Chapter 101

INTERMISSION xxxxxxxx Error: xxx. Trace lost. Trace lost. Trace lost.” “No sign of Goddess in last known location. Possibilities: Returned to void or mortal possession.” “Accessing extradimensional intervention logs regarding the transfer of visitor #538 via mortal terminal #6963. Calculating target behavioral goal… Target behavioral goal unclear. Assumed goal: to protect visitor #538. Assumed goal inconsistent with facts; no subsequent intervention located.” “Evidence of divine interference confirmed at extradimensional coordinates (N89, B155, SJ778) during self-initiated transfer of visitor #538. No record of similar interference found in logs. Searching for instances of returned individuals subsequently retransferring from original to foreign world. Many instances found. Requesting data… Request denied.” Everything was white. White. White. A female voice, beautiful beyond all description, rang out across the vast, empty landscape. And there, alone at the center of the void, sat a single woman. Or perhaps “alone” wasn’t quite the right word. She was surrounded by several floating fairies. She and these fairies spoke over each other in completely monotonous voices. It was as though they were not talking but mindlessly repeating themselves, like a machine. What made the scene even more bizarre was the fact that their voices were all identical. “Priority level currently at low. Reason: resource shortage following time coordinate reversal. Peculiarities surrounding visitor #538 marked for urgent response. Priority level and resource allocation rate increased.” “Calculating visitor #538 expected behavior. Irrational activity determined to be product of mental deficiency. Based on previous action log, target is predicted to seek elimination of two low-priority mortal life-forms.” “Reanalyzing sterilization script. Proposing use of mortal terminal #E57 to distance visitor #538 from battlefield and eliminate uncertainties in manifestation sequence… Proposal approved.” “Manifestation sequence progression in mortal terminal #6965 currently at fifty-eight percent.” “Progression rate low. Reason: low synchronization rate in backup unit. Deficiencies predicted.” “Accelerating schedule. Transferring blessing of crystal from mortal terminal #E57 to mortal terminal #6963. Goal: advance spread of World Tree seed.” The woman’s long hair was fastened in buns on either side of her head, while the remainder spilled out across the floor. Her features were almost too perfect, like that of a finely crafted doll without a human heart. Her loose garb was austere, yet reverent. But while there were many points about her worthy of note, one stood out above all the others. “Probability of target traces spontaneously disappearing before manifestation: very low. Preparing emergency manifestation sequence to be used upon detection of direct interference event.” “Diverting energy to sensors. Divine mana readings and manifestation time correct to within one point. Luna arrest probability in future cases increased to seventy-three percent.” A pure white. An overwhelming white. Her hair, her clothes, her skin, even the fairies dancing around her head were white. Although the space itself was also white, her white was overpowering, enough to make the eye forget all other colors, so white that the room only seemed to inherit its tone from her. Not a single shadow nor speck of dirt polluted her pure, radiant form. “Predicting interference from Goddess of Earth in acquiring world access rights. Divine pact forbids interference except via means of visitor #538. Further intervention opportunities negligible.” “To date, schedule has been delayed 897,561 times, due to actions of Earth Goddess.” “Elimination of local Goddess Luna required to further counteract influence of Earth Goddess.” “Continuing to monitor and assess the situation.” “For divinity. For divinity. For divinity.” “Our righteous work be done.” Those words lingered in a pure white space amid nothing else. In a castle near the border of the Orollea Kingdom and the Lunarian See. “Heya. Been a while, Princess.” A curious, singsong voice heralded the sudden and unannounced arrival of the elf, Endimir, to the kingdom’s war room. The soldiers all bristled their spears without a word, while the officers continued their conversations over tabletops full of maps and plans. “How fares things?” “It will be a few more days before we finish readying the reinforcements.” “Let’s pull back the front lines and use the seeds on all our remaining men.” “It won’t work. They haven’t been trained. If we use the seeds now, they’ll turn into useless blocks of wood.” Everyone carried on like clockwork, as though they were little robots following their orders. Everyone, save for the elf and the princess. “Endimir. As tactless as ever, I see.” Princess Alicia regarded the gray-robed elf with the same unconcealed reproach as always. Despite her proximity to the front lines, she still wore her usual dress, and she sat atop a felt-lined sofa alongside an unidentifiable figure in full plate mail and helm. “Come now, Princess,” replied Endimir. “We’re all friends here, aren’t we?” Alicia sighed. “You are as oblivious as you are irritating. So? How long do you plan on bothering me this time? Is your ‘urgent business’ all dealt with?” “Oh, Princess. Disappointingly curt, as usual,” said Endimir. “But I suppose you’re right; there’s not much time for jokes. Our goddess has really been cracking the whip lately.” “Then let’s get this over with so you can be on your way.” “Ha-ha! Patience, Princess, patience. My goddess has a gift for you. Here.” Endimir handed over what looked like a smooth, clear sphere of glass about the size of a softball. In its center was a softly glowing white wing. “What is this?” the princess asked. “The crystal blessing,” answered Endimir. “I believe the Church calls it the Holy Crystal.” “The Holy Crystal? Then this crystal contains the mana of Lady Lunaris?” “Precisely. It will allow you to manufacture World Tree seeds on a much grander scale. I was told to hurry things up, so here we are.” “Hmm. Somebody nipping at your heels, perhaps?” “The anomaly has returned.” “The anomaly? Ah, you mean that failed hero,” said Alicia with dispassion. “Quite right, Your Highness. That little boy has us running hither and thither all over the place. I’m surprised you don’t show a little more interest, given how obsessive you were about him in the past.” “I care not for hunting down monsters,” said Alicia. “I have my dear sister Lamnecia to think about now.” The princess beamed a genuine smile—a rapturous, ecstatic smile—and spread her fingers across the armored figure beside her. “Yes, well,” said Endimir. “I think you’ll find the crystal to be most useful in maintaining that doll of yours— Oops.” Just then, iron brambles shot at him from out of nowhere. The elf deflected the thorns with a swing of a sword crafted out of mana. “Doll?” said Alicia, consumed by rage. “If you dare insult Lamnecia in that way again, I’ll tear you limb from limb.” “No need to tell me twice, Princess. It was a slip of the tongue, nothing more. That’s right, she’s your beloved big sister Lamnecia, isn’t she?” “Quite right. Tee-hee-hee.” Alicia’s fury dissipated in an instant, and she returned to her peaceful tittering. “Really now,” said Endimir. “You truly are only good for your exceptional mana control. When it comes to empathy, you’re the polar opposite of your sister. In some ways, I suppose you complement each other nicely.” The elf laughed and dissipated his sword, which turned into mysterious motes of light and disappeared. “Of course,” said Alicia. “Lamnecia and I are wonderful sisters.” “Well, then, Princess, I suppose I’ll see you around. Toodle-oo.” Endimir gave a vicious grin and vanished in a flash of light. “…Ah-ha. Ah-ha-ha! AH-HA-HA-HA-HA!!” After the elf left, I could no longer contain my laughter. “I was wondering how I’d get my hands on this, and then that horrid elf just comes along and drops it in my lap! Tee-hee-hee!” I looked at the so-called crystal blessing that Endimir had left me. “Now I have everything I need. Finally, I can do it. We can be…” “…” “Just you wait, my darling sister. Just you wait…” …I will bring you back to life.