As Alice slowly opened her eyes, her hazy gaze flickered, struggling to focus.

A dull, throbbing headache pulsed through her skull, and within her, something that had once been shattered was now slowly being pieced back together.

Confusion clouded her thoughts, and yet—despite the pain, despite the disorientation—there was an odd sense of comfort.

“Hn…?”

Forcing her aching body upright, she looked around.

Her breath caught.

Everything—everywhere—was blanketed in a golden light.

“…This light…”

Now she understood.

The strange yet warm comfort washing over her—it wasn’t just any power.

Alice might not have been well-versed in it, but she recognized it nonetheless.

Divinity.

A power unlike any other. A power that could only belong to those loved by the Goddess of Light or deeply intertwined with her will.

Her thoughts were still sluggish, her mind wrapped in a dense fog, making it difficult to process everything.

But then—

Her vision cleared.

And what she saw froze her in place.

Her golden eyes widened in shock.

The world around her… was devastated.

Like a raging storm had torn through.

Like a war—great and terrible—had been waged in this very place.

The once pristine white world where she had stood and fought was now completely altered.

Ruined.

Broken beyond recognition.

“…What hap—”

Alice couldn’t even finish her sentence before the memories came rushing back.

“That’s right, the White Queen—”

Panic surged through her, and she tried to stand.

But the moment she pushed herself up, her legs gave out.

“Ah—!”

She collapsed almost instantly, her strength still drained, her lower body unresponsive.

But before she could hit the ground—

A sudden, soft tug at her stomach stopped her descent.

“My~ my~ I know you’re excited and all, but you really need to calm down, my dear master~”

That voice—

Alice’s heart skipped a beat.

A voice she thought she’d never hear again.

“C-Cheshire?”

“The one and only~”

A playful, singsong tone filled the air, followed by an all-too-familiar smirk stretching from ear to ear.

There he was.

Her ever-whimsical, ever-narcissistic, fantastical companion.

Her Cheshire.

For a moment, Alice simply stared at him, her golden eyes wide, her lips trembling.

A surge of emotions—relief, disbelief, overwhelming joy—swelled in her chest, making it impossible to speak.

Cheshire, noticing her expression, let out a light chuckle and gently tapped her forehead with his paw.

“I’m glad you can at least recognize me! I was really worried your mind broke, keke~ Look, I know you’re a bit stubborn, my master, but forcefully using the authority of the Red Queen without me could have led to your death, you kno—”

Before he could finish, Alice lunged forward.

She wrapped her arms around him—tight, desperate, trembling.

Her tears spilled freely, dampening his soft fur.

“…Cheshire… hic… Cheshire…”

Her voice was broken, shaking.

“I thought you…”

Cheshire’s teasing demeanor faded.

His ever-present smirk softened into something gentler.

Without hesitation, he expanded his form, shifting into a larger, more solid presence, his fluffy tail wrapping protectively around Alice.

And in return, he hugged her back.

“Don’t worry, I won’t leave you no matter what happens from now on, Master… I promise.”

Cheshire’s voice carried an uncharacteristic gentleness, the playfulness in his tone giving way to something far more solemn.

Alice buried her face deeper into his fur, her trembling breaths slowly steadying as she held onto him, afraid to let go.

This moment—

This small, fleeting moment of peace—

She wanted to hold onto it for just a little longer.

But then—

-FOOOOOOOOSSSHHHH—!!!!!!!!

A heavy presence loomed over them.

A weight so intense it pressed against their very souls.

Their instincts sharpened instantly.

Alice stiffened, and Cheshire’s fur bristled.

Slowly, Alice lifted her head.

And what she saw—

Should not have been possible.

Above them, the sky was a kaleidoscope of light—

A thousand dazzling, radiant stars shimmered and exploded in a mesmerizing yet chaotic dance.

Fireworks of countless colors burst in mere fractions of a second, colliding, intertwining, and unraveling over and over again.

And at the center of it all—

A blinding, white light.

So heavy, so overwhelming, it seemed to swallow all existence whole—

Forcing everything to coexist within its vast, inescapable presence.

Alice’s breath hitched.

“The White Queen…?”

She had no doubt.

That unfiltered, suffocating energy, that inescapable force of will—

It could only belong to her.

But then—

Who was the other?

The other equally powerful presence that clashed against her, refusing to yield?

Alice’s golden eyes widened as she gazed at the battle above.

It was… chaos.

A storm of power unlike anything she had ever witnessed.

The sheer scale of destruction was beyond comprehension.

The White Queen’s overwhelming force sought to consume everything—

Yet the golden energy that clashed against her refused to be erased.

Spell after spell, divine techniques that should have been impossible to cast in succession, were unleashed with relentless precision.

Each attack tore through the fabric of reality, shaking the very foundation of existence itself.

Alice could only watch in stunned silence.

It was like watching two gods wage war.

“Surprised?”

-KOOOOOOSSSSHHHH!!!!!

Huge explosions reverberated up above, Alice could tell if the two were fighting even a mile closer than they were they would be affected by the grand battle in more ways than one.

“…Cheshire, what’s going on…?”

Alice’s voice came out weak, barely above a whisper.

Her mind was stabilizing, the divine power wrapping around her like a gentle embrace, soothing her shattered state. But even so—

The damage had already been done.

Physically, she was too drained to move.

Mentally, she was on the verge of breaking.

Too much had happened.

Her body still ached from the battle.

Her head pounded from the sheer overload of emotions and questions.

And now, with the devastation around her and the overwhelming clash of divine forces above—

It was too much.

Cheshire, however, remained unshaken.

A small, knowing smirk curled on his lips as he gazed at the battlefield, his tail flicking in amusement.

“Don’t worry, he’s here now, Master.”

Alice blinked, trying to make sense of his words.

“…Who’s here?”

Cheshire chuckled. “I believe you already know, no~?”

Alice’s breath caught in her throat.

Her heart thumped.

A mixture of worry and relief crashed into her like a tidal wave.

“…Riley?”

She forced herself to look up once more.

At first, it was hard to comprehend what she was seeing—

She couldn’t keep up.

The battle unfolding before her eyes was far beyond her level.

But amidst the divine war raging above—

That light.

The blinding, radiant golden light that danced through the battlefield in streaks of brilliance, pushing back against the suffocating force of the White Queen.

It was undeniable.

“This warm feeling….”

She had felt it before.

Countless times.

Riley.

There was no mistaking it.

But—

Alice’s mind reeled. She didn’t understand.

How was he here?

How was he standing against the White Queen—on equal footing?

How was he using divine magic?

What happened after she fell unconscious?

Why was she suddenly free from her curse?

What had changed?

Too many questions.

Too many impossible things happening all at once.

Alice clenched her trembling hands into fists, trying to ground herself.

She wanted to believe it.

She wanted to reach out.

But—

Her situation can’t make her afford to do so….

“Kuku~ I’ve got to say, he’s more reliable than one might think, right?”

Cheshire murmured, his usual smug amusement laced with something softer this time.

His red form wavered, dwindling back into its usual smoky gray, no longer the menacing figure he had taken on during battle.

He sighed, tail flicking as he turned his gaze back toward the sky—toward the golden light that wrapped around the battlefield, holding everything together.

Without Riley, they would have lost.

Not just Alice. He would have died too.

The golden light hadn’t just driven back the White Queen—it had somehow allowed him to defeat both the Hatter and the White Rabbit in the process.

A feat that should have been impossible.

Cheshire let out a low chuckle.

Even now, he could feel his mana slowly returning.

Riley’s light—

It didn’t just destroy.

It healed.

Cheshire grinned, crimson eyes gleaming in amusement.

“A person so full of mysteries… A complete anomaly.”

His voice was almost a purr, intrigued and entirely entertained.

“Someone whose strength and prowess don’t match his very existence… truly, he’s an interesting fellow~”

His tail curled in thought before he gave Alice a knowing glance.

“I’m glad he’s the one you fell for, Master~”

Alice didn’t respond.

She couldn’t.

Her golden eyes remained locked on the battlefield, her heart pounding louder than ever.

‘Riley…’

She had no choice now.

She could only hope.

But—

Was that really all she could do?

Even if Riley was strong, even if he had somehow reached a level far beyond what she thought possible—

Without the energy of the Red Queen, there was no way he could permanently defeat her.

Alice already made a promise.

A promise to her one and only mother—

To end the cycle of Red and White.

To finish what had been started long before she was even born.

And for that…

She was willing to make one final sacrifice.

Her life.

This was a burden she alone should have faced… a sacrifice she had been willing to make—for the sake of the world, for the sake of her mother… and for the sake of her ever-beloved junior.

And yet, now, Riley was the one shouldering everything.

Her heart clenched at the thought.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way.

Now, she finally understood just how unreasonable her selfish wishes had been.

If their positions were reversed, if Riley had been the one forced to stand aside, powerless to do anything, she could only imagine the sheer anguish he would go through.

The frustration of being unable to act, the helplessness of watching someone you care about bear the weight of everything alone… it was unbearable.

Her body trembled, pain radiating from every inch of her being. Even so, Alice forced herself to stand back up, her legs unsteady as she staggered.

“Master?” Cheshire’s concerned voice reached her ears, but she didn’t hesitate.

“Cheshire… take me to Riley.”

A new fire ignited within her—a defiant spark against the despair threatening to consume her.

The broken mana within her body stirred once more, and slowly, her soft pink hair began to shift, strands bleeding into a deep, brilliant red.

Her golden eyes flickered before settling into a sharp, crimson hue.

Only trust the colors of red and white. The ever-pure color of pink…

Her mother’s words echoed in her mind. Words she had never understood—never questioned.

Had they been meant for this day?

Or had they simply been a mother’s attempt to ease the burden of her child?

Alice didn’t know. Perhaps the meaning behind them had been nothing more than nonsense.

But none of that mattered now.

Because at this moment, she had no choice but to believe.

She had to put her faith in her mother’s words.

She had to put her faith in the love she carried for Riley.

Her heart pounded in her chest, a rhythmic pulse that resonated with the surging energy within her.

The power of the Red Queen—the very authority she had once feared—now wrapped around her like a warm embrace.

Cheshire, who had watched his master with quiet concern, let out a small sigh. He wanted to protest.

He wanted to stop her.

But deep down, he knew… he too had a debt to pay.

To Riley.

To the White Queen.

Red energy crackled around his form, and as he floated into the air, his usual smoky appearance faded.

His body shifted, taking on the regal, formidable form of the Red Guardian—the protector of the Red Queen.

They would probably die if they proceed with this but—

A smirk curled on his feline lips.

“Your wish is my command, Master~”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep