Alice Tale in Phantasmagoria

With no need to turn back partway, I brought Leymia with me and returned to the national border.
There having been repeated skirmishes at the outpost, I took in the scenery of tired soldiers taking their rest.
Within that, I went to the lodge bringing Till and Leymia as well.
Everyone should probably be there.
And, before then maybe I should stab a nail in this.

「If you do something unneeded here, you won’t keep your life okay Leymia?」

I displayed myself threateningly as if to say I’d take and eat her.
Faced with me as such, Leymia replied with a scornful smile of all things.

「Doing stupid unneeded things is wrong.」

……Hou ho～u?
So that’s a worthy att.i.tude ehhh!?

「……Leymia, it seems it’s important to make you understand your position.」

Right, you are a prisoner you understand, a prisoner!
Of course I don’t know whether the same international treaties exist as in my previous world, are there no protective guarantees outside of domestic law?

「Do you intend to use torture or something? Even if someone like you who seems like she doesn’t even know about males says that, it’s not scary.」
「Huh!? Males!?」

Inconceivable, I know better than anyone!
On that note, what am I being told by this child who looks even younger than my current self!

「……Kohon, it seems like you’re misunderstanding something Leymia. I am more literate in males than anyone.」

I showed some resistance and, succeeded at getting Leymia to make a surprised face.

「……That’s surprising, Fairy of Silver Lightning. While you make such a cute face――you’re a b.i.t.c.h aren’t you.」
「……」

……b.i.t.c.h?

「It, it isn’t something like that okay?」
「Your face is pure red you know? It’s fine to avoid pushing yourself, since you’re not hiding anything.」

Is it just my imagination that I somehow know I’ve lost?
For now, I turn my eyes to my shishou who’s walking beside me.

「……Till, do you know males?」
「Be silent, you idiot disciple!」

Age 287 huh.
With that then……
Eh?
But doesn’t it seem like there’s something very unacceptable about loving Till?
That is, rather……

「Crime?」
「I really get it Alice――You, want to play with me do you? Kufu, it would be good if you would say such things sooner.」
「Hii!?」

What happened then, the incident with the extreme point of absolute zero along the national border, was an unimportant matter.

Having borrowed the entirety of the lodge that Maria-san arranged, as expected everyone was staying there.
Speaking of the outpost, what was along the border wasn’t something like prefab cottages, but fortifications built in the base.
The borrowed lodge is also something like a proper house.
……Though this VIP treatment is scary.
It might be fine for now……

「At the current point, it’s not the case that Sacrament is taking serious action to seize this fortification. Be that as it may, the opponent’s commander is fighting at the furthest front line. Morale is high, and he certainly did burn our hand.」
「Leoneil did?」

Sitting at the table, I confirmed the situation with Ilya.

「Hai, as far as Aim-sama has confirmed, it seems that he excels at endurance and agility.」

Continually evading attacks, and even enduring long battles is it……
If his specialty

is just as I learned from Kran during the arena tournament……I’m at a disadvantage.

「……Eclair is?」

Ilya shook her head sideways.

「So far, the front lines are」
「Then……」

But, that person made a promise so……
Even so, I should do what I can do shouldn’t I.

「I understand, I will capture Leoneil. I’ll trade that person for Eclair, let’s go with that sort of method.」

This is my sole judgment.
Leoneil should be a valuable prisoner.
That that will simply be traded away for Eclair is, probably not amusing to Wilmington.
Therefore, I have no intention of discussing this with Maria-san.

「If ojousama, says as such.」

I want to avoid creating pointless sacrifices as possible.
As such what should I do?
The opponent is a powerful enemy.
My affinity with him is poor……Therefore.
As I unabashedly showed an apologetic face to Shion-san, she replied with a bright smile.

「Alice is, unexpectedly a person who calculates loss and gain coolly isn’t she?」
「Etto, since this time I’ll give you ma.s.sage!」

I hear that people with big b.r.e.a.s.t.s have it hard!

「Eh～, I don’t know if I might die and, that’s all?」
「Y, you won’t die! Oneechan wouldn’t lose to that sort man!」
「Fairy of Silver Lightning, those words can’t be ignored.」

While Leymia stayed in the room’s corner wrapped with rope she breathed indignantly.

「Haa!? Leymia, could it be that you don’t know of this!?」
「……Of what?」
「That my oneechan is, the world’s best!」
「Specifically speaking……at what?」
「Everything!」
「……This siscon, I feel that something should be done about her.」

You don’t understand do you, really!

「……Setting that aside, could I ask something of you?」

Worries are worrying, naturally.
Who would want their beloved person to willingly choose to stand on the firing line.

「That’s fine. If I were to reject this here, it feels like someone would run off into the night again.」
「I, I wouldn’t do that sort of thing!」

By learning from the past, I’m maturing every day!

「――Also, since we can’t not rescue Eclair can we.」
「……Oneechan.」

That’s why, I love you!
I reflexively embraced my ane with my full power.

A night attack happened, that night.
Sacrament’s movements were flurried.
They were hasty.

「――They’re here, master.」

gazing at the state of the battle from the observation platform, Aim searched for the target individual.

「Nn, strong isn’t he……it seems that long range attacks won’t achieve much.」

While Aim was observing, I noticed Shion-san with a sidelong glance.

「My arms are crying out to be used.」
「Oneechan……」
「Don’t worry, you said it yourself didn’t you?」

Coming up beside me, our heads b.u.mped.
――I will become your sword.

「Of course……I believe in you!」
「Yosh.」

Shion-san’s smile, resolved my heart.

「Then in accordance with our preparations, oneechan, Aim, I’m going in.」

They each nodded.

「After Ilya cuts the path open, continue to stand by here. Please keep a watch on Leymia.」
「In the case that she runs, or becomes violent then?」
「――Please kill her.」
「Yes, my, lady.」

Leymia, I beg of you, don’t do anything.
I’m also not saying a joke here.
Enveloped in sentiment, I look over the bound Leymia.
Charging, as such the sweeping sword swing came at her and Shion-san jumped, she evaded while flying over his head.
They quickly rotated from a situation with their backs together, and matched their swords there for the first time.

「Good arms!」
「You as well it seems!」

Separating from a duel of pushing eachother’s weapons, a flash, a second flash.
Brilliant sword flashes like stretched threads came from both sides.
And that was dodged by the width of a paper, accepted, averted.

「Incredible……」

That is, a close combat expert.
There was practically no gap for me to force my way in through.
At such a fight, Sacrament’s troops just surrounded them at a distance and watched without being able to act.
……With that as it is, Leoneil Sacrament.
Is he more than a match for Shion-san?
To say he’s more than a match for my oneechan means, to say he excels in agility.
It’s not that he’s taking the attacks, like Ilya.
He’s fighting evenly with Shion-san using his agility.

「……」

Watching at a distance I could only see the light from the flashing swords.
Both their sword’s speeds were too fast.
I really couldn’t see the swords.
I could see that Shion-san had the advantage when they occasionally compared their power with their swords locked together.
Even with that, as their swords crossed Leoneil slowly pushed her back.

This is――Endurance is it!

Because it was an even match, the clear divide emerged here.
It’s obvious with Shion-san but, it looked like Leoneil’s defense is probably weak as well.
As such, if either of their sharp sword flashes were to hit the fight would be decided in one blow.
That tension must not be normal.
Their worn down nerves and endurance, it should be more than I can imagine.
Most likely, there won’t be much time until the resolution.
And so……I took in their advantages and vulnerabilities.

「Oneechan……」

I believe in you.
But……if that would mean that oneechan gets cut down, I would rather accept being ridiculed as a craven cheat.
I reached the point where I thought to break into their personal combat but……
So that I could provide magic support at any moment, I prepared my mind.

――Side: Shion――

「――tsu」

Strong isn’t he……!
Leoneil’s swordsmanship is elegant.
In it there’s proper 『Form』, in each series of motion nothing is wasted.
Though I also have my shishou who gave me this sword but, after being taught the fundamentals the rest is my own style so.
I intended to temper myself in my own way but, looking at the opponent’s technique I realized that my diligence still isn’t enough.

「――Zze! Zze!」

It hurts like my throat is burnt.
My arms feel numb.
The errors in my visual predictions are increasing, a tuft of my hair is cut, a shallow cut in my armpit, this paper thin situation continued.
If I continue like this――the one to die, will be me then.
He has the same type of sword as I do but, both the weapon and the opponent are superior.
When our swords meet, it feels like it’ll break if I don’t release the power skillfully.

――Magic sword Raikiri.

Cutting apart magic, a menacing magic sword.
Its other name is 『Magician Killer』.
……I surely must not rely on my cute imouto here.
Furthermore, since that/>Furthermore, since that child has 『What Comes Next』.

「Sse!」

On a clash after countless other clashes where we shoved our swords against eachother, I was able to skillfully claim distance.
While catching my breath a little――I set my resolution.
If I continue like this I’ll only gently slide toward death.
Thus, there’s no time but now to wager the match.
I emplaced my sword in its sheath.

「I see, iai is it. It seems you use my country’s techniques well.」
「It’s because my shishou was a drifter I suppose.」
「Then, allow this side to answer appropriately.」

Saying that, Leoneil prepared himself with his sword pointing up at my eye.
……Does he intend to guard?

No――Is he going to stab!

Sweat fell from my cheek.
My air stings.
My heart is rampaging from the tension.
Stabs are especially difficult.
But……with my opponent Leoneil’s capability that becomes possible I suppose.

「――」

A little, I checked behind me.
――With a grim face, my imouto is watching over me.
Aah, she could break in even now, that sort of face.
As always she’s an easily understood child isn’t she.
But that’s no acceptable.
Beyond her affinity with the magic sword, Alice’s name will be hurt.
I suppose it doesn’t completely register with me but, for Sacrament’s troops she’s faced with a sense of reverence.
She’s becoming, that sort of ent.i.ty.

「……I’m going!」

I set my stomach.

「Iza!」

So we could decide the match together, I ran.
Faster――Merely, faster!!
Swing out!!

「Haaaa!」

Unmatched in the past this is my fastest sword.
That――――Leoneil received it.

――A high pitch sound rang, my sword, broke.

「This is my victory!!」

His stance was, actually defensive.
And so, the stab is from there.
The aim isn’t a small place like the face or neck but, the center of the chest.
A difficult to avoid, single strike of certain death.

――――Evade with as little movement as possible.

What reverberated in my head, were those words.
The blade stabbed into my chest.
That instant.
Quickly――――Faster than a sword, even faster than that!!

「――――――Moooooove!!」

Like I was drawing an arc I bypa.s.sed the stab, with the base of the broken sword, I pierced Leoneil’s solar plexus with my full strength.

For an instant, I thought Shion-san had been run through and my heart almost stopped.
I thought something that couldn’t be taken back had happened, while I was trying to find the timing to act.

「Oneechan……!」

Amazing amazing, oneechan really is amazing!
She evaded the stab with a speed high enough to even leave an afterimage, Shion-san closed in and brought down Leoneil with a single strike.

「Aah, what should I do that’s so cool!」

In contrast to my frolic, discomposure spread among Sacrament’s troops.
Naturally.
Captured alive.
We obtained an unsurpa.s.sable battle result so.

「――――What sort of patheticness. Leoneil, you should become a cornerstone here.」

At that time, I thought a majestic voice came down from the sky and, the darkness was pierced by bright light.

――With a blazing crimson color.

「――You’ve come then, Eclair.」

Looking up at the night sky, an elderly man and a pure crimson princess floated there.