Alice Tale in Phantasmagoria Chapter 157

A beast was born, from the ruins that had lit up the dark night.
I hear a distant shriek mixing with the rumbles of earth.
I suppose it's large enough that it could be sighted well enough even from town.
As a lifeform, its fundamental layout is overly off.
I've had plenty of experience with the sort of matter that, what is called size is as such strength, due to the Yamata no Orochi.
This time is……beyond that.
For how nothing besides a silhouette is visible as of yet, I'm excessively tormented by an instinctual sense of terror.

「Ojousama, permission for dragon transformation.」

Ilya came walking to my side.
Without expecting to, I peered directly into Ilya's eyes.
Scared……should I a.s.sume she isn't?
Ilya was smiling, as if being considerate of my bewilderment.

「If you would give a brief command, this me shall see ojousama fully protected through any sort of tribulation.」

……Girls are, amazing, no, Ilya's amazing.
I suppose, Ilya will surely show this brave front be made into the real thing.
There's no way the master can let herself lose in a compet.i.tion of bold fronts.
I'll have Ilya share her courage with me.

「――I permit it. My magic power, I entrust it to you.」

I maximize the circulation of my magic power pa.s.s with Ilya.

「Please let them see it, that my dragon is definitely the strongest.」

Ilya replied with a full faced smile, when I smiled unbeatably.

「Yes, my, lady.」

Enveloped in silver magic power, Ilya manifests into a golden dragon.
It seems that everyone is surprised at the dragon transformation that happened in front of their eyes but, ossan in particular had his legs go weak.

「Nnaaa!? O, oi! What's become of that ojou-chan!? Naa, Alice-chann!?」
「Ah～, that's Ilya's 2nd form. By the way there's all the way to a 4th form.」

Though that's a lie.
Even so ossan was trembling in fear.

「The, the world is a vast thing isn't it……」

I suppose?

「Alice-san, will you fight?」

Sitra timidly comes over.
This child, outside of critical moments does she make moves that seem to lack confidence?

「Frankly it seems like it's impossible for me to fight I guess? Since I'll be going all out to give Ilya power. I've entrusted my battle to Ilya.」

With this it would even be fine to call it my defeat if she loses okay.

「Is that so, I am also specialized in recovery so, please put me to use. Because I will continuously heal everyone's fatigue and injuries with Sacred Heal.」

Hou!?
Was Sitra, a healer then?
This is my first time seeing a proper healer in this world, you know.
Since wounds are generally fixed with my brute force Heal right?
Or rather, they're too rare so I haven't seen one though.

「Sitra, that's rea.s.suring. I request that you refrain from going to the front, and give everyone support.」
「Acknowledged.」

And so somehow, everyone's gaze faced toward one other of our company.
The small statured girl covered by a hood, readied a thin sword with a length beyond that of her body and is being vigilant of the surroundings.

「Right. Then shall I be the opponent for the small fry that come overflowing forth.」

A large ma.s.s of skeletons came gus.h.i.+ng from the forest, no sooner than she spoke.
What are these guys?
Are they bothersome small fry that repop endlessly as long as the boss is present?

『Ojousama, I will.』

The swarm of skeletons that came from the forest were cleansed by Ilya's breath.
By the way Ilya's dragon transformation state voice resounds directly in my head alone so, it isn't heard by everyone.
A sense like that of wearing earphones.

「In, incredible……」

I love ossan's simplistic reaction at the time when a surprise hits his eyes.
Fufun, as such I put my chest out in Ilya's place.

「Since it's my prided Ilya.」

Maa that was the limited force of a preliminary test.
In reality, my and Ilya's serious breath isn't half baked okay?

「As expected. But we must have Ilydono keep things under control over there.」

The hooded child is indicating toward the beast of the ruins, that's tailing the skeletons that are shuffling as they once again gush forth from the forest.
I suppose that's for sure.
There's no way anyone but Ilya can be the opponent to that.
Perhaps it didn't know how to deal with its huge frame, the beast still hasn't moved out from the ruins.
In that case we should gift it with our largest strongest breath here in the present right.
Un, that's right isn't it.
Something like waiting for the opponent to right his posture is the pinnacle of foolishness.

「Ilya, full size breath. Please end this.」
「――Affirmative, ojousama.」

Ilya braced her four limbs.
Her golden body s.h.i.+ned even more, letting out illumination to an extent that didn't lose to the ruins.
Her jaw opened wide with her target acquired, s.h.i.+ning magic power begins to gather there.

「Thi, this is……you intend to blow it away along with the forest!?」

The hood child released a frenetic voice having apparently envisioned its force.

「It's an emergency.」

I also don't want to do something like destruction of nature.
But I'd like to be forgiven with the matter of time and occasion.

「This forest……I'll buy it and do afforestation after this! ――Ilya, release!!」

The golden breath was released.
Most likely, this was the first full power breath with nothing held back after having made the contract.

「――Ah」

That was how it was so, I didn't know just how much force it would have very well.
To be specific, it was enough that Rinal's ruins and forest were utterly reduced to a barren field.
This incident was later called by the name said as『Lightning Fairy's Imperial Wrath』, it was apparently handed down as an anecdote to say don't recklessly cause a person to be angered.

……It wasn't particularly the case that I was angered though, was it?

◇■◇■◇

The next day, as the suspicion that Ilya was the strongest eddies within my chest in the early afternoon.
I was relaxedly basking in the sun at the town of Rinal's fountain plaza.
Yesterday, a little before the beast came out of the ruin, the bandit gang apparently came to attack the town with completely coincidental simultaneous timing.
Marisan who was there with the defense organized by the independent militia and, the s.h.i.+on-san who gave an impossible level of military gains by cutting into the enemy formation are somehow busy cleaning up after the event.
Ilya and Sitra are out to buy necessities for the journey after this.
An ojousama treatment where I alone get a relaxing break.

「Oh, hood child.」

Yesterday's child turned up, at the fountain plaza.
On that note I still don't know her name.
The other side also found me and, came over to my side.

「Fairy of Silver Lightning-dono, I was left in admiration, of that true power that does not differ from the rumors.」

Though I'm kind of filled with curiosity, at this child who gives me mature grat.i.tude with a strangely adorable voice.

「Thank you, that which is me is fine as Alice okay? How would it be best to call you?」

Hood child looks me over anew, hesitating a little.
But perhaps she somehow made her resolve, the hood that has continued covering her up until now came off.

「……」

With flushed cheeks that seemed somehow embarra.s.sed, that child showing a slightly averted face had, the look of a girl beautiful to such an extent as to make even the occasional pa.s.serby unintentionally end up focusing on her as they came close.
With fluffy pink silver hair as her characteristic, the expression of her eyes has an adorable sharpness.

「Cute! Ah I'm sorry okay, suddenly」
「No……I am……that is」

Perhaps she was lost on the matter of announcing her name, she's making her pale lips mumble.
The girl who had apparently decided her intentions, opened her mouth as her hands strongly grasped her clothes.

「Ano……do you know who I am?」

Using upturned eyes that seemed to expect something, the question came back at me.

「Eh? Huh? Am, I an acquaintance of yours?」
「No, such a thing is……」

She's dejected, at my reply……
The sense of guilt isn't half baked is it!
From yesterday's atmosphere I went and a.s.sumed she was, more intellectual and unforgiving, right, a child that excels as a schemer like Kran but……
Somehow she's become unbearably lovely, with her current slightly distraught feel.

「E～tto……hey, over here over here!」

I unintentionally pull her hand, making her sit on the bench next to me.
Her face is also cute from the side……long eyelashes, like a doll.

「Nee, wait a little okay? Since I'll properly remember that which is you. Could you give me a little more time?」

The girl smiles faintly, as I make my request.

「Ah……hai. Fufu, then please allow me to, keep my name hidden until that time.」

It's also cute when she laughs……
Nn? On that note……this child, seems to resemble someone doesn't she……

「Are you possibly, Kran's relative? Have we pa.s.sed by eachother in Kran's mansion?」
「No, that's wrong. However, that is rather keen insight.」

It's already become a quiz hasn't it, this.

「Nn～, ah, I'm just about to have lunch but, is your stomach not empty?」
「Hai, a little.」
「Since at an age like yours, you won't become big if you don't eat a lot will you! Let's go, for lunch.」
「Ah――」

The girl is staring intently at the me, that took her hand without thinking to.

「Ano……was that overly familiar?」
「No, such a thing……it's, an extremely warm hand isn't it.」

I headed toward the town's diner――to Milky Way, while accompanied by the girl who gazed dazedly upon our linked hands for a while.

◇■◇■◇

We head to a chair and, the girl was peering into a page of the menu while appearing deeply interested.
Should I a.s.sume there haven't been many occasions to go out for something like eating out?

「Ano, can I a.s.sume what's called mixed juice is a drink?」
「Ahー, un, well let's do that on our next opportunity okay?」

The employee-san is a pro but, not someone to give a pointless trial to.
Ordering a slightly expensive lunch, we enjoyed the meal together.
Somehow this child's manners are perfect so, I don't feel any sort of sense of unease even when bringing her to a high cla.s.s restaurant.
It seems like I'm the one standing out.
Even so whether her family is rather strict or, if the adults around her were all strict people, she faced me as if I'd had no opportunity to hear of anything up until now and, such things as that there was a school or, the matter of how she improved her swordsmans.h.i.+p, even the fact of using even magic……in any case she let me hear about her own matters with glittering eyes.
Letting her speak in a generally one sided manner, I'm――

「Un un, is that so?」

I'm only putting in such interjections but, it's not like it's uninteresting.
She was overly pleased so, she ended up having a loose face from start to end.
Cute.

「And so my imouto――ah, that is」

Stopping herself from doing something the girl, made a I messed up sort of face and closed her mouth.

「Imouto? If she's your imouto then, surely she's extremely cute isn't she.」
「Haii, that is of course! Lu……no, it's nothing.」

Even though she wants to brag about her imouto, even though she wants to say it and wants to say it and it can't be helped, the girl is mumbling and closing her mouth again.
Nnn?
Thinking about it, can I a.s.sume the imouto is hiding something connected to me?
Lu……?
No, that can't be……

「By the way, your imouto-san's name is?」

This time, my chest was beating a little more.
The girl looked at me with upturned eyes, as if she felt awkward.
……Cute.

「If I say it, I'll end up being exposed……」
「Fumu fumu, even so I've obtained near surety with this point though……」

Because, I'm clever aren't I!

「After this I'll try guessing you name. If I happen to be correct, don't use a lie and, confess honestly okay?」

I put my index finger on her nose, adding emphasis.
By vigorously pressuring her, the girl moved her head and nodded.
Yosh……
Now then……

「Nice to meet you, that is not right is it――――Silvi-chan.」
「Mother-samaa!!」

My beloved daughter who confessed her true form through her body, Silvi did a jump flying over to here from across the table.

「Waaa!? Incredibly aggressive!?」

The nimble Silvi adroitly jumped in toward me so as not to topple the goods on top of the table.
The me who's generally feeble put power into her stomach muscles and, received her with all my body and all my spirit.

「～～～～～Tsu! Mouu, Silvi-chan is also quite the intrepid girl isn't she?」

It couldn't be helped, since the air in my lungs came out for the s.p.a.ce of a moment.

「I was also, surprised……but, having met mother-sama was happy and happy and……」

She came pus.h.i.+ng her face into my b.r.e.a.s.t.s so, I let her do as she would and kindly stroked her head.
Is this, my third time comforting a child from the future like this?
With Makina, with Luminchan, and this time is――

「Silvi-chan, fufu, cute～. You develop in this manner?」

A beautiful girl who ends up being troubled by being overly popular isn't she.

「Mother-sama, mother-sama……」
「Arara.」

It's a little surprising to think that setting Luminchan aside, even Silvi would be at the limit of a pampered child.
I was wondering, if she'd give a more Kran like sense.
No, is it possible that my personality is in this……?
In any case, we're being showered by the store's attention so, shall we return home.

「Ne, Silvi-chan, return home for now?」
「Home……together with mother-sama?」
「Right, you should come home, with me.」
「……Hai, I'll come back, I'll come back home.」

U～～n.
What is this cute lifeform.
It makes my chest clamp up tightly doesn't it?
I heave and lift Silvi-chan up.
She's probably around the age of 10 so doing this as the current me is heavy labour but, I tried going out of my way and doing a high elf transformation.
For some reason, I wanted to give her a lift.

「Mother-sama.」
「Haai」

And as such, while making pointless conversations, I carried Silvi-chan and went along the way back.

―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

※The items or equipment Ilya is wearing when she does a dragon transformation are dissolved into particles of magic power, and reconst.i.tuted. She does not turn naked.