His hometown was sold by the tyrant king to a foreign power.
The buyer was the Haku-Goku Commonwealth. The new rulers, the Sapphires, were gloomy and cold like the winter sky. The discriminatory looks on their faces as they scowled at the Warblades were commonplace. "Damn rusted." "Savage blades." They called them all sorts of names. They laughed behind their backs, shoved them out of the blue, and threw filth at their houses.
He endured the blatant discrimination all while protecting his young sister.
He endured it all while the fire of revenge burned inside his heart. The ire toward other races who tormented him grew bigger and bigger, as did his anger toward the opportunist king who'd sold his hometown and the unfair world that had dealt him such a hand.
His only choice was to become stronger. He needed the strength to take it all back.
So when he turned fifteen, he and his sister traveled to the capital of Aruka. He went there to join the royal army and train. He couldn't stand serving the king he loathed, but he had no choice but to work for the government if he
wanted to prosper in this nation, which valued military power over everything else.
"What? You're just a kid. Go away."
He was prepared to be rejected at the front gate. The king was beginning to downsize the army, so it was unlikely they would hire new soldiers, much less a kid of unknown origin. Still, he asked time and again. Even on rainy and windy days, he went there every time and rubbed his forehead on the ground, begging.
"You're annoying. Keep doing this, and I'll chop your head off."
"Why don't you just let him join?"
From the gate to the Illustrious Tower appeared a girl with peach-colored hair.
The guard looked at her in dismay.
"Princess Nelia! Whatever could bring you here?"
"I'm just out for a walk. So…you."
He looked up at the girl. Her smile was bright, brimming with confidence.
"I've seen you come here every day. You have guts. I think you would make a decent pawn for me to take over the world. I'll ask Madhart to let you into the royal army."
She reached out her hand. In the eyes of this young man who had lost his hometown, who had suffered under the Sapphires' discrimination, who had come all the way to the royal capital on his own two feet… In the eyes of Pascal Rainsworth, this girl seemed like a goddess.
It was then that he decided to take over the world for her.
Perhaps his feelings were close to romantic then. But it didn't take much for this yearning to take a twisted turn.
While Rainsworth was working hard as a soldier, Nelia's vampire mentor was guiding her in the wrong direction. Madhart had been cultivating in her mind the idea that all other races should be at the Warblades' feet up until then, and now she was talking about altruism and peace—concepts that were laughable to Rainsworth, who had lived through the Sapphires' abuse. He couldn't believe she was taking them seriously.
Rainsworth warned her about it many times. He explained how Warblades were superior, how inferior other races were, particularly Sapphires and vampires, and how meaningless all the peace talk coming out of the king's mouth was. He tried to remind her time and again that the Aruka Kingdom shall rule the world. But she did not understand.
"You're as stubborn as Madhart."
"You think you can be friends with other races?"
"Yes, we must share the pudding."
Rainsworth was growing angrier. He had joined the royal army in order to exact his revenge—and in order to take over the world. He had trained hard, and his efforts were beginning to bear fruit. He was ready to give the world to Nelia. He never spared any effort in order to make her happy.
He knew soon enough that he wasn't the only one with worries. His commander, Madhart, looked at the bigger picture and made the rational decision.
"Princess Nelia has become useless. Aruka will become a puppet to Mulnite and Haku-Goku if we let her become queen."
So the coup began. Royalty and nobility were captured and imprisoned in the Daydream Paradise. The monarchy fell, giving birth to the Gerra-Aruka Republic. He remembered well Nelia's face back then—her pale look of despair after she lost everything.
Nelia should have been sent to the Daydream Paradise with everyone else, but Rainsworth wouldn't have it. He needed her to witness the moment Gerra-Aruka took over the world; perhaps she would reconsider then.
"Mr. President, please leave Nelia Cunningham in my care. We can use her."
His request was almost entirely motivated by personal feelings, but Nelia was saved. Rainsworth sent his sister, Gertrude, to be Nelia's maid so she could observe her twenty-four seven. The Moonpeach Princess, however, did not give in.
"Go to hell, Rainsworth. I'm not doing as you please."
Her scornful glare pained his heart. She followed her words and trained hard enough to earn the title of Illustrious General, all while holding the desire to bring down Madhart.
He was disgusted with all of it. So he planned to lure her into a trap.
Once kicked down to the trenches of despair again, and with the world in his hands, she would finally learn that her ideals were wrong. She would see that Gerra-Aruka could obtain anything through sheer strength. And that Nelia Cunningham's heart, too, would be in his hands.
For that to come to fruition, he had to slaughter the inferior races.
★
The fortress city of Gredt, Mulnite territory in the Dark Core Zone, was in a panic.
The Daydream Unit was close. The sentries were looking through farsight magic from the watchtowers, gulping at the sight of the enemy.
They numbered five thousand. Each of them was expressionless, like a machine, yet overflowing with an aura of bloodlust that could be felt from far away. The troops had been brainwashed by Madhart and Rainsworth to live only to kill.
"Where are the reinforcements from the mainland?!"
"We can't reach them…"
The soldiers atop the walls were running every which way. They heard the Warblades had already destroyed the neighboring citadel, and they wouldn't stop until they wrecked everything.
Then a high concentration of mana rose from the Daydream Unit.
The Warblades shot flame spells at them. The fireballs flew at great speeds and crashed loudly into the gates. The spells didn't stop as more and more deadly fireballs hit the walls, shaking them with every strike. People shrieked and yelled.
"It's the end," someone whispered.
The soldiers watching the enemy troops approach from atop the walls fell to their knees in despair. Regular cities in the Dark Core Zone had no real defenses. They weren't built under the presumption of getting invaded. No one ever imagined war that wasn't for entertainment.
Will our city be destroyed just like the others?
Right as that thought came to everyone's mind, someone stood atop the walls.
"What…?"
It was a blue girl. A vampire with a sharp, threatening aura. A strong will burned in her eyes. Where did she come from? all the soldiers wondered.
She chuckled and raised her right hand.
She pointed a slender finger at the berserk Warblades about to break open the gates.
"Poor things. I'll give you the sweet release of death."
A blue flash came out her fingertip.
Advanced-level light spell: Magic Bullet.
Everyone assumed it would be useless…but things played out quite differently in reality.
The bullet hit the vanguard of the Daydream Unit and set off a mana explosion. The Warblades flew in separate directions, unable to resist the blast. Dust kicked up, and blood spattered everywhere. The next instant, a deafening battle cry rang out.
The people watched as troops teleported between the gates and the Warblades.
A flag emblazoned with the emblem of a bat and a ripple of blood fluttered in the wind. There was no mistaking it—this was a vampire unit from the Mulnite Empire.
The people were shocked, jaws on the floor, as they realized they had been saved by a hair's breadth.
The girl gave orders to the vampires from above the wall. The people would later come to say she led the troops with the grandeur of a Crimson Lord.
"Go, Fifth Unit. Alleviate their pain."
*****
The Daydream Unit had been stopped in its tracks by the time Rainsworth arrived. They were right before the fortress city of Gredt.
Madhart's orders forced them to automatically head for Faure, but they weren't trained well enough, as they carelessly rampaged—and indeed, they had attacked unrelated cities on their way and appeared intent on destroying the city before their eyes, as well. They needed a supervisor.
The first thing Rainsworth tried to do was make them change course. They didn't have the time to conquer this tiny city. He got there hoping to use mass teleportation to lead them to Faure, but a battle had already broken out.
They were fighting against vampires who were wearing the Mulnite Imperial Army uniform and trying to defend the city. Rainsworth clicked his tongue. Their enemies only had about five hundred soldiers, but he couldn't afford to lose time here. They had to crush them right away and continue onward.
"How foolish Gerra-Aruka is."
Someone stood beside him in silence.
He drew his sword by reflex, and then a quiet scornful laughter rang in his ear.
"I can hear their cries. The Warblades hate their current leader."
"Who are you?!"
It was a girl dressed in blue. Clearly a vampire. He immediately understood: She was the commander of the unit defending the city. He didn't have any recollection of this Crimson Lord, however. The girl sneered at his confusion.
"Soldiers made to obey through threats are weak. You must first take over their hearts."
"Are you a Mulnite commander? Why are you here?"
"They told me to atone for my sins by getting some results. I suppose holding you back here is something, but I won't get any credit for this if she gets here anyway."
"What are you talking about?"
Rainsworth gripped his sword tightly; the girl maintained a serene expression.
"Say, you were investigating how to achieve Core Implosion at the Daydream Paradise, weren't you? Did Inverse Moon give you some pointers?"
"Silence."
"How foolish you are. Core Implosion is a power of the mind; hurting the body won't get you anywhere. The only things that pain increases are fear and hatred. It doesn't build up the mind. Master Amatsu is wrong. Don't let him fool you into importing his Divine Instruments," the girl said.
"I said silence!"
Rainsworth swung his sword. There was no reason to let that mysterious girl live. The vampire jumped swiftly and dodged, then floated above. Flight magic.
"Gerra-Aruka will fall, sadly."
"Enough of your nonsense! The only one falling here will be you!"
He had nothing to worry about. He could easily rip her apart. Then he would conquer all six nations, get ahold of Nelia's heart, and eventually become Madhart's successor, receiving the title of president and ruling the world.
Destroying Faure was only the first step.
But reality didn't turn out as Rainsworth hoped for.
"Look at that light over there."
"Hah?!"
The girl pointed east, and his eyes followed.
A golden mana pillar was piercing the heavens. A light so magnificent and so ominous that Rainsworth was frozen in place.
"What is that…?"
"The girl I hate more than anyone. I could kill you myself, but I suppose it would be more effective to leave the job to her. It's in your hands for today, Terakomari."
"Wh-what?! Wait, you…"
The blue girl disappeared. Just as Rainsworth tried searching for the closest portal to the mana source, a tremendous golden aura ran through the grasslands.
The Warblades shrieked in fear at the overwhelming mana. The powerful, bloodthirsty aura stung their skin, as though God had just descended to earth.
The sun grew dark.
Rainsworth instinctively sensed he was in danger and drew his sword. He received a staggering blow from above, and golden sparks flew. He felt the weight of it crushing his bones.
Then he saw her. The golden vampire princess who was attacking him from above.
She had crimson eyes and an expression of calm anger on her face. The full moon crest on her uniform proved that she was a commander of the Mulnite Empire.
His insides boiled in rage.
"Terakomari Gandesblood!!"
He tried pushing back with full force, but it was impossible. He then twisted his body around and escaped from his enemy's reach. The golden sword crashed into the ground and set off a colossal mana explosion that sent all surrounding Warblades flying like paper scraps.
I don't get it. How did she get here?
"Karma has caught up to you, Rainsworth."
He couldn't believe his ears. That voice belonged to the girl he so yearned for.
A sword cut away the thick dust cloud.
The pink mana and yellow mana mixed to create a spectacle out of this world.
The detestable vampire princess, Terakomari Gandesblood, held a golden sword in her right hand as an infinite number of other blades spun around her, no doubt thanks to the the power of gravity magic or something akin to it.
Beside her was the Moonpeach Princess, the so-called strongest Illustrious General of the Republic. Nelia Cunningham's pink hair fluttered in the wind as she held twin swords in hand. Her eyes, empty and hopeless moments before, now glowed scarlet, indomitable will burning inside her as she flew down to him.
"Quite the big group. I'll slaughter every single one of them."
"Th-this has to be a joke! You should just obey me! I'll give you eternal happiness! Put down your weapons and accept it!"
"You're insane. I'm happy enough fighting by Komari's side. Don't you think so, too, Komari?" Nelia smiled at the vampire standing next to her.
Rainsworth angry enough to lose his mind.
Nelia's eyes were brimming with hope. He was supposed to give her that. After sending her to the depths of despair…he'd reach out…and then she would look only at him.
"DO NOT… DO NOT LOOK AT SOMEONE ELSE LIKE THAT!!"
Rainsworth took a step forward.
He wasn't about to disregard this. He had to be in control of her. Nelia Cunningham belonged to Pascal Rainsworth. He wasn't about to hand her over to some nameless vampire.
He slashed horizontally, but Nelia stopped the attack. A peach-colored flash followed. Rainsworth gave a sudden kick while gracefully twisting his torso to dodge. The twin swords then struck from an impossible angle. Blades clashed one, two, three times, high-pitched clangs echoing.
Then Rainsworth's sword was cut in half. The split half spun as it flew behind him.
He couldn't believe it. But he knew what it was: Core Implosion. Nelia had obtained power beyond his imagination.
Her scarlet eyes, overflowing with confidence, pierced his skull.
"No… This can't be…"
***
"It's impossible! How did Nelia Cunningham achieve Core Implosion?!"
Madhart screamed in disarray for the first time. He watched the battle in the Dark Core Zone in real time through his crystal.
"This can't be. We haven't trained her with Divine Instruments! How…?"
"I think you're misunderstanding something," the Mulnite Empress said with a sigh, sitting on the stone wall of the watchtower. "I've heard about this supposed training, injuring the body with Divine Instruments, but that isn't how Core Implosion works. You can't get it through effort or talent."
"I don't understand. What else is there other than effort or talent?"
"Destiny."
Madhart clicked his tongue, but then right away, he put on his usual serene mask.
"A sloppy Core Implosion won't change the tides of war. Rainsworth has been going through hell in the Daydream Paradise and, through sheer effort, obtained the strongest Core Implosion there is. Nelia Cunningham and Terakomari Gandesblood stand no chance."
"I see, so he was your ace in the hole. In any case, it seems my reinforcements have arrived. Hope you don't mind."
***
Rainsworth used Void Magic—Summoning—to bring forth a new sword.
"What are you useless clowns doing?! Back me up!" he shouted.
"But, Lord Rainsworth! There are more enemies…"
"What?!"
Then a huge explosion went off in the middle of the Daydream Unit. The soldiers were blown away in a disgraceful manner. "Enemy attack!" "The enemy is here!" Rainsworth's subordinates were in chaos. That gaudy explosion magic had to be none other than Petrose Calamaria.
That wasn't all.
Battle cries shook the air from afar. An incredible number of enemies were coming at them from every direction, like a tsunami. The chimpanzee troops from the Lapelico Kingdom. The vampire troops from the Mulnite Empire. The Enchanted Lands' army, the Haku-Goku Commonwealth's, the Heavenly Paradise's…and even Gerra-Aruka's rebels.
Someone had created a portal and teleported them all here.
"My dear soldiers! Tear them apart, limb by limb! Anyone who doesn't get at least a hundred kills will be demoted to the farms to grow potatoes for the rest of their lives!" So yelled the commander of the Haku-Goku Commonwealth.
It wasn't just her—commanders of all nations howled as well.
The enemy's morale was through the roof. The golden mana engulfing the world had lifted the Mul-Heaven Alliance's spirits, and they all swung their fists, magic, and sorcery to mow down the Warblades.
Rainsworth heard snickering behind him.
"This is Madhart's supersecret unit? You know, it's unfortunate that it was kept hidden. They couldn't get any experience that way, and now they don't even know how to fight."
"Nelia! You're going down the wrong path! This is for your own good… Come to me!"
"I'm here already. Here to kill you, that is."
Nelia kicked off the ground. Rainsworth stood ready with his new sword. The twin blades left a pink trail as they moved through the air…then Rainsworth felt hostility from behind, and he threw himself to the ground to escape.
Immediately after, a golden blade stabbed the spot he was standing on before.
The attacks didn't stop there. A storm of blades, free from the laws of physics due to gravity magic, rained down on him. He desperately dodged and parried them, but then he witnessed something dreadful. The ground the blades stabbed turned golden.
No, that description wasn't right. They didn't change color. They turned gold—metal.
"Hold on, Komari! I gotta be the one to end him!"
He stopped Nelia's blow from behind, and then his blade once again split in two.
Golden blades shot at his back once more. Rainsworth clenched his teeth and distanced himself.
Almost twenty meters from him was the golden vampire, expressionless, like a soldier of the Daydream Unit—but with clear hostility and bloodlust in her eyes, which glared intently at him.
Anger boiled in the pit of his stomach.
Calm down and think. This is all because of that cocky little bitch. She gave Nelia false hope; she's riling up the whole world for nothing. She's an obstacle. She's standing in the way of Gerra-Aruka's glory. I have to get rid of her.
"Warblades! You take care of Nelia Cunningham!" Rainsworth yelled, and the soldiers rushed at her.
"Get out of my way!" Nelia screamed as she fiercely attacked.
She chopped down some of them with a swing of her twin blades, but more and more kept coming her way, leaving her with no room to move. Now he wouldn't have to worry about his back for the time being.
"Die, vampire!"
He sprinted, keeping his center of gravity low.
All the pain he'd endured in the Daydream Paradise came to mind. All those memories full of anger, sadness, and desire. Many times he thought of running away, to not have the Divine Instruments wound him again, but he endured and persisted in hopes of achieving glory. He thought about those despairful days.
Core Implosion: Adamant Steel.
Rainsworth's eyes glowed scarlet.
His body turned cold, into adamant that blocked any attack from the outside world. In Madhart's words: "You are simultaneously the sharpest spear and the strongest shield."
The power of Adamant Steel reflected all blows.
He could never lose with that power in his hands. None of the Eight Illustrious Generals had managed to hurt him in fact.
Just from the nature of its powers, it was obvious his Core Implosion was the strongest.
The weakness of Core Implosion was that it prevented the wielder's wounds from healing, since they activated it by severing their ties with the Dark Core. But with Rainsworth's power preventing him from being injured in the first place? He was invincible.
"Die, Terakomari Gandesblood!!" Rainsworth yelled as he held his sword high.
Right then, the daggers spinning all around Terakomari shot at him.
He had no need to guard himself against them; his Core Implosion would take care of it. Any slash was but the slap of a piece of paper to his adamant body.
Or so it should have been.
"Gwah?!"
Pain ran through his left shoulder. He lost his balance and fell down on the gold ground.
How? Adamant Steel was protecting his body, and yet his shoulder was wounded. Blood was gushing out of it, the red liquid turning gold right before his eyes as it dripped to ground.
He felt chills run down his spine.
This isn't real.
"It is real."
"Wha—?!"
Rainsworth had a dreadful feeling; he jumped back.
Terakomari shot blades flying at incredible speeds.
The downpour of killing steel stabbed the ground hard, setting off explosions of golden mana with every crash.
Rainsworth dodged it all in a panic. He was using Core Implosion—any death would be definitive. He had to quite literally run for his life. What if he stopped using his power? Then he would have no chance of winning. But did he, though, in the first place?
One of the blades pierced a fellow Warblade, blowing him away.
There was already carnage going on all around him. The Daydream Unit was nearing annihilation. The troop had been formed out of puppets, forced to become soldiers through threats and torture—they never had a shred of loyalty to their nation. Some of them were still fighting, but others were already free from the brainwashing, running away in disarray.
The failings of the Daydream Paradise were on full display.
Rule by violence would eventually collapse. Madhart had it all wrong.
"Damn it… Damn it, damn it, damn it all! Fight, you bastards!!" Rainsworth roared.
None could hear his yells among the battle cries of the enemy soldiers. The inferior mongrels who weren't fighting watched from afar as they clapped and exclaimed:
"Komarin!! Komarin!! Komarin!! Komarin!!"
"You can do it!"
"Take down Gerra-Aruka!"
"You lowly…cocky pieces of shit!!"
Rainsworth charged, as if to erase every trace of the weakness that had budded within him.
Komarin? Warblades should be the ones ruling over the vampires! They're livestock! This is all nothing but a stepping stone in Gerra-Aruka's path to rule the world! That arrogant little bitch doesn't understand. It's time I made her understand!
He dodged the barrage of swift, endless blades by a hairbreadth. Some of them grazed him, blood spurting with each slash, but he did not stop. Madhart's rule would be over if he didn't stop her. He couldn't allow that to happen.
"AAAAHHH!!"
He swept sideways, his full weight on the sword.
Terakomari swung her golden blade at an imperceptible speed.
Golden mana raged all around as the loud clang of the clash echoed.
Rainsworth's sword was split in half, then vanished.
"Wha—?! Shit!!"
Rainsworth desperately forged mana to shoot multiple Magic Bullets. Warblades were never good at magic; there was no way this last-ditch attempt would have an effect on that monster.
The swords spinning around Terakomari elegantly blocked each of the Magic Bullets, creating explosions with every hit. At the center of the blasts, the girl sighed, scattering golden particles as she did.
"Give it up."
"Lowly vampire!"
His hands were shaking out of rage. He fully concentrated on summoning a replacement sword. Yet it turned to dust in an instant—her golden sword had broken it before he realized. Impossible. How? How could this be happening?
"You…"
It was only a moment of distraction when a swift slash came at him.
He took a spare knife out of his pocket and threw it, but the waves of spinning swords easily parried it. His instincts were screaming at him—he was about to die.
His mana connected him to the Dark Core once again. He stopped using his Core Implosion. There was no escaping it.
"You were wrong."
"I—I WON'T ACCEPT IT!!"
Just as he screamed, a golden flash slashed through the air, cutting his entire body diagonally.
Blood spurted out like a broken dam.
Insurmountable pain rushed throughout his body, and just as he saw his blood freeze into gold in the air, he lost all will to fight.
He fell to his knees.
The enemy was too powerful.
How did this happen? Gerra-Aruka was the strongest nation, the one that was going to rule them all. How could he lose to a vampiric gremlin? His hatred flowed out of his mouth in curses:
"I—I will kill you! You will die by my hand! Then you'll know your place, vampire! You lowly bunch are nothing but slaves! Gerra-Aruka won't lose to a little—"
"Gerra-Aruka will fall." Peach-colored mana blew in the wind.
Nelia Cunningham.
The girl Rainsworth so yearned for. The Moonpeach Princess was looking down at him with cold eyes, an expression far from the gentle smile of the past.
Her words he had nearly forgotten then came back to mind, like parts of his life flashing before his death.
"Nelia, I… I love…"
"Rainsworth, I hate your way of thinking."
"Wow. You'll make a great commander one day."
"I can't let someone like you, hurting other people as he pleases, go free."
"You didn't get to be one of the Eight Illustrious Generals? Oh right, because my father cut them down to two."
"Maybe you were doing what you thought was best for Aruka and the Warblades."
"But don't worry, I know you'll be rewarded eventually, so long as you keep hanging in there."
"But you put your effort in the wrong place."
"I'm rooting for you. I look forward to seeing what a strong country you build, future commander."
"Aruka…is better off without you, Rainsworth."
"Nelia, move." The golden vampire appeared from behind Nelia.
A mass of hostile mana poured down.
Golden particles shone so bright all around him that he couldn't keep his eyes open.
He barely saw the tip of the sword pointed at him and the dreadful scarlet glow staring at him.
Terakomari Gandesblood lifted the sword high.
In Rainsworth's eyes, she looked like a golden grim reaper descending from the heavens.
"S-sto—"
"Think about what you've done."
The sword fell down on him like a comet, dyeing the surroundings in a golden light.
***
There was cheering everywhere.
People from all nations, from all cities, vampires, Peace Spirits, Sapphires, beast-folk, Immortals, Warblades—all of them equally cheered with enthusiasm.
The five thousand men of the Daydream Unit were but corpses now, crushed by the golden sword.
Madhart had nothing more up his sleeve. It was only a matter of time until his demise.
At first glance, it seemed like Terakomari Gandesblood's lone feat, but it most certainly wasn't so. It was all thanks to the people she influenced—the people of the six nations who came together to bring down the destroyer of
peace.
"Heh…good job, Komari."
The meadows were turned gold due to Komari's mana.
First she'd frozen over the land; now she turned it golden. What more could her powers be hiding? How strong could her spirit be to give birth to such a power? It made Nelia feel both frightful and encouraged.
"Komarin!! Komarin!! Komarin!! Komarin!!"
The ovation echoed throughout the golden land. Endless praise for the girl who changed history of the six nations.
Nelia stared at the golden vampire beside her.
She was still emitting a tremendous amount of mana. That, plus the cheers all over, made her feel a little bit jealous.
Then Komari grabbed Nelia's sleeve.
Nelia looked at her, enduring the overwhelming mana flowing out of her.
"Yes?"
"Next."
"Next what?"
It took her a moment, but then she understood.
There was still something left to do.
They had to get rid of the root of all this evil.
***
They found where he was.
The people rushed the former palace looking for Madhart, the man who'd begun all this chaos.
The screen floating over the capital showed the progress of the war in real time. "Look at the mountains of dead bodies! Commander Terakomari Gandesblood has wiped out the Gerra-Aruka army! We are witnessing history unfold before our very eyes!" the reporter said while showing pictures of the scene. The once-green grasslands were now sickeningly golden.
The Eight Illustrious Generals had all been defeated. Madhart's secret Daydream Unit was annihilated thanks to her golden swords. The reality inside the Daydream Paradise was exposed, and its prisoners were set free. The riots criticizing the president were increasing in intensity.
He had nothing left.
"It's over for you, Mr. President," said the blond vampire.
Madhart looked at her with his jaw agape. She didn't look the slightest bit elated about her victory, as though she had expected this outcome from the very beginning.
"There is no future for Gerra-Aruka. Quit already."
"Th-this isn't fair!" Madhart stood up, fist in the air. "How were we supposed to stand a chance against that Core Implosion?! No plan could've ever worked! Were you just playing with us this whole time?! Laughing at us as you knew the Warblades could never defeat Terakomari Gandesblood?!"
"How could I laugh? I was worried sick for Komari. She doesn't even know about her powers; she could've died easily, worst-case scenario."
"You're joking…"
"Madhart," the Empress said as she stared at the golden sky. "I aim to take over the world, but I won't do it your way. My goal isn't to monopolize the globe—I, the Mulnite Empire, want to create an ideal world, where people help one another."
"Ridiculous. You could easily take over the world using force with Terakomari Gandesblood's powers. I would've done it already."
"Her power isn't meant for killing people. It's meant for killing scum like you."
"You just said it wasn't meant for killing!"
"Right, I got that wrong. Let me rephrase that. Her role is to defeat villains like you and bring hope to the world, guide people's hearts in the right direction."
"Guide people's hearts? Are you fooling around with me?"
"Komari saved Nelia Cunningham back there. The Moonpeach Princess is no longer your slave. She will become a leader, and many will support her. And those inspired by Nelia will do away with that stupid idea of conquering others with force."
"…"
"When more people turn away from such thoughts, the ideal nation I'm looking for will be born. Hopefully."
"That's not happening. People can't think of anything but themselves. That's why I did it all for Gerra-Aruka's sake and its sake only. I killed that complacent king, established the Republic, and built the Daydream Paradise. I gathered the strongest Eight Illustrious Generals in order to build a paradise for the Warblades. And that was completely ruined by a little girl, of all things…"
"It seems there's no use talking to you any further. It's over now." People would later talk about this event as "an angel's descent."
The golden mana brought light to the Gerra-Aruka Republic, which was shrouded in darkness. A girl appeared out of the blue from the heavens: Terakomari Gandesblood. Clinging to her was the descendant of the old Aruka king: Nelia Cunningham.
The people cheered at the skies as the two girls descended on the old palace's clocktower. Like angels about to hand divine punishment upon evil.
"Th-this can't be…"
"Yes it can. Give it up, Madhart."
"…" Madhart sighed.
It was checkmate.
The past five years flashed through his mind like shooting stars.
He'd given it his all for Aruka's future. He'd established the republic to prevent it from falling to ruin due to the king's selfish pacifist ideas. Aruka tradition said they did not spare any effort to obtain whatever they desired, and he merely put it into action through his policies. He spared no expense for the sake of his country and its people.
But that wasn't what the people wanted. It was also his duty as president to respect the Warblades' choices.
Terakomari Gandesblood and Nelia Cunningham softly descended before Madhart as the people cheered them on.
There was no use for a ruler unwished for by the people.
However.
A story was always better when the villain acted like one until the bitter end.
Madhart spread his arms wide and exclaimed:
"You've come far, young heroes! But I will not let you interfere with my ambitions. I have no choice except to fight you myself. But if our powers clash here, many people will die as collateral. So why don't we join hands? With your magical power and my political power, we could rule the whole world."
The golden sword and peach twin swords pointed at him.
In unison, they replied:
"No."
"No, thanks."
A golden flash surged, and the Gerra-Aruka Republic's short history came to a close.
★
Six Nations News, July 27th Morning Edition
THE SIX NATIONS WAR COMES TO A CLOSE. PRESIDENT MADHART DEFEATED?
IMPERIAL CAPITAL—BY MELKA TIANO
The Mulnite government announced on the 26th that they defeated President Madhart of the Gerra-Aruka Republic. The invasion that took place on the 25th, a "war not for entertainment purposes," now referred to as the Six Nations War, has ended for now.
…
Mul-Heaven Alliance leader and Crimson Lord Terakomari Gandesblood's feats are dazzling once again, this time quite literally as she spread a golden glow throughout the world. It was also thanks to Illustrious General Nelia Cunningham and Imperial Saber Karla Amatsu that the inhumane experiments carried out in the Daydream Paradise resort came to light, exposing just how cruel and violent Madhart's administration was.
…
The Gerra-Aruka Republic is planning to hold an election this September to replace its missing president. Many Warblades have announced their run for the title, but Commander Cunningham is the one expected to take the victory, thanks to her achievements in the Six Nations War.