Bab 105: Your Bandersnatch isn’t any ordinary one huh
"What's… that thing…?"
Jack was speechless as he watched the administrative system display the desert at midday. The "night" seemed to be approaching. The daytime landscape was gradually being eroded away exposing a jet-black void.
Beyond the horizon, "nothing" existed. Literally, nothing existed, as if it had been carefully smeared with black ink. Not even light. Neither did the desert remain.
There were two shadows strolling leisurely through the desert. Their appearance was easily recognizable as Nightmares. In the enlarged projection, two hideous figures with unfocused eyes and mouths agape were singing.
They simultaneously stepped forth. "Everything behind them" dissipated like dust. There was neither light nor sound, just a void devoid of data. The place was transformed into nothingness.
The communication from earlier, by the voice that had called himself José, was terminated. Concurrently, something seemed to have been poured into the data comprising Iberis. For some time, Iberis was coughing violently, as if in pain, but eventually, with drool dripping from her mouth, she let out a hoarse voice.
"The download of… administrative privileges is finished. We made it in time."
"Iberis, it's the new Nightmare. But there's something distinctly off about it!" Jack raised his voice in a forced tone. Iberis looked up at the monitor. Then she said as if she was spitting. "… I see. So, they've given the Nightmare the authority to control it…"
"The space seems to be erasing…"
"If the data is lost… and swallowed, this place will vanish too."
"We have to stop this…"
When Jack reached for the broken Dáinsleif, Iberis restrained him with her remaining left hand. Her Bandersnatch began to act up, forming her right hand and both feet.
As she stood on the ground with her fluctuating legs, she stumbled slightly but regained her stance with her hands on the wall. Then she caught her breath and regarded Jack.
"The Nightmare's power can't interfere with administrative authority. That is not their Seventh. It's the absolute rule… that constructs this world, the power of 'God'. You can't stop them, Jack."
"But…!"
Iberis smiled gently at Jack as she leaned forward. Jack swallowed the words he was about to utter when he noticed that the girl was wearing a tattered, worn-out smile as best she could. Then, after a moment of silence, he opened his mouth.
"You're going… aren't you?"
"Yes. I'm the only one who has administrative privileges at present. Alice is in danger. I can't let them get any closer to her than they already are. Jack, please keep Alice safe…"
"Will you be able to come back…?" Jack asked in a slightly hushed voice.
Iberis smiled again and offered a small nod.
"… That's my intention."
◇
Humming, Hatta started to pace. As he did so, Haigha also stepped forward, shouting and laughing. Their feet struck the ground in unison.
The ground behind them slowly faded into dust.
One step.
And with another step, they gradually approached the shelter.
But halfway there, they both halted simultaneously. Slightly further apart, the space in front of them wavered, and a girl, blurred like a mirage, emerged. Her legs and right arm, extending from her hospital gown, were composed of Bandersnatch, which was a rainbow-colored translucent flicker.
Iberis glanced at the two Nightmares and muttered quietly in dismay. "… Another ugly man from the set…"
"Let's see… you are…"
The red-clad Hatta opened his mouth. He ignored the blue-clad Haigha, who was continuously bursting into laughter next to him, and retrieved a small notepad from his pocket. He flipped through it and paused at a place where several photos were attached.
"Hmm… hmm~?" He glanced back and forth between the notepad and Iberis several times as if to confirm, and then proceeded. "Iberis?"
"…"
"Ah, ah! No, no, no, you don't have to answer. You're Iberis. Lewis said it was just another piece of insignificant trash…" He twisted his hideous face and narrowed his eyes as he regarded Iberis as if he was underestimating her. "There's… something strange going on here. Something's not right…"
"Kyahahahahahaha!"
Despite Haigha's laughter, Hatta placed his hand on his chin and contemplated.
"The way you just appeared, it's obviously not… the Seventh's ability. Then what is it?"
"…"
With a thin body that could collapse if swept by the wind, Iberis stomped on the desert sand.
"I'm not going to have a conversation with you… Why don't you come and take me on?" She said provocatively, and Hatta nodded slowly.
"I understand. Well, I shall do so."
Hatta and Haigha resumed their march as if nothing had occurred. Watching the "space" behind them disappear, Iberis gritted her teeth. Some of the Bandersnatch on her legs erupted in a screeching noise. They grew into a murky stream of light that blanketed Hatta and Haigha.
"…. Your Bandersnatch isn't any ordinary one huh…" Hatta said and linked hands with Haigha. And then they both snapped their fingers at the same time at the shimmering light that was flooding in.
Right then.
The Bandersnatch, which had been surging forward, was held in place by a potent force. The same black, shimmering light emanated from ahead of Hatta and Haigha's eyes.
"Young lady, have you heard about the strongest spear and the strongest shield?" Hatta grinned wickedly. Iberis did not answer, gnashing her teeth as if she was concentrating entirely on the power of fluctuation.
"The power to absolutely penetrate the shield and the power to absolutely block everything… and once they collide… this is what happens…"
The collision of the black light and the white Bandersnatch of Iberis began to flicker in strange colors.
That was not… a color.
It was data missing, a noise.
Every space out there was compressing and expanding like it was ready to burst.
At the next moment, the collision of the two forces exploded with a thunderous bang.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone