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Chapter 84 Part 2 – When the rose of winter bloom. Feelings of first love that transcend time ……

Alisa’s lips strung up in a twisted smile.

「…… Gaah ……!! Gogoh ……!!」

Addis stiffened as if struck by an electric shock.

The Seven Phantoms looked on in astonishment.

There was a shimmering blue glow on Addis’s back.

Before they knew it, the blue diamond pendant had left Alisa’s hand and was clinging to Addis’s back with an icy glow and chains.

「That’s the end of the game. You couldn’t sense when it was thrown, could you? Do you know why? It’s because both this blue diamond and that child’s ruby is of a higher nature than your ‘Dark Illusion’. And so, once the owner has mastered it, you won’t be able to see or feel it at your level. Although it would be a different story if you’re at the level of ‘Mother’ or『him』.」

Alisa directed a terrifying smile at Addis who was paralyzed by the curse.

「Ahaha, do you know why you didn’t learn the lesson when Scarlet did a similar move to what I just did? It’s because you underestimated her.」

When Alisa pointed her finger, the blue diamond flew through the air by itself and settled in her hand.

「Addis. The spinning top that loses the collision game is doomed to be miserably knocked over. You fool with no desire to improve yourself. Cool your head in the wind and reflect.」

Addis received all of the kinetic energy that was supposed to be directed at Alisa, including the recoil. He danced in the air while performing a somersault.

「Ahahaha, fly, fly.」

Alisa clapped her hands and laughed.

Addis groaned and screamed as he spun around and spewed out blood and foam from his mouth.

The rest of the Seven Phantoms were shaken.

Not only because of Alisa’s actions, but also because they realized that her words were true.

The ‘Dark Illusion’ is an action concealment technique that can allow the user to attack unilaterally and is invincible as long as it is not detected. However, it would not work against someone who can use the higher level of ‘Dark Illusion’. On the contrary, they would be unable to make a move and would end up utterly defeated. Just like how Addis was at the mercy of 「him」 who manifested in Bradd. This was truly the reenactment of that situation.

If they could not stand on the same level as Alisa, ‘Mother’, and 「him」, they would be unilaterally beaten down by Scarlet in the not-too-distant future. This fact crushed the pride of the Seven Phantoms.

「Now, do you understand the meaning of not being able to win against Scarlet? If she adds a one-hit-kill attack which is a curse to this, Scarlet will evolve into a formidable enemy. In the near future, Scarlet will be able to move the ruby freely to her will. All she needs is a trigger. You’ve already seen the signs, haven’t you?」

Alisa is talking about the surprise attack that Scarlet had pulled off by taking advantage of the ruby’s automatic return. However, Addis does not have the composure to answer her question right now.

「……!!」

Unable to take a defensive stance, Addis crashed into a grove of trees while his arms and legs were swinging around due to the centrifugal force. Even though the tree trunk and branches were broken, the momentum still did not get reduced, and even as his body scraped against the ground, the rotation still did not stop.

「Ahaha, it looks like you’re having fun swimming in the air. Or is it hoop spinning? You shouldn’t spin it yourself, Addis …… Oh, but no matter how much fun you’re having, it’s bad manners to look up at a lady from below.」

Already back to her original form, Alisa gently waved the hem of her skirt. She bent down to look at Addis’s face as he had fallen to her feet like a broken doll.

「Or are you begging me that you haven’t had enough fun yet? If so, I’ll ask you to dance with me next time. I’ll swing you around like a doll. That’s one of Scarlet’s specialties. …… Even in my eyes, her ‘Thunderbolt’ dance is stunning.」

「……P …… please forgive …… me …… Alisa …… -sama …… I can …… no longer ……」

Addis was on the verge of death, but he desperately declined even as he was gasping for breath. When it comes to Alisa’s dance, it’s certainly the killing technique ‘Sky Dance’. If he was forced to dance with her any longer, he would surely lose his life.

「Is that so? What a pity. Fufu, I’m sure Scarlet will be dancing at the ball tonight. I’m getting excited from thinking of her appearance when she dances ……」

Alisa stood up and looked up at the lonely moonlit night sky.

「…… Scarlet, what do you think of the ‘Thunderbolt’ dance? Is it Cinderella’s glass slipper that will make the high society success story come true? Fufu, if you think so, then you’re terribly wrong.」

Alisa brushed a stray strand of blond hair into her ear. She spoke to her beloved girl that exists under the same night sky.

「The ‘Thunderbolt’ dance is the red slipper of death that is filled with the resentment of numerous women. The ultimate destination of it is hell. Ahaha, I wonder if you would walk down the same path as me once you realize that. I’m really looking forward to it.」

Behind the chuckling Alisa, a huge shadow silently got close to her.

With its silver mane glistening in the moonlight, the small-mountain-sized beast stuck out its snout and rubbed Alisa on the cheek. It was Managallam, the child of the demon dog Gallam. It had returned to its master as fast as a gale after having delivered Princess Margaret and completed the mission Alisa had ordered it to carry out.

「Welcome back. Managallam. I appreciate your hard work. …… I knew ‘Mother’ would not leave quietly, but she was actually planning something so inhuman. She is indeed the successor of the blood of darkness. Fine then. That’s part of the fun. Let her do what she wants. I’ve already played a card. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to outwit that monster.」

Running her fingers through Managallam’s shining bristles, Alisa smiled with a good mood.

「Tonight’s banquet is going to be very tasteful. First of all, Cornelia, I’m going to let you have a proper taste of what a noblewoman’s life should be like. Oh? She can also dance the ‘Thunderbolt’? Furthermore, her partner is that woman? Ahahahaha, what a joke. Very well. You should dance so brilliantly that it would be etched in Scarlet’s memory. Bloom magnificently and beautifully in that cursed red slipper ……」

Alisa gave a horrifying smile. Then, with light steps, she began to spin around on the spot. Her high-waisted skirt flared out like a flower with the ribbons fluttering in the air. She gradually rotated faster and faster until she reached a speed that is impossible for humans. The air screamed like the groans of vengeful spirits. Alisa was doing the ‘Thunderbolt’ dance.

「……!!」

Phantasma the Phantom Castle reflexively leapt forward.

It felt as if the space was distorted. The dancing Alisa looked like a wall of ice, like a giant mythical monster, and also like a goddess.

「…… Don’t tell me!! Could it be that the true identity of the ‘Thunderbolt’ dance is ……!! Alisa-sama’s ……」

With the intuition of an ancient Indian warrior, he realized why Alisa had described the ‘Thunderbolt’ dance as cursed. If the adult Seraphy had been present here, he would have reacted in the same way. If that is the case, it should be said that it was an irony of fate that the ‘Thunderbolt’ dance is praised extravagantly as the status of a gorgeous noble lady.

「That’s correct. That is why the ‘Thunderbolt’ dance is the devil’s gate for those debutantes full of hope. Only those who have tasted the despair and sorrow of a woman can truly perform this dance.」

Alisa’s horrifying smile deepened even more.

「Ahahaha!! That’s why, Cornelia, you might be able to at least imitate the ‘Thunderbolt’ dance. I’m going to pick your most glorious moment as a mother. Cut it out and display it like a picture in a frame. Be grateful. In Scarlet’s memory, you will forever live as the ideal mother. A flower that survives the harsh winter will bloom beautifully. The death of her beloved mother will make that child even stronger and more beautiful. Besides …… the child in your womb will surely get in the way of me and Scarlet. I feel sorry for you, but I have to make the first move before ‘time’ intervenes unnecessarily.」

With a maniacal glint in her eyes and a dreadful aura that implies that she will kill anyone that touches her, Alisa danced in the moonlit night.

Even the shadow at her feet became an object of terror. Everyone was trembling and they were unable to even look up at the face of the little Alisa. The Seven Phantoms, the forest, and even the night were frozen in silence.

She was truly the empress who reigned over the throne of the night.

「Ahahaha!! At this ball, there is a small villain who is full of evil thoughts. Blue diamond and the Witch of Doom. Let the darkness in your hearts burn. In order to make the light named Scarlet shine even brighter.」

Responding to Alisa’s command, the horrifying black light emitted from the blue diamond flew far into the night with a trailing tail. Alisa is indeed the goddess of death who toys with people’s fates. However, the reflection of Alisa’s back in the pupils of the demon dog Managallam, who lay face down and watched her intently, looked terribly fragile and for some reason very sad.