Chapter 87: A New Fusion
“Alice!”
It was Sabrina’s voice.
For a baroness, she must have some wits about her, but returning to certain death so foolishly—what on earth was she thinking?
“You idiot! Did you come here to die?”
“What else could I do? This is my only choice!”
[Fusion]
The destroyed and collapsed facilities of Ernest Rail and the scattered, discharged currents were drawn toward Sabrina’s power.
The power of fusion encompassed both physical and conceptual things.
Its results included dolls that combined orphaned girls and machines.
Likewise, it could combine destroyed objects or aimless energy with someone.
-Bzzt!
【Internal energy: 48… 55… 71… 81… still rising.】
“This is…”
“Urk…!”
Sabrina forcibly swallowed the blood surging up her throat.
Having been treated as a test subject, her body was even frailer than she had imagined.
But there were no alternatives.
If Alice died, Sabrina wouldn’t be able to return to Ark or the Demon Territory, leaving her stranded and helpless.
Thus, she had to stake everything on this moment.
“Ugh, urgh…! I’ve attached fusion power to you!”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I don’t really know! I just made it so all the stray mana and energy around here flow into you, so don’t leave me behind and die! Without you, I’ll be on the run for the rest of my life!”
That’s nice.
Alice’s lips curled at the unexpected use of the power of fusion.
Alice’s imitation of the fusion power had been limited to physical aspects, but as expected of the original owner, Sabrina was adept at applying its full range of abilities.
‘She must have realized that without me, she’s completely helpless. So that’s why she came back.’
Even if she tried to run, Sabrina was still a demon.
No matter how tragic or unjust her circumstances were, the Demon Territory would view her as a traitor, with high risks of being killed.
Moreover, with the humanoid calamity Gaia’s emergence and the death of the Overseer, it wouldn’t be surprising for Ernest Rail’s reinforcements to be dispatched to the northern region.
In such a situation, for Sabrina to survive or resolve her predicament, escaping from here with Alice alive was a prerequisite.
Without Alice, she wouldn’t make it back to Ark and would wander the wilderness until succumbing to an untimely death.
‘Alright. At least the bare minimum conditions are set.’
The dolls and Immortal Girls were buying far more time than Alice had expected.
It must have been their first time seeing each other’s armaments and fighting together against Gaia.
The dolls maintained a distance from Gaia using battle data stored in their internal memory and real-time computational ability, providing cover for the Immortal Girls.
Meanwhile, the Immortal Girls seemed to have absorbed all of Sohi’s mana refinement techniques and capabilities, blossoming to the point where each of them exhibited strength comparable to a first-class Overseer, repelling Gaia’s attacks with precision.
Even under the wide-ranging, torrential onslaught akin to a downpour, the Immortal Girls couldn’t avoid getting their heads or chests pierced or limbs severed.
But true to their name, the Immortal Girls rose again, even with their heads cut off, charging once more at Gaia.
-Bzzzt!
Alice extended her hand.
The energy had accumulated sufficiently.
The energy released into the air was steadily being gathered by the fusion power bestowed by Sabrina.
There was more than enough to replicate the magic of her Demon King days.
But Alice instinctively knew.
‘Can I completely annihilate Gaia by casting grand magic or Penta Casting again?’
She saw Gaia being slashed repeatedly by the Immortal Girls.
[“Ah-Aaaaahhh!!!”]
Gaia howled in agony, weeping tears of blood as she endlessly extended her branches, seemingly gifted with limitless regeneration.
Although the Immortal Girls possessed bottomless regenerative abilities themselves, at some point, Gaia began to outpace them with her superior reconstruction abilities.
“Rail Cutter!”
-Slash!
A powerful strike from an Immortal Girl, infused with strong mana, struck Gaia directly.
The blade slashed through Gaia’s neck, head, chest, arm, and shoulder simultaneously, appearing immensely sharp and destructive.
If that strike landed on Alice’s mechanical body, it would instantly turn her into cube-shaped steak.
[“Kyah, hawk?”]
“Huh?!”
The severed head and neck regenerated the moment the sword passed through.
This was proof that Gaia was gradually adapting to the sword strikes of the Immortal Girls.
Even when the head of an Immortal Girl exploded, it needed some time to regenerate, no matter how fast. But for Gaia, it seemed as though even the moment required for regeneration had become unnecessary, with wounds healing the instant they appeared.
[“You, wicked, child!!!”]
“Huh?!”
-Thud!
“Kyaaaah!”
The lower half of an Immortal Girl’s body was blown away, leaving only her upper half as she flew next to Alice.
“Uwaaah! Teacher! It hurts so much!”
“There, there. Who did this to you?”
“That tree lady over there!”
“I see. Shall I heal you?”
“Oh, it doesn’t hurt anymore. I’ve already grown back.”
However, since the Immortal Girl’s lower half hadn’t regenerated her clothing, Alice tied the frayed remains of her own coat around the girl’s waist.
“Hehe! It’s a gift from Teacher!”
Regaining her strength, the girl pulled out one of her wrist bones, transforming it into a blade, and charged at Gaia again.
Meanwhile, the dolls continued to restrict Gaia’s range of motion with their Anti-Mana Barrier and maintained their bombardment.
But even the dolls were reaching their limits.
[“So, this is—how it’s—done?”]
-Slice!
“Kyik?!”
“Wah!”
“Ack!”
“Stop it!”
“I’m about to collapse!”
It wasn’t even a proper sword, but fruits started growing on a mere tree branch.
The name of the fruit was Ganghwan.
Just as Gaia had copied the techniques and mana cultivation methods of the Immortal Girls through sight during their previous fight at the Green Factory, now she bore Ganghwan fruits effortlessly without any process of sword energy or force.
Gaia had adapted to the Immortal Girls’ Ganghwan techniques and all their swordsmanship, enabling her to use them just as skillfully.
This also meant she might soon adapt to the Anti-Mana Barrier deployed by the dolls.
A prolonged battle or war of attrition would only prove disadvantageous.
‘To end this, it has to be a decisive, short battle.’
【Casting Preparation】
Alice felt her internal energy being drained at an alarming rate.
Her creaking limbs were already on the verge of breaking, and if not for the mechanical tendrils, controlling the spell would have been impossible.
‘Will this be enough to finish it?’
[“Ahaha, Alice, Alice, Alice!!!”]
Even Gaia’s voice no longer reached her.
Was that really a call meant for her?
Or was it merely the monstrous and repetitive shriek of a calamity?
Obsession wasn’t Alice’s taste.
If Gaia had truly cherished her, she should have aligned with human standards, not loved someone according to the standards of a calamity. Such misplaced affection led to these dire circumstances.
Of course, Gaia would feel wronged.
All Gaia had ever done was love Alice, the first to catch her eye.
Gaia loved everything in existence equally, but Alice was the first thing she ever desired.
Love, regardless of its form, was noble and tender. So why did her display of love bring her nothing but pain and rejection?
It was truly unfair.
Coldhearted.
Yet, she still loved.
So, she hoped her love would reach her.
[“I will—come—to—you….!”]
“Kyaaaah!”
“I’m flying again—how exhilarating!!”
“Internal—systems…shorted…!”
“Re-recovering. Recovering…!”
“Recovery estimated—30 seconds. Impossible, impossible.”
“Defensive—maintenance—protection—impossible. Impossible…!”
In an instant, Gaia’s Ganghwan burst outward in all directions.
The Immortal Girls were thrown back by the impact, and the dolls maintaining the Anti-Mana Barrier experienced simultaneous short circuits in their internal systems.
The moment all distractions were momentarily cleared, Alice and Gaia’s eyes met.
‘Can I do this?’
She wasn’t sure.
Even as Alice’s mechanical tendrils condensed a massive spell and simultaneously deployed five castings, she felt uncertain about whether this would be enough to destroy Gaia.
‘To eliminate Gaia here, I’d need an output beyond her regenerative capabilities…’
Could that even be possible right now?
The ground itself.
This entire underground cavity.
Would it be possible to produce an output capable of incinerating Gaia’s core and the biological factory connected to her all at once?
And in this place, with the dolls, Sabrina, and the Immortal Girls present, could she protect them while completely eradicating Gaia?
Alice clenched her teeth as such thoughts raced through her mind.
It was too late to worry about her overheated body.
If she stopped or hesitated, she would be engulfed by the mass of flesh and dragged to Gaia’s main body.
Once taken to Gaia’s core, hidden deep underground, she might never see the sunlight again.
‘Thanks to Sabrina’s fusion power, I’ve resolved the energy shortage… wait, fusion?’
A thought flashed through Alice’s mind, prompting her to cancel the Penta Casting.
【Human?】
Theresa’s flustered voice echoed in Alice’s head as she abruptly canceled her destructive magic, but Alice clasped her hand, now with only one or two fingers remaining.
It was uncertain whether destructive magic could defeat Gaia.
If it worked, great, but if it failed, she would ultimately be consumed by Gaia.
In that case…!
“Sabrina.”
“…Hah, hah… cough! What?”
“Watch closely and help me.”
“What? What do you mean by that…?!”
-Boom!
Alice stomped the ground.
Canceling the Penta Casting had left her with excess energy, allowing her body to launch toward Gaia, causing a sonic boom.
Though Sabrina didn’t understand Alice’s cryptic words, they imprinted themselves on her mind, compelling her to instinctively start “watching closely.”
It felt as though her soul was being forced to obey.
‘Damn it. Let it all burn, then!’
Sabrina couldn’t comprehend what Alice meant by watching and helping.
She understood why Alice couldn’t offer detailed explanations given the urgency, but somehow, Sabrina felt as though she vaguely grasped Alice’s will and intent, as if her soul had received an unspoken command.
She didn’t know why.
Alice’s intent, will, and instructions were automatically etched into her mind, different from brainwashing, as though something made her gaze lock onto Alice.
[“Ahaha!”]
Gaia laughed gleefully as Alice approached her.
However, massive branches, opening like insect nets and Venus flytraps, shot toward Alice.
Gaia’s joy notwithstanding, this was what calamity’s affection and attention looked like.
Though it was merely an expression of her desire to embrace, she first skewered her target countless times with thorns and roots before enveloping it.
-Crunch!
“Guh, urgh!”
Alice bolted straight toward Gaia with only a minimal mana barrier reinforcing her body’s surface.
If her plan worked as intended, she could neutralize Gaia.
But she had no way of knowing how much energy this “plan” would consume.
She had to conserve as much power as possible.
-Crack!
-Zap!
‘Damn it, one of those branches is imbued with reinforced mana…!’
Even with her body reinforced by magical engineering metal and internal energy, branches imbued with reinforced mana pierced through her like a sponge riddled with holes.
Alice severed the branches impaled in her body using her Mantis Blades.
Fortunately, the Mantis Blades, imbued with fragments of the Holy Demonic Sword, faithfully obeyed Alice’s commands, shredding and pulverizing everything in their path.
‘Just a little more.’
Just a little closer.
Close enough to reach Gaia’s true body.
If I can touch the main body, there’s enough chance.
-Thud!
“Ugh!”
Branches pierced into Alice’s head and eyes.
No matter how much she deflected and blocked with mechanical tendrils and the Mantis Blades, there was a limit to dealing with the overwhelming numbers.
“Damn it…!”
I just need to get a little closer…!
“Stop bullying our teacher!”
-Crack!
At that moment, the Immortal Girls simultaneously unleashed a barrage of Ganghwan sword strikes, slicing through the branches.
The moment they were blown away, their damaged bodies regenerated, and they charged at Gaia once more.
“Protect the executive director.”
“Shock, shock, shock wave recovery complete.”
“Protecting Executive Director Alice. Automatic combat mode OFF.”
“We must protect her with our own hands.”
-Crack!
Even the dolls, who had previously only fired bullets from a distance, came close to Alice, cutting through the branches alongside her.
Thanks to this brief opportunity, Alice rushed forward without hesitation, seizing the opening towards Gaia.
Her legs, already creaking, gave out completely, so Theresa’s mechanical tendrils hurled Alice toward Gaia.
[“Al-Al-lice~!”]
Finally, Gaia’s wish was granted as she embraced Alice in her arms, a bright smile spreading across her face.
Whatever the process, Alice was coming to her.
Gaia, whose intellect and rationality were half-shattered, rejoiced simply because the distance between her and Alice was closing, regardless of her rampage or the situation.
However, what followed was not a joyful event for Gaia.
-Thud!
[“Ah, huh?”]
Alice plunged her hand into Gaia’s heart.
Her mangled hand, barely functioning with missing fingers, was strengthened by her energy and mana, enough to pierce Gaia’s fleshly form.
As Alice’s fingertips touched Gaia’s heart, Gaia smirked calmly.
[“Alice, this can’t, kill, me~”]
Even if her heart were destroyed, Gaia wouldn’t die.
The heart was merely an organ that distributed energy connected to her true body.
Though it imitated human form and organs, Gaia would remain unharmed even if her heart were shattered a hundred times.
But Alice wasn’t intending to kill Gaia.
‘I don’t yet have the power to deal with Gaia in one blow.’
Even with Penta Casting, her current magical prowess was a degraded version of her prime during her Demon King days.
It wasn’t enough to obliterate the entire area or the Biological Factory.
Even casting Penta Casting at this close range wouldn’t achieve anything.
So Alice thought.
Gaia sought to drag her back to the true body with one-sided affection.
Then, in reverse…
‘I’ll fuse Gaia with me!’
-Crack!
[“Huh?”]
At that moment, far off in the distance, Sabrina’s spirit, watching the situation, received a forced command.
‘Now’s the time.’
“In the name of Baroness Sabrina, I command you. Merge. The target is…!”
Without any explanation, Sabrina was imbued with the will and intent of that one.
“Send Gaia to Alice…!”
[“Ah, ah… huh?”]
Gaia’s eyes widened at what was happening to her.
But there was no resistance.
Just a face of surprise.
Eyes wide open.
The life force of the Goddess of the Twisted Earth slowly began to seep into Alice’s body.
And the heart of Gaia, clenched in Alice’s hand, began to dissolve into her body as if melting in digestive fluid.
The reason for this seamless absorption was unclear.
Was it because Gaia harbored infinite affection for Alice?
Or was it because Gaia had harbored a desire and longing to become one with Alice from the beginning?
What mattered was that the massive calamity was merging with Alice without any resistance or rejection.
【Fusion conditions met.】
【Commencing fusion now.】
【Performing body synchronization, memory synchronization, and physical optimization.】
【Fusion target – Gaia.】
Earth.
Land.
Twisted mother.
The soil and trees of this land are embracing me.
The earth and trees that could hold and envelop me completely are dancing all around.
Now, reach out.
Extend your hand to me.
If you wish to be with me, extend that hand.
I shall rightfully consume you.
[“Ah- Aaaah!”]
Gaia responded to the whispering voice.
“Yes! Gladly!!!”