The Day After the Wicked Deed
The day after that wicked deed, in the early dawn. Six people, including myself, had gathered in the commander's office. Perhaps because the sun had yet to rise above the horizon, they all looked rather disheveled as they began to speak one by one.
“Um, why have you summoned us at such an hour, I wonder?”
“The commander’s tyranny….”
“Waaah.”
“Sleep deprivation is the enemy of beauty, you know….”
They were the Rabbit Hole squad. Every member was currently C-rank, making them Lumia’s strongest assault platoon. They were the only true fighting force we had in this place.
Indeed, the collaborators I had mentioned to the commander were these very people. After all, we couldn’t rely on outside support in this situation. I had recommended them because they were trustworthy, both in skill and in character.
I soothed the Rabbit Hole squad as they voiced their adorable complaints, then turned to the commander, who still wore a somewhat hesitant expression.
“Commander.”
“…Yes.”
The commander stepped forward with a truly serious look. The previously restless gazes of the Rabbit Hole squad all shifted toward him. They didn’t know what was coming, but it seemed like something important. The girls fell silent, as if waiting for the words that would follow.
Whether to honor that expectation or not, the commander cut straight to the heart of the matter.
“Two days from today, an unidentified erosion species will slip into the city and cause casualties. Immediately after, hundreds of erosion species will swarm in. To stop that from happening, will you cooperate with us?”
“Y-yes…?”
It was nothing short of a bombshell declaration, as bewildering as it was shocking. The Rabbit Hole squad stared back at him, completely stunned. Their reaction was perfectly understandable. The content alone was terrifying, but more than that, it felt utterly unreal no matter how they tried to process it.
The idea that an erosion species would sneak into the city in two days, and then an army of hundreds would follow—it simply didn’t seem possible. Among the confused group, Promina cautiously spoke up.
“May I ask something, Commander?”
“Yes. What is it?”
“Have you actually observed any such movements?”
“No, they have not been observed.”
“…Then is there any evidence that this is true?”
“There is no such evidence either.”
His shamelessly straightforward answer left her speechless. In that case, how on earth were they supposed to believe him? Yubina, who had only just heard the story, leaped up and cried out.
“Th-then how could you possibly know about that, I wonder?!”
“I saw the future.”
“The future… Is it not possible that it was simply a dream…?”
“No. This will undoubtedly come to pass.”
“This is strange….”
Doubt swirled in the eyes of the Rabbit Hole squad. It was clear they couldn’t bring themselves to trust the commander’s words. In a way, that was only natural. While they were the Valkyries most favorably disposed toward him, they had only known each other for five days. There simply wasn’t enough trust built up to blindly believe a story without any proof.
But leaving them in doubt like this wouldn’t do. We didn’t have time to spare, so it was best to settle this quickly. I took a subtle step forward and spoke up in the commander’s defense.
“If you cannot trust the commander, could you at least trust me?”
“Lady Layla?!”
“Though we haven’t known each other long, I believe you all know that neither the commander nor I would make such a tasteless joke. Please, listen carefully to what he has to say.”
The Rabbit Hole squad looked startled at my words. That was understandable. I was a Valkyrie like them, and in our short time together we had grown rather close. My words seemed to carry some weight with them.
I glanced back at the commander and stared at him pointedly—a silent signal that it was time to tell them. After a brief moment of hesitation, he nodded.
“In the future two days from now, I fought alongside all of you against the erosion species. And there, I died—and returned to the past. It may not serve as proof, but I will tell you what I experienced then.”
“Y-you died?”
“Something like that… it can’t possibly be….”
The commander boldly revealed the truth of his regression. The shocking declaration that he had died in the future and returned to the past was the kind of claim that would normally be impossible to believe. Yet perhaps because both he and I remained perfectly calm, the Rabbit Hole squad seemed torn between suspicion and reluctant acceptance.
At that moment, Yubina thrust her hand into the air.
“M-me! I have a question, I say!”
“What is it, Miss Yubina?”
“In that future… did we also perish, I wonder?”
“Yes. That is correct. Everyone, including myself, died.”
“No…!”
The commander’s answer was devastating. To think they would all die in two days! The mere thought sent a chill down the spine. Yubina’s eyes widened like saucers. No matter how accustomed Valkyries were to dancing with death, hearing that their own end was imminent was bound to shake them.
Once the mood among the Rabbit Hole squad had grown heavy, I gently massaged Yubina’s shoulder and spoke.
“Don’t worry. We just have to make sure it doesn’t happen, right?”
“Lady Layla….”
“I believe that if we all combine our strength, we can certainly change that future.”
I’ll trust all of you, so please trust me as well.
I looked at them with unwavering conviction, not a trace of doubt in my eyes. Meeting my gaze, Yubina seemed to catch fire with determination. She nodded vigorously and turned to her comrades.
“I believe in Lady Layla! Let us cooperate!”
“Hmm, well… if the commander orders it, we have to anyway….”
“Changing the future. I like the sound of that.”
“Okay.”
Perhaps because their leader had made up her mind, the others soon expressed their willingness to help. After all, the proposal was to change a future in which they all died. There was no real reason to oppose it.
Once the group had reached a consensus to cooperate, Dahlia, who had been fidgeting, cautiously approached me.
“Um… in that case, shouldn’t we inform Central Headquarters and request assistance? For something this serious, even A-rank Valkyries might come to support us….”
“That’s a good idea. But Miss Dahlia, do you think Headquarters would believe this story?”
“They probably wouldn’t.”
“Besides, an army of hundreds of erosion species is completely unprecedented, I say.”
Promina and Yubina each added a comment to my response. Thanks to that, the argument that we couldn’t expect outside help gained even more strength.
Of course, my answer was a lie. Since I still belonged to the Valkyries dispatched from Central Headquarters, I could have forced them to provide assistance if I really tried. But that wouldn’t benefit me right now.
I kept my mouth firmly shut and maintained a perfectly innocent expression.
“Then let’s do it this way.”
Through our meeting, we quickly organized a simple plan. First, we decided not to reveal yet that the commander was a regressor. If too many variables were introduced, we might lose the ability to predict where the black erosion species would appear.
We would deal with the black erosion species ourselves, then hold a defensive battle in the city while waiting for external reinforcements.
“A defensive battle means….”
“We’ll need to take all necessary supplies out of the warehouse. We’ll reinforce the outer walls and focus entirely on defense.”
Only two days remained until the day of the plan. Still, that would be enough time to retrieve the materials stored in the warehouse.
“What if nothing happens…?”
“If we prepare thoroughly and nothing occurs, wouldn’t that be a good thing in its own way?”
“That’s… certainly true.”
“It’s better than sitting idle and getting caught off guard.”
After swiftly concluding the meeting, we divided into pairs. Team A would plan the citizens’ evacuation and prepare shelters. Team B would inspect the city walls for problems and make repairs. Team C would retrieve supplies from the warehouse and position them appropriately. To make the most of our remaining time, we decided to move immediately.
Just as everyone was about to hurry off to their assigned roles, I stopped the commander, who had some business with me.
“Oh, right. Commander, please take this.”
“This is…. What is it?”
“It’s for self-defense.”
What I handed him was a card the size of a palm. I opened it in half so he could see clearly, and the card transformed into something resembling a handgun.
“This is a one-time-use projectile launcher containing my unique ability. It should be able to make even an erosion species falter for a moment.”
“This tiny card can do that?”
“Yes. When you unfold this folded part, doesn’t it look like a small gun?”
“I suppose… one could see it that way.”
Looking up at him, I spoke with earnest emphasis.
“It can only be used once, so please keep that in mind?”
“Yes, I understand.”
This is the key card for this round. Absolutely do not lose it.
I inwardly let out a dark, twisted smile.
*
In the blink of an eye, two days passed, and the day of the decisive battle dawned. Time had been painfully short, but perhaps because we had sacrificed sleep to prepare, we somehow managed to complete all our preparations.
The city’s walls had been reinforced without a single gap. The turrets meant to intercept erosion species climbing over them were in perfect condition. We had also secured more than enough space for the citizens to take shelter.
At this point, we could buy time even if the erosion species legion came flooding in. Gazing at the satisfying result, I murmured with deep satisfaction.
“With this, our preparations are perfect. At this rate, we should be able to hold out for several hours even against the erosion species legion.”
“It’s all thanks to you, Layla.”
“Hehe. What did I do? It’s all because of you, Commander. Thank you for coming back from the future.”
“…Yes.”
There were three hours left until Midir would appear. Beneath a sky dyed red as the sun sank low, we steeled our resolve.
Well then, shall we begin?
I hesitated. At that moment, my small, narrow conscience peeked its head out. A timid voice asked if I was really going to go through with the plan. My reason, not yet ruled by lust, grabbed at my ankles.
…But it can’t be helped.
It’s all the commander’s fault. Revealing that he’s a regressor is incredibly dangerous. What if strange people or perverts start swarming around? I have no choice but to do this. Yes. I’m not in the wrong.
It’s not like I’m killing anyone….
I took a silent, deep breath—inhale, exhale—and put my mask back on. Then I smiled at the commander and said,
“Then I’ll go check on the western situation with Dahlia.”
“Yes. Please be careful.”
“If anything happens, you’ll definitely fire a signal flare, right?”
“Yes. I will definitely do so.”
I headed west with Dahlia. We stood atop the high, solid wall that encircled the city. The sun had completely vanished beyond the horizon, and the sky was turning deep navy, signaling the beginning of night.
“I still can’t believe it. That in just a few hours, a massive legion of erosion species will come swarming…. How do you feel about it, Miss Layla?”
“Huhu, I feel the same. The thought that we’ll have to fight erosion species in just a few hours… it makes me a little nervous.”
“…Even you get scared, Miss Layla?”
“Of course. I’m only B-rank, you know? Even slightly stronger erosion species feel overwhelming to me.”
Perhaps because I appeared as an overwhelmingly powerful figure to Dahlia, she looked surprised that I would feel fear. It wasn’t for nothing that I was B-rank. Still, I didn’t particularly mind. If I were too strong, dying naturally would become difficult. If I were too weak, I wouldn’t be able to play an active role like this. Personally, this level felt just right.
Ah, it’s completely dark now. Yes. At this point, no one should notice.
In the brief gap between the sky turning fully dark and the lights turning on, I stood on the high wall feeling the wind and turned to Dahlia.
“Oh, right. Miss Dahlia, there’s something I wanted to say….”
“Ah, yes! What is it?”
Squeeze.
Before she could turn around, I grabbed her by the throat. Her neck was pure white and slender, the thin, soft neck typical of a woman. Just lightly gripping it caused the flesh to yield with a strange, sensual pressure.
“Would you mind… going to sleep for a while?”
“Ungk—?!”
Crackle!
The electric current that burst from my fingertips made Dahlia’s eyes roll back. Perhaps because she was a dealer class with low stamina and resistance, she lost consciousness instantly without the slightest resistance.
Dahlia’s body went completely limp and collapsed with a thud. I caught her in my arms and rummaged through the pocket of her uniform.
Where was it again…. It should be around here.
What came out of the pocket was a needle. I carefully inserted it into various points on Dahlia’s body. These were nerve locations I had confirmed on my own body multiple times. With her major nerves seized, her body trembled faintly before going completely still, limp as a doll.
Of course, I hadn’t killed or permanently damaged her. I had simply put her into a state where she wouldn’t wake for a long time.
Holding Dahlia in a princess carry, I looked down at the city.
“Haa, my heart aches…. Is it really okay to do such bad things…?”
The night view of the city where lights were beginning to flicker on here and there. As I gazed at it, a bright, cheerful smile bloomed on my lips.
Thump. Thump.
My heart swelled with excitement for what was about to unfold.