Chapter 225

The Dark Cores dropped to the ground once their job was done, and the Wicked God Slayer ignored them as she ran over to the tower with a childlike look on her face. We followed her. But as soon as I took a step forward, I heard a chuckle. “? Spica?” An eerie wind brushed my cheeks. Spica was already stepping into the tower. Nelia, Prohellya, and Leona followed her without hesitation. Vill pushed my back. “Let’s go,” she said. But I couldn’t move. This was the same sensation I’d experienced in Star Cave. Sadness, regret, and hostility. A wave of miasma—strong negative willpower. “Wait. Something’s coming out…,” Sakuna said in trembling voice. The next instant, something jumped, destroying the entrance. A beast like a pitch-black shadow. “Wha…?” A Varmint. It delivered a ferocious blow to Spica’s stomach. Nelia, Prohellya, and Leona were similarly unable to react immediately. I watched the Wicked God Slayer get blown away with bewilderment, and then I turned back to the tower. The Varmint was like a giant dragon. It brought down its sharp claws. Prohellya was first to come back to her senses. “Retreat! This shouldn’t be happening!” She pulled the trigger of her gun. The mana bullet bolted forward and destroyed the Varmint’s head. Shards of Mandala minerals scattered about. But that wasn’t the end of it. More Varmints crawled out of the tower. Some of them resembled dogs, some tigers, and some dragons. They had a hungry look in their eyes, like the only thing on their minds was killing their prey. Miasma overflowed from the tower and seared the heavens. Dark clouds appeared overhead, just as they had back at Neoplus. I stood there, powerless and perplexed. The hungry Varmints attacked one after the other. They were far more ferocious than those in the Star Cave, and so numerous that I didn’t have enough fingers and toes to count them. They were the destroyers here to devastate the Netherworld. But why? The Varmints were Star Citadel’s minions. They lived in the Star Cave. And what about Naturia? Had they eaten her…? Liu Luxmio stopped in the middle of the wasteland. Sinister miasma covered the sky. The birth cries of monsters reverberated in every corner of the Netherworld. Mandala minerals had been exported from Neoplus to every nation. When these minerals were linked to miasma, they created Varmints. The calamity had begun. Even Observatory hadn’t expected this. The Netherworld needed a certain level of stability to be exploited. This abnormality could threaten the Foreworld’s stability, too. “…” Luxmio pondered in silence. He alone was not enough to stop this, yet the other Fools still slumbered. He had to do the work of six. Executing Spica and Terakomari would not be enough. They were far from the essence of the problem. How to bring stability to the Netherworld? How to soothe the people’s hearts? How to follow the wishes of the founder of Observatory, Insaint? A single answer came to him. The original plan was ruined. He had to begin anew. “…Star Citadel. I’ll make good use of you.” Luxmio resumed advancing on his belts. He headed toward the same place—the God Slayer Tower. To Terakomari Gandesblood and Spica La Gemini. “Lady Komari!” Vill pushed me off my feet. The next moment, a Varmint thrust its tail into her stomach. “Vi…” She was blown away before I could finish saying her name. I had to go catch her. I stood up, then instantly sensed bloodlust. I turned around in shock. A giant dragon Varmint was swinging its claws toward me. I looked around for help. Vill was on the ground. Nelia, Sakuna, Esther, Lingzi, Meihua, Koharu, Leona—everyone was fighting for their lives. Karla was behind a rock, curled up like a pill bug. Spica was sitting there in a daze. “What are you doing?! I told you to withdraw!” A gunshot roared. As soon as I heard a grave dying shriek above my head, the giant dragon stumbled and fell with an earthquake. I looked behind it and found Prohellya scowling, gun in hand. “Fighting would be foolish! Leona, stop enjoying the hunt!” “I’m not! They’re stubborn…!” “Butcher is right. No use entertaining them. Komari, let’s go back!” Nelia helped me up. “Ms. Villhaze, are you okay…?!” Sakuna exclaimed. Everyone got ready to leave. I turned in Vill’s direction, wondering how she was doing, and found her leaning on Sakuna’s shoulder. A moment of relief; at least she was fine for now. But what even happened here? Monsters had spilled from the tower the moment the seal was broken. Were they trapped in there, too? “It’s Star Citadel.” Spica was shaking, her eyes wide and sweat running down her pale cheeks. “Tormenting Fuyao wasn’t enough for them… They want to destroy the Netherworld. They have to be stopped… I have to stop them…” The next thing I knew, the sky was pitch-black. Raindrops tinged with miasma struck me one after the other. Some of the monsters left with an eerie bellow. They must’ve gone to find other prey. Prohellya clicked her tongue while obliterating a Varmint’s head. “You! Wicked God Slayer! Can’t you do something with the Dark Cores?!” “S-Spica, she’s right! They can grant any wish, right?!” I asked. “The Dark Cores… Yes, but…” “There is no need for that.” Everyone turned around in shock. In the middle of the Varmint parade stood an Immortal wrapped in belts: Liu Luxmio. He raised his right hand at us and said, “I’ll kill everything in the Netherworld. Including you.” “Wh-what?! Do you know why this is happening?!” “Star Citadel. But they are only my pawns.” I did not understand a single thing that was going on. But as soon as I tried to ask, belts shot out from all over Luxmio’s body. “…This is vile. They’re even stronger than Rakshasa, aren’t they?” “Yes. They’re my cream of the crop.” Yusei giggled. Images of the Netherworld showed on the crystal—a simple farsight spell. Varmints were rampaging around the tower. The Netherworld would be further plunged into chaos. Nefty watched as though it was a show while eating pizza. “You sure about this? What if they defeat them?” “That’s okay. Failure is the mother of success.” “Mm-hmm…” “Don’t worry,” Yusei said softly. “This is just a game; a little demonstration. We have to show them that when we stand back up, it will be with might.” “This is pretty serious for just a game.” “It’s their fault for not noticing.” The Varmints exuded miasma as they scattered across the Netherworld. Something more dreadful than the war Tremolo had started was coming. “The third world is my territory. A paradise of carnage filled with miasma and Varmints. It’s only natural that the monsters would overflow once the bridge to it was opened.” “Then you didn’t need to get the Dark Cores? Tremolo could’ve survived if you just let them unseal the tower…” “No, we couldn’t let them have the Dark Cores.” Yusei had ravaged the world using the Dark Cores. She needed them to destroy it. Star Citadel was defeated the moment Komari and company got their hands on them. Hence why Yusei had called this a game. “Ah… Looks like Observatory is on the move.” “That Liu Luxmio guy? What is he even planning to do?” “Their goal is to maintain order in the Foreworld, and they’ll do anything for it—even if it kills them.” “…I see. You’re really rotten to the core.” Nefty savored the pizza with a grin on her face. She liked Yusei’s rottenness. It was payback for what happened to Tremolo and Nerzanpi. “Hopefully Spica and Terakomari die from this, too… Whoa, look at that. The Netherworld is a mess. It could be wrecked with just a few more Varmints, don’t you think?” “Yes. And games are more fun when taken seriously—” Yusei cut herself short. Nefty looked down at the bunny plush. “Yusei? What’s wrong?” “…” She felt a small tremor in Yusei’s willpower. Anxiety? Nervousness? Fear? Whatever it was, it didn’t fit a destroyer like her. The bunny began shaking. Tap… Steps coming downstairs. Nefty looked up. This was Star Citadel’s underground hideout in the third world. The third world was already in Yusei’s hands; the last bastion of resistance, the Shades’s Ishuera Empire, had been ravaged by the Varmints, and its top brass had escaped to the second world. There couldn’t be anyone who would come visit them while oozing such brutal animosity. “I finally found you.” Crimson mana crept across the floor. The vampire’s blond hair fluttered as she approached them. Her beautiful voice struck Nefty’s eardrums and rocked her to the core. “I can’t overlook you anymore. I’ll stop you before you can hurt Komari and her friends.” “You… It can’t be…” Sweat was on her palms. She wanted to run. Yusei spoke as calmly as she could, “Nefty, take my body and run.” “Wh-why is she here?” “I told you I sensed a detection spell, but I didn’t imagine she’d be this fast.” “B-but the coffin isn’t ready yet.” “Too bad, we’ll put our destructive game on hold. We should get some Varmints over here. We’ll get serious about killing Spica and Terakomari later…” A mana slash came at Nefty before Yusei could finish talking. Nefty shrieked and ran. Even as the hammer of justice was falling on the root of all evil, the miasma covering the Netherworld remained. The Holy Lehysian Empire. Kilty Blanc, member of mercenary group Full Moon, sighed in sorrow as she looked up at the blackened sky. It looked like what she had seen in Neoplus, but even worse. The miasma raining from the overhead fused with the Mandala minerals in the church’s ornaments and took the form of ferocious beasts. Giant monsters, wavering like shadows. The Varmints rampaged indiscriminately from the moment they were born. Lehysia’s people fled in pandemonium. It reminded her of the fall of her homeland back when she was young. The same had happened to the Ishuera Empire. Yusei’s power dyed the world black, leaving only the starry night behind. Was the same tragedy about to repeat itself? “What is that?” “Oh, God…” “Is this Judgment Day…?” The people gazed at the sky in despair. Kilty followed their gazes north. Right around the God Slayer Tower, there floated a black iron lump. It was like a giant cocoon. Maybe a cluster of willpower. And the miasma filling the Netherworld was getting sucked into it. An endless barrage of belts was shooting out from the center, gathering the miasma. At the root of the belts, the core of the clump, someone floated. “That’s the Fool.” Kilty sensed someone by her side. Kakumei Amatsu delivered this remark as he cut down a Varmint. Torn threads were hanging from his body. He and Cornelius had been restrained while Terakomari was rampaging. She would never forget the sight of Tryphon releasing them with his needles while sighing about how much they were inconveniencing him. “The Fool? That black clump…?” “He surrounded himself with his belts and is sucking up the miasma. I still don’t understand what’s going on, though.” “Forget about that! There’s more Varmints coming! I don’t wanna get eaten again!” Cornelius yelled while running around. Black rain fell on Lehysia. It fused with the Mandala minerals everywhere and created atrocious monsters that attacked the populace. Screams, shrieks, prayers—it was a hellish sight. “We don’t have time to pursue the Fool. We need to put these things down at once…” Amatsu wielded his katana as he glared at his surroundings. The next thing she knew, a group of Varmints had surrounded them. God. God. God—The people’s prayers spread around the world. And the sky darkened in inverse proportion. Kilty felt her hands shaking. “Only… Only a real god could fix this…” (A little earlier) “Wh-What are you doing…?” The belts didn’t attack us. For whatever reason, they shot right past us and pierced through the entrance of the God Slayer Tower, stabbing the Varmints rampaging inside. The monsters’ death cries echoed as the man manipulating the belts, Luxmio, gave me an arrogant glance. “What do you mean? The same thing I’ve been doing all along.” Luxmio’s body began glowing black. To be more precise, a cloud of miasma began spinning around him. “I see.” Prohellya smiled. “Your belts are sucking up the Varmints’ willpower. Enjoying a meal, are we?” “Indeed. Extermination Armor 04: Bondage can absorb mana and willpower to boost its power without limit. Negative willpower…is grotesque, admittedly, but this should make it easy to kill you.” The Varmints blew up. Black willpower flowed into Luxmio via the belts, as though it was being sucked through a straw. “W-wait! Isn’t this Star Citadel’s doing?! Are you with them?!” “No,” he replied faithfully. “Star Citadel is Observatory’s enemy, and the miasma is one of their traps. These beasts threaten to lay waste to the entire Netherworld—which is why I’m going to use Bondage to put a stop to this disaster.” “To save the world…? Wait, you’re a good guy?” “Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not doing this for the Netherworld.” “You’re a tsundere…?” “…? My base power isn’t enough to kill you, Terakomari Gandesblood. I will exploit Star Citadel’s own trap to kill you.” He wasn’t good or tsundere. He was a bad guy to the end! As I screamed internally, I saw a pigtailed girl stagger to her feet out of the corner of my eye. “What happened…to Naturia…?” Spica. The drug was still in effect, as she could barely stay upright. I hurried to her side and helped stabilize her. Once again, I was reminded of how small and delicate she was; she was about the last person you would imagine being nicknamed “the Wicked God Slayer.” “Naturia must be in the tower. I have to go help her…,” said Spica. “There is no point. You can tell just by looking at this madness.” “Naturia prophesized we would meet again in 622 years.” “Are you stupid?” Luxmio exclaimed ruthlessly. “Do you really think she could wait for six hundred years? Do you seriously believe she wouldn’t forget about you?” “I…” “And is Naturia Lumiere worth waiting six hundred years for to begin with? I don’t think so. She was just a hopeless shut-in.” “…” Spica froze. I could sense indescribable uncertainty and confusion brewing inside of her skull. Luxmio was like a professional at bullying Spica. I stared at the shivering Wicked God Slayer while running my brain at full speed to come up with the words to cheer her up. “Spica! You don’t have to listen to…” “Don’t.” I looked at her in shock. Her starry eyes were glistening without fear. Don’t. She didn’t need my cheering up. “Gosh… What a drag! Could this possibly be any more annoying?!” Spica shoved me away and stood on her own. She glared straight at Luxmio. “Naturia isn’t here. Star Citadel left me a dumbass gift. The Fools I thought were long dead have come crawling back. Will God ever get tired of tormenting me?! Now I really wanna kill the guy!” “Spica…” “I won’t let anyone get in my way. All these idiots responsible for making a mess out of the Netherworld will pay. You are NOT gonna keep doing as you please! Now, Terakomari!” Spica turned her bright-red face to me. She had been burdened with a lonely lot in life. She had no one she could be vulnerable with, not even the members of Inverse Moon. She hid her true face, which burned with passion, behind a mask of silliness. But the flames of her determination had not died down even after six centuries. And now she was showing me her true radiance. “Gimma a hand, Komari! I can’t kill this guy on my own!” “Gotcha.” I nodded without a moment’s pause. I wanted to see her dream come true. I would do anything I could to help realize it. Anything to bring peace to the Netherworld. “Foolish. Even more foolish than we Fools.” Luxmio’s body floated into the air. You can fly?! I was gonna scream, but then I remembered he was an Immortal. Those guys could fly with some sort of mysterious energy that wasn’t mana or willpower. Black belts writhed. He was like a devil, come to destroy the world. Spica shot Luxmio a glare that could kill even God and yelled, “Drop dead! We’re putting an end to our six-hundred-year-old grudge here and now!” That was the cue for our battle to begin. Luxmio charged at us, his belts spinning around. Nelia and Leona were up front and now in a dangerous position. I gotta save them I gotta save them I gotta… “Terakomari!” “Woah?!” Spica hugged me out of nowhere. My brain froze at the sweet smell of sugar. Was she also one of the sickos? I despaired. But then, Spica bit into my neck. She tore my skin and sucked my blood. I turned red. “Wh-whoa, what’re you doing?!” “Pwah!” She let go of my skin. “I just realized! I need blood to break the effects of the sun drug. Some nice, tasty blood—and yours is special. It’s wonderful stuff, chock full of willpower. This should get me back in shape…” Suck, suck, suck. “B-b-but you can’t just do that out of nowhere… And how much are you gonna drink?! What if I get anemia?! It’ll be your fault if I die!” “LADY KOMARIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!” I heard a scream. As I turned around, I saw my maid sprinting and slashing through the attacking belts with her kunai. Her face was an abominable mix of wrath and despair. “V-Vill?! You’re okay…?!” “Yes, I’m okay, thank you, but you’re in trouble! I really have to exterminate this insolent terrorist…” She glared daggers at Spica while shaking. “Don’t worry!” Spica gave Vill a silly smile. “I won’t suck her dead! I can’t get more blood if she dies! But holy cow is this girl tasty! I wanna suck her to the bone!” “I don’t think you can suck bone but, if such a thing is possible, then I must be the one to take her boneginity.” “Stop it! I’ll dry up if you start drinking from me, too!” “How about you suck my blood to compensate? And the terrorist can go slurp up a pool of mud—?!” Vill swung her kunai at lightning speed. A belt fell to the ground. One of Luxmio’s attacks. But he wasn’t just going after us. His endless stream of belts was pursuing my other friends left and right. Then I saw a familiar pair running. Koharu was fleeing from the belts while holding onto Karla’s ankle. “Aaahhh!! Wait! Don’t pull my leg!” “You’re the one who’s gotta be pulling my leg. Get real, Lady Karla.” “I mean, couldn’t you carry me some other way?! You’re getting my face and clothes dirty!” “Do you prefer dirt or death?” “Dirt!!” They look like they’re having fun… Anyway. A fierce battle was already taking place in front of the tower. The tangled mass of belts attacked my friends, dripping black willpower that encompassed our surroundings. Luxmio was bent on annihilating us. Vill slashed down another belt coming after us. “Lady Komari! Please run!” “What?! I can’t run and leave everyone behind!” “Stay put! I still need more blood! Schlurp, schlurp,” said Spica. “When will you stop suckiiing?!” As I struggled to break free from Spica’s hold on me, I heard a gunshot in the distance. “Go away.” Prohellya had fired a shot. Luxmio created a barrier by layering belts in front of his body, just barely stopping the bullet. Two others seized the opening. Nelia and Leona approached the enemy, leaving a trail of mana in their wake. They were using body-strengthening magic. I’m not sure how this all made sense, but unsealing the Dark Cores must have unleashed fresh mana into the area. “Haaah!” Nelia swung her twin swords with a battle cry. Stripes of leather went flying as she cut down belt after belt, but her blades did not reach Luxmio. Instead, Leona used Nelia as a stepping stone to charge in. She slipped through the barrage of belts and approached Luxmio with the speed of a bullet. “Consider your bones broken!” She unleashed a heavy roundhouse kick onto his cheek. Bam! Her boot hit his nose. Bones have got to be broken for real… I shuddered, though with hope. “Wha…?!” “It’s no use. The miasma has made me far more powerful.” Luxmio covered his face with his belts to guard against the blow. As Leona reeled in shock, another belt attacked her. With Leona unable to dodge in midair, the belt wrapped her up and hung her up by her feet. “What the heck…?! Gugh…!” “I’ll crush you to death.” “Leona! I don’t think punches are going to work on this guy! Go hide somewhere and hibernate like a bear with Karla Amatsu!” Prohellya said. “I think it’s too late to say that! Uwa-wa-wah?!” Just then, the belts around Leona were severed, and the cat girl fell helplessly. A girl dressed like a peafowl soared through the air to catch her in the nick of time—Lingzi Ailan. “Are you all right?!” “Thank youuuu! This is what everyone needs! A friend who can fly!” “H-huh? I thought Ms. Prohellya could fly with magic, too…” “She’s not my friend! And she never helps me! Ah, look ahead!” “Got it!” Lingzi quickly dodged the incoming belts. Meanwhile, Prohellya covered her with bullets from the ground. Nelia clicked her tongue and dashed. She tried to leap again to deliver a flashing strike on Luxmio, but a belt came from another direction and she nearly tripped. “It’s like the belts each have a will of their own…! There’s no end to them!” “We just need to force things to an end! Get the man and it’s all over!” Bang!! The belts blocked Prohellya’s bullet before it could connect with Luxmio. Then Lingzi stopped in midair. “What is it?!” Leona exclaimed in confusion. A dual barrage of belts came at them from each side. Oh, no. Lingzi’s in trouble! I thought, but then, a green shadow leaped. “Core Implosion: Lovebird Infection!” “?!” Thump! I heard the sound of a heart bursting. The belts came to a halt. Lingzi’s retainer, Meihua Liang, floated before Luxmio. Her eyes glowed crimson as they locked onto the wicked Fool. “Thanks, Meihua!” Lingzi escaped from the encroaching belts. Luxmio’s eyes were glued to the peafowl-like girl. “This…can’t be…” “Bet attacking Lingzi just got a lot harder, huh? Stay nice and still for me.” “Impossible… How could I fall to a mere illusion…?” I recognized that power. Meihua’s absurd Core Implosion made you fall in love with Lingzi. Although I guess it would be more accurate to say it increased your compassion for her? Either way, it had stopped Luxmio. Nobody wanted to see an old guy pine after Lingzi for too long. As soon as Esther saw the enemy stop, she shot the Chain Metal at him, restraining his arms. “If you would, Commander Memoir!” “Yes!” Sakuna spread mana as Esther called her name. The ice releasing from her staff bleached our surroundings and crept through the Chain Metal up to Luxmio. It was an ice bridge. A connection to the enemy. A path to victory. Sakuna jumped up onto the frozen Chain Metal. She ran toward him at an awe-inspiring speed while holding her staff aloft. “Petty tricks…!” Luxmio shot his belts at her, but then Leona shot down like a meteorite and kicked them off course, allowing Lingzi to cut them in half with her steel fan. Sakuna took the opportunity to forge mana. Another barrage of belts. Prohellya shot at them from behind and broke through most of Luxmio’s barrier but failed to crack the last layer. “Tch… I’m out of ammo.” “Don’t worry. Advanced-level freezing spell: Dust Tail Comet!” Glimmering stars shot from Sakuna’s body. The ice bullets followed a random trajectory forward and set off a deafening explosion. Mana and steam scattered as Luxmio’s final shield crumbled. “I-I’m at my limit…!” Sakuna groaned. Her Dust Tail Comet fizzled out at the last moment. But then, a peach-colored flash darted out from behind her. Nelia crossed the ice bridge toward Luxmio. “Diverse Divide. I’ll finish him.” I could tell Luxmio was sweating. Sakuna had destroyed his belts. He wouldn’t be able to send out new ones in time. Nelia aimed her swords straight at his heart. “W-wait! The Chain Metal…!” Esther screamed. The next instant, the frozen chain broke. Their footing crumbled. Meihua caught Sakuna. Luxmio broke free and moved back. “?!” “Ms. Nelia!” Without a platform or target, Nelia plummeted helplessly toward the ground. The belts took aim at the now-defenseless girl. She cut down a few of them with her twin swords but couldn’t stop them all. One of the belts struck her blades, and she fell as fast as a meteor. A roaring impact. Dust blast. Everyone screamed her name. I stared at the site of her fall in despair. Oh no. Not even Nelia could do it… But she was fine. She stabbed her swords into the ground and got up on her knees with a scowl. “You’re a tough guy. Those belts move so freely…” “I’m done with these games.” Luxmio flew even higher. A mass of belts sprang from his body. Each one of them was a weapon of mass destruction wrapped in wicked miasma, and they all ravaged the ground in sync. Leona and Prohellya dodged swiftly. Sakuna guarded herself with an ice spell. Koharu evaded while dragging a screaming Karla along. Meihua and Lingzi blocked the belts with a Barrier Wall, but their shield broke soon after, and they staggered. “Ah…!” Esther took a direct hit and went flying. She bounced and rolled on the ground as blood left my body. We’re gonna get wiped out. I can’t stand back and watch. “Spica! Get off me already! I can’t suck your blood like thi—” “Lady Komari!” Bloodlust. I turned around and saw the belts shoot at me with the ferocity of a dragon. Wearing a desperate grimace, Vill dashed over to me. She was always saving me from disaster with her kunai. But this time, she couldn’t stop all the belts. I squeezed my eyes shut. The belts tore into the ground around me like the needle of a sewing machine. The vibrations made me stumble. There was too much dirt in the air for me to open my eyes. It was over. I was gonna die. “Belly’s full! That’s enough.” Then came a tremendous blast of mana. The belts were torn to shreds. The dust was instantly cleared away. A vampire was standing in front of me like a shield. Her pigtails fluttered with the wind. My blood dripped from the corners of her mouth. She stood firmly on the ground, making for a gallant sight. Now this was the Wicked God Slayer. The terrorist of the generation. Spica La Gemini shot a bloodthirsty glare at the Fool in the sky and sneered. “I’m not letting you mess with the Netherworld anymore, Luxmio. It’s time for you to pay.” “S-Spica?! You’re back…?!” I said. “Thanks to your blood, Terakomari. Come on, then… It’s slaughter time.” A gust kicked up, making me cover my eyes. I opened them to discover Spica was gone. I looked up. Her strength restored, the all-powerful, amoral terrorist charged at Luxmio like fireworks shooting into the night sky. “Spica…!” I shouted her name the instant her fist met Luxmio’s wicked belts.