Volume 3 Chapter 85: The Servant’s Battle

“What… the hell… is that…?”

Alice Hellsight, who had immediately sensed the abnormality in the Floating City Pharmament and escaped, muttered in shock, her voice trembling as she widened her eyes in disbelief.

This can’t be real…

What had captured her attention wasn’t the white giant. It was the pristine white armor that had suddenly descended from above, engaging in battle with the giant and matching it blow for blow.

As a member of the Artisan race, Alice recognized the transformed state of the Floating City and instantly concluded:

That’s not an opponent anyone can hope to fight.

Alice had an unmatched eye for machinery, honed over years of creating magical tools. Her discerning ability to evaluate things was exceptional even among her kind, and her intuition—renowned as one of the best among the Artisan race—had warned her:

This thing has the power to destroy the world.

Her fear surpassed even that of Tesea, who had failed to comprehend the monstrosity through her own Analysis.

Humans fear what they cannot understand, but Alice’s fear stemmed from the fact that she could understand. The overwhelming, hopeless power it possessed was clear to her.

Had her mental fortitude been any weaker, she might have succumbed to despair.

That’s how powerless she felt in the face of it.

Even the Spirit King would stand no chance against that thing.

It was in an entirely different dimension.

For humanity as it existed now, this was a force far beyond reach.

At least, that’s what she thought.

“He parried it!?”

The pristine white armor, extending four radiant wings from the sides of its legs, deflected the massive fist of the white giant with a vivid swing of a crimson sword.

Impossible.

The size difference was beyond absurd. The comparison was laughable. To the white giant, the pristine armor was no larger than a speck of dust.

And yet, this tiny figure not only resisted but exhibited strength equal to or greater than its massive opponent.

For Alice, the white armor was even more incomprehensible than the colossal mechanical soldier.

As if mocking the giant, the pristine armor darted around it at high speed, wielding its crimson sword and carving wounds into what should have been an indestructible frame.

“What the hell is that thing…?”

What is it… really?

“The answer is obvious, isn’t it?”

The voice that answered Alice’s confused muttering came from Fiona, who clung to her side.

“Someone capable of such feats could only be one person in this world—Noil-senpai.”

“What!? That’s Noil!?”

There was no way Alice could believe it.

To Alice, Noil didn’t seem remotely like someone that powerful. Strong individuals had a certain aura about them. What she sensed from him was the opposite—an air of incompetence.

Sure, he seemed slightly more competent in critical moments, but even then, Alice had dismissed him as just a guy who happened to appeal to the Spirit King’s questionable taste for hopeless men.

If he truly possessed such immense power, he wouldn’t have needed to send only Alice away while he stayed behind to deal with the mechanical soldiers. His Magis Gear was mundane, utilizing basic equipment with a shield.

There was no way the immensely powerful white armor could be Noil.

“…Or perhaps it’s Milis-san.”

So it’s the two of them.

“So it’s the two of them, then,” Alice muttered aloud, her thoughts spilling out as they were.

Fiona’s face twisted in frustration. Though her goggles had been removed, suggesting she had no intention of joining the fight, it was clear she understood.

She knew all too well that her interference would only be a hindrance.

Though this woman annoyed Alice, she wasn’t stupid. Well, she was stupid, but not in this sense.

Blood dripped from Fiona’s trembling fists, her tightly bitten lip also bleeding.

“Oh, look at you—positively seething with jealousy,” Alice mocked, observing Fiona’s frustration.

Still…

I see.

If Noil was working alongside that monstrous woman, it made a bit more sense.

After all, this was the same woman who had instantly destroyed the small airship Alice had been on and fought an entire army of mechanical soldiers alone, surviving the ordeal. Alice had even seen her strike the transformed Floating City head-on, causing its massive frame to shift ever so slightly.

That was beyond human. If such a monster was assisting him, then… No, even so, it was hard to believe.

“Him, huh…”

Alice reassessed her opinion of Noil Arlens.

The majority of that power likely came from the monstrous woman. However, not just anyone could cooperate with someone like her and wield such power effectively.

If the white armor was a Magis Gear, then Noil himself must be its core.

She didn’t understand how they were jointly operating a Magis Gear, but one’s talent and disposition greatly affected its performance.

No matter how fine a mana stone an Artisan was given, if they lacked the skill, they couldn’t create anything of worth.

To keep up with a monster, one had to be a monster themselves.

If Milis was operating on an inhuman level, then Noil Arlens was stepping into that same realm.

“Ku…hihi…”

A soft laugh escaped Alice’s lips.

This is getting interesting.

Now this was a servant worth having.

If she could make Noil hers, she would ascend to a far higher plane. She’d leave the Spirit King far behind.

At first, her goal had been simply to spite the Spirit King. That’s why she’d decided to take Noil under her wing—to enjoy the Spirit King’s humiliation. Once she had her fill of satisfaction, she had planned to discard him without much thought.

But now that she knew the extent of his power, the situation had changed.

Moreover, if she could make Noil her servant, she’d likely gain control of Milis Albama, that monstrous woman, as well.

They’re mine—both of them.

And besides…

She’d also get to see this annoying woman’s face twisted in despair.

Alice despised Fiona.

She had a great figure, a beautiful face, and was competent to boot. Everything about her grated on Alice. Her personality was the worst, too.

Alice had heard about how Fiona had once picked a fight with all the miners in the guild, but she hadn’t realized how truly infuriating she was until now.

Moreover, this woman made Alice abandon her Azure Doll—Pretty Cute Alice-chan Version.

When they were escaping, Fiona had bluntly said, “It’s too heavy. Please throw away that tasteless doll.”

Although Fiona had made a perfectly reasonable request, for Alice, discarding one of her own creations was an unbearable act.

She had insisted on keeping it, but Fiona wouldn’t budge.

Since Alice couldn’t fly on her own, she was forced to make a bitter decision, saying goodbye to her Azure Doll—Pretty Cute Alice-chan Version with a heart-wrenching sense of loss.

I’ll never forgive her…

While this was nothing more than Alice’s petty grudge, the fact remained that Fiona had saved her life. But Alice was the kind of person who would never acknowledge that.

It seemed this woman was completely devoted to Noil.

How satisfying it would be to snatch him away from her.

When someone loses what they cherish most, they show the best expressions.

Alice imagined plunging this irritating woman into despair and saying to her, “So? How does it feel?”

“Hey.”

To start with, Alice decided to make Fiona’s face twist in frustration even more.

With a wide grin, Alice called out to Fiona.

“You’re losing to that other woman, huh?”

“…!!”

There it is. This is it.

Alice reveled in the sight.

She was absolutely twisted.

Watching Fiona grit her teeth with an indescribable expression, Alice felt satisfied for now.

Her mood had improved.

She was, without a doubt, twisted.

“So, how long are you planning to cling to me?”

Fiona’s eyes narrowed as she spoke in a voice so chilling it could freeze the air.

At this moment, Fiona held Alice’s life in her hands.

But Alice didn’t panic. She wasn’t foolish enough to provoke Fiona recklessly in this situation without a plan.

She had, of course, considered self-preservation.

“Oh? What, you gonna drop me? Huh? Let me remind you, Noil knows about me. If something happens to me in this situation, just think about how he’ll react. You know his personality, don’t you? He’d suffer, wouldn’t he? He’d feel terrible. He’d be wracked with guilt. Regret it for the rest of his life.

…So? Can you do it?”

Alice’s personality was terrible.

Smirking, she continued to provoke Fiona, fully aware of her devotion to Noil.

She knew Fiona would never do anything that might upset him.

In the first place, the fact that Fiona had begrudgingly brought Alice along during their escape and hadn’t shaken her off, even now, made it clear that she couldn’t abandon her.

Fiona couldn’t do anything to Alice.

“You can’t drop me, can you? Oh, by the way, my arms are getting tired. Why don’t you carry Alice-chan? Come on, hurry up!”

Alice’s personality was truly terrible.

“I’ve been thinking…”

“Huh?”

“Senpai is a kind person, so yes, he’d probably be upset if a speck of dust like you disappeared.”

Alice wasn’t thrilled about being called “a speck of dust,” but she didn’t have the luxury to argue.

Her arms were genuinely reaching their limit.

“Then hurry up and—”

“But…”

Before Alice could finish, Fiona smiled sweetly.

A chill ran down Alice’s spine.

“In that case, I’ll just comfort him myself.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll stay by Senpai’s side, taking care of him until his sorrow fades. And as I do, his love for me will deepen.”

“Wait… hey, you can’t be serious…”

Fiona slowly began to peel Alice’s arms off her.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Stop! Seriously, stop! This isn’t funny!!”

“At first, Senpai might be sad. But my love will heal him over time. And then, his love for me will grow even stronger.”

“Are you insane!? How the hell do you come up with such twisted crap?! STOP IT!!”

“You’ll be the sacrifice that strengthens our love.”

“You crazy witch!!!”

With a radiant smile, Fiona pried Alice off and let her fall.

Alice plunged downward, helpless, as Fiona waved with a cheerful smile.

I miscalculated.

She had completely misjudged just how deranged this woman was.

Her level of insanity was off the charts.

The moment Alice thought that, her body suddenly floated.

“Whew! That was close! Seriously close!”

Alice quickly assessed her situation and shouted while sweating profusely.

“That damn woman! She knew!”

“Are you okay, Alice?”

A dignified voice called out to Alice, who clenched her teeth in frustration as she realized she’d been toyed with.

Alice scowled.

“Of course, I’m fine, damn it.”

“Guess I didn’t need to save you, then.”

“Don’t drop me! Don’t drop me!”

When her body dipped slightly, Alice panicked.

She turned to face the group she detested from the bottom of her heart.

“Tch… Looks like you’re in rough shape, Spirit King. Got your Black Cat taken out, huh?”

Despite the Spirit King’s usual calm demeanor, her clothes were torn and filthy, and the weariness on her face was evident.

Milis was unconscious, cradled in Sophie’s arms.

While Kreis and Letto didn’t appear visibly injured, their exhaustion was unmistakable.

Floating nearby with his bizarre, beast-like footwork was another figure—a beastkin who seemed to have emerged victorious in his battle.

Well, that figures.

In fact, it was surprising they were even standing after such a struggle.

“It’s my lack of strength, really. But don’t worry, she’ll wake up soon.”

“Well, isn’t that nice? So, why aren’t you heading to help your precious Noil, huh?”

Alice asked with a smirk, fully aware that they couldn’t possibly intervene in their current state.

As expected, a faint twitch appeared on the Spirit King’s face.

That alone was enough to satisfy Alice for now.

“You’re such a mean person, Alice.”

“Yeah, no kidding.”

As their exchange continued, Fiona rejoined them.

“You! You actually did it, you brat! You scared Alice-chan!”

“I was mostly serious, though.”

“That’s even worse, you witch! Go die!”

After hurling insults at Fiona, Alice sighed, lacing her hands behind her head as she turned her gaze back to Noil and Milis, still locked in their unimaginable battle.

“Hm?”

Out of the corner of her eye, Alice noticed a clunky flying object approaching.

Spotting the three figures aboard, she grinned.

“Still alive, huh? Not bad for a lousy servant.”

She whispered quietly to herself.

“Well, then. Time to sit back and enjoy the show. Let’s see how my servant’s fight plays out.”

With a peculiar laugh, Alice chuckled to herself.