The Jabberwock, with all EX-rank stats, spread its wings and soared through the sky.
The phalanx formed by the Trump Soldiers broke apart, searching the underground world for the tracks of their former master.
The Rose Hounds, formed from mist, dispersed into the air, their ferocious maws capable of tearing through steel.
The body of the Bridge Giant, which was originally made of stone and wood only because Alice detested modern creations, gradually turned to steel.
In barely an instant, the entire army of summons organized by Miss Alice and Nursery Rhyme had turned against them.
"Wh-what is happening?!"
Miss Alice's pretty little face was written with panic, completely unable to comprehend what was happening before her eyes.
Never having imagined that her familiars would all betray her, beads of fine, crystalline sweat trickled down Alice's fair forehead.
The Witch of Fairytales—Kuonji Alice—was not skilled in physical activity. In battle, she generally used her fairytale familiars.
She herself was like the "General" in Chinese chess; once separated from her fairytale familiars, she would be plunged into an extremely dangerous situation.
And now, the Cannons, Horses, Soldiers, and Elephants surrounding this "General" had all become the enemy's blades.
It was too absurd.
Kuonji Alice had never witnessed the Twelfth Divine Key—Jizo Mitama—before, but that didn't stop her from understanding just how absurdly powerful the ability of that unscientific Divine Key, which defied all corresponding laws of physics, truly was.
In a single moment, be it the Trump Soldiers summoned by Nursery Rhyme, the Jabberwock, or her own fairytale familiars, their ownership had been completely seized!
Miss Alice, whose own combat power was pathetic and whose Servant's main body was also pathetically weak in a direct fight, quickly questioned her Servant after confirming she could no longer control the Bridge Giant and the Rose Hounds.
"Can you retract the Reality Marble?"
The Jabberwock and the Trump Soldiers were all part of Nursery Rhyme's first Noble Phantasm. As the master of this Reality Marble, Nursery Rhyme should be able to forcibly erase them.
The pages of the fairytale book trembled violently, and the cover opened of its own accord.
They no longer obey my commands.
A line of text materialized on the page, sending a chill through Miss Alice's heart.
Nursery Rhyme had already lost control of her own Noble Phantasm.
The priority of that unknown power, which could seize control of familiars and pseudo-Servants, was likely frighteningly high.
She looked to the sky, where twenty-four starlings were flying.
Those were her familiars previously used to spy on Li Zihan—the Song of Sixpence. Now, they had become the Mad Hatter's scouts.
If her coordinates were discovered, she would definitely lose.
The witch, completely unwilling to lose, glanced at the back of her hand.
She and Nursery Rhyme had already lost this game.
They had to start a new one.
"Nursery Rhyme, rewind time!"
The Command Spell on Alice's hand lit up, and the reins that bound her Servant began to take effect.
Queen's Glass Game: Perpetual Engine - Maiden's Empire
Rank: C
Type: Anti-Self Noble Phantasm (Anti-World Noble Phantasm)
Range: 0
Maximum Targets: 1
The story will never end.
Like a slender finger, which seems as if it would break at the slightest touch, closes the page only to open it once more.
As if the second volume is already in hand.
As long as the poor reader continues to escape from reality.
This was the Anti-World Noble Phantasm held by Nursery Rhyme, capable of rewinding time. However, it could only rewind time for herself and her summons, making it similar yet different from the Fifth Magic.
If Caster was not defeated within a set number of turns, their game would continue forever.
The time since Li Zihan arrived in the underground world had not actually met the "set number of turns" requirement, so this Noble Phantasm should not have been triggered.
However, with a Command Spell, it was a different story.
The reins that bound a Servant—the Command Spells—could perfectly well strengthen a Servant, allowing them to perform feats they were originally incapable of.
"Oh, sad and lovely Tommy Thumb, the road here was long and hard, but the adventure ends now.
For you will soon be in a dream.
The curtain of night has completely fallen.
Just as your head, too, will fall with a plop."
Like a chorus of children singing together, these words echoed in the air as the gears of time began to turn backward.
The scarlet light in the eyes of the familiars and pseudo-Servants gradually faded. As time was rewound, they were breaking free from the control of the Key of Erosion.
It's working!!
The witch, who had previously entrusted the right to use her familiars to Nursery Rhyme and was thus able to regain control of them through Nursery Rhyme's second Noble Phantasm, breathed a sigh of relief. She then glared fiercely in a certain someone's direction.
To casually play with fairytales—for such an act, even the Mad Hatter must be punished!
An ability that could strip away the power of top-tier familiars and pseudo-Servants all at once was undoubtedly incredibly rare and difficult to use consecutively.
Right now, Li Zihan should also be in a weakened state.
Miss Alice, completely unaware that Li Zihan was in no way short on the energy needed for Jizo Mitama, thought this and commanded her familiars to advance once more.
And then—
"Jizo Mitama. Third Rated Power, full open."
Such a voice rang out.
The advancing familiars and pseudo-Servants once again came to a halt.
A bone-deep chill crept into Miss Alice's heart.
That power that could seize her familiars in an instant... it seemed... it could be used consecutively!
Forget it, what I need to do now is continue to rewind time and change the fact that my familiars and pseudo-Servants have rebelled.
The witch, once again pushed into a corner, bit her thin lip and stretched out her fair, delicate hand again.
"Stop struggling. You only have two Command Spells left, while I have enough Honkai energy to drive Jizo Mitama's third rated power two hundred times."
Like a basin of cold water being splashed over her, the young man's distinctive, energetic voice sounded from behind Miss Alice.
The moment her familiars were taken, her coordinates had apparently been exposed.
The Second Magic: Parallel World Operation. The magecraft Li Zihan had learned included knowledge of this miracle that could freely interfere with spacetime.
He was a magus who could use spatial transfer without limit.
I... lost just like that?
The Jabberwock's stats were all EX, its combat ability no weaker than a top-tier Servant. She also had forty Trump Soldiers and a large number of familiars to support her...
Her Command Spells could even unconditionally activate Nursery Rhyme's second Noble Phantasm to reverse the situation.
And I lost just like that?
Without even seeing Lancer?
"I win."
The young man, who had found Alice's coordinates with the help of the Song of Sixpence, walked to Miss Alice's side, his voice light and cheerful.
The Witch of Fairytales stiffly turned her head, only to see the young man's calm and untroubled profile.