Since she predicted it would be a long story, Alice prepared some tea. Once I’d accepted a cup, I sat across from her at the living room table.
"…Where should I start? Perhaps… with my true identity?"
"…"
"Like you, Kaito-san, I came to this world from 'another world'… though it wasn't the same one you were from."
"…I see."
Recalling her choice of words up until now, the fact that Alice was from another world was easy enough to accept. Since people could come here from my world, there was no logical reason they couldn't come from others. I wasn't particularly shocked.
However, her next words caught me off guard.
"And I am… a 'human.' Or rather, it would be more accurate to say that I was human."
"!?"
What did that mean? At the very least, Alice’s physical abilities and magic power far surpassed any human limits. Had she reincarnated from a human into a demon, like Noin-san? No, it was too early to jump to conclusions. I needed to let her speak.
"…The world I came from was a bit less civilized than this one. There were no elves or dwarves; it was a world of only humans."
"…So it was similar to mine?"
"Yes, in a way. The difference, however… was that there were far more monsters than there are here. There were countless adventurers and guilds."
Alice spoke of her former world slowly, as if peering back through the fog of memory. It was just a vague impression, but I felt that the world Alice had lived in was exactly the kind of "fantasy world" I had imagined before being summoned here myself.
"In that world, I was an adventurer working with a 'partner.' Well, I hate to say it myself, but I was weak back then. I had no talent… at best, I was a lower mid-tier nobody."
"…Wait, really? You, Alice?"
"Yes. It was a world where magic existed, so I could use it, but my skills in that department were completely hopeless."
"…"
Honestly, I couldn't even picture it. To me, Alice was a being who sat at the very pinnacle of this world's power—a bundle of talent who could do anything she set her mind to. Yet, here she was, describing herself as a weakling with no potential.
"However, well, our world possessed a magic that could overturn talent… a power called a 'Heart Tool.'"
"A Heart Tool?"
"Humans have neither the powerful bodies nor the sharp fangs of monsters. To counter them, they developed a magic that forged one's own heart into a weapon. The stronger the practitioner's convictions, the stronger the Heart Tool becomes. Just as the human heart has no limits, it is a weapon that grows alongside its wielder."
"…That sounds incredible."
"Ahaha, it sounds impressive when you put it like that, but about ninety percent of the adventurers in my world could use it. A Heart Tool is the heart itself, so the shape and ability differ for every person. By the way, my Heart Tool is the Hecatoncheir you saw yesterday."
Alice’s Heart Tool, Hecatoncheir… She meant that swirling, meteor-like light that had surrounded her. It was definitely cool, like some special ability from a battle manga. I wondered what kind of powers it actually possessed.
As the question crossed my mind, Alice seemed to sense it. She offered a small smile and explained.
"My Heart Tool, Hecatoncheir… allows me to temporarily utilize the abilities of those I hold dear, provided they hold me dear in return. It uses the bonds I have woven with others."
"Th-That's amazing…"
"Hecatoncheir has zero combat power on its own. I can't do anything by myself, but the more bonds I weave, the stronger I become. It was an ability perfectly suited to who I was back then."
It really sounded like a protagonist's power. Hmmm. As a guy, I couldn't help but get a little excited by that kind of thing.
"Now then, to get back on track… As an adventurer, I was constantly searching for a specific person."
"A specific person?"
"Yes… my younger sister, from whom I had been separated as a child."
"!?"
"Ah, don't worry, it wasn't for some tragic reason. My parents just got a divorce. My father took me, and my mother took my sister."
"…"
I thought I was finally getting to the heart of the mystery, but it was surprisingly mundane. I felt like the rug had been pulled out from under me.
"Well, I know I’m biased as her older sister, but she was an absolute angel! She was incredibly cute, overflowing with talent, and yet she was so humble and kind! My sister was the most beautiful girl in the world! A real angel! If I were a man, I would have married her in a heartbeat! In fact, when she was little, she used to tell me, 'I'm going to be Big Sister's bride!' And for the record, she said the same thing when we finally reunited! Oh, the way she acted then was just so precious…"
"…A-Alice?"
"…Ah, excuse me. I got a little carried away."
…She was a siscon. And a terminal case at that. This went far beyond simple family favoritism. I’d said I wanted to know more about Alice, but I was starting to regret learning this specific detail.
Also, she mentioned it quite casually, but her sister said she’d be her bride even after they reunited? I had a feeling the sister was a dangerous siscon in her own right.
"Ahem… Anyway, I was looking for my sister while working as an adventurer. One day, I heard a rumor that she was serving as a Royal Guard in a major kingdom. My partner and I traveled to that country together. Oh, and when I say partner, I mean a woman, okay? I’m strictly devoted to you, Kaito-san!"
"…R-Right."
Why did she keep throwing in these little jokes? Perhaps she was intentionally acting silly so the mood wouldn't get too dark.
"Well, on our journey, we were chased around by this hyperactive knight apprentice who begged me to take him as a disciple, I saved a mass-murdering priest, and I fought some wonderful monsters called the Seven Star Magic Beasts… but let's set all that aside."
Every single one of those sounded like a story in its own right! Dammit, I was actually really curious now… especially about the mass-murdering priest. I’d have to ask her about that another time.
"It turns out that in the country where my sister lived, a villain was secretly plotting to destroy the nation with a ritual called 'Evil God Descent.' My sister and her comrades were busy fighting that villain's subordinates."
"O-Oh…"
"I don't know the exact details, but apparently, the blood of that country’s royalty was needed to summon the Evil God. My sister and the others were locked in a fierce battle with the invaders. However, the villains were strong, and my sister’s group was gradually being backed into a corner."
"…This is getting intense. What happened next?"
It sounded like two separate battles were unfolding simultaneously. I was hooked, and I urged Alice to continue. Alice took a long, teasing pause before speaking again.
"…The boss finally showed himself before my sister and her comrades, who were already exhausted from defeating the high-ranking officers. My sister was covered in wounds, and the Queen was about to sacrifice herself to protect them! At the very moment tears spilled from my sister’s eyes… that was when I made my entrance!"
"What perfect timing…"
"Honestly, even looking at it objectively, I was super cool. With the moon at my back and an epic theme song playing, I descended gallantly… Well, technically we were indoors, so the moon wasn't visible, and the music was just in my head."
"Hey…"
She ruined it. It’s important, so I’ll say it again—she ruined it. Why does she have to throw in a weird joke right at the climax?
"Anyway… in the end, justice prevailed, and I was the winner."
"Y-Yeah. You skipped a lot of details there."
"If my sister had rushed over and given me a passionate kiss right then, it would have been a happy ending, but things in this world rarely go that smoothly."
"…What went wrong?"
"In the chaos of the battle, the boss had managed to get his hands on the Queen's blood. He used his own life as a catalyst to summon the Evil God."
"!?"
Finally, the Evil God made its appearance. Just from the name alone, it sounded terrifying, and since Alice’s tone had actually become serious, it must have been a truly desperate situation. My curiosity was piqued again. Quick, tell me the rest…
"Looking back now, that Evil God didn't actually have that much power. In terms of this world, it was probably equivalent to the lowest rank of a High God. But for us humans, it was an overwhelming threat."
"…"
"The Evil God was resurrected, and immediately—"
"Immediately?"
"—Ah, we’re out of tea cakes. I’ll go fetch more!"
"Wait, Alice!? What about the rest!?"
She cut the story off at the worst possible moment and headed for the kitchen. I mean, if she really wanted to, she could have been there and back in a blink! Why was she just walking normally!?
Dear Mother, Father—Alice has begun telling me about her past. It started with her life as an adventurer, and it seems she’s overcome some truly incredible battles. That’s all well and good, but at the very least… could she talk a bit more seriously!?
???: "Cliffhangers are essential! Next time: in the midst of a desperate struggle against an Evil God, the Magical Girl of Justice, Alice-chan, awakens! And at long last, tragedy strikes the Perfect Beautiful Girl, Alice-chan… Stay tuned!"
Serious-senpai: "Hey… what happened to the 'serious' part?"
???: "Serious? Never heard of her."