ruining the world.

“Vill! We gotta go help her!”

“L-Lady Komari…?”

I couldn’t stand for this. I could not accept this ending.

I didn’t want to lose anyone anymore. I had endured too much grief in Neoplus. I didn’t want to feel that again. I needed that arrogant and naive little terrorist to bring peace to the Netherworld and create paradise.

My friends stared straight at me.

They felt my determination.

We had no time to lose.

I clenched my fist and took a step toward that hellish hole.

The effects of the sun drug came back with a vengeance.

The blood I’d sucked from Terakomari only restored me for a while.

Liu Luxmio seemed to think Terakomari had influenced my choice to die. That couldn’t be more wrong. Across these six hundred years, after losing so many of my companions, I realized something: Life is meant to be in the shadow of death.

Even after one’s body leaves this world, so long as one remains in the hearts of the people left behind, they are alive. If someone was taking up my dream and completing paradise, then it didn’t matter if the body of Spica La Gemini lived or died. I came to understand this idea—the philosophy of eternity—after seeing what became of Fuyao and Terakomari.

“Back off! I will not end up like this!”

Luxmio tried to shake me off with his belts.

He sent them plunging into my shoulders and stomach, but I did not let go.

My dream would be over if he escaped.

My and Naturia’s plans would terminate if his claws reached Inverse Moon or Terakomari and her friends.

This was fine.

I had worked hard for this.

I had no regrets. I shouldn’t have had any.

I shouldn’t… Yet the deeper we fell into hell, the more my body trembled. I was afraid of not getting to see my dream come to fruition.

But it was okay.

Terakomari would do better than me.

That bloodthirsty vampire would realize the world Naturia and I wished for.

So there was nothing to worry about.

I closed my eyes.

Then, I heard a voice from the pits of hell.

A nostalgic voice—the voice of my dear friend.

I looked down in shock.

She.

After disappearing into the tower, Naturia…

No. I couldn’t do anything about it now.

As my thoughts wandered into the future paradise, I whispered, “I’m counting on you, Terakomari…”

“I gotcha covered.”

I opened my eyes in disbelief.

Another vampire was falling down the hole, a trail of crimson mana flowing behind her.

A vampire of dazzling bloodlust, whose infinite kindness enveloped all.

Terakomari Gandesblood.

Next to her was a maid brimming with blue mana.

Ahh. The two-winged match I’d wanted to achieve.

If only Naturia and I could have been like this.

But forget about that now.

“A-are you stupid?! What are you doing here?!” I shouted.

“Saving you.”

“Wh-what?!”

“I don’t want anyone else to die…”

“…!”

“Lucky me!!” Luxmio yelled as he shot a belt.

His goal was to kill Terakomari. Now there was no point in my bringing him down to die with me—but not for the reasons I thought.

Terakomari slashed the belt with her hand and approached Luxmio at the speed of light.

The Fool’s eyes widened as her foot dug into his cheek.

“Gwah!” A short shriek.

“Don’t move.” Villhaze stabbed him with two kunais.

Luxmio hacked up blood and lost his balance.

This was enough to make me slide off him and fall headfirst into the abyss.

You reckless… As I clicked my tongue and let gravity pull me down, I felt a squeeze.

“You okay?”

Terakomari had zoomed below me and gently caught me. The sweet smell of blood tickled my nose. Her tender crimson eyes stared straight into mine.

A smile escaped me.

I’d been ready to die. I’d steeled my mind.

But now, somehow, I felt warm inside.

I could feel her mana injecting itself into my body. But that wasn’t all. Her infectious kindness was setting my heart ablaze.

“Haaah.” Villhaze looked at me with a sigh. “Lady Gemini… Pick yourself back up.”

“Huh…?”

“Lady Komari wants to save you. I’ll be mad if you die here.”

“…”

I understood.

This was Terakomari Gandesblood.

The shut-in vampire to match up to me.

I did a quick bit of thinking before shouting, “Change of plans! We’ll think about the sacrifice for Naturia later!”

“?”

“It would be an even greater victory if we kill the Fool! Terakomari, you came all the way here for me. You’ll help me kill him, right? You better not say no!”

Terakomari nodded.

I felt another smile come to my face.

Using her—No. Working alongside her, Liu Luxmio was no threat.

“Foolish.”

Luxmio spun his belts around to float above us.

His eyes brimmed with hatred. Pure abhorrence for the destroyers of order.

“Go to hell.”

He still had power left in him.

After his quiet statement, an infinity of belts spread from his body.

Liu Luxmio had no power left in him.

His body and soul were used up the moment he unleashed the final implosion.

But he had to kill them.

The status quo could not be destroyed.

The hell of the sixth world could not be repeated.

Insaint’s wishes could not be ruined.

Spica’s eyes glowed scarlet again.

Thoom. He felt his body get paralyzed.

Her Core Implosion slowed down the flow of all things.

Strength didn’t mean anything under these conditions. His belts were dreadfully slow.

The Blood Curse wasn’t the only threat. Across these six centuries, Spica La Gemini had developed a power that could destroy the world.

But it was still manageable.

“Gfh!”

Blows to his feet and hands. Kunais sent from the past plunged into him.

Terakomari’s maid, Villhaze, glared at him with glowing eyes.

“You won’t get in Lady Komari’s way.”

“Impossible…”

Vast, powerful mana swirled below him.

Terakomari and Spica raised their palms to the sky—to the foolish devil.

The next instant, a giant ray shot up from in between them.

His belts were reduced to tatters, and searing pain coursed through his entire body.

A gust of wind cleared the dark clouds, and Luxmio was blown back the way he came.

“GWAAAH!!”

The torrent of light tore a hole in the chasm as it rose.

The next thing he knew, he was outside the pit.

He heard people’s prayers.

Criticisms of the Fool’s actions.

Nobody wished for order.

They all wanted revolution—a change for peace like the kind Terakomari Gandesblood and Spica La Gemini had worked for.

“It’s over.”

Ahh.

The threat of these girls was boundless.

He should have killed them on sight instead of wasting time with the execution.

But there was no point lamenting it now.

Their eyes shone to an enviable degree.

It was poison to Luxmio, who’d decided to stay in one place after his dreams and ambitions were stolen by war.

“I see. I was incapable…”

He never had a ghost of a chance to defeat their light.

He had no hope but to leave it to the other Fools.

Luxmio closed his eyes in resignation.

The next moment…

KRAKAKK!

It was the sound of the world breaking.

The sky shattered.

He saw the world on the other side—an upside-down town.

The hot springs of Frezier in the first world.

The Netherworld was no longer a source of nutrients.

The six-hundred-year-long order was destroyed.

Now reigned the age of chaos.

Or would these two be able to overcome it?

Either way, it meant nothing to Luxmio anymore.

The sun shone brightly on the Fool as he closed his eyes. His power of flight was long lost, and he fell headfirst into the town, his wishes unfulfilled.

“…?!”

I felt a striking unease.

The Blood Curse was cooling down. My consciousness was clearing up. I was falling into the hole with Spica and Vill, but…

“Lady Komari! Hold on tight!”

“Huh? Wha…?”

…all of a sudden, Vill started rising against gravity.

We were pushed away from the pit of hell and toward heaven.

But one of us was still falling into the abyss.

“Spica!!”

The pigtailed vampire accelerated deathward to the opposite direction.

She wore a bold smile on her face as she chanted, “Dark Cores—close the pit to hell, create a gate bridging the Foreworld and Netherworld, return my companions to their world, and lead me to Naturia’s side.”

“…!”

The six Dark Cores floated around her with a whirl of mana. She had already poured her wish into it. When had she done so? No, that didn’t matter. She was falling down. I had to get her. Had to reach out. I didn’t want to lose a friend again.

But my body was frozen.

The surge of mana pushed me and Vill out of the hole.

“Dammit… We gotta help her!”

“It’s no use! We can’t beat the Dark Cores…”

“SPICAAA!”

What was she thinking?

Why was she going to the pits of hell?

Luxmio was defeated. The miasma and Varmints were gone, too, somehow. All that was left was to build paradise.

Spica grinned and whispered, “It’s not enough to fulfill my wish.”

“What? What’s not enough?”

“I need Naturia. My six-hundred-year journey isn’t over yet.”

Right.

The Miko was crucial to create paradise.

Nothing could begin without Naturia.

“But! Then I’ll go, too! Let’s look for her together!”

“The Dark Cores will guide me. I don’t need your help.”

“But I’m worried about you! What if you die…?”

“You’re so impossibly kindhearted. But don’t you worry.”

Spica put on a bold smirk.

I couldn’t believe my eyes.

She wasn’t going down with the ship. There was not a shred of deadly conviction or stubbornness in her eyes. They were clear and burning with willpower. It wasn’t like Fuyao—Spica hadn’t given up in the slightest.

“I am not going to die. There’s still stuff I gotta do.”

“Spica…”

“I’m jealous of you, Terakomari. You and Villhaze… Which is why I’m gonna get Naturia! Just like when you and your friends set out for Lehysia!”

I got a weird feeling in my chest—an extraordinary sense of empathy.

She hadn’t meant the Holy Lehysian Empire. She was talking about the other world’s Lehysia. I had wanted to take back Vill, but I hadn’t been able to get back on my feet until my friends helped me move forward.

Naturia was Spica’s Vill.

There was no replacement for Vill.

There was no replacement for anyone.

I couldn’t stop her.

“Wait, hold on! But why do you gotta do it all alone?!”

“I’m not alone. I’ll have you to help me.”

“Then…”

“I want you to support Clenny.”

Spica smiled.

A wicked grin.

“The Holy Church should be leading the Netherworld now, with Clenent DIV as its head. But that kid’s still green. She needs support. It’s your and the Lunae’s job to give it to her.”

“Wh-what, how?”

“I’m asking you to bring peace to the Netherworld before Naturia and I return! You said you wanted to see the results of my dream—so make good on your word!”

“Wha…”

Why are you making me do all the hard work?!

But I couldn’t say that now.

I decided to help this vampire.

A gust blew.

Spica’s smile faded away.

A mysterious mist covered the hole to hell.

I was frozen in place while Vill hugged me.

I remembered—Spica’s eyes shone bright like stars.

She should be back with Naturia soon.

I had nothing more to say.

This was her choice.

“See you, Terakomari!! We’ll meet again!!”

Her stupidly loud voice echoed from beyond the mist.

She really was so idiotically energetic. It was a waste of time worrying about her.

“Haaah.” Vill sighed. “A noisy terrorist beyond repair. Even now she keeps making trouble for you, Lady Komari…”

“Hey, I know how she feels.”

“I see. So you’re saying you love me.”

“I don’t think that really connects… Wawah!”

I heard the whole world creak.

The next thing I knew, we were out of the hole. The mist had covered the pit. I looked above and saw the Frezier hot springs in the sky. An upside-down town brightened by the radiant sun. It was beautiful… But I couldn’t take the sight in for long.

Another powerful gust blew.

The heavens sucked me and my friends back into our original world.

A downpour fell on the Netherworld for some time.

The rain was welcome. The water washed away the miasma, turning the packs of Varmints back into Mandala minerals.

Eventually, the bright sunlight shone.

Judgment Day had been avoided.

The Holy Church leadership declared that the belt monster that had rampaged near God Slayer Tower was the Devil and canonized the girls who defeated it, Spica La Gemini and Terakomari Gandesblood.

The people shook with joy.

The warring stopped, and the dark clouds cleared away.

Order returned to the Netherworld.

Perhaps this was but a part of the Fools’ plan.

The Netherworld needed stability to be protected from Star Citadel. The group’s attempts to brand Spica and Terakomari as villains had failed, and as a result, Star Citadel became the symbol of evil instead; they had to be defeated.

“The truth God only knows… A difficult question.”

In the desert, Charles the camel sighed.

The Netherworld’s two suns shone in the sky, with not an eerie star in sight.

There was too much to deal with now.

The unification of the Netherworld under the Holy Church, the newly established communication bridge between the Foreworld and Netherworld, the escaped members of Star Citadel, the remnants of the Fools, and the disappeared boss of Full Moon: Yulinne Gandesblood.

“Umm…” The girl holding Charles’s reins, Kilty Blanc, asked, “Wh-what should we do now? Look for Ms. Yulinne…?”

“Hmm. She should’ve taken us with her…”

Yulinne Gandesblood had vanished without saying a word.

That vampire was foolhardy and capricious. She thought she could solve everything herself.

“Maybe she thought we’d get in her way…”

“We have to look for our boss. She followed Star Citadel into another world, Kilty. Your home world.”

“…”

Kilty stiffened.

The third world. A dark hellscape devastated by Star Citadel.

“Don’t worry.” Charles soothed her while eating grass. “The boss will find them. Maybe she’s defeated them already. That could be why the miasma disappeared.”

“Right.”

“Being pessimistic isn’t good for your mind. Our path should be bright. Even in the middle of the desert, we can overcome anything by working together.”

“…Thank you, Ms. Charlotte.”

“My name’s not Charlotte.”

In any case.

Let us appreciate the Netherworld’s newfound peace.

Bless the girls who saved the world.

Some time passed since Spica and Terakomari had defeated the Devil.

Thanks to the Holy Church, the Netherworld had regained a degree of stability. Word spread that God had averted Judgment Day, and the people began looking to the Holy Church as force for peace. The Holy Lehysian Empire took this opportunity to order a stop to the war in the name of the pope. Conflicts stopped everywhere.

Clenent DIV was a prodigy capable of hearing the voice of God.

The little girl had been a pariah before all this, but now everyone admired her as a symbol of global unity, and the people cheered her name.

“Her Holiness’s prayers defeated the Devil!”

“Her Holiness was trying to defeat the Devil from the very beginning!”

“She’s such a hard worker! Her Holiness Clenent DIV will be the greatest pope in history!”

Everything would be peaceful with Clenent DIV around. There would still be conflict, of course, but a degree of order could be obtained under the glory of God.

However, as for the girl at the head of it all…

“……………………………………………………How did it come to this…?”

Four people were gathered in the Candlestick Hall of the Holy Lehysian Empire’s Cathedral, the little pope’s office.

A small girl cringing on a stupidly huge chair, Clenent DIV.

A Peace Spirit crossing his arms and leaning against the wall, Kakumei Amatsu.

A Warblade lying on the sofa and staring up at the ceiling, Lonne Cornelius.

And a Sapphire reading documents with a neurotic frown on his face, Tryphon Cross.

“Hmm.” Tryphon closed the book. “Everything is going perfectly. The armies have been disarmed, and there is no sign of rebellion. The people’s faith is skyrocketing, and there are bigger and bigger crowds pilgrimaging to Lehysia by the day… Soon enough, the Netherworld will become a peaceful kingdom of God if things keep moving without a hitch.”

“E-excellent! Good job!”

“Your Holiness Clenent DIV, please refrain from acting rashly. The Netherworld is coming together through the power of faith. You must act in a manner worthy of heading it, or the Devil will take over the world again. Not that the Devil really exists, but people’s hearts will break, and war will return.”

“Eep,” Clenent DIV yelped.

Tryphon’s face was scary.

The fact a mistake of hers could end the world was also scary. She couldn’t snack and nap comfortably like this. If the people found out the Holy Church’s head led such a slovenly lifestyle… As Tryphon said, Judgment Day could come again.

I must avoid that…! It rests on my shoulders…!

Clenent DIV steeled her resolve as she looked at the three people in the room.

Spica’s friends—the members of Inverse Moon.

In truth, they were pulling the strings of the Holy Church.

After Liu Luxmio fell into the pit of hell, these three had shown up out of nowhere before Clenent DIV and put a stop to all the wars. They used the pope’s power to elevate the influence of the Holy Church.

Their goal was to maintain stability in the Netherworld (apparently the name of this realm).

Clenent DIV had been skeptical of the trio at first, but now that they really had brought peace to the world, she had to believe them. And even if she didn’t, she had no way of opposing them.

They were way too scary.

They could gobble her up at the slightest show of resistance.

“…Things aren’t perfect, though,” Cornelius, the Warblade in a lab coat, said while staring at the ceiling. “Inverse Moon is done for. We were in better shape than this during the aftermath of the Vampire Riots. Now we don’t even have Her Highness…”

“She entrusted this world to us.” Tryphon sounded tired, which was because he had been working from morning to night. “She hasn’t disappeared. She’s pushing forward to take hold of the future.”

“I guess… But she’s so cold. I wanted to see hell, too.”

They had told Clenent DIV about what happened.

The Spica God had spoken of was Spica La Gemini, who defeated the Devil and journeyed into the giant chasm. Apparently, she left a letter right where the God Slayer Tower had stood.

It read, Take care of the Netherworld until I’m back.

Perhaps that terrorist had foreseen everything from the beginning.

“We must follow our orders. That’s our job as members of Inverse Moon.”

“…Man, I’ve been wondering all along, what’s your endgame? No way you just blindly believe in Her Highness, do you?”

“I believe in Her Highness, but it is but a means. My goal is to use the Dark Cores to revolutionize the world, and I can achieve this by blindly trusting Her Highness. Then I’ll teach Ignat a lesson.”

“Ignat? Who?”

“Excuse me.” Tryphon walked to the door of the Candlestick Hall.

“Hey.” Kakumei Amatsu spoke. “Where are you going? I hope you’re not up to something again.”

“…I’m going to Neoplus. There’s a Gate in the city now, so it will only take a minute.”

“Why?”

“The fox worked under my supervision. As her comrade, I think it’s my duty to tell her about the state of the Netherworld—to tell her the fighting has stopped for now.”

“…”

Amatsu did not hold back Tryphon any further. He watched Tryphon step outside before sighing.

“…Everything’s a mess without Spica La Gemini around.”

“Well, what can we do but follow her orders? In the meantime, I’ll make the Holy Church my base. There’s still some research worth doing in the Netherworld.”

“What a nuisance. Nothing went like it did in the prediction. There’s Full Moon… There’s this Clenent DIV girl…”

Amatsu glanced at the pope.

She trembled.

“Wh-what?! I’m doing my job!”

“…It’s nothing. I’ll get Karla and Terakomari later.”

“Huh…?”

“They’re worried about you. You should hang out with them.”

“Yippee!”

She was tired of being surrounded by dicey individuals.

It was a shame she couldn’t see Spica, but getting to talk with Karla and Terakomari would be great. And they could bring snacks…

Clenent DIV clenched her fists.

They had worked together to defeat the Devil.

Now she had to do her job as pope to make sure their efforts didn’t go to waste.

“Komarin! Komarin! Komarin! Komarin!”

The Holy Lehysian Empire.

Cracks were gouged into the earth, rubble lay everywhere, and the tower was in shambles. The square was terribly scarred from the battle and enveloped in the abnormal fervor of the believers.

They all stared at the stage.

A vampire in a red military uniform was shouting like a sly salesman.

“Feast your eyes! This is the hero who banished the Devil and brought peace to the world! Behold—Commander Terakomari Gandesblood’s official portrait! You may hang it on the wall, worship it, and prostrate yourselves before it! All for the low, low price of one hundred thousand nekas!”

“HAAAIIILLL!!!”

“Komarin! Komarin! Komarin! Komarin!”

The believers raced to take out their wallets.

The vampire, Caostel Conto, held up a painting of a girl with white wings on her back. Terakomari Gandesblood (angel version). As she had been canonized by the Holy Church, the Netherworld believers, and even nonbelievers, all worshipped her.

“Heh-heh… It’s selling like hot cakes. Finally, prosperity comes to the Seventh Unit’s pockets.”

“Caostel,” said dog-faced Bellius anxiously from behind the painting. “Don’t you think this is wrong? Profiting from religion…”

“What are you saying, Bellius?! We’re only selling pictures of our Commander! This has nothing to do with the Holy Church! They don’t think her portrait has religious significance; they only buy it because she’s cute!”

“But she’s portrayed like an angel. That’s pretty unambiguously religious.”

“That has nothing to do with the Holy Church. It’s just cosplay.”

“I call bullshit…” Bellius sighed.

The members of the Seventh Unit were up to their usual antics. No great surprise at this point.

“Little by little, we’ll take over the Netherworld in place of the Holy Church! We’ll build the Holy Terakomari Empire!”

“The Commander wouldn’t let us do that. She may be the Slaughter Champion, but her humble heart is unbefitting of the title.”

“That means we have to boost her up. We can’t just let her stop at becoming the Mulnite Emperor.”

“Caostel! Stop wasting time with your scams.” Blond Yohann Helders ran up to them. “Terakomari and Villhaze aren’t here! We gotta go back, too!”

“But we should gather funds in the Netherworld.”

“Terakomari’s gonna be mad if she finds out you’re selling pictures of her. You don’t get her.”

“And you don’t understand anything, Yohann. After destroying the cannon the other day, you slipped and blacked out. You didn’t even see the Commander’s breathtaking display of power.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“You have no right to call yourself a Komarist.”

“I’ve never called myself that!!”

Yohann ground his teeth and looked down at the angel Terakomari portrait.

“You know that there’s a hole in the air where the tower was. We can move between worlds now.”

“Then go back by yourself.”

“…!” Yohann clenched his fists. “The hole’s too high for me to reach! I’ve been looking for someone to take me this whooooole time! Anyone who can use flight spells or even an Immortal, but there’s no one! Help me look! Forget about making money!”

Caostel laughed out loud.

Yohann launched himself at the other vampire in anger.

Bellius let out another heavy sigh.

The people chanted “Komarin! Komarin!” Among them, Mellaconcey sold the stock of Commander T-shirts.

Terakomari Gandesblood was as popular as ever.

What sort of trouble would she get into next? Excitement grew in Bellius’s chest.

In the Crimson Snow Hut. On a bed.

I sighed softly.

“I’m back…in my world…”

“Lady Komari, I peeled an apple for you. But it looks so tasty, I’m eating it all by myself. Nom, nom.”

“Let me have some!!”

“I’m joking. Here you go.”

The sicko maid fed me a bunny-shaped apple.

So good. It was so tasty that I felt tension drain from my shoulders.

But I wasn’t back to full health just yet.

I was still getting dizzy out of nowhere, and my fingertips were numb. The Blood Curse always came with a price: snatching away my body’s stamina and mana. I thought I’d overcome this as I’d matured over the past few months, but evidently, I’d used it way too many times in the Netherworld.

A few days prior.

After the terrible battle against Liu Luxmio, we were sucked through the portal in the sky into this world—our original world. Vill and I were unconscious by that point, so I don’t remember how it went exactly, but they found us in the open-air bath and treated us at the Crimson Snow Hut.

Dr. Kuya hurried over from the Enchanted Lands to see us and said to stay in bed for a week, rest no matter what, and avoid exerting ourselves for a month.

I immediately started dancing with euphoria.

I got to rest for real! I was free from work!

How could a scholarly intellectual not rejoice?

As I snacked on the apple bunnies, Vill crossed her arms.

“I wonder what Lady Gemini is doing right about now? It’s eerie to think she fell into hell…”

“I’m sure she’s doing fine.”

“It’s beyond selfish of her to up and vanish without making up for her terroristic crimes. The moment she comes back, I’ll switch out all her lollipops for mint-flavored ones.”

“What a petty prank. And what if she likes mint?”

I did wonder about what would happen to her, though.

The little terrorist had wreaked havoc in the Six Nations. You would need a lot more than ten fingers to count the number of people Inverse Moon had immiserated. She had to be punished once she was back—and the most fitting penalty would be to make her realize her paradise. In my opinion, the only way she could atone for her crimes was to create a world where everybody could live in peace.

Either way, I planned on helping her however I could.

And she had already pushed a lot of work on me.

“…We’ll have a bunch of nonsense on our hands again in no time, especially where the future of the Netherworld is concerned.”

“There are no signs of conflict at the moment, but we must keep our eyes peeled. Now that there’s a path between worlds, staying vigilant is even more important.”

“Mmm…”

Spica had made multiple wishes on the Dark Cores.

To seal the hole to hell. To lead Spica La Gemini to Naturia’s side. To send us back to our world. And to allow travel between the Netherworld and the Foreworld.

I chewed an apple slice while looking out the window.

The skies above Frezier were clear.

But about four hundred feet above ground, an anomaly hung in the air. A crack in the fabric of space that looked as if someone had cut it out in the shape of a penta…no, a hexagon.

And on the other side of the hole was an upside-down city.

It was like the netherscreening, the phenomenon I had seen last February. Even from where I was sitting, I could clearly tell the scene was of the ruins where I had fought Luxmio.

That was the giant door Spica left for us.

A path between here and there, and the source of headaches for the world’s leaders.

“…You think Clenny is doing okay? She’s busy leading the Holy Church, right?”

“Yes, the Holy Lehysian Empire is the center for dealing with the aftermath of the war. Fortunately, Tryphon Cross, Lonne Cornelius, and Kakumei Amatsu are serving as the brains of the operation. That little girl can’t lead anything on her own.”

“Amatsu’s fine, I guess, but should we let the others be taking the reins…?”

“At the very least, we can say their presence can’t be good for Clenent DIV’s education. The holy girl might become a killer. Lady Komari, you must guide her to the right path. You’re her mentor.”

“Mentor…?!”

Wh-whoa… I loved the sound of that…

“…I see. I’m her mentor. Yes, I’m her elder, and I have much to teach her.”

“Yes. And as the mentor of the head of the Netherworld, that makes you the head of the head. The whole Netherworld will be under your rule.”

“No.”

“Lieutenant Conto was elated about the whole thing. ‘Finally, the Netherworld is the Commander’s,’ he said. They’re already well underway building the Holy Terakomari Empire.”

“Stop those plans immediately and get Caostel over here!!”

“The Correspondence Crystals won’t work, and the Seventh Unit has already gotten the ball rolling in the Netherworld.”

“AAAHHH!!!”

I clutched my hair and curled into myself.

How can they keep making more anguish for their boss?! They won’t listen! But that’s nothing new. Whatever. I’ll just push all the responsibility onto Vill. I’m too tired to bother right now. Let’s deal with it later.

“Haaah…” I sighed and looked up at the sky again.

Clear skies.

Peace was returning to the Netherworld and the Foreworld.

And so, my long otherworldly journey came to a close.

The mess in the Netherworld had taught me a lot.

Namely, you could become friends with even your enemy by talking things through. I hadn’t been wrong about that. I had gotten close with Fuyao, and even Spica had come to trust me. If you persisted and kept an open dialogue, you could be friends with anyone.

For now, I prayed I would get to meet Spica again.

She was my enemy, my rival, and a friend with the same dreams in mind.

(END)

Afterword

Hello. Kotei Kobayashi here.

I believe the announcements have already been made: The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess is getting a TV anime adaptation! I could’ve never imagined an adaptation back when the first volume was released… We’ve grown, and now we’re here. It’s all thanks to all of you for reading. Thank you so much. I have the same feelings regarding the manga adaptation. I’m in awe when I see how my novels have expanded to other media. I am so thankful. Please look forward to the anime version!

The novels have now reached the double digits… Volume 10. The midpoint that began in Volume 7 concludes here, but things will continue developing. I would be happy if you keep following the series.

Now, the special thanks section.

To riichu, for all the wonderful illustrations, including the new characters. Ryou Hiiragi, for the Komari-chic design as always. Yoten Sugiura, for all the advice in the editing process. Everyone involved in the publication and sales of this book. And my dear readers, for holding it in your hands. I give my biggest and warmest thanks to all of you!

After the midpoint battle comes the Silver Plate battle. But before that, Volume 11 will be a full slice-of-life comedy story. It’s been nonstop battling since they got to the Netherworld; the girls need a rest. But will they really be able to take it easy?

I hope to see you there.

Kotei Kobayashi

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Hikikomari Kyuuketsuki no Monmon Vol 10

Table of Contents

Afterword