Chapter 206: Alice Subjugation (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 206: Alice Subjugation (2)
The final boss of 「Act 9, Chapter 3: The Queen of Hearts」 in ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱ was the Queen of Hearts herself—Alice.
She had been using her minions to scour Wonderland in search of the Phantasmal Clock.
In the original game, the start of 「Act 9: Alice Subjugation」 was marked by Alice finally discovering the clock. She would then reveal her true identity as the informant by seizing control of Bartos Hall.
As seen during the Trial of Frost, the Phantasmal Clock served as the essential catalyst for activating the 9-star time-acceleration spell, [Obelisk of Eternity]. Its ultimate purpose was the premature resurrection of the Evil God. Today, Alice intended to bring that resurrection to fruition.
However, unlike the trial, the [Obelisk of Eternity] had not yet been activated. Alice had only just begun the construction process. Since the Phantasmal Clock was required as the catalyst, it was finally time for me to make a move.
If Alice were apprehended before she had the chance to reveal the Phantasmal Clock, I wouldn’t know where to find it. Moreover, she was the type to commit suicide if cornered. I had to wait until she deployed her barrier and brought the clock out into the open.
And so, it began.
In the game, the player had to face both Alice and the Nightmare Dragon simultaneously. But with Dorothy taking on the dragon, that wouldn't be an issue here. This meant that if I could quickly destroy the Phantasmal Clock and prevent Alice from activating the [Obelisk of Eternity], the victory would be mine.
As a side note, much like when Vera the Summoner was defeated, EXP was shared between the master and their familiars. By defeating Alice, we would also reap the experience from creatures like the Nightmare Dragon and the Phantom Cat.
“Isaac, what is that?”
“Alice Carroll’s familiar and her minions.”
Kaya and I reached the vicinity of Bartos Hall. We crouched behind a tree to scout the building.
Just like on the rooftop, a powerful golden barrier had been deployed along the exterior walls of the palace-like Bartos Hall, reinforcing the structure against collapse. The arched doorways remained untouched.
As it was during the Trial of Frost, the only way inside Bartos Hall was to climb to the roof. It was like retracing the very route Alice had planned to use for her escape; after activating the [Obelisk of Eternity], she intended to leave the hall and join the battle personally.
Though I thought of it as an escape route, it was a direct path to her.
And there, guarding the front of the building...
Numerous foot soldiers stood in formation. Positioned as their leader was a gray dragon—the Tiger Dragon, Bandersnatch. It was a grotesque beast with a massive tiger-like head, jaws capable of crushing anything, and an unnervingly long neck.
Atop the spire, a giant bird with crimson wings—the Jubjub Bird—scanned the surroundings with a predatory gaze. These were all minions Alice had contracted after acquiring the authority of the Queen of Hearts.
*
[Bandersnatch]
Lv: 167
Race: Magic Beast
Elements: Rock
Danger: Highest
Psychology: [Intends to dismember any intruder it encounters and scatter their entrails.]
[Jubjub Bird]
Lv: 156
Race: Magic Beast
Elements: Wind
Danger: High
Psychology: [Intends to snatch intruders and drop them into the sea.]
*
The Tiger Dragon, Bandersnatch, was the final boss of Act 9, Chapter 1. Along with the Jubjub Bird, all the foot soldiers present were its subordinates. In the game, they were notorious for their relentless and troublesome offensive tactics.
“Kaya, I’ll say it again—I’m not forcing you. Can you do it?”
Kaya nodded, her expression resolute.
“If it’s your order, I’ll do anything. I’ll bring them all down.”
Kaya’s eyes turned bloodshot as the power of 'Dark Kaya' began to manifest. I couldn’t help but wonder if her loyalty had become a bit too fervent.
“…Don’t overdo it.”
Regardless, it would take Kaya some time to either withstand their onslaught or defeat them all. The Tiger Dragon Bandersnatch, in particular, boasted high defense and tenacious vitality. Alice hadn’t made him the gatekeeper for nothing.
Thus, I had already informed Kaya that I wouldn’t be joining this specific fight. Instead, I would head to the rooftop of Bartos Hall to stop Alice. I told her there was something I needed to confirm with Alice—that we needed to talk, alone.
Alice had fully revealed herself as the informant. There was nothing left for us to hide. Heading to the rooftop alone was the last chance for us to truly be honest with one another.
It might be foolish.
From the start, there was a fundamental issue: I would be of little use to Kaya against the enemies guarding the hall. The stat gap was simply too large. Against humans, my power increased significantly thanks to [vs. Human Combat Power], allowing me to hold my own with legendary weapons. But I couldn't rely on that against the beasts guarding the entrance.
If I possessed a power that could exploit the weaknesses of demons or overcome drastic spec differences with sheer destructive force—like Divine Power—the story would be different. But that was a privilege reserved for our protagonist, Ian Fairytale. It was out of the question for someone like Isaac.
Moreover, reinforcements were definitely on the way. Until they arrived, I was confident I could stall for time, even against Alice. The most critical issue was whether I could prevent the activation of the [Obelisk of Eternity] within that window.
As I was lost in thought, Kaya suddenly leaned in and kissed me on the cheek.
I looked at her, startled. She gave me a loving smile and whispered, “What are you thinking about, my dear Isaac?”
I read her psychology. It seemed she had kissed me on purpose, noticing I was spiraling into my own head.
“I’ll see you when this is over.”
“…Yeah, let’s meet afterward. If it gets dangerous, run away immediately.”
“Understood!”
Wrapping herself in a shroud of wind, Kaya charged toward Bartos Hall.
The Tiger Dragon Bandersnatch and the Jubjub Bird let out frumious roars, attacking Kaya simultaneously. A swarm of foot soldiers lunged at her, spears leveled.
In the chaos, I sneaked toward the entrance of Bartos Hall.
Kaya unleashed the joint spell [Baphomet’s Hymn], slashing through the enemies and drawing their full attention. As the foot soldiers fell, they vanished as if they were being summoned back.
I felt a prickle of dissonance at the sight.
Reverse summoning?
Usually, when a minion is reverse-summoned, it's to allow them to heal immediately. In war, you don't waste your forces. It was a strategic decision to preserve her army.
However, this didn't align with my memory. In the game and during the Trial of Frost, the foot soldiers were treated as expendable until their deaths. Alice was in a life-or-death situation now, so why was she sparing her minions? I couldn't wrap my head around it.
…Let’s just get inside for now.
I had to set aside my questions. Time was running out. While Kaya kept the guards occupied, I slipped into the shadows of Bartos Hall.
*
There existed another dimension known as Wonderland.
Many children ended up falling into that world by accident. The reasons were usually the same. First, they would dream of adventures in another world, only to forget those dreams entirely as they grew. Then, one day, they would encounter a mystical animal or an object from those forgotten dreams. While chasing after it...
They would inadvertently tumble into Wonderland.
It was a tragic misfortune that befell unlucky children whose souls resonated with that realm. Some lost their lives the moment they arrived. Others went mad. After all, it was a world populated entirely by the insane.
Alice Carroll said she had chased a rabbit in a suit, a creature in a frantic hurry. Her curiosity had been piqued because the rabbit kept checking its pocket watch and muttering about being late.
By chasing that mysterious rabbit, she fell down a hole, passed through a corridor of floating furniture and instruments, ate food that altered her size, and finally passed through a tiny door to reach Wonderland.
There, Alice beheaded the tyrannical Queen of Hearts and seized her power. She obtained the Vorpal Sword and slew the Nightmare Dragon, Jabberwock. Occasionally, Alice found other humans who had fallen into Wonderland and gathered them under her command.
The Spade Paladin had never forgotten the moment she saved him.
*
There was a stir in the air.
The man with black hair, who had been drifting through memories of the past, slowly opened his eyes.
He stood in a lavish, spacious hallway adorned with a deep red carpet. Ornate chandeliers flickered overhead as the shockwaves of powerful magical clashes vibrated through the walls from outside.
He was dressed in a crisp black uniform with blue trimmings, topped with a tidy military cap. Behind his shaded glasses, his calm gaze settled on the man standing across from him.
It was a student with silver-blue hair.
“I didn’t expect you to come alone,” the black-haired man, the Spade Paladin, said. His voice was deep and resonant.
Isaac, the silver-blue-haired youth with Zhonya’s Staff slung over his shoulder, read the Paladin's status window.
*
[Zenon]
Lv: 170
Race: Human
Elements: Ice, Lightning
Danger: Highest
Psychology: [Intends to harm you.]
*
One of Alice Carroll’s subordinates and her strongest Paladin. The mid-boss of Act 9, Chapter 2: The Spade Paladin, Zenon.
Isaac had used [Clairvoyance] to scout the interior of Bartos Hall and had already detected Zenon’s presence. The Phantom Cat, Cheshire, was originally supposed to be the final boss of this section, but since he had gone to intercept Dorothy, only Zenon and Alice remained in the hall.
As planned, Isaac needed to get answers from Alice. To do that, he had to speak with her alone. His rational mind told him this was mere stubbornness.
But so what?
It didn't matter. In this journey to defeat the Evil God, Isaac had no intention of leaving even the slightest lingering doubt unaddressed. Therefore, to reach Alice, he had to break through the Paladin blocking his path.
With [vs. Human Combat Power] and his elemental ultimate weapons, Isaac believed he could handle it.
Any trace of the Zenon who had acted as his junior at the academy was gone. Now, he appeared as a mature man, older than Isaac himself. This was Zenon’s true, unmasked form.
“Are you here to interfere?”
“If interfering means stopping Alice, then yes.”
“Are you the Nameless Hero?”
“Who knows.” Isaac shrugged.
Zenon blinked slowly and let out a heavy sigh. “It doesn’t matter. If that is your purpose, I have no choice but to kill you.”
“Can you at least tell me why you’re doing this?”
“I have no words for a dead man.” Zenon removed his glasses.
“Good. I’m glad the talking is over.” Isaac followed suit, bracing himself.
Zenon tugged at his black gloves. On the back of his hand, the symbol of the Ace of Spades began to glow brilliantly through the fabric. Soon, deep blue mana condensed in front of him, manifesting into a black Tachi.
He gripped the sword with his gloved hand. It was the signature weapon of the Magic Knight Zenon: “Zacula.”
Waaah!
As Zenon gave the Tachi a light experimental swing, a sharp gust whipped through his hair and clothes. Frost crept along the length of the blade, and ice crystals began to bloom in the air.
Whoosh!
Isaac struck the butt of Zhonya’s Staff against the floor, drawing forth his mana. A sudden chill radiated from him, frosting over the corridor.
Neither man hesitated.
Zenon gripped the hilt of his Tachi with both hands, kicked off the ground, and lunged. In response, Isaac instantly unleashed a pale blue magic circle toward him.