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Chapter 79 Part 1 – Alisa and ‘Mother’. What will the intertwined Ouroboros bring about in the future?

The fortune teller who is praised as the best in Hydrangea, ‘Mother’, cheerfully walks through the forest at night with her blond hair illuminated by the moonlight. Her steps are more sure-footed than those of nocturnal beasts. Her pure white silk robe slips magically through the myriad of sharp branches. The branches didn’t even graze Alisa’s blue dress as she was being held up by ‘Mother’ with one hand. The scene was too unnatural, especially since some of the gaps were impossible to get through. It was as if the forest itself was opening a path for her.

「Alisa-chan. You’re planning to kill Countess Rosenthal, right? And you’re also planning to kill Cornelia-san and the baby in her belly. That’s not good. How about you go for a more peaceful solution ……」

At ‘Mother’s’ whispers, the sleeping Alisa suddenly opened her blue eyes and gave her an icy glance.

「…… Ahaha, you put me through the monkey show, and now you’re giving me a lecture with a condescending attitude? What should I do to you? Okay, I’ve decided. I’m going to rip the skin off your irritating face, you insufferable hypocrite.」

A low roar resounded in the air. ‘Mother’s’ hand was repelled away and Alisa’s body flew through the air. Alisa’s body began to spin like a spinning top. The hem of her blue dress fluttered and turned into a blue tornado under the moonlight.

「Jeez, Alisa-chan, you’re so quick to get angry. I can’t have a proper conversation with you if you continue to put actions before words. In spite of the fact that this is a long-awaited reunion.」

‘Mother’ let out a sigh.

「But sometimes a fist is worth a million words. Maybe this kind of greeting is more suitable for us.」

‘Mother’ smiled just like Alisa.

A roar swirled between Alisa and the tree. The branches and leaves did not get a chance to be blown away and were literally reduced to small pieces as if caught in an invisible grinder. It was the fists and kicks of the two that caused it. That was a technique that could only be accomplished by being able to strike the object they touched with no loss of destructive energy. However, even the exchange of supernatural divine feats was nothing more than a superficial warm-up for these two.

‘Mother’ nodded with satisfaction.

While barely moving from where she’s standing, ‘Mother’ continued to deal with Alisa’s fierce onslaught.

「Ufufu, Alisa-chan, you’ve become extremely skilled at that age. To think that you’ve combined your signature move, ‘Sky Dance’, with the technique that distorts and destroys anything it touches, ‘Frenzy’. The key to the power of both of these techniques is rotation. The synergistic effect results in a power of 150 out of 100 points. In addition to that, you also add the prediction of death to the mix. No one can beat Alisa-chan.」

And then ‘Mother’ smiled. Her smile was gentle, but her lips were tinged with confidence and ridicule.

「But, you know, I’m also confident in my ability to predict. And in both ‘Sky Dance’ and ‘Frenzy’, rotation is both a strength and a weakness. After all, as long as I can stop the rotation, I can seal both of them at the same time. So, with 70 points deducted, your final score is 80 points. If you’re going to fight against me, you need to score at least 95 points in order to pass.」

While chattering, ‘Mother’ tried to trip up Alisa the moment she landed on the ground.

「Ufufu, I will teach you how to be polite to the elders. It’s going to hurt a little bit, but you’ll have to be patient.」

Even though the attack wasn’t very fast, it had an unusual force reminiscent of a great avalanche. However, the moment it came into contact with her leg, Alisa’s body rotated even faster and moved upward again. Alisa’s trajectory drew a ‘V’ as she quickly moved toward ‘Mother’. ‘Mother’ let out a voice of admiration as she glided backward.

「…… Oh my, that surprised me. I can’t believe that you actually converted the power of my kick into rotation and added it to yourself. Ufufu, I’ll correct my previous words. I’ll give you 200 points for the exceptional offense and defense. The ‘Sky Dance’ is a technique worth only 30 points at best, but you have done a great job of sublimating it to this level.」

‘Mother’ commended Alisa.

「But why do you insist on using ‘Sky Dance’? After all, you’re not using it as a honey trap. That’s a technique that works only because it’s used as a surprise attack. I think they were called …… Thorn Princess. What nonsense. With Alisa-chan’s talent, I’m sure there are plenty of better combat techniques out there that suit you more ……」

‘Mother’ tilted her head curiously as she staved off Alisa’s barrage of blows which had increased in speed even more.

The ‘Sky Dance’ is an assassination technique of the assassin princesses called Thorn Princess. She seduces the target with her alluring charm and kills the defenseless opponent in the bedroom. In the end, it is nothing more than a surprise attack technique that does not work at all against an armed opponent. It was all the more so because it was a physical technique performed with bare hands to avoid alarming the target. The Thorn Princess is a disposable suicide weapon and none of them has ever been able to return alive from enemy territory. Hence, the ‘Sky Dance’ technique disappeared from history.

‘Mother’ knows that Alisa is capable of crushing any opponent head-on without having to resort to such a bizarre combat technique. Which is why she can only assume that Alisa is making an irrational choice.

Alisa responded with a violent smile.

「…… Ahaha, I’m sure you’ll never understand how I feel. ‘Sky Dance’ is not just an assassination technique. It is the claws of women who were sent to their deaths without even being allowed to hold a dagger, and yet, they still struggled desperately to survive. Even after death, their way of life is as beautiful as a great sword. That is why I love it.」

「…… You know, claws are meant to cut through the enemy. A claw that can only leave a mark is like a piece of scrap iron. And you’re calling that a great sword? Ufufu, I get it. It’s called human sentimentality, right? That makes me feel disappointed. Alisa-chan.」

‘Mother’ was giving off an eerie atmosphere as if she were a giant lizard wearing human skin. The friendly smile she had shown to Scarlet and the others earlier was unmasked by her clash with Alisa. Her true nature that Bradd had seen through was gradually revealed.

「I can’t believe that you’re throwing your precious talent down the drain for such a silly thing. The fist of a ruler doesn’t need something like that. Spit out that naiveness along with your blood. I’ll comfort you afterwards by rubbing our cheeks together. Don’t they say that you need to use the carrot and stick policy when it comes to disciplining a beast? I wonder if Alisa-chan will hug me back.」

Alisa narrowed her eyes at those words.

「Ahaha, I’ll let you rub my cheeks as much as you like. On the ground that is.」

Alisa twisted her body like a tornado. Then a red mist swirled around her and her figure split into five.

‘Mother’ let out a sigh.

「It’s the illusionary cloning technique, ‘Blood Sakura Butterfly’. But all five of them are illusions. The real Alisa-chan hid herself and jumped above me with her ‘Dark Illusion’. And she is planning to surprise me with ‘Frenzy’. I’m so disappointed. Your plan is so obvious.」

Just as ‘Mother’ said, Alisa suddenly appears above her.

However, ‘Mother’ did not try to avoid it.

「…… And this is also an illusion. The real one is right in front of me. Your tricks are useless.」

‘Mother’ moved slightly backward to dodge Alisa’s attack, but her complexion soon changed.

Alisa sneered.

She intentionally missed the attack in order to accelerate the rotation. Everything she did was a prelude to prevent ‘Mother’ from blocking the next move. The long waist ribbon of her high-waisted dress fluttered in a spiral. A jarring sound reminiscent of a swarm of flies shook the sky.

「This is not ‘Frenzy’!? What is this!?」

「Let me tell you about this. The name of this technique is ‘Demon’s Cry’. It is combined with the fist of the world’s most obstinate guy. The hunting dog of God, ‘Mother’. You will see for yourself the power of those who resist.」

The relaxed smile that had been on ‘Mother’s’ face disappeared. Her natural standing posture changed to a stance with the waist lowered. It was a defensive stance with her arms crossed above her head. She instantly decided that she had to guard herself with all her strength. A sharp breath echoed.

Tremendous destructive energy converged in Alisa’s small palm and collided with ‘Mother’s’ defense. The two forces, coalesced to the utmost limit, clashed and scattered sparks.