The bedroom door creaked open.
Alice was crawling away. Her movements were twisted and slow. Her body was so weak that every inch of progress was a struggle. Yet, the light in her beautiful, wide eyes grew brighter. It was as if she had finally caught a glimpse of hope.
Snap!
Just then, a pale, well-defined hand clamped firmly around her slender ankle.
"My dear, where do you think you're going?"
The voice was gentle, yet it sounded like a low murmur from the depths of hell.
"No, please!"
With a wail, Alice was dragged back into the room. The door slammed shut with a heavy thud.
It was as if all hope had vanished in that single instant. Silence returned to the hallway.
"Eh?"
Klee poked her little head out from her own room. She peeked around, then ducked back inside. "Sister Rei, let's go out and play!"
"Coming!"
Rei Miyamoto tossed her high ponytail, flashing a spirited, heroic smile. Without realizing it, she had changed a lot. After Saeko Busujima's departure, she had become Klee's second playmate.
As Rei took Klee out to play, the "battle" inside the villa continued.
Yuriko Takagi and Rika Minami—those two ripe, succulent peaches—had said it more than once: whenever the Master and Lady Alice were "doing it," things were bound to be intense.
When the door finally opened again, Alice was lying on the soft bed. If this were an adult anime, her state would be considered beyond saving. It was the kind of scene where a mysterious intruder had clearly had his way with her.
Unfortunately, this was the [Longhuang Universe]. If you counted every living soul left in the entire universe, you would only find a handful of people: Riku, Alice, Klee, Rei Miyamoto, Rika Minami, and Shizuka Marikawa.
Aside from these six, there was no one else.
Saeko Busujima had already been sent away on an assignment by Riku. Rei and Rika would soon follow once they passed this stage of their development.
As for Yuriko and Saya Takagi?
The two women were stationed in the [Apocalypse Universe]. They were tasked with managing the [Dead Body Central Device] and organizing the transport of the "Blue Mineral" they harvested.
Yes, that's right. The Blue Mineral was simply ore extracted from the universe that contained "Cosmic Energy." As for why it had such a name? Naturally, Alice had named it.
In fact, Alice had even given Riku a title so embarrassing it was practically legendary. She had declared him the [Lord of the Universe], the Sovereign of the [Longhuang Universe], and bestowed upon him the title: Lord of the Crystal Wall Sea!
Later on, Alice had even shortened it to something like "Three Days Without..."
And then?
There was no "then." Alice paid the price for her loose tongue, just as she was doing at this very moment.
Actually, Alice had once suggested calling Riku "Emperor." Riku had merely laughed off other titles, but at that one? He had gone silent, then refused without a moment's hesitation.
"Riku! Riku!"
Riku had just left the room, intending to take a stroll, when a loud cry reached his ears.
He turned to see Saya Takagi running toward him, her twin tails flying in the wind. Riku raised an eyebrow. "Saya, what's the matter?"
Saya hurried over, stood still, and adjusted her glasses. "Riku," she said earnestly, "we've detected energy fluctuations in the [Apocalypse Universe]. It's confirmed—the second planet has begun to gestate life."
Riku!
It didn't take a genius to know that the affectionate way everyone called him lately had come from Alice. Over time, it had become the standard way the girls addressed him when they were excited or playful. Riku let them have their fun; it wasn't a big deal.
"Oh?"
Riku paused, his brow arching in amusement. "That fast? I checked before; the [Apocalypse Universe] shouldn't have been ready for a while..."
"Exactly."
"It's truly..."
Saya's delicate face was flushed with excitement, her little canine tooth peeking out. Riku rubbed his temples, finding the situation quite funny.
A happy accident?
Under Alice's teaching, the mother-daughter duo of Yuriko and Saya had been researching constantly. They eventually began to develop "Dead Body Technology" based on the undead themselves. By combining it with their existing tech, they had actually managed to produce quite a few results.
But the problem was—was that really technology? Wasn't that just pure alchemy?
Yet, in the eyes of the universe, it wasn't judged that way.
Dead Body = Civilization.
Alchemy = Metamorphosis.
Perfect!
Good grief, the cycle was complete. It had actually fed back into the universe, creating a positive loop.
"Not bad," Riku praised. "Proceed as planned. However, you and Yuriko must be careful. Any life—even a dead body—can cause trouble if you aren't cautious."
Saya nodded her head vigorously. She seemed to want to say something else, but her face turned bright red, and the words wouldn't come out. With a quick turn, she hurried off, dashing through the [Portal] once more.
"Riku, that little girl Saya is inviting you to visit tonight," Rika Minami said, appearing behind Riku. She wore a knowing smile, looking as spirited and heroic as ever.
Riku didn't mind the closeness. Instead, he asked with interest, "Ah-Xiang, are you sure?"
The six women of the [Apocalypse] world had all accepted the [Core of the Universe] and begun to take root.
To put it another way, for a god, those who accept a blessing, enjoy protection, and serve for eternity are called kin. But the bond between Riku and these six women, who had accepted the [Core of the Universe], was even more intimate than that of a god and their kin.
It wasn't about brainwashing. It was a true, inseparable bond of life and death. They were cherished by the universe. Even if they fell in battle, they would be resurrected in the [Longhuang Universe], even if it meant crossing the Crystal Wall Sea or traveling through countless universes.
And if the [Longhuang Universe] were to ever face a crisis, they would share in that fate as well.