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2024-10-29 19:42:56“Please, help yourself to some tea.” Nanashi gestures at the chair across from her for Haru to sit down. It hasn’t been that long since they’ve last met but already, she’s made a little home for herself in Takakumo. It’s surprising how much laboratory apparatus she’s managed to cram into such a tiny space. Arcane sigils, test tubes, and strange machines clutter the room in an organizational system that Haru could never decipher even if she had a lifetime to try. And in the center, is a simple table and two stools set up.
“No thank you, I have a temperature-sensitive tongue. It burns when I eat even slightly warm food.”
“Ah well, that’s a pity.” Nanashi takes the teacup away. It looks comically tiny in her armored grasp. “So, what business do you have with me?” “I believe your terms with Tsumugi stipulated that only half of the Papilio in Takakumo return to their Think-Tanks, correct?”“Yes, that is true.”
“By any chance, would you ever consider capturing Takakumo for yourself and seizing all the Papilio?”
“No, I can’t say that I have.” Nanashi leans in close. “And forgive me for being rather presumptuous but that sounds a little like treason to me, coming from you.”“...Theoretically.”
“Ah, right. Theoretically.” Nanashi makes air quotes with her fingers.
“Also, theoretically speaking, you might outgun and outnumber the Takakumo standing military two to one.”
“Fascinating.” Nanashi begins taking notes. “Theoretically, it seems sound. But that still leaves the problem of Tsumugi herself. She’s a magical girl, she could theoretically wipe out the entire Monarchian army with a thought.”
“Surely you must have something in that bag of tricks of yours that can neutralize even a magical girl.”
“Hmmm… well, I have been working on a magic sealing device. That could work, in theory.”
“Then there you have it. Easy win.” Haru kicks her feet up on the table. “What do you say?”
“It’s… tempting, I must say. But I must ask, what do you stand to gain by planting this idea into my head?”“I’m making a home for myself. I’m a beast of war, Nanashi.” She picks at her nails. “I wax in war and wane in peace. That’s just how I am.”“I figured. Well, overall, this sounds like a pretty stupid idea that I’m going to take to heart until I let it get the best of me.” Nanashi sighs. “Incidentally, have you ever considered therapy for your condition.?”
“Therapy?”
“You know, like, professional psychiatric help?”“...the idea occurred to me once or twice, but I never really went for it. It doesn’t seem healthy.”
“Really? Starting a war is a preferable option over seeking professional help to you?” She has an almost whimsical expression on her face.“I dunno, man. Psychiatry just seems like it’s covering up the problem as opposed to actually fixing it.” Haru shakes her head. “And besides, they can’t fix anything because there’s nothing to fix. This is just my nature.”
“Well, whatever you say, friend. I’m getting therapy and it’s working out just fine for me.”“Really?” Haru raises an eyebrow. “You don’t seem like the kind of person who needs it.”
“That’s precisely because of the therapy.” Nanashi takes a sip of her tea. “I’ve, rather recently, discovered that I actually suffer from antisocial personality disorder.” “That sucks.”“It’s kind of a relief, honestly.” She adjusts her glasses. They’re somehow even thicker than Tsumugi’s. “It’s nice to finally know why I have no friends.”
“I suppose that’s one way to think about it.”
“I suppose it is.”–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
It’s an enchanting night. The full moon hangs high in the sky, framing Takakumo’s skyline with a certain ethereal beauty. Tsumugi drinks it all in, savoring the taste with a kind of reckless abandon.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Yeah…”
“And it all belongs to me.” Tsumugi frames the scenery between a frame she forms with her fingers. “Everything the moonlight touches. It’s finally mine.”
“You’ve come a long way.”
“What do you mean?” “From the Tsumugi I first met, you’ve definitely grown much stronger.” Haru doesn’t pay attention to the scenery, instead, her focus is almost entirely focused on Tsumugi. She looks so much more beautiful when she can look her in the eye.“Thank you.” She blushes and coyly tries to hide her face from Haru. “Meanwhile you haven’t changed in the slightest.”
“I’m… not sure if that’s a compliment.” “It is. You’re like a rock. Even if the world changes around us, I know I can always count on you to be the same.” Tsumugi wraps Haru’s arm around her neck and buries her head in her neck. “It feels like a lifetime ago since we’ve met but it’s only really been two or three months, huh?”“Yeah. So much happened, though.”
“Shhhhhh…” Tsumugi plants a finger on Haru’s mouth. “Let’s not think about the past right now, when the present and future are so bright.”
Tsumugi whispers into Haru’s ear. “I know what you’re thinking. This place is too peaceful, right?”
“...heh.” Haru nods. “Yeah, you got me.” “You’re planning to start a war between me and the Monarchs, aren’t you?” “You’re kind of scary when you’re like this, Tsumugi… I like that about you, though.”“You didn’t answer my question. Are you or are you not?”
“You know me too well.”“I would expect no less from my dearest. That’s why I’ve already beat you to the punch.” Tsumugi kisses Haru on the cheek. “I’ve been planning an offensive against the Monarchs for weeks. I’m going to wipe them out. I’m going to take absolute control of Takakumo for myself.”
“That sounds like a plan.”
“And then after that, we’re going to revolutionize the magic of the outside world. Throwing them back into the anarchy they experienced when magic was first introduced to the world. We’re going to bring back that jungle-like world you love so much.”
Haru nods to herself. “That sounds… perfect.”
“You’ll never have to search for another war to fight again.”
“It’s beautiful.” The entire world as her home. That sounds as perfect of a gift as it gets. “Thank you, Tsumugi.”
“Anytime.” Slowly, she retrieves the dagger she hid under the table.
Haru was wrong about one thing. That part of her that earnestly dreamed of a peaceful outside world for Takakumo to join hasn’t changed. Tsumugi’s changed to be more ruthless, more cruel, and more temperamental; but that part of her remains fixed in place. And to see her dream come true, she’s willing to sacrifice anything. Even the one person she loves most.
“Forgive me, Haru.”
“What–”
“Forgive me.”
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Corpse March Prologue
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Tsumugi looks up from her manuscript at her captive. She taps a button on her chair, the ambient glow of the Magitech-Dendrites coursing through the walls of this place suddenly flare up with new life. The near blinding light feels comforting, like she’s in an operating room. “‘It is entirely possible that the golden age of the Neo Magical Academy has come to an end’… I’m rather proud of that line. It has a catchiness to it, wouldn’t you agree?” When there’s no response, she gives her a wry smile and adjusts her glasses to begin her analysis. A network of thin lines spread out along her vision. They coalesce into an array of circles, reticules, cubes, and spheres. Each one relays a wealth of information through a system of electric signals that flow directly into her cerebral cortex via an intricate network of magitech-dendrites connected to a matrix of intracranial ports that create a direct path to her brain before unfurling a tapestry of stitched together thoughts. A millisecond
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Corpse March Chapter 3
“Praise Nivosus!” Haru holds back her laughter. Nivosus… What a silly name. She raises her arm in a poor imitation of the Monarchian salute and combines it with a goofily wide grin. “Praise be!” Thankfully, it’s passable for the pair of passing Monarchs so they let her pass unimpeded. Up ahead, she sees the juggernaut carrying the prison on her shoulders. Inside, is a truly beautiful specimen. If Haru closes her eyes, she can almost smell her. Tall, broad shoulders, a slight tan, well built. Goodness, could she imagine a more picture-perfect tomboy? She might even make for a decent gyaru if she dressed her up a little. Overall, 10/10. Like the drums in bebop, she’s just Haru’s tempo. A solid ‘Smash’. She goes over the plan in her head again. Get hired by the Monarchs to work security detail. Checked. Absorb all their secrets. Partially checked. Turn info into money. Not checked. Plan a daring escape. Also not checked. Figure out a way into the Neo Magical Academy. Ehhhh, checkin
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“Heyyyy, Kuroko. Come here to give me one last scolding?”Haru can’t keep the malice out of her voice.“I figured as much.”A girl as gaunt as a shadow puffs the last of her cigarette and throws the stub on the ground next to the dead Monarch. The brand name ‘Gilded Glow’ is emblazoned on the filter. It smolders there, giving off what little smoke it has left to offer. In stark contrast to Haru, whose school uniform looks like it could use a wash, a girl dressed in a neatly pressed suit stands on the opposite side of the hallway with her hand on the alarm. Her face is somehow an equal blend of severity and nonchalance. “This is in clear violation of our contract with the Monarchs, Haru.”“Screw that.” Haru spits on the ground just to show how much her own loyalty is worth. “Then I suppose we buddies have no other choice than to settle this the hard way?”“Don’t act like we were buddies. We were never buddies. We never even spoke.”Haru snags KANNIBAL’s neck with her foot before kic
Corpse March Chapter 5
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A voice rises above the din of rushing air. It has a sharp but light tone, like it’s telling a joke. It comes from a plain-faced girl with glasses so thick she can’t see the eyes behind them. The girl gives her a little two-fingered salute. She’s wearing a long black dress that goes all the way down to her calves. It’s reminiscent of Haru’s middle school uniform. She has her smooth black hair tied up in two long braids that flutter in the wind behind her. The veins on both of her hands bulge from the strain of carrying both the Vice Prez’s impressive bulk and Haru at the same time. Overall, 4/10. Some people like a little freckle the same way some people insist that heavy metal peaked in the 80’s. But Haru’s singles weren’t released in the 80’s so she automatically disagrees. A solid ‘Pass’.“Thanks, ‘Mugi, I’ll remember this–”“Save it.”Bolts of light begin to rain on them. Some from the Monarchs shooting at them from above, others from the Magitech Anti-Air guns shooting at them fr
Corpse March Chapter 7
“Help me to m-marry. I know that the students of the Neo Magical Academy typically marry around the age of seventeen to nineteen so… I figured that someone like you would be knowledgeable.”“Hm? You truly risked your life for marriage advice?”“N-No, not exactly. I was hoping for… more direct help.”“Then perhaps you would like me to arrange one for you?”YES! Yes! Yes! Yes! YESSSSSS!!! “Why, yes. That would be ideal indeed. She would have to be a noble woman, one of great beauty. Yes… that person would be ideal.”“Very well, then, Tsumugi, would you mind marrying Hamamoto?”NO! No! No! No! NOOOOOO!!!“You read my mind perfectly, Lady Kentomi. A political marriage to strengthen the bond between our factions is ideal for both of us.”“Hey, hold on, I just said–”“A noblewoman of great beauty?”“Well, yes, but–”“But…?”Tsumugi raises an eyebrow at her. Haru suddenly gets the feeling that she’s walking on a very thin tightrope. If the options are between her potentially poking the horn
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Chapter 70 Epilogue
“Please, help yourself to some tea.” Nanashi gestures at the chair across from her for Haru to sit down. It hasn’t been that long since they’ve last met but already, she’s made a little home for herself in Takakumo. It’s surprising how much laboratory apparatus she’s managed to cram into such a tiny space. Arcane sigils, test tubes, and strange machines clutter the room in an organizational system that Haru could never decipher even if she had a lifetime to try. And in the center, is a simple table and two stools set up. “No thank you, I have a temperature-sensitive tongue. It burns when I eat even slightly warm food.” “Ah well, that’s a pity.” Nanashi takes the teacup away. It looks comically tiny in her armored grasp. “So, what business do you have with me?” “I believe your terms with Tsumugi stipulated that only half of the Papilio in Takakumo return to their Think-Tanks, correct?” “Yes, that is true.” “By any chance, would you ever consider capturing Takakumo for yourself and
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Chapter 69 Cask
“Long time no see, Tot.” “It’s literally been a single day.” Kazuko walks along the pristine battlefield and comes to a stop exactly ten paces away from where Haru’s standing. “What do you want?” Haru adjusts her stance, placing herself between Kazuko and the unconscious Tsumugi. “I’ve come to talk.”“That’s it?” “Yep. I realized that after all this time, we never got a chance to properly talk to each other.” “I suppose you’re right.” “I must thank you, Tot.” Kazuko plants her rapier on the ground. “I think you’ve helped me to realize something about myself.” “And what is that?” “That you and I are the same. We’re two sides of the same coin, you and I. We can claim to be soldiers or heroes or avenging angels all we want, but in the end, we both kill.” “You’ve come all this way just to tell me that?” “Not quite. I’ve decided that I won’t tolerate any more excuses. From you or from myself. Regardless of whether we chose our lives or our lives chose us, we’re both killers. Jud
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Chapter 68 Stellar Stellar
A gargantuan scythe blade the size of a mountain manifests from the tip of Tsumugi’s staff while Gleam blazes pure white, light magic seeping out of her very being. With a ponderous sweep of her arm, Tsumugi brings the scythe down, its tip aimed right for the crowd. The Deathless start to disperse but there’s not enough time. Someone trips. She closes her eyes to brace for impact but the impact never comes. Instead, there’s a brutal grinding sound. Opening her eyes, instead of seeing the tip of the scythe bearing down on her, she sees Gleam’s back as she clashes against Tsumugi’s scythe. “RUN!” The girl scrambles to her feet and runs away. Now all Gleam has to worry about is the mountain of cursed energy bearing down on her. “GRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHH!!!” Gleam lets out an unearthly cry as she wills herself to go faster, to break through Tsumugi’s attack, to turn the tides of this battle. “STELLAR!” The speed of light isn’t fast enough to move the scythe more than a few inches.
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Chapter 67 Motteke! Sailor Fuku!
They come bursting out from the trees. Large metal transports with segmented armor that makes them resemble pillbugs. A far cry from the train-like things the Monarchs used all those years ago. They speed across the landscape, skimming across the flora of these lands. One transport in particular rushes ahead of the others, setting an example that the other transports follow. Atop its roof, stands a green-haired girl shredding her guitar. Heavy rock music, amplified by her sound sorcery, blasts outwards. It’s so loud that the ground almost seems to vibrate as they approach. But they find nothing. No patrols. No Deathless anywhere. It reeks of a trap. Tsumugi sticks her head out of the transport she’s in to yell at Haru.“Stick to the plan!” Haru nods and swaps tracks to the one corresponding to the signal for ‘Stick to the Plan’. The transition is nearly seamless. One by one, the transports climb the walls protecting Takakumo like it’s nothing. In the distance, they see it, Takakumo
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Chapter 66 Aloha
“It seems we’re not welcome here anymore. You’ve been exiled.” Haru relays Gleam’s speech to Tsumugi. “What do we do?” Florence asks. “Nothing has changed. Let’s keep moving.” Haru waves her hand out the car window at the other Elites to follow close behind. They comply, mostly out of fear. They know that their duty is to Lady Kentomi first, Takakumo second, and Haru third, but the thought of going against Haru is just too much. The streets are empty, nearly everyone’s attending Gleam’s speech. What few people are left behind smile and wave at them as they pass, blissfully unaware of what Tsumugi’s become. They know not what she knows. “Where are we going exactly?” “To the forest on the edge of Takakumo’s borders. I’ve arranged for a meeting there.” Ah, to where it all began. The memories of a month or two ago come flooding back to Haru. It felt like a lifetime ago they were on that train and came crashing into Takakumo, completely unwelcome. “This is nostalgic.” Haru rests he
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Chapter 65 Alter Ego Messiah
Letters make words, words make sentences, sentences make paragraphs, paragraphs fill pages, and pages fill up the tome. Number 3344 works dutifully, slowly but surely working through the book she’s been tasked to fill up. That is the purpose of the Papilio after all, to lend their minds as processors to the great Monarchian supercomputer complex, Nivosus. It is a purpose shared by the uncountable Papilio filling up this facility. They do not know better. None of them do. So they toil away, their minds working to the bone in the computational visual matrix.Every paragraph, every sentence, every letter is another crumb of data in the great compendium that the Monarchs seek to fill with all knowledge in existence. Years pass in the blink of an eye for the Papilio. Seasons pass them by without being noticed. They all keep their eyes downwards, scribing everything being fed to them. Number 3344 is no different. Just another drop in the ocean. Just another body being kept in a tube. Then
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Chapter 64 Preparations
As soon as the door closes behind her, Tsumugi immediately breaks down into tears as everything she’s done and everything that happened to her comes crashing down in a terrible wave. She starts to run, as though she might be able to outrun her guilt. “What have I done?!”She keeps running. Further and further away from Gleam. Further and further away from the best friend that she threw away. Further and further away from any chance of going back. More than once, she considers turning around and apologizing, telling Gleam that she was foolish, begging for her forgiveness. But no matter how much she wants to, she knows she can’t. Tsuki believed in Tsumugi to be able to turn her own dream into a reality. This is the only way. Her dream was always incompatible with Gleam’s. From the very beginning, she knew that. It’s only natural that they would both eventually come into conflict with one another. But even then, her heart aches so much she fears it might shrivel up and die. She slowly
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Chapter 63 Preparations
As soon as the door closes behind her, Tsumugi immediately breaks down into tears as everything she’s done and everything that happened to her comes crashing down in a terrible wave. She starts to run, as though she might be able to outrun her guilt. “What have I done?!”She keeps running. Further and further away from Gleam. Further and further away from the best friend that she threw away. Further and further away from any chance of going back. More than once, she considers turning around and apologizing, telling Gleam that she was foolish, begging for her forgiveness. But no matter how much she wants to, she knows she can’t. Tsuki believed in Tsumugi to be able to turn her own dream into a reality. This is the only way. Her dream was always incompatible with Gleam’s. From the very beginning, she knew that. It’s only natural that they would both eventually come into conflict with one another. But even then, her heart aches so much she fears it might shrivel up and die. She slowly
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Chapter 62 Bad to Worse
“Kikimi faltered.” Kazuko takes a deep breath just to check if her lung is still punctured. Surprisingly enough, it seems that the damage Tsuki dealt her just a few hours ago has already healed. Usually, it takes a few more hours.“That’s fine. She’s more useful to us dead.” Florence stares out the window at the full moon hanging in the sky. “Now that she’s out of the picture, Gleam’s a legitimate threat to both Tsumugi and Tomoe. But now that they’ve already severed their alliance, it’s going to be that much more difficult to stop her.” “Yeah, whatever. I don’t care about any of that stuff.” Kazuko slowly lifts herself off the chair she was sitting in. “You’re on your own from now on.” “Wait, hold on, what happened to owing me your life?” “A life for a life. My debt has been paid in full.” Florence saved her, and she killed Kikimi. Fair’s fair.“How do I know you won’t just rat me out?” “You don’t. But you don’t have any other choice.” Florence looks on as Kazuko slings her cape
