"Question…?"
Alice asked back in a wavering voice, and Humpty shot her a grin and a disgusting laugh, settling down on a roadside stall, its luggage crate, and crossed his legs.
"You killed the Hatter, am I correct?"
Alice gulped as he got right to the point. She bit her lip and pressed her back against the wall in an attempt to distance herself.
"Hmm…" The egg-shaped monster observed her with fascination and proceeded. "No, you know what. I found it surprising."
"Surprising…?"
"In the past, Alice has been able to cross us, but none of them have been able to kill us. How did you kill him? Was it a sneak attack? Even so, I don't think it would be easy to slaughter a Nightmare at the Hatter's level."
As Humpty peered at Alice with glazed eyes as if to lick her, he lifted one of his fingers and directed it at the ceiling, delicately waving it. Listening to his words, which sounded as if he was saying that there was another "Alice," the other Alice became disoriented and cast a glance at Raffi at her feet. When the black cat made eye contact with Alice, he gnashed his teeth and looked around.
"I suggest you don't move, Alice. Humpty's Seventh is dangerous." Raffi said in a suppressed tone.
Philrain spread herself out to shield Alice and aimed her long needle at Humpty. Passers-by threw her a dubious glance at the girl's uncanny appearance. However, Humpty disregarded Raffi and Philrain as if they were not present, and pointed his upraised index finger at Alice.
"I know you won't answer if I ask. But apparently, there is no doubt that you killed the Hatter. You have his core."
Alice flinched and reached into her pocket. Upon witnessing this, Humpty spoke up as if to spit in her face.
"I'll take that back."
In the following moment, Alice's body, which was being protected by Philrain, disappeared. No, not disappeared… but leaped up into the air with terrific speed and power.
"Angel!" Philrain screamed at the sight of Alice's tiny body, which was flung to the ceiling like a cannonball. "Oh no…!"
Raffi exclaimed, yelling at Philrain. "Replicant, get out of here!"
"But the Angel…!"
"Everyone is going to get killed by… Alice!"
Alice was blown away at a tremendous speed. She seemed to have fainted and her body was flaccid. As if in pursuit of her, Humpty's egg-shaped body was flying through the air like a bullet.
◇
By the time she realized it, Humpty's sickening face was right in front of her. Neither Philrain nor Raffi noticed… no, it was too swift for them to even react.
In Alice's eyes, somehow, she could discern Humpty's movements slowly, as though in slow motion. The egg monster kicked the ground with a weightless movement and closed in on Alice with an enormous speed. When she tried to shriek, he seized her by the arm and she was in mid-air. Even Alice herself was swept up and flung away as if she were weightless.
There was no understanding of the situation. It was less than a second… or two in duration. She turned her eyes and looked up desperately. The ceiling was approaching at an unbelievable speed.
No, wrong.
I am…
I am the one blasting off into the ceiling.
I can't stop.
Not even to struggle.
At this rate, I'm going to collide with…
Collide…?
Dying…?
The horrendous impact was such a thunderous roar that it rocked Alice's body, her internal organs, and even her brain. The entire shelter shuddered, and the sound of heavy, low explosions reverberated throughout the area.
Just as she thought this, a second explosion resounded. A beat later, Humpty was also thrust into the precise ceiling that Alice had been thrust into.
Like a meteor with his thick legs, he kicked up Alice, who was pierced into the ceiling… A shockwave of shattered wall fragments and explosive air broke out all around. After a delay, a gust of wind ruffled through the shelter.
"Hmm…?"
But Humpty, who was supposed to have pulled the move… that swatted the girl down like a fly, turned his popping eyes upwards and gritted his teeth.
"So the thing that killed the Hatter was that…"
The metal ceiling was distorted like a crater. Alice was slammed into the center of it. Her neck was hanging down powerlessly, and her eyes were devoid of light. Her body was stuck in the metal, and she seemed unable to move.
Yet, Alice was still alive. From the looks of it, there were no external injuries.
As Humpty was on the verge of a free fall, he lightly kicked his foot in the air. Immediately, his body softly levitated in the air. Folding his arms and staring at Alice, he retreated lightly, distancing himself from her.
"… Bandersnatch…? Well, that's a shape I've never seen before…"
From Alice's small open mouth, a white mist-like substance was flowing out. It clung to her body like a protective coating.
Alice jerked slightly and drew her body out, cracking… and shattering the metal. The mist that extended from her mouth penetrated the ceiling, and Alice hung from the ceiling, dangling as if suspended in midair.
The red, dull glowing eyes… directed at Humpty, a jet-black "thing" that reflected nothing, like an empty "hole" and Alice shook her head briskly. It was as though she was a marionette… a mere puppet. At the sight of the girl's macabre appearance, Humpty snorted as he floated in the air.
"I see. So that's the nature of it. This time, Alice seems to be considerably formidable."
The pupils of his eyes nearly popped open; the egg monster, resembling the face of a bird of prey; laughed with its mouth wide open as if it were going to split open.
"It's been too long since we played! Right, Alice!"
Humpty's figure disappeared. At an imperceptible speed, his body flew away without any preliminary movement. His legs shot out like bullets, piercing Alice. There was a poof; the sound of air bursting. A violent gust of wind followed, and Alice's small body was swept away in a straight line like a light towards the back, helpless to resist.