Alice Tale in Phantasmagoria - Volume 2 - Chapter 111

Chapter 111

――Wishing is meaningless is it .





――Praying is a curse is it .

The origin of the child stamping frustratedly’s way of thinking, the beginning of my days of battle――





What I sought was, strength .
On a certain day, I became aware of my power as a miko .
Even if it was a coincidence, presently with deshi’s magic residing within this body, there’s hope for me .
If I use it fully, that should change .
I will become stronger for that purpose as well .
Having o-shishou-sama take me in as her disciple wasn’t a simple matter .

「I refuse . I no longer have the will to take a disciple . 」

That sort of thing was her standard line .
To begin with I didn’t have the aptitude for magic .
Even setting aside o-shishou-sama’s state of mind, I suppose I wasn’t appropriate as her disciple .
There was a necessity to grow stronger so I could receive her approval .
I forced my body to become stronger .
The one who was unable to simply watch as I haphazardly brought harm upon my body was, Eclair-san .
While creating awful black rings under the eyes, Eclair-san went along with my training for me .

「Rin, please stop already . You have no talent……you won’t become like Alice . 」

It would become a lie if I said I wasn’t injured but, I eventually noticed the meaning behind the seemingly apologetic words Eclair-san scraped together .
I didn’t want to advance down the road of battle .
Since there’s the matter where I accepted the inheritance of the mansion, even continuing my lifestyle presented nothing troubling .

But that’s wrong .
My one and only wish, was the act of saving deshi .
There wasn’t something like a path outside of that .
If I didn’t have that wish then surely――I would’ve died .

Eclair-san patiently accompanied me, who wouldn’t listen to what she said .
My power was, the power to absorb 『all things』 and store them .
For example I can embody the method used to bestow magic on a weapon, with this body .
Furthermore that isn’t limited to magic .
Doing an enchant with the durability of iron, I punch with my fist .
Doing an enchant with Eclair-san’s techniques, I use skills .

There are of course limits .
But in a certain meaning the possibility of becoming the strongest was hidden within, should that be mastered .
Hypothetically even if it’s a borrowed good, that is my power .
I intently, did special training to polish that power .
After a while, Eclair ceased to accompany my training .
Asking why, and――

「……Ma, a bit of a miracle . Really, you could call it a forgotten memento . 」

For the first time since deshi ceased being with us, Eclair-san had a smile as she bashfully seemed just a little happy .
Since that day, my lonesome training began .
What I did didn’t change as a result but, there was a huge problem in what I had to do .
The fact that to use deshi’s magic, my magic power was overwhelmingly lacking .
Most likely, it’s impossible without o-shishou-sama or Eclair-san’s level of magic power .
That wasn’t something where something would come of it with training .

I want to use it .
How?
That’s decided .
I’m a person who cannot fight with my 1 self .
Then there’s nothing except to procure even magic power .

――There’s no choice except to steal it .

Sneaking into o-shishou-sama’s bedroom, I face the sleeping o-shishou-sama and silently pray .

「You would steal my magic power? For some reason, don’t you have quite the nerves . 」

The o-shishou-sama who I’d thought was just sleeping got up and, faced me with a sharp gaze .
My body went rigid, like a frog stared at by a snake .

「You should stop . You can’t use something like magic power that surpasses your own capacity . It’s something like fetching water using a container with an open bottom . 」

O-shishou-sama breathed a sigh as she stared steadily at my face .

「……But well, if it’s just one moment I supppose it might not be unusable……drill the skill to wield magic power into your body . And then take what you need to activate your magic in an instant . If you do so then something will come of it……possibly . 」

I’ve run out of patience .
Shrugging her shoulders as if to say that, since that day, o-shishou-sama came to become my o-shishou-sama .
O-shishou-sama’s training wasn’t something so kind as Eclair-san’s .
Such a thing as becoming battered was an everyday occurrence and, the event of being on the edge of death wasn’t rare either .
And so the nights and days flowed――



　◇■◇■◇

The seasons change .
However the things to do don’t change .




In the mansion’s yard, I spar .
Just――the opponent has changed .

「Naive . 」

I utilize the crimson girl’s power to hold her down as she rushes in in a straight line .

「Wa waa! Mo～～! Rin’s too strong! Hold back more!」

Pure crimson hair with, amber eyes .
The adorable girl with an appearance that seems captivating even to those of the same sex inflated her cheeks .
Even when I released my lock her cheeks remained inflated .

「Lumina is simple issn’t she, since you move in a straight line too frequently . 」
「That’s fine, because I’ll push through everything with power . 」
「Haha . 」

That the things prodigies say are different aren’t they .

「You 2, would you like tea or the like? How about taking a break?」
「Ane-sama～! I will I will . 」

Lumina ran off, at Silvis’ voice after she prepared tea at the terrace .
After effortlessly receiving her tackle that had a sensation of a ramming attack, Silvis――Silvi is stroking Lumina’s head with a yosh yosh .
Even though it could be said that their ages aren’t all that different, they’re clearly ane and imouto .
The girl called ane-sama is, a girl with coiled pink silver hair and an atmosphere like a princess-sama .
Looking at these children’s smiles, thorns bite into my chest .

Because my wish has, not changed even once since that day .
There’s no wavering .

「――Nee you 2? Do you not want to, meet mother-san?」

Those 2 people make bewildered faces, at the sudden question .

「Mother……is it? No, I think she’s surely busy . 」
「? Mama, always welcomes me home you know?」

I shake my head with a that’s not right you know .

「There should be a happier future, so I am……」

Whatever smile I see, whatever happiness I see, my heart isn’t satisfied .
Happiness is poison .
My heart merely tightens .
At this rate there’s nothing like a reason to stop these thoughts and live my daily life .
Such a thing is nothing more than continuing on inertia .
I suppose it’s fine already .
It’s enough .
If it’s the current me, I should go .

「Since, I’ll surely accomplish this!」

Doing a wink like that――――my unending nightmare began .



　◇■◇■◇

The first time I transferred worlds .
The story wasn’t something so simple .
To begin with it wasn’t the case that I moved within my own time axis .
This is a similar yet different world .
A place that should be called a parallel world .
At first, that reality caused me to despair .
Even so, if I can save her I want to save her .
Renewing my determination I commenced action .
I had trained enough and, become strong .
That overconfidence――caused my failure the first time I challenged it .
The price of acting overconfident was awful .
The moment a death first occurred before my eyes .
While listening to the sound of my heart breaking into pieces, I used magic and repeated the world .

――The 2nd time .

When I went back to my own world, that place was right in front of the fallen deshi .
Just as in my memories, her body had shrunk .
Time had wound back .
……If I’m doing it either way, I should return further back than this .
I understand……
Because the starting point is here, there’s nothing earlier .
This scenery, gouged my heart even more deeply .
I who had 『efficiently』 trained night and day as if crying in lamentation, crossed worlds once again .

This time, I attempted a revision to the trajectory .
Not defeating it by fighting but, avoiding fighting itself .
There’s no need to go and purposefully jump into danger .
However perhaps it would be best to call it history’s corrective power, the nightmare repeated with ridiculous developments .

――The 3rd time .

I did the act of revealing my true form .
Up until now I’ve been at her side as an adventurer who didn’t even give her name but, it’s no good with that .




Explain the particulars and, avoid danger .
However when I made everyone aware that I was Rin, the ridiculous corrective power of the world operated and ejected me .
I thought that it’s probably bad to cause myself to be aware of myself .
Whichever way it is, the risk in revealing my true form is high .

――The 4th time .

I did the act of, naming myself Makina .
So as to act like an artificial god and resolve the story .
I earnestly lived my life from the start again .
But I didn’t reach it .
I didn’t have a sufficiently decisive strike .
What did I lack in?
Capability?
Wisdom?
Equipment?
I thought deeply .

――The 5th time .

I repeat the nightmare again .
My wish alone thrust me into action .
I did the act of reviewing my equipment .
Copying deshi, I had Saira create it for me .
It was done well .
It became such that I was able to efficiently manifest my own special techniques .
Even so―― I didn’t reach it .
More, there’s more .

――The 6th time .

It’s duty at this point .
Will someone besides me save you?
To defeat the giant snake a superficial technique is no good .
Decisiveness is necessary .
Relying only on tools or the like is no good, being negligent in my preparations is also no good .
Training day and night――while clinging to hope .

――The 7th time .

It’s obstinacy at this point .
Not enough, I still won’t reach it .
On this redo I don’t even protect the things I’m protecting due to different developments .
It’s fine to keep contact at the minimum limit .
At this point, it won’t stop――

――The 8th time .

Complete .
With this, I’ll be able to defeat the giant snake .
I was able to prepare a decisive blow .
However even so――it wasn’t defeated .
It’s a monstrosity .
Perhaps it has an immortal body in the true meaning of the word .
I realized the true from of its immortal nature .
It’s the core, the core is located elsewhere .
If that isn’t defeated along with it, there’ll be no end――――



――――The 9th time .



「I will defeat it, I will change that!!」

I stand before the giant snake .
I’ll end this before deshi comes .
With the giant snake showing its face from the volcanic crater, I confront it with every weapon I have prepared .
Saa……let’s bring this to a close .

「――I’m coming . 」

I put my hand into my space and, I take out a weapon I prepared .
2 Mana Revolvers .
Facing the 8 snake heads rushing toward me, I alternate and fire off all their munitions .
I have no intention of conserving money .
Water bullets stop its movement and, lightning bullets smash .
It’s burned away with flame bullets――once the 2 revolvers run out of bullets, I discard them without hesitation .
I put my hand into my space and――brought out a bazooka .
The bazooka’s content has a high purity magic shell .
The essence of battle is preparation .
For example even if I lament this body’s lack of talent, I’ll show that even if it’s a prodigy, even if it’s a monstrosity, I will win .

「Break!!」

Fire!
Discard, take out, fire!
Discard fire, discard fire!
An impact sufficient to make me wonder if the volcano had exploded .
As if I’d allow even dust to remain!!

「Tsu!」





From my feet, a tail came to deliver an attack .
I take out a magic shield of the highest quality and thwart it .

「Hurry up and, breeaak!!」

The high purity magic bullets that had been improved and whose improvements had also been improved――I took out all of my hand grenades and threw them .
My eardrums broke from the thunderous noise .
Doesn’t matter――the path is open .
The larger part of the giant snake’s body that protrudes from the volcanic crater became meat fragments and were blown away .

「Cast release! Icicle・Garden!」

Watching the giant snake’s meat fragments out of the corner of my eye, I jump into the roiling boil within the volcanic crater .
Hot!
This magic power is totally insufficient!

「――Ku, cast release! Icicle・Garden!」

By layering 2 together it’s finally at an endurable level .
No matter how meticulously I prepare, it’s this sort of thing in the end .
There isn’t enough magic power in me to impede magma’s roiling boil .
I smiled just a little .
That’s fine……if this body melts away, that’s fine if at least my objective is fulfilled .
Because a road home isn’t necessary .
Diving deep into the roiling boil of magma is a strange sensation so, it’s like entering a pot and being boiled within .
Nothing like a moving object exists besides the undulating magma .
I dive deeper and deeper, within a temperature sufficient to melt even iron .
I felt a strange silence like nothing in this world .

「It’s here……」

A large mass like a crystal that doesn’t show any sign of melting from the heat, without sinking and without floating either, exists in that place .
The true form of the Yamata no Orochi is, this mountain itself .
The mountain’s incarnation .
That is already god’s creation and, it’s not something human hands can reach .
With this situation destroying the core really does seem impossible .
To begin with, it might not be such that it can break .

「But even I, have named myself as an artificial god . 」

I silently pray .
I suck away that power and, it resides in this body .
I steal, the wellspring of the Yamata no Orochi’s life .
Coming here by endlessly repeating, there’s something I realized .
Fate is connected .
The fact that I housed the giant snake’s core here means, this should exist as unchanged reality the 『next』 time I repeat .
Thus today, this time, the reality of the sort that this was accomplished is necessary .
Accepting the creepy sensation like my heart was being rewritten into myself, the magic power in my wall of water was exhausted .
Most likely, there’s no longer, another chance――I crossed over while thinking as such .



　◇■◇■◇

――――The 10th time .

I stand in front of my familiar mansion .
There’s something I suddenly, thought of .
In truth――am I not dead?
I define my 『original world』 and what it carries .
Was the world that I returned to as a child after my failure my 『original world』?
Only my memories were launched into every world, that belief would be more coherent than bodily transfer .
The people I met in this world, the people I didn’t meet .
Everyone is gathered here .
When I come to here, a bit of life returns to my heart――



And so――Everything ended .

Alice-san really is beautiful issn’t she .
In the end that pointless sort of impression floated in my head .
In short with just that, I might unexpectedly have no regrets .
Goodbye――



　◇■◇■◇

「……Eh?」
「Ah, Rin-chan? You’ve woken up?」

I came to myself and, I’m being carried on Alice-san’s back and, we’re going down the mountain .

「Eh? Eh??」

Strange .
I didn’t use magic .
I won’t return anymore .
To begin with――It’s strange for Alice-san to be here after returning!!

「Fufu, still sleepy?」
「Alice-san!」
「……Alice-san??」

Alice-san twisted her neck .

「Why!?」
「To say why……after Rin-chan took an afternoon nap, I’m carrying her down the mountain?」

What sort of thing is this, my body has returned to the time of my childhood .
Repeat?
No, that’s not it .

「……Causality reversed? As the result of walking across worlds, the interference came together……that sort of thing?」
「……………………Rin-chan? It, it might be my imagination . But, I feel like you’re saying something incredibly complicated . 」

The body is a child, the brain is……Alice-san is twisting her neck, while muttering something like that .

「But, be that as it may……I can’t explain the reason I’m alive . 」

It’s overly convenient .
This, isn’t my power .
Some other, something?
Some other…………something interfered??
At this point, I’m unable to investigate that thing .
That, final world’s irregularity was――――the fox?

「……」
「……I, I wonnder what’s, with this strange sense of tension . 」

I try messing with Alice-san’s beautiful hair .
Smooth and, barely catches in the hand .
It’s a good texture like silk, a sort of intoxicating sensation .

「Kora kora, when I thought that you might’ve suggested something a little difficult, you revert back to a mischievous child――Hyaaa!?」

Those called elves are hard to understand, so I tried bitting her slightly sharp ears a little .
I try nibbling .

「Sto, stopp, koraa! Rin-chan! ――Wahyahyahyaa . 」

I try tickling her armpits .
While slender and emaciated, her properly soft femininity remains .
With my ride suspended, I was put down .

「Haa, haa……Ri, Rin-cha～n? I also have thoughts about, mischievous children of such an extent you know?」

Alice-san approached threateningly, while sharpening her amber eyes that are well ordered enough to surprise me .
I ended up smiling .
Alice-san supports her cheek on her hand as if to say she won’t be convinced .

「Nn?」
「Do a kiss! An adult’s!」
「An, an adult’s――!? Nmuu!?」

I tried doing, an amazing kiss .
With enough kissing to stretch a line between us, Alice-san froze up .
Nn～, I suppose I really am still too childish .
She’d have become a more pure red if I was Eclair-san wouuldn’t she .

「……」
「……」
「……Did you feel it?」
「I didn’t feel it!! Eh!? Rin-chan? You’re Rin-chan right!? Have you become strange!!?」
「A vast time changed me . 」
「Even though you only took an afternoon nap!?」

What is this……this, kind world……

「Rin, chan……?」

My tears overflowed as my smile remained .

「Nee, deshi……」

It wasn’t pointless, that I arrived here……

「Nn?」

Wishing isn’t pointless or such, praying isn’t anything like a curse .
If there is karma to that which is called fate, I may have cheated a little but……
Even so, I was properly, given my reward .
After walking while covered in anxiety, hope properly existed .
The miracle of various factors overlaying together might, be at its end .
But, afterwards is already……just, living to my fullest in this world――!

「I’m home!」

I caused Alice-san’s eyes to be bewildered but, she gave her reply with the best smile .



「Un, welcome back――」――That .

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