Epilogue

Inverse Moon had dealt a heavy blow to the Mulnite Empire.

It was the first time in the long history of the vampires that the Imperial Capital had experienced devastation of this scale. The extensive damage was proof of the underhandedness and severity of the enemy's attack.

Many people suffered pain and sadness during the crisis, but at the same time, they experienced great hope.

Crimson Lord Terakomari Gandesblood had saved the Imperial Capital with the help of Nelia Cunningham, Karla Amatsu, and other heroes from foreign lands. Her victory showed that people had the ability to route the terrorists, no matter how powerful, when they joined hands.

The vampires sensed the arrival of a new era—a heartwarming world where people wouldn't hurt each other, but instead join hands against evil. They could feel the peaceful world Commander Terakomari Gandesblood was (assumed to be) pursuing come into being.

"Komari saved us this time around. That girl is full of surprises."

Some time had passed by since the all-night fuss.

Mulnite Empress Karen Helvetius let out a heavy sigh as she arrived at a room in the Mulnite Imperial Palace. A gesture most uncharacteristic of hers, thought Chancellor Armand Gandesblood.

The skies outside the window were clear. Despite the frigid wind, the snow that was piled up around the city was beginning to melt away.

"The Imperial Capital has sustained severe damage, but I don't think it should take much time to repair. Our Minister of Construction says we could gather as many workers as needed if we get Commander Gandesblood to ask for help."

"Exploiting Komari and her popularity, huh? No wonder she's always complaining about how unethical the country is."

"Unethical or not, we need to rebuild as quickly as possible. What if the terrorists decide to stage another attack?"

"I don't think they will for a while. After all, their members are…"

"Karen, can we just get to the point already? I'm getting sleepy," said the girl sitting on the chair by the window, yawning.

There were three people in that room: the Empress, the Chancellor, and Crimson Lord Petrose Calamaria.

The top three of the Mulnite Empire were holding a meeting.

The Empress herself had summoned them in order to make plans for the future. She was to explain what happened this time around from her point of view.

"Fine, fine," the Empress said, exasperated. "I can't let you doze off, so I'll keep it brief. As much as it pains me to admit, I fell into Inverse Moon's trap, which is why I wasn't around during the whole disaster. An embarrassment to my title, I know. I must come out and apologize to our citizens for being unable to protect them."

"What was this trap of theirs? Surely they didn't just catch you by surprise—you wouldn't fall for that."

"Actually, the attack itself was nothing special. They just caught me while my back was turned. But they used a very special item to lure me in," she said, taking a piece of paper from her pocket.

A letter? It didn't look like anything special.

Armand stared flatly at the sheet of paper as the Empress threw it on the table. A moment later, he was struck by shock stronger than any he'd known.

"This is…Yulinne's handwriting…?!"

"Correct. It's even laced with her mana. She says she's doing fine in the Netherworld."

"I don't get it. What does she mean?"

"She means what she says. She's in the Netherworld."

Armand was at a loss for words.

Komari's mother, Yulinne Gandesblood, had traveled around the world, fighting a fierce battle against terrorists before disappearing, engulfed by the flames of war. Officially, the Mulnite Empire had declared her dead. Armand had told their children, quote, "Mom went somewhere far away."

But now there was this letter.

The contents were bizarre. She couldn't have written it before her disappearance.

"I think she's trapped in this Netherworld place."

"Karen, did you hit your head or something?"

"They did hit me in the head, actually. Anyway, someone added another message to Yulinne's letter, saying they'd be waiting for me somewhere in the Dark Core Zone. This was how Inverse Moon got me to fall for their trap. Normally, I would have seen through something like this, but I let my excitement over seeing a trace of Yulinne's presence get the better of me. So I went to the specified location all by myself, and they whacked me from behind. Once I woke up, I found myself in another world that looked just like Mulnite."

"??"

"The realm I ended up in wasn't the afterlife or anything. I believe it's another world that exists parallel to ours. And there, I found someone who I think was Yulinne."

Armand was completely lost by now. He tried calming down and furrowed his brow.

"Let's say you really went to this other realm you call the Netherworld, Your Majesty. Was the woman you met really Yulinne? Couldn't it have been some sort of mistake?"

"No, I could never mistake her. We even talked."

"Geez. I think you're just going senile," Petrose said.

"You want to die?" the Empress asked.

"Sorry."

For a second, Armand thought she was really going to kill Petrose.

"But how did you even get there in the first place? And how'd you get back? You don't have that sort of power, do you?"

"Like I said, Inverse Moon sent me there. They have the ability to travel back and forth from that world. Or rather, the Wicked God Slayer has it, I believe. I'm sure that Spica La Gemini sent me there. It was on a night of the new moon."

"And how did you get back?"

"Yulinne told me that Mulnite was in danger. This was the only conversation we had, actually. When I tried asking her for more details, the entire world was bathed in white light. Then I was transported to the ruins of the Mulnite Imperial Palace, where I found Spica La Gemini sitting on the throne like she owned the place, plus Prohellya Butchersky on the verge of death."

Armand had been dead around that time, so he didn't know all the details about what had gone down. However, he did hear that the leader of the terrorists had said something to the effect of, "I'll let you off the hook for today" the moment she saw the Empress before making a break for it. Armand wanted to tell the Empress that she should've captured the girl if she'd really given her that much trouble, but he ultimately decided against it. Better to keep his head on his shoulders.

Petrose munched on sweet bean jelly as she spoke:

"Then Yulinne really wrote that letter?"

"Unless Inverse Moon used some sort of special technology to forge it, yes. In all likelihood…she wrote it to tell everyone in the Mulnite Empire that she was fine. But somehow, it ended up in the hands of Inverse Moon. And they used it to trap me."

"…"

There were too many questions he wanted to ask, but if the Empress was so sure about this, he couldn't ignore it. What exactly was the link between the Netherworld, Yulinne, and Inverse Moon?

"…Right. Maybe you're correct, Karen."

Petrose threw away the wrapper from her confection. Please put it in a trash can.

"I met one of the terrorists' leaders. A Warblade wearing a lab coat… I think her name was Lonne Cornelius. She said something similar. I should've killed her, but she teleported away the moment I took my eyes off her."

"You should've captured her, not killed her. But either way, that's all in the past."

"She also told me something else. Apparently, the Dark Core is the key to opening the door to the Netherworld."

The Empress kept silent.

Armand couldn't keep up. He had never seen the Dark Core, much less the Netherworld; he wouldn't be able to grasp this all without seeing it for himself first.

"I see." The Empress nodded with a blank look on her face, looking at the snow out the window. Then, nonchalantly, she added, "The Mulnite Empire's Dark Core is Yulinne's pendant."

"What?!" Armand felt like he had been struck on the head. He stared at the Empress's profile. "…Huh? It's the Dark Core? Why is Komari hanging on to it?"

"Because she should. But don't tell her about it yet. Though I will say…how did you not put two and two together, 'Chancellor'? You really are dense, Armand."

"…"

How was he supposed to know about that? The Empresss always did everything all on her own. Don't you agree, Commander Calamaria He glanced at the Reckless Bomber for support, but she wasn't the least bit surprised; she just kept on devouring her jellies.

Was I the only one here who didn't know?

The Empress ignored Armand's shock and continued:

"We must launch an investigation to determine what the Dark Core really is."

"Investigate what? How? We can't experiment on the thing, can we?" Armand asked.

"There are many ways. The fastest would be to ask someone who knows…like, say, the Wicked God Slayer." She grinned.

And so the Mulnite Empire came ever so slightly closer to revealing the mysteries of Inverse Moon and the Dark Core.

Things are only going to get busier, huh? Armand sighed.

***

"So you've finally accepted it, Lady Komari."

"…"

"You remember things this time, don't you? Your spirit has grown."

"…"

"Are you listening, Lady Komari? Don't you dare tell me you forgot."

"…Fine. I'll admit it. I got my…"

"Thank you. I'll never forget how you whispered into my ear, Vill, let's get married."

"What're you talking about?!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

It was December 24th. I was in bed. At the hospital. The usual.

There was no surprise to be had at this point, but it sure was scary how I'd gotten used to this hardcore tradition. I just wanted to live in peace and quiet.

But at the same time, I had given up on that. I knew I would never lead an uneventful life so long as I was a Crimson Lord. And everyone was expecting great things from me.

I still had my memories of that night.

Of course, I had no recollection of asking Vill to get married. The sicko maid just made that all up. But anyway—I remembered activating my Core Implosion, the Blood Curse.

On that full moon night, I fought Tryphon of Inverse Moon.

I remembered that my mana went scarlet, and Vill's blue.

Honestly, it felt like it was just a dream. Pieces of the event were still hazy. But I was certain I'd faced my foe with the full intent to kill, much to my surprise. Somehow, I could vividly remember that emotion. I'd wanted to fight for the sake of everyone, and that was the only thing on my mind.

"…What happened after that?"

"Her Majesty chased off Spica La Gemini. As for Tryphon Cross, he's missing. The forces of the Imperial Capital eliminated the rest of Inverse Moon's members."

"So the Holy Church was Inverse Moon all along?"

"Not quite. Julius VI was appointed Pope three years ago and used her new authority as she pleased, but she was criticized inside of the Church, too. There are numerous factions who oppose her in the Holy City. And they are now holding a ritual to select their new Pope."

"Hmm…"

"In any case, it's over, for now. The terrorists have been driven away, and peace has returned to the Imperial Capital."

So it ended in total victory for the Mulnite Empire.

Vill assured me that the ruins of the city would be rebuilt and that most of the rioters had been captured. I imagined they would go through terrible stuff like questioning and torture, but hey, that had nothing to do with me. No need to dwell on it.

That got me thinking. In the end, what did that Vampire Princess want? What had Spica been hoping to accomplish by taking over the Imperial Capital?

I kinda remembered Inverse Moon's philosophy being something along the lines of yearning for death, but she didn't seem to be acting out of pure violence. She had this kind of positive energy about her. But oh well, I supposed there was no finding out unless I asked the girl herself.

"…I want to talk with Spica again."

"You haven't changed, Lady Komari. People like her ought to be crushed, no questions asked. And besides, there's something else that interests me more than Spica La Gemini."

"What? Today's dinner?"

"I will be making omelet rice for tonight."

"Really?! Hell yeah!!"

"Yes… And although dinner is a most important matter, what I meant was that new moon world we wandered into."

"New moon? Ohh…" I remembered.

The new moon world—an inverse realm that was the spitting image of the Mulnite Empire.

A white light had enveloped Vill, Tryphon, and me all of a sudden and transported us there. I had a hunch about what happened: I'd heard the sound of a door opening the moment Prohellya's bullet hit my chest.

I looked down in the same place and saw my glowing bright-red pendant. Karla had fixed the fracture. Honestly, I didn't want her using Waving Moment, but for whatever reason, she'd insisted that it needed to be fixed no matter what, so I gave in.

"That world must have been a different dimension, outside the reach of the Dark Core. I had no idea how to go back home from there…but then, I heard a voice."

"A voice?"

"Yes, and it was very warm. I think whoever it belonged to sent us back to our world, where the Dark Core saved our lives."

"…"

I knew Vill wasn't lying or hallucinating. I'd gotten a very similar feeling back there. My consciousness was hazy, but I saw a glow, sort of like moonlight, pierce through the darkness. Then I'd heard a very gentle voice. I felt nostalgic, even, somehow. It was warm enough to blow away the cold of the snow.

"…Mom…"

Vill raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, she smelled like a mother."

"…"

Even I didn't understand what I was saying.

My mother, Yulinne Gandesblood, was supposed to have died in battle six years ago. If the woman who'd appeared before Vill was her, then that would mean we'd had one foot in the land of the dead.

There was something else that was bothering me. Kakumei Amatsu's letter.

Did my mom write it when she was alive? I mean, obviously, that had to be the case, but I felt like there was a secret lying behind all this.

"Keep the world close to your chest."

What did that mean?

Was my mother actually alive?

Faint hope budded within me…although it would probably be for the best to not to set my expectations too high.

"Regardless, I don't think we can solve this mystery just pondering about it. Let's be glad we managed to get back in good shape for now."

"Yeah."

I stared blankly out of the window.

The surroundings of the infirmary (aka the morgue) were relatively unscathed, but there was wreckage a short walk away. It sure was impressive we had managed to survive that whole thing.

"I gotta say thanks to Nelia and Karla. I think I should give them a present. What do you think they'd like?" I asked Vill.

"Lady Cunningham would be pleased with a maid outfit."

"Yes, we should send her one in her size. That'll show her how it feels to be made into a maid. Heh. Let's ask for her measurements later."

"By the way, mine are…"

"I didn't ask! Now, what about Karla?"

"I think she would enjoy homemade sweets. Made by you, obviously."

"Ohh! That sounds good. Yeah, let's make her some cookies."

"Lady Butcher from the Polar Union also showed up to help."

"Right. She's a little childish, so how about a seal plushie?"

"I think she would lose her mind if she heard that."

As I was thinking about how to thank all of them, I realized how blessed I was.

I wouldn't have been able to survive on my own. It was all thanks to Nelia, Karla, Prohellya, and everyone else who showed up to help that I was still standing.

"You must be very glad, Lady Komari, to get to strengthen your friendship with all of them."

"Yeah. I gotta help them at the speed of light if they're ever in trouble."

"So we'll get to see your gallant fighting again if Inverse Moon ever attacks Aruka or the Heavenly Paradise, eh? I look forward to it."

"Please, no. I think another war like this would actually kill me."

"You won't die. You have the power of Core Implosion."

I didn't know what to say to that.

I looked away from her and muttered, "…Well, I know I accomplish some incredible feats out there, but I'm still pretty sure at least half of what went down was due to a meteorite. Or maybe God possessed my body and did all that in my stead. I think I'll go donate a pudding to the church once I get outta here."

"You're still saying that? There are loads of battles awaiting you from here on out. We've got declarations of war from the chimpanzee piling up."

"Tell 'em to go hibernate! I'm gonna hibernate myself, too!"

"I won't let you. You said you wouldn't isolate yourself anymore. My memory is very sharp, I'll have you know. I don't forget a thing."

"Ugh… You know, I…I didn't mean that literally…"

I was still a shut-in to the core.

Sure, I was motivated and determined this time around, but no amount of motivation could last forever. I guess I could get back my can-do attitude if the Mulnite Empire was ever in danger once more. 

But for the time being, I was intent on requesting three months' vacation.

Any person, no matter how great, needed rest. The guys from the Seventh Unit said otherwise, but they were crazy and didn't count as people.

"I'm kidding," Vill said. "I understand how you feel now. I won't force you."

"Good. At the end of the day, you really are my loyal maid."

"Indeed I am. Which is why I'm making preparations for work after new year's. I already have fifteen sports-wars booked for January, and I'm sending out nonstop declarations of war around the world for February at this very moment…"

"You don't understand how I feel in the slightest, do ya?!"

Vill chuckled. What's so funny?!

"Don't worry. I'll be with you the entire way."

"…"

Cheeky girl.

But well…all my growth was thanks to her. I'd defeated Millicent and won the Crimson Match in spring, forged a friendship with Nelia during the Six Nations War in summer, doubled down on my dreams during the Heavenly Ball in fall, and now realized what it is that I had to do during battle against the terrorists in winter.

Even if something were to happen again, I felt like I could overcome it with Vill at my side.

"…You won't leave me anymore, will you?"

"Never. I will stay by your side forever. Our relationship has already been cemented by blood."

"Yeah. Now that you mention it."

"How did my blood taste, by the way?" Vill inquired.

You're asking that now?

"Um… I don't know."

"Yours was really sweet. What about mine?"

"U-uh… It wasn't bad, I guess…"

"Not bad? But what did it taste like?"

"I-it was fine enough for me to drink! That really shocked me, considering how much I hate blood."

"I'm glad. But what did it taste like? Tell me."

"Shut up already! Does it matter that much?!"

"Yes. So?"

She brought her face close. I retreated on top of the bed by pure reflex.

Unlike this sicko, I was a bad liar. I couldn't keep a secret if it cost me my life. I knew she would make fun of me no matter what I said. So what now? What can I possibly do? Gosh, this is so embarrassing… Just then, I got a great idea.

I just had to change the subject!

"Th-the answer is simple! Your blood had the taste of a bright future!"

"What? What does that mean?"

"My body is smaller than people my age because I haven't been sucking blood. But for whatever reason, I can drink yours just fine. So, if I keep on ingesting your blood, then I'll grow as tall as a tree!"

"No, you won't."

"How'd you know?!"

"I saw it with Pandora's Poison."

"…"

Why do you have to be so mean?

Now what? She's seen the future. All hope is lost.

Just as I started tearing up, she furrowed her brow and said:

"Don't worry, Lady Komari. You're the type whose nutrients go everywhere else but her height."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?!"

Now she's telling me drinking blood will make me grow sideways? Could it get any worse?

I hate blood! I refuse to drink it anymore. Wait…not that I could do it without activating Core Implosion and causing meteorite-scale disasters.

Vill giggled.

"But I am glad to know you don't dislike my blood."

"I'm never drinking yours again."

"Don't say that. Once you've got Core Implosion under control, we'll suck each other's blood every night."

"No way!"

I looked away and plopped back on the bed.

What an unpleasant maid. Who's she taking her master for? I wrapped myself under the blankets, fuming.

But then again, the truth was I couldn't go on as a commander without her. And I'd only grown so much because of her.

So I decided to forgive her rudeness. At the end of the day, everything she'd done was for my sake. And she was making me omelet rice. And she made sure I wasn't reprimanded for my mistakes. And most of all…I really appreciated her. Then the door flew open.

"Commander! I have a report to make!" Caostel entered, yelling out of nowhere.

I sat up in a panic and struck an arrogant pose. I couldn't let my underling see me sulking under the covers. Why was he barging into his boss's infirmary room all of a sudden, though? Had he no courtesy? Had he no common sense? What even was the matter?

"What's up, Caostel? I was just lusting for some blood, but the infirmary staff won't let me leave. Let's save war for another ti—"

"That's not it. I'm here to report that the Terakomari Gandesblood statue is complete."

"What?"

What's he talking about?

"Fantastic," Vill said in a calm tone. "What the Mulnite Empire needed was not a God statue, but one of Lady Komari. Let's go see it right now, my Lady."

"Huh? Wait, don't pull me! I gotta change first!"

She pulled me out of bed.

I had a terrible feeling about this.

***

And I was right. Caostel teleported us to the ruined Mulnite Imperial Palace. Snow was piling up in the hallways, exposed under the broken walls and ceiling. It was a truly awful sight…but I didn't care about it right now.

The Terakomari Gandesblood statue caught my eye.

Yup, the name was definitely spot-on.

Where Spica's idol had once been stood mine. A giant replica of myself, making peace signs with both my hands for whatever reason.

And there was an audience. Lots of sightseers surrounded the bronze statue, exclaiming:

"Wow!" "She looks just like her!" "Let's take a picture." "It is the birth of a new Mulnite attraction." "Oh, dear God…dear God… Please bring peace to the world…" This last guy seems very confused. That's me, not God, fella.

"…What in the world is this?"

"A statue of you, Commander."

"That much I can tell! What's it doing here?! Don't you find it weird?!"

"Did you forget? We were building this statue to show the entire world your glory. By the way, we improved it as per Lieutenant Villhaze's request, so it shoots beams out of its eyes."

Now that you mention it, I do remember you talking about it.

But that doesn't change the fact it's embarrassing as all heck! Take it down, please. Why…?

Just imagine foreign officials visiting and being all like, "The hell is that?"

My face wasn't just burning—it was about to combust.

Then the people noticed my presence. It was then I realized some of them were from the Seventh Unit. They all smiled and ran up to me and yelled, "Commander!!" the moment they saw me.

"Commander! Great job as always!" "You saved the Empire, Commander!" "The real Commander is much more beautiful than any statue!" "Look at all the people coming here to celebrate you!" "Check it! A new era has begun. The Church has been shunned. The Commander won!"

My shame had reached its breaking point.

I yelled just to dispel some of the embarrassment.

"M-Mellaconcey! You love blowing stuff up, don't you? I won't say where exactly, but don't you think there's a perfect, bronze target right around here?"

"I would never blow up the statue of our God."

"Why're you always so well-behaved when I don't want you to be?!"

No one listened to my wishes.

They began cheering like idiots. "Komarin! Komarin! Komarin! Komarin!" The Seventh Unit's vampires smiled at me. Geez, what a noisy bunch, I thought, all the while feeling strangely warm inside.

I felt my life was finally back to normal.

Perhaps it was for this feeling that I fought. I mean, I didn't want anything to do with violence, but maybe it wasn't so bad putting in a little effort for the people who trusted in me…

"Lady Komari, I hope you're ready to get slaughtering tomorrow."

"NO WAY!!!"

Never mind, it was bad.

The scream of my soul melted away in the winter sky.

Ahh…

At the end of the day, I was better off staying inside.

The vexations of this shut-in vampire princess were far from over.

(FIN)

In the end, we couldn't conquer the Mulnite Empire.

I gallantly backed out this time around.

There was something moving about Terakomari's efforts. I had to doff my hat to her strong spirit, along with her overwhelming charm that affected both ally and enemy. She deserved one of my blood candies as congrats.

But anyway.

Enjoy your coveted shut-in life for the time being.

We'd lost most members of Inverse Moon, and the Mulnite Empire had captured the rioters. It would take a while to restart our operations.

"…I think I should take a rest, too. Not that I ever do work."

I stared into the night sky and took out a new lollipop.

The full moon shone brightly. A golden gem fitting for the land of night.

Just looking at it made something well up inside me. It made me sentimental. Would the day my dreams came true ever arrive?

Of course it would.

I had my friends on my side. Just as Terakomari had hers, I had my own allies who believed in me.

***

It was all over by the time Tryphon Cross woke up.

Terakomari Gandesblood had retaken the Mulnite Empire. The Imperial Army caught the Inverse Moon members attacking the Imperial Capital. And the Wicked God Slayer had lost her Cathedral hideout after the anti-Julius VI faction decided to elect a new Pope.

Utter defeat. My ideals are far out of reach yet again… Tryphon sighed.

"…I suppose I'll consider myself lucky I'm alive."

He found himself lying on a bed when he came to. His lost left arm had been healed thanks to the Dark Core. Her Highness told him she'd transported him all the way to the Dark Core Zone.

Tryphon sighed yet again and looked out the window.

It seemed he was in another of Inverse Moon's hideouts, a renovated old castle. But there was no one else there. Most of the others were likely in Mulnite's prisons. Tryphon walked down the hallway feeling a twinge of sadness.

"Snow's piling up outside! Wanna make a snowman?"

"…Your Highness."

Before he knew it, the Wicked God Slayer, Spica La Gemini, was right behind him. She approached him, eyes sparkling like stars and the usual blood-colored lollipop in her mouth.

"You okay now? All healed up?"

"Thanks to you, yes. I can fight again."

"Cool. But Inverse Moon is in bad shape thanks to you."

He felt his mouth go dry.

Inverse Moon's state was Tryphon's responsibility. He had promised Spica he would break through the Blood Curse. And he'd managed to do it two times, but not a third. In the end, he tasted bitter defeat.

He deserved death at her hands.

"I will make no excuses. Do with me as you please. All responsibility for this disaster lies with me…"

Pat. Spica placed a hand on his head. He was at a loss for words.

She stood on her toes to gently stroke his head, as though she were comforting a child. He was frozen in shock.

"Um… Your Highness…"

"You did great! Our organization is in shambles, but we did a ton of damage to the Mulnite Empire. And that's all thanks to you, Tryphon!"

"But…"

"Inverse Moon shows no mercy to failures… That rule is from thirty years ago, right? The Lunae from back then came up with it, not me! I've been telling you to leave it behind, but you just won't let it go. I don't think human resources should be that expendable. Also…would you mind crouching a little? My feet are hurting already."

"I'm sorry."

Tryphon crouched as told and did some thinking.

He couldn't see through Spica. Did she really mean what she just said?

His mind swirled with doubt as Spica continued patting his head. Finally, she beamed like the sun and stepped back. She swung her bright-red candy and said:

"…Inverse Moon is in shambles. You will keep on working to fulfill my dream."

"I understand. I will do anything I can."

"Good! Your loyalty deserves a reward!"

"Huh? Guh!"

She shoved a lollipop into Tryphon's mouth. The same kind she was always eating.

He grew nauseous as the taste of blood spread in his mouth. Vampires were insane to eat this stuff by choice.

"It's awful…," he ended up choking out.

Spica's eyes glowed sharp.

"What did you just say?"

"Nothing."

"Okay. Let's have a meeting, then!"

"A…meeting?"

"I think it's about time I told you exactly what my goal is and where I come from. After what went down this time, I think you Lunae deserve to know… Oh, and speak of the devil! Fuyao!"

A foxgirl came up to them from the other side of the hall.

"Oh," she said sullenly the moment she saw Spica. "What is it? Make it quick."

"Are you doing okay? Prohellya Butchersky sure gave you a butchering back there."

Fuyao's ears twitched.

"It was no big deal. First of all, I wouldn't have lost if it had been me back there. But she had to get in the way."

"Still, you lost."

"...I know. My priorities have changed. I must kill that cheeky Sapphire before Terakomari Gandesblood."

"Cool! Good luck."

Fuyao grimaced in annoyance.

"So what do you want? I'm busy."

"I'll give you all the details once Amatsu and Cornelius get here. I'm going to tell you why Spica La Gemini is Inverse Moon's boss—which means I'm going to fill you in about the Netherworld and the Dark Core."

"If it's gonna take a while, just do it without me."

"Fuyao, you shouldn't be so selfish," Tryphon said.

"I don't mind. I like that impatient side of hers. Oh well. You know what? I think Amatsu and Cornelia already have a vague idea about things, so I'll tell you two the gist of it here and now."

Spica smiled in satisfaction.

Then, like a child revealing the plans for a prank, she said:

"My goal is to destroy the Dark Cores and open the door to the Netherworld. I want to take all of the world's shut-ins outside!"

Inverse Moon was hamstrung after what went down.

They wouldn't be able to do pull of any large-scale operations to go after Dark Cores for a while.

Terakomari Gandesblood was sure to get a moment of peace.

But it wasn't over yet.

Spica's spirit wasn't broken. And so long as it wasn't, the fight would continue.

The day when the shut-in vampire princess could finally laze around to her heart's content would never come.