灼熱の塊を身体強化による俊足ですり抜け、周囲の空気が灼ける感触を肌で感じながら足を止める事無く詠唱、術式展開。

「ウォータースフィア！」

　エルザが掲げたエアリ＝アルの先端に、空気中の水分が凝縮された水球が生成される。表面に揺らぎが生じ、幾筋もの細く鋭い水流がシャワーのように放たれドレイクを撃つが、その大半はドレイクの体表を覆う高温の鱗の前に蒸発し、辛うじて到達しても鱗を貫くだけの威力を維持できず、飛沫となって四散していく。壁を蹴って反転、未だ熱量を保ち揺らぐ空気に髪をなびかせ、続けて詠唱。

「アクアサーペント！」

　固定砲台と化した水球を意にも介さず、足元から牙を剥き襲い掛かる水の蛇を鉤爪で相殺しつつ踏み潰し、ドレイクが全身を使って振り被る。エアリ＝アルを後ろ向きに加速させ自らの速度を殺し、つんのめるように止まったエルザの鼻先に巨木が如き尻尾が打ち下ろされ床を粉砕、そこから強引に体を回転させた横薙ぎの一撃。魔力で作り出された不可視の盾がエルザの身を護るも、途轍もない質量を伴った衝撃にエルザ自身が踏ん張りきれず、その身は易々と宙を舞った。

　瞬時にエアリ＝アルを使い姿勢制御、壁に叩き付けられる前に上方へ、ドレイクの頭上を取ると時間差で術式を構築、三連続の発動。

「アイスジャベリン！」

　撃ち出された鋭利な二対計六本の氷槍はしかし、無数の牙を備える巨大な咢に噛み砕かれてしまう。エルザを追う鼻先から吹き出された轟炎を急降下する事で躱し、喉元を狙える位置を取って術式を構築しようとするが果たされず、床すれすれを滑空して間髪入れず襲い来る床を踏み砕くスタンピングと、続けて振り上げられた凶刃さながらの鉤爪から逃れる。

「お前の素質が良いのか、その箒みたいなロッドの補助かは知らんが、中級魔術師にしては良い魔力収束率をしている。だが悲しいかな、妹の身を案じるあまりに低次元な魔術しか使えないまま、ドレイクを相手にして不利に不利を重ねていくだけ。血も繋がっていない癖に、感動的な姉妹愛を見せてくれるじゃあないか。良いんだぞ？全力で、お前が使う中でも最大の魔術を撃ってみせても？どの道お前には、妹を助ける事ができないのだからなぁ！」

　見え見えの挑発に舌打ち一つ。

（チッ！紛い物といえど、ドレイクに化けたのは伊達ではないな…動きを止めようにも膂力で束縛を引き千切り、状態異常や精神攪乱は高い抵抗力に阻まれる、攻撃も生半可な威力では碌に通用もせず、効果の望める威力を求めれば広い範囲に影響を及ぼすものばかり、今そんなものを行使すればランがどうなるか、考えるまでもなく解りきっている。それに、ランもそうだが、時間を掛け過ぎると撃たれたリュートも危険じゃ。急がねばならんというのに！）

　思惑を嘲笑うかのように、ドレイクの強固な鱗はエルザの攻撃をものともしない。術名と現れる効果が同一な為に気付かれていないようだが、既にエルザは魔術ではなく魔法を行使している。同じ効果を持つ魔術と魔法には、例えるならマッチとバーナー程に明確な火力差があり、つまりエルザが行使している魔法は、とっくに上級魔術を超える火力に達していた。だというのに、精々が鱗の表面を傷付けるだけで、効いていたとしても本体へのダメージは微々たるものでしかない事は、全く感じられない手応えで伝わってくる。

　魔法が全く通じていないのには訳がある。未だ上級魔法を使える状況になく、中級以下の魔法による牽制しか行えていないからだ。

　既にランが入れられたボックスは、自分に張っているものと同じ魔法の盾で、上級魔法にも幾分耐えられるよう保護してあるが、それだけで済むのならエルザも苦労はしない。仮に、システム強制停止の影響がランの精神に異常をきたす、という話が真であるのなら、ボックスだけでなく操作系統の破壊も危険という事になってしまう。それは暗に、辺り一面に設置された全ての、それも、どれが破壊しても支障の無いものなのかなど、知る由もない数々の機器まで保護しなければならない事を意味し、保護が終わるまでは広範囲系が多く、そうでなくとも絶大な威力を以て目標以外のものも副次的に破壊してしまう上級魔法の行使など以ての外なのだ。必然的に行使できる魔法は単体に絞った攻撃が可能な中級までに限定され、その中級以下の魔法は、威力をどれだけ底上げしたところで、等級の火力差を覆す事はできない。そんな制限を課せられた上で、翼無きドラゴンであるドレイクとやり合わねばならないのである。元々ドラゴンには先天的に魔術／魔法に対する耐性が備わっており、高位の存在であればある程、比例して抵抗力が増していく。種として獰猛であり、やや知性に欠けるドレイクは、惜しくも上位に手が届かない存在に甘んじているが、原始的な面影を残す風貌に相応しいだけの絶大なる力は限りなく上位に近しいと云われ、事実それに見合うだけの耐性を備えている。以上の点から、並の魔法使いであれば一対一での真っ向勝負など御免被りたい相手であり、仮に戦う必要に迫られた時には「盾役を用意して十分に距離を取り、高い魔法耐性を打ち破れる上級魔法を攻撃手段とし、あとは属性の相性が悪くない事を祈れ」とさえ言われる程なのだ。

　二千年という永き時の中で、エルザにもドレイクを討伐した経験はある、だが、今は状況がまるで違う。ドレイクを相手に、ネクロマンシーを使う以外は自らも自覚する並でしかない魔法使いが、セオリーを外して盾役も無く接近戦で、しかも属性の相性も悪く上級魔法は使えず、挙句に人質と怪我人を抱え、時間の余裕まで無いときている。

（体躯から察するに、おそらくこやつが元にしたのは、成体前の個体であろう。成体ならではの岩山と見紛う圧倒的な巨体故の脅威が無いのは有難いが、逆に成体前の小ささ故の俊敏さで、決定打に繋がる魔法の行使を妨害されておるのが歯痒い。どうにか奴に隙を生じさせ、奥の手を使えるだけの猶予を得る事ができれば、ランを巻き込む心配もなくゴリ押しができるのだが…！）

　じれったさと屈辱を腹の奥に押し込めてエアリ＝アルから飛び降り、床の上を滑りながら、槍のようにエアリ＝アルを振り回し術式展開。

「フリージーボム！」

　ドレイクに向けたエアリ＝アルの先、ドレイクの胸元で氷の結晶が生まれ、鉤爪で払い除けようとする前に結晶は縮尺した吹雪にも似た爆発を起こす。凍てつく冷気はドレイクの鱗の前に無効化されてしまったが、爆発の衝撃そのものは防ぎようもなく、ドレイクの顎がかち上がり、その巨体を仰け反らせた。

（これで…）

　勝機と見て術式を構築しようとするが、ドレイクの背後から仄かな光が指している事に気付き、背筋を駆け上った不安に追撃の手が鈍る。

　その僅かな間に、仰け反ったままのドレイクの眼が細められた。

「…残念だったな、時間切れのようだ」

「な、なんじゃと！」

　見れば、薄く光る揺蕩う煙のようなものが、ランの全身から立ち上っている。

　Ｅ．Ｓにも変化が表れ始めていた。ランと同調するように、その体がほの暗く光を瞬かせ、鼓動していた。

「はははははは！遂に、遂に！永久機関が完成する！この無限のエネルギーさえあれば、弾も、燃料も必要とせずに、強大なエネルギーを生み出す究極の兵器を生産する事が可能だ！これは売れるぞ！核のように恒久に続く汚染も無ければ人道的倫理に縛られる事も無い、となれば、理性を言い訳に世界中から非難を浴びせられ悪と断じられる事から逃げていた馬鹿な人間共は、平然と最後の一線を踏み越える！他国を侵略し、殺し、奪う為に、この究極の兵器をこぞって買い求めるだろう！私はそれらを見下して嘲笑える地位に就けるという訳だ！はははははははは！！！」

　高笑いが響く中、ランとＥ．Ｓを包む光の明滅が、激しくなっていく。

　鼓動に合わせて身体を震わせるランが大きく仰け反り、自分の方に向けられたランの顔に、エルザが目を見開いて息を呑む。

　そして、　

ランとＥ．Ｓが、真っ赤な顔で同時に鼻血を噴き出した。

　膨れ上がっていく光は徐々に赤く…正確には桃色に染まり、周囲を染める。

「な…何だこれは」

　ドレイクは明らかに狼狽していた。

「怨念のインストールで生じるのは、黒い光の筈だ！何故こんな色に、どうなっている！状況を報告しろ！」

　予定していたものと違う光景に呆然としていた研究員は、ドレイクの一喝で慌ててインストールの進行状況を表示し、そこに示されたものに驚愕する。

「か、感情レンジ、プラス…パターンピンク、です…！？」

「プラス？ピンクだと！？な、何故プラスの感情がインストールされている！ピンクとは何だ！！」

「くくく…そういう事か、解らんだろうな、おぬしには」

　声に反応したドレイクが振り向いた先、エルザの顔に浮かぶのは、絶対の自信に満ちた笑みだ。

「幽霊の記憶を掘り起こせば、記憶に対応した感情が蘇る…その怨念を取り込ませる事で、あれを完成させる手筈だったのだろうが、とっくの昔に計画など破綻しておったのだ。確かにランは無自覚に怨霊をやっておった、おぬしが求める怨念を持っていただろうよ。以前の、ジャック・オ・ランたんのままだったなら、な」

「何が言いたい！」

「怨霊から怨念を引き出す為には、怨念を抱いた記憶、つまり怨霊にとって最も強烈な記憶を呼び起こす必要がある。確かに今、ランが持つ最も強烈な記憶が呼び起こされている、だがそれは、エトランゼ・シュトゥーリアの記憶だけでなく、我が妹、ラン・シュトラヘルツの記憶でもあるという事じゃ！同じ強烈さなら、新しい記憶が勝る！それが幸せであればある程な！」

　ランに目を向けた時、確かにエルザは見たのだ。その顔に、憎悪でも、苦痛でもなく、恥じらいが浮かんでいたのを。それはいつもの、大好きな親友達に囲まれて振り回されては振り回していた、エルザの知るランが見せていた顔だったのだ。

「ランが結んできた縁を侮るなよ！これが怨念さえ凌駕する絆の力、愛の勝利じゃ！」

「あ…あ…あ…」

　ランの頭の中で記憶が渦を巻く。強制的に脳裏に再生される映像が、容赦なくランを刺激する。

　何度も、何度も。繰り返し、ランは玉竜のお尻に顔を突っ込んでいく。それを恥ずかしがった玉竜が自分の脳天に叩き付けた尻尾の所為で、玉竜の下着が千切れ落ちる。尻尾を喰らったランが堪らず前のめりに倒れ込み、千切れた下着が晒したそこへ鼻先から、むにゅ、と。

　あたたかーい。

　これが何度も、何度も繰り返される。

「わ、私、玉竜にこんな事…しぇブっ！」

　鼻血の勢いが増した。別の意味でそろそろ危ないかもしれない。

「…な…何故こんな事が…」

　あまりにも想定外過ぎる展開に、ドレイクも掠れた声で呻く事しかできない。

　彼等には二つの誤算があった。

　一つは数年前、魔法使い神代雪恋の計らいにより、それまで持っていたジャック・オ・ランたんとしての怨念を、ほぼ無に近い状態にまで昇華されていた事。

　もう一つは日本を出立する前日、錯乱状態で抱き付いた玉竜のお尻の感触と、不可抗力で目の前に曝け出された玉竜の”おんなのこ”が、直後に彼女の尻尾を脳天に叩き付けられた衝撃も相まって、鮮烈な記憶として焼き付いてしまっていた事である。ランが生前を思い出そうとして玉竜のお尻を思い浮かべていたのは、この為だったのだ。

　確かにランは、オリジナルの死の記憶を呼び起こされていた。しかし記憶が呼び起こされていく中で、その記憶はオリジナルのものからラン自身の…エトランゼ・コピーではなく、明るく元気な親友達の優しさにトラウマを払拭しつつあり、騒がしくも頼もしい新たな家族の愛情に心が癒されつつあったラン・シュトラヘルツの、最も新しく、最も強烈だった玉竜のお尻の感触に、次第に切り替わっていたのである。

　そりゃあもうハッキリと。そりゃあもう鮮明に。加えて尻尾で脳天直撃されたショックでぶっ飛んでいた、玉竜の股間に顔面ダイブした記憶まで呼び起こされたときた日には、花も恥じらう年頃乙女にしてみれば、もう怨念どころの騒ぎではなかった。

　どれほど過去の事にしようとも、刻み込まれた記憶は消える事はない。最も強烈な記憶を呼び起こせば、オリジナルが抱いていた怨念がになる。その彼等の計画は、エトランゼ・コピーが数奇なめぐり逢いからラン・シュトラヘルツという一人の少女として運命を辿り、結んできた奇妙な縁によって、とっくの昔に潰えていたのである。

「…愛の…勝利、の、ハズ。多分」

　自由に動けないながらも体を左右に揺さぶり、足をバタバタさせるランの様子が、予想したよりも激しくなってきた為、ちょっぴり不安になってきたエルザである。言っている事はあながち間違っていないから、始末に困ってしまう。

「失敗…したのか。この実験は失敗だったというのか！」

『キャハハハハハハハハハハ！！』

　微妙に緊迫感の傾いだ空気を裂いて、頭上から嬉しそうな子供の笑い声が木霊した。

　あまりの場違いさに、エルザも、ドレイクも、研究員達も揃って、つい声の主を探してしまう。

『やっと、やっと、やっと！やっとこの時が来た！ずっと待ってた、この時を！』

「あれは…会場でランを攫ったという、幼いランの姿をした霊か！」

　エルザがこの場に現れてから、ランの傍を離れて天井付近から事の成り行きを傍観していたエトランゼ・コピーが、空中で愉しそうに笑い転げていた。

「ま、待っていた…だと？バカな、あのコピーには、明確な自我など無かった筈…」

『バカな？バカなのはあなたよ。意味の通じる会話をしないで、ただぼんやりと漂っているだけだからって、何も感じない、何も考えていないなんて、知ったような事を言って何も解っていなかったあなたは、本当に滑稽だったわ』

　振り向いたエトランゼ・コピーの顔に貼り付いているのは、空虚な笑みではなく、ランのようでいてランではない、酷くいびつな笑顔。

『この子があなた達の下から逃げ出した事、実験が失敗した事…それが偶然だと思っているの？こうなるように仕向けたのは、私達！私を、私達を生み出してエトランゼの死を冒涜し、エトランゼの心を踏みにじったあなた達に復讐する為に！』

「何を言っている…」

『二十年前のあの日、この子が逃げたのは偶然じゃない。だって、私達が仕組んで逃がしたんだもの。実験が失敗したのも、この子の持っている憎悪が私達から与えられたもので、この子が元々持っていたものじゃないから。いくら記憶を掘り返したって、見せ掛けの憎悪しか持っていないこの子から本物の憎悪なんて引き出せる訳、ないじゃない』

「与えた！？では、こいつは…お前は一体！」

『あなた達は私達が正の感情を捕食したなんて言っていたけれど、私達は正の感情の私達を取り込んだんじゃない…集めて、混ぜ合わせて、私達を少しずつ付け足して、私達と同じ形を取り戻せるようにしていたのよ。本当のこの子は、幾つにも分けられて消えかけていた正の感情の集合体、私達が蘇らせたエトランゼの”希望”。それだけじゃない、分け与えた憎悪を表面化させる事で負の感情を装わせた囮、今日この日を迎える為の、私達にとってもまさに”希望”だった。ここまで言えば解るでしょう？本当の憎悪は…』

　いびつな笑顔が、ゆっくりと。

『本当の憎悪は、この私…ずっと、あなた達の傍で、この時を、復讐を果たす瞬間を、待ち望んでいた…！』

　どす黒い憎しみに彩られていった。

Due to her body strengthing, she quickly ran to avoid the red hot ball. As she felt the air around her getting hotter, as she started chanting without slowing her pace one bit, and started the spell.
"Water Sphere!"
Holding onto Aeri=al, the moisture in the atmosphere began to condense and form a ball of water at Aeri=al's tip. The surface began to shake, and countless tiny streams of water shot out at the drake like a shower. However, the majority of them evaporated from the high temperatures surrounding the drake, and even those that barely reached him didn't have enough power to pierce his scales, and splashed off of him. Reversing direction by kicking off the wall, hair fluttering in the still hot air, she continued chanting.
"Aqua Serpent!"
Ignoring as the ball of water that had become a cannon, the drake fought against the serpent that appeared beneath with his whole body, using his claws to fight while trying to crush it underfoot. Turning away from Aeri=al, and stopping her own speed enhancement, Elza came to a sudden halt, as his tail came crashing down right in front of Elza like a giant tree, obliterating the floor. It was an attack that knocked her body aside, spinning. Even though Elza protected herself with an invisible magical shield, she couldn't brace herself from the shock from such a massive object, and her body went flying.
In an instant, controlling Aeri=al, it shot straight up before slamming into the wall, and moving above the drake's head, she began to cast a spell, the 3rd one in a row.
"Ice Javelin!"
Three pairs of sharp ice lances shot out, but they were chomped down on by his giant jaws full of countless fangs. Elza had dodged the flames spewed from his nose by suddenly diving downward, and got to location where she could target his throat and tried casting a spell, but it wasn't effective. Gliding inches over the floor and barely able to stomp down onto it, she then dodged the deadly claws coming from overhead.
"I don't know if it that's due to your ability, or support from that broom-looking rod, but for a mid level mage, you have a good magical energy focusing rate. But it's too bad, as long as you're so worried about your sister, you can only use low level magic. And with a drake as your opponent, it just goes from bad to worse. Even though you're not even related by blood, you still show your love for her. But you know, right? Even if you used your most powerful magic at full power? Either way, you won't be able to save your sister!"
She clicked her tongue once at the blatant provocation.
(Tch! He might just be a fake, but his drake transformation isn't just for show... Even when I tried to stop his movements, he broke the binds with physical strength, and he has high resistance against ailments and mental afflictions, and non-full powered attacks don't work on him. Anything that has the power to be effective against him will also encompass the surroundings too, and if I do something like that now, it's obvious what would happen to Ran. And not only that, but if too much time passes, then Ryuuto will also be in danger. I must hurry!)
Like a scornful laugh in anticipation of what will happen, the drake's hard scales treated Elza's attacks like it was nothing. He didn't seem to realize that the spell name was the same as the effect, but Elza was already using sorcery, not magic. The difference between magic and sorcery that had the same effect was, for example, the difference in strength between a match and a blow torch. Basically, the sorcery Elza used exceeded the strength of high level magic. And yet, the most it did was damage the surface of the scales, and even if it was effective, it would only be the slightest of damage to the drake itself, who didn't even seem to feel it.
There was a reason why the sorcery didn't pierce through. The situation wasn't right to use high class sorcery yet, and she was only using mid or lower class sorcery as a feint.
The box that Ran was in had a magical shield, like she was using to on herself, and probably could protect even against high class sorcery, but that wasn't Elza's only problem. If a forced shutdown of the system would cause Ran's mind to go crazy, if that part of his statement was true, then it would be dangerous to destroy not only the box, but all the rest of the aparatus as well. And naturally, that was all of the things placed all around. Each and every thing around would be easy to destroy, and she had no idea how many of the machines she would have to protect, and the protection would have to cover a large area. Without it, the extremely high destructive power of high class sorcery, which would destroy things not targetted by it, was not a possibility. Inevitably, the only sorcery she could use was attacks focused on a single target, which limited it to mid class or below sorcery. And even though she could increase the damage, she couldn't overcome the gap in firepower between the classes. on top of this restriction, she had to contend with the drake, a wingless dragon. Dragons naturally have a resistance against magic/sorcery, and their resistance increased the higher class of dragon it was. Drakes as a specifies were violent and somewhat lacking in intelligence, and were not able to reach high class, but they retained the traces of their primal appearance and were close to high class in their enormous strength, and had a corresponding resistence. An average wizard would not want to get into a 1 on 1 fight with one, and if they had to fight one, they would "pray that they can prepare a shielding spell, get plenty of distance between them, break through their high magical resistance with high class sorcery, and target their elemental weakness."
During the eternity that was 2000 years, Elza had experience dealing with drakes. However, this was completely different. She was fighting a drake, as an average wizard who isn't using necromancy, in close combat, with only a theoretical shield spell, and a poor elemental affinity and unable to use high class sorcery, and having to worry about a hostage and a wounded person, and no time to spare.
(Based on his body, he probably copied this from an immature being. A mature body would have a giant overwhelming body like a mountain, so I'm glad for that. But on the other hand, the smaller size has more agility, and it's annoying that it's harder to use sorcery to land a killing blow. If I can wait until I can somehow make an opening and use my special move, then I'll be able to overpower him without hitting Ran...!)
Swallowing her annoyance and humiliation, she jumped off of Aeri=al and slid on the floor, swinging Aeri=al like a spear and started casting.
"Freezing Bomb!"
The tip of Aeri=al pointed at the drake, as a crystal of ice formed on his chest. Before he could use his claws to knock it away, the crystal exploded into a small scale blizzard. The freezing chill was nullified by the drake's scales, but it couldn't defend against against the impact of the explosion, and the drake's jaw was knocked upward, knocking the giant body back.
(And now...)
Seeing her chance at victory, she started casting, but realizing what the dim light coming from behind the drake meant, a feeling of unease ran up her back as her follow up attack was abandoned.
In that split second of time, the drake eyes narrowed as he fell back.
"...Too bad, time's up."
"W, what!"
A dim light, flickering like smoke, rose up from Ran's body.
E.S. also started undergoing a transformation. Like it synced with Ran, a dim light shone from its body, pulsing.
"Hahahahaha! Finally, finally! The perpetual machine is complete! With this limitless energy, we can create the ultimate weapon that outputs massive energy without needing bullets or fuel! And we'll sell it! And with no long lasting effects like nuclear fallout, it won't be held back by human morals! And those stupid humans, who will throw reason out the window to remove whomever they call evil from the world, will gladly cross that final line! Whether to attack other countries, kill, or steal, they'll all buy this ultimate weapon! And they'll laud me as I sneer at them all! Hahahahahahaha!!!"
As the laughter echoed, the light enveloping Ran and E.S. flickered furiously.
Ran's synchronized shaking body was thrown backwards, and as Ran's turned to face her, Elza's eyes went wide and she gasped.

And then,
Ran and E.S. blushed, and at the same time, got a nosebleed.

The light bursting from them turned redder... More precisely, it was pink, and the surroundings were lit in pink.
"Wh... What's this!?"
The drake was plainly confused.
"The installation of the grudge should have meant a black light! Why is this color, what happened! What's her condition!"
The researchers, stunned by the unexpected scene, were sent into a panic by the drake's yell, and went over to the monitor showing the installation, and was surprised at what it showed.
"E, emotional range, plus... Pattern pink...!?"
"Plus? Pink!? Why was a positive emotion installed! And what's pink!!"
"Hehehe... You probably wouldn't know about that, huh."
As the drake reacted to the voice and turned around, Elza's face was right in front of him, with a huge confident grin.
"If you dig up the memories of a ghost, the feelings associated with them will be recalled... You were going to complete your plans by installing her grudge, but your plan had already failed long ago. Ran had been a mindless vengeful ghost, and had the grudge you sought. At least, if she had stayed as her old Jack-o-Ran-tan."
"What are you trying to say!?"
"In order to extract a grudge from a vengeful ghost, you must call forth the memories of her embracing her grudge, which is to say her strongest memories for a vengeful ghost. And just now, Ran's strongest memories were called forth. However, that was not Etranger Shutulia's memories, it was the memories of my sister, Ran Schtlehertz! If they have the same strength, then the newer memory will win! Even more so if it's one of happiness!"
As she looked at Ran, Elza could see it. Her face did not have a look of hate or pain, but one of embarrassment. It was the look that Elza knew, that Ran always had when she was with her beloved friends.
"Don't take the bonds Ran forged lightly! The strength of those bonds surpass that of grudges, love wins!"
"Ah... ah... ah..."
In Ran's mind, memories spun like a whirlpool. The video which was forcibly replayed in her mind unforgivingly stimulated Ran.
Over and over. It repeated, Ran with her face jammed against Tamaryuu's ass. An embarrassed Tamaryuu hitting the top of her head with her tail, and due to this, Tamaryuu's underwear getting torn up. Ran, falling forward due to getting hit from the tail, the torn underwear exposing that place right in front of her face, and a squish.
It was warm~
This repeated over and over.
"I, I, did that to Tamaryuu... Shblep!"
The intensity of her nosebleed increased. In a different sense, this might be getting dangerous.
"...Wh... Why did this..."
This development was so far beyond the drake's plans that he could only groan.
He had made 2 mistakes.
One was that several years ago, due to the decision of the wizard Kamishiro Seren, the grudge she had possessed as Jack-O-Ran-tan had been subliminated to near nothingness.
The other was that the day before she left Japan, in the confusion she embraced the feeling of Tamaryuu's ass, and by an act of God had had Tamaryuu's "girl" exposed right before her eyes. Combined with the impact of Tamaryuu's tail hitting the top of her head that followed right after, this vivid memory was burned into her brain. That is why when she tried to think of her life when she was alive, Tamaryuu's ass came to mind.
It's true that Ran had the memories of the original's death recalled. However, while the memories were being recalled, those memories were from the original, so Ran sought to erase the trauma... not as an Etranger copy, but as Ran Schtlehertz, with the kindness of her cheerful friends, and the love of her troublesome but reliable new family, and the newest and strongest was the feeling of Tamaryuu's ass, which replaced it.
It was clearer. It was vivider. And the shock of getting hit directly on the head with her tail blew everything else away, and she could recall the memories of her face-first dive into Tamaryuu's crotch. And as a young maiden, even the grudge couldn't compare.
No matter how long ago it was, a memory etched into the mind will never disappear. And when recalling the strongest memory, the grudge the original embraced will be called to mind. Their plan, had already failed long ago, due to the bonds created as the luckless Etranger copy followed her destiny to become the girl Ran Schtlehertz.
"...A victory... for love, uh, I think. Probably."
While unable to move as she wished, Ran's body was shaking this way and that, and her feet were kicking around. This was more violent than anticipated, so Elza was slightly worried. She wasn't completely sure of what she said, so she was concerned about what was happening.
"A failure... huh. This experiment was failure!?"
'Kyahahahahahaha!!'
Breaking the strangely tense atmosphere, the laugh of the happy child overhead echoed.
It was so out of place that Elza, the drake and the researchers all looked around for the source of the voice.
'Finally, finally, finally! It's finally come! I've been waiting for this moment!'
"That's... the ghost that looked like young Ran who kidnapped her from the party!"
Ever since Elza showed up, the Etranger copy had stayed away from Ran, observing what happened from near the ceiling. She laughed happily from above.
"W, waiting...? How stupid, that copy clearly has no sense of self..."
'Stupid? You're the one who's stupid. Just because I'm not following the conversation, and just mindlessly floating around, you say that I don't feel anything, that I'm don't think anything. You know nothing. You are the real fool.'
Turning around, the expression on the Etranger copy's face was not an empty smile, but a terrible twisted smile, like Ran and yet not.
'That girl escaping from right beneath your noses, the failure of the experiment... Did you think that was just chance? The ones who put that into motion was us! I, we, who were born from the corruption of Etranger's death and the trampling of her heart, this is our revenge!'
"What are you talking about..."
'That day 20 years ago, it wasn't chance that this girl escaped. For we planned her escape. The failure of your experiment, the hatred that this girl possessed was given to her by us, it wasn't something she originally had. No matter how much you try to draw it out, this girl only had pretend hatred, so there's no way you could extract real hatred.'
"Given!? Then, what is she... what are you!"
'You said that we preyed upon positive emotions, but we absorbed ourselves with positive emotions... We gathered, mixed together, and gradually added, and returned to our identical forms. The countless times we split and disappeared, this girl collected the positive emotions, and we were able to revive Etranger's "hope". And that's not all, we were able to disguise it as hatred and pretend it was a negative emotion. It was all for today, this was truly our "hope". Now that I've told you all this, you understand right? The real hatred is...'
The twisted smile, slowly...
'The real hatred is me... Always, next to you, waiting and hoping for this moment, the moment our revenge...!"
Became filled with dark hatred.