Imitation of the Planet

The Imperial Senate. Known as the "Unseen Intent."

Its chamber wasn't marked on any Imperial maps, which played a big part in deciding

its nickname, and its location was passed along only by word of mouth when absolutely

necessary—never on paper.

Three miles underground, the ambient temperature often reached six hundred degrees

Fahrenheit. The planet's crust allowed microbes from the surface to just barely

survive.

The place was accessible only by way of a special elevator located in the middle of a

major base.

"There will be no change to our plans."

"It's not anything that you, a Saint Disciple of the fifth seat, should concern yourself

over."

"Prioritize the special mission."

The Saint Disciple Risya gazed up at a wall where eight men and women were hazily

displayed on glowing monitors. The Eight Great Apostles were the ones who truly

controlled the Empire, though most people knew only of their names.

Nothing but the outlines of their faces were displayed on the monitors, and even their

builds were indistinct.

Were they really human? Or intelligent machines pretending to be? Even representatives

in the legislative assembly had publicly asked those questions.

"How unexpected," drawled the Saint Disciple. She was nothing like those politicians.

"I had the impression that you all were the ones most obsessed with the Successor of

the Black Steel. After all, he is a swordsman who studied under that man."

She received no response.

Silence from the Eight Great Apostles meant affirmation—a fact that no one in all the

Empire knew, save Risya and a select handful.

"Iska was taken by the Ice Calamity Witch—and in a neutral city to boot. Even I was a

little surprised when I received the news."

According to Captain Mismis's report about their encounter, there was a high possibility

that he had been drugged.

"I mean, we call the Nebulis Sovereignty the vile den of monsters, but their mission

statement is basically to keep the reputation of the astral mages from going south,

right?"

"That's precisely the case."

"Off the battlefield, they pretend to be nothing more than mewling kittens.

"They do not show their teeth in front of civilians."

"Yes, which is why I miscalculated."

Risya had fully believed the mages wouldn't conduct an attack within the neutral

cities, only for this report to come flying in. The Successor of the Black Steel, Iska, had

probably been under the same impression.

It had been inconceivable.

And by the time he had realized what was happening, he had collapsed from being

poisoned.

"It's amazing , isn't it?"

"Yes, I'm sure it took a marvelous amount of prowess."

"The witches have been feigning innocence all along to convince people they're

harmless in the neutral cities. This surprise attack was supremely effective on those

who took them at face value."

They had manipulated Iska's belief that he understood what the witches were capable

of.

Because no one had witnessed the "attack" in Ain, the Sovereignty would not be

punished by any neutral cities.

It was a brilliant ploy.

Had Risya been at the scene, she would have personally commended them for their

efforts.

"I doubt it was the act of a purebred. My guess is that it was done by someone close to

them. The Ice Calamity Witch does have a gifted underling."

After saying that much, the Saint Disciple pushed up the bridge of her glasses.

"Let's get back to the subject at hand. About the kidnapped boy."

"Haven't we already answered that question?"

Don't ask the same thing twice seemed to be the intended message.

"You will prioritize the special mission."

"Iska is that man's successor. He will return using his own abilities. And if he can't,

then that is simply what the fate of the stars have decided for him."

"Huh…," offered Risya, unhurried. "That was what I had intended, too… But the Lord

has put a halt on this."

"Ngh."

"What?"

The Holy Lord Yunmelngen.

The symbol of the united bulwark that was the Heavenly Empire. Their master.

Who exactly was the current Lord? How had the throne been passed down in the past?

Not a single subject of the Empire understood the mechanisms behind it. The only

ones who knew the identity of the supreme ruler were the Eight Great Apostles and

Saint Disciples of a certain rank, Risya included.

Even among the former Saint Disciples, Iska, as the lowest-ranking member of them

all, had never met the Lord in person.

"The Lord indicated that Iska possesses a military prowess that we should strive to

keep on our side. If anything, the Lord is mostly concerned about the astral swords in

his possession—and that we might lose a master able to wield them."

"..."

"How fickle."

Their sighs came out in a cascade.

"Then, Risya, what would you do in this instance?"

"We assume you've brought several proposals along with you."

"We know where he was taken." Below her narrow glasses, the corners of her lips

lifted. "The Nebulis Sovereignty's thirteenth state, Alcatroz. Also known as 'the prison

block.' A wonderful place."

"Hmm. That would be…"

"…Where that Salinger the Transcendental is imprisoned."

"A heretical sorcerer who bared his fangs at the previous queen of Nebulis. His astral

power is extremely rare and strong. If we're able to release him from his cell—"

Derisive laughter intermingled with the Eight Great Apostles' voices. They had instantly

understood what it was Risya was plotting.

"Interesting. It will take work to win over Salinger, but there is value in trying."

"Circumstances permitting, this will pair nicely with the results of the special mission.

The final outcome may even be favorable to us."

"Risya, do as you please."

"That's the plan." The Saint Disciple of the fifth seat answered as though it was a matter

of fact. "This is going in the direction I had hoped for. Just as you wish, I will continue

with the special mission. I think I will try recruiting the support of Unit 907."

She bowed politely.

The echo of military boots rang out as the Saint Disciple who served as the Lord's

adviser left the assembly hall.

In the capital city of Yunmelngen, Sector Three was slowly falling under a dark veil as

dusk arrived in the military district.

The setting sun blazed as it approached the horizon.

It wouldn't be long before the blue of the sky would run with stripes of black. The

twinkle of the stars occasionally drew people's eyes above.

That was the scene beyond the window.

Turning to the incredibly thick and reinforced glass, Jhin discreetly breathed in.

"They had one up on us. Nobody would have been able to do any better if they were

attacked in a neutral city."

A pair of swords had been placed on the meeting room table.

He turned to the black and white astral swords. The owner was absent, probably being

taken far from the Empire deeper into the Sovereignty at that very moment.

"The neutral city forbids weapons of any kind, so Iska let them hold his swords. Even

if I was to encounter and get attacked by the Ice Calamity Witch there, I would have

raised a white flag."

"..."

"Plus, they poisoned him? Was it through an injection or the tiniest needle ever? What

gets me is trying to figure out how in the world they did it. How were they able to

poison Iska in a plaza where dozens of people were around?"

There hadn't been a single independent witness.

If even one person had seen it happen, the whole attack would have been a terrible

blunder. At any rate, if a witch had gone berserk in the neutral city, it would have given

the Empire an excuse to spread that news all over the world.

The witches were truly devious. If they gave any reason for the league of neutral cities

to see them as a threat, the Nebulis Sovereignty would instantly be isolated.

"They must have been supremely confident. I mean, they were dealing with Iska, after

all. I can't believe they would think they could get away with poisoning him without

facing any retaliation."

Even Jhin couldn't imagine it had been simple.

To poison Iska without being noticed by the tourists in the plaza. Was there a way to

do that?

"Hey, Nene?"

"Hmm, I can't think of anything, either." The girl with her ponytail sat across from him,

slumped over and facedown on the table between them.

It seemed like her brain had stopped working from pure shock that Iska had been

taken away.

"What if there was poison in his drink? No one would have noticed if he was just

drinking something."

"As if he'd do that. Even if someone from the Sovereignty handed one to him, he would

obviously throw it right back at them… Well, whatever. It won't do us any good to

continue speculating about it." He eyed their captain, who sat with her face partially

turned away from them. "The Nebulis Sovereignty's thirteenth state, Alcatroz. You're

sure about that?"

"…Y-yeah."

"Then that's where Iska's been taken. We don't know why the Ice Calamity Witch let

that slip, but I bet she was crowing in victory and saying that there's no use getting

involved," Jhin said.

But there was the chance that tiny slipup would become the opening they needed to

land a decisive blow to the Sovereignty.

"…We'll save him." Mismis squeezed her left shoulder using her right hand, gritting her

teeth. "We're going to save Iska. Nene and Jhin, please. Help me."

"What else would we do?"

It didn't surprise Jhin that she managed, through sheer will, to keep back her tears.

She had a strong heart. Without it, she never would have been able to serve as a

military captain. Jhin, Nene, and Iska never would have followed her into battle and

beyond.

"It's hard to say if we're lucky, but there is a method of breaking through the Sovereign

border that we can use. Working for the Eight Great Apostles is the last thing I want to

do, but this way, we still have a chance of winning."

"You mean the special mission, right, Jhin?"

"That's right. Risya said it was possible."

"There is a way to sneak into the Sovereignty even if you're an Imperial citizen."

"Just wait three more days, and you'll see."

Their orders were to capture the Nebulis queen by infiltrating the Sovereignty. The

difficulty level wouldn't change much even if they were to tack on a plan to rescue Iska.

"Capturing the queen is already an impossible and suicidal task. That won't change

even if we save Iska along the way. It's not as though our success rate can get any lower

than zero."

"Hey, Jhin, you're not being optimistic at all!"

"Who cares about chances of success? We've got a real reason to go now. That should

be enough."

They went from being unwilling to take part in the special mission to wanting to

participate by any means possible.

"Or, Saint Disciple, is this whole situation just another part of your evil ploy?"

"No way," came the response from beyond the door of the meeting room.

It was an indifferent and bright and feminine voice that called out from the other side

of the metal portal, which had an automatic lock that she forcibly disarmed and

opened.

"I wasn't expecting this, either. It's really something, huh? I think we should be praising

the Sovereignty's ingenious methods."

"Yeah, I was just talking about that."

Jhin's gaze rested on Risya, who sauntered without a care to the center of the room

holding a pure-white metal box in her hands. She placed the weighty box on the table.

"Whew. Sorry for making you wait. Tough times, am I right?"

"Don't act like it's old history."

"Oh, sorry. Right. You must have just gotten back, Mismis. I bet you came flying in the

car at full speed and finally reached the capital in the middle of the night, right?"

"…"

Risya's eyes turned to the captain.

Mismis remained immobile in her position at the table and lifted her face as though

she was waking up when Risya said her name.

"Risya."

"I knooow. Isk is a fellow Saint Disciple—well, a former one. Even if he wasn't, there

are still tons of missions I want him to go on." The Saint Disciple of the fifth seat tapped

on the whiteboard on the wall. "I'm going to summarize everything that's happened

so far, all right? During the day, Isk encountered the Ice Calamity Witch in Ain. Falling

victim to a still unknown delivery method, he was poisoned and became incapacitated,

after which he was taken outside the city. Of course, he was presumably transported

to the Sovereignty. Isn't that right, Mismis?"

"Ye… yeah. She said it was Alcatroz."

"Far from the central state and commonly known as 'the prison block.' It's the ideal

place to keep Isk captive. It seems consistent with their motives. So about that—"

Risya grinned after observing the expressions on Jhin's, Nene's, and Mismis's faces.

They couldn't tell what she was thinking from that smile.

"For better or worse, there is a way for all of you to safely cross the Sovereignty's

borders. Right here. "

She was talking about the white metal box on the table.

The box was big enough that Risya could just barely hold it, about the size of a cage

for a small dog. Risya took off the four metal padlocks that had been attached to the

top of the case as though she had undone it many times before.

"You better thank me. I rushed prepping this for Isk. I wasn't planning on having it

ready until the day after tomorrow. Okay, pay attention."

Risya took off the lid.

White mist rushed up from the inside, like steam but fearfully cold.

"Ah?! I-it's freezing…!"

"Oh, sorry, Nens. If we don't keep it below negative fifty-eight degrees, we can't keep it

contained."

There were black cylinders surrounded by the white smoke, just a little too thick and

long for an adult's hand to fully grasp. They were about the same shape as a thin

flashlight—Risya took one out of the box and threw it.

"Here ya go, Jhin-Jhin."

"…What's this container? Is it an alloy?"

The cylindrical casing was cold.

When Jhin held it, the weight gave the impression that an incredibly strong metal had

been used in its construction.

"As you know, it's difficult for someone who is not an astral mage to step foot in the

Nebulis Sovereignty. That's because you need to show identification and undergo the

astral trial."

Any identification they planned to use had to be sourced from someplace other than

the Empire.

If they were subjected to the astral trial, they would be checked for the universal sign

of a mage, the astral crest.

In the past, the Imperial army had attempted the former. In other words, they had

forged documents, trying to sneak in with identification papers that matched those

issued by neutral cities.

"Well, we don't have to talk about the past, right? The Imperial military has been trying

to infiltrate the Sovereignty for the last century, and every time, they were basically

found out immediately, but…" Risya grabbed a black cylindrical container herself.

"This time, I think it'll work."

She wrenched open the cap of the cylinder.

Bsht. The connector seemed to break…

…and brilliant particles of light gushed out of the container.

It appeared to be a geyser. The particles of light rushed out, blasting all the way up to

the ceiling of the meeting room.

"Is this astral energy?!"

"You're right on the money, Jhin-Jhin. These are the fruits of the labors of the

researchers at Omen."

Omen was an exclusive collective of geniuses. In the Imperial territories, where

research into astral energy was strictly forbidden, they were the sole organization

with clearance to do so.

"…Was this at the suggestion of the top of the Empire?" Gripping the black cylinder

hard, Jhin let out a sigh. "This is unthinkable. Who would have thought the Imperial

soldiers would have gotten this far in researching astral energy?"

Headquarters.

The Saint Disciples.

The Eight Great Apostles.

The most powerful authorities of the largest nation in the world had unmistakably

continued this behind the scenes for decades.

"Nene, seems like we're going to be their guinea pigs."

"Huh? Jhin, what do you mean?"

"This." Without asking for consent, Risya snatched Nene's left wrist, pushing the end

of the cylinder into it like a multi-needle syringe, injecting her with astral energy.

"Hey?! H-how could you, Risya?!"

"It'll be fiiine. It didn't hurt, right? It'll be over before you know it. Just be patient. If

you can get through this without shedding a single tear, I'll treat you to some juice

later," the Saint Disciple joked, though her eyes reflected none of the mirth her words

implied.

Risya ignored the cries coming from Nene, who was now on high alert. The Saint

Disciple maintained a tight grip on the young girl's wrist as she stabbed Nene's palm

with another injection.

"Nene?! Please, Risya! What are you doing to my subordinates?!"

"Hmm, see for yourself."

About twenty seconds had passed.

When she finally released Nene's wrist, the light of the astral energy had disappeared

from the black cylinder.

It was as if the battery of a flashlight had run out.

"How do you feel, Nens?"

"..." No reply from the girl with the ponytail.

She was at a loss for words, gazing at the red astral crest that had appeared on her

palm.

"…Am I a witch now?"

"It only affects the skin on your hand." Risya tossed the empty container back into the

box. "Oh, and also, it'll only last a week."

"What?"

"Well, think of it this way. When you get a tan at the beach, your skin naturally goes

back to its natural color over time, just like that. This thing basically gives you a

concentrated shot of astral energy to form an astral crest at the skin level."

The astral mark had appeared on the back of Nene's hand, though on closer inspection,

its color was fainter than a real one.

"So it's all make-believe to pass through their astral trial?" Jhin clarified.

"Right on the money. All right, Nens, you give him a crest next."

"Um… Uhhh."

"Wait, Nene. Superiors first. I'll give one to the boss." He stopped her and clutched the

black syringe that held light, moving toward Captain Mismis's side. "Hey, Lord Saint

Disciple, does it matter where she has it?"

"Nope, even hands and feet are good to go. But make sure to put it in a place that isn't

super noticeable."

This was an Imperial military facility. If anyone saw a person with a crest, it would

throw the place into chaos.

"You heard her, boss. If it can go anywhere, your left arm will do. Lift your sleeve and

show me your shoulder."

"…What? Uh, um, Jhin."

"I'll say it again. Give me your left shoulder." To keep the Saint Disciple from seeing, he

used his back as a shield.

Mismis hesitatingly rolled up her sleeve to reveal her upper arm, sneakily taking off

the medical tape that covered it.

There was her emerald astral crest. Jhin pushed the syringe on top of it.

"How's this, Lord Saint Disciple?"

"Let me see. Hmm, looks good. Interesting—brighter than Nens's. Almost like the real

deal."

"Ah-ha-ha-ha? N-no way, Risya… Uh, look, it's because my skin is so sensitive. Like, I

get sunburned right away, too." Mismis rushed to cover her left shoulder from Risya's

prying gaze, hiding her genuine crest from view.

I see. Good job, Jhin! Nene seemed to say with glittering eyes.

Obviously , Jhin wordlessly responded.

It would take a week for the artificial astral crest to disappear. At least for the period

of the special mission, Captain Mismis wouldn't have to worry about arousing any

suspicion.

That was more than enough time for them to rescue Iska.

"Hey, Nene."

"Uh, yeah, Jhin? Where do you want yours? On your forehead? Your cheek? Or your

hand?"

"Somewhere other than my hands. The worst thing that could happen is some

unexpected complication taking my hands out of commission. If I can't use them, I

can't shoot my gun. Do it on my leg."

He offered up his right ankle.

It was said that actual witches and sorcerers could have their astral crest appear

anywhere. There were reports of stronger astral power causing larger crests. The one

on Mismis's shoulder was all-around larger than Jhin's and Nene's artificial marks.

"With this, you're all set to cross the Sovereign border." Risya collected the now-empty

canisters.

They needed to be reloaded for reuse. She placed them back in the refrigerated box

and firmly closed the lid.

"Twelve units. Fifty-one soldiers who have received the same procedure."

"Including the other elite units?"

"Right, right. And this time around, the top dogs of the Empire want intel on the

Sovereignty's borders. There are twelve units, and you'll all go through separate

checkpoints."

"…So this is nothing more than an experiment." Jhin understood it now.

It was a special mission in name only. To the big shots, this was purely to collect data.

"The Nebulis Sovereignty is a commonwealth of nations made up of thirteen states.

Twelve dependent states joined the Nebulis Sovereignty to make it what it is now."

"Right. And Isk was taken to the thirteenth state, Alcatroz," Risya added.

"We're going to try infiltrating the Sovereignty from that checkpoint in Alcatroz. Is that

right?"

And the other eleven units would be as well.

The twelve states surrounded the central state. They would be attempting to slip past

all of those borders.

But how many guards would be protecting those borders?

And with how many surveillance devices?

They would be the ones confirming every one of those details.

"The endgame must be to figure out the best checkpoint to target. That's what the

special mission is actually about—data. If we know which checkpoint is easiest to

invade, then we can dispatch elite units next time. I bet it'll be ten times larger than

this operation."

"Right. Jhin-Jhin, you're quick to pick up."

They were sacrifices in the greater experiment. That was the message. The Saint

Disciple of the fifth seat plainly admitted it as well.

Taken to the extreme, the mission would be considered a success if a single one of the

twelve units could infiltrate the Sovereignty. And if the other eleven units were caught

at the border? That wouldn't be a problem. After all, it meant they would know that

checkpoint was dangerous.

"You sure are blunt."

"You're so sharp, Jhin-Jhin. Plus, I know Unit 907 will give it their best shot, regardless

of my answer." Risya winked, dexterously batting her eyes. "Basically, the Empire is

trying to gather data on whether these artificial crests work and whether you can

actually get into the Sovereignty in this disguise. That's their goal. If you're able to get

across the border safely, then consider the mission as good as ninety percent

successful."

"What about the plan to capture the queen of Nebulis?"

"We'll have you put that into action, of course. If you've gone to the trouble of getting

into the Sovereignty, we might as well have you attack the palace. But—"

A pause.

The bespectacled Saint Disciple looked around at the three surrounding her.

"If twelve units were to all try infiltrating the royal palace, you'd accomplish nothing

but standing out. What would happen if over fifty unfamiliar people were to visit the

same castle out of nowhere? It'd be suspicious, astral crest or not."

"Of course."

"That's why the Eight Great Apostles have sympathized with us. Right, Mismis?"

"Y-yeah?!" Clutching her left shoulder, the captain righted herself in a fluster.

"After you break through the Nebulis Sovereignty border, go to ground in Alcatroz and

find Isk. And if you find him…"

"Yeah?"

"Make a big scene." Risya smiled—her amusement was palpable. "You'll cause a huge

commotion in Alcatroz. Half of the other eleven units will raise hell separately in the

other states—that should be enough to put the palace in a tough spot."

"I see! While we're making a scene and the central state is shaken up—"

"You guessed it. The rest of the units will raid the royal palace. Look how smart you've

become, Mismis." Risya winked again.

They would get their chance to infiltrate the Sovereignty and mount a rescue to save

Iska. That had unexpectedly tied into accomplishing their special mission.

Upon that revelation, Mismis adopted a tense expression.

"You look pleased, Mismis. I'm busy with prep, so I'm going to run along now. All of

you just need to do your best. I'm expecting good things from your Sovereign border

breakthrough."

Risya picked up the metal box she'd brought with her.

"See ya. Next time, we'll meet on the field."

Before anyone could ask what she meant by that, the Saint Disciple slipped out of the

room.