Chapter 522: First Anniversary Extra Chapter ~~ The Visitor's Beginnings Part 3 ②: Beneath the Radiant Sun ~~

As I dodged and deflected the light bullets raining down like a torrential downpour, I looked at the enemy in the distance.

It's like she's something straight out of a beautiful painting, a beautifully unrealistic being with 20 wings... The battle against the mysterious being that suddenly appeared in front of Kaito-san and I became more and more intense as time went on.

This strength, this magic power... I'm not sure who this person is, but there's a chance that she's a god from somewhere. It's just an estimation but perhaps, this angel's combat ability... may equal to or better than Kuro-san. Considering that each of those light bullets raining down on me contained enough magic power to wipe out an entire island, what I'm certain about is that I'm fighting against a monster beyond human comprehension.

If this opponent is comparable to Kuro-san... I was already helpless compared to the past Kuro-san, so it should be normal for me to feel despair knowing that I'll be fighting against an opponent that I'm no match against.

However, the emotions I felt welling up within my heart were completely different.

...I don't feel like I would lose against her. Ahh, when was the last time I felt this way? This feeling...

I was certainly much more powerful in terms of both physical ability and magic power than I had back when I was Alicia.

But when I just came to this world, what came to my mind when Kuro-san defeated me was "When did I become so weak?".

It may be contradictory, but I had indeed felt like I had become weaker than when I was Alicia.

Back then, I never lost heart, no matter how strong my opponent was. If the me at that time couldn't win against someone, I will grow while in battle against that person to become strong enough to win... If it was for the people I cared about, that's something I was able to do as a matter of course.

I guess you could say that it was all about my mentality. The Heart Tool is a special power that becomes stronger the brighter one's heart shines... It's a power that can turn a sword into an invincible blade or a blunt one, depending on the user's mind.

My heart was broken once, and I lost the strength I once had. I didn't lose the power of Ἑκατόγχειρες itself, but as long as my heart is broken, Ἑκατόγχειρες would never reach its true power.

With Kuro-san's guidance, I was able to make use of my magic power to the fullest... but I haven't grown a bit since then.

The feeling I once had, where I could be as strong as I wanted to be... had been lost for a long time.

"The bonds I weave are my strength"... That's what I used to say when I was Alicia. Those words are unmistakably the truth... but having lost my heart, my bonds... I've become incredibly weak.

But now, it's different. The light bullets released by the mysterious angel were certainly getting faster and faster in speed and power, but I could feel my speed was getting faster and faster along with it.

My heart beats loudly, and my body is overflowing with bottomless energy... Ahh, I see. That's right, isn't it?

My heart that should have been broken... before I knew it, Kaito-san picked it up and gave it a new shape. As Alice, I had been reborn with a new heart.

[...F- Fufufu... Hahaha...]

A smile reflexively appeared from my lips. It's back... My power... My strength!

[Since "I've lost everyone", I've always, always been incomplete, as if I'm using incompatible parts in place of my insufficiency.]

[...Magic Power, Radical, Ascend?]

[There's an enemy in front of me that I need to defeat, and behind me is my important person that I want to protect... Ahhh, this is it... This is the real me... Finally, I'm finally "catching up to my old self"...]

My heart pulsed so fast as if it's going to burst open. A searing heat dwells within my entire body, and as if to match with my emotions, the light of Ἑκατόγχειρες dancing around me pulsates.

[This is—— At this moment—— The farthest my heart had reached—— Exceed my limits—— And now, weave the world! ——Ἑκατόγχειρες!!!]

This is the ultimate form of Ἑκατόγχειρες, the ability that I wasn't able to use in my battle with Kuro-san. Bringing all the bonds I accumulated into my body, I add them to my power.

The power that once weaved the wishes and hopes of people around the world to defeat the Evil God... Just as there is no end to people's desires, there is no limit to my power.

[Iris, Noel... Everyone, lend me your strength. I won't let anyone steal Kaito-san, I don't want to be parted with Kaito-san.... and I will not be defeated by anyone! Come... Let's begin! Let's kill a God for the second time!]

With endless infinite power in my body, I drew my blade to kill the unknown god.

...Well, that battle ended up being called off. ...Whatever, I guess that doesn't matter. The big problem for me was after that.

I've caught up with my old self. The moment I realized that it was all thanks to meeting and falling in love with Kaito-san... I suddenly feel terrified.

The reason I was trying to fall in love was so that I could follow Iris in death... so, if my love for Kaito-san is fulfilled... I ask myself, will I really have to die?

I want to stay with Kaito-san, laugh with him, forever and ever... That was unmistakably my wish. But I suddenly felt uneasy, wondering what Kaito-san would think about this.

I was trying to fall in love in order to fulfill my best friend's wish and die. Frankly speaking, I think that's something a terrible person would say. If I conveyed my love to him that contained the desire for ruin within it, I wonder if Kaito-san would despise me? Would he pull away from me? Just the thought that happening scared me so much.

On one hand, I'm sure Kaito-san wouldn't do such a thing, he would accept me with open arms... but thinking about the possibility of that not happening wouldn't leave my mind.

But more than that, I didn't know what I wanted to do. Whether I want to live or I want to die... I wasn't so sure about how I felt now.

In the end, that hesitation I was feeling was crushed by Fate-san's straight punch... To be honest, it was quite unexpected that Fate-san had such a passionate side to her.

I guess there's that "one day in every 20,000 years" where Fate-san is acting decisively when she makes up her mind.

After that, I told my feelings to Kaito-san, became his lover... and was reunited with Iris...

As I'm dozing off, I slowly opened my eyes, feeling pleasant warmth, I saw the face of my beloved.

Ahh, speaking of which, after playing with Kaito-san today, we had a fancy reading time together, didn't we? Mhmm, I must have fallen asleep.

Well, I've dispatched clones around the perimeter, so I'm assured that Kaito-san is perfectly protected but...

[...How long was I asleep?]

[A little over an hour, I guess?]

[Mhmm, that's quite negligent of me huh... Well, the area next to Kaito-san feels so warm, as if I'm taking a nap beneath the sun. That's why, it's Kaito-san's fault that I dozed off!]

[That's beyond unreasonable... Rather, why the heck is the owner dozing off while I'm here manning the store...]

[So, how many customers have you had in the last hour?]

[There's no way they'd come here, you know?]

[I knew it~~]

I slowly pulled my face away from Kaito-san's shoulder, which I had been using as a pillow. To be frank, I didn't want to leave that warmth that even warms my heart but... I'll just make up for it by having him pamper me a lot tonight.

Speaking of which, it's been a very long time since I've really dozed off. I guess that shows how relaxed my heart has become huh?

As I was thinking about this, Kaito-san looked at the clock on the wall, and as if he thought of something, he spoke.

[...It has become lunchtime before I knew it.]

[Should I make you something?]

[Hmmm, that would be nice, but since it's already time to eat, let's just go have our lunch somewhere... There's also that new restaurant I heard had opened in Central Avenue...]

[Ohh, that sounds great. According to Alice-chan's research, that store has a pretty good reputation.]

As for me, I'm fine with giving him my home-cooked meal filled with my love... but more than that, I was more attracted to the idea of going out with Kaito-san, so I agreed. Unnn? The store? I can just close it. It's not like customers would come anyway...

[Alright. Let's go, "Alice".]

[...Yes!]

I really like it when Kaito-san calls me Alice. Not as Alicia, not as Shalltear, and not as No Face... but just as Alice, I can feel that I'm by your side...

Holding onto the happiness that filled my heart, I grasped the hand that Kaito-san held out to me.

[...I'd like to have an extravagant lunch!]

[You really are...]

[All you can eat? Thank you!]

[I didn't say that!!! Good grief...]

Muttering that, Kaito-san wryly smiled. He then looked at me with his gentle and warm expression, as if he's thinking that "it couldn't be helped"... the expression on his face that has become my favorite.

Human life really is unknown. The past me wouldn't have imagined that a day like this would come to my life.

I realized how happy and warm it is to love someone you care... After living for hundreds of thousands of years, I finally understood.

Thank you very much, Kaito-san. And from now on, please allow me to always, always stay by your side... to my beloved Kaito-san, you have my undivided love... as an ordinary girl, "Alice"...