Corpse March

Chapter 34

“Tell me, girl. Do you have a name?”

“Courier 6, Shindou Kuroko.”

“A pleasure.”

“Mhm. And you?”

“Student Council Secretary, Gleam. I’ve called you here today because there’s someone I want gone.”

Kuroko only nods. Business as usual. 

“Who?”

“A close friend of mine has the potential of becoming a thorn in my side in the near future. I regret to say that our relationship has been strained as of late, and I fear that any further conflict will  sever it completely. I know that a letter is not the best way to convey what I feel… but I can’t face her. Not right now. I just… don’t have the courage to.”

Gleam hands a folded piece of paper to one of the masked girls, who then hands it to Kuroko. 

“To whom is this letter addressed to?”

“Tsumugi Tsubame.”

“Tsubame?”

“Yes, yes, that Tsubame.” Gleam’s voice seems exasperated. Which makes sense considering she’s likely had this exact exchange about a million times. “Daughter of God-Queen Hoshi Tsubame, that’s her.” 

“I see.” 

“You’re going to need to track her down. She left the city in a rush a few days ago to go help a friend of ours. I don't have the courage to radio them directly.”

“Why not?”

“I fear Tsumugi herself will pick up the radio. She’s the type to do things herself.”

“Fair point.”

“I have another letter I need you to send. Addressed to Kagami Kentomi this time. I still haven’t apologized to her after our argument. If I remember correctly, she should still be kept inside a Monarchian facility. Your neutrality should let you infiltrate the facility with relative ease.”

“Interesting. It’s a rather small world.”

“How so?”

“Before I indulge your curiosity, I will reiterate that Girls Won’t Cry’s operations do not reflect its members' personal beliefs.” 

“Of course. I understand how you mercenary outfits function.”

“The Monarchs contracted me and my former partner to keep watch over Kagami Kentomi. As of today, Kagami Kentomi has escaped the Monarchian facility with the aid of Haru Hamamoto and an unidentified girl wielding a magical staff of some sort.”

“...interesting. That’s unexpected, but… certainly a relief.” Gleam’s shoulders visibly relax. “Though, an unidentified girl wielding a magical staff… hm, that sounds like Tsumugi.”

“I suppose this means that if I find either Kentomi or Tsubame, I find the other?”

“Yes, I suppose so.” Gleam’s eyes glaze over as the cogs in her brain begin to turn. “By any chance, Is it possible that this breakout was pre-arranged between Tsumugi and this Haru Hamamoto?”

“It might be. It would explain Haru’s desertion.” Kuroko tilts her head. She never thought of it like that. 

“Inserting a man on the inside…? I didn’t think Tsumugi would be the type to resort to espionage. I’ll have to discuss this with her.”

A masked girl bursts into the tent. She’s out of breath. 

“Lady Gleam, we have an emergency.”

“What is it?”

 It’s Lady Kentomi. She’s– She’s been killed.”

Silence settles over the tent. Nobody moves. 

“Everyone except for Miss Shindou,” Gleam shakily rises to her feet. “Please leave the tent.”

Everyone else shuffles out. Something has changed within Gleam. Between bated breaths, she slips from denial into anger. Something wild and violent has been released and rules over her heart. 

“THAT TRAITOROUS BITCH!” Kuroko doesn’t flinch as Gleam hunches over in sheer rage. “I’LL KILL HER. I SWEAR I’LL KILL HER!”

“Are you absolutely certain that Tsumugi is behind this?”

“WHO ELSE COULD IT BE?!” She snarls at Kuroko.

Kuroko hesitates before saying anything. “...perhaps it was one of the Monarchs who killed her.” 

She takes a deep breath, her shoulders slowly releasing built up tension. ”No, that’s impossible. The Monarchs had her captured, they wouldn’t have captured her if they wanted her dead.”

“But why would Tsumugi kill one of her own?”

“She isn’t.” There’s a burning resentment in her voice. “She’s a Monarch, it’s in her blood.” 

“Is that really true?” 

“Of course it is. Her mother was a Monarch too. But unlike her, Tsumugi has yet to redeem herself.”

“I see…”

“I– I thought we were friends. We grew up together. I believed in her.” There’s a soft pitter-patter. It takes a moment for Kuroko to realize that it’s Gleam’s tears hitting the ground. It takes her another moment to remember that when a person cries, it means they’re deeply upset. “What should I do? What should I do? What should I do?”

“...are you asking me?”

“If you were me… what would you do?”

“The first thing I would do is assess the damage.” As per the Girls Won’t Cry Manual. “Then move on to threat resolution.” 

“Threat resolution? You mean for me to… kill Tsumugi?”

“Not necessarily.” Kuroko stares blankly in Gleam’s direction, showing her eyes to her. They are blank and empty. “Just remove her.” 

And Gleam shows her own eyes to Kuroko. “Assess the damage…” As she says those words, Kuroko senses her resolve burning brighter and brighter. “...if I had just killed an important figure, I’d want to cover my tracks somehow. And the easiest way of doing that is… to frame me. The only other person outside of Takakumo.”

She wipes her eyes on her sleeve and stands up. There’s a clink as she picks up the sword that was leaning on the bed frame. “Thank you, Kuroko. I think… I think I can see Tsumugi’s plot in full now.”

“And on the off chance…” Gleam hesitates. Her desperation briefly eclipses her resolve. “On the off chance she’s innocent, I can apologize to her then. But for now, I have to get everything under control. Right now, it’s better for her to be imprisoned than it is for me.” 

“Mhm.” 

“Forgive me, Kuroko, but there’s a change of plans. I need you to deliver a different message.”

“To whom is this message addressed to?”

“The Takakumo Council.”