Vol 1 Epilogue (1/2)
”Do you need help?”
Alice was of course suspicious of the Tentacle King's unexpected words.
It'd be weird for this not to be a trap. But, if the situation doesn't change, it's obvious I'll be made into a puppet like Dorothy.
Feeling as if she was digging her own grave[1], Alice looked up at the Tentacle King and nodded.
”Yue Ying, your turn.”
In response to the Tentacle King's command, the arena, partly destroyed by the Black Rabbit's incursion, began to move again. The floor broke up, and a huge slate rose from underground with a roaring sound, until it surrounded Alice and Dorothy.
”Seriously!?”
March Hare screamed with a detector in her hand. Taking in her words, Alice observed the slate that surrounded her.
The total number of slates was 12. Also, each slate had an exquisite sculpture reminiscent of a door.
”Looks like Rodin's ”The Gates of h.e.l.l”.”
Alice suddenly was reminded of the work of the famous artist behind the sculpture known as ”The Thinker.”
”Indeed. Or, maybe they are the very gates to h.e.l.l.”
The Tentacle King spoke in a quiet voice.
”But, whether they lead to h.e.l.l or to paradise, it depends on you, Alice.”
”Me?”
She had noticed that Irukinuf, still controlling Dorothy, had stopped the movements of all its tentacles when the slate had appeared.
Thanks to that, Alice could escape from the posture it was keeping her in, with the legs wide open. After hiding away the wet hem of her micro-mini skirt, she went on to ask the king:
”Mom used this Gate too?”
The Tentacle King nodded silently.
He probably isn't lying.
Alice decided to believe her intuition.
<now, you=”” shall=”” open=”” the=”” gate=”” as=”” wellll.=””>
Irukinuf's voice echoed inside Alice's head.
He says to open it, but how?!
Although the slate imitated a door, she couldn't see any kind of hinge. No matter how one looked at it, it was one seamless piece. She didn't think it'd open even if hit with a hammer.
Are they asking me this to test my wit?
<touch it.=”” will=”” it=”” strongly=”” to=”” opennnn.=””>
Irukinuf told her the answer, as if to dispel Alice's doubts.
”How sloppy.”
With a sigh, the girl put her twin guns away inside their holsters, and held up her hands toward the slate at once.
A cold feeling ran through her fingertips. But, that wasn't all.
”Eh? What?”
Like a pebble dropped into the water, ripples of light spread throughout, and the lithographs started vibrating one after another.
The whole slate surrounding Alice began rumbling, and before soon, streaks of light appeared in the central piece, gradually getting larger and larger.
”What kind of technology is this?”
Although it seemed like each slate cracked into two and slid left and right, there was no change in the outside look of the slates, so maybe they were sliding towards a different s.p.a.ce.
<ooh, open,=”” open=”” upppp.=””>
Irukinuf began wriggling again, letting out a voice of joy as it clung to Dorothy.
<this time=”” for=”” sure,=”” i=”” shall=”” defeat=”” my=”” deadly=”” enemy=”” arukinuf,=”” now=”” that=”” i've=”” become=”” a=”” perfect=”” bodyyyy.=””>
A square light overflowed from the slate, that had become but a framework now, the 12 pieces becoming a band of continuous, dazzling light.
At the same time, the air all around began to flow towards the light.
Are we being sucked in?
Alice lowered her body, grabbed for the floor with hands and legs and endured it.
The other side of that light was a different world. Alice's intuition told her: ”Don't go!”
”But, on the other side, Mom...”
Despite Alice's conflict, Irukinuf slowly approached the slate, with Dorothy's body still in tow. Apparently, it did intend to dive into the gate.
The Gate Opener clicked her tongue, and loaded Aeshma with a new bullet. This was a tailor-made bullet against the tentacle users.
”Irukinuf! If you want to cross the Gate, I'll have you leave Dorothy behind!”
Alice pointed the muzzle at Irukinuf, and put strength into the Aeshma's trigger.
***
The light overflowing from the 12 sheets shone brighter and became a circle of light.
Swodar watched that s.h.i.+ne; back when the Gate Toucher Lewis disappeared inside it, the slate was only one piece.
It was Yue Ying who had prepared the 12 sheets to improve its reliability, and adjusted them to transfer towards the same destination.
”You have my grat.i.tude, Yue Ying.”
The Tentacle King spoke to the woman who appeared beside him, then rested his back on the throne and exhaled a deep breath.
He had just now accomplished the role he had placed on himself long, long ago, that he had pursued to the point of exhaustion.
With that, the expected destruction at 2012 wouldn't be happening. They had avoided the extinction of the human race.
”What will happen from now on?”
In contrast with the king exuding a sense of accomplishment, the woman asked so in an uneasy tone.
”What do you mean by that?”
”Lord Irukinuf, who gave us power, is about to go beyond the Gate. What will become of us in the future?”
”Worry not.”
The Tentacle King continued in a calm voice.
”Our G.o.d will acquire new power and fulfill his return. It's a fate that will never ever change.”
It was quite the powerful declaration. As if he knew what would be unfolding from then on.
In response to his words, Yue Ying bowed in agreement and pointed to the opposite side of the arena.
”So, did your plan include that child being released?”
The person Yue Ying was pointing at was Lynn, Irukinuf's Songstress, who was das.h.i.+ng towards the slate of light. Her tentacles fluttered in the wind, she didn't bother to hid them as they extended from her waist.
Surprise dyed the king's eyes: that Songstress shouldn't get close to the Gate. Her making contact with the Gate wasn't part of his plans.
”Don't! Stop her!”
When they heard their king's scream, all the Apostles but Yue Ying noticed Lynn at once. But, no one could stop her.
Before the Tentacle King could clench his fist, Lynn jumped over the slate and disappeared inside the light.
”Curses...”
Why was the Tentacle King so upset? Yue Ying couldn't understand the reason, but an unspeakable uneasiness now permeated all.
***
”It should be Lynn who obtains this poweer!”
Along with her well-projected high-pitched cry, Lynn jumped towards the s.p.a.ce of light divided by the slates.
Just like a pole-vaulter athlete, she used her tentacles to jump up into the sky, then rotated in the air, and turned her tiptoes towards Dorothy.
”Fugyanh!?”
Lynn's flying kick made Dorothy lose her balance, and she staggered into the band of light together with Irukinuf.
”Dorothyy!!”
Before Alice could reach them, Lynn landed beside Dorothy and tackled her to make sure she got inside.
As she was thrown into the band of light, Dorothy smiled, still manipulated by Irukinuf. As if it had been longing for that moment.
Then, Lynn also disappeared into the light.
”Wait, you!”
There's no time to hesitate.
Alice, guns in hand, jumped into the light and followed Dorothy and Lynn.
***
In a corner of the Tentacle G.o.d's Island, a woman could be seen, standing on the top of a pyramid, as she gazed upon the Gate's halo.
A one-armed woman wearing a crimson suit which fit her s.e.xy body perfectly. Her ident.i.ty was that of the librarian from the St. Label's Academy's Book Building, known as Teacher Faye, the advisor of the Literature Club.
”Yes, that'll be fine. Only you, the Songstress, can harness the power of Irukinuf and Arukinuf.”
The one-armed teacher softly muttered, with a complacent smile.
”Just like you wished, I succeeded in making the Songstress slip into the Gate.”
A voice sounded under her feet, where the face of a bearded man appeared next.
”Good gracious, we were indeed stalling for time, but wasn't that Tentacle Initiation Tournament amusing...”
The unshaven man rose from the shadows as he laughed.
”Rasputin.”
The woman interrupted his talk with a well-projected voice.
”Did you succeed in splitting up the 12 Apostles?”
”Yue Ying and Rama remain neutral. I didn't bother approaching Leonidas. He's a follower of a Tentacle King to his very core.”
”Is that so? And the other Apostles?”
Rasputin didn't reply.
”That just won't do, will it now, Rasputin?”
His body stiffened when he looked at the woman's icy pupils.
”I'll praise you for getting Rama to remain neutral. But just having you as my p.a.w.n isn't enough to negotiate with them.”
”Your Majesty the Queen, spare me!”
The female teacher made a mocking smile.
”I won't spare you.”
As she said so, her left arm, that shouldn't exist, appeared.
No, it wasn't a left arm. Instead, what appeared was a blue tentacle with dark red veins.
”T-That is...”
Rasputin's voice trembled in fear.