Chapitre 29: Too Strong
"You're not going to make it… here he comes!" Raffi yelled.
Reflexively, Philrain grabbed Jack and shoved him into the elevator. The "something" passed by where Jack's head had previously been, making a strange… hee… n… sound. Within a second, there was a single letter cut on the wall, like a gouge.
"Ugh…!" Philrain, who had a shallow cut on her right shoulder, grunted as she dashed into the elevator and pressed the button. Right before the door was about to close, she spotted the body of the White Knight rising out of the swamp from the shadows of the fluorescent lights on the floor. Philrain's eyes met the red glow behind the helmet, and she gasped and stiffened.
"Are you okay!" Setting Alice down on the floor, Jack rushed over to the collapsed Philrain, restraining her right shoulder. The wound seemed shallow, but it was wide. Pressing down with his hand on the blood that was pouring out, she pushed Jack back.
"Look after Master Alice over me! The weapons are in the emergency box on the wall!"
"I… I get it!"
Nodding, Jack smashed the valve on the emergency box and retrieved a pistol from within. As he checked and cocked it, the elevator halted.
"Bishop! We have to evacuate now…!" Philrain shouted towards the inside but stiffened as she tumbled out. The shadows on the side of the bishop's pillar… rustled and the White Knight's head sprang up. He "emerged" fully from the shadows in less than a few seconds and hummed in a small voice, dropping Iberis from his hand to the floor with a thud.
"Oh, Happy… Day…"
A low voice reverberated through the bishop's room.
"Lady Iberis!" Philrain screamed, putting her hand to her mouth.
"Damn… he got her after all…!" Raffi muttered through his clenched teeth.
Jack thrust himself forward to brush Philrain aside and cocked his gun, aiming it forward. "There's a Nightmare out there, isn't there! Where is it!"
"No… we can't compete with it…" Shivering, Philrain watched the White Knight as he stepped forward. The white devil was slowly approaching the elevator, humming to himself.
"Phil! Run!"
The bishop's voice pierced through the pillar's speakers as Philrain stiffened. Philrain hurriedly made an attempt to operate the elevator panel, but the White Knight spotted her and lightly swung his Dáinsleif. The sword instantly extended several meters longer and penetrated the elevator's control panel, destroying it.
Upon witnessing the dazed Philrain on her buttocks, Jack let out a yell and fired his pistol randomly forward. The Dáinsleif returned to its original length and the White Knight faced Jack, under fire. He then readied his sword on the lower level and began to breathe slowly.
"My Dáinsleif severs all."
He stopped humming and stated in a muffled voice. Philrain, who had grown pale, looked at Alice… and she gasped.
There was a rustle and Alice's hair was swaying. Her eyes were open but vacant; her eyes were bright red and luminous, but she was not looking anywhere. There was nothing reflected in them.
It was emptiness; a void.
It was a "hole" where nothing existed.
Wobbling her head, Alice rose to her feet with her mouth half-open.
"Die."
As if he couldn't see it, the White Knight swung his Dáinsleif in a trajectory that bisected Jack and Philrain from the torso. There was a strange sound, and the air ripped open. At that moment, Alice opened her mouth wide and "screamed".
No voice was audible. There was no sound, nor anything.
However, with her "voice", the Bandersnatch exploded and dispersed around her, creating a wall that protected the entire elevator. The slash of the Dáinsleif pierced through it.
Horrendous sparks erupted. As if a circular saw had been forced on a lump of metal, fine explosions scattered around. A high-pitched, strange sound resounded.
"Mm…" The White Knight mumbled curiously in the posture where he had drawn his sword. "How hard…"
Once again, he positioned the Dáinsleif, this time at the top, and delivered a second blow. This time, the same slash pierced Alice's Bandersnatch.
Alice's eyes, which had been emitting "voice" widened. In the next moment, there was the sound of shattering glass, and the rainbow-colored fluctuation shattered.
"… Kya!" She screamed and Alice was slammed into the elevator wall. Her head banged and she endured the pain as she collapsed to the ground, but then she realized and placed her hand on her chest and was stunned.
A deep cut had opened up.
A red stain spread across her clothing. It was followed by searing heat and pain that prompted Alice to clutch her chest and grit her teeth.
"A… Alice!" Jack rushed over, holding Alice and directing his gun ahead of him. "Where is it! Where's the nightmare!"
"No use… he's strong!" Raffi muttered in a suppressed voice. The White Knight eyed Alice, who was cowering in the elevator, then snorted and stabbed Dáinsleif into the floor, catching a breath.
"It's you… the second Alice."
Iberis seemed to be unconscious and motionless. Her bloody chest was moving up and down slightly. It appeared that she was barely alive.
"I'll buy you some time… Everyone, please leave through the emergency exit on the other side."
Philrain produced a long needle from her sleeve and held it up.
Alice raised her voice, holding her chest. "No… he'll kill you…"
"Please take care of Lady Iberis!"
Ignoring Alice, Philrain let out what sounded like a scream and rushed out. The White Knight waved his arms up in the air, unresponsive.
"No!"
Alice shouted, shaking off Jack's hand and stepping forward, tripping over it. The shards of Bandersnatch that had been shattered began to wriggle, each one floating up into the air. One moment later, each piece swelled up and let out a screeching exclamation.
"…!"
"What is…?"
Philrain paused and hastily turned around. Even the White Knight lifted his face suspiciously at the "sound".
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone