Alice Tale in Phantasmagoria Chapter 162

The black armour slowly lifted its body.
Its movements aren't fast. Given that, it can't do something like land an attack on me.
Its hand is an unknown variable so, negligence is strictly prohibited though.
I hear screams coming from the village's direction if I listen attentively.
There's also the smell of smoke, there must really be a fire spreading.
The cause isn't this guy?
That means this isn't the time to be held up here doesn't it.

「Silvi-chan, please use ice magic to extinguish that.」

I want her to bring down a gentle snow, like when Till saved the town long ago.
It seemed she hesitated with the enemy right before her eyes but, she spun and turned her heel. She's a clever child.

「――O-ksama, fortune be with you.」

I give her a nod with a smile and, my daughter quickly set off toward the village.

「Support?」
「Aid?」

Miorena came up to my side while rolling their shoulders.
It seems they're ready to go all out in place of Silvi-chan.
I appreciate the sentiment but, from what I can see, that would be difficult.

「No, please rest. Since we'll do something. Right, Ilya?」
「Yes, my, lady.」

Ilya readied her s.h.i.+eld and went out in front.

「Hold out to your utmost.」
「Cry and lament to your utmost.」

U～n, one of them really is a child of that personality.
――Otto.
The black armour that had completely righted its posture as we were having a drawn out conversation, readied itself with one hand thrust out.
Magic?

「Ojousama, behind me.」
「Eei, the two of you as well, go ahead.」

The twins obediently hid behind Ilya's back.
The black armour seems like it's up to something but, I have the utmost faith in Ilya.
Looking at it, something like an angel's halo appeared from the black armour's right hand.
Some sort of light is gathering in its center.

「Are you going to take that?」
「Why of course.」

As expected of my most loyal retainer, there's no reply but yes.

「I wouldn't think this could overcome me and cause ojousama harm. ――Ancient Field!」

She deployed her defensive membrane that approaches perfection clad in magic power.
……Now then, are the opponent's preparations done now?

「――Tsu!!」

A beam of light rushed out.
Ilya's Ancient Field (Enhanced Version) disperses the blocked attack as the land burns.
This attack……can I a.s.sume the fire really is because of this guy?
Looking at Ilya's complexion, I conjecture that there was quite a lot of force in that which was blocked.
It's movements are dull but if it's that attack then I suppose bringing down its target should be easy.

「Scary」
「Terrifying」

Miorena shuddered from the attack.
They do need protection don't they.

「Ilya, I leave it to you.」
「Acknowledged, however, to be absolutely sure I would like to borrow ojousama's magic power.」
「10 percent okay.」

I send her lightning magic power.
The pa.s.s is connected because of the dragon contract so, transferring to Ilya is simple.

「Lightning armatization, silver kamui.

Ilya clad herself in my magic power as if as armour.
Well, speaking of armour, I feel that the crackling silver lightning envelops Ilya in that sort of manner.
Of course, the amplitude of the effect isn't like it's just for show.
Looking at my status, Ilya's ability points are supplemented as such.

・Ilya
Job: Valkyrie
Power: 3　Endurance: 4　Defense: 7　Agility: 1 (+2)　Magic Power: 0 (+3)

My buff in addition to the power, endurance and defense she developed by changing jobs.
There's no weakness in the current Ilya.
She's a tank who can be depended upon to protect everyone.
There's nothing to worry about with that, after this it's time for me to advance.

「Watto!!」

A ray of light came flying in just as I was about to step in.
Avoiding it was barely possible even with my reflexes and speed.
My bones will break if that gets close won't they.

「Lightning!」

For mid ranked magic, my attack isn't light you know.
At this point, my feints are sufficient to blow away a mountain.
Perhaps a mountain is going too far, around a hill perhaps?
But the moment my attack struck the black armour, it easily changed course and disappeared into the sky.

「Muu?」

The characteristics of its defense changed from before? Indiscriminate rays come as if it's its turn as I evade while thinking.
I'm rea.s.sured that Ilya is stopping the entire portion that comes toward the twins. Just, at this rate nothing will be resolved.
Should I try close combat once again?
I close the distance while jumping about in every direction.

「――tsu.

Perhaps it has good intuition, even after moving this much it's firing at me with a fair amount of accuracy.
This guy…… what skill.
It's forcing me to just barely evade it so, there's frankly no opening for me to step in with.
I fleetingly try and confirm the surroundings and, the rays of light are burning the forest here and there.
Miorena's complexions are poor. Well, I suppose anyone would be out of sorts if they were worried their homes could be burning.
This isn't something I can draw out for too long.

「Fuu……」

While you could say I've grown used to combat, as expected, the moment on which the battle is wagered makes me nervous doesn't it.
Deep breath…… Suー Haー……

――Now!

I run at my full speed.
I put in enough spirit to surpa.s.s sound.
Even so, the black armour reacted.
Obediently trusting the signal of danger, I change my course at a right angle, using a large tree as a foothold to jump off of once more.
As always it accurately follows after me.
I throw off its aim with sudden deceleration, and then suddenly accelerate.
In this case the previous exchange was done at a wild speed though.
I stopped with the roundabout paths, coming in on a straight line.
Its attack comes as if me coming in on a straight line makes me a target.
That light ray――with a twisting movement, I evade as closely as possible.
――Even so, it fired off 2 more shots with unparalleled accuracy without permitting even that slight evasion.

――Thiss guy!

Can I not evade it at this point?
Nay――

「Still not enough――!」

I warped through s.p.a.ce.
I s.h.i.+ft my magic power completely outside of its awareness.
Deciding my placement, I appear right behind the black armour.

「――Here I come, you should prepare yourself.」

I purposefully announce myself to the black armour that had completely lost sight of me after its strike failed to meet resistance.
I pushed my hand up against its stomach as it frantically turned toward me――in that moment, the opponent's hand languidly fell.

「――――――――――」

I distance myself as if I'd been blasted away.

「Ojousama!?」

Ilya turned a worried look wondering what it meant that I had avoided a golden opportunity.
I was watching the black armour in a daze.
As the black armour's animosity had vanished, it faced off with me for a time and then vanished, seemingly swallowed away into a black gate that appeared at its feet.

「……」

Ilya and Miorena quickly came over.

「Defeated?」
「Escaped?」
「Nn～」
「Are you uninjured? Ojousama, is anywhere unwell?」
「Un, that's alright.」

I try appealing to her with healthy behavior and, the worrywart Ilya let out a relieved sigh.
And then tilting her head, she smiled as if resetting her mood.

「If ojousama judged this to be fine, that is everything. In that case let us see about extinguis.h.i.+ng the fire.」
「Fufu, thanks, Ilya.」
「This side is unsettled.」
「This side is dissatisfied.」

Mixed reviews is the world's norm.
Just as I thought, now then how to put out the fire, a faint pink coloured snow came falling down.
I try grasping that cool and beautiful crystal.

「Silvis-sama, has wonderful skill in magic doesn't she.」
「That's so isn't it～, I'm really surprised.

Snow piles up as we watch, and so the fire is put out in a few short moments.

「Little one, reverence.」
「Little one, recognition.」

She's a daughter who makes fans in such a far flung village.
Fumu, but if it's at this scale…… I count up Silvi-chan's quant.i.ty of magic power and scale of magic ahead of her time.

「Miorena――I mean, Mio-san, Rensan.

Miorensan furrowed their brows at my set name but, for the nonce they took a listening posture as if in grat.i.tude for this occasion.
Ho……

「I'd like to stay here for a while and rest my body so, I'll be burdening you for a time.」

◇■◇■◇

As suggested, having pushed herself to her limit, Silvi-chan ended up fast asleep.
While saying it's fine, I wonder how many degrees is the temperature of my daughter who's making a pure red face?
Her slightly feeble side resembles me doesn't it.
Her side that thoroughly finished extinguis.h.i.+ng the fire is as expected of her though.

「The world's crisis and my daughter's crisis. Scales couldn't measure that. Let's have her take a break here.」

Silvi-chan alone came to give a protest but it was rejected. Everyone else gave their approval.
To begin with we haven't had a proper rest since coming to the town of Rinal. On paths that aren't paths, we came here by breaking through the deep forest. Our recuperation here is necessary. And I a.s.sume that being in our best form when dealing with G.o.d is important.
Having decided that, I'll do a motherly act for my daughter!

「I want to make dinner for her but, is it fine if I borrow the kitchen?」
「Dinner? Cooking?」
「Magic power provisioning?」

Isn't this strange, even though I asked for something completely normal, they gave me a weird look.

「Living alone deep within such a forest, is magic power really the main source of nutrition then……」
「We hunt on occasion.」
「We gather wild plants on occasion.」

This is why elves are……
From the look of things there don't seem to be any ingredients then.
Is this sort of thing prepared on your own?

「I am well versed in edible gra.s.ses and herbs, Alice-san.
「Sitra! Thanks, would you come with me to gather from the forest?」
「That is of course.」

It seems there is a minimal amount of seasonings so, we can make something of this if we can at least obtain something edible.
And if I think about the things ahead of us, I don't want to make use of the provisions we prepared do I.

「Then Alice-dono, I shall go hunt.」
「Ah, Marisan, I'll go along with you. Since having meat will better bring out a good mood won't it.」

As such, we acquire ingredients in a primitive manner.
……Even though it's a populated village, what we're doing is no different from when we were advancing through the great forest.
Well, it's fine, mother will do her best you see!