Escape
“ ...Sister, happy graduation~! ”
“ ..Yeah, you too. Happy graduation, Lumiel. ”
“ Eung..! ”
“ ..Eugh. Hey, aren't you hugging me too hard? ”
“ ..Hehe, it's because your sister is the best. ”
“ ..Can't stop it, really. ”
“ Did you take a group photo for the class graduation? I already did. ”
“ Yeah, we did too! ”
“ Then, let's head home? I'll buy something delicious! ”
“ ...As always, my sister is the best. Really. ”
“ While walking, think about what you want to eat. Come on, let's go! ”
“ ..Yeah! ”
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Tap tap tap.
In the darkened hallway, even small footsteps echoed loudly. I was walking as carefully as possible so I wouldn't be caught.
“ ..26, go a little slower..! ”
A soft, whispered voice came from behind my back.
Berry was following behind me, grunting while carrying the clothes hanger.
The clothes hanger was shaped like it had branches extending from the center, with multiple hooks. It looked much harder to carry than I expected.
I found the most comfortable way to hold it while Berry kept grunting behind me. It was a little cute, honestly.
Just to be sure, I should mention that I was carrying it until a moment ago. I wasn't handing off a child and exploiting them.
No matter how much of a villain I used to be, or even if I was supposed to become one again, I wouldn't do that.
...Originally, I became one after naturally handling people involved in the serum.
Well, that's enough rambling.
“ Almost there. Here it is. ”
In the thick darkness, faintly lit lights peeked out, and the lid of the exhaust fan I had marked earlier looked vaguely visible.
It wasn't completely attached to the ceiling, which was a good thing. If it had been on the wall, I'd never have imagined climbing the clothes hanger to get there.
“ Eugh— It was hard. Just set it here, right? ”
“ Yeah. Be as quiet as possible. ”
From a little distance away, Berry was trying to convey her words as quietly as she could while still speaking at full volume.
I smiled and nodded, then turned on the bracelet's power and shone the light from the screen to help Berry adjust her position.
Berry tapped the bottom of the clothes hanger with her foot, or bent down to look up from below, and precisely adjusted her position to enter the exhaust fan.
It didn't have to be that precise, but being completely sure was better.
“ ..That should be enough. 26. ”
“ Then I'll climb up..? ”
Berry clapped her hands as if shaking them off, then remembered my earlier instruction to make noise as little as possible and quietly brushed off the dust.
“ ..Since I have more strength, go up first and pull me up. I'll grab the clothes hanger from below when you climb up— ”
“ ..Ah, yeah. I understand. ”
Berry slowly nodded twice, then placed her foot on the very bottom of the clothes hanger.
Her foot was faintly trembling. Well, it was only natural that it would tremble. My own hands were trembling a little too.
That escape hadn't been luck at all, I could prove it now. If I had to calculate the escape probability... around 95%?
If I ended up in that remaining 5%, all the plans I had made after regression would vanish in vain. The risk was pretty high.
“ ..Should I go up first? ”
Berry said that and carefully began climbing the clothes hanger one rung at a time.
One rung. Another rung. Once she reached the height of the exhaust fan lid—
“ ..Be careful. Don't fall. ”
“ Aye, I'm not falling. ”
The worried words made Berry smile reassuringly, reached out, opened the exhaust fan, and stuck one arm inside.
Next, her head, the other arm, and when her body was about to fully enter—
“ ...Eugh! ”
The force of Berry's body slipping off the clothes hanger shook it violently.
I quickly pressed down on the opposite side to stabilize the suddenly tilted center. If it had fallen...
...I didn't even want to imagine it. If anyone had woken up and come out, it would have ended right there.
Fortunately, no such disaster happened, but...
“ Now come up, 26..! ”
I pulled the clothes hanger back a little quietly. Unlike when Berry climbed, I'd catch her hand halfway up.
Drirrr— The dragging sound of the clothes hanger made me flinch a little, but it was fine.
I couldn't step on the branches like Berry had. I could only step on the support and climb a little. There was no one to hold me up, so stepping on a branch would have made me and the clothes hanger fall together.
Fortunately, just stepping on the support was enough to raise Berry to my height. I reached my arm as far up as possible, grabbed her hand stretched downward,
“ ..Pull, okay? One, two, ”
“ ...Three..! ”
With the count of three, my body was strongly pulled upward. My foot slipped off the support of the clothes hanger, and as my body rose—
I stretched my arm to grab the corner of the exhaust fan's entrance.
Thud.
The sound of metal and flesh colliding, not that loud at first, but now it sounded as big as thunder.
At this point, someone might have woken up. I had to get out as fast as possible.
“ Uuuugh— Hic..! ”
I carefully lifted my other hand into the exhaust fan, pushed my body up with effort, and managed to put my head inside.
After successfully getting my head up and hooking my chin over the entrance, I could easily pull my body up.
“ You can come inside now..! ”
So, as Berry crawled inside a bit, I finally pulled my body up and into the exhaust fan.
“ ..Are you okay? Not tired? ”
“ ..Aye, I'm not tired. ”
But I'm an Awakened. I couldn't fail at this level.
The bracelet's power was practically sealed due to mana, but even in that state, my physical abilities were better than a normal person's.
“ ..Come on, let's go. ”
I closed the door of the exhaust fan, turned my body, and looked at Berry. Berry turned toward the opposite side as well.
The exhaust fan was quite narrow. We didn't need to squeeze our bodies or crawl; we just had to crouch and move.
“ It's better to get out as fast as possible.. but don't move too quickly. Just right. ”
“ ..Understood. ”
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During the few minutes of moving, Berry and I whispered to each other. Just meaningless talk. Things to break the silence.
“ ...By now, maybe halfway there? ”
“ I guess so. ”
“ ...It's really coming out. I don't have a real sense of it. ”
The voice ahead was quite different from Berry's usual one. I don't know how often I hear a voice that doesn't match Berry after regression.
Anyway, last time Berry hadn't been able to leave this place.
“ ..Ah, right. 26. ”
Berry's mouth opened again after a moment of silence.
“ ..Don't you want to tell me your name? Calling me 25 or 26 all the time is a bit weird, right? ”
Name.
The word from ahead made my body stop for a moment.
In my previous life, we had exchanged names right before Berry died.
But now, we were about to exchange them right before waking up.
The difference felt like it was seeping into the deepest part of my heart.
It felt real that the future was changing. No, I hadn't completely left yet, but this much—
“ ..Huh? 26. ”
“ ..My name, ”
“ Lucia. Lucia Arcarne. ”
“ ..Eung, Lucia... it suits you. ”
“ I'm— Berry. Berry Prima. ”
“ ..You suit it too. ”
There was a slight sense of alienation hearing a name I already knew again, but what could I do.
Thanks to this, I no longer worried about accidentally calling her 25 and saying her real name.
“ ..Hey, Lucia. Listen. ”
“ What are you going to do after we leave here? ”
What to do.
First, I probably needed to disguise my identity. Disguise the identity, go to the city center—
Gather my strength. Not just remove the serum, but I could also get rid of the dimensional gate that Lumiel was growing too strong to handle.
Of course, the more powerful Lumiel became, the higher the chance that the Association would try to spread the serum.
“ I'm— ”
At that moment.
WEEEEEEEEEANG!!!
A siren sounded from the end of the exhaust fan.
The sudden, ear-splitting sound made my heart drop with a thud.
“ ..Eh, eh? Lucia, what's this— ”
“ ..Someone's coming out. They saw the clothes hanger. ”
“ ..Ah, ah.. Then..? ”
Berry's voice trembled again as she looked back.
But even so, she didn't stop moving. It was fortunate that her mind was steady, not falling into panic.
“ Almost there. First, move as fast as you can..! ”
“ Do you see the light ahead? There— ”
“ U, yeah..! ”
Last time I didn't get caught. But why did some guy have to be wandering the hallways at dawn.
Still, the exit was right in front. If I moved as fast as possible—
“ We, we're here..! Open the door— ”
With a clunk, moonlight poured into the exhaust fan.
The eyes that had adapted to the darkness screamed, but that wasn't the problem.
Berry came out of the exhaust fan first, followed by me being pulled out by Berry's hand.
“ We're good, run..! ”
“ Where?! ”
“ Either way..! ”
Then, following Berry who started running away from the building, I began rolling my feet hurriedly.
By now the siren had reached outside the building, and footsteps from the window side—
“ Escape targets confirmed, 25 and 26..! ”
“ Already, already following us?! ”
“ Those people came up the stairs..! ”
By now, several researchers in lab coats appeared on the first floor windows, hurriedly typing on their communicators.
Still, the distance from the building to here was quite far. Even if they jumped out those windows and ran here—
Thud—
“ We're here— Now..! ”
“ ..Waaaah..?! ”
At that moment.
From the window, an unidentified object shot straight toward my ankle.
It was quite heavy, so I felt extreme pain in my ankle instantly, my knees buckled, and I almost fell to one knee there.
“ Lu, Lucia?! ”
Berry, startled greatly, stopped and looked back.
To keep Berry from panicking, I spoke calmly and quickly.
“ Berry, hold my hand, pull me just a little..! Just a little farther— ”
“ U, yeah..! ”
The bracelet's power was gradually weakening. Mana was starting to come back too.
If I got a little farther, I could teleport— just that much.
The researchers were running toward us over the windows, and Berry was holding my hand and pulling, taking one difficult step after another.
The distance was narrowing quickly. The researchers had an expression of relief, thinking they had caught us—
“ Just a little more..! ”
“ We'll catch you soon, Lucia..! Now— ”
Just a little more.
Just one more step.
One step—
“ Caught— ”
One step.
“ We're good, now..! ”
[/Teleport]
Fwaaah—
Teal light obscured my vision.
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I was walking out for a bit because I couldn't sleep due to a chaotic mind.
It was curfew time at the academy, but what could I do? I was just stepping out for a little while.
..Where is my sister? No, I hadn't even searched for her in a week—
I wanted to see her even if it was just for a day.
Maybe she was somewhere other than the slums. But where?
...Then.
WEEEEEEEEEANG!!!
A siren sounded from behind.
A siren at this late hour. Did a thief break in?
“ ...That way is the Association branch— ”
Hero Association. C Branch.
Where in the Association would a siren ever sound— Had an S-class villain appeared?
Thinking that, I turned my gaze toward the direction the sound was coming from—
I saw something. Two people running—and several people in white lab coats chasing them.
But why were the people running ahead familiar—
I didn't know the one with brown hair, but the one with white hair next to her was clearly—
“ Ah, sister..? ”
Sister?
It was clearly my sister's figure—
The moment I thought that, I tried to run toward that direction. But—
Fwaat—
From where my sister was, teal light spread out.