Chapter 212

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.