Alice Tale in Phantasmagoria Chapter 131

The population of Wilmington princ.i.p.ality, princ.i.p.ality capital Myleus is large.
It became a world cla.s.s city where various races live, due to their culture that came from accepting immigrants in.
The level of civilization is high, they also have a strong labour force, and they’re high in military power as well.
With their policy of nonaggressive defense there’s also the merit that there hasn’t been a time when they’ve invaded another country.
That proud, impregnable city, was about to fall after just one night――

「……Ojousama, it’s a report…………the western national border has been broken.」

I heard that report of Ilya’s while being swayed by the carriage heading toward the royal capital and, I went blank for a while.

「……Eh?」

Finally swallowing the situation, I forcibly moved my stiffened head.
The Ilya I’m looking at gives no hint of something like a joke, her eyes are downcast while seeming frustrated.

「Ano……Maria, san is?」

I think back to that soft smile, that she gave before setting out.

「……That is, unclear.」
「Unclear……? ……That’s a lie right, since Marisan is……that strong right?」
「According to the reports, the number of chimeras and enemy officers that Marisama subjugated was not less than 1000, it is that sort of thing……It was a great effort by one knight against a thousand……」
「It was……s!?」
「I have, no excuse……」
「Tsu」

Attacking the way Ilya speaks, was just taking my anger out on her!
Just, how many chimera did I defeat?
Did I defeat 10?
Marisan is, over 1000……

「This isn’t the place to submerge yourself in sentiment, for this side either I suppose.」

Till isn’t taking the reins for once, she’s dangling her legs in the rear of the cargo wagon.
Following that gaze into the distance leads to the princ.i.p.ality capital.

「It isn’t unreasonable for things to go slowly with this many refugees on the highway. Being chased down is just a matter of time now is it.」

Just as Till said, there’s currently ma.s.sive congestion due to the refugees on the large highway that continues to flow toward the royal capital.
Of course it isn’t the case that the entirety of the princ.i.p.ality capital’s people are heading toward the royal capital but, it’s natural considering the size of the population.

「But refugees……Chasing after regular civilians is the worst! What is the commonwealth thinking!」
「Who knows, I don’t know such things as how the opponent thinks and, there’s nothing to be done for it.」

At that moment when I shook my body in anger.
Outside the princ.i.p.ality capital……A ma.s.sive explosion rose in the land where lakes and forest spread out.
The explosion had a large enough scale, for the vibrations to be conveyed irregardless of the significant distance.

「Ano, the direction is……!?」
「……The place where the old lady who lived by the lake sh.o.r.e was……I believe as such.」

I thought so too!
Perhaps Ilya gave a reserved opinion out of consideration to me.

「Seriously……those called humans are a race that rush through life. Being obstinate over an unwinnable battle.」

I don’t know what sort of meaning that explosion had.
It’s just that, Till is staring absentmindedly at the explosion’s aftermath.
Wilmington’s troops are actually still going about guiding the people with the exclusion of one section, the defensive battle is still unfolding.
……They’re fighting, even without Marisan.
Wilmington still hasn’t fallen.
Regardless of how there’s the sort of pretense of protecting the evacuating people, I’m irritated at my self who isn’t fighting with them in that place.
The present situation……I understand that my bodily condition isn’t suitable for battle though.

『Master! Came……e!』
「Tsu!」

My body grew gooseb.u.mps at, the concise report from Aim who had been observing from a different

carriage with clairvoyance.
Compared to the speed of the opponent’s pursuit, the speed of retreat is too slow and turtle like.
However much it’s said that preparations were made in advance, it’s not the case that we can pa.s.s through a magic door to our destination either.
Till stood up.

――Gafuuu Gafuuu.

I heard the breath of an approaching animal.
A moment later on the ma.s.sive highway――The forms of a large pack of chimera appeared.
The ones who noticed this situation weren’t just us.
A scream rose from the alert civilians a little ahead.

――Catching sight of them isn’t unreasonable either, there certainly are a lot!!

A wolf like pack with furs like a hedgehog.
There wasn’t such an opponent when we partic.i.p.ated in the defensive battle.
From the west’s……national border?

「Llightni――」
「Stop.」

Till impedes me with one hand raised.
I ended up obeying reflexively――Till is currently, displaying that level of intimidation.
She’s……angry?

「……I do not know what you are doing but, should I say this is partway down that path……? From the depths of my heart……I’m fed up to my limit.」

A magic power of cold air like her anger is being manifested directly, envelops Till.

「――Oh third winter that approaches the world of the end, turn into magic ice and invite to nihility――Fimbul!」

――Tsu!?
She’s serious!
A grand magic of fearsome purity, unlike any magic I’ve seen up until now.
The wolves of the chimera force chasing after the carriage are, pierced by magic ice and turned into skewers.
Even if they avoid being skewered, they can’t escape being frozen by the proceeding absolute zero.
Truly magic of nihility.
However the chimera force tramples over the mountain of their comrade’s corpses that fell before them, surging forth one after another.
If Till is one knight against a thousand, the opponent is confronting that with violence of numbers.
……And so, Marisan was swallowed by this schema.

「Fu……」

For some reason, Till smiled for a moment.
As if remembering back to the distant past.

「Can you break through my defense? Try showing me the resolve of a lowly beast.」

The chimera gather up to such a degree that, they’re impossible to count without a special technique like in bird watching.
They come jumping in one after another to tear apart our carriage that’s running at the end of the line.
Even so, not a single one completes that objective.
The act of breaking through the durability of just a single person’s iron wall defense is impossible.
Being turned into skewers, being frozen and shattered, being thrown back and struck into.
The force of the chimeras that had seemed to have nothing like a will of their own dwindled, with how overly unproductive their attack was.
Perhaps their wild instinct rejected it more strongly than their orders, their advance is beginning to dull.

「――Kukukuu, aahahahahahahahahaa!! It’s as I expected, as expected! Aah, strong overly strong!! Your breath isn’t disturbed even after continuously activating this much powerful magic! Aah, just where could your limit be? O-babsamaa!」

――Libraa!!!
White hair parted loosely into three braids, standing in a suggestive outfit with a slit over her b.r.e.a.s.t.s.
While red eyes projecting a sinister appearance fill with curiosity, the brown witch descends upon the battlefield with cackling laughter.

「……You came then, before me that is.」

Till glared at the Libra floating in the sky, with a voice of penetrating cold.

「Aah, Aah, I came o-babsama. Ahahaa! It’s fun issn’t it, it’s exciting issn’t it!」

?
Next to Libra is Sirius……that’s not right, a girl who I don’t recognize is standing there.
Her tightly closed eyes with, hair of a fresh green

green like the deep green of summer is peculiar.
Wearing highly formal clothes that resemble a habit, a girl appearing rather out of place on the battlefield.

「I have no intention of letting you escape, to return safely is something I wouldn’t expect.」

Till made a declaration, while dealing with the ma.s.sive pack of chimera as always.

「Aah……being thought so much of by you makes me excited……! More……hate me more, be angered, present me with the entirety of those emotions!」

This person is……insane!
But the one who gave birth to these chimeras is probably, this person.
Could it be said that she’s, a genius that breaches insanity……?

「――Fimbul.」

Till faced Libra and released magic without concerning herself with what she had to say.

「Ahahaa! What number might this be!? It makes me amazed at o-baba’s truly limitless magic power! But welll――」

Laughing loudly is proof of room to spare is it.
Even before Till’s Fimbul, the white witch doesn’t rush.
The green girl goes out, in front of that Libra.

――What could this be?

Before anyone could think as such, with only the motion of raising her hand――――The girl broke Fimbul!
Becoming just a crystal, the grand magic vanished into the sky.

「Ahahaa! How’s that, incredible isn’t it!? The saintess’s power is as you see!」
「……」

The green girl――the girl called the saintess, is looking down on us dispa.s.sionately with her eyes still tightly shut.
What sort of emotion is she carrying, I can’t read it.

「It was blocked, that’s not the case is it?」

Calmly, Till a.n.a.lyzed the facts.
She doesn’t do things like act pointlessly surprised.
She’s acting so as to ascertain what sort of power the opponent holds.

「Do you want to ask? Hahaa, I, love getting questions you know!」

On that note, Libra was that sort of person……

「Of course it isn’t the case that saintess-sama is, blocking o-baba’s magic! Something like blocking o-baba’s magic is, the most difficult of tasks! But……if it’s that sort of skill, it’s not a matter of all that much difficulty!」

Skill!?
Was her magic blocked by a skill?
Something like Ilya’s field?

「……I see, mightn’t that sort of skill exist as well, I suppose there was a time I heard something like an urban legend.」

It seems she quickly reached the correct answer.
The Libra facing such a Till with an admiring sort of gaze causes dread.
That person is, infatuated with Till from the bottom of her heart.
But it’s not the case that she’s turned that emotion toward her in a normal sense.
……Insane, truly insane.

「Ahaha! Right exactly as you say! I found it you see, it’s a huge discovery rivaling a singularity isn’t it?」
「……」

For one moment, Libra faced me with a gaze that seemed to twine around me.
Ilya casually, moved out in front of me.

「Skill, Omega・Crown. Transcending all phenomena, it can do the act of endingーーThe king’s skill!」

In contrast to Libra’s proud speech, the green girl is standing in impa.s.sive stillness.
In short, it’s not the case that what happened before was magic being blocked but the act of making it not be……The act of canceling is it?

「Hahaa, I am a researcher! I don’t particularly take pride in my own power or such, if there’s a power I can use I use it efficiently! Roles are important right? Ahahahaa!」

Even though her power is plenty strong, Libra……!

「People who have forgotten pain, eventually blunder. All the more so, if they are my comrades who exchange lives, .」

Quietly, Till blew out.
The air formed pins and, I could only feel pain.

「Ahahaa, pain isn’t

pain isn’t a hobby of mine. I love causing pain though don’t I! Now then, saintess-samaa.」

Libra deployed a distinctive magic system.
It’s not the 3 element magic we often use.
Numerous spears of light come to hang, from the pattern floating in the sky.

「This skill can be used in this way riight? ――Eat this, Arrow Rain!」

The spears of light, come falling from the sky――!
The wall of ice that Till instantly deployed is――broken as if it never was, they come straight through it!

「Chii!」
「Ahahahahahahahahahahahaa!!」

The magic spears pouring down like a shower, rush toward my master Till.
But that truly is rain.
They’re coming to pierce not just our carriage, but including even to the end of the line of refugees.
People’s screams echo, in the sky.

「Libraaaaa!!!!」
「――Ojousama, it is dangerous!!」

Ilya covered me, protecting me when I was ready to jump out into the falling deluge of magic spears.
The cargo wagon broke, the horse raised its dying scream.
There’s a sense of rolling while my vision turns twice and thrice.

「Ku……」

Within the rising dust that’s billowing about, I realized I was within the wreckage of the broken carriage.

「Are you safe……ojousama? Uu.」
「Ilyaa!? Shoulder!」

A magic spear had pierced through Ilya’s shoulder, as she protected me in the form of covering me.
The entire wreckage of the carriage is itself protected by Ilya’s field.
That spear of light that that field could not protect against……used a skill!
With that skill, it came by pa.s.sing through all of our side’s defensive techniques!

「Heal!」

Immediately getting up, I heal Ilya’s shoulder.
――My conscious seemed to become far away.
It’s no good, I just changed jobs so……my magic power is totally insufficient!

「U, ku……」

Grinding my teeth, I finish just Ilya’s recovery.

「Ojousama, you must not. Pus.h.i.+ng yourself too far is!」
「But, if I don’t push myself now――when are you saying I will!!」

Look!
Screams are rising, from the carriages of the refugees going down the great highway!
Libra’s magic, reached even to there!
Just, how many people just now……!

『……Unsightly!!』

Aim’s voice, came from the magic crystal that’s still connected.
Dragging a tail of light, Aim’s arrow struck Libra directly――It should have.
However, without showing any manner of defense, the arrow vanished.
Is there no opening, in that skill!

「Alice!!」
「Oneechan!!」

Riding a horse, even the s.h.i.+on-san who had previously gone to guard Eclair and Saira’s group’s carriage returned.

「Oya oya, add just a little water to a burning stone and it’ll just evaporate? Ahahaa, it’d be good if you would look well on your surroundings, imouto disciple.」

Even without being told to……we who have lost the means to move are surrounded by a large force of chimera.
What’s even worse is, the grinning figure that teleported next to Libra.
From her appearance, an elegant blond haired elf.

「Caramel……!」
「Ufufufu, Alice how do you do. You’re beautiful even in this sort of place that reeks of blood. Please hurry and become my belonging.」

It’s the worst……
I don’t know Caramel’s power well but, she should grant Libra some form of military power.

「――White witch, haven’t you been taking a little too much care?」

On top of that a human regiment has appeared, among the chimera force.
And beyond that that emblem……It’s not the commonwealth but, Sacrament!!
That head, who used Eclair is it!!

「Ahahaa, no? It’s fine with this, Regin-kyou. When hunting do it with your full power. Unexpected defeats aren’t good are they?」
「I suppose that is quite correct.」

I felt faint.
How……such……can we cut our way out of this?
The first time with that ice dragon――ever since ice dragon――ever since the promise from when I fought Fleurety, I’ve continued without letting my heart be covered in despair.

「――Yare yare, is this the end?」

The Till that had been blown off toward the forest, leisurely walked out in front of us, from outside the highway that had been showered by the concentrated fire of the arrow rain.
Uninjured――I suppose this doesn’t have that sort of meaning.
Painful seeming blood traces are visible here and there.
She healed herself before coming here……
Even the ribbon collecting her trademark twin tails has, come off on one side and been lost.

「As expected of o-babsama! You don’t get perturbed unlike my imouto disciple do you! there’s worth in the meal, because of that! But what will you do? Your prided defense won’t work you know? Your attacks won’t work either, since there’s saintess-sama’s divine protection riight? Aah, perhaps ability isn’t relevant if it’s a brawl? Ahahaa! But then, regarding that I believe you’ll be crushed by numbers in that though?」

What’s bad is, those words aren’t a bluff or anything, they’re reality.
I’ve turned truly pale.

「――Kufu, kufufufuu!」

For some reason, Till made a wide smile.
Everyone there focuses on her.
Naturally, the person in question is the Witch of Ice and Snow.
I suppose she’s not an existence that they can let their guard down with, even for an enemy who thinks things are going that advantageously.

「After I lost my conscious, how did you endure that battlefield, Est.」

Unlike the cold air that seemed to stab my body up until now, Till gathers a somehow calm magic.

「Would you laugh, if I couldn’t show I can endure this much?」

It’s not particularly the case that anyone is stopping them but, no one is moving.
While drawing attention with her every move, Till came to be right before my eye as Ilya and s.h.i.+on-san protected me.
Till made a bitter smile as if to say, what a helpless person, at the me who’s watching that in a daze.
There’s warmth, with a face like a mother-san.

「It’s excessively in the way with just one side, take it.」
「Ha, i……」

Till came to entrust me with, the ribbon that had still tied one side of her hair in place.
Till’s silky long hair that I’ve combed countless times, was let straight down.
Playing in an innocent manner, it flutters about.

「A, ano Till――l!」
「Be quiet, and it would be good for you to watch well.」

After forcibly closing my hand around the ribbon, Till separated.
I’m tormented by a helpless sense of impatience.
Even so, it’s a dilemma for which I can do nothing.
Surrounded by a terrifying number of enemies, there are strong enemies here such that it’s questionable if I could win 1 on 1, and furthermore there’s even an opponent who has the cancel skill.
Before that, 1 person goes forth.
Neither I nor Ilya, not even s.h.i.+on-san moves.

「Have you made your resolution, o-babsama?」

With Libra’s joking manner not crumbling to the end, Till shrugs her shoulder with room to spare.

「Who would decide that. The edge of life and death that you all overcame to reach here isn’t the same, immature youth.」

As soon as she stated that, a fearsome blue torrent of magic power boils up.

「ーーI shall teach you, just what it is to be that which inherits the name of the strongest.」

Thick blue light builds up, In Till’s hands, to the extent that it makes me think she gathered magic power from across the world.

「Watch carefully, the pinnacle of my magic――――blue ice of the end――――――Fenrir!!」