In the span of just a few minutes, the companions Alice had resurrected through Memories completely overwhelmed the Gods.
Iris and Noel worked in perfect tandem, backing Chronoa into a corner. Supported by Leon, Adel’s attacks reached a level of destructive power that forced Life to regenerate her body time and time again.
Yet, the light of defiance had not yet faded from the Goddesses' eyes. When five minutes had passed—a duration that felt both fleeting and interminable—Alice's companions suddenly withdrew, sensing a shift, and lined up behind her.
"Preparation... is complete."
"Preparation? What on earth do you intend to do now?"
In response to Chronoa’s bewildered expression, Alice flashed a deep grin. She turned a warm smile toward those she had temporarily brought back through Memories.
"Thank you, everyone. I was so happy to see you all again."
"Of course! I’m just glad I could help. Do your best, Big Sister."
"Yes, Master. Should you ever require our strength again, you need only call. The flame of my loyalty shall forever burn within your heart."
"Looking back, absorbing our remains into Hecatoncheir was a brilliant move. Because our soul remnants were preserved within it, we could manifest with our memories intact. That said, I’d prefer it if the next summons was for something a bit more leisurely than a battlefield."
In response to Alice’s words, spoken with heartfelt joy, Noel, Adel, and Leon—her former companions—each gave their reply before vanishing into light.
After seeing them off, Iris returned to Alice’s body, and the Phantasm King turned to face the Gods once more.
"I’m well aware, you know. Even if I defeat the Gods, this space won't vanish... right?"
The two Goddesses gasped in unison.
Indeed, this space was a battlefield created by Shallow Vernal, but it was also a prison. Even if the Gods were defeated, the space would remain active. The Gods believed the Human-Demon Allied Forces had no means of escaping this enclosure. It was that conviction alone that kept the light in their eyes, no matter how dire the situation became.
In a manner of speaking, it was the Gods' final trump card. But Alice had seen right through it.
"Even if you know that, it changes nothing! This space was created by Shallow Vernal-sama. In effect, it is a world unto itself! For the likes of you to destroy it is—"
"You think I can’t? I can."
"W-What do you mean?"
"It’s checkmate. My Hecatoncheir has a specific limitation: no matter how many bonds I weave, I cannot draw upon the power of an opponent significantly stronger than myself. But remember what I said earlier? The conditions have been met."
"No... way... This magic power is..."
As Alice held her hand toward the glowing sphere, the space was suddenly swallowed by darkness. A pair of golden eyes flickered within the jet-black void. Every God present recognized that magic power—it belonged to the monster who had fought Shallow Vernal to a standstill in the ancient war between the Demon Realm and the God Realm.
'With Kuro-san’s power... I can shatter this, can't I?'
Everything had been a move leading to this moment. She had utilized Hecatoncheir's Ultimate War-Form to grow to a level where she could exercise Kuromueina’s power. The time she spent stalling afterward had been a calibration period, allowing her to gain control over that immense strength.
Now, all preparations were finished. The darkness coalesced into a gargantuan fist and pulverized the very fabric of the space.
When the Human-Demon Allied Forces emerged into the God Realm after shattering their prison, the Gods stood before them with slumped shoulders, utterly defeated.
"What will you do? Shall we continue?" Alice asked.
"No," Chronoa replied. "Shallow Vernal-sama told us that if you reached the God Realm from that space, we were to consider it our defeat and interfere no further. It is... our loss."
"I see. Well then, since we're here, why don't you Gods come along to witness the end? The conclusion of this battle."
"We, who failed to carry out our assigned roles, have no right to face Shallow Vernal-sama... but if you, the victors, say so, then we shall comply for now. However, may I ask one thing, Phantasm King?"
"What is it?"
As Chronoa accepted the loss, Life followed suit. She began using her powers to treat the members of the Human-Demon Allied Forces who were immobilized by the backlash of the Critical Point of Fate. Life recognized that as the victors, they had earned the right to proceed.
During the short time it took to finish the healing, Chronoa questioned Alice.
"How far ahead did you plan this?"
"Planned? Hmm, that’s not quite right. It’s more like I induced Shallow Vernal-sama’s thinking so she would lead herself into this outcome."
"What did you say?"
"Shallow Vernal-sama is magnificent, but she isn't all-knowing—especially when it comes to the human psyche. If she had chosen to empower the Gods without limit, this would have been a hopeless struggle. So, I ensured she wouldn't. Knowing she was watching, I held our strategy meetings with the explicit intent of establishing a perceived ceiling for our strength. I convinced her I was preparing for a specific level of power, effectively 'proposing' a baseline for how much she needed to buff you. I made her believe that if you were just slightly stronger than that, it would be a desperate fight for us."
Alice paused, letting the weight of her words sink in.
"Shallow Vernal-sama doesn't incorporate psychological factors into her tactics. She doesn't prepare strategies to affect the mind, like overwhelming an opponent with twice their power just to make them despair. Furthermore, she doesn't consider growth during battle or other uncertain factors. To her, our battle was a side-game. She wanted to avoid spending more effort than necessary."
Chronoa remained silent, listening.
"So, once I showed her a baseline where we were expecting 100 power, she hit us with exactly 101. In this battle, that 'plus one' was the Power of Judgment and the inescapable space. I only had to prepare for that specific margin. In that sense, it was a relatively easy fight."
"You... you surpassed Shallow Vernal-sama’s logic?" Chronoa whispered, stunned.
Alice produced a mask from nowhere and slipped it on.
"Shallow Vernal-sama is a grand deity, the God of the World itself. But I am the Clown Who Deceives the World. For a God who has only just begun to grasp the concept of emotions to try and outmaneuver me in a battle of wits... well, she’s about a hundred thousand years too early."
Alice turned her gaze toward the heart of the God Realm—the Sanctuary.
(Though, that’s strictly limited to this side-game. For Shallow Vernal-sama, it probably didn't matter if she won or lost this part. The problem is whether there’s enough of an opening to intervene in Kaito-san’s fight. He’s likely doing his best with no regard for appearances... but the uncertain factors on his side are overwhelming. I suppose I have to be prepared to just wing it.)
One battle had been settled. However, it was merely the prelude. The true decisive battle lay elsewhere.
Serious-senpai: "She was able to use the Underworld King’s power, but honestly, is Alice stronger than the Underworld King now?"
???: "She only reached the baseline required to borrow Kuro-san’s power, so Kuro-san is still superior. In fact, Alice was clearly struggling to control it."
Serious-senpai: "By the way, can I butt in?"
???: "What is it?"
Serious-senpai: "He’s just putting everything he has into a love comedy! That trial is just one big romantic comedy!"