The Six Kings are all Kuro’s former baby birds, and while I was stunned by Alice’s words as she told me that…… Alice continued to speak with a serious tone.
[Let’s put aside the battle with the God Realm for now, as it isn’t really that relevant right now. What’s important is that we’ve all known Kuro-san for a long time…… and we naturally know what she wishes.]
[……………..]
Kuro once told me in the Spirits’ Forest that there was something she had always wanted, but couldn’t have.
In the end, I still didn’t know what it is until now…… And I honestly can’t even imagine what exactly it is that Kuro can’t get.
After a brief pause, Alice continues to speak with her face slightly down.
It wasn’t just Alice, but also Isis-san, Megiddo-san, and Magnawell-san as well…… though I couldn’t see Magnawell-san’s face, but all of them looked chagrined.
[……You can already see from the fact that Kuro-san is still looking for it right now……. Even now, we still couldn’t find the one she wanted……]
[The one Kuro wanted?]
[……Yes. That’s because our power isn’t enough…… From Kaito-san’s point of view, we may appear overwhelmingly powerful. But still, “it’s still not even close to reaching Kuro-san’s feet”…… I will clearly say it now. Even if the five of us fought with all of our strength and risked our lives for it, we wouldn’t be able to inflict a single wound on Kuro-san…… That’s how large the difference in power is.]
[ ! ? ]
I obviously knew that Kuro was strong, and from Megiddo-san’s reaction, I understood that she was superior to the other Six Kings.
However, I didn’t think that even if all the other Six Kings, all having abilities beyond common sense, were to work together, they wouldn’t be able to inflict a single wound on her.
[Kuro-san is the only being in this world…… that can kill the absolute God, Shallow Vernal-sama. Her dimension of power is clearly different from ours.]
This world’s most powerful being, Shiro, who has near-omnipotent power…… can be killed by Kuro. How strong is she? I honestly can’t even picture it in my head.
Thereupon, Alice moved her gaze away from the ground…… and staring at the empty skies, she muttered with a sad voice.
[However, she is…… too kind. Treating dearly those who live in the world and loving the changing world…… She’s a helplessly kind person…… And ironically, that’s also what has resulted in Kuro-san continuous suffering.]
[……Kuro’s suffering? What does that……]
[I can’t say any more than that. If I tell you, I’m sure Kaito-san will stand in front of Kuro-san with that in mind…… and it wouldn’t have any meaning anymore.]
[It would lose its meaning?]
[Yes…… You can just be yourself above all else and stay true to yourself as you tell Kuro-san how you feel for her…… I believe that is the only way to save Kuro-san.]
I don’t know…… Neither what Alice is saying, nor what Kuro is seeking…… I completely don’t know.
However, Alice said that Kuro is in trouble and she wants me to save her…… Then, I don’t need to think about anything else.
If Kuro needs help and I can do something about it…… I would struggle to the death to reach my hand out to Kuro. There’s no need to be puzzled about anything.
[……Kaito-san…… You really are quite the fantastic person…… Here.]
[What’s this?]
As if to see the intentions gathered in my mind, Alice smiled and held out…… A shiny, golden fruit, and since she’s giving it to me, I reflexively received it.
[Before you tell Kuro-san of your feelings, please give it to her…… and I’m sure, no, Kuro-san will definitely…… “reject” you.]
[……Eh?]
No, no, I’m trying to tell her my feelings here, so wouldn’t it be all useless if she will definitely reject me…..
.
[That person has been seeking for that being for too long. Hundreds of years, thousands of years, tens of thousands of years…… A long time has passed to the point that she judged it as impossible and given up on it…… That’s why, even if such a miracle appears in front of her, she won’t be able to believe it. I’m sure you’d also feel terrified of being suddenly offered something that you’ve been looking for and haven’t been able to get.]
[……………..]
[And that’s when the game begins. Kuro-san will strongly reject you. However, turning that around, the depths hidden beneath Kuro-san’s heart that she usually keeps hidden will come out…… What you will do at that time, I will leave it to Kaito-san. Find out what Kuro-san truly feels, and then, reveal the answer.]
[……Alright.]
As usual, I don’t know what that means. However, I’ve long been ready for this.
In short…… I guess that means Kuro is just like me, hiding her true feelings in the shell she created for herself so long ago, and even she can’t break it anymore.
Of course, the years that have piled up in our shells are different, and the shell hiding the depths of Kuro’s heart is incomparable to mine…… However, Kuro saved me at that time…… In that case, what I’m going to do here is already decided.
Sensing my intentions, Alice deeply nodded.
[……Well then, let’s move on to the main issue as to why we brought you here today.]
[Eh? The main issue?]
[Yes…… As I said before, Kuro-san’s power is on a different level than ours. No matter how strong Kaito-san’s heart is, if Kuro-san seriously rejects you…… Kaito-san’s body won’t be able to withstand it. You will be crushed by Kuro-san’s magic power.]
When I heard those words, all I could think of was what happened when Kuro had put a little bit of killing intent into her magic power to find out what my Sympathy Magic was before…… At that time, I feel so close to death that it feels like my mind would break…… That’s how powerful Kuro’s magic power is if it’s filled with hostility.
If she really puts her killing intent into it, it’s so powerful that it even surpasses Isis-san’s magic power of death……
As I think about this, Alice holds out her hand……and creates a shining sphere in front of her hand.
[…..That’s why, Kaito-san. We will now…… lend our magic power to you.]
[……Ehh?]
[We will use our magic power to apply a powerful Defensive Magic to Kaito-san. Even so, you won’t be able to last long against Kuro-san…… but with this, I don’t think you won’t faint at the moment you confront her.]
After telling me this, Alice walks up to me and lets the sphere created by her magic power touch my body.
As the extraordinarily powerful magic power flowed into my body, I felt it create a membrane around me, and Alice, taking off her mask in front of me…… looks at me with her blue eyes.
[……Shalltear…… In the words of “the world I used to live in”, it means “A fragment of illusion”…… You have made me, who was only an empty illusion, into a definite me, Alice…… That’s why, please, more than anything…… I wish for you a happy ending……]
[……Alice.]
Saying that, Alice puts her mask back on and moves away.
Thereupon, Megiddo-san walks in front of me next with his own sphere made of magic power just like Alice had.
[Kaito…… You’re an interesting fellow. You better not lose here, we still haven’t done my revenge match yet……]
[……Megiddo-san.]
As Megiddo-san’s magic power is sucked into my body, the next thing I heard is the majestic voice beneath my feet.
“Challenging unprecedented feats…… All these recklessness fits just right with you youngsters…… Miyama Kaito…… The young otherworlder holding a strange destiny…… Venture forth.”
[……Magnawell-san.]
Magnawell-san’s magic power that emerged from below my feet flowed into my body, further strengthening the membrane covering my body.
“……Kaito-san. Kuromueina…… is the being that could be said to be as our mother, so please, I leave her to you.”
[……Lillywood-san.]
Along with the words Lillywood-san gently said, Lillywood-san’s magic power also flowed into my body.
And then, as Lillywood-san walks away from me……. Isis-san slowly approaches.
[……Kaito…… save…… Kuromueina…… Kuromueina has been…… suffering…… longer than I have.]
[……Isis-san.]
[……If it’s Kaito…… I’m sure it will be alright…… After all…… Kaito…… was the one who saved me……]
Saying that, Isis-san gently hugged my body, and at the same time, her warm magic power flowed into my body.
Dear Mom, Dad—— In the end, I didn’t know clearly about what Kuro wished. However, I think that what everyone of the Six Kings entrusted to me wasn’t just their magic power, for within it——- are everyone’s wishes.
<Author’s Notes>
Note: He’s going on a date here. They aren’t talking about him going to the final battle to save the universe from a certain refrigerator’s invasion or anything like that.
And also, Isis hugged him in front of everyone without hesitation…… As expected of you.
Also, it was just a glimpse, but Alice’s true identity was also revealed a bit. More details will be available later in Alice’s chapter, however, until then……