Chapter 174

Six Nations News, March 23rd Morning Edition COMMANDER GANDESBLOOD TAKES THE TITLE OF TIANZI His Majesty the Tianzi of the Enchanted Lands announced on the 22nd that he would be abdicating his title to Terakomari Gandesblood, Crimson Lord of the Mulnite Empire. Commander Gandesblood emerged victorious in the Matrimonial War held on the 21st and swiftly suppressed the riots instigated by Minister of Military Secrets Nerzanpi Rocha. In a press conference, His Majesty the Tianzi declared, “The Immortals of the Enchanted Lands overwhelmingly support Terakomari—she deserves the title. I could not have found a worthier partner for my daughter and successor.” Ms. Gandesblood declined the position three times before she finally accepted. The dynastic cycle has ended, and the Enchanted Lands switches from the Ailan dynasty to the Gandesblood dynasty. Ms. Gandesblood has been welcomed as the spouse of the former dynasty’s Gongzhu, Her Highness Lingzi, becoming the founder of a new generation. Rainbow pillars of five colors appeared throughout the Enchanted Lands to herald and welcome the succession. We can all look forward to Commander Komarin’s bright future. “Hmmm. Things sure are getting interesting!” Spica La Gemini laughed as she tossed the newspaper aside. She elegantly sipped a cup of blood-infused coffee on a terrace 165 feet above ground, on a giant skyscraper in Jingshi. Cannon salutes went off in the distance. Everyone in the Floral Capital was celebrating. Tianzi Yizhu Ailan was retiring, and his successor was vampire girl Terakomari Gandesblood. And the celebration wasn’t confined to Jingshi. The announcement had taken everyone in the Six Nations by surprise. “Terakomari has made an ally of another country. Do you think we can afford to stay behind much longer?” “It’s not a race. Inverse Moon only needs to fulfill its goals.” “That makes sense! And I will win, so there’s no need to worry!” “…” The man in eastern clothing sat across the table from Spica with an awkward look on his face. Kakumei Amatsu. A Peace Spirit who held the title of Luna, top brass of Inverse Moon. “Either way, the Enchanted Lands is a nice place! This takes me back! This was a raging battlefield back in the day. And by that, I mean thirty generations before yours.” “Hah. Sure is different to be a six-hundred-year-old child.” “Yup! I’m your elder by a ton! So if you ever need someone to pamper you, come to your big sister here. I’ll pat your head.” “Big sister? More like great-great-grea— Blegh!” Amatsu spat out his coffee and fell into a coughing fit. The drink soaked into the tablecloth. “You fell for it!” yelled Spica with a wide grin. “I mixed my blood in it. You really can’t stand the stuff, huh?” “No Peace Spirit can.” Amatsu wiped his mouth and sighed. “Now, why did you come all the way here, Your Highness?” “To check on the Starquake Agency.” “Couldn’t turn a blind eye to Shikai Gudo’s misdeeds? You have a surprisingly strong sense of justice, you know?” “Nice joke. I’ll give you some candy for it later.” Spica smiled as she summoned something. A strange object fell on the table. A giant bracelet… No, a necklace? It looked like a simple metal ring. Six giant spheres were incrusted around it, glowing blue. “What is this? A giant rosary?” “Are you going to find someone to hold this thing with you and pray? That’d be funny! Introduce me if you do—but no. This is a Divine Instrument I stole from the Starquake Agency. Every ball is an armillary sphere. It’s an antique used to read the movement of the stars.” Spica stroked a sphere merrily as she continued. “Did you know that the Starquake Agency’s official purpose was to research star movement? Of course, this was just a front to continue the research of the Daydream Paradise. Its real purpose was to produce Baolu. But originally, it was supposed to be a place for studying the cosmos.” “Right back to the starting point.” “Everything is a circle—but well, Shikai Gudo twisted it. Still, Starquake Ministers throughout history have devoted themselves to researching the stars, along with protecting this Divine Instrument, the Nightsky Ring. They’ve been doing this for six hundred years. That means this rosary is an ultra-rare treasure, and not just on an Enchanted Lands scale—but all six nations.” “What do you use it for?” “You don’t know what armillary spheres are for? You use them to learn the names of the stars. That way, you can rattle them off while looking at the night sky with your sweetheart.” Spica cackled. She sure had a knack for saying pointless drivel. Each of the six armillary spheres looked had a different constellation engraved on it. And Amatsu only recognized two. The sky of this world, and the sky of the Netherworld. He had never seen the other four. “To be more specific, this is our map to a great journey. Our guide to fulfill Inverse Moon’s goal. I got to steal it easy-peasy thanks to Meihua Liang and Nelia Cunningham exposing the Starquake Agency. Shikai Gudo, Nerzanpi Rocha, Terakomari Gandesblood—they were all dancing on the palm of my hand. And they’re all happy, ignorant of the fact they were being used. How adorable! They’re so cute I could suck their blood.” “We should be wary of Nerzanpi’s organization. They could end up using us instead if we’re not careful.” “Yup. The other reason I came to the Enchanted Lands is to meet with her.” Spica threw a sugar cube in her coffee. “But that didn’t happen. The Minister of Military Secrets was captured by the Mulnite Empire. And it would be such a pain to infiltrate the Imperial Capital again, so I gave up.” “Did you find evidence of anyone besides her?” “No. I walked in the direction of the Dusky Venus, but I found no one. I guess only Nerzanpi was here.” “Speaking of Star Citadel, what do you think of them, your highness?” “We gotta kill ’em!” Spica exclaimed gleefully. “Those villains destroyed our utopia. They’re trying to extinguish all humanity. Even the ones with pure hearts—the shut-ins! I will not renounce murder. Sometimes, you need to sacrifice people to achieve things—which is precisely why we must be choosy about who we kill! Yet Star Citadel doesn’t understand that basic notion! My wishes won’t come true with those berserkers around.” “I see. Indeed.” “Yusei herself is devastating my boxed garden. We need to kill her as soon as possible. That’s why we need to break the Dark Cores and open the door to the Netherworld… By the way, Amatsu.” Spica shot him a testing glare. “Did you find out what the Enchanted Lands’ Dark Core is?” “No. The Ailan dynasty hid it cleverly.” “You lie.” More cannon salutes went off, celebrating the coronation of Terakomari Gandesblood. “Your role was infiltrating the Enchanted Lands to uncover their Dark Core’s secret. There’s no way THE Kakumei Amatsu would come back without anything to show for it.” “You overestimate me.” “I’m not kidding! But you keep being sneaky! That’s why Tryphon doesn’t like you! Though I must admit that I like your spy-like character.” “…” “I trailed you, Amatsu. I know that the Enchanted Lands’ Dark Core is the nearly-broken Willow Sword. Guess they managed to pull it out of Lingzi Ailan’s chest.” “Don’t say…” “I’m not gonna do anything. There’s no need to, in any case.” Amatsu’s expression darkened. In contrast, Spica’s eyes shone like stars. She took a blood candy out of her pocket and put it in her mouth with a childlike grin. “Can’t wait to see what happens!” As if reacting to her emotions, the stars of the Nightsky Ring glowed. How was Lingzi saved? The only thing I could say was that Lingzi Ailan was registered to the Mulnite Empire’s Dark Core. Her illness was cured in the Dark Core Zone thanks to Mulnite’s Dark Core’s mana. Come to think of it, the Dark Cores weren’t discriminatory in who they healed. Bellius was a dog, after all, and he’d come back to life again and again with the rest of the Seventh Unit. But anyways, I didn’t know much about how the system worked. What mattered was that a miracle happened. Lingzi’s wounds healing also meant that she could stop using Core Implosion for the first time in ten years. Without the protection of the Late Monarch’s Guidance, the Enchanted Land’s Dark Core quickly crumbled. According to the Zijingong’s Immortals, it would shatter completely in one week. Apparently, this was the period of functionality it had saved after ten years of Lingzi’s Core Implosion. That backup was a blessing, too. During that week, Lingzi healed entirely—and decided to become the bearer again and resume using the Late Monarch’s Guidance. “It’s something only I can do. Something I must do.” There were many downsides to losing the Dark Core. Still, the Tianzi and the rest of the Enchanted Lands’ top brass weren’t sure what to think of the decision. Lingzi would fall ill eventually by becoming the bearer again, and everyone felt bad about binding her to her duty once more. That said, Lingzi was assertive. She stated she would not do anything related to the Ailan dynasty besides maintaining the Dark Core. She would prioritize doing what she pleased. She also assured there was no need to be pessimistic about her illness. She would use the Late Monarch’s Guidance for a set time to save up the Dark Core’s backup. Then she would stop her Core Implosion and heal in Mulnite. She said she could keep the Willow Sword intact by repeating that cycle. That didn’t change the fact there wasn’t anyone to become the bearer after her, though. Tianzi Yizhu Ailan said he had no intention of raising a next generation. That meant the Enchanted Lands would eventually lose its Dark Core. The Immortals needed to think of a way around it when the time came—but that day was still far off. Lingzi got her freedom. She didn’t have to be burdened anymore. She could live however she wanted. And she’d won that future herself, with her own willpower. As it turned out, that thing about Lingzi lacking strength of will wasn’t true. It just so happened she felt strongly about having a normal life instead of being the Tianzi. Her wish was just as powerful as Nelia’s or Karla’s. It was wonderful. It also gave me hope. Maybe if I kept a mind of steel and was steadfast in my determination, then maybe I, too, would one day be able to quit my job. That aside, for now, I just had to focus on supporting Lingzi. ……… …… …No, hold on a sec. I think there’s a few things I’m still missing? “Congratulations, Lady Komari, on becoming the Tianzi.” “WHY?!?!?!” “This here is the symbol of the Tianzi, passed down through generations of the Ailan Dynasty: the Imperial Seal.” “What am I supposed to do with this?!” The Tianzi’s abode, the Zijingong. I grabbed my hair in a room of a building that managed to stay standing. I was about to be in this mysterious event they called my “coronation ceremony.” The Tianzi said it was only natural, as I would be his successor, but I had no idea what was natural about this whole thing. “This isn’t right! I’m a vampire! How can I be the head of the Enchanted Lands?!” “You never know until you try. And besides, take a look at the results of this survey Six Nations News conducted in the capital: ten thousand people out of ten thousand agree with your coronation. You have an approval rating of one hundred percent, Lady Komari.” “This is clearly a hoax!!” Outside, the Seventh Unit guys chanted, “Komarin! Komarin!” They were celebrating my coronation. I couldn’t get Caostel’s wicked sneer out of my head. “At last, the preparations to take over the Enchanted Lands are in place,” he said. “Komari… I’m sorry about all of this…,” Lingzi Ailan said, casting her eyes down. She went red in the face and fidgeted, then looked at me. “Umm… My father said that your coronation is the natural legal conclusion.” “Well, your law sounds whack.” “It’s not whack.” Meihua sighed. “It’s nothing strange for you to succeed the Tianzi. I mean, you are officially married to Lingzi.” “Hold on, Lady Meihua. May I see the papers confirming this? I have a bonfire to ignite.” “Put that match away! Control yourself!” “But it’s not fair! Even if it is in name only, I will not allow you to marry anyone other than me, Lady Komari, not even if hell freezes over! I’ve already used Pandora’s Poison to see our future together! We have a nice, happy family! So come! You may kiss the bride!” “Get off of me!! Shoo!!” I shoved Vill away and backed off. The maid was as nutty as ever, but I felt her confusion. I mean, I didn’t even know when when me and Lingzi had gotten hitched. Meihua said it happened the moment I won the Matrimonial War. Apparently, that’s how their laws worked. I’d gone past the point of return without even knowing it. “I-it’s okay, Komari. You’re only married according to Enchanted Lands law. As far as the Mulnite Empire goes, you are still single.” “I don’t get the logic… But that aside, what am I gonna do about the coronation?” “Well…if you manage to convince my father, and the people, and the law…” Too many people (and concepts?!) to convince! “Lady Lingzi, allow me to have a serious discussion here with you.” Vill cleared her throat and gave her a cool-headed glance. “I will ignore the marriage entirely. It is fate that Lady Komari and I marry sooner or later. In fact, we have strict plans to whisper sweet nothings to each other as we indulge in gazing at the starry sky.” “Are you being serious?” I interjected. “So, I will ask only about the coronation. Will Lady Komari truly become the Enchanted Lands’ Tianzi? Even though she hasn’t even become the Mulnite empress yet?” “What do you mean yet? I am NOT becoming empress.” “Don’t worry, Komari. We’re going to hold the coronation…but you haven’t earned the title yet. Perhaps if you throw a tantrum…” My only choice is to act like a baby? I couldn’t say that throwing tantrums had gotten me anywhere before… Well, I could give a try at yelling “I don’t wanna be the Tianzi!” with all my might. That strategy had worked pretty well for Lingzi. I couldn’t let myself go with the flow! Anyway, I was a tiny bit relieved. I felt like I had taken one step forward in my mission: helping those in need—and uniting the world. And yeah, I had to do that because my mom had asked me to, but I genuinely wanted the world to come together. I wanted to help people in pain like Lingzi. I wanted to cheer up people who were suffering like I had during my days as a shut-in. That way, I could meet my mom again with my head held high. The Mulnite Empire, the Aruka Republic, the Heavenly Paradise, and the Enchanted Lands had been taken care of. The missing pieces were the Polar Union and the Lapelico Kingdom. Mulnite’s relationships with those two countries weren’t bad per se, but… I just had this feeling things would be tricky with them, and my hunches were usually right. I sighed before looking at Lingzi and Vill again. “All right, all right. I’ll go meet the Tianzi.” “Yeah. I’ll go with you,” said Lingzi. “I’ll be by your side, Lady Komari. I’ll expose the extent of your sloth to His Majesty and crush all his expectations. I’ll explain how you still cannot eat your bell peppers at this age. I’ll tell him all about the list of diseases you keep on hand to get sick days off. I’ll recount to him that time you went to the bathroom late at night and thought a tree branch outside the window was a ghost, and you cried your eyes out.” “You keep your mouth shut!!” I yelled as I walked away. Everything was settled for now. I just had to stop this coronation and go back to my safe indoor life—or so I thought, unaware of what awaited us. “Hmm…? Lady Lingzi?” Vill said in surprise. Meihua gasped. The workings of heaven were inexplicable. We had a week of backup? Who’d decided that? Lingzi’s chest was shining. She quickly put her hands in her clothes to take it out. The Willow Sword was already in shambles. It glowed in signal of its last moments. Lingzi was on the verge of tears. “Ah… The Dark Core…” Everyone was bewildered at the fact. The sound of glass breaking echoed. And the Willow Sword burst into pieces. The shards turned into light dust and spilled out of Lingzi’s hands. Vill and I could only watch in shock. A strong flash exploded from the center of the broken Dark Core. One of the six was lost at last… And the despairing silence only lasted for one second. It must have been just like this during the vampire riots. The door to the Netherworld opened. I felt my body being pulled. “Whoa…” “Lady Komari! Hold on to me! No, I’ll hold on to you!” “Stop taking advantage of the situation to grope me! Don’t you see this is not the— WAAAH?!” I felt ashamed of myself for thinking I only had the Polar Union and the Lapelico Kingdom left. My hunches never worked during tests back when I was in school. Resistance was futile. Before I knew it, the light was already sucking me in. And so, I was transported somewhere else.