CH 146

[VS Alice, the Queen of Wrath]

“Let’s goooo!”

[YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!]

Leading 80,000 players, I raced toward the battlefield!

The wilderness which was normally filled with monsters was completely desolate. It felt kind of weird and unfamiliar, but with all monsters gone, nothing impeded our way.

“We’re going to seize control of the Beginning Town by all means necessary. Because it is the center of the world, according to the world map.”

The enemy forces were more than double that of ours. If we were going to win, positioning would be crucial.

With that in mind, we must occupy the Beginning Town.

“Once we capture it, we won’t have to worry about the encroachment of the Zone of Death which is heading towards the center of the world.”

That would give us a massive advantage. Because we would be able to focus on fighting. The enemy forces, on the contrary, would be cornered by the ever-closing-in Zone of Death from behind them.

It would be a pseudo-pincer attack.

“Then again, the enemy likely has the same idea. So expect a battle to break out the moment we reach the town.”

Considering the plots they had used against us, I wondered what they had got prepared this time.

Anyway, looked like it’d still take a while until we got there.

–The moment that thought crossed my mind, however, I caught sight of a strange silhouette as I continued running.

“What the hell…?”

Far ahead of us, there was a massive pillar of light rising into the sky. And it just so happened to be in the same direction as the Beginning Town.

Upon taking notice of it, the other players gasped. It was so far away, so we couldn’t be sure. But we all had a feeling for what it truly was. Everyone’s faces tensed.

“No, no… it can’t be…!”

We proceeded further.

Then, the moment we could finally see the town, our suspicion turned into conviction.

There was no room for doubt.

–The pillar–which turned out to rise from the Beginning Town–wasn’t a pillar at all…! It was…

“It’s the Goddess’ Spirit Tree Yggdrasil, the symbol of the Goddess’ side home base… but it should have been in the Snowy City Niflheim…!”

Why was it there…? No, this wasn’t the time to be thinking about such a question!

“Halt! If the town is already occupied–”

It’d be dangerous to get close to it—so I was about to shout, but right then, countless flashes of light flickered in the distance!

“Tch, come forth, shields! Attacks incoming, defend yourselves!!!”

[–?!]

The Demon King’s Army instantly reacted. Some used defensive arts, others used their weapons as shields, and others still stood in place, not knowing what to do. A moment later, thousands of long-range attack magic rained down on us.

“Kh… this is…!”

Bababababababababaaaaaang! Loud and rapid banging sounds spread across the entire army.

Fire magic, water magic, wind magic, lightning magic, and ‘darkness magic’–the especially fierce one–scraped away at our weapons and armor.

The torrential downpour of death continued unabated. Between the flashes of light, I caught sight of the low-level players and those who couldn’t defend themselves died and turned into particles of light.

“—Man, she sure is as merciless as Pendragon…!”

I stared at the devil standing atop the town wall with units of magicians standing behind her.

I recognized her even from a distance. That remarkably petite girl was doubtless one of the old powerhouses of the VR world, Alice the Queen of Wrath.

The moment I recognized her, I suddenly heard a ping. At the corner of my vision, I saw a message that read “Your friend Alice is requesting a video call.”

“…Oh yeah, we added each other as friends before we parted on the cursed island.”

I looked back while blocking a black laser. The adventure that day had been a blast, literally and metaphorically.

While deploying another group of shields, I answered, “Accept.”

Then a small window popped up, showing Alice with her magic book open.

[Hello there, Yuri-san. I see you’re in a pinch. And the war has just started, too.]

“…Heya, Alice. Your opening attack is no joke.”

Amid the death throes of the dying ally players, I chatted with their murderer.

Why would she call me, her enemy, in this kind of situation? Well, I think I knew why.

A sinister grin was plastered on Alice’s youthful and beautiful face.

[–I’m calling you to declare our victory. Because I will keep on bombarding you until you die…!]