Sporadically Margaret
Index
Sporadically Margaret
(...)
(...)
(...Ah.)
I said something.
No, something popped up in my mind.
It's happening again right now.
...What is this?
(...)
(...)
(...I see.)
These are...
...words.
Margatroid
Oh, there's just so much to do!
Margatroid
Right, ■■■■■? There's not enough time to do everything!
■■■■■
Yes, we are rather busy... You still seem to be enjoying yourself though.
Margatroid
I do? You must be imagining it.
■■■■■
Well, if you say so. Where should I put the teapot?
Margatroid
Right on top of that table! Oh, but we have to put down the tablecloth first!
Margatroid
I need to bring out the sweets too, but I guess I can leave that to France and Holland... There's still so much to do!
■■■■■
There's no need to rush... *sigh*
■■■■■
Oh, ■■■? You're here earlier than I expected.
■■■■■
Listen, ■■■. I know it's been a while since our last tea party, but Margatroid's getting carried away.
■■■
Huh? That's strange.
■■■■■
What?
■■■
My gut told me that there would be a rare item here... or an unusual human...? So why...?
■■■■■
Hey, ■■■.
■■■
Hmm, ■■ will get the march on me at this rate. I have to do something...
■■■■■
■■■? Are you listening?
■■■
Whoa?! ■■■■■?! You surprised me!
■■■■■
How rude. I've been here the whole time.
Margatroid
Oh, there's so much to do!
■■■■■
Good timing, Margatroid. ■■■ came sooner than we expected. Now we just have to wait for ■■.
Margatroid
...
Margatroid
...Really?
Margatroid
Really? Really?
Margatroid
R-R-R-R-Really?
Margatroid
Really? Really? Really? Really? Really? Really? Really? Really? Really? Really? Really? Really? Really? Really? Really? Really?
Margatroid
R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R
■■■
Yikes?! Stop! Emergency shutdown!
■■■■■
S-She stopped...
■■■
Yeah, that was lucky.
■■■■■
...
■■■■■
Margatroid has been playing up a lot lately.
■■■
...Yeah.
■■■
She's a youkai composed of multiple magic dolls powered by the untitled magic book that I found in my possession...
■■■
The Doll Magician... Margatroid.
■■■
She could fall apart at any time since there's a limit to the amount of magic power stored within the untitled magic book.
■■■■■
But it still hurts to see her like this.
■■■
Yeah, it doesn't matter that she's an unusual type of magician. She's still one of us.
■■■■■
Yes.
Margatroid
*creak*... ■■■...
Margatroid
...*clunk*... ■■■■■...
■■■■■
Don't force yourself to move. Your magic strings are worn out and tangled.
■■■
Don't worry, Margatroid.
■■■
The Golem Magician will be here soon.
Me
...Stop.
Me
Oh, right, it has already stopped.
Me
I see. So this is yet another probability.
Me
Isn't that right?
Me
You should know since you are also a being who crosses boundaries.
Me
That's why you're speaking to me, isn't it?
Me
...
Me
...Yuuka.
Yuuka
...
Yuuka
I may be a Yuuka, but I am Yuuka "Kazami," not the Yuuka you know.
Yuuka
And normally, I would just ignore you as noise caused by an observer.
Yuuka
However, this is highly unusual, so I have taken an interest in you on a whim.
Yuuka
But my interest has waned now that we have made contact like this.
Yuuka
You are merely a tiny fragment of a lost world. You hardly compare to the real thing.
Yuuka
You are a fleeting shadow cast by the whimsical revolving lantern of the world―A bubble in the sea of fantasy.
Yuuka
Such samples can be found everywhere. You have no value.
Yuuka
I tire of this. Disappear.
Me
...Yuuka, you don't have to force yourself to reject this.
Yuuka
...?
Me
You're right that if you were a normal Yuuka, our fates would not intertwine like this.
Me
After all, the original Yuuka tried to steal that girl's magic but never succeeded.
Me
You shouldn't have been able to witness that girl using the ultimate magic.
Me
That girl hardly ever uses the ultimate magic, so you should have gotten bored and left after a while.
Me
...Isn't that right?
Me
You are a Yuuka Kazami whose nature was not so fickle.
Yuuka
Yes. That is what makes me irregular.
Yuuka
But what about it? That doesn't give me a reason not to make you disappear.
Yuuka
Just because some noise happened to take a form does not give it any meaning.
Yuuka
It is a mere illusion.
Me
It's good that I'm an illusion.
Yuuka
Huh?
Me
I said it's good that I'm an illusion.
Me
I am a fragment of a lost world that used to exist. And such fragments, such souls, can normally do nothing but dissipate.
Me
But I alone am different.
Me
Because I am a "mother." I am "creation."
Me
I may just be a single part, but I can become whole. My fate is to have children, raise them, and be betrayed.
Yuuka
So? What do you want from me?
Me
Return that girl's magic to her.
Me
The magic book stolen by Marisa has been lost, but I know where to find a replacement. All I need is the contents.
Yuuka
I've finished researching that magic, so I don't mind returning it. I won't lose anything.
Yuuka
But what do I have to gain? It is unwise to throw away my cards with nothing to show for them.
Me
Then let me propose a fair trade for your card.
Yuuka
A trade? What can you give me?
Me
Whatever you desire.
■■
...That's a shame.
■■
But you're always welcome if you change your mind, OK?
■■
The mistress needs as many allies as she can get at the moment, and I'm sure you would be treated as a friend.
■■
We also have a person from Makai with us. That's where you're from, too, isn't it...?
■■■
Yes... But, um, Makai is very large, so I'm not sure if I lived in the same place as that person. I used to live in the city...
■■
Oh... Sorry, I'm not too familiar with Makai.
■■
Anyway, please remember our request. We'll be staying at the foreign settlement next to this one for a time.
■■
You'll always be welcome. Now then, I better get going. Thank you for your time.
■■■
...
■■■
...*sigh*
■■■
It might be nice to work in a mansion as a noble's magician.
■■■
Besides, there are hardly any magicians or people of Makai in this world...
■■■
The humans of this world have almost stopped believing in such beings. What will happen to me when no one believes...?
■■■
Will I become a normal human? Or will I disappear?
■■■
If I was just thinking about survival, a gathering of youkai would have much more influence over the humans...
■■■
That's why their invitation is so tempting...
■■■
...What do you think about this, ■■■■?
■■■
Yes, that's it! The name, ■■■■, suits you perfectly since this place is a foreign settlement in Shanghai.
■■■
So, do you like your name, ■■■■?
■■■
That's good. I'll finish making you soon, OK?
■■■
And once I finish making you, we can play together with the other girls.
■■■
...
■■■
■■■■. You don't know this since you've just come to life, but...
■■■
I... no, we have traveled all over the world.
■■■
And I've made sure to always create one of your friends at every place I've stayed.
■■■
Look, you have so many friends, don't you?
■■■
...This place has started to get pretty noisy, hasn't it?
■■■
Humans have found a way to live without having to believe in magic.
■■■
...
■■■
According to what I've read in the ancient texts of this country, there is a legendary land called Hourai far to the east.
■■■
If that ends up being our next destination...
■■■
...then your next friend's name will be ■■■■, won't it?
■■■
...Teehee.
■■■
...
■■■
...But that's strange.
■■■
Where was I, and what was I doing...
■■■
...before I set out on my journey across the world?
■■■
...
■■■
..What?
■■■
...What was that?
■■■
Were those my memories? No, were they memories that belonged to a different me...?
■■■
...No.
■■■
I should have ended.
■■■
The whole world, including me, ended.
■■■
I am not even in the form of a human. I lost everything.
■■■
...I was sure I had lost everything.
■■■
...
■■■
I lost my friends.
■■■
And I lost my dolls.
■■■
...It's no good. I still can't remember.
■■■
It hurts.
■■■
It hurts so much that I...!
???
That you what?
■■■
...?!
???
You can give up if it hurts too much.
???
...My dear Alice.
■■■
Wh-Who's there?!
Shinki
I am Shinki.
Shinki
The goddess who created Makai.
Shinki
A being who used to live in the lost world.
Shinki
...Or rather, a tiny fragment of that being.
■■■
...?!
■■■
...
■■■
...I-It's no good. I can't see... you.
Shinki
It's OK, my dear Alice. You only need to listen.
Shinki
And our chat won't take long. We can talk at length once everything is over.
■■■
Why are you...?
Shinki
A bond has been formed thanks to me and another bringing fate together. But this wouldn't be possible with that alone...
Shinki
We also needed an observer to bind the probabilities together. Yes, we needed "you." You watching right now.
...?
Huh? Me?!
Shinki
...
Shinki
...I think my message was conveyed.
■■■
What's... going on...?
Shinki
You needn't worry. A day will come when you will also understand, my dear Alice.
Shinki
All right then, I promised to keep our chat short. I'll give this to you now.
Shinki
...Here!
■■■
I-I can't see anything.
Shinki
Can you not tell what it is by touch? I'm sure you'll begin to see it if you feel the shape and texture with your hands.
Shinki
What color are your eyes? Are they five-colored? Seven-colored?
Shinki
You are a myriad of colors, so I'm sure you can freely become anything. You needn't even listen to what I say.
Shinki
All right then, my dear Alice...
Shinki
See you later.
■■■
...
■■■
Th-This is...
■■■
...a doll!
■■■■■
Good timing, Alice. Your guest has arrived.
Alice
Huh?
Alice
...
Alice
...
Alice
Welcome, ■■■. Honestly, how long has it been?
Alice
I know who you are.
Alice
You're my friend―One of my comrades.
Alice
I'd like to enjoy a chat with you over tea...
Alice
But we don't have the time for that right now.
Alice
You're going to hurry on ahead, aren't you? Don't worry about me. Just keep moving forward.
Alice
...A day will come when you will also understand.
Alice
...
Alice
...They've left, right?
Alice
Yes, they're gone.
Alice
Then it's time for us...
Alice
...to go too.
Alice
Let's go, Little Alice. My dolls imbued with the memories of my friends will come as well.
Alice
This world will be painted out by the Lost Word with a number of colors less than fourteen-point-three percent of mine.
Alice
But, ■■■, you coming here was not in vain.
Alice
We can take what we learn into the next world.
Me
(That's right.)
Me
(Let's go together. We will take back our lost friends and your "children.")
Me
(My name is the Grimoire of Alice. I am called Little Alice.)
Me
(I am a part of the Makai God's will that was condensed and reformed into a magic book.)
Me
(You make dolls. So I will help you as a bunrei of the great mother of creation, the god who made the people of Makai.)
Me
(Even if these words...)
Me
(Even if my voice cannot be heard by you...)
Me
(I am always watching you, my dear Alice.)
Me
(So please live freely however your heart desires.)
