The Absolute Godspeed of Infinite Worlds

Chapter 640 - 640

The disappearance of the dark Saber made Eiji feel somewhat uneasy, and he quickly began searching.When it came to finding people, Eiji wasn't particularly skilled, so he went to find Alice.

"Come with me."

Alice pondered for a moment, then sighed imperceptibly.

She stood up and headed toward the west wing of the mansion.

The west wing was Alice's private domain, hiding many secrets belonging to the witch. To Alice, it was a sacred place where only Aoko was usually permitted entry. Both Eiji and Arcueid were forbidden from setting foot there.

"Is it really alright for me to enter here?"

Eiji glanced around the corridor, instinctively sensing danger emanating from the rooms on either side.

"Just this once."

Alice led Eiji into the west wing and stopped before a certain room.

When the door opened, an empty room came into Eiji's view.

The room was almost completely bare, with only a large floor-length mirror placed in the center of the wall. A faint mist lingered in the air.

"Stand in front of the mirror."

Following Alice's instructions, Eiji stood before the floor-length mirror.

It was strange.

The mirror reflected Eiji's image, but the reflection stared back at him, revealing an eerie smile.

Eiji felt a chill run down his spine.

It wasn't just the horror movie-like atmosphere—he could also sense a strong aura of danger from the mirror, similar to when he had faced Alice's "Tiamat."

"Don't cause trouble, Second Ticket (The Mirror of Naps)."

Alice's indifferent voice rang out.

The mirror's surface immediately rippled with mist, and the eerie smile on the reflection's face vanished.

"Is this thing also your familiar?"

Eiji pointed at the mirror in front of him.

"Yes, like Tiamat, this is also my mother's legacy."

Alice seemed reluctant to say more and only offered a brief explanation.

Eiji understood.

Alice's familiars fell into two categories: those she created herself and those inherited from her mother.

Though Alice was talented, she was still young—only 17—and couldn't compare to her mother, who had long been a witch. Thus, most of the powerful familiars she possessed were her mother's legacy.

For example, Alice's three major Ploys—Tiamat, the Rose-Hunting Hound, and the Bridge Giant—were all left to her by her mother. The methods to create them had long been lost, and modern magecraft couldn't reproduce them.

This Mirror of Naps was also inherited from her mother. It gave Eiji a distinct sense of danger, and its functionality might not be inferior to the three major Ploys.

"Place your hand on it and visualize the appearance of the person you're looking for."

Eiji followed the instructions, placing his hand on the mirror and imagining the dark Saber's appearance.

The mirror's surface immediately rippled, as if trying to display something.

But then, the mirror turned completely black, reflecting nothing.

"What's going on?"

Eiji frowned. This probably wasn't a good sign, right?

Or was the mirror broken?

"The search is over."

Alice stepped forward, her expression calm.

"The person you're looking for isn't in Misaki City."

"How could this be?"

Eiji was astonished.

There's no way Dark Saber would leave the city, right?

"The Slumbering Mirror is connected to the barrier surrounding the city," Alice explained. "One of its functions is to search the city—it can locate anything within the city limits, unless it's no longer here."

She paused, as if considering an exception, then added, "Or unless it's hidden within some special barrier."

Eiji tried again.

This time, he visualized Minamoto no Raikou's appearance in his mind. The mirror surface rippled like water, then reflected the image of a residential house.

It was a day off, and Raikou was hanging laundry in her yard.

"It seems that's indeed the case."

Eiji released his hand.

In the image, Raikou suddenly furrowed her brow and glanced toward the mirror.

But by then Eiji had already let go. Without the medium, the mirror quickly turned dark again before reverting to showing the room's reflection.

Though he didn't know how it was accomplished, the barrier from Misaki City was now covering Kijō City. The Slumbering Mirror's search function should be working properly.

"Have you used this to search for Roa?"

"I tried long ago."

Alice closed her eyes.

The faint look of helplessness on her face suggested she had found nothing.

"So it seems Dark Saber has indeed fallen into some kind of barrier?"

Eiji leaned more toward this explanation.

If she had simply left the city, there would be no need for secrecy. Dark Saber would have informed her family, or at least left an excuse.

Her sudden disappearance like this was likely due to being trapped in a special barrier.

Kijō City was different from Misaki City.

Many powerful figures hid here, and not everyone was willing to reveal themselves openly. Hidden barriers weren't uncommon in Kijō City, though their ranges were limited—probably because these powerful beings kept each other in check.

It wasn't impossible for her to have suddenly fallen into some strange barrier, and Medea was likely in the same situation.

In fact, that explanation made more sense.

"Speaking of which, where has Aoko gone?"

"She'll tell you herself when she returns."

Alice remained composed.

Her demeanor indicated she indeed knew Aoko's whereabouts.

Eiji also felt relieved. He had been worried Aoko might have disappeared like Dark Saber, so this was for the best.

Though she thought the chances of finding her were slim, Alice agreed to have her familiars help search for Dark Saber.

With no immediate answers from Alice, Eiji left Kuonji Manor.

After some thought, he headed to the outskirts, to an abandoned factory where Aozaki Touko lived in seclusion.

An hour later, Eiji emerged refreshed.

Touko also agreed to help search for Dark Saber.

After that, he went to the church.

After running around all day, he still hadn't found any trace of Dark Saber.

When he saw Scáthach again the next day, he remained at a loss.

"Why are you so distracted?" Scáthach asked curiously.

Eiji honestly shared his concerns. With nothing to lose, he tentatively asked Scáthach for help.

Ordinary barriers couldn't block Clairvoyance—it all depended on whether Scáthach was willing to assist.

"The black King of Knights—she's missing?"

Upon hearing this, Scáthach showed a thoughtful expression.

"Can't find it anywhere... Though I can't be certain, I have some clues."

"Really?"

Eiji's eyes lit up.

What's this, this queen is quite easy to talk to after all!

"But I won't tell you—you'll have to find it yourself!"

However, Scáthach then put on a resolute expression of refusing to spoil the plot.

Eiji: "..."

"But there is one thing I can tell you."

Seeing him make such a comical face, Scáthach couldn't help but laugh out loud.