The fastest way to win this match was undoubtedly to target the Puppeteer herself.
Shinku was certain of it.
Even though this was just a test, she had no intention of losing.
So, while Suigintou was busy fighting Sigmund, she slowly walked over to Alice and Charlotte.
A puppeteer without her dolls was nothing but a lamb waiting for slaughter.
Shinku's steps were leisurely, like a girl out for a stroll on a holiday.
'Don't worry, Alice. Even if you lose, I'll still show you my full power.'
'I'll just use Suigintou as the demonstration subject.'
'But since Suigintou actually issued a warning, I should still be cautious of Alice's magecraft.'
Shinku sent a swirl of crimson petals shooting towards the falling cat bell.
The sharp petals spun at high speed, making the glass cat bell seem utterly harmless and fragile in comparison.
However, the moment the petals touched the cat bell, they dissipated like mist.
A defensive spell?! When did she…?
There was no time for shock. Shinku immediately swung her cane at the cat bell.
But the rapidly descending bell didn't give her the chance. It swiftly made contact with the ground.
And then, it sank.
The cat bell sank into the earth like a gold coin dropping into water. An unknown ripple spread out from Alice's feet, gradually radiating across the entire amusement park.
A gut feeling told Shinku that things were about to get very bad.
"Shinku, you idiot!" The scolding voice came from Suigintou, who was in the sky, relentlessly pounding on Sigmund.
"I…"
Ding-a-ling—
A chime of bells cut through the dolls' squabbling.
Huh?
Shinku frowned slightly. That was... a bell sound?
The one Alice just dropped?
She traced the sound and found... it was coming from underground.
"Why is there a bell coming from underground?" Shinku's eyes widened as she muttered the question aloud.
"Why indeed?"
Alice, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke. With a wave of her arm, she threw down two black dice.
The dice hit the ground, bounced and rolled, finally coming to a stop, both showing the number six.
And then, the Night Banquet commenced.
"We're here, we're here!"
"Present, present!"
Black and white forms appeared to Alice's left and right. Organic creatures, resembling piggy banks, now guarded the girl's sides.
"Tweedledee and Tweedledum." At Alice's soft call, the two piggies bounced towards Shinku as playfully as balloons.
The dice turned into piggies?!
Facing two seemingly harmless piggies, Shinku didn't dare let her guard down. Without hesitation, she raised her cane and lashed out at the bouncing creatures.
"—?!" Despite its rounded shape, the cane sliced through the piggy with ease, cutting it cleanly in two.
Petals scattered. The bisected piggy transformed into a massive alligator clip, snapping viciously at Shinku's arm.
She couldn't let this thing catch her!
Her instincts were screaming warnings.
Countless petals flew from her palm, forcefully prying the alligator clip open and simultaneously enveloping her own body.
"Waaah! The petals are trapping me instead!"
"Hahaha, it's mine now~"
The twins' noisy voices rang out.
At the same time, Shinku felt a clamping sensation on her calf.
Damn, the other one!
Shinku tried to counterattack, but she made a startling discovery.
She couldn't move!
Merely having her calf clamped rendered her entire body immobile.
What kind of thing is this?!
"Tch, what a foolish little sister. If this were a real fight, you'd be dead already."
Suigintou's voice suddenly came from behind Shinku.
In the sky, Sigmund was already restrained by black feathers, countless pinions immobilizing every one of his joints.
His massive frame had become a liability against the sheer number of feathers.
Suigintou, having flown over, didn't hesitate. She raised her sword to strike at Shinku's calf.
But seeing the petals around Shinku's leg, her poised rapier suddenly halted. Instead, she reached out, grabbed Shinku, and gave a sharp pull.
Shinku's calf, along with the petals, slipped right out.
"Hahahaha, not yours either~"
"Bleh bleh, so many petals in my mouth!"
The talking piggies were sent flying, landing near Alice with a thud.
"Utterly useless." Alice let out a soft sigh, looking at the twins stumbling to their feet beside her.
Still, she was somewhat satisfied with Shinku's actions.
'She needed outside help, but she managed to break free.'
"You were utterly useless, Shinku."
"...I was careless. I have nothing to say."
The two dolls resumed their battle stances in the air.
"That big dragon is dealt with." Suigintou beat her wings, sending out more black feathers.
Some flew towards Sigmund, reinforcing his bindings, while others shot towards Alice.
These feathers stopped short after a distance, hanging vertically in the air to form a black wall.
To block her view? No, is she guarding against a Mystic Eye?
Alice's lips curved into a slight smile. Her interest was piqued.
"Shinku, be careful of Alice's eyes."
"Understood."
The dolls in the sky exchanged information.
Then, they simultaneously dove towards Alice.
The wall of black feathers began to shrink, closing in on Alice like a wrapping shroud.
Suigintou and Shinku, flanking the wall, simultaneously slashed into the mass of feathers.
Clang—
A metallic clashing sound came from within the black feathers.
Giant cutlery—knives and forks—materialized out of nowhere, blocking the dolls' assault.
Then, Alice's slender fingers gave a gentle, backward tug.
The knives and forks spun around her, sweeping the surrounding feathers aside and hurling both dolls away in the process.
"Well done." Alice smiled faintly, quite pleased with their performance.
She pointed her left index finger at the ground and lifted it upward.
Countless pieces of cutlery burst forth from the earth, flying towards the dolls in the sky.
Where are all these things coming from?!
Suigintou swung her blade hard, shattering an oncoming fork, only to be struck in the back by a spoon the next moment.
Ugh... how annoying!
She was about to gather her feathers when the cutlery suddenly halted its attack.
Frowning, she looked down at Alice.
The dark-haired girl below was carefully taking out a small vial. The green, oily liquid inside was strikingly bright.
"...A flask?" Seeing Alice produce something new, Suigintou's unease grew.
"Stop her, Shinku!" Suigintou's tense voice rang out.
At the same moment, Alice carefully uncorked the vial.
"Round two begins, Suigintou, Shinku."The girl's light voice announced.
Before they could even move, Suigintou felt a faint breeze brush against her cheeks, stirring her hair.
Her eyes widened.
This place... this N-field... where was the wind coming from?
She scanned her surroundings in disbelief.
Then, something even more absurd happened.
The sound of classical dance steps, coming from nowhere and everywhere, echoed in their ears.
"What is this..."
Sudden spotlights shone upon the two dolls in the sky. Countless beams of light tore through the night, illuminating the stunned expressions on the dolls' faces.
The amusement park had come to life.
These abandoned, inanimate dead things... had come alive.
Music began to play from the broadcast system.
The unmanned roller coaster started running.
The carousel began to turn with a rumble-rumble.
The dead, abandoned amusement park was reborn as a fairy-tale kingdom.
This was a reality-eroding phantasm, one of Alice's Three Great Ploys: Flat Snark.
And it was also the Ploy with the worst personality.
"Snark," Alice warned sternly, "I will only say this once. Behave."
The mist wavered in the air twice, as if nodding. It seemed to have heeded its master's words.
Alice gazed quietly at the mist drifting into the sky.
'I hope you listen, Snark.'
'If you don't... then there will be no need to keep you around.'
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.