Every day, every month, every year, the speed at which your world collapses will accelerate a bit.
If you leave this dimension, it will only take a year or two for the collapse speed to become uncontrollable. In another two or three years, even if you guard it diligently every day, there will be nothing you can do."
The Thousand Gold silently lowered her head.
"Wh...what? Young Mistress?" "Is that so..." "Really? Young Mistress! I said the Young Mistress would never play tricks with the results of the Duel Ceremony!"
Although the Blood Devils are notorious for being "despicable" and "sly," they are nonetheless Duel Monster Spirits, how could they do such things.
"I only focus on how my sheltered vassals live each day... I truly have not paid attention to the dimension's situation, but now that it's said, there's a reason for my niece's actions," the Duke of Demise also gradually began to trust Tierra's judgment.
If it weren't so, how could the Vampire Fraulein have done those things?
"But...but I didn't expect it to be so fast? Twenty years...that's too soon!" The Vampire Fraulein felt vaguely uneasy; she had no real understanding of the overall state of this dimension. Now that Tierra mentioned it, she felt somewhat dizzy.
To a Spirit that might sleep for a year, twenty years... is too fast!
So fast it seems to pass in a blink!
"Rest easy. Twenty years... is not short," Tierra casually reassured, "if my guess is correct, your dimension should be the peripheral area covered during the initial dimensional collapse, the region affected by the fallout.
Though severely damaged, it's not so easily destroyed.
It's clear the dimension can't rely on its own repair mechanisms; a major intervention is necessary."
The major intervention means Tierra will overhaul the dimension's "mechanism" from the ground up, much like Frightfur Sanctuary, assisting the world in entering a new ecological system.
But it's different from the Frightfur's dimension.
The Vampires are not only old-style Spirits; their Vampire Kingdom is much larger. More importantly, the Frightfurs are a new dimension barely birthed before collapse; their spirits adapted to the rules and reincarnation logic of the new era, making their dimension more susceptible to influence and modification through change in power.
Here, it needs to be remodeled from the ground up by hand.
For Tierra, who only possesses half power, this is difficult.
Without other forms of assistance, it might take a long time to patch things up and halt further collapse of the dimension, but "repairing" it is no one-year task.
She can do this.
But she—does not want to.
A bunch of Vampires, despite being lives suspended between life and death, are neither alive nor dead nor mechanical; they simply do not interest her.
Also she has sensed, faintly, that something major is about to occur in the academy Tenjo Hikari is in.
She can offer help to Tenjo Hikari during her free time now, but to dedicate all her time to such matters is impossible.
Even though it's an interesting new subject she's never tackled, she has no mood to undertake it.
She had no interest in explaining to the Vampires, and directly conveyed the conclusion and situation to Tenjo Hikari.
"I see," Tenjo Hikari touched his chin, first soothing the Vampires' emotions.
Twenty years, neither short nor long, exceeding his current age; twenty years, short indeed, for these Vampires.
But there is actually a win-win solution.
Simple, for Tierra, the most troublesome point is not formulating plans and modifications, but lacking time and execution means, having to operate everything manually.
But if she had means and time?
In that scenario, all could be streamlined.
The simplest solution is for Tierra to possess one more "Support Machine."
Not the kind like Lilith, dedicated to destruction.
Rather...
[Alternate Aspect] Support Machine!
Tenjo Hikari pacified the Blood Devils, and made an announcement to the Grand Alchemist.
The following time, their Great Cosmic Workshop's research subject became very simple.
He quietly took out a card.
Pendulum Commander - Great Spirit Mechanism Army!
As this card was a temporary card, influenced by the dragon behind Akaba Leo, Tenjo Hikari was completely unable to use it, merely watching it crack over time.
But—
what does it matter?
Indeed, this card in Tenjo Hikari's possession is cursed, utterly unusable for him. But for Tenjo Hikari it isn't of importance.
Tenjo Hikari needs its rank, requires its "Pendulum." After some research, Tenjo Hikari made new preparations.
Prior, Tenjo Hikari had other matters to handle, besides "Nakama" wasn't yet crafted, so Tenjo Hikari considered delaying.
But now...
Tierra watched from the side, her eyes shining golden.
Oh!?
Is a backup plan being activated?
Priority to revive the "Qliphort"?
Absolutely—
Tenjo Hikari next aims to create...
Hidden Apoqliphort Towers!
Differing from "Infernoid," which ranges from simple to complex, bottom-up; "Qliphort" demands top-down, thus the first "Qliphort" Tenjo Hikari must construct can and must only be one thing: Materialism.
The most challenging of all Qliphorts, confronting the immediate hurdle, its manufacture is intricately complex, even beyond the previous "Infernoid Devyaty."
Moreover, unlike the experience-rich creation of many "Infernoids," Materialism and Lilith have no prior reference, so Tenjo Hikari must design it from scratch.
Yet...
Even so, it's more efficient and reassuring than Tierra operating it solo.
After discussing with the Grand Alchemist all night, Tenjo Hikari prepared to sleep at the Great Cosmic Workshop, yet at this juncture, Tenjo Hikari received countless alerts.
Opening a book, he noticed friends of "Earthbound Servant" frantically calling him.
He was somewhat astonished, quickly stowed the book, shut his eyes, departed the Great Cosmic Workshop, and at once appeared in the Fusion Department.
What happened—
He hurried to consult the Earth-Painted Winged Dog Demon.
What situation?
Is it possible someone dared break into the Fusion Department while the trio was stationed?
"Tenjo Hikari—" Tierra followed closely behind Tenjo Hikari, arrived in this world, and merely being in this world's air, she immediately widened her eyes, staring out the window in shock, urging Tenjo Hikari to look.
Tenjo Hikari trusted her instincts, directly ran to the window, gazed skyward, and saw the rolling black clouds raging forth, bearing eerie lightning, surging across the sky.
At the island's coast, Ed took off his diving goggles; he had just finished all his work and finally headed to the academy to fulfill his promise to Tenjo Hikari, only to witness these terrifying dark clouds as he came ashore.
"What's happening?"
Not only him, but anyone possessing some "power," even ordinary people, seemed to sense something. Professor Cronos, having already donned pajamas, held a doll, and stood beside the window, confused as he looked skyward.
Dark clouds enveloped the entire Duel Academy Island. Shortly, terrifying black light and black thunder fell from the sky, striking all edges and shores of Duel Academy Island.
Ed watched helplessly as his beloved jet ski was sliced in half by the black light. He screamed, rushed over, only to find himself completely blocked by a horrifying transparent black light wall, unable to escape.
This!?
Oh?
His mind was full of question marks.
I just arrived, what now?
Professor Cobra similarly gazed skyward, witnessing the terrifying scene, his eyes wide with amazement. Behind him, a yellow phantom laughed: "Hehehehahaha, hahaha...It begins."
Tenjo Hikari withdrew his gaze, slowly inhaling."
This...
A familiar power.
Not only him but even the power Tierra had already witnessed, was enveloping the entire Academy Island!
Darkness!
That thing, surprisingly, is making its move ahead of schedule!