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 over her shoulder and walks out the door. A deep silence envelops the room. From here on out, Florence is alone. Thoroughly and absolutely. There’s no telling what’s going to happen now. His only hope is that he’s caused enough chaos to emerge victorious. 

Lucky for him, he’s half-right. 

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“Good noon, Tomoe. Did you sleep well?” 

“I didn’t sleep.” 

“Me neither.” 

Tsumugi takes a sip of her jasmine tea. Tomoe does the same with her chai.

“I heard about the attack. My condolences.” It’s impossible for Tomoe to sound any more indifferent.

“Kikimi was killed last night as well.” 

“Excellent. That’s all this traitor business behind us, then.” Tomoe folds her hands onto her lap. “Though, that means the path for Gleam’s ascent has never been clearer.”

“Indeed. And yet, here you are, still plotting to backstab me the first chance you get.”

“...”

“Though, I don’t blame you. I think that I’ve come to understand a fundamental truth to you, Tomoe.” 

“And what is that?”

“That you’re a coward.” 

“Excuse me?” 

“You’re too scared of magic to use it. You’re too scared of the outside world to open the doors of Takakumo. You’re too scared of even letting the people inside of Takakumo use magic. You’re too scared to do any of the dirty work yourself so you get other people to do it for you. And you’re too scared of me to face me directly so you hide behind this whole… charade we’ve put up called politics.” 

“...” 

“But what can you do? It’s part of your nature, after all. And who are you to defy your nature?” 

“...” Tomoe coughs. “Have you perhaps come to discuss a truce?”

“No. A truce is the very opposite of what I’ve come to do today.” 

“...I see. I understand what this is about.” Tomoe sighs. “You bought into what Tsuki told you, about me being the traitor. True, we’ve had our differences, but I assure you, Kikimi was the one behind the plot.” 

“Tsuki never said that you were the traitor. Tsuki said that you were a traitor.” 

“And you believe her?”

“I trust my little sister.” 

“Please.” Tomoe scoffs. “What reason do I have to resort to such underhanded tactics when I have such a stranglehold on the political landscape?” 

“...” Tsumugi tilts her head and purses her lips.

“It just doesn’t make any sense. The most likely conclusion is that Tsuki lied.”

“Here’s the thing, Tomoe.” Tsumugi suddenly stands up. Tomoe does the same. “The problem you face is that I don’t care that she lied.” 

Tsumugi takes a step towards Tomoe, Tomoe takes a step away. “I already know that Tsuki lied to me. I know that she told me that because she wanted to pit me against you. She told me that because she knew the only thing standing in between me and the throne of Takakumo is you.” 

Tomoe’s eyes flit around, looking for some way out of the room but the only exit is being blocked by Tsumugi. “Let’s not be hasty. Think about this rationally.”

“Tsuki always believed in me. Far more than I ever believed in myself. I think that she wanted to give me a reason to fight. I think… I think she wanted me to kill–” 

The door suddenly slams open to reveal Gleam, out of breath. 

“It’s Jessica. She’s been poisoned.” 

“What?” Tomoe’s jaw drops. This is all happening too quickly. She thought that she’d have more time. 

“Poison, huh?” Tsumugi shakes her head. “What a horrible way to go.” 

“That’s impossible!” Tomoe raises her voice for the first time in dozens of years “There’s no way the traitors could make a move so quickly!” 

“Indeed.” Gleam’s eyes wander over to Tsumugi. The hand holding her sword trembles. “It’s not quite in their portfolio to use poison either.” 

“...” 

“It’s a mystery how they knew Jessica’s favorite cigar brand.” 

“...”

“Or how they managed to get that close to her in the first place.” 

“...”

“Say something for goodness sake, Tsumugi!” Gleam looks almost desperate. Please. Please deny it. She hopes beyond hoping for Tsumugi to say something, anything to prove her innocence. “Anything!” 

“We were family, you know.” Tsumugi’s voice cuts through the tense air. “So it only makes sense that she should be on my side. And yet… not once did she ever lend me a hand when I needed it most..”

Tsumugi picks at her braids. “Auntie was… disappointing. I was alone, but she never lifted a finger to help me. It was always money, cigars, delicious food, jacuzzis, alcohol, and whatever else tickled her fancy. Those were the things she valued the most, not family. Not the people of Takakumo either.” 

Tsumugi takes off her glasses, revealing a pair of brilliant red eyes underneath. Her gaze is glassy from barely restrained tears and pupils shrunken from frenzy. “SO WHAT IF SHE DIED?! WHO CARES?! SHE DIDN’T EVEN APOLOGIZE! NOT EVEN ONCE!”

“What… what are you saying?”

“She’s not like you, Gleam! You’ve been with me from the very beginning. Sure, we fight from time to time but we don’t have to fight anymore! All you have to do is give up on trying to futilely protect Takakumo and we can rule together.” 

Gleam’s expression slowly morphs into one of horror. “You want me to give up my dream?”

“Yes! That’s exactly it! Give up your dream and join me. We can finally put an end to all this fighting. We can open the doors to the outside world and finally be at peace! No more hiding. No more living in fear. We can both usher in that new era together. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? And all we have to do is kill Tomoe to make that dream into reality.” 

“Gleam.” For perhaps the first time ever, Tomoe has a desperate expression on her face. It screams at Gleam. “Please don’t do this.” 

“...You know, Tomoe. From the very beginning, we’ve been enemies. You’ve foiled me at every turn, and I’ve done the same to you. And yet, here I am now.” Gleam raises her sheathed katana. “Tsumugi! I reject your vision of Takakumo! And I reject this madness that’s made your mind its home!” 

“...Ku.” Tsumugi holds her head in her hands. “KUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You know, it’s funny.” Tsumugi raises her staff, a black scythe blade extends from its tip. “That’s exactly what Auntie said before she died.” 

“RUN, TOMOE!” 

Tsumugi lets out an unearthly shriek as she swings her scythe at Tomoe. 

“STELLAR!” 

A flash of light cuts across the room. In an instant, Gleam manages to interpose herself and her blade between Tsumugi and Tomoe. While they’re preoccupied, Tomoe quickly snaps herself out of her stupor and starts running.

“GET OUT OF MY WAY!”

Overwhelming her with sheer brute strength, Tsumugi pushes Gleam back several steps before raising her left hand. “GOLOHAB!” Black fire roars as it sends large tendrils snaking towards Gleam.

“STELLAR!”

With rapid flashes of light, Gleam winks in and out of existence, each time adjusting her position just enough to evade the tendrils. 

“Tsumugi, listen to me, this isn’t who you are!”

“Then tell me! Who am I supposed to be?!” 

Gleam suddenly appears next to Tsumugi. Too close for Tsumugi to defend properly. She slashes with the blunt end of her sword. It won’t be enough to kill Tsumugi, but the sheer force of the blow should at least knock her out for a few hours. 

“GHARAB!” 

But before the sword can make contact, Tsumugi’s black wing bursts from her back and swats Gleam aside. Her back hits the wall, cracks spreading from the point of impact. At first, Tsumugi thinks that she has her, but there’s a flash of light, and suddenly, Gleam’s behind Tsumugi. 

Time stands still. Tsumugi looks down and sees that there’s blood spreading from her abdomen. It’s only a shallow cut, but what Gleam severed is much much deeper. What this means is unmistakable.

“You… you cut me.” 

“Yes…” Gleam looks at the ground, her expression unreadable. “I’m sorry. But I can’t let you kill Tomoe.” 

“Why?” Tsumugi turns to face Gleam. “Why can’t you see that this is the only         way?” 

“I won’t stand for it.” Gleam shakes her head. “What you’ve done… what you’ve become… you’re not the Tsumugi I know any longer. The Tsumugi I know wouldn’t ever kill someone.”

“Tsuki believed in my dream. What’s wrong with wanting to fight for that?”

“The Tsumugi I know wouldn’t ever kill someone! Not even for her goal!” 

“You’re right.” Tsumugi’s red eyes almost seem to burn in the light. “But that Tsumugi is gone.”

“The next time we meet, it won’t be on such favorable terms.” Tsumugi begins to walk towards the door, away from Gleam. “Congratulations on your ascent, Madam President.” 

She shuts the door behind her. The sound echoes through both the room and Gleam’s heart. 

‘Madam President’? Ah, that’s right. Gleam’s all but forgotten. Their reason for fighting in the first place. That’s what this is about. The Takakumo throne. Now that there isn’t anyone left standing in her way now that Florence is on her side and Tomoe’s lost a significant amount of her weight with Jessica gone. The throne all but falls right into her lap. 

“Damn it.” 

Fat tears fall from Gleam’s eyes. She knew it would turn out like this. She knew it was an eventuality that she would be at odds with Tsumugi. But somewhere deep down, she had hoped that they’d be able to stay friends somehow. 

“DAMN IT!” 

But now there’s no going back. From here on out. It’s war.