Raid (4)

Light was visible in the gap between space and time.

Amidst the light scattered chaotically in rainbow hues, a brilliant blue light shone clearly.

Before I could properly examine that pale blue light seeping out like a gas through a hairline crack in an invisible wall, I was already crashing into that wall.

With a splintering sound, the moment I had witnessed with my own eyes was reflected in each piece as they split apart like a shattered mirror.

Alice collapsing, bleeding.

My body, which had crashed once and rebounded, floated into the void as if experiencing recoil.

That sensation I felt when I crashed and bounced off again and again as though there was an obstruction.

With my whole body aching as if it would shatter and my head ringing so badly I couldn't string together a logical thought, I tried to face the situation squarely.

No.

It was entirely my fault. It happened because I had been too complacent, because I had relied too much on my own ability ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠alone.

Since I became seriously involved with the story, I wasn't sure how much help I had been. Wouldn't everything have turned out fine even without a being like me? Each of them facing their own trials, growing as they overcame them, coming to understand one another... Wouldn't everything simply have worked out, just like in the game?

Had my appearance only tangled things up and made the situation worse—

...... No.

Situation or not. From the moment I appeared in this world, the story was inevitably going to change. In the first place, I didn't even know the reason I had come here. If a goddess truly existed and brought me here, that goddess was clearly a creature without a conscience. She could at least explain the reason or purpose for sending me.

But since there was nothing like that, I was just living however I pleased.

Again!

I shouted to keep myself from losing consciousness. My body, which had been flung backward, lurched forward once more.

Actually, there was probably no need to shout aloud like that. Since I could turn back time with just a thought.

Thud. My body slammed into it.

But, to be honest, it wasn't as if I had particularly remarkable mental fortitude or outstanding grit. I was the sort of bastard who, after working hard at something while turning back time, absolutely had to turn back time again and loaf around and rest several times over before feeling satisfied.

Even knowing it was painful, I probably would have given up long ago if I didn't psych myself up like this just to slam my body into it like a fool.

Crack. Something split, and pain wracked my entire body.

But, well, so what.

Whatever this was, wasn't it better than being cut by a sword? Better than being shot?

I'd already been through that. That sort of thing.

So, let's focus.

I rubbed my blurring eyes, then shouted once more.

Again!

This time, I heard it clearly.

The sound of something breaking.

*

I was lucky.

I barely managed to return to the moment just before Alice was struck by the sword slash, but perhaps because I had forced my way through something with all my strength, I pitched straight forward. By crashing into Alice from behind and sending us both tumbling forward, neither Alice nor I were hit by the sword strike.

I felt something scythe through the back of my hair. If I had been even a little later, if I had hesitated to charge forward, I would have had to turn back time again.

As I fell, I thrust my hand forward.

Bang!

A single shot fired. I felt a hard recoil from the pistol I gripped one-handed in a rush, but once again Lucas wasn't hit. Lucas, as if he had been watching the muzzle of my gun, evaded my shot by moving with a gliding motion. I saw the bullet embed itself in the wall beyond where he had stood.

Is that how it was.

I gritted my teeth, pressed down on Alice's back, and rose.

"Sylvia!?"

Perhaps because she had been suddenly tackled from behind, Alice couldn't get up from the spot right away. Well, to be fair, I had been aiming for that.

"Sis?"

Claire was looking at me, visibly bewildered.

Ah, my vision on one side was red, I realized.

As if my forehead had grazed something, blood was flowing from that spot.

I fired the pistol again with one hand. This time, perhaps because I had taken a little longer than before, Lucas dodged my shot more easily than he had a moment ago.

The automatic pistol's slide remained locked back.

All seven rounds were spent.

Lucas was looking at me with a slightly surprised expression, but he didn't pause his movements.

Again Lucas's hand moved toward his sword hilt—

Is that how it was.

Again.

*

"Eek!?"

Again, from the point where I had tackled Alice to the ground.

The wounds on my body had increased. But at least it didn't hurt as much as a moment ago. In a sense, that was obvious. Being struck in the head with a blunt weapon and being grazed by something sharp were completely different types of impact.

It was fine. There were no serious injuries. At least, judging by the fact that I could get up again.

I rose and ran straight at Lucas.

"Your Imperial Highness!"

I heard Leo shouting from behind. The Masked Woman was approaching me rather than Lucas, so I fired a shot in her direction.

It was a warning shot, but it seemed to have served its function as a 'warning' at least, because the Masked Woman stopped in her tracks with a flinch.

What, are you scared because you can't cancel your attack either?

If you're jealous, then just throw your body into it like I do.

Maybe my goal of making them cry their eyes out wasn't entirely out of reach.

Shhk.

Ah.

But maybe I had paid too much attention to the Masked Woman. I didn't see Lucas swing his sword.

"Sylvia!"

I heard Alice's voice, laced with despair.

It's fine. I wasn't dead yet. Though my field of vision was oddly pointing downward, my thoughts hadn't stopped.

So I still had a chance.

Again.

*

Bang!

From the moment I fired at the Masked Woman.

I had already seen her reaction, so she was no longer a concern. I immediately shifted my muzzle toward Lucas.

The muzzle spat fire, and the .45 caliber round was launched at Lucas. Of course, Lucas dodged my shot again this time.

It was too close. Lucas would certainly swing his sword before I could reload.

It was fine. I just fired once to test it.

I had to see how you moved to know where to aim next time.

Again.

*

Seven times, nine times, fourteen times, twenty-eight times.

Again, as in the old days. As if practicing hundreds of shots with a single bullet. I fired the pistol at the moving Lucas over and over.

In that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠time, I had figured out a few things.

The wounds I sustained in 'reality' vanished when I turned back time. I was diligently running toward the past.

However, the wounds I received during the process of 'crossing over' didn't heal immediately. My physical state only reverted at the moment I entered that unknowable space. The abrasions I sustained while emerging remained.

Well, even so.

It was still a relief. The wounds from crossing over didn't accumulate even if I turned back time twice.

And one more thing.

The more frequently I turned back time, the slower the space recovered. The space did not restore itself the instant I passed through it. While those wounds weren't visible to the eye in reality, every time I entered that space, the widened breach narrowed only by the tiniest fraction.

Then there was only one thing for me to do.

As short as possible, by the second.

Break it hundreds, thousands of times. By maintaining the situation that way, I could continue using my previous ability.

Well, the part about throwing my body into it remained the same.

*

Lucas habitually dodged to his left, which from my perspective was the right.

Even so, due to the physical disparity, hitting him wasn't easy—

Bang!

"Tch!?"

Well, that's how it was.

Anyway, all I needed was a single success.

The bullet lodged itself in Lucas's right shoulder strap of the small bag he was carrying. The strap wasn't completely severed, but.

I ran straight at Lucas.

Lucas, eyes slightly wide, swung his sword toward me—

Squlch. The sword sank into my stomach.

In an instant, the room fell silent.

Blood rose from my throat, and I gagged it up.

But even so, I had managed to get right up against Lucas.

I grabbed Lucas by the collar and spoke.

"Still not satisfied?"

Seeing me smile while bleeding from the mouth, Lucas's expression hardened rigidly.

"You, how—"

"I wonder. How did I do it?"

I whispered to Lucas.

"I won't tell you."

And then I clubbed Lucas over the head with the pistol I was holding. Crack. Lucas's head whipped to the side.

Well, I knew perfectly well that this alone wouldn't knock him out or kill him.

I just...

I just felt like hitting him once.

Again.

*

Returning to the moment Lucas was hit by the bullet, I threw my body sideways again and rolled across the floor. Immediately, a sword slash flew behind my back. They had probably prepared it in advance. Was it the Sword Saint, or Claire? Judging by the shape, it didn't seem to be the emperor's.

"Guh!?"

Lucas, unable to comprehend the situation, was struck directly by that sword slash.

In that gap, I loaded the next magazine. Fortunately, Lucas didn't launch a follow-up attack while I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠finished reloading, lying on the floor.

Lucas gritted his teeth and looked at me.

Why, did it annoy you that I was using a 'cheat'?

Uh, um... Yeah, I could see how it would be annoying. I would have thought the same thing if I were in the same situation.

But I wasn't in the same situation.

After expending all the rounds, including the one in the chamber, and swapping magazines, there were six rounds in the pistol.

Of course, that was more than enough for me. At least enough to subdue a single opponent.

Keeping my pistol aimed at Lucas, I slowly rose to my feet.

Even after taking a direct hit from a sword slash, Lucas was still standing. An ordinary person would have been rolling on the floor even if their body wasn't cleaved in two.

From that, I could tell that the vestments Lucas wore were protective vestments.

"I see... So that's how it is..."

Lucas let out a long breath, then said,

"Fine, I'll admit it. There's no way for me to win here."

Lucas said.

Before anyone in the room could answer, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Lucas had already finished taking his stance.

And then he shot forward.

He bowled over every knight in front of him, knocking them down, and then made straight for the door.—

*

Damn it.

Now that I thought about it, he hadn't even bled from the spot where the bullet had hit earlier. It seemed the protective magic had simply pushed the bullet out even though it landed.

I fired a few shots at Lucas as he began to run, but once he abandoned the fight and focused solely on fleeing, catching him was no easy task.

However, even if it wasn't easy for me, there were already people in the room for whom it was possible.

The Sword Saint and the emperor.

And Claire, Leo, Alice.

Countless knights.

A multitude of sword slashes flew at Lucas. None of them were overwhelmingly powerful on their own. They had to carefully control their force so as not to cut down the people around them in a single blow.

But it was enough to batter Lucas.

Thump.

The bag Lucas had been carrying fell to the ground. Lucas lowered his body to pick it up, but,

"Tch."

He then saw the incoming sword slashes and gave up.

After glancing at the few bullets that flew toward him and glaring at me for a very brief moment, Lucas immediately dashed for the door.

How many knights would be in the corridor below?

This was a tower with not a single window, and it wasn't a place that could be easily broken by ordinary bombardment. Unless he physically plowed through every one of those knights, Lucas would not be able to escape.

"Haaah..."

Listening to the shouts and the clashing of swords from outside the door, I dropped to one knee.

My body was trembling violently.

Because I had shattered something that was blocking me with all my strength, over and over again.

The cycle of healing and getting injured was mentally an immensely exhausting ordeal.

"Sylvia!"

I heard a voice laced with tears. It appeared to be Alice.

But I couldn't react.

My eyelids felt too heavy.

Ah, and the battle wasn't even completely finished yet. I still had to check on the Masked Woman.

Someone who ran over to me supported my body, and I was at least able to avoid collapsing straight onto the floor.

Beyond my fading and darkening vision, I saw the emperor approach the bag Lucas had dropped and left behind.

Watching the emperor pick it up was my last memory of that moment.