Alice Tale in Phantasmagoria Chapter 148

For the sake of Alice's group's escape, s.h.i.+on gathers time as she undertakes to protect the rear all on her own.

――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

「――」

Blow out my breath.
Look over the battlefield.
The corpse soldiers that avoided Ilya's breath come one after another overflowing from the trench.
A cloud of dust hangs over our route of retreat, the commonwealth cavalry unit galloping toward us isn't all that distant.
In front of my eyes is, a beastman swordsman with a sure appearance of a veteran warrior.
He has an exquisite physique that doesn't lose to the greatsword he carries on his shoulder.
I suppose what becomes reliable now that the『rule breakers』magic and skills are sealed by the saintess, are pure swordsmen like us.

「……」

I look at Alice.
There's no mistake that this is a fairly harsh development, to that feeble child.
But I suppose she's the strongest precisely because she overcomes such travails.
That's why we had the champion's second come out after all.
Just a little, I broke into an immoderate complicated smile.
That child's well shaped eyebrows are bent sharply upward, her normally light pink beautiful lips are tense enough that they're turning pale.
Myan's group forcibly puts such a stubborn Alice that won't move on a horse and, takes her with them.
Aah, it's fine with that.

――Hyuu

I gave Senbonzakura a single swing, as if I was warming my shoulder up.
A demonstration of the will to fight.
As if to answer that the greatsword man, leisurely came forth as if he was pus.h.i.+ng through the corpse soldiers.

「From what I've seen, is it over if I cut you? La.s.s-chan is taking a poor role on though.」

Thud, with that the swordsman ostentatiously gave the earth a strike.
Perhaps he thought he was being looked down on, even if it's intimidating its more that he wants the opponent to look at him though?

「That so? But I was thinking it'd be gainful for me.」
「Ha, is that to say whether you or me, we're just blades.」

The beastman man is standing in front of me, as if to protect the saintess.

「It's troubling being spoken to like I'm that battle crazed but, it might be that sort of thing I guess.」

The saintess's sword and, the Fairy of Silver Lightning's sword.
Shall we show, which is superior?

「Then at this point, words aren't needed are they.」

The man suddenly, came pus.h.i.+ng in toward me with his full force.

「Nu, ooaaaaaaaa!」

From a stance with his sword raised high, he swings down as if to sunder the earth itself.
His openings are large but, his timing covers for that.
He has exquisite balance such that this side can't aim a counter.

「Chii」

A slight dodge is no good.
I instinctively, felt that I'd be caught in the slash's『explosion』.
I fell back as if leaping away.
As expected, the moment the slash landed, that spot burst open.
Earth and stone are sent flying as from artillery.
I guard against small rocks with my arm.
It's painful and numb.

「Uoraaaaaaa」

Encouraging himself, while raising a war cry as if to intimidate the surroundings, the man comes rus.h.i.+ng in to continue his attack.
He forcibly pulls the greatsword thrust into the ground out and comes jumping toward me, while his br.i.m.m.i.n.g arm muscles raise a scream.
His sword is held high for the 2nd time.

「Using the same technique」

I read his breath this time and, stepped in――
――A battered sword, came flying at me there.

「――tsu」

A nearby corpse soldier came to throw it at me.
My eyes met with those of the beastman man.
……If I avoid this sword, I'll die!
So as not to break my posture, I accept as minor an injury as possible.
I took it with a slight movement of my body such that it strikes right on my shoulder guard.
My shoulder guard is sent flying and, blood flies out, searing pain rushes out from it.
The man's slash came directly afterwards.
――Cut through, even before that!
Grasping Senbonzakura, I swing at high speed.

Sharan.

Just when I thought I heard the eerie note of her monk staff, the blade that should have bisected the beastman man is stopped as if it's being repelled by an invisible wall.
This is……the counter's power that threw our horse back in the beginning is it!

「I have youuuuuuu」
「Not yet!」

That strike from above that could be said better as smas.h.i.+ng than cutting, is『received』by the blade I quickly pulled back in.
Putting my arm on the back of the blade, my knees fall to the ground and, I endure.

「As if such a shoddy sword can take this! Fracture and be crushed!」

I still haven't achieved anything, even gathering time……I can't die in vain.
Senbonzakura……please!!
The katana that received the opponent's fierce attack――――――cut apart the opponent's greatsword.
The greatsword's blade fell to the ground, with a light impact like it was a joke.

「Haaaaa!? Oi oi oii, are magic and skills not forbidden?」

The confused man looked at the saintess but, the saintess also shook her head.
That's to be expected, this is simply because of this katana's『cutting edge』.

「Fuu……you saved me Senbonzakura. Saira.」

I want to give the katana and blacksmith my grat.i.tude.

「You brought out a monstrously sharp sword then……」

The man quickly took hold of a replacement greatsword despite being astonished.
Whether the corpse soldiers, or the saintess, there's an unreasonableness to trying to stop them alone.
On top of being many against one, Senbonzakura's power can't be used.
Truly, purely, only with my capability as a swordsman.

「I suppose this is the hardest I've had it up until now……」

I'm not suited, to what's called a defensive battle.

「Even so, my arms cry out more than they ever have up until now.」

I stand up and, my arm that took that shrapnel is heavy, the movement of my shoulder that was cut open is poor.
To confirm the situation, I tried to somehow swing my katana with my still flaccid body.

「……?」

It goes strangely well.
Somehow, it seems like I can reach out toward a deep place……

「Hey you swordsman la.s.s-chan, what can you achieve by pointlessly acting as the rear guard in this sort of place? The Fairy of Silver Lightning is going to die after failing to break through the encirclement to her rear either way you know. The time you gather here won't serve any purpose at all. I won't say anything bad so I recommend you surrender.」

Quite a kind thing on this battlefield that stinks of blood isn't that.

「Since you don't know. Of the aspect of the true『strongest』that makes the impossible possible.」

Perhaps the saintess remembered back to that battlefield, her facial color changed just a little.

「I suppose I have heard the rumors, of the Witch of Ice and Snow. She truly did behave exactly in accordance with the word witch didn't she. Certainly from what I've heard that wasn't human. But I can't imagine, that the new strongest-san can do the same things you see.」
「Fufu, that's a difference in perspective isn't it. I can imagine it.」

The corpse soldiers steadily sealed the path of retreat, as we spoke.
There's no place to run to for me personally but, there's also no gap for Alice's group to pull out through.
For Alice to withdraw, there's nothing except to rout the enemy unit to our rear as this man said and flee into the fort.
They're leisurely crowding around me, because they think that can't be done.
They don't think there's even a need to rush.
Given that, what I can do is――point my blade, at the saintess.

「I'm sorry but, so as to impede the pincer attack from behind, so as to make it such that magic is usable, my role is the act of cutting you.」
「I understand.」

Sharan, her monk staff cries as such.
The rustling corpse soldiers begin to increase in number.

「Ma, that means I'm here so that you don't do that doesn't it. To meet a swordsman like you, I suppose I just couldn't throw away the battlefield. I don't dislike it you know, war.」
「That so, I dislike it though okay.」

I'll cut monsters as an adventurer and, I'll even cut villains like bandits if there's a request for it.
But war is different.
They say that both countries have their own principles but, it's just large children using words to justify violence.
The adventures as an adventurer are exiting but, war is scary and painful.

「I feel that maintaining peace is a much harder fight but, don't immediately flee down the easy path.」
「I don't know just what, those up above are thinking.」

I spoke of my inner thoughts as if I was making idle complaints but The saintess took that on even if it is was a bother.

「However, I know. What sort of thing it is to lose in war……」

A dark shadow descended, upon the saintess's face.

「Once you end up starting it, you mustn't fail to win. If you fail to win」
「……」
「……」

The beastman man casually patted the saintess's head.
And then he went forth once more.

「Now then, is it fine already? That's how it is. Maa――could you die now.」

Smiling, the man stepped in toward me.
If it's Senbonzakura, this won't even reach shoving our swords against eachother.
Cut away the opponent's weapon one more time――that thought was careless.
The sword I'd thought the man would come and swing downward was casually let go of.
At this point adjusting the vector made while a.s.suming the matter of our swords meeting is impossible so――――I'm swinging through the air!
It's no good! Take one more step in even if I have to force it!
With my body falling forward as if I'd lost my balance, I seized the range to the man's body.

「Chiii! I'll give it to you!」

The blade almost reached the man's body but, it bit into the arm he offered up as if he was guarding himself with it in its place.
Given Senbonzakura's cutting edge, the large man's arm was easily sent flying.

「Guuu……UuOOOOOOOOOo」

The man's other fist bellowed together with his war cry, plunging into my stomach.

――A crackling noise.

The harsh noise pa.s.sed through my body and resounded directly in my head.
Fireworks burst in my vision.

「Aguu」

And as such I was blown away like a ball.
Rolling across the ground, tasting dirt, I finally came to a stop as new scratches kept forming.

「……Gofuu! Gaa!」

I threw up dirt and blood.
My ribs broke……furthermore, I suppose the fact that I'm coughing up blood means my internal organs were damaged.

「……」

Strangely it's not a level of pain where I can't move.
But I suppose that wasn't quite enough to paralyze me though.
I turn my gaze and, there wasn't an immediate follow up attack coming from the man.
The opponent is staggering from the pain and blood loss due to the arm I cut.
Furthermore the saintess is rus.h.i.+ng over to him.
The corpse soldiers are rus.h.i.+ng in with dull movements, as if to act in his stead.
Either way, this means I can't be taking an extended rest here.
Being unable to continue putting on airs, I stand up while using Senbonzakura in place of a cane.

「Ser……iously, because this isn't one of the forms I've trained in……ridiculous isn't it.」

Anything goes on the battlefield.
Throwing your weapon away, throwing your arm away, if it brings the enemy down then that is victory.
All the more so if the opponent is a veteran warrior I suppose.
He won't give me something like an elegant battle.
As a swordsman, I suppose he's below that Leoneil.
He's just, simply……strong.

「……You're in the way.」

I cut the corpse soldiers down like I'm brus.h.i.+ng them away.
Even though I shouldn't be putting in power anymore, the katana swings beyond my expectations.
It's a scene of the sort that makes it hard to sleep but, I proceed to cut heads off and build a mountain.

「――Fearsome la.s.s-chan aren't you, if it's become like this then, have you reached that place.」

The man's, somehow admiring voice reached me.
I felt that the corpse soldier that made nothing but simple movements were, overly simple for me.
I understand the trajectory before the enemy swings their weapon down.
I understand the attacks from my dead angles as if I had eyes behind me.

「Ma, I suppose even without being crushed by numbers, your stamina will run out eventually but……As a single warrior, I guess I don't want to make la.s.s-chan have such a boring end.」

The beastman man pushed the saintess clinging to him away and, picked up his greatsword with one hand.
While I watched that with a stupefied head, my body proceeded to cut down corpse soldiers with a sensation like it was another person's.

「Kohoo, gohoo」

Just as the man said, I noticed my body becoming heavier, with the occasions where I coughed out smothering blood.
Even my current sense of omnipotence, will disappear without taking all that much time.
I understand this.

「It's beastman slave warrior, Azul. I've received hospitality benefiting of my station as the saintess's guard captain. As such I won't lose to you. You should remember, the name of the warrior who sends you to Yomi.」

The man put his greatsword back on his shoulder while acting cool.

「……It's s.h.i.+on. The Fairy of Silver Lightning's……family. Thus there's no way I can let myself lose to reprehensible beings that would target that cute child……you should remember this.」

We both laugh despite being battered.
There's a somehow content current in the air that, doesn't suite a battlefield with dirt, blood and rot wafting from it.
How to say it, as a swordsman, as a warrior, it might be that we're sensing the joy of having fought to our heart's content together.

「That's a good name, let's go s.h.i.+on.」
「Aah……」

There's no carelessness at all.
There's no perturbance with whatever sort of opening is given.
Accepting everything in as it is and, handling it immediately.
My feet are vague but, I step in toward the man while gliding like a revenant.
The man makes a curiously surprised face.
His standard swing from above won't make it in time――However, something flew from the man's mouth.
A small stone stabbed my eye like a bullet.
The vision from my left eye vanished.
I suppose my depth perception is a little poor.
Within my head, nothing came up outside of such a carefree observation.
Facing me as I'm not perturbed at all, the man comes swinging down with his greatsword while letting out a cold sweat.
I see the saintess's astonished face.
Whatever it is that the corpse soldier is trying to throw or, the things that are trying to force their way in, it's all too slow.
Aah, I wonder what this is?
It looks like everything around me has stopped.

「……Slow issn't it.」

Even I'm, swinging Senbonzakura with a truly lax motion.
the saintess's reflect wall is probably active, in the man's area.
That's simple power reflection.
I understood that with a strange sort of certainty.
To break through that, right……it's fine to push in as if flowing in by pulling the blade back to the opposite direction once.
I easily break through the reflection with a sudden reversal.
The slash I reversed once cut apart the man's body, well before the overly slow man's attack.
I didn't even need to check, it was a fatal strike.

「――Are you an oni.」

At the saintess's mutter, I twisted my head with a what was that.
To be sure, that's a category of eastern legend is it.
As I was thinking such things, my body suddenly became heavy.

「Gu……a」

It doesn't even need consideration, this is clearly――my limit.
The state of my injuries is very bad.
I'm also releasing too much blood.
Furthermore it's a miracle to have fought to this extent as one against many, even though my stamina isn't anything impressive.
Even I can't recall how I managed to fight through this.
But, such a miracle ends here.

「……But, there's still no way I can sleep is there.」

As if my movements up until now were a lie, I slowly walk forward toward the saintess as if I'm crawling.

「……」

Whatever she was thinking, the saintess didn't flee.

「Gofuu……what, are you doing? If you fall back, and surround yourself with corpse soldiers it'll be the end though?」

I try giving her advice that felt strange from the bottom of my heart, with a smile.
And the saintess shook her head to the side.

「No, even if hypothetically you were reduced to just a head, surely you would come to bite my head to shreds.」
「Haha, that would be, a monstrosity.」

We leak a flaccid laughing voice from our mouths together.

「I broke the strongest swordsman called you……the Fairy of Silver Lightning's sword. It's more than enough with that. Surely anything more than that would be what's called luxury.」

With the battle resolved her face, changed to a soft smile befitting her age for the first time.
It might be that exorcising an evil spirit is this sort of thing.
I suppose something extremely heavy, was riding on that girl's small shoulders.
That form, made me think back to my slightly witless cute imouto.

「Fufu, really you. I think you could become good friends with my imouto.」
「Maa, with the Fairy of Silver Lightning? That is truly……a dream like honour.」

The saintess, pulls up her skirt like a lady and bows.
Expressing a clear smile.
Toward such a girl.

－－My blade made a single flash.

「－－――Ha, seriously.」

The corpse soldiers all fall together, it becomes such that they don't make even the slightest of movements.
And so I look up at the sky and, after a while I finally notice the fact that I've fallen to the ground.
It seems, I can't even move a single finger.
Even so, Alice can't break through the encirclement if I don't convey the fact that magic is usable to her.
On the other hand just so long as magic is usable, I suppose that child won't lose to anyone.
I wish now that, she may someday become a『strongest』that can overturn any sort of preset conditions and come out victorious.

「Senbonzakura……please.」

Pink flower petals dance in the sky as it becomes its name's origin.
That flower blizzard imbued with magic power, dances higher and higher into the clear sky that was released from the saintess's skill.
The real flower petals for these, is something I haven't seen.
Apparently in Alice's home town, they enter a full bloom beautiful enough to be surprising when spring comes.

「Aah……gazing at that together would be……very……」

Very――

The sky I'm looking up toward while gazing at the blizzard of sakura dancing above me is, just, however far I look, serene.