The Daughter of Evil - Volume 4 - Chapter 2.24

chapter 2, section 2-the sorceress and the forest; scene 4
Praefacio of Blue, page 97-121

♣ Yukina ~The Country of Marlon, “Column Forest”~

.

Column Forest was small in terms of scale–it wouldn’t even fill in one third of the Millenium Tree Forest. As it was the closest natural area to the capital Bariti it was used as a hunting ground by the royal family; furthermore it was a thoroughfare for merchants, as it was the shortest route to Bariti from northern lands.

For that reason, the woodland paths were decently well-kept, enough that horses could pass through. There was hardly any chance of getting lost in there during the day.

As long as Gumillia and Elluka didn’t leave the road and enter the thicket, it wouldn’t be difficult to pursue the traces they left behind. At least, that’s what I’d thought…

Uugh, where’d they go?

I was hardly able to chase them. I had been foolish, thinking that I just needed to follow their footprints–when I actually tried to, I realized that the only person who’d be able to do that would be a master hunter or some famous detective. They weren’t the only ones who’d been through that road. There were other travelers around, and raccoons and wild boar used the road too. Because of all those countless footprints, it was impossible to sort out any that belonged to two specific women.

Right when I’d about made up my mind that I was going to give up and head home, I faintly heard someone vigorously shouting things like Yah! and Toh! from the other side of the trees, somewhere to the front left.

The owner of the voice wasn’t Elluka, nor was it Gumillia. But I did know who it was. I ran in the direction I heard it from.

There, Germaine was practicing swinging her sword. She had dignified bearing, and sweat was dripping down the nape of her neck–She was normally so undisciplined, but seeing her like this I really could tell that she was a very capable woman.

She realized I was there too. She stopped practicing and sheathed her sword.

“What are you doing in a place like this?”

Germaine looked a little surprised. After I quickly let her know that I was looking for some people, I asked her what it was she was doing here.

“Can’t you tell? I’m practicing, prac-tic-ing!” she replied with a slightly boastful expression.

“I see. I had thought you would beyond a doubt be making your way to Bariti, since you weren’t in the house.”

“You little…Aren’t I a basically serious person!?”

“But you are planning to go drinking when you’re finished, aren’t you?”

“Well…Yeah.”

Like I thought.

When I asked her if Gumillia and Elluka had come through, she shook her head.

“No, I haven’t seen them,” she said. And then after a beat she shouted, “Wait a second, Elluka’s here!? What, you mean she’s alive!?”

“Yeah, I was surprised too.”

I explained to her the situation in brief.

“I get it now, so those two are in this forest…But in that case, shouldn’t you leave them to it?”

What she probably meant to say was that I should cut it out and learn to read the room already.

It was a reasonable thing to lecture me on, and even being who I am I’d intended to quietly do that at first. In truth, I wasn’t following the two of them just to satisfy my curiosity.

“Actually, there were some things about this that concerned me a little.”

“You were concerned?”

I nodded to Germaine as she looked my way with great interest. “Yeah. Miss Elluka was a little strange.”

“Hmm…How so?”

“Miss Elluka first called me ‘Keel’s daughter’. She never called me that when I knew her before.”

Whenever she spoke to me, she would always call me by my name, “Yukina”. From her behavior towards me earlier, though, it had seemed like she was talking to a stranger she’d just met.

Germaine didn’t seem terribly convinced by my assertion.

“Maybe she just didn’t realize it was you, because it had been so long since she’d seen you?”

Certainly, when I’d met with Germaine in Beelzenia, she hadn’t immediately remembered who I was either. You could call that evidence of how much I’d grown in the past five years. But that was different. There had been a completely differently feeling of something being out of place with Elluka.

“There’s another issue with how she addressed people. She called Miss Gumillia, 'little Gumillia’!”

Elluka wouldn’t dress up the way she spoke to Gumillia of all people.

But it seemed this too was an inadequate argument to Germaine.

“That might just be because she’s just a very teasing person. …She could have called her that before, couldn’t she?”

“And then…the tea. Yeah–the tea! I recall that Miss Elluka, she–she loved black tea! But she told me she didn’t…”

“That’s–”

“–! Shh! Quiet!”

Among the trees behind Germaine, I could see two figures crossing the road. I flusteredly knelt down, and Germaine crouched along with me.

They hadn’t noticed that we were there. It looked like they were heading somewhere.

“It’s Miss Elluka and Miss Gumillia.”

“…What do you intend to do?”

That was obvious. I bent down to make it harder to see me and began to trail after them.

“…Even if I tried to stop you, you wouldn’t listen, would you? I guess I’ve got no choice, I’ll go too. I’m still Master Gumillia’s bodyguard for the time being.” Still crouched down, Germaine followed after me. “However, if I judge that Elluka’s not suspicious, then we’ll go back immediately, okay?”

I obediently nodded, in agreement for now.

.

Elluka followed after Gumillia, who was taking the lead. Neither of them were talking, just quietly moving on ahead.

The red cat was still riding on Elluka’s shoulder, and every now and then it would yawn and stretch. It made no move to walk with its own legs. What a lazy cat.

Even further behind the pair, Germaine and I stealthily tailed them.

Eventually, Gumillia abruptly stopped. This didn’t appear to be a particularly unique place compared to anywhere else. At least, that’s how it looked to me.

“Is here alright?”

Elluka smiled at Gumillia. I couldn’t read what she was thinking behind that smile.

Gumillia ignored Elluka’s question, and began to murmur to herself quietly. I was too far away to make out what she was saying.

“Oh my, impatient aren’t you… Well, that’s fine, I expressly accepted your invitation after all–”

The cat riding on Elluka’s shoulder bounded down to the ground, and carefully sat down by her side.

I saw some birds flying simultaneously overhead, flapping their wings.

It was cold.

I could feel the cold on my skin, like the temperature had suddenly dropped five degrees. I got the feeling that the surrounding atmosphere had switched around in an instant.

“Let me have some fun, it’s been three years.”

The trees creaked and groaned. It was like they were giving off the cries of an animal.

And then, as though to tear up the strained atmosphere–

Several arrows rained down on Elluka.

“Waugh!”

I unthinkingly cried out, but fortunately neither of them seemed to have heard me.

Elluka simply held up her palm towards the space where the arrows were heading–towards the air, making not even the slightest tremor from her spot. Nevertheless, the arrows all plunged into the earth, none of them reaching their mark.

I had thought them arrows–but they were tree branches shaped to pointy ends.

“What a warm welcome.”

Elluka wasn’t even sweating.

The other one, who must have let loose the arrows–Gumillia–had at some point come to look down on her from the branch of a large tree.

Gumillia once more began to murmur. It was probably a spell or something. When she did, ivy that was draped around an enormous tree began to uncoil itself.

Finally, countless vines coiled up like the tentacles of some living thing–and all struck at Elluka at once.

Elluka quickly dodged them. She didn’t go right, left, or backward.

She went up.

She was floating. Not like how King Kyle did by flapping wings–she was just standing there in the air, rather than actually flying.

I gazed upon the sight, completely dumbfounded. I could hear the sound of Germaine noisily gulping next to me.

“This doesn’t feel like they’re doing a training session.”

Perhaps because she was used to scenes of carnage, Germaine appeared to be much calmer than I was.

“Wh-what should we do?”

Germaine kept her eyes on the two of them.

“Let’s wait and see what happens. At this stage I can’t tell what’s going to happen, or if they’re even fighting or not.”

If we stayed there, there was a high chance we’d get wrapped up in their battle. But I also got the feeling that leaving would be even more dangerous.

A different domain that was clearly not the forest I knew was steadily forming. There was no guarantee of my safety whether I moved or stayed put. In that case then, I’d rather watch how things played out until the end.

.

The battle advanced from beginning to end with Gumillia continuing to attack. Branches from every tree in the forest became arrows, vines became whips, and flower petals became blades. All of the forest vegetation became Gumillia’s weapons, and she aimed them Elluka.

But none of them hit their mark. They all slipped through, as though she was attacking a mirage.

“Exactly what I’d expect of an ex-forest spirit. Though with all these spells you’re using you must have made considerable preparations.”

Elluka was smiling. That wasn’t her expression that I knew. It was a smile full of malice.

“I was right to come here after all. Your power, able to use the 'Clockwork Secret Art’ and repel a 'Demon of Deadly Sin'…will surely become a threat to me someday.”

Elluka rose even higher, looking down at Gumillia on the ground level.

“Well then, perhaps you’ll allow me to give my counterattack before long.”

Still floating up in the air, she took in a large breath.

“You’re not the only one who can manipulate the forest, little girl.”

A beautiful melody began to waft through the air. It was coming from Elluka’s mouth.

She spread both arms wide, and let out a voice that almost resounded to the very heavens.

Elluka is…singing.

It was the first time I’d heard her sing. She had a charmingly lovely voice.

But I couldn’t hear any of the warmth like in Michaela’s song. It was a dark melody that seemed to invade into the parts of one’s heart that mustn’t be touched.

“–A spell song…!” Gumillia muttered, closing her eyes and adopting a praying stance. When she did that, a large white flower bloomed above her head. It just suddenly appeared from out of nowhere.

“Rewolf resal!”

A line of light tinged with heat fired from the center of the flower at Elluka.

But that light popped off right before Elluka’s eyes and fizzled out.

“It didn’t work…!”

Elluka didn’t stop singing. I could see unease on Gumilla’s face.

Watching over the battle from the thicket, I suddenly noticed a large black mass kicking up dust and coming closer from behind her back. At the same time, a thudding tremor in the earth was gradually getting stronger.

.

It’s fast!

The mass was already looming right behind Gumillia.

It was close to three times larger than her, and it was in the process of bringing its claws down on her.

“Master Gumillia, look out!” Germaine cried, standing up before me.

I didn’t know if it was in response to her voice or not, but Gumillia swiftly ducked down and skillfully dodged the claws.

Before I knew it Elluka had stopped singing, and was chuckling.

“I’ll just make them your foe.”

It wasn’t just one new enemy.

Two more black masses appeared from the thicket.

“Three enormous black bears–and all of them moving according to my will. A problem even for you, wouldn’t you say?”

Elluka dropped her gaze to Germaine.

“Even if you borrow the power of this swordswoman…hm?”

She had realized that Germaine was there, but what about me? As no one had spoken up about me, I figured for the time being I hadn’t been spotted, and so decided to keep hiding like I was doing.

Germaine scratched her head in bewilderment, and then swooped over to Gumillia with a nimble jump.

“Uhhh, I’ll ask you for a small explanation after all this…but for now can this situation be summed up by saying that woman up there who looks like Elluka is not in fact the real Elluka?”

Gumillia nodded. “That covers it, for now.”

“Well then, we oughtta knock her down without mercy, yeah?”

“That sounds good, for now.”

“…I guess we’ll have to do something about those bears first though.”

“…That’s true, for now.”

“Although I’ve never actually fought a bear before.”

“I have a method, for now.” Gumillia took the rapier hanging at Germaine’s waist out of its scabbard. “I need to, borrow this a moment.”

And then, using a knife she had on hand, she started to scratch in something on the rapier’s hilt.

“Hold on! That’s a brand new sword there!”

Gumillia finished her work without paying any mind to the complaint being directed at her, and then tossed the rapier back to Germaine.

“With this, you are, invincible.”

“–? I don’t get what you did, but I’ll trust you.”

Germaine and I had both seen with our own eyes the miracle that had occurred in the Millenium Tree Forest, and how we had escaped from the giant octopus at sea. And both of those things had happened because of Gumillia’s magic–She was able to use powers that defied common sense.

Germaine waived her blade at the bears.

“I’ll pray that this sword doesn’t break.”

I agreed it was a little dubious whether her thin rapier would be able to cut through the bears’ tough looking skin.

The one who struck first wasn’t Germaine, but the bears.

“Go!”

At Elluka’s yelled signal, the three bears amicably lined up single file and charged towards Germaine.

Gumillia chose that moment to once more chant out a spell. “Rekles rev!”

There was no transformation in her appearance. So I couldn’t immediately tell if the magic had taken effect.

I realized the unusual phenomena with Germaine when she leaped at the advancing bears.

–She was fast!

I knew the agile way she carried herself from our time together. But her speed right then, to be clear, completely ignored the laws of nature.

The most appropriate way for me to illustrate it would be that it was like the flow of time around her and her alone was advancing much faster. She soared at an impossible speed and leaped over the front-most bear, landed on the second bear’s back at an unthinkable speed, stabbed her sword down several times at an unbelievable speed, and then once more descended to the ground.

Germaine herself was the most shocked out of anyone. “Wha-what’s going on!? These bears’ movements have gotten so slow.”

Elluka looked a bit surprised herself. But it was more the surprise of someone who was suddenly being rained on in an otherwise cloudless day.

“An acceleration inscription mark…A spell that speeds up the flow of time around the target. A simple, but highly powerful spell. Did you use that during your fight with the 'Very Amazing Octopus’?”

It sounded like I was right on point before. Come of think of it when we’d repelled that large octopus as well, Gumillia had inscribed some lettering on the cannons. That must mean that she’d sped up time around the artillery itself, and increased the speed of the cannonballs.

“However, the recoil for that is great. Frankly I can’t recommend using that spell on living creatures. But you probably knew that already, little Gumillia.”

–That’s right. Accelerating time by itself would shorten the life span of its target– Back then too, the cannons had broken apart in the blink of an eye.

Gumillia spoke up to Germaine. “Go, once more. It’s fine, if I use the spell bit-by-bit, then it won’t have that big an influence.”

“…I’d prefer it to getting eaten by bears. But please, don’t push it,” was the swordswoman’s reply, after a moment.

Elluka waved her hand in surprise. “No hesitation…What a frightening girl you are.”

The remaining two bears roared together.

.

It was twenty minutes later. I’d lost track of time so I wasn’t actually sure, but it was somewhere around that.

The black bears had all been defeated. Had they originally been denizens of the forest? I at least had never heard any tales of such enormous bears living here. If such giants were spotted every day, Column Forest would likely end up being an unapproachable place for people.

Had they been created from nothing by Elluka, or were they originally smaller creatures or something that had been transformed? …I figured that was probably appropriate, as an answer. Perhaps that song did have such a power.

At any rate, the threat had been eliminated for now.

But I could see that the situation had actually taken a pretty bad turn.

Gumillia and Germaine were totally exhausted, and completely out of breath. Conversely, Elluka hadn’t even broken a sweat. Seeing as she had just been enslaving beasts to do her bidding without fighting at all herself, that was only natural. Perhaps that would still require some power, but at the very least she didn’t look tired.

“The gap in our skill levels is too wide.”

Elluka was making a composed smile. She drew closer to the defenseless Gumillia.

“There’s no way you of all people, only five years into your sorcerer’s training, would be able to win against me. …The superiority of the forest, and the astounding amount of magical power dwelling in your body, are merely wasted if you’re unskilled in using them…”

Elluka stopped right before Gumillia’s eyes. Gumillia panicked and held out a hand, trying to do something, but Elluka flatly brushed it aside.

“That body…If I had it I could handle it much better. …I want it.”

She clutched Gumillia’s head with her right hand, and pushed her against the tree behind her.

“Stop!”

Germaine raised her sword and charged at Elluka.

However–when Elluka threw up her hand, Germaine was blown the other way, crashing to the ground.

“Guh!”

“Don’t interfere, dear. You just rest there for a little while.”

Blood steadily dripped from the corner of Germaine’s mouth. She must have had more wounds than her appearance suggested. There was still the recoil from the magic used on her earlier to think about too.

I had to do something–I had been thinking that the whole time, but I couldn’t figure out what it was I should do specifically. Should I attack Elluka? I would probably just end up getting blown back like Germaine.

Dusky blood vessels began to stand out on the hand that Elluka was gripping Gumillia with.

“Allow me to kill only your soul. Just like I did to Elluka!”

“Urgh!”

Gumillia groaned in agony. The glasses she had been wearing fell to the ground.

I didn’t know what was happening to her, but it was clear that she was in a terrible predicament.

What–what should I do, what should I do!?

.

“…I’d like for you to refrain from taking liberties with another person’s apprentice.”

.

I couldn’t immediately tell who said that.

It wasn’t Germaine, and it wasn’t Elluka. Obviously, it wasn’t me either.

Then was it some new intruder?

No, it wasn’t.

The one who had spoken was the same person who had until just now been gripped by the head and lifted up with her legs swinging in the air.

.

It was Gumillia herself.

.

Elluka was holding her by the head. Even so, she wasn’t suffering anymore. She looked as unruffled as always.

No, it wasn’t like always. I couldn’t pin down what exactly was different. It was, without a doubt, Gumillia’s face, but it also wasn’t her.

“And it seems like you’ve been taking a lot of liberties, haven’t you Abyss?” Gumillia said in a smooth tone.

Abyss? Was she talking about the palace sorceress serving under the Empress Dowager, Abyss I.R.!?

“Release me.”

Gumillia elbowed Elluka–or was that really Abyss I.R. in Elluka’s form?–right in the solar plexus.

“Gugh!?”

Elluka took a step back, letting out a small groan.

“You aren't…You aren’t Gumillia–who the hell are you!?”

It seemed Abyss I.R. had realized the change in Gumillia as well.

“Well, aren’t you thick-headed.” Gumillia had been exhausted just a moment ago, but now her behavior felt very composed. “I–am you. The real you.”

“–! You used the 'Swap Technique'…I see, so that’s how it is!” Abyss I.R.’s face twisted garishly.

“Give me back my body.”

“C-come and take it!”

Abyss I.R. once more floated into the air. And then she began to sing the same song as earlier.

“A spell song…Using the same spell system as me, perhaps…you too are a survivor of the 'Magic Kingdom Levianta’ after all.”

The “Magic Kingdom Levianta"…Was she talking about the country "Holy Levianta” to the north of Elphegort? This was the first I’d heard it called the “Magic Kingdom”.

Gumillia floated into the air herself, and began singing to oppose Abyss I.R.

“~♪”

Both of their songs furiously resounded together. I couldn’t properly see it, but I could tell that there were tempestuous fireworks scattering between the two of them.

They fought with song. It wasn’t at the level of competing for a prize at a concert or anything, but rather they were striking each other with music, as though physically exchanging blows with blades. I had never seen nor heard anything like it before. Despite being stuck in a desperately dangerous situation, I was held captive by more excitement than I’d felt before.

If I were to describe this sight in writing, what would I write? It wasn’t nearly as difficult to express simple music in writing. With what words could I weave the deep emotions that I felt, the excitement?

Abyss I.R. reached the limit of her ability first. When her voice ran out as her throat got sore, she powerlessly fell down to the ground.  

Gumillia didn’t let that moment slip by. She immediately stopped singing and, while flying, approached Abyss I.R. at top speed, grabbed her head, and lifted her up. Their positions from before had reversed.

“Apply song to a song–the simplest measure for canceling out a spell.”

“Curse you!”

Abyss I.R. floundered like a struggling child. Her appearance itself was Elluka, but inside of her I couldn’t sense any of the dignity or grace of the legendary member of the Three Heroes. Once again I was very strongly impressed with the fact that this Elluka was indeed an impostor.

As for Gumillia–was that Gumillia really her?

“Resistance is useless. Just as you said yourself earlier, the amount of magical energy in this body–Gumillia’s body–is incredibly strong for a sorceress. Even more than in the one you stole from me–my own body.”

“D-damn it! Let me go, Elluka!”

That Elluka was Abyss I.R. in Elluka’s form, and Gumillia was actually…Elluka with Gumillia’s appearance?

My head felt all mixed up.

“If the spirit of a very powerful sorceress dwells inside this extremely powerful body–Then I’m sorry, but there was no way you’d win.”

I quickly saw and understood the power Gumillia was putting into her hand.

“You’re kidding me! Am I to endure it all ending like this!?”

Abyss I.R. desperately struggled, but she was unable to pull off the hand clutching her head.

“This quarrel between us for the past thirteen years–perhaps even the last five hundred years, in fact–allow me to bring it to an end!”

“I won’t–”

“Be blown away! Lose the body you inhabit, and forever wander as a spirit!”

“St-sto–”

There was a sound, like a small explosion. I thought at first that Abyss I.R.’s head had blown up, but there was no sign of any wounds on her head or her face. When Gumillia pulled her hand away, Abyss I.R. collapsed on the spot in a faint.

At which point Gumillia also fell over.

“Miss Gumillia!”

I hurriedly sprinted from the thicket, raced over to Gumillia, and pulled her body into my arms.

She seemed to have lost consciousness.

“Ouch…”

Germaine walked towards us, using her sword in place of a walking stick.

“Are you alright, Miss Germaine?”

“I’m not dead, at least….I’m always useless on the crucial stuff, it seems.”

“I’m never able to do anything either…”

If I’d known it was going to turn out this way, I would have studied the sword more properly in Asmodean.

As though concerned for me in my low spirits, Germaine said, “I’ll give you some training next time when I have the chance.”

From a quick look over her prone form, Gumillia’s life didn’t seem to be in danger either.

Come to think of it, what about Abyss I.R….?

Just as I was looking over at her to check, my body was seized with fear.

–She unsteadily got to her feet.

“Huh!?”

Germaine quickly readied her sword.

When she did, the other woman hurriedly threw up her hands.

“No, hold on a second! Don’t get violent! Look, I’m not your enemy!”

“What are you talking–”

Someone grabbed Germaine’s leg as she tried to slash at Elluka. It was Gumillia, who I was holding in my arms.

“Wait…She…isn’t, Abyss…She has…returned to El, luka.”

After only saying that, she fainted.

Germaine looked at me in complete and utter bewilderment. Though I had no idea what was going on, myself.

The woman who looked like Elluka quietly said, “Let’s go back to your house for now. I’ll explain everything there.”