Episode 4: Darkness on the Move

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At the Queen of Hearts' castle, the Dark King's possessed forces staged an assault.

Hiyori
Unyanyanya!

Ayumi
D-Don't come near me!

Ruffian 1
Graaaah!!

Ayumi
Ooh... It didn't leave a scratch!

Rino
Leave this to me! Alice, here goes!

Alice
Whenever you're ready!

Rino & Alice
Go!!

Rino
Yes! Now, let's get over to Inori!

Ruffian 2
Whee hee hee! For the Dark King!!

Inori
W-What's the meaning of this!? There's only one way to negotiate with brawn-for-brains like you or Kayapi... And that's to knock some sense into you!!

Ruffian 2
Gaahh!!

Inori
Minister, you help, too!

Homare
Here I go, then! ... Or rather, here Rago goes.

Rago
Gyao!

Inori
You could do something yourself every so often! Ugh... You're always using your dragons for everything!!

Rino
Inori! Homare!

Homare
Yes, here we are! Welcome to the castle of the Queen of Hearts!

Inori
Is this the time to be that relaxed!? All of you, tell me what's going on!

Hiyori
Um, the people the Dark King possessed attacked us like "boom," and we went "whoa!" Yeah! Right, Ayumi?

Ayumi
I-I'm not sure, but I think that's about right...!

Inori
Who could understand anything from an explanation like that!? Are you stupid!?

Homare
I see... So that miasma must have been under the control of the Dark King.

Inori
How could you get any of that from what she said!?

Homare
In any case, I'm relieved that everyone is unharmed.

Homare
We were on a journey of our own to find a way back to our original world, when we were attacked, you see? I had no choice but to "persuade" them to cooperate with us.

Inori
("Persuade"... Persuade!? Instead of persuade, shouldn't you be using a nastier sounding word!? Who's going to believe a story like that...)

Ayumi
To think you were able to persuade a bunch of bandits to work with you... Homare, you're incredible!

Hiyori
I'd love to be a guild master like you! Hey, hey, Homare, you should teach me!

Homare
Ha ha, I wouldn't mind. Next time, all right?

Inori
T-These guys are total airheads!

Inori
... Ahem, anyway, after that, we moved into this abandoned castle.

Homare
As the Queen of Hearts and her minister!

Rino
Then, it's not true that you were in league with the Dark King...

Inori
What!? That's a bald-faced lie. Who even is this Dark King?

Homare
Our expeditions may have been a little forceful, so we might have given off the impression that we were pillaging the country... But anyway, the Dark King, is it...

Homare
He must have been having his servants spread bad rumors about the Queen of Hearts... And then, once we were all gathered here, he meant to eliminate us at once.

Homare
I'd known that there were evil forces at work in this world, but... It seems like we were a step too slow!

Homare
Well, Your Highness? This rebellion seems to have us under siege... What shall we do?

Inori
"What shall we do?" Is that all you have to say!? Obviously, we should break out by force!

Hiyori
I see! We should go "kaboom!" Right!

Inori
That's right! You really get what I'm saying!

Homare
Now, now, the enemy's been drawing closer to us during this entire conversation, you see?

Ruffian 3
For the Dark King!!

Ayumi
Y-Yuuki! Watch out!

Alice
An attack from his total blind spot...! Nice angle! Well done, Ayumi!

Rino
All right, the way is clear! Now is...!

Inori
Eek!? W-W-What's happening!?

Ayumi
These tremors... are like before...!

Ruffian 2
Ohh...

Ruffian 3
Oh... Ohh...

Hiyori
The people we took out are getting back up!

Homare
Oh? Could this be...

Ruffian 2
The Dark King is awakening...

Ruffian 3
The world shall fall into darkness... Ha ha!

Homare
... Over there?

Inori
Hey, Boss! Why are you staring into the distance!?

Ayumi
Homare? What's happening...

Hiyori
W-What's this!? The environment is changing...!?

Ayumi
The world is being tainted with darkness...! No... I didn't think the consumption had already spread this far!

???
Roaaaar!

Inori
Eek!? S-Something's coming out!!??

Alice
Everyone! That is the Dark King, the Jabberwock!!

Yuuki
1. "I feel like I've seen it somewhere before..."

Homare
Have you? How interesting...

Homare
Perhaps the images of evil that we have in our own minds have come into being within this book. Truly, what a mysterious world...

Rino
Ooh...! What's this feeling...!?

Ayumi
I feel bad...!

Hiyori
This is the same feeling we've felt before...! But it's so much stronger now...!!

Homare
Ugh! This miasma... is quite awful... Even I wouldn't be able to stay within in it for too long...

Dark King
Roaaaar!

Alice
The savior's power is not yet complete, either...!

Alice
But we have no choice!! Rino! Attack the Dark King with your most powerful arrow of light!!

Rino
Yes! Alice!

Rino & Alice
Haaaaaaah!!!!

Hiyori & Ayumi
Yes! The arrow of light!!

Dark King
Roaaaar...

Hiyori & Ayumi
Huh...!?

Rino
The arrow of light... The savior's power had no effect...!?

Alice
Damn...! It's still too soon...!!

Alice
There's no way we can resist the Dark King right now!

Homare
It's attacking, everyone! Watch out!

Rino & Others
Eeeek!!!

Ayumi
O-Ow...

Hiyori
W-What insane power...

Inori
Another attack like that, and we'll be wiped out...!

Yuuki
1. "I'll protect everyone!"

Rino
B-Big brother! You can't stand in front! You were hit by the same attack as all of us!!

Hiyori
Yuuki, no...!

Ayumi
Yuuki... please stop...!

Inori
Yuuki, don't do this to yourself! It isn't worth your life!

Homare
We truly are in a big pinch... What trouble...

Alice
......

Alice
... Rino, thank you for coming to our world. I'm happy to have met friends like you.

Rino
Alice...?

Alice
What are those surprised eyes for? I'm only thanking you, that's all.

Rino
But why, Alice...? Why are you saying this now?

Alice
I'm going to release the full powers of the savior within me. It'll take the form of a smokescreen.

Alice
I want you all to use it to fall back and regroup. Understood?

Rino
B-But why!? Why are you talking like you aren't going to be falling back with us!?

Inori
W-What's this!? It's suddenly so bright...!

Rino
Alice...!? Hey, Alice!!

Alice
The rest is in your hands.

Alice
To defeat the Dark king, you'll need to awaken the rest of the savior's power. I wish we could have searched for the way together, but...

Alice
... I'm sorry, truly. But I know that you can do it.

Alice
I know that you can obtain the true power of the savior... I believe in you.

Alice
Please, protect this world... Rino...

The Dark King appeared, and his miasma assailed the world of the book. Alice's light enveloped Rino and the others, shining like a torch.