Chapter 217

“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.”