Chapter 211: Alice Subjugation (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 211: Alice Subjugation (7)
Isaac’s grip on her wrist was crushing.
Alice remembered the contract she had made with the demon—a pact forged to protect the Heart Kingdom, her dear colleagues, and her friends. If she failed, the price would be paid in countless lives.
There was only one way left to break the bonds of that contract.
It was simple. She had to die.
She knew that acting this way now was pure hypocrisy. After all, hadn't she already attempted to massacre everyone here? But if there was no longer a reason to fight, Alice hoped that no one else would have to die.
“You see it, don’t you?” she whispered.
“Are you giving up on everything?” Isaac asked.
“I have no choice.”
“Why?”
“If I don’t die now, something truly dangerous is coming.”
Now that there was nothing left to hide, Alice spoke the truth.
Danger is coming.
The fog of doubt that had clouded Isaac’s mind finally cleared. Only then could he resolve the dilemma of how to deal with her.
“So, there’s nothing I can do…” Isaac began, his voice trailing off before firming up. “But still, don’t die.”
“What?”
Alice had become a traitor to the empire, a criminal who would undoubtedly face execution. The situation had spiraled far beyond what the academy could manage. However, it was a choice forced upon her—driven by a desperate need to protect those she loved.
Dying so pointlessly didn't make sense to him.
“Don’t die in vain here.”
“What do you know? How can you say something like—”
“And!” Isaac interrupted.
The Evil God will be resurrected soon.
Therefore, Alice, if you failed to destroy this world, you are inevitably going to pay for your sins.
“Live by my side and atone,” Isaac declared. “No matter how dangerous it gets, I’ll fend it off.”
Join me and fight against the Evil God. Isaac intended to persuade her that battling the ultimate enemy would be her path to redemption. Knowing the full story, he realized he could enlist the substantial power of the Heart Kingdom for the coming war. He wasn't about to let this opportunity slip away. He would resolve whatever issues the empire had with her later.
Alice’s eyes widened, her expression freezing. After a long moment of stunned silence, she finally spoke.
“Why… why would you say that?”
“Am I not allowed to?”
“…”
Alice stared intently at Isaac’s face. He was covered in dirt and dust, his skin riddled with wounds. Suddenly, she remembered the previous day—the memory of playing with him by the seaside. It had been so enjoyable. The warmth of it still lingered.
After drinking her final cup of black tea, Alice had endured her profound loneliness by clinging to that memory. It was ironic. The time spent with an enemy had given her the strength to survive her final night.
But why?
Alice couldn't discern the reason. Yet, a self-mocking smile touched her lips. It was likely a foolish, trivial reason, not even worth pondering.
“…Isaac, this is a shameless request, but…”
Alice tried to speak naturally, forcing a smile, but she couldn’t suppress the emotions welling up inside. She knew the ending she was supposed to face. Even if the man before her was the greatest wizard of the age, he couldn't stop her destiny.
But if he could fulfill just one wish—a wish she hardly dared to imagine—then Alice felt she could finally close her eyes in peace.
“Can you really… stop them?”
She barely managed to squeeze the words out. Tears welled and fell like rain from a storm cloud. A forced, trembling smile twisted her face.
Could he defeat the impending dangers? Could he protect the people and strike back at the demon she had been forced to serve? Alice’s heartfelt plea—laden with anger, despair, agony, pain, sorrow, and a burning desire for revenge—reached Isaac.
“…”
Isaac possessed the power of the System. It was a power that could make him stronger than anyone else in the world. Yet, he had already lost dear ones once; he had been defeated by the Evil God and endured terrible loss.
But now, given a second chance, what should he pursue? The best possible outcome.
Despite the relentless compulsion that pushed him to endure—spilling sweat and blood daily, vomiting from overexertion, collapsing, struggling, and becoming utterly exhausted—what had started as a struggle for survival had become a desperate fight for the perfect ending.
And after struggling so desperately, the goal he would finally grasp was clear.
“…I will block everything. So don’t you give up either.”
Isaac decided that Alice had to be part of that future. It was clear that the impending danger was something the current academy couldn't handle. It was obvious who had been threatening and using her. They were enemies that had to be confronted eventually.
They will all be subdued here.
Alice smiled brightly, as if finally reassured.
Crack.
Suddenly, Alice’s face contorted. Her throat writhed frantically, her body spasming. She couldn't hold it back any longer. Something terrifying burst forth from her throat.
Whoooooosh!!!
“…!”
Isaac leaped back.
Alice clutched her throat in excruciating pain as dark red mana oozed out. She lost all control. The mana coalesced into the shape of massive wings. Two black, beast-like arms burst through her back, stretching outward. A mark engraved on her neck crawled up her face, consuming her.
Alice let out a hoarse, guttural sound as her head tilted toward the sky, then she abruptly went still. Her arms fell limply to her sides.
[A demon has been detected nearby.]
A system window flashed before Isaac’s eyes. A foul, demonic aura emanated from Alice. Sensing a sudden, chilling killing intent, Isaac drew his dark blue scythe, the Frostscythe.
Whoooosh!!
Alice lunged. Her dark red mana exploded like a torrent, moving at a speed invisible to the naked eye. In the blink of an eye, the Vorpal Sword, wreathed in dark energy, swung fiercely toward him.
Isaac gripped both ends of the Frostscythe, locking into a defensive stance. Alice’s mana, corrupted by darkness, hit him like a flood.
Clang!!
The Vorpal Sword clashed against the Frostscythe. Alice’s sheer force pushed Isaac back. Locked together, their bodies soared diagonally into the sky. The wings sprouting from Alice’s back blasted mana like jet flames, propelling them upward. Their hair and clothes whipped wildly in the wind.
As Alice’s dark mana sought to tear Isaac apart, he unleashed his chilling aura in resistance. Their powers clashed tumultuously, maintaining a precarious, violent deadlock. To the people on the island below, they looked like a single meteor shooting into the heavens, trailing streaks of dark red and pale blue light.
They rapidly distanced themselves from the academy. From this height, Isaac could see the entire island surrounded by the vast sea. Alice’s face, now covered by the demonic mark, was eerily calm. Her eyes, dyed a deep purple, were etched with strange, shifting patterns.
[?]
Lv: ?9?
Race: Dem?
Elements: ??, ??, ??
Danger: ? High
Psychology: [?]
The status window couldn't read the information properly. It appeared the demon possessing Alice had inherited her unique trait, [Red Queen’s Paradox], and made it its own.
As they pierced the sky, the cries of Alice’s familiars echoed through the air. A vicious mana saturated the atmosphere.
Dorothy, who was battling the Nightmare Dragon - Jabberwock and the Phantom Cat Cheshire, widened her eyes as their mana suddenly spiked in intensity. Kaya, who had just defeated the Tiger Dragon - Bandersnatch and was heading toward Bartos Hall, gasped as the dragon suddenly surged in size, reawakening with newfound fury and charging at her again.
All of Alice’s familiars had lost their minds, exhibiting terrifying levels of power.
Koooooo!
The sky turned the color of blood. Clouds billowed from the remnants of the dark mana. In rapid succession, innumerable magic circles manifested across the heavens and the earth. As the dark mana flickered, demons began to be summoned en masse.
Shadows fell over the island.
A monstrous creature, large enough to blot out the sun, with wings shaped like giant human hands, looked down on the academy. It summoned massive bolts of lightning that split the sky.
Freya the Dark-Winged. Level 184. Dark and Lightning elements. Danger level: Highest.
A pot-bellied black giant with numerous mouths lining its stomach tilted its body, grinning twistedly at the island it could swallow in a single bite. The mouths on its belly drooled in anticipation.
Hamon the Gluttonous. Level 185. Dark and Water elements. Danger level: Highest.
Simultaneously, soldiers with gills and winged knights in black armor appeared above the sea, each standing over three meters tall. They were a legion—a powerful army of demons summoned by the entity possessing Alice.
Guaaaaaa!!
The demons’ roars resounded like thunder.
The people at the academy who witnessed this spectacle felt a primal fear penetrate their very souls. Even Tristan Humphrey, who always laughed in the face of danger, and Mateo Jordana, who prided himself on his resolve, could not escape the terror screaming through their instincts.
Students in the shelters turned deathly pale. Neither the faculty nor the Imperial Knights were exempt from the dread. To them, it looked like the end of the world.
Meanwhile, Isaac vividly recalled how Alice had committed suicide after her defeat by Ian’s party in the original timeline.
[Multiple demons have been recognized as enemies.]
Is this the scene you feared…?
Booooo!
Their bodies tore through the dark clouds, soaring higher. Isaac intensified his aura, the extreme cold pushing back against Alice’s mana. He steadied his fighting spirit, his eyes locking onto the possessed girl.
[The unique trait [Hunter] is activated!]
Isaac explosively released a wave of absolute zero.