Chapter 178

Six Nations News, March 24th Morning Edition DARK CORE BREAKDOWN: ALL IMMORTALS ARE PROHIBITED FROM GOING OUTSIDE The government of the Enchanted Lands announced yesterday that their Dark Core has broken down. Reasons unknown. Chaos broke out all over the Enchanted Lands and the Dark Core Zone as Immortals lost the blessing of infinite recovery. In response, former Tianzi Yizhu Ailan instituted a curfew and declared a national state of emergency. A spatial calamity was also observed at the Zijingong during the time when the Dark Core is believed to have broken down. Multiple attendees of the coronation disappeared. Among the vanished are the new Tianzi, Her Majesty Terakomari Gandesblood, and her Empress, Her Majesty Lingzi Ailan, bringing tremendous turmoil to the Enchanted Lands’ administration. The international community is facing the problem with gravitas and will hold a Six Nations Council in Jingshi. All Immortals are advised to stay at home until the government issues a new announcement. You will not be coming back if you die. “Good morning, Lady Komari. It’s a beautiful day.” My mind surfaced from the sea of slumber. Huh? What was I doing? I remember…going to the Enchanted Lands. Fighting Nerzanpi. Saving Lingzi’s life. Then there was the wedding and the coronation, and I was so lost already, and then… “Still sleepy, are we? Allow me to join you, then. Lend me your cute little tummy as a pillow… Oh, the softness… Should I suck your blood while we’re at it…?” “WHOOOA?!” I launched myself up and away from danger like a firework. A girl couldn’t stop to think for a second in Vill’s presence, sheesh. Even someone as magnanimous and composed as I couldn’t help but get annoyed. “Shoo! If you dare suck even one drop of my blood, I’m gonna demand a month of vacation in reparations!” “Always a blessing to witness your hot and cold tendencies. However, I believe we have graver matters at hand right now…?” “What could be graver than your perversion?” I looked around as Vill urged. We were in a thick woodland. The early spring breeze shook the treetops with a pleasant rustling of the leaves. It was then I realized I had been lying on the ground. I brushed the leaves and dirt off my uniform. “Uhhh, Vill. Where are we? Not a battlefield, like you usually have me wake up in, surely?” “This is the Netherworld.” “…Excuse me??” “The Willow Sword, the Dark Core of the Enchanted Lands, shattered to pieces. When the power contained within it was released, we were spirited away to the Netherworld. I surmise this is the same thing that happened back in the Mulnite Palace during the Vampire Riots. But in that case, your pendant…” The memories came back to me in a torrent. The crack on the Dark Core, the look of despair on Lingzi’s face, the gushing flashes of light. And the feeling of being sucked up as Vill and I were transported here. This isn’t the time to be sleeping on the ground! “Bad news—there don’t seem to be settlements nearby.” The leaves rustled behind me as Nelia Cunningham revealed herself. Huh? Nelia? Why? I tilted my head while she wiped the sweat off her forehead. “We’d just get hungry staying here. We should move.” “I see. So we’re sure this isn’t the Enchanted Lands, then?” Vill asked. “This isn’t even our world. I think you were right; this is the Netherworld… Come on, Esther. Stop crying.” “Yes… No… I’m not crying…” I looked behind Nelia in shock. There stood the ponytailed vampire Esther. Something was off about her. She was normally so bold, but now she looked like a kid who’d been left behind in a game of hide-and-seek. Our eyes met. She looked at me like God had descended to hell. “You’re awake…!” “Huh? Um, yeah. Morning.” “Commanderrrrrrrr!!” Esther rushed up to me. She brought her wet eyes close to mine. What’s with you, seriously? I can’t imagine anything but the literal end of the world making you look like that… “What should I do?! This wasn’t in the Military Academy’s curriculum!!” “What is a ‘curriculum’?” “I don’t know what you’re supposed to do when you get transported to another world!!” “Don’t worry about that, Esther. No one does.” “But Ms. Vill…! This wasn’t in my schedule, either…” “Can’t you live without a manual?! A real soldier needs the flexibility to adapt!” Nelia said. “I’m sorry…” Esther hung her head. I had a dreadful feeling. “…Are we really in another world?” I turned to Vill. “Most likely. Look at the trees over there. Those are Arukan cedars, which were supposed to have gone extinct three hundred years ago. The Warblades eradicated them after excessive lumbering for their buildings.” “Wha…? So we’re three hundred years in the past?” “We don’t know. But the Arukan cedars aren’t the only strange thing here. Look at that flower over there—it’s not in the encyclopedias. I would definitely like to take a sample, as a poison aficionado.” “Commander, look up. Are those…two suns?” I looked up at the sky as Esther asked. I scrunched up my face and narrowed my eyes at the light. There did seem to be two bright stars in the sky. But why? Had Mr. Sun found a girlfriend while I wasn’t looking? “No, it can’t be. I must be seeing things.” “Yeah. You’re tired, Esther.” “Yes… Of course!” Esther ran away from reality. I was only acting normal thanks to everyone being here with me; I’d be losing my mind if I were alone. I was worried sick about Lingzi and everyone else, though. “Vill, is it just us four here?” “Yes. Lady Lingzi and Lady Meihua are nowhere to be found. Although I’m sure they were bathed in the Dark Core’s light at the same time as us…” “There must be an element of randomness to the teleportation,” Nelia said in bitter remembrance. “Esther and I were heading over to meet Komari when a light overtook us all of a sudden. It must’ve chosen people within its range at random and sent them to an arbitrary location. Maybe they’re somewhere else in the Netherworld.” “That’s terrible!” Esther blanched. “So we’re…lost?” “That’s a good way to put it. We have no method of getting back.” “We can’t use teleportation magic, either. I imagine the mana doesn’t reach all the way there,” Vill said. “Eep!” Esther shrieked like a mouse before collapsing. I looked after her while thinking about our situation. This whole thing was incomprehensible. Throwing a tantrum wouldn’t solve anything this time, that’s for sure. Stay calm, Terakomari Gandesblood. Don’t forget what happened in the Enchanted Lands. My lack of consideration had cost me Lingzi once. I could’ve come up with a way to save her if I had thought harder about it—simply charging ahead without a plan hadn’t solved anything. I could not repeat the tragedy of the Matrimonial War. I’m a scholarly intellectual. My hermit tendencies have brought me the utmost rationality: the ultimate brainpower. There HAS to be a way for us to get out of this dilemma. “Vill! Let me suck your blood!” “““Wha—???””” All three girls opened their eyes wide. I ignored them and put my hands on Vill’s shoulders. “You gotta see the future! Maybe that will tell us what to do!” It was an excellent plan, if I did say so myself. Her Core Implosion, Pan… What was it again? Anyway, Vill’s power was the key to getting us out of here. Yet for some unfathomable reason, she fidgeted, red in the face. Quit being so embarrassed! We have no time to lose! “Hey!” Nelia cut in between us. “There’s no need for you to do it. I’ll do it.” “But you’re a Warblade. Vampire blood won’t be good for your tummy.” “Ugh… Then, Esther! You suck Villhaze’s blood!” “I could never! The Military Academy forbids sexual relationships!” “You’re not having sex, and this isn’t the academy! You’re a vampire! Do it!” It had to be me after all. I looked at Vill again. She seemed to have relaxed a little bit. “…So we’re using my Core Implosion to decide what to do, yes?” “Yeah. Please get us out of this.” “Very well. In that case, there’s something I must tell you first.” Her cheeks were still flushed as a serious expression came to her face. “There are two variants of the ranges I can see with Pandora’s Poison. The first variant lets me see the long-term future. The second lets me see the short-term future and use a time-lag attack, Future Bomb. What we need now is the former, but the problem is that I can only use it once every five or so days.” “You never mentioned that.” “I only measured it recently and forgot to tell you about it. I’m sorry.” I wasn’t asking for an apology. It’s my fault for not having the least interest in your power. I couldn’t even remember what it was called… My ignorance is laughable at this point. “No, I should’ve asked. I’ll try to be more mindful going forward.” “That’s wonderful to hear. I shall do the same, as well. Back on topic, I think we must choose the moment to use Pandora’s Poison very carefully.” “Gotcha. That makes sense.” “Also, I can only see one point in the future with it. I’m afraid it won’t be as useful as you hope.” So it wasn’t as omnipotent as I’d thought. Still…we had to rely on her. “Our first step will be huge. I think now’s the time. Would you look at one week in the future?” “I understand.” Vill nodded. “Then allow me the time to prepare mentally. I’ll need about three hours of meditation to coll— Aiiieee?!” I ignored her silliness and bit her neck. “Lady Komari…!” the maid screamed as I slurped her blood. My sight was dyed red. Core Implosion: Blood Curse… But my mind was calm like still water. Burning mana overflowed, but I kept myself in check. I gently drew my mouth away from her skin. Vill’s eyes and face were beet red. “What do you see?” I asked. Nelia and Esther gulped behind us. Vill remained silent for a while. “Ahhh,” she sighed. “Lady Komari…” Her face turned from red to blue. An air of dread. From the trembling of her fingers, I already had an idea of what she’d seen. Vill hesitated for a moment before stating the unbelievable prophecy. “In one week…you will die…by my side…like in deep slumber…” A literal death sentence. My lips trembled. “Don’t lie.” “I’m not.” “Tell me the truth.” “I just did.” The shock made my crimson mana subside. My adventure in the Netherworld had gotten off to the most terrible of starts. Our plan was set: don’t die. “Wait… That’s the same plan as always.” “It’s not the same. I believe the Dark Core doesn’t reach us here, so death would be for real.” “What?! And now you’re coming up with this story about me dying in seven days?” We marched through the gloom across the Netherworld forest. Supposedly extinct Arukan cedars were everywhere. According to Vill’s prediction, I would die in a week. No details. Only that I would draw my last breath in peace by Vill’s side. The readings of Pandora’s Poison weren’t absolute, of course. The future could be changed through action. But…I still felt like there was a knife to my throat. “You don’t get it.” Nelia chuckled. “Think of it the other way around. That means you won’t die for at least a week, Komari. Less brooding and more walking. We’ll come up with what to do next once we get out of this forest.” “Yeah… You’re right…” No, wait. But I just said the future could be changed. I can’t be sure I’ll be all right for one week. I could still die sooner than that. “Lady Komari? What are you plucking?” “Horsetail. I think we can have this for dinner…” I held back the tears while grabbing an armful of horsetail. Awww, why did this happen to me…? I was gonna have a snack party with Sakuna in the safety of my home tonight. “You can’t eat that raw. Esther, can you cook it with fire magic?” “About that… It seems like there’s something wrong with my magic,” Esther replied with worry. Around her floated the frightful Chain Metal, shivering as though it would fall at any moment. “I can’t control my weapon very well. What could this mean?” “There’s no mana supply from the Dark Core. I can’t get my twin blades going, either,” Nelia said. “No, but mana should be all over nature. That’s how we can still use magic outside the area of effect of our Dark Cores. But I can’t feel anything here…” Nelia frowned. “…Mana normally comes from outside sources. We still have some in our bodies from our world, but we won’t be able to use magic if we run out of it.” Forget about cooking the horsetail, we’re cooked! That means we can’t do anything but hide in the shadows like pill bugs if we come across any enemies. “It’s okay, Lady Komari.” Vill rubbed her cheek against mine. Stop. “I will protect you. I fight with poison to begin with, not magic.” “Thanks, but please get off me. It’s hot.” “Apologies. I just feel like you’ll up and vanish if I don’t stay so close to you…” “…?” Are you afraid of the prediction? Or just anxious about being in this weird place? Either way, Vill was only a sixteen-year-old girl. Of course she’d be afraid. “Don’t worry.” I patted her head. “I won’t die. So ease up and follow me.” “Lady Komari…!” Vill wiped her eyes for some reason. “Ahhh, I can’t believe it. You’ve grown so much… It feels like only yesterday that you couldn’t go to sleep without sucking on my thumb.” “I’ve never done that.” “I vow to remain at your side so long as I live. I’ll cling to you like we’re two kids in a trench coat.” “Geez, I show you the smallest bit of human decency and you take advantage of it! Get off me!” You made me drop all the horsetail, darn it. Just then, the wind blew, and the trees rustled. A strange butterfly fluttered in front of us. “Wait.” Nelia, leading the pack, came to a halt. Vill kneaded my arm like flour as I stopped, too. “…What’s up? Should we go the other way?” “No. Can’t you hear that?” A metallic ringing echoed. “Waaah!” Esther shrieked and crouched down. She’d run out of mana to control Chain Metal. Now she could no longer swing her weapon around. The sound. I listened carefully. The rustling of the trees. Something breaking. And a scream. “Someone’s getting attacked!” Nelia grabbed the hilt of her sword and took off in a sprint. “Let’s go, Lady Komari.” My maid pulled me behind her. Esther followed us like a duckling heading after its parent. We carefully made our way through the trees. I could hear the noise clearly now and feel the tension in the air. People were fighting. “Stop.” Nelia spread her arms. We hid in the bushes and looked ahead. “Wha…?” A carriage was turned over, leaning against a tree. Right next to it sat a totally average girl. She sighed in pain with every move she made. Her shoulder was bleeding lightly. Surrounding her was a group of men in anachronistic armor, like knights from a novel. But this wasn’t fiction. They glared at the girl with murder in their eyes. “That emblem on their armor… That’s the Aruka Kingdom’s.” Nelia gasped, eyes wide. The Aruka Kingdom? That’s the country Nelia was the princess of, right? Does that mean we really have traveled back in time? The moment the question popped into my mind, the wounded girl shouted: “Just try it if you can, you Arukan brutes!” She looked younger than me. Her hair was blue like the sky. “Kill me, and the Empire will take matters into their own hands! Do you want to throw your families to the fire, too?!” The armored men kept inching closer. “A-all right! You want money, then?! I’ll pay you as much as you want, so just give up and go away for now! Then we’ll both be at pea—” One of the men threw a knife, which cut a smooth gash in the girl’s cheek. I almost screamed out. It was no lethal wound, but it had drawn blood. The girl went pale as she realized there was no chance for negotiations. “S-stop! There’s no point doing this! Please! Stay back!” The armored men kept silent, but I could still tell they were intent on slaughtering their prey. …What the heck? How did we come across such a disaster the moment we wandered into the Netherworld? I looked at my friends with a pleading expression. Nelia narrowed her eyes in thought. Vill was giving the blue girl a blank stare. Esther looked back at me with tears in her eyes. “Commanderrrr! What do we do?! Are those army men? Wouldn’t trying to help her incite a war? Intruding on a fight goes against the Imperial Military Law…” “I don’t give a crap about war or the law!” I clenched my fist and took the leap of a lifetime. I had no idea what was going on, but I couldn’t allow violence to happen on my watch. “You there! Why are you ganging up on a little—?” The moment I stood up, my foot got caught on a tree root. “Whoooa?!” I tripped comically. “Commander?!” “Komari?!” “Lady Komari!!” my friends shouted. For the love of… This was my time to shine… As the misery took over me, a silly sound effect echoed—whammo! I hugged the ground while everyone looked at me. “…” I couldn’t lift my face from the sheer pain and embarrassment. What the heck? I muster my courage, and all I get for it is a memory to cry over in bed? I could only hope I really was in bed already and about to wake. “Who are you?!” The armored men broke their silence and unsheathed their swords as they looked at us. They lost no time in jumping us, as though they’d been ordered to take anyone down on sight. Clearly, if I didn’t stand up, the only sleep I would be getting was of the eternal variety. That same moment, Nelia and Vill came back to themselves. They ran low to the ground at the enemy before the knights could begin their attack in full. “Diverse Divide.” Nelia’s eyes glowed scarlet. A pink flash struck the man heading for me. That was enough to send him flying away with a muffled scream. Still, they had the numerical advantage. There were about a dozen left. I figured I’d better join the fight and grabbed the nearest weapon I could find (a stick), but then Vill shouted as she spun her kunai in her hand. “Don’t worry, Lady Komari. We’ll take care of them. You can stand back and watch.” “Do as Vill said! Go somewhere safe with Esther!” Nelia yelled. That reminded me of my subordinate. Esther was mumbling to herself, “My Chain Metal… My Chain Metal…” She couldn’t fight like normal due to the lack of mana. “Esther! Let’s run away!” “I—I can’t! The Seventh Unit rules state that withdrawing merits the death penalty!” “There’s no such rule!” “There is! Lieutenant Helders told me so!” “That idiot’s just duping the newbies!” I had to remember to give him a stern talking-to later. That rule was over. I pulled Esther by the hand and hid behind a rock. A grand battle was taking place on the other side. Shrill screams echoed with every swing of Nelia’s blades, and nasty vomits with every burst of Vill’s poison smoke. They could probably handle it by themselves, but I couldn’t stay still. I also had the power to fight. “Esther! Let me suck your blood!” “Fweh?” I put my hands on her shoulders and shouted: “I don’t wanna use my Core Implosion so frequently…but I can’t just stand by while they fight! Please!” “Wh…wha…? N-no!” Esther looked away, red like a strawberry for whatever reason. …Huh? What’s with that reaction? “I think you’re strong enough as is, Commander!” “Umm… I mean, yeah, but I can be even more powerful if I suck your blood!” “No! I’ve never done that before…” “Gah…” Enough wasting time! “This is an order! Let me suck your blood, Esther!” “?!?!” Her whole body stiffened up like a nail. I didn’t like resorting to my authority, but lives were at stake here. “Roger…” Esther saluted with a barely audible reply. The duty to follow her superiors’ orders had been engraved into her very core. She shut her eyes tight. I locked on to her sweaty neck and slowly drew my face closer. “Lady Komari, I told you to stand back and watch.” ““Waaah?!”” Esther and I screamed in unison. The maid had appeared out of the blue from a puff of dark mist. “Vill?! And the enemy?! The battle?!” “We already defeated them. Look.” Vill pointed with her chin at the piles of unconscious armored men. The girl was fine, too. She was clutching Vill’s clothes while giving Esther and me a look of confusion. “Th-thank goodness! So no one’s hurt?” “Not physically. To think you would cheat on me while I was fighting for my—for our lives. This cannot stand. I demand you suck me dry in apology.” “We don’t have time for your jokes, Villhaze. The girl is hurt.” Nelia approached while sheathing her swords. Everyone looked at the girl hiding behind the maid. “Um,” Vill said timidly, “it’s okay now. We’ve taken care of those men… Or do you want something from me?” The sky-blue girl clung to Vill. Hey, I get it. Those guys almost killed you a second ago. “I-I’m sorry.” She quickly took a step away from Vill, but her eyes stayed locked on the sicko maid. It was like she had just met her Prince Charming… Hmm? What’s the meaning of this? “Er, thank you for saving me… My name is Colette Lumiere. Could you tell me yours?” she said, introducing herself with a trembling voice. Colette did not take her eyes off Vill. And she was still holding her hand. I had to stop myself from warning Colette not to touch Vill so much, lest the maid’s degeneracy rub off on her. Vill was unusually taken aback. “My name is Villhaze. I am her—Lady Terakomari Gandesblood’s—loyal servant.” “Villhaze… What a…wonderful name…” Colette’s eyes shone bright. She stared intently at Vill as her cheeks turned rosy.