Chapter 7

**This World is Beautiful Because...** is the seventh chapter in Abi Umeba's manga Children of the Whales.

## Summary

The Committee of Elders again state their intention to sink the Mud Whale into the sea of sand, and ask Suou to guide them all to a dignified death. Distraught, Suou asks them why everyone needs to die. The elders tell Suou that in the past, they and the attackers were once part of the same country. Their ancestors were criminals exiled by the rest of the country, and since they are subject to their authority, Hakuji says, they cannot contest it. He states that in oreder to preserve their dignity and to not see anyone slaughtered, they will all set off together peacefully.

Byakuroku, the oldest person on the Mud Whale, suddenly comes into the room. He grasps Suou's shirt and calls him father, crying that he doesn't want to drown or be killed. Hakuji orders that Byakuroku be taken back to his room, but before that can happen Suou promises him that there will be no more senseless deaths, and that they will all find a way to survive. Byakuroku suddenly tells Suou that they need to ask Fálaina. Before Suou can learn what Fálaina is, a man appears behind him and knocks him out. The man, referred to by the Committee of Elders as Commander, staes that they need to deatain him. The elders agree, and begin their preparations to sink the mud Whale, with them turning to Neri.

Meanwhile, Chakuro, locked in a sever episode of hypergraphia, scratches countless sentences into the walls while Ginshu watches him with curiosity from above. Ginshu asks him what he's writing, and Chakuro panics and tells him not to look, but Ginshu reassures him that she can't read.Ginshu then states that she heard from Tobi that he managed to take out some of the invaders with his thymia, and calls him cool. Chakuro tells her to stop it, and stated that he couldn't do anything, and that is why Sami died. Ginshu tells him that Sami is dead, but the little ones survived, so that's his victory.

She tells him he needs more confidence in himself, and he states that he can't be confident like her. They then squabble over forms of address. Ginshu then runs off, with an exasperate Chakuro wondering who she was. Chakuro then climbs to the top of a structure, and sees Neri trying to reach him from the bottom. He tells her that she needs to come up from the other direction, but when Chakuro turns around to go help her, she suddenly appears behind him.

Neri asks Chakuro why the world is so beautiful. She tells him it is because the souls of those who have gone before have diffused into it. She shows him something shimmering in her hand, and when Chakuro touches it, it suddenly explodes into an image of everyone that has died on the Mud Whale. Sami suddenly appears among the spirits, and kisses Chakuro. She states that she wanted to marry him.Chakuro chases ater her, and states that he didn't care if he died young so long as he could be with her. He then asks Sami to take him over to her side. Sami gently refuses, stating that he has a duty to perform.

The vision then shifts place to Mayor Taisha's office, who tells Chakuro that he needs to see things through to the end as papers slowly fill up her office. Chakuro then falls into a strnage place with Neri and what look to be galaxies embedded in sand. Neri points towards one of the galaxies, and Chakuro reaches in, pulling out a bloody sword. He then sees visions of Ouni covered in blood and surrounded by swords, Suou crying in a cage, and Lykos, surrounded by fire and muskets.As Chakuro trys to reach towards her, Neri grabs his hand, breaking him out of the vision.

Chakuro asks her what that was, and if she had seen the same things he did. Neri doesn't directly answer him, and instead states that he can vividly sense other people's feelings, and if he doesn't hold everyone else together, it's all over. She then blinks and seems to shift personalities. She then asks Chakuro for help, stating that she found out that Committee of Elders plans to sink the Mud Whale, and that they've imprisoned Suou in the belly of the ship. Neri tells him that there is one person whose heart he needs to liberate in order to save everyone, and to go to her.

Lykos, back in her room, huddles against the wall. She suddenly sees a hand appear on the window, and sees Chakuro attempting to climb up, asking for her to help pull him up. Lykos bursts into tears. She tells Chakuro that the ship she was on was supposed to attack Fálaina, and that they were told that the island was a hellish place, but they were the ones that brought hell to the island. Chakuro smiles and says that she's showing so much more emotion now. He tells her not to worry, as he has seen into her heart twice now and believes her.

Chakuro then asks Lykos for help, stating that the Committee of Elders plans to sink the Mud Whale. He also hands her a disguise to wear. While they climb down from Lykos' room, Chakuro wonders how the elders plan to sink the ship when they can't even control where it goes. Lyos says that she might know, and asks Chakuro if there are any areas on the ship where no one goes. Chakuro states that in the belly, down below, there's an area that no one can get to. Chakuro and Lykos then accidentally fall, but get up and run off.

Nezu and Ro are helping Masoh sort through usable arrows for the upcoming attack. Masoh suddenly falls to the ground, and sees that his hands are shaking. Chakuro and Lykos suddenly run up, and Chakuro calls out to them.He asks them to help them stop the Mud Whale from sinking. They agree to help, but Ro asks him if he thinks they'll be able to go up against the Vigilante Corps. Later, Chakuro asks Kicha where Ouni is. She points him in the right direction, and Chakuro asks him to help save everyone on the Mud Whale.