Chapter 6: Pandora's Poison

"Your political opponents won? You've got nowhere to go?"

"What can you even do about it?"

"I see. You'll look for the Dark Cores with me? Then I'll take care of you in return!"

The Wicked God Slayer's voice wouldn't leave his head.

The girl had found him after he was exiled from the Polar Union's government. That must've been her modus operandi—gathering outcasts. Not out of a demand for gratitude—Spica La Gemini was simply kinder than anyone else. But this quality of hers did cause everyone in Inverse Moon to give their life and soul fighting for her.

Tryphon Cross was no exception.

Inverse Moon was far from a monolith. The organization consisted of far too many factions for the word to be applicable. Fuyao Meteorite, for example, couldn't have cared less about the organization's goals. The only thing she was concerned with was getting stronger. Lonne Cornelius was in a similar position. She was only motivated by her research into the truth of this world.

Yet despite the great variety of philosophies in Inverse Moon, the lone wolves who filled its ranks would happily band together for the sake of Her Highness. Even Kakumei Amatsu—who frequently acted in ways that were hard to understand or even borderline treasonous—would join in.

Perhaps it was because of her charisma.

It is she who should rule the world, Tryphon thought.

Her opinions about what to do with the Dark Core differed from his, but he was certain that putting Spica at the top after the revolution would only be good for the world.

And for that reason, he fought.

For the world. For Inverse Moon. And for Her Highness.

Which was why he needed to get rid of anyone who stood in their way.

Like Terakomari Gandesblood.

The only vampire Spica recognized as extraordinary.

★

Prohellya Butchersky was confused.

The Mulnite Imperial Palace was in shambles, like a tornado had blown through. And the two people who were standing at the center of it all had disappeared—but not just them. The Sapphire terrorist who'd attacked them was also nowhere to be found. He must've been that Tryphon Cross fellow the General Secretary had mentioned, but Prohellya didn't really care about him.

"What the…? Where'd they go?!"

"They vanished. To the Netherworld. Which means…that was the Dark Core," the vampire sitting atop the throne said with disinterest.

Then she crushed the crown on her head with her bare hands. It shattered into tiny shards all across the floor.

Prohellya observed the girl with caution. She knew her face. It belonged to the Pope of the Holy Church—Julius VI. Spica La Gemini.

And also the leader of terrorist group Inverse Moon.

But what was with her wicked aura? Even though Prohellya was one of the six Arctic Masters, the strongest people in the Polar Union, she couldn't help but find something eerie, something ominous about Spica's mana. She looked like any other cute girl, but just facing her had Prohellya's hair standing on end. Excitement welled from deep inside her at the sight of such a powerful foe.

And yet Spica was still innocent to her core.

She yawned like a bored child.

"I think it's time already. I'm all out of candy."

"What do you mean? Do you think I'll let you go?"

"I don't think Tryphon can defeat Terakomari in his state. He had a surprisingly decent run…but in the end, conquering the country was too much for him to handle."

"Are you listening to me?"

"Oh well. Time to go home."

The Vampire Princess didn't give the Sapphire girl the time of day.

It was like Spica didn't even care that she was there. Prohellya was usually quite tolerant, but even she got mad at being ignored. How dare she be so rude to a great Arctic Master? This girl had earned a lesson.

"Spica La Gemini! I'm talking to you! Listen up, or I'll blast a bullet through your sku—"

Then it happened.

"Ugh?" Prohellya grunted. Before she knew it, she had dropped her gun and fallen to her knees. She couldn't process what happened.

Her belly hurt. As though it had been slashed with a blade. Because it had. A knife was sticking out from her gut.

"Guh… Ah… Wh-what…is this…?!"

"I'm only imitating Tryphon! Mine is just regular Void Magic, though."

Spica was already upon her. The girl looked down on Prohellya with cold blue eyes.

She put on a smile as bright as the sun and said:

"I thought about it some more, and I think it'd be too sad to go without any accomplishments. I'll be taking your head back with me as a souvenir. I also have to take revenge for you hurting Fuyao. She's my friend, you know? Are you going to make up for that? We were gonna hold a mahjong tournament for her, but now she won't be healed in time for it!"

"...…"

Prohellya reached for her gun, but it was too far away, and she was too weak to move toward it.

"Give up, Prohellya Butchersky. I'll make you regret ever coming to the Mulnite Empire! Your sense of justice was all for nothing!"

She couldn't understand. Where had Terakomari and Villhaze gone? What exactly was this girl's goals? Why did she have to endure this pain?

She hated it. She hated everything.

She was too proud to come to such a pathetic end. Much less at the hands of a despicable terrorist.

It was then that lightning pierced heaven and earth.

Lightning? How is that possible? The skies are clear. You can see the full moon.

"What…?" Spica looked to the source of the electricity in wonder.

Prohellya followed her gaze. The beautiful blue moon peeked in from the hole in the ceiling, casting soft light all across the Audience Room.

Just as Prohellya wondered if she was hearing things, a voice sharp like thunder echoed.

"You've done terrible work of my garden, terrorists."

Then world-shattering purple thunderbolts rushed all over.

***

Snow fell.

The wind was cold. The world was quiet, like it was dead.

"What…is this…?"

Tryphon looked around in awe. It seemed to be the Mulnite Imperial Palace garden.

But he'd just been in the Audience Room. Had he been teleported here with magic?

Too much was off for that to be the case.

Since when had it been snowing? And there was enough on the ground to leave footprints behind. The palace was in perfect shape, too. It stood proud, like nothing had happened. And the cityscape was awfully quiet. There were no signs of conflict. No smell of blood.

Then Tryphon realized. The moon in the sky was gone. It wasn't hidden behind clouds. He confirmed its absence upon closer observation—the full moon had been replaced by a new moon.

It was as though he'd wandered into another world.

In any case, the cause was obvious.

"I see…I see. A new power of her Core Implosion."

Mental growth led to the evolution of Core Implosion. This phenomenon had to be the result of Terakomari Gandesblood's, or Villhaze's, maturation.

Tryphon did not understand the details, but he knew this was a great power.

He had to get rid of those girls. They would cause even greater damage in the future if he didn't kill them now to curtail their growth.

No one would come to his aid here. Treason's Spirit Gate would probably be useless, too.

His chances of victory were slim to none—but he wouldn't be a Luna if he couldn't overcome those odds.

"Found you."

Just then, he heard someone mumble.

Great mana rained on him. Blood-curling hostility.

The red and blue vampires descended from the darkness of the moonless sky.

Crimson Lord Terakomari Gandesblood. And clinging to her arm, her maid Villhaze.

There was no sight more dreadful. How long had it been since he'd been forced to go through something like this?

Tryphon forged mana, using advanced molding magic to create an ice blade. A weapon strong enough to kill two people. He smiled as he held the blade aloft and pointed it at the vampire duo in the sky.

"You will pay for getting in my way. My plan was this close to completion and you…"

"Die."

A magic circle appeared, and mana poured down on him relentlessly.

The barrage of bullets blew the snow away. Tryphon withdrew frantically while closely observing his opponent's movements. But they weren't moving. At all. Terakomari stood in place like a cannon the moment she touched the ground, simply shooting at him with reckless abandon.

The fountain behind him was blown away.

A stone shard hit his right hand by coincidence, and he tried sending it into Terakomari's brain with Treason's Spirit Gate, but it warped far behind her instead. He still couldn't use his teleportation powers for whatever reason.

Or rather, he couldn't calculate where he would teleport things. Perhaps because this was a different world?

"Foolish tricks!"

He rolled to dodge the bullets coming at him.

Their attack showed no relent. Mana shot at him with monstrous mass and speed. All Tryphon could do was dodge as the buildings in the area sustained more damage with every shot. Giant explosions erupted in all directions, blasting rubble away.

He lost focus for a moment, and mana grazed his shoulder. It slashed his skin, and a stream of blood gushed out. But he didn't stop to wallow in pain. This wound was light enough to heal on its own.

"Impertinent. Little. Tricks!"

Tryphon ground his teeth and concentrated.

Nothing would change if he stayed on the defensive. He had to do something. Komari was certain she had the upper hand, and he could use this self-conceit to his own benefit.

Tryphon tightened his grip on his ice sword.

Elementary-level acceleration spell: Gale.

It was one of the most basic incantations, but the perfect way to close the distance with the enemy. Tryphon dodged the hail of mana faster than it could pelt him and closed in on the scarlet vortex.

Komari and Villhaze's murderous aura would have scared a regular person into unconsciousness, but Tryphon kept his fear at bay out of sheer mental fortitude as he dashed desperately toward them.

Almost there. I've almost got her.

A giant mass of mana headed straight for him.

He withdrew his blade at an angle, diverting the huge bundle of power ever so slightly away from him. The scarlet mana slid off the ice sword and shot into the sky behind him.

"…!" Terakomari showed a moment of distress.

He held his sword high, aimed for her neck, and began a horizontal swing, when—

"…?!"

Thunk. Something collided with his foot.

The world turned on its head all of a sudden. Tryphon was sliding and spinning on the snow. How had this happened? The ice blade was no longer in his hands.

Just barely managing to regain his balance, he looked down at his feet in terror.

Like a sleight of hand, he found a kunai plunged deeply into his foot.

"Wh-what in the world?!"

This wasn't the work of Terakomari, nor could this have been done with magic. A feat like this could only be pulled off with an ability comparable to Treason's Spirit Gate.

"How do you like the taste of your own medicine?" She chuckled.

He turned around in disbelief.

By Terakomari's side was a girl in a maid outfit. The vampire was scattering mana as intense as her master's. Villhaze stared at him from within the blue vortex, smiling.

"Though unlike you, I'm not using teleportation. I simply planted a bomb in the path you were destined to take."

"What does that mean…?"

"I don't quite understand it myself. But I can tell each and every move you will make."

She took a few kunais out of her pocket.

They all disappeared in midair.

He could imagine where they were sent.

Pandora's Poison let Villhaze see into the future. She had already correctly ascertained how many bombs he'd planted in her body.

If what she said just now was correct—and if Tryphon's conjecture was, as well—then Vill had sent those knives off to the future.

He couldn't stand it. How in the world were they able to get such powerful abilities?

Tryphon pulled the kunai out of his foot in annoyance.

Blood gushed from the wound. Pain raced through his brain. But so what? He couldn't give up here, or his ideal world would never become a reality. Inverse Moon needed Tryphon Cross.

"Your little tricks…will not be the death of me!!"

Tryphon used Gale again, leaving a trail of blood as he accelerated.

Terakomari kept on stubbornly shooting her scarlet mana. It might have been powerful, but her attacks were too straightforward. Dodging them was easy once he got the pattern down.

Tryphon focused his mana at the tip of his lost limb and shot a volley of Magic Bullets from it.

It didn't even manage to keep her in check. The bullets vanished into the darkness of the barrier all around her.

She really was no ordinary vampire. He cursed himself for letting her get this far.

"I must kill her…"

Explosions went off behind him as he dashed through the snow.

His whole body was racked with agony. The pain fueled his wrath.

He had to put his enemy in the ground, no matter the cost. He had to get rid of these fools who opposed Inverse Moon—who opposed the Wicked God Slayer.

"You don't have a chance," the blue girl whispered victoriously. "You'll lose in five seconds."

"I will change that future!!" Tryphon roared as he charged.

He was close to figuring out the rules. His usual coordinates calculations were of no use in this world. But that simply meant he had to adjust them to the environment. Where did he have to aim to pierce the enemy's brain? Just calculate and simulate and try, try again.

"Scram."

A mass of mana flew at him.

Tryphon waited until the last moment to dodge.

"I will never!!"

"Four."

A fantastical scene unfolded before his eyes.

Mana red like fresh blood. Mana blue like the raging sea. At the epicenter of it all, two vampires danced.

Tryphon was charmed for a moment. What beautiful strength of spirit… He shook his head to snap himself out of it. This scenario was ridiculous, and he wasn't about to follow the script.

He forged mana again to create another ice blade.

I'll throw it right at them. The moment the thought came to mind, excruciating pain ran across his right hand.

Villhaze's kunai plunged into him.

His face twisted.

"Three. You should give up already," the blue maid said.

"…!!"

He could never.

Having lost the ice blade, Tryphon gathered his mana on pure instinct and shot Magic Bullets. None of them hit. Terakomari's thin scarlet barrier stopped all of them.

Aiming for Villhaze didn't work, either. Terakomari had given her servant a shield of her own.

All hope was lost.

There was no guarantee that approaching to attack would bear any fruit.

"Two."

The entire world moved in slow motion.

Memories flashed before Tryphon's eyes.

The day Her Highness brought him under her wing. The day he began work as a member of Inverse Moon. The day he was promoted to Luna. The day he met Lonne Cornelius, and she cried because she found him so scary. The day he got into a fistfight after drinking with Kakumei Amatsu, because they couldn't agree on who'd won at arm wrestling. The day Fuyao hurt his feelings when she told him he was a buzzkill who was depressing to be around, a full smile on her face. The day Her Highness congratulated him on his work and gave him a blood lollipop as a reward, which he honestly wasn't sure what to do with.

"It's preposterous… This isn't happening…"

Am I going to die?

What am I getting sentimental for? I haven't lost yet. I still have much to do…

"One."

Tryphon gathered all the mana in his body and created a third ice blade.

The world took shape from the mind.

Following that, so long as Tryphon Cross's conviction surpassed Terakomari Gandesblood's kindness, then his blade should theoretically reach her throat.

"Die! Terakomari Gandesblooooooooooooooood!!"

Shouting at the top of his lungs, he took a powerful step forward.

The enemy was right before his eyes.

Komari's magic stopped only a moment against his surprisingly strong spirit.

His mind sped up. His thoughts accelerated. Soon he would bathe that tiny girl in blood.

The calculation was complete.

Tryphon activated Treason's Spirit Gate.

His eyes burned. Even now, he didn't have a full grasp of the coordinates' makeup in this world. He could only send things within a sixteen-foot radius of him.

He was close enough.

Tryphon's ice blade vanished from his hand. Everything was about to end. As soon as it entered Terakomari Gandesblood's body. But…

"Just as expected, Lady Komari."

"Yeah." Komari moved ever so slightly.

The ice blade slashed the void and fell to the ground.

"No…" Tryphon stared at it, dumbstruck.

Nothing worked. No attack of his could evade her predictions. He was always one step behind.

Terakomari Gandesblood's destructive energy was absolute. Villhaze's precognition was flawless.

The mix was demonic. How was he supposed defeat this?

As he fell into the bottomless trenches of despair, he felt sharp pain run across his whole body again.

"…?!"

His nerves were ablaze. Villhaze's Pandora's Poison struck once again.

Kunais stabbed into his hands and feet.

Unable to bear the pain, he lost his balance. He was about to fall to the snow, but he couldn't possibly let himself be defeated. Not here. Not now. He just barely kept himself up, but then, he heard her whisper:

"…Zero."

She announced the end of the battle.

"Lady Komari, it's time."

"Repent, Tryphon."

Murderous intent emanated from the Vampire Princess's every pore.

A scarlet beam shot at prodigious speed from her fingertips.

It was unavoidable.

"Your Highness…"

No one heard his last whisper.

Tryphon unfolded layer after layer of Barrier Walls in a panic. He knew it was fruitless. He only forged the mana subconsciously, out of sheer survival instinct.

And indeed, it was all for naught.

His vision went crimson.

Terakomari's spell easily broke through his makeshift shield, forging ahead until it pierced right through Tryphon and his ideals.

***

The scarlet flood swallowed Tryphon Cross and rushed forward, destroying the walls of the Mulnite Imperial Palace before finally disappearing into the night sky. No trace of their opponent was left behind, but Villhaze knew he couldn't have survived it.

Silence fell on the world beneath the new moon.

Villhaze's power to see the future faded away. The blue mana dissolved progressively into the air.

The same thing happened to her mistress. Her work done, the flames of the Blood Curse extinguished. Little by little, her bloodlust and the scarlet mana subsided.

Soon, she returned to her usual self.

"…Huh?"

Komari staggered.

Villhaze dashed to prop her mistress up.

"Are you okay, Lady Komari? You're not wounded anywhere?"

"No… I am hurting all over…but I think I'm fine."

"Do you remember what happened?"

"I have this feeling I did something amazing."

Her eyes wandered. She couldn't tell what was dream and what was reality. She was starting to retain some of her memories from when she used Core Implosion, but it seemed she still lost a few of them. Villhaze sighed in relief.

"You defeated Tryphon Cross. You and I."

"…I see."

Komari put on a faint smile.

She didn't doubt her powers now.

"It doesn't really feel like it… But Mulnite is safe now, yeah?"

"Most likely."

"But what about Spica? She's still…"

"Lady Cunningham and Lady Amatsu were heading to the palace after stopping the rioters. I doubt even Spica La Gemini would be able to defeat those two."

It was all thanks to Terakomari Gandesblood's accomplishments.

Even with the Empress missing, she had unleashed the full fortitude and kindness of her spirit to drive terrorists away. She'd taken a stand for everyone, and the people around her had taken up arms to support her. Commanders from the Aruka Republic, the Heavenly Paradise, and the Polar Union—they'd all ran to her aid because they recognized her virtues.

Villhaze was filled with renewed confidence that Komari would pull the Mulnite Empire forward into the future.

"Anyway… If it's over, then thank goodness. I think this earns me about half a year of shut-in time, don't you think?"

"What are you saying? Work will only be getting busier from here on out."

"Please, no! I'm tired!"

"But didn't you say you wouldn't coop yourself up anymore?"

"Argh… No, I didn't quite mean it in that way, you see…," Komari mumbled for a while. But in the end, she found her determination. Heaving a heavy sigh, she looked up at Villhaze and said, "…Anyway, I guess I'll be fine so long as I have you. And hey, we didn't die this time. Let's keep it up, Vill. Together."

"Am I correct in taking this as a marriage proposal?"

"Where'd you get that idea?!"

Komari looked away. It felt like it had been a long time since they'd engaged in this sort of banter.

In any case, they'd taken care of the threat. They had to go back home, with everyone.

Um. Wait.

Where are we?

"…Hey, where's the moon?"

"You're right. This is weird."

This wasn't the Mulnite Empire they were in just moments ago.

Snow was falling. The full moon had been replaced by a new moon. The boisterous city in chaos was as quiet as the grave. It looked like the Imperial Capital, but it couldn't be.

And yet this place filled Villhaze with a strange nostalgia. The smell somehow made her homesick. It felt as though she was visiting her long-forgotten homeland. But that couldn't possibly be. She had no homeland.

What was this phenomenon?

At first, she'd thought for sure it had to be a byproduct of Tryphon Cross's powers, but that turned out to not be the case.

I remember a white light. Tryphon Cross teleported Prohellya Butchersky's bullet and it hit Lady Komari's pendant.

The rest of her memories were vague.

"Lady Komari, do you remember how we ended up here?"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH?!"

Villhaze's shoulders jolted in response to Komari's abrupt shriek.

Her mistress was holding her pendant in hand, wearing a look on her face like it was the end of the world.

"I-it's broken…"

"What?"

"It's broken! Look at this! My mom's keepsake is all messed up!"

Sure enough, the pendant was fractured.

It must've been the result of Prohellya's bullet hitting it… Then Villhaze came to a realization. The white light that brought them to this place had come from the pendant itself.

"Oh no… She's gonna kill me…"

"Don't cry, Lady Komari. We can just ask Lady Amatsu to fix it."

"R-right. But I don't wanna inconvenience her…"

"There's something very special about this pendant, so I think she will understand. But first, we have to think of a way to get back to the Imperial Capital. Let's look around…" And so they did.

The snow-covered Imperial Palace was shockingly quiet. Was this really the Mulnite Empire? It felt like being in a dream…Suspicious, Villhaze took a step forward, then felt a twinge in her belly.

Right. Her wound from the bomb hadn't healed yet. The adrenaline rush from Core Implosion had only eased the pain.

"…I'm sorry, Lady Komari. Can we rest for a while?"

"Huh? O-oh, sure! You're wounded! How're you feeling?!"

"This should heal itself. I don't think it was made with a Divine Instrument."

Villhaze crouched on the ground.

Something wasn't right. The Dark Core should have started to reverse their wounds already… Why was the pain only getting stronger?

Komari looked at her with tears in her eyes.

"Are you really okay?! Damn it, if only I could use healing magic."

"I'm fine. Don't worry."

"Take it easy. I'll go get some…" Komari trailed off.

Villhaze casually turned around to look at her and witnessed something truly shocking.

Komari was on the ground, vomiting blood. With each of her coughs, the snow grew redder and redder. She had a hand to her chest, and her breathing was heavy and whistling.

"H-huh…? Why… am I feeling…weak…?"

Her mind went blank.

Villhaze rushed to her mistress's side, but the pain in her abdomen was too much. She fell to the ground.

Her mistress was panting in agony right before her eyes.

"Lady Komari…!!"

A wound must have opened up. Blood was flowing ceaselessly from her chest, dyeing the snow a brighter and brighter shade of red.

Villhaze couldn't process what she was seeing.

She knew the Blood Curse took a heavy toll on Komari's body. It would drain all her mana, forcing her to be hospitalized.

And she'd activated it three times today already. Villhaze should've expected that to break her.

"Lady Komari… Lady Komari…" She called her name in delirium.

This couldn't be. This wasn't what was supposed to happen. They defeated the terrorists and would live happily ever after. Wasn't that the script? They were supposed to go back to Mulnite together!

Unable to get rid of her sinking feeling, Villhaze surrendered herself to despair.

Her belly was racked with agony—pain that wouldn't heal.

Maybe, just maybe, they were outside the Dark Core's area of effect.

"Vill…" Komari's face twisted in pain as she looked at her maid.

Her eyes were empty. She was barely conscious.

And Villhaze wasn't doing any better.

Blood was seeping into her maid uniform, and it showed no sign of stopping. Her vision went blurry.

Slowly, she reached out to her mistress.

She had decided to live for Komari; to help her on whatever path she took. At first, it was only to thank Komari for what she'd done for her. But as the days went by, the feeling inside her gradually changed and grew.

Villhaze wanted to see the gentle world that Terakomari Gandesblood would certainly build.

She wanted to stay by her side forever. Support her forever.

Everything she had done was to that end. And she'd finally felt their hearts connect this time around. So how could it all end like this now?

Her body was torn to shreds.

Komari was gasping and wheezing. She couldn't speak anymore.

The snow fell quietly.

Villhaze was in too much pain to even feel cold.

But her heart was rapidly freezing. Enveloped by the frost of despair.

"Lady Komari…," Villhaze called out hoarsely.

She couldn't allow things to end like this. She couldn't let herself and her mistress die.

She was supposed to spend the rest of her days with Lady Komari; they couldn't be cut short like this.

She looked up at the heavens and prayed.

Then she heard a thunderous step.

Her vision was too blurred to make out who it was. But she knew there was someone out there.

"Look at how much you two have grown."

Perhaps it was a hallucination.

Perhaps her senses were playing tricks on her since she was on death's door.

But the woman's voice was too kind to be an illusion.

"But you can't come here yet. I'll show you the way back home."

She already had one foot in the door. The pain was fading away.

The next moment, bright light illuminated the world.

The darkness was driven back, and noise returned to the silent realm.

"Who are you…?" She forced out the question.

Villhaze received no answer from the woman, save for a faint smile.

Before long, the question running through her head was swept away.

Villhaze let go of her consciousness as warmth surrounded her.

★

Six Nations News, December 12th Morning Edition

CHAOS IN THE MULNITE EMPIRE! COMMANDER GANDESBLOOD EMERGES VICTORIOUS

IMPERIAL CAPITAL—BY MELKA TIANO AND THIO FLATT

The riots perpetrated by the Holy Church and Inverse Moon in the Imperial Capital were contained on the 20th thanks to a response force led by Crimson Lord Terakomari Gandesblood. This incident (henceforth referred to as the Vampire Riots) were orchestrated by the 99th Pope of the Holy Church, Julius VI, aka Spica La Gemini (age unknown). Otherwise known as the Wicked God Slayer, Spica also is also the leader of Inverse Moon, and she infiltrated the Holy City three years ago to hatch her plot.

…

The battle in the Imperial Capital was fierce, but things tilted in Mulnite's favor when Karla Amatsu, Goddess of the Heavenly Paradise, and Nelia Cunningham, President and Illustrious General of the Aruka Republic, led the armies of their respective nations to the city in support. In the end, Commander Gandesblood eradicated the terrorists with her Core Implosion, the Blood Curse. We are seeing Commander Gandesblood's policy of world harmony, which she spoke of during the Six Nations War, come to fruition. The Cathedral of the Holy City of Lehysia is taking this matter seriously and announced plans to hold an election for its next Pope—the Holy Endurance Test—before the end of the year.

…