Chapter 181

The wind blew. The Empress looked behind her. As Karla waited with bated breath for whatever was going to happen, the clouds formed a shadow that rapidly grew three-dimensionally, taking human form. Karla gasped. It was similar to the presence she’d felt at the Crimson Snow Hut in Frezier. “Pipe down. How could you argue like kids at a time like this?” The voice of a woman with a fuzzy echo came from the shadow, as though her words were being transmitted from another realm. The Empress ignored the others’ shocked faces and introduced her. “This is Kilty Blanc. A little while ago, she showed up and told me she wanted to explain the situation to the council. She has much to tell us.” “Who is she, though? This doesn’t seem like a magical phenomenon…,” said the vice president of Aruka. “She’s from the Netherworld, apparently. I just met her, but I can confirm this, since she had intel only someone from there could… She also met Komari in the hot springs town of Frezier. You know about this, don’t you, Karla?” “Yes. I didn’t meet her, but Ms. Komari explained things to me. But aren’t you only able to appear in Frezier, Kilty?” “The door opened,” the shadow said. “Jingshi’s connection to the Netherworld was restored after the Dark Core collapsed, allowing people like me to come and go.” “Pardon me saying this, but…you don’t seem quite like a person.” “I didn’t cross the door physically. I’m only sending my shadow to your side. My body is in the Netherworld.” Komari had told Karla that Kilty belonged to an unknown race called the Shades, who could send their shadows to other worlds. A question popped into Karla’s head. “…But why don’t you come in person now that the door is open?” “Crossing that door would mean suicide.” Kilty looked at the door in the ruins of the Zijingong. The mysterious white light. Karla felt something ominous about its aura. “Normally, it should be connected to a precise coordinate in the Netherworld, but I believe Terakomari, Nelia Cunningham, Leona Flatt, and Prohellya Butchersky were all sent to different locations. At the very least, they haven’t shown up where they were supposed to. Basically, they’re lost. And we don’t even know if they’re dead or alive.” “Wha…?!” Chills ran down Karla’s spine. The shadow continued without compassion: “That door is broken. The reason for this is clear—the meteorite that Terakomari Gandesblood summoned on Jingshi. Since ancient times, it’s been said that the movements of the stars affect all creation. The impact of the meteorite must have warped the door. This means there’s no guarantee anyone would be safe crossing it.” The image of her dear friends in great pain and distress came to mind. Komari’s case was particularly troublesome. Someone had to watch over her. The previous Goddess had appeared in Karla’s dreams and told her to support Komari. “What’re you getting at?! Are you saying we can’t send a survey team?!” the chicken yelled. “That’s right. You could very well die if you crossed that door. You wouldn’t want to send your people to their deaths, would you?” “Agh…!! Leona…!!” The prince clenched his fists and hung his head. Aruka’s vice president raised his head as though he had just thought of a solution and looked at Karla. “Lady Amatsu, I heard you have the power to turn back time.” “What…?” “Lady Nelia told me. Wouldn’t you be able to fix the door that way?” “Really?! Please, Heavenly Paradise girl!!” The vice president and the chicken stared at her with hope in their eyes. The general secretary also gave her a piercing, testing glance. Koharu felt her master’s fear and put her hand in her pocket as she glared back at them. Karla lowered her gaze. The vice president and chicken aside…the Sapphire looked like he was after something deeper. “Can you do it, Karla?” the Empress asked. “Huh? Ah…” There was a chance Waving Moment could fix things… But as she observed the door to the Netherworld, she began to have doubts. Waving Moment could turn back the time of objects, but this wasn’t exactly an object they were dealing with. It was more like a phenomenon. Not to mention…it felt like it had been created through someone’s formidable willpower. It was a vivid cluster of desire. Simply looking at it gave her heartburn. Was this door a product of Core Implosion…? In any case, it didn’t seem like Waving Moment could fix it. “…I’m sorry. I don’t think I can.” The mood turned glum. They didn’t know if the girls were even alive, and they had no way to go save them. “Ahhh…” The former Tianzi crumpled in prayer. The Mulnite Empress furrowed her brow in thought. The chicken yelled, “I can’t stand it!! I’m going!!” and charged toward the door before the guards stopped him. The shadow sighed. “I’ll send a survey team on this side. I understand you would like to do so yourselves, but people from this world can’t enter the Netherworld unless the door fixes itself or a new one appears naturally.” “That’s not true.” A voice echoed, cold and sharp as the winter sky. The general secretary of the Polar Union grinned. “A door to the Netherworld opens when a Dark Core breaks. We simply have to repeat the process.” “What are you suggesting…?” “There are still five complete Dark Cores.” He called out behind him. “Pitolina.” A Sapphire girl revealed herself, a look of protest on her face. “Put it on the table.” “But, General Secretary…” “Don’t worry about it. The proponent bears the responsibility.” The Sapphire girl, Pitolina Shelepina, hesitated. “Do it,” the general secretary insisted. Pitolina gave in and took a small piano out of her pocket, placing it on the round table. The luxurious item was shiny black. It had a spring on the back. Is that a music box? Karla wondered, but the truth was far from it. The general secretary revealed the identity of the object like it was nothing. “This is the Polar Union’s Dark Core: the Harmonic Hoarfrost. Let’s break it to open the door. It is no big loss if we can save Prohellya.”