Chapter 210: Alice Subjugation (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 210: Alice Subjugation (6)
Wonderland. The alternate dimension into which Alice had been cast.
This bizarre world, once seen only in her fever dreams, had one day become her inescapable reality.
In a place where both man and beast had surrendered their sanity, Alice alone managed to keep her wits and survive. She had beheaded the Queen of Hearts—a tyrant who executed any who crossed her—and seized her throne. She had claimed the legendary Vorpal Sword and slain the Nightmare Dragon, the Jabberwock.
Thus, Alice became the new Queen of Hearts and the hero of Wonderland.
Her journey had been anything but easy. If someone were to chronicle her travels, many chapters would be devoted to her desperate longing for her parents and the sheer terror she had to endure. Yet, looking back, that journey had also forged many bonds.
Every one of them had become precious to Alice.
Then, one day, it happened.
A demon, holding the lives of her soldiers in his palm, appeared before her. He commanded a formidable legion of minions. He had approached Alice and whispered a single temptation.
“Let’s make a deal.”
Boooooom!!
The roar of an explosion shattered Alice’s reverie.
Isaac, the man with silver-blue hair, lunged into her field of vision. He was charging straight for her.
Alice unleashed lethal, rabbit-shaped spells alongside her all-consuming [Voracious Deity], aiming the full weight of her power at him. Isaac moved with fluid grace, dodging the onslaught or skillfully parrying with ice magic.
However, her fierce offensive forced him to stay on the defensive, preventing him from closing the distance.
“It seems you have no intention of using your true power.”
Alice, growing desperate, couldn't fathom Isaac’s intentions. Why wasn't he using his full strength when he was capable of defeating someone like her? Was he determined to best her as 'Isaac,' the man she had spent time with, rather than as the 'Nameless Hero'? Or did he truly believe his current level of power was enough?
Either way, the thought was so insulting that Alice couldn’t help but smirk.
Hwaaaak!
Alice coated her blade in mana and swung. A fierce, noble arc of crimson sword energy sliced through the air.
Isaac’s brow furrowed. He felt the crushing weight of her mana pressing down on him.
The Vorpal Sword possessed the power to banish nightmares. However, if the wielder harbored murderous intent, the blade could cleave through an enemy’s physical form and trap their soul in an eternal dream, blurring the lines between reality and illusion. To be struck by it was to invite certain death.
Knowing that even a glancing blow meant the end, Isaac unleashed an explosive burst of [Frostfire], using the recoil to propel himself away from the blade’s trajectory.
Immediately, Isaac cast a 6-star ice spell: [Frost Glitter].
A pale blue magic circle manifested in the air, discharging a heavy mass of frigid air. However, the energy of the Vorpal Sword split the [Frost Glitter] in two, neutralizing the spell instantly.
Poooong!!
The neutralized [Frost Glitter] shattered. Countless icicles scattered with lethal force. Alice deployed a telekinetic shield, effortlessly deflecting the shards.
After reinforcing her body with magic to boost her agility, Alice used her telekinesis to create an invisible foothold in mid-air and launched herself off it. The space she stepped on rippled, emitting a faint, beautiful light.
Boooong!
The intangible force catapulted Alice forward. She flew toward Isaac with terrifying momentum.
Landing on the rooftop, Alice swung her sword in an elegant arc, the blade wreathed in a crimson aura. Suddenly, Isaac reached into the empty air. Rock mana pulsed from his palm, coalescing into a massive greatsword.
It was the Obsidian Blade, the greatsword once wielded by the primordial rock sovereign.
Alice narrowed her eyes. The weapon was clearly no ordinary magic tool; it was saturated with an immense amount of rock mana. Handling such a weapon was definitive proof that Isaac was indeed the Nameless Hero.
But Alice had no intention of retreating.
Pooooong!!
The Vorpal Sword clashed with the Obsidian Blade. Although Alice was physically weaker than Isaac, her overwhelming mana reserves more than compensated for the deficit. The resulting explosion of sword energy hurled Isaac backward like a ragdoll.
Kuung!
Isaac crashed through the entrance and slammed into a wall.
Kugh.
Isaac scrambled to his feet, shaking off the debris without a second to lose. Thanks to [Eclipse], the defensive skill of the Obsidian Blade, he had avoided serious injury.
Once again, Alice kicked off an invisible telekinetic platform. She streaked through the air like a rocket, trailing crimson mana.
During their previous clash, Isaac had realized that the unique properties of the Obsidian Blade could counter the Vorpal Sword. Recalling the fundamental swordsmanship techniques he had learned from Merlin Astrea, Isaac kicked off the ground and threw his entire weight into a diagonal slash.
The blade, dense with rock mana, collided with Alice’s sword.
Kuuuung!!
Kagagak!!
A torrent of rock mana erupted. Waves of stone surged in every direction. The heavy strike of the greatsword sliced through Alice’s sword energy, bearing down on her. Alice hadn't been able to gather enough mana in time to block the full force of the blow. She was reaching her limit.
A sharp, yellow energy surged along the path of the greatsword. Sensing the danger, Alice used her telekinesis to shove herself aside, narrowly dodging the blade.
However, rock fragments exploded upon impact, digging deep into Alice’s flesh, and the powerful shockwave generated by the greatsword engulfed her.
[Stone Breathing - First Form: Golden Wave Slash].
Alice was thrown back, coughing up blood, though she managed to land on her feet using her telekinesis.
Isaac exhaled a ragged breath, glaring at Alice through the dust and jagged rock formations. His fingers had partially turned to stone, losing all sensation. He could no longer wield the Obsidian Blade with his usual finesse, and even performing Stone Breathing was becoming a struggle.
Isaac clicked his tongue and lunged at Alice once more.
Alice launched dozens of crimson crescent blades at the approaching figure. Isaac cut through or deflected them with the Obsidian Blade, never breaking his stride.
Alice was genuinely impressed. He was already beginning to grasp the rhythm of the Vorpal Sword. Even when she linked her attacks with higher-tier neutral magic, Isaac skillfully evaded or blocked every move.
His momentum was building. He was adapting with frightening speed, as if he had fought her a hundred times before.
Isaac’s mind worked at a feverish pace, processing elemental calculations. Behind him, several magic circles formed and dissolved in rapid succession. Ice and rock magic rained down incessantly on Alice and the Phantasmal Clock.
Isaac’s true target was the clock. Since the artifact was actively constructing the [Obelisk of Eternity], Alice couldn't shield it without disrupting the magical flow. Instead, she was forced to focus entirely on defending against Isaac’s relentless, multi-angled assault.
Gradually, Isaac lost all feeling in his hands due to the petrification—a side effect of the Obsidian Blade. He partially summoned his familiar, the rock golem Eden, merging their power.
Bronze rock armor encased Isaac’s arms, and the topaz ring of the Obsidian Blade on his back was coated in the same earthen plating. While it didn't fix the numbness, it allowed him to maintain a crushing grip on the greatsword.
Isaac moved even faster. The tide of battle was turning.
If Alice could have summoned even one of her familiars, her victory would have been assured. However, they were all engaged in fierce battles elsewhere, unable to come to her aid.
Should she call for more soldiers? No. If Isaac unleashed his rock-infused sword energy even once, they would be obliterated instantly. In the cramped space of the rooftop, they would only get in the way of her own attacks.
Isaac gripped the Obsidian Blade and charged. Alice abandoned evasion, pooling every ounce of her remaining strength into the Vorpal Sword. Mana ignited the blade like a roaring flame.
She swung.
Hwaaaaak!!
A scorching wave of sword energy erupted, leaving nowhere to hide. Isaac swung the Obsidian Blade in response, but the rock mana was insufficient to cut through Alice’s desperate strike.
Kwaaaang!!
A spectacular explosion of crimson and yellow mana lit up the night. The resulting gale sent Alice’s hair and clothes fluttering violently.
Whiiiing.
Through the swirling dust, Isaac’s silhouette remained visible, still clutching the greatsword. He drew more rock mana, forming magic circles behind him. Alice swung the Vorpal Sword again, sending another wave of energy toward him.
Suddenly, a figure rose through the cloud of dust.
It was Isaac.
But within the dust, there was another figure that looked exactly like him. It was the rock golem Eden, who had shifted its form to mimic Isaac, holding the Obsidian Blade.
Floating in mid-air, the real Isaac pointed his numb right index finger at the Phantasmal Clock. He steadied his hand with his left, focusing his aim. Behind him, seven pale blue magic circles unfolded. He had been calculating this spell since he first stepped onto the stairs.
A sharp, bone-chilling frost filled the air.
Alice desperately slashed at Isaac, but he twisted his body in mid-air to dodge. As she prepared a follow-up, Eden—cloaked in rock skin—lunged at her, swinging the Obsidian Blade. Though Eden couldn't wield the weapon properly and was easily repelled by Alice’s magic, the distraction was enough.
Alice’s gaze snapped back to Isaac.
At that moment, Isaac unleashed a 7-star ice spell: [Icebolt].
Kwakwagang!!
Kwaaaang!!
Several bolts of frigid mana streaked out like lightning, piercing the heart of the Phantasmal Clock. Golden mana scattered like the contents of a shattered hourglass. A series of pale blue explosions sent Alice flying as the nearly completed [Obelisk of Eternity] crumbled.
The Phantasmal Clock was utterly annihilated.
Isaac collapsed onto the rooftop, his strength spent. The strain of using the Obsidian Blade beyond his limits, combined with the injuries from Alice, made it nearly impossible to stand. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he forced himself up.
He immediately pulled out a potion he had received from Zenon. Unable to use his fingers, he shattered the cap and used [Rock Generation] to fuse the vial to his palm so he could drink it. The effect was instantaneous.
He then unsummoned Eden, who had been embedded in a wall. The Obsidian Blade dissolved into rock mana and flowed back into Isaac’s body.
Alice struggled to her feet. A faint, ragged gasp escaped her blood-stained lips. It was the only sound she could hear.
She lifted her head. The barrier that had sealed the rooftop was crumbling into dust. The magic circle of the [Obelisk of Eternity] was fading into nothingness. Golden mana, now harmless, drifted through the air and brushed against Alice’s wounded skin.
The clouds parted, revealing a brilliant, starry sky. It was a sight she had seen a thousand times before, but tonight, it felt hauntingly beautiful.
A crushing sense of emptiness washed over her.
Isaac exhaled sharply, his voice calm but firm.
“…It’s over.”
“Yes. I’ve lost.”
On the ruined rooftop, only two people remained—each with something precious to protect. But an unbridgeable chasm now lay between them. One had won and successfully protected his world. The other had lost and was forced to face the loss of everything.
“Good boy.”
As if she had been expecting it, a pulsing sensation throbbed in her throat. Her expression hardened. Alice had no desire to pay the price of her failure. If she lived, many more would die.
She lowered her eyes, deactivating the protective magic on her skin. She raised a hand to her own neck, channeling her remaining mana.
It doesn’t take much mana to sever a human neck.
How absurd, she thought, that a life could be ended with such a small amount of power. It was time to let go of everything. Her mission, her soldiers, her life.
Just as she released the mana, Isaac rushed forward and seized her hand.
Thanks to the potion, some sensation and strength had returned to his grip. Alice stared at him, stunned. He had moved as if he had anticipated her every thought—as if he had instinctively sensed her intent to die and intervened without a second's hesitation.
Why?
Alice looked at Isaac, her eyes filled with silent questions as he struggled to catch his breath.
“…What do you think you’re doing?” Isaac’s voice was like ice.