Act 0: Exiles Beneath the Moonlight (4)

The empire's greatest swordmaster, Kael. The empire's greatest archmage, Hera. The empire's greatest martial artist, Jinun. The empire's greatest archer, Serne. And even the Saintess, Marian.

These five heroes were the ones who had made the greatest contributions during the Great War. If Priscilla had survived after the war ended, they probably would have been known as the six heroes. Out of millions, tens of millions—only five. It was no wonder climbing to the rank of hero was never easy.

The Lost World gallery was always buzzing with debates about these five.

In the end, I failed the quest and returned to the start for the first time.

'Two of the five heroes are coming to catch us?'

Hera had originally been rivals with Priscilla. It made sense that she'd researched witch magic obsessively to challenge her. But Serne too? Hera was probably coming to fight Priscilla, while Serne handled the witches trying to escape during the battle. That reasoning seemed the most solid so far.

"Haa... Mmph?!"

Since it was my first return, Selia blocked my mouth again.

'...You've come back.'

Then suddenly, a number appeared in front of me.

The number changed right away.

'...Wait. Don't tell me...'

The number stopped at 4 and vanished.

'The coins... are limited?'

The quest window itself hadn't changed. But logically, that number had to be the remaining attempts. '...No, maybe not. I need to keep all possibilities open.'

There was no separate penalty for failing the quest, but I figured I should treasure my chances from here on out. I calmly started devising a new strategy.

Since I'd failed so close to clearing it, retrying the same route once more seemed viable. I'd have to consult Asella first and figure out how to block Serne's attacks.

Back in Priscilla's room again. I was talking with her alone.

"If we pass through the empire's gates, Hera and Serne will come after us."

"...What?"

Priscilla didn't believe me at first, but after rereading my memories, her face showed a hint of shock.

"...You've returned."

"Yes."

Priscilla placed a trembling hand on my shoulder and spoke in a quivering voice.

"...Thank you."

"Asella and I will handle Serne's attacks somehow. Just block Hera's for us."

"...Alright. Got it."

We disguised ourselves as nobles again, just like last time, and passed through the empire's gates.

"Unni! Suddenly from behind, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠something huge—"

"I know. We have to keep going."

We ran at top speed, and Priscilla prepared to block the meteor. It streaked out just like before, missing us, and soon I felt arrows flying from afar.

"Asella!!"

"Got it!"

Asella created an updraft with wind magic, and I deployed my shield as strongly as possible.

Whiiiiiing—!!!

BOOM—!!!

The arrow's trajectory twisted upward, but it suddenly curved down, slamming into the ground and exploding. The carriage got caught in the blast, tilting sideways before flipping over.

"Crazy, it's still gonna hit even like this?"

The fact that it still dealt effective damage to the carriage despite the altered path explained why the elf before us was a hero.

"Everyone out—run on foot!!!"

With the carriage flipped, hiding and moving with it was impossible anymore. At my shout, the witches clambered out and started running. Asella and I used magic to obscure Serne's vision and buy time.

"Lock On."

Serne's calm voice echoed faintly, and she loosed multiple arrows skyward. Lock On, one of the archer's skills—it designates a target to boost accuracy. The increase scaled with agility stats. As a hero, Serne's agility was overwhelmingly high, resulting in over 90% hit rate.

"Can't dodge this! Shields up!!!"

At my cry, the witches deployed barriers. The advanced witches blocked it cleanly and crossed the golden veil. Mid-tier witches' shields shattered, but they survived and made it through. The low-tier ones' barriers broke outright, arrows piercing their ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠heads one by one.

"Selia!!!"

"Un...ni..!"

Serne's arrow pierced Selia's right arm, going clean through.

"Aaaah..!"

Selia clutched the wound and collapsed.

'Just a little further...!'

Knights were rushing over belatedly after hearing the fight behind us.

"...Damn it! Haste!"

I gave up stalling, sprinting to Selia, scooping her up.

"Heal!"

The hole in Selia's arm began closing, and she weakly opened her eyes, looking up at me.

"Unni... just leave me and go..."

"Don't say that. We're sprinting straight there from now, so hold on tight?"

Selia teared up, gripping my arm with her tiny hand, and I bolted toward the golden veil. But Serne wouldn't miss that—she drew her bow, green eyes gleaming.

"Lock On."

Green mana wrapped the arrow, growing it larger.

"Artemis' Hunt."

Whiiiiiing—!!!

The massive green-mana arrow hurtled toward me.

"Damn... homing missile?!"

Its path curved unnaturally toward my heart.

'Almost there..!'

30 meters to the golden veil. My heart would be pierced first.

I set Selia down.

"Selia, run ahead."

"Huh?! But unni..!"

"I'll be fine, just go. Trust unni?"

"...Uu... O-okay..."

"Don't look back, got it?"

"...Yes."

Selia turned and ran with a weak Haste. '...Come on.'

That power would shred any shield. I adjusted air currents for headwind to slow it.

"Aqua variant incantation: Room deploy."

A dome of water droplets expanded, creating a domain. The arrow slowed inside but was still fast. As it reached me—

I twisted my body to the max. Bent my waist, my arms—every joint I could to avoid instant death. Victory wasn't the goal; escape was.

Splat—!!!

The strike that should've hit my heart took my right arm instead, embedding in the ground.

"G...aaaah..!"

No time to writhe in pain. Clutching the stump, I ran for the veil. Selia had already crossed; 20 meters left. But Serne closed in at insane speed, grabbing my throat.

"Guh..."

A child like Asella couldn't stall a hero like Serne alone. Asella was already down there. So close.

The quest failure condition included my death, which pissed me off more than ever. Even choked, I glared at Serne, forcing words out.

"You... still call... yourself... a hero?"

"..."

"Shooting... kids... massacring... and you... call yourselves... heroes..!"

Serne bit her lip, head lowering.

"...Sorry. I won't ask for understanding."

"Wha..?"

"We don't want to do this ei— no... ...Sorry."

"Ah..?"

Serne snapped my neck, and I returned to the start.

"...Ha."

Serne's final words suggested the heroes weren't acting on their own will—someone else was pulling strings. But who could command heroes? Only one came to mind.

The emperor.

'Do I seriously have to stage a coup...'

I rubbed my dry face in frustration. 'If I just move a bit faster...'

I resolved to try the same approach once more.

"Un...ni..!"

This loop played out exactly like the last. Selia's arm got hit by the arrow, I ran to her... Splat—

"...Huh?"

For some reason, this time the arrow hit Selia's head instead of her arm. She crumpled lifelessly.

Instant death.

That was how Selia died this loop.

"Ha, haha..."

Did one of us—me or Selia—have to die every time? Was it fate, causality forcing it?

I could abandon Selia and sprint for the veil to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠clear it. Her death wasn't a failure condition.

But.

"Fuck that."

If that blind child, who'd lived seeing nothing, had to die so pointlessly... If such a fate existed, I'd twist it.

I wouldn't accept all my built-up effort and pain ending in one link. If dying was needed to defy fate, I'd die as many times as it took.

Someone might say she's just data bits—why go that far? I'd reply: I'm the type who chases happy endings, whether in reality or games. I'll keep trying until I get it. That's how I've always done it, and I will now and forever.

"Magic Missile."

Fate, causality, destiny, inevitability, providence. No matter the path laid out, I'll bend it elsewhere. No compromises.

If I'd folded here, I never would've claimed the world #1 title.

"From the beginning again."

I killed myself, and the world flipped once more.