Corpse March

Chapter 43 Five Six Seven Eight

The gala has entered its full swing. Elaborate swirling gowns and even more elaborate symphonies fill the air. Drinks are exchanged between gloved hands before being downed all at once. These are supposed to be sipped but almost everyone here doesn’t really care.

In half an hour, the speeches will start. After that, the play begins, dinner is served, then everyone goes home. But for now, it is the gala’s prime hour, the ball dance. 

Gleam stumbles into the edge of the dance floor, having just finished exchanging handshakes with what felt like an endless swarm of people eager to meet her. 

“May I take this dance?” 

Someone takes Gleam’s hand in theirs. She turns and is greeted by a bespectacled visage that’s all too familiar. Her usual serious expression immediately deepens into a subtle frown. “Tsumugi.”

“Gleam.” Cream-colored fabric glides from her shoulders to her thighs, and is continued by black and white stockings. On the side of her head is a piece of fabric shaped into a flower. It’s just the right amount of childishness, befitting her short stature. “I love your dress.”

“And your suit compliments your eyes.”

“Hm.” Tsumugi smiles and adjusts her opaque glasses. “Shall we dance?”

“Let’s.”

Tsumugi leads Gleam into a swirling ballroom dance. The two slip seamlessly into a circle of dancing couples. She ignores the murmurs rippling through the crowd as they see two councilors dancing with one another. 

“Seems that Auntie’s dance lessons are still fresh in your mind.” She whispers a message in her ear as she twirls Gleam around. 

“Of course. How can I when she’s etched it onto the inside of both of our skulls?”

“That she has.” 

“Cut the small talk, Tsumugi.” Tsumugi spins Gleam into a dip before spinning her back. “Why did you kill Kagami?”

“I didn’t.” 

“Are you implying that I killed her?” Her tone is level, but undeniably hostile. 

“You’re awfully defensive considering you benefit the most from her death, after all.”

“True enough. But you too were outside of Takakumo when she died. Not to mention that you are associating with that outsider, Haru Hamamoto.”

“She’s my wife, a legal citizen of Takakumo by virtue of marriage. If you wish to point fingers, you’re the one associating with Ms. Shindou, an outsider by any definition of the term.”

Tsumugi sighs. “I can forgive the circumstantial evidence. Maybe the timing really was just unfortunate and some unknown third party killed Kagami. But you pushed the blame onto me. That, I do not forgive.”

“I did what I had to. No one would believe me over you.”

“It was… a move. Not the move I would have made, but it was a move.”

“Hmph.” 

Tsumugi sighs. “I suppose we can find no middle ground?”

“No.”

“You’re as stubborn as ever, I see.” As Tsumugi says that, the violinist plays their final note, and the next dance begins. She leads her to the edge of the dance floor where someone else awaits to take the next dance with her. “Perhaps a more direct conversation is in order.”

“Good evening, Lady Gleam.” Tomoe’s dressed in her usual hoodie and sweatpants. It earns her a few confused stares, but nobody says anything. 

“Lady Kuroihoshi.” Gleam elegantly dabs her brow with her handkerchief. “Shall we dance?”

“I would like that.” 

The band leads into another song with the sound of trumpets and a distant piano. Salsa. Gleam winces, it’s been too long since her last salsa lesson.

“You’re wearing heels.” Tomoe makes a casual observation. “Please stop stepping on my feet.”

“I could say the same for you, grandma.” This is the third time she’s had to pry her foot from being pinned between the floor and Tomoe’s sole. 

“Forgive me, my salsa isn’t what it used to be.” Missteps aside, Tomoe’s hips sway left and right so effortlessly that it’s like she doesn’t have an uncountable number of years weighing her down.

“I sense that you’re not dancing with me tonight for leisure?”

Tomoe spins into Gleam’s arms. “I’ve come to offer you two options. Either give up and retire to a villa for the rest of your days, or stand accountable for the murder of Kagami Kentomi and face death by firing squad.”

“Yes, you do have me in a rather tight bind.” Gleam grits her teeth. “And you are very gracious to offer me a binary ultimatum. However, I must refuse both of those options. I haven’t exhausted all my resources. And until I have, I will continue to fight for my justice.”

“How very… bold of you.” A glimmer of either sadism or respect flickers across Tomoe’s glasses. “Unfortunately, you’re out of time.” 

“What do you mean?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” 

“...I see.” Gleam’s face remains stoic, but a bead of sweat betrays her true feelings. “You’ve laced even that with poison… So that’s your game… you’re using the performance as an announcement.”

“You catch on slowly. But yes, the final act of The Wanderer does strongly imply that you are Lady Kentomi’s killer. Then, all we have to do is present the evidence, and the public outcry will be deafening.“

Tomoe blinks. “But that doesn’t have to be the case. All you have to do is give up and retire. Publicly announce it during your speech tonight and we’ll draft up a farce execution.” 

“...”

“So, what say you? The firing squad, or a nice peaceful villa?”

“...”

“At least consider it. In spite of our political differences, I believe you to be a good person, Gleam. Hence, I offer you a way out.”

“Logically speaking, there’s really nothing I can do to prove my innocence, is there?”

“Whether or not you’re innocent doesn't matter to me. Point is that you're in a checkmated position. There’s nothing left for you to do–”

“That was me speaking logically. Illogically speaking, I’m not going to duck my head and stand for this injustice. Do what you want. I refuse your offer.”

“Suit yourself.” Tomoe sighs in disappointment right as the salsa music comes to a halt. The two glide along the ground towards the edge of the dance floor. Tomoe opens her mouth to say something to Gleam but she’s already gone, vanished into the crowd. Instead, someone else takes her hand. 

“Yo, Tomoe.”

“Lady Tsuki.”

They both bow at each other. 

Tsuki looks up at Tomoe as she finishes the last of her drink. “Shall we dance?”

“It would be my pleasure.” The two join hands and enter the dance floor. A distinctly traditional melody and droning singing begins to fill the air as the dancers enter into a paired folk dance. 

“So, did she surrender?” Tsuki whispers to Tomoe, her voice just barely rising above the music. 

“No. She’s doing things the hard way.” 

“Damn.” She clicks her tongue. “Tsumugi’s going to be upset about this.” 

“We didn’t tell her about the plan. She’s going to be upset regardless.”

“After all this time, you still don’t have a grasp on human emotions, do you? Tsumugi’s not just going to be upset anymore, she’s going to be livid.”

“It’s an unfortunate side effect but it’s nothing that can’t be dealt with in stride.” Tomoe shrugs in between the sweeping motions she’s making with her arms. “Otherwise, Tsumugi would be petty, which I believe she isn’t.”

“Hah. Tsumugi is kind, but trust me when I say that she can be terribly petty.” 

“Hm. Maybe. I suppose that doesn’t bode well for our political relationship.” 

“At this rate, it’s only a matter of time before a schism forms in our faction.” Tsuki closes her eyes for a moment, calculating. “From the beginning, both you and Tsumugi were politically opposed. She wants to open the doors of Takakumo to the world, while you want it to remain stagnant. We’ve managed to get by with Gleam as a common enemy up until this point. With her gone, we’ll have to start picking sides.” 

“That seems to be the ultimatum that we’re moving towards.” Tomoe states it plainly, like she added one plus one. “Tsumugi and you against Jessica and me.”

“Ho-hoh. Already so confident in Jessica’s allegiance, are we?”

“I have confidence in my hold over the treasury. Tsumugi whittled away her portions at her charity drives and you don’t have much to begin with. I trust that she’ll cast her lot with whichever one nets her the most profit.” 

“Gotta love how Gleam’s not even out of the game yet but we’re already discussing a split in our alliance.” 

“Hm hm. That may be so.” Tomoe smiles beside herself. 

“I look forward to meeting you on the battlefiel–” 

Tsuki freezes up. Her heart. It feels like it’s just stopped. And her blood, it feels as though it’s frozen over. She stumbles. She falls. But Tomoe catches her. 

“Are you okay?”

“Why… Do you care? We’re going to be enemies, remember?” Her heart begins to pump once again and her blood warms back up. Slowly, shakily, Tsuki draws herself back up onto her feet. 

“This is this. That is that. For now, we’re still allies.”

“Hm. I suppose you’re right.”. 

“And besides, I hope we can settle this whole dispute as civilly as possible. Who knows? We might be able to stay friends afterwards.”

“Maybe… maybe…” Tsuki coughs. “Alright, I think that’s it for me, chief. I gotta rest up or something.” 

“Take it easy.”

Tomoe waves Tsuki away as she stumbles away into the crowd.