c167: Lost in Mist

 nakedsingularitytrans Alice Tale  September 1, 2022 10 Minutes

The subtitle has changed.
 

Abyssal black that engulfs darkness, writhes within the radiance of flame.
The earth’s slow rumble causes a shudder from the core of my body.
It’s not just on a walk is it, with this much hostility.
Saying that, with that giant body it’ll annihilate the elves’ village even if it is just on a walk so, this can’t not be recognized as a disaster.

「This is……a huge issue isn’t it」

This current me is shaking instinctively, this is a bad opponent.

「Hou～, I wonder if Senbonzakura can cut even a dragon」
「If it is Sacred Tear I believe there is nothing for which it will yield」

With their prided beloved swords in hand, the two came over to my side.
At their lightheartedness, I knew the magnificence of those with the role of an eldest onee-sama.

「Onee-chan, also Maria-san. I’ll be relying on you」
「Leave it to me」
「Ufufu, tis an awkward matter to be relied on by Alice-sama.」

While saying that I’ve experienced many things, since in my heart I’m a 2 year old to this other world aren’t I.
Having been born and raised, having lived up until now in this world, and on top of that, having thrown their bodies into battle, these two really have become reliable.
Yosh, alright.
Letting out one breath, I look over my surroundings.
The village is already engulfed in fire due to the black armour.
There’s a massive clamour of terrified screams and angry roars.
Silvi-chan brought down magical snow but, it’ll still take a while to totally put out the fire.
The twin maids Mio and Rena have been bustling about since a while ago.
The elder-san is also taking command of the evacuation.
Leave that area to that area.

「Ojou-sama」
「Okaa-sama」

Carried by Ilya, Silvi-chan came over.
As expected, she isn’t going to sleep is she.

「Thanks for the magic, Silvi-chan. How are you holding up?」

I try touching her forehead with my forehead and, Silvi-chan went stiff.
Her being so shy is cu-ute.

「A little hot?」
「N, no! I’m okay! I can fight already so!」

Ilya lowered the restive struggling Silvi-chan to the ground with a bitter smile.

「Un, Silvi-chan will assist from the rear with Sitra. Can I ask that of you?」
「……Ye, yes. That is of course, okaa-sama」
「Please leave the matter of Silvis-sama to me, Alice-sama」

I reply strongly with a nod.
Fundamentally I want to resolve this myself but, that dragon feels rather last boss.
No but is it the mid boss?
But I can’t let my guard down even so.

「Ilya is with me in front」
「Yes, my, lady」

Vanguard 4 members, rearguard 2 members.
We all turn to eachother together.
We’ve finished deciding what we have to do. Perhaps there’s no need for words.

「Then, perhaps I should lead the charge here. Taking spearpoint is a swordsman’s honour!」

Without waiting for a reply, Shion-san ran out toward the dragon.

「Ara ara, Shion-dono. You seem to have matured to such an extent that I could fail to recognize you. You might be the world’s best crossing blades 1 on 1」

Ooh, has my onee-chan, lived up to Maria-san’s standards?

「This is not the time for my efforts to be blunted from missions in the rear is it……my blood seethes」

The onee-sama commander who speaks violent words with a radiant smile, runs out after Shion-san.
Onee-chan is a close range player like me right.
I thought of the all around short range～long range proficient all purpose warrior Maria-san as a monster who could surpass the normal in all things though.
Now then……

「We’re also going in, while making our way around it okay」

Ilya comes with me, as I rotate to the dragon’s flank while carefully inspecting it.
Saying that, this isn’t a case where I can match my speed to Ilya’s.

「I’m flying, hold me」
「Fufu, ojou-sama won’t hold me then?」
「I, since I have a constitution where my muscles don’t grow even with muscle training」

To say who this is, it’s the guy who wished for something like power 0 discard play.

「Then I shall set aside my courtesy」

I pass lightning magic power through Ilya’s body while carried by Ilya, as my daughter was just before now.

「Can you fly?」
「This is……you are too capable, ojou-sama」
「Since I have a pact with Ilya, so I kind of felt like, I can do this, you see」

Ilya tried a test leap, and went over the village building’s roof with room to spare.

「For me to move in such a manner……the surprises truly don’t run out when I’m with ojou-sama do they」
「Go forth, my kin～」
「Fufu, that is acknowledged」

Having confirmed her movement, Ilya leaps with her full power and flies into the forest.
With tree branches as her foothold, she circles to the dragon’s flank.

「Ilya, do you know that dragon?」
「……Rather than saying I know it, this might mostly likely be the dragon Eclair spoke of」
「I see――In that case it shouldn’t be the only one here should it then」
「Probably. I’m told someone should have been there at the time of its revival. As ojou-sama was there for me」

On their own, dragons are said to be the strongest species.
But with a master there to provide a supply of magic power, that power leaps yet higher.
I suppose there are also dragons without magic power like Ilya among them as well aren’t there.

「Ilya was born without having magic power but, to that extent you compensate with talent. For magic power I provide enough. To get to the point, Ilya might be the world’s strongest dragon then」
「Those words, I will take them to heart. I will demonstrate proof that your dragon is indeed the world’s strongest」

Otto, I’ve motivated her too much.

「It’s fine not to do dragon transformation. Since the human form is proper for a dragon slayer」
「Fufu, what is that. Are those the words you should say to me who is a dragon?」
「Since, Ilya is Ilya」

Before the dragon.
My power leaves my shoulders in a good sense.

「Now then, okay, shall we do this」

I suppose onee-chan has already cut it, the dragon is raising a roar.
It’s looking towards its feet with hatred.
At this point, perhaps I should keep it in check.

「Oh ray of light, blade descended from heaven, become my sword and rend darkness! ――Lightning!」

With the chant included, full power from my left hand!
While I may call it a check, it’s not to be taken lightly!

「――」

The massive lightning, struck the black dragon.
Without even raising a roar, the dragon went stiff.
Oh? Did I do it?
While thinking that, somehow this state is strange.
In the black dragon’s body, my lightning is flowing……is it?

「This seems bad, Ilya, move!」

By the way, I’m still being carried.
Convenient isn’t it, this.
Directly after Ilya leaps, the magic rebounds at us as if countered.
Or rather than saying that, it feels like my magic is being scattered about in every direction.

「Magic doesn’t work?」
「Such a lifeform does not exist in this world, ojou-sama」
「Is it a skill, perhaps there’s some condition……」

In that case, this might be Sitra’s debut.
As the 2 strongest of the vanguard, being in such a space with no divine protection might actually be a good thing.
Well, the difference in mass is large though……
And since I become trash when Sitra uses her skill.
No, I can make it work if I go all out but, going all out while I still haven’t read the situation is a little.
Since we’re away here.

「Shall we go, into close combat?」
「I, you know I’m a spellcaster?」
「No, this is the first I’ve heard of it. I had thought you were a martial artist」

Look upon, these well trained steel like arms.
When I try bulging my muscles, Ilya pokes them.

「Ah, it was just my imagination」
「My exemplar follower is playing with me……」

An Ilya with her mouth pucked, approached my cheeks with a suppressed laugh.
Cl, close……

「Then, shall I?」
「I said this before but, it’s too early. It’s also unsettling that the one behind this has yet to show」

The large one who raises dust and makes the earth cry out, making that effectively the opponent of just those 2 is painful but.
It seems my support will become a bother so, shall I leave the dragon to them for now and search the area.

「Let’s search for a magician watching from on high」
「Such a thing as watching from on high while disregarding ojou-sama…… can’t be forgiven can it」

The worship coming from my slave is intense.

「Ilya, let’s search for our opponent while expanding our radius, as if drawing a circle around that dragon」
「Leave it to me」

The Ilya who had become agile by lightning magic repeatedly leapt.
While being carried in those arms, I focus on the surroundings.
We repeat that for a time.
We have yet to see the master’s form.
Combining this with our prior information, I get this sense like, isn’t this my clone again.
In short, this is my troublesome ane-deshi’s fault yet again.
Even dead she’s a bother isn’t she……

「……tTe, haa!?」

There’s an elf making a jump, like she’s chasing after us.
――It’s Iona.
I point my finger in astonishment and, Iona tilts her head with a confused sort of expression.

「? It’s been a while, Alice」

This person hasn’t forgotten the event where she cut off my left hand has she?

「I, suppose so……」

This girl is herself the culmination of my ane-deshi’s research, that clone.
That shapely face, shows a surprised tilt.
Cuter still. It’s my face though.
No, rather……

「Wha, what have you come to do?」

Are we doing this?

「That dragon, defeat. Take」
「Heh? huh?」

Iona is pointing her jaw at the black dragon.

「For Alice, a strong seeming dragon is there. I, not there. It’s unfair」

Is she a child?
No, this child, since on that note, she was just born wasn’t she.
I’d forgotten since as a clone just her body is large though.

「By the way Iona, before now you did cut my arm off right?」
「Un」
「So you see? Cutting people’s arms off and such is a really bad thing you know?」
「That so?」

How was her good sense brought up?
Ah, did she not have anyone to raise her?

「Right. When you do bad things you shouldn’t not apologize you know?」
「Apologize?」
「Right, as in, please forgive me」

Iona tilted her head.
No but, this one is cute.
But forgive me, this is my own character make.

「Please forgive me」

Straightforward.

「Nn, well I’ll forgive you then. Since my heart is wide okay. But take care from here on okay? After this, it’s no good to do such things to other people okay?」

Since normally, an arm can’t be reattached when it’s cut can it?
It worked out because I used my overabundant magic power on heal.

「Understood. Then, is it okay to defeat that dragon?」

Am I this one’s guardian?

「I don’t really know but, you don’t intend to kill it but want it to serve you right?」
「Un, I’ll make it understand by thoroughly trouncing it」

Make it understand……

「Nnn, well, in that case isn’t this just right? Please fight with your full power」
「Understood」

An expressionless child isn’t she, but somehow she seems happy?
But we’ve suddenly gotten an unbelievable quality of reinforcement haven’t we.
She’s an impassive child but, since her actual ability is probably the same as mine isn’t it.

「Ilya, join up with onee-chan’s group for now」
「Acknowledged, ojou-sama」

I beckon Iona over with repeated hand motions and, take her hand. I also take hold of Ilya’s hand.
It’s a reconciliatory handshake.
Iona tilted her head.

「Giving?」
「Won’t give」

She pucked her lips.
Ilya is laughing lightly.

「I hope for us to get along well, Iona-sama」
「Get along well? Get along well」

This is somehow touching?

「Alice, talking with people is nice isn’t it」
「You’ve had a pretty harsh environment haven’t you. Once this is all over I would be fine with being your guardian for you you know」
「Really?」
「Of course, on the condition that you don’t oppose me」
「That’s difficult. If we don’t decide who’s strongest」
「I’m the strongest. Hai, finished」
「Objection」
「Dismissed」

Iona puffed.

「I’ll make the black dragon understand and, defeat its master too. Also defeat god. I’m the strongest」
「I get it, I get it. If you accomplish all that, I’m fine with you being the strongest」
「I have your promise」

A smile breaks her blank expression, pull off those adroit deeds Iona.
Super fighting power, lucky.
And so, we descend to stand directly before the eye’s of the rampaging black dragon.

「Ara Alice-dono, is that our reinforcement?」

Maria-san lines up beside us, while steadying her breath.
Onee-chan is currently struggling with the dragon.

「Yes. Iona. Since I believe, this child is rather strong. She’ll be of use you know」
「Nn, strongest」

We glare at eachother.

「Ara ara. Ufufu, I hope for us to get along well, Iona-dono」
「I have received your good will」

As they exchanged greetings the Shion-san leaping over with a backstep, landed next to us.

「Tough. Even if I cut it it immediately regenerates. It won’t go down without a rather strong hit」

That is to mean it has quite the strength then.
And it has some sort of spell reflection too.

「Leave it to me, I’ll make it understand」

Iona makes a fuun and, goes out in front.

「Who might this be?」
「Well, something like, my cousin……」
「Heh～, Alice had a younger cousin」

In this other world, it’s actually difficult to explain, just what this child is.
Since the ones who saw her original scene were, me, kurozukume and Sitra, just those three.
The black dragon turns its suspicious seeming eyes at us, as the small form of the elf goes forth as her arms call out.

「My arms call out」

Iona’s blank expression, twisted cruelly in a way that brought back memories of Libra.