"Next, what I can do for you is deal with the frigid climate of Jarilo‑VI."
"All things under heaven, heed my command!"
He released Bankai once more.
Clad in golden imperial armor, Tatsuki shot into the sky, starlike eyes overlooking the land below.
"I decree—let the cold wave fade!"
A single, cool command.
Heaven and earth answered.
He took dominion over the phenomenon of the cold surge; the whole planet obeyed that decree, gathering its power to drive the chill away.
"It's getting warmer!"
March 7 could feel the cold in the air fading.
When they had first stepped into the Everwinter Hill, it had been bone‑numbingly cold even with the Trailblaze power; now it felt as if she were bathing in sunlight, comfortably warm.
In truth, dispelling the cold wave was no easy feat: he had to alter the weather, raise the temperature, melt the ice and snow, and then deal with the resulting meltwater.
The process took quite a while—roughly fifteen minutes.
When Tatsuki cancelled his Bankai and landed, much of the ice within Everwinter Hill had already melted.
Because this area was closest to the Stellaron, the contamination was worst and many ice masses were still hard to thaw.
But looking at Jarilo‑VI as a whole, at least seventy percent of the planet‑wide ice sheet had vanished, making it once again suitable for life.
"Thank you, Mr. Tatsuki! Thank you for everything you've done for Jarilo‑VI."
Bronya offered heartfelt thanks on behalf of everyone.
Gepard and the others hurried back to Belobog; Natasha and her group returned to the Underworld to prevent unrest.
The commotion here was too great—someone had to keep order.
Left on the scene were only the Nameless trio, Cocolia, Silver Wolf, Emilia, Bronya and Seele.
"Phew, a small matter."
Tatsuki let out a long breath; changing a planet's climate had indeed cost him a fair bit—far more than planting the thought‑seal back in Esdeath's world—but the harvest was abundant.
[Ding! Tatsuki has greatly weakened the cold wave. End‑of‑Days Termination completed!]
[Tatsuki receives an additional 500 000 Apocalypse points!]
500,000 apocalypse points for the normal Apocalyptic Journey, 1,000,000 for erasing the Stellaron, and another 500,000 for dispelling the cold—2,000,000 apocalypse points in total!
"Now that everything's settled, we should be leaving."
"Please wait!"
Bronya said, "Tomorrow I will assume the post of Supreme Guardian. I wish for you, my mother, and the Trailblazers to witness my resolve. Could you stay one more day?"
March 7 raised her hand at once. "No problem for us!"
Tatsuki looked at Silver Wolf and Emilia.
Silver Wolf blew a bubble of gum, indifferent. "No missions anyway—treat it as sightseeing."
Emilia's violet eyes sparkled. "I… I'd like to see how a leader governs. Though I'm a royal candidate, I still don't know what a king must do, so I'd like to learn from Bronya!"
"I… I'm also a first‑timer; my mother is far more capable…" Bronya glanced at Cocolia.
"Bronya, as Supreme Guardian you must stand firm in your choice," Cocolia said, almost stern—the tone made Bronya recall her mother's past teachings.
"Yes, ma'am!"
Since both Silver Wolf and Emilia agreed, Tatsuki had no objection. "All right—one more day."
…
Staying at the Goethe Hotel
Because of Cocolia's special status, Tatsuki had her change into a less revealing outfit.
That night she stayed with Bronya, seemingly giving her final lessons.
The next day.
Bronya wanted to give the people of Belobog an explanation—even if it meant a temporary lie.
The speech was held before the Everwinter Monument.
"So lively!"
Emilia's eyes shone as she looked at the crowd.
Not only the Overworld but also Underworld residents were present; Bronya had lifted the blockade.
"Lady Bronya Rand's address will begin shortly. Citizens, please remain quiet and help maintain order."
Under Silvermane Guard protection, Bronya stepped onto the dais.
She took a deep breath, steadied her emotions, and began her heartfelt speech.
"Citizens of Belobog, please hear me."
Everyone listened intently.
"Today we can gather here and celebrate this moment because a great guardian sacrificed herself to drive away the scourge that had plagued our city for seven hundred years. Cocolia Rand's sacrifice opens a brand‑new chapter in our history."
"The blizzards outside the walls will gradually subside; the spread of the Fragmentum will be pushed back to the far north by our Guard's advance. I personally witnessed the former Guardian's battle against an indescribable power…"
"In her final moments, she confided her greatest regret to me—the blockade that had separated Overworld and Underworld for more than a decade."
Bronya knew this was a lie, but she had to tell it—for Belobog, for Jarilo‑VI's revival.
Addressing the Underworld crowd, she said.
"People of the Underworld, I cannot ask for your forgiveness; the painful years left too many scars.
"But I earnestly seek your cooperation. Without your tenacity and sweat, Belobog's rebirth—and civilization's survival—would be impossible."
Her sincerity moved the Underworld folk; Natasha and Seele smiled with relief.
After explaining Cocolia and the blockade, Bronya turned to Tatsuki and the others.
"I also wish to thank several guests. Most of you know nothing of them, yet it is their arrival that watered hope into this withering world.
"They reminded me that while we guard this land underfoot, we must not forget to look up at the sky.
"I firmly believe that with our joint efforts, our world—Jarilo‑VI, as the Trailblazers call it—will once more join the stars."
"Until then, allow me, with humble heart, to lead everyone forward."
"I, Bronya Rand, hereby swear as Belobog's nineteenth Supreme Guardian!"
Her vow was powerful and resolute.
A brief silence—and then thunderous cheers:
"Lady Bronya! Lady Bronya! Belobog stands forever!"
Tatsuki glanced at Cocolia, whose lips curved in a faint smile. "Well? Relieved?"
Cocolia watched the radiant Bronya on stage, unable to hide her pride. "Bronya has truly grown. I'm proud of her."
"Haha, she'll make an excellent Guardian," Tatsuki chuckled. "Now then, we should be going."
Taking advantage of the crowd's fervour, Tatsuki and his companions slipped away without a sound…
…
In a distant star‑city.
"Back already?"
With a voice gentle enough to melt hearts, Kafka smiled enchantingly, eyes falling on Silver Wolf who appeared out of thin air.
Silver Wolf felt herself over—no injuries—and grinned: "Yeah, I'm back. That was one heck of a game."
…
In another world
"Lady Emilia, what are you thinking?"
Blue‑haired maid Rem saw Emilia dazing off.
Emilia returned to herself and smiled softly. "Nothing—just remembered something happy."
…
Arrival at Tatsuki's Home.
Cocolia felt a momentary blur when Tatsuki held her hand; when vision cleared, she was in a room with décor utterly unlike Belobog's—and surrounded by women dressed in the same strange modern style as Tatsuki.
Time had paused in this building during the Apocalyptic Journey, so to them she seemed to appear out of nowhere.
Kanae remained calm—her time never stopped. The others were alert, but when they saw Cocolia's hand in Tatsuki's, they understood.
Eriri bit her little tiger tooth, both indignant and curious.
"Wow, how did you do that—pop and you bring back another woman!"
Yukino was stunned too; she'd seen Tatsuki travel between worlds, but not like this.
Tatsuki explained: "This is Cocolia Rand; just call her Cocolia."
"Greetings, everyone. I have come following my master."
Her graceful etiquette made it clear she'd once held great status.
The most pressing issue was housing.
One apartment remained vacant in the building, but it had three bedrooms—wasteful for a single occupant. Tatsuki still had two empty rooms himself.
"How about you stay in one of my spare rooms for now? When we move to a larger building I'll arrange a place of your own."
The proposal met easy approval from the others—save Eriri, who pouted: "Eh~ I wanna live with you too!"
Tatsuki flicked her nose. "If you move in, who'll keep Sayuri company?"
Eriri crossed her arms. "Hmph! I can stay with Mom, and you can come keep us company!"
Eiriri really had become bold—and open.
Nezuko sneaked a glance at Kie; noticing it, Kie gave her an encouraging smile.
"Mm…"
Nezuko instantly ducked her head in embarrassment. Kie sighed inwardly. With Nezuko's shy personality, getting her to join in would be tricky. Personally, Kie actually wanted to satisfy Tatsuki—something she considered a proper wife's duty—but she would have to do some gentle coaching with Nezuko first.
Faced with Eiriri's practically blatant invitation and those seductive eyes, Tatsuki nearly agreed on the spot. Still, he wanted to keep some space in his own apartment free—and he didn't want to monopolize Sayuri's time completely. If he visited every night, how would Sayuri even manage to walk the next day?