What the hell is… that!

"Raffi, do you have any insight into the enemy's abilities?"

Alice stood with her back against the White Knight, scanning the surroundings before speaking up. Raffi gulped down a variety of emotions before answering.

"… It is likely the Nightmare, Mock Turtle's Seventh, is manipulating space…"

"The doppelganger named Stelcis has probably already been killed. That's a 'dead thing'. And it's likely been taken over by some other Original Nightmare."

"I see."

Alice's voice was calm and unruffled, as though she were a different person, and she drew a breath. Then she extended the index finger of her right hand and made the shape of a pistol again.

"… That Nightmare that appears and disappears is called 'Mock Turtle'?"

"Yeah, it seems to be… manipulating space to create that image. It may be something like the one you guys used earlier."

"That was Dáinsleif, and it only slashed the 'distance' between where we were and here." The White Knight responded in a muffled voice.

"That's troubling…"

"Yeah."

He… Jack and Alice exchanged a few short comments. Feeling uncomfortable with Alice moving firmly when she should have been in a vague state, Raffi continued.

"If the other one escapes, we're screwed. Let's finish them off somehow."

"It's okay. They're still around. The Bandersnatch is buzzing."

Alice glared at her surroundings, her remaining left eye glowing an odd… purple-like, dark color.

"What about Iberis…? I'm not sensing her Bandersnatch wavelengths." Alice said as she peered around.

Philrain replied as she used the knife to cut the coat she was wearing and tied Iberis' arms tightly in place. "… She's still breathing. But the bleeding is too severe. If we don't get her medical treatment soon, at any rate…"

"I understand. Let's get this over with as soon as possible, Jack."

"Right…"

Alice responded nonchalantly, inhaled, and then exhaled to compose herself… Perhaps the two enemies, "Original Nightmares" were hiding nearby, watching the situation.

The destruction of the Bandersnatch must have taken a considerable toll on the host. It was unlikely that they would strike in the next move with no measure.

With a sideways glance, she looked up at Jack, who had been transformed into the White Knight. If it was possible, for the three of them, she would want them to evacuate the wounded Iberis to a safe place.

However, there was a doubt as to whether she would be capable of preventing that lightning-like Bandersnatch by herself.

... There was only one answer.

Get rid of them immediately.

And get Iberis to a safe place.

It's the only way.

◇

"What the hell is… that!"

Hysterically, Stelcis ranted in a high-pitched tone. The destruction of her Bandersnatch by the White Knight's Dáinsleif had resulted in a large laceration on her right arm. However, when the other "Nightmare" crouched beside her touched it, the wound instantly healed.

"It's okay. They haven't realized the important point yet."

With a calm voice, the other one… the "Mock Turtle" spoke up. The girls were floating in a strange space where the surroundings were shimmering like the surface of the water.

Directly below them… they caught sight of Alice and the White Knight with his sword at the ready. Yet, they were unable to act. The reaction speed of the White Knight earlier. And Alice who appeared as reinforcements.

That power of the Bandersnatch operated by that doppelganger was extraordinary. There might be a huge possibility that the slightest slip-up will result in damage, and the two who realized this were unable to act.

"They still don't understand that you and I are 'one'. So there's still plenty of time to fight back."

"…"

Stelcis gnashed her teeth at the Mock Turtle's words.

"But… that would put you in danger. We should pull back here, Mock. Even after we regain our stance…"

"That's no good, Stel." The Mock Turtle strongly denied Stelcis' words. "… We have to protect our 'paradise'. From the demise of Apocrypha…"

"…"

"If we run, we can't protect it. Besides, Master Lewis will be very pissed."

At the mention of the name, Stelcis gritted her teeth harshly and clenched her fists in her lap.

"Lewis… Lewis!"

Shouting hysterically, Stelcis gripped both of the Mock Turtle's shoulders tightly and jolted it.

"How long are you going to be shackled to that thing! That guy… what has he done for us! Wake up, snap out of it, Mock!"

"Even Stelcis is the same!" The Mock Turtle cried out, tears welling up in her eyes. Upon looking at her face, Stelcis hastily released her hands from her shoulders.

"… I-I am sorry…"

"… Un… I know how you feel. You're a doppelganger in the first place. That's why you can't hear Master Lewis."

"…"

"It can't be helped…"

Stelcis reached out and pulled the Mock Turtle, which had cast her eyes down in sorrow, into her arms. Then she embraced her lightly.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

"…"

"I know. There is no running away… right here, right now. Let's 'exterminate' them together. With my 'Mock Turtle' Seventh and your 'Gryphon' Seventh."

The Mock Turtle nodded. At the same time in the water-like space, the two girls glared at the "enemies" beneath their feet.

◇

Alice was in the middle of the shelter with sirens and the sound of the ceiling collapsing, watching her surroundings with an extremely calm… and emotionless expression. Abruptly, she felt a shock like an electric current in the… nape of her neck.

–-Coming, coming, coming, coming, killing, killing, killing.

The "voice" of the Bandersnatch reverberated over and over in her head. Shifting her gaze in the direction they were directing, Alice shouted at Jack.

"From above!"

Jack's reaction was swift. Before he even paused to think about it, he moved his huge figure of the White Knight to stand over Alice as if to protect her. However, the Dáinsleif that he was trying to swing out collided with the incoming "something", causing fierce sparks to be generated.