The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent

One step forward.

It was only one step.

“Guh...!”

My body was pulled backward.

“Sister!”

I heard Claire scream in terror.

A horrible, slashing sound, like something being sliced, filled the air, and a few drops of blood splattered toward me. No, was it really just a few drops? The blood that hit my face seemed to be only that much, but surely far more had splattered in reality.

It wasn’t my blood.

It was the Emperor’s blood, the one who had grabbed me.

He yanked me by the back of my neck, pulling me backward. Even with the enhanced suit providing strength, it couldn’t perfectly counter the Emperor’s force.

Perhaps it was because I had rushed too quickly. The moment the Emperor grabbed me, my posture collapsed.

I flew backward and skidded on the ground, slamming into the earth—

Thud!

Had I not spread my legs to dodge, my legs would have been chopped into pieces, or pulverized. The Emperor’s sword struck where my legs had been moments before.

...Was he not trying to kill me?

The Emperor was bleeding from various parts of his body. Though he had worn sturdy inner armor, it didn’t matter much when he was struck repeatedly by my sword strikes.

“Hmph.”

But the blood flowing from the Emperor’s body was still insufficient to bring him down.

“Are you not using your abilities because you think they will be blocked?”

Well, of course.

Even with just pieces of relics, I had used my abilities and suffered enough shock to lose consciousness for days. So, would I risk using them in front of a completed relic?

I decided it was better to trust those who had come with me.

Click.

I emptied the revolver’s cylinder. The gun bent forward, and the spent casings flew out.

Seeing that I didn’t respond, the Emperor likely decided that speaking was unnecessary and charged at me.

The sound of swords clashing.

“Ugh!”

Before I knew it, Alice had come charging in front of me and blocked the Emperor’s sword with her own. Her sword trembled, visibly straining under the Emperor’s strike.

“Hmph.”

The Emperor made a sound, then withdrew his sword—not as if retreating, but simply lifting it.

Before Alice could follow up with another move, the Emperor swung his sword again, and though he didn’t strike with full force, Alice’s body wobbled from the impact.

“I’m not doubting your abilities, but still, you’re falling short.”

“...”

I could see Alice flinch slightly from the blow.

Falling short?

Alice was far superior to me. In both swordsmanship and study. What I took countless attempts to understand, Alice grasped effortlessly from the start. I had nearly given up on swordsmanship.

The Emperor had a habit of setting expectations and discarding anyone who failed to meet them. But it wasn’t surprising—he was a man who only cared for his own ambitions, willing to sacrifice those around him for his goals.

Bang!

I fired at Alice’s side, and the Emperor retreated.

It didn’t matter how skilled you were—if you were hit by a bullet, you bled.

Clang!

A sword energy, twisting like a snake, flew toward the spot where the Emperor had retreated. He lazily swept his sword to deflect it, but the movement wasn’t as easy as he had hoped. Even with all his talk of swordsmanship, he still struggled against Claire’s technique.

In the original work, the Emperor’s children were depicted as formidable, though not invincible. Lucas, for instance, was stronger, but the Emperor was still a dangerous foe.

But that wasn’t the end of it.

Another sharp, rapid strike followed.

Charlotte.

Having joined Claire’s side, Charlotte glared fiercely at the Emperor. It was only natural—though, thankfully, her gaze was not directed at me.

Blood stained Charlotte’s blade. She must have taken down several enemies to get here.

“We’ll buy time.”

Alice said quietly.

Ahead of us, knights were creeping closer.

“Lottie’s watching the back. Mia and the professor are coming this way too... As soon as there’s an opening, go for the machine.”

“Understood.”

I nodded at Alice’s words.

What exactly the goddess’s power was, how it worked—I still didn’t know.

But I couldn’t give up just because I didn’t know. At the very least, I would attempt to resolve whatever was directly in front of me.

“Alright, then.”

Alice and Charlotte exchanged a brief look.

“Let’s go!”

With those words, Alice bolted forward.

Charlotte and Claire, already confronting the Emperor, did the same.

The knights rushing toward us seemed irrelevant, as the three of them only had eyes on the Emperor.

There was no way I would let their efforts be in vain.

I ran once more.

And—

Ah.

I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder with a loud bang.

“Sylvia!?”

A scream rang out, but I couldn’t tell whose voice it was.

My left shoulder burned. The arm I had swung forward for speed didn’t move properly anymore. I didn’t have time to check the wound, but I did glance toward the sound of the gunshot.

The Emperor was holding a gun.

...A gun identical to the one I carried. But this one looked older.

Now that I noticed, my revolver, after rolling and being battered, had acquired new scratches. Though not entirely visible, there were deep gashes in several places.

Ah, yes.

Even in a world close to the “original,” reality was still reality.

Whether someone swings a sword or pulls a trigger depends on the choices of the wielder.

The Emperor, picking up the gun once used by his fallen daughter, had made his own choice.

Without aiming at the Emperor, I fired into the air. A few shots rang out from his side, but neither of us seemed to hit our target.

Should I rewind time?

For a brief moment, I considered it—

But then, I saw the three people and the Emperor.

Alice, who had been staring at me with wide eyes, was now attacking the Emperor. He had attempted to dodge her strike, but in a rush to draw his own gun, he couldn’t avoid Alice’s blade. Blood spurted from his arm. Was it fatal? I couldn’t tell, but he grimaced in pain.

The Emperor, having failed to dodge Alice’s strike, tried to counter, but was forced to retreat as two more sword strikes flew toward him. Claire’s and Charlotte’s blades whirled, fast and sharp, their movements unpredictable and synchronized.

The Emperor staggered back a few steps.

The knights guarding him had to prioritize protecting him, and Alice, Claire, and Charlotte didn’t have the chance to strike.

Rewinding time—could I make it to the machine if I did?

There was little time to think.

Even as I continued forward, the machine grew closer, and I could hear the sound of gunfire behind me.

Bang, bang.

Several knights collapsed in a spray of blood, likely from Lottie’s shots.

...Could I have made it this far by rewinding time?

As I thought that, I realized I had only one choice left.

I didn’t need both hands to operate the machine.

With all the strength I could muster, I ran.

And then—

I dropped the gun I had been holding. It was useless without any bullets. There was no point in carrying it anymore—it would only be used for swinging.

Reaching out with my right hand, I grabbed the spinning gears before me.

I pulled with all my strength. Kicking the machine with my foot, I yanked as hard as I could, but it didn’t budge easily. The gears spun as my fingers almost got caught between them, but with a final screech, the gears shifted outward.

Screech, the suit let out an ominous sound. Some of the internal tubes in my shoulder ruptured, and steam began to leak, soaking through the clothes beneath.

My left arm, still bleeding, had no sensation left in it.

“Ugh...”

Grimacing, I shifted my weight backward with all my force.

“Ah...”

The gears came loose.

And inside, I saw what was hidden.

“...Alice?”

The familiar face I had long known was there.

Alice, lying as though peacefully asleep, her eyes closed.

—Had the need for Fangryphon’s blood to complete the device been literal all along?

“No, Sylvia...!”

Someone screamed from behind me.

I heard something heavy approaching. The sound of clanking echoed as it drew nearer, but the sound never ceased.

However, before that sound could reach me, Alice inside the machine opened her eyes.

She looked at me with eyes glowing a fierce blue.

The light from her eyes was the same light emanating from the relic that Claire had entrusted to me.

For a brief moment, the world between us froze.

Without realizing it, I reached out my hand toward Alice.

It felt like all the reasons I had come this far, all the times I had rewound, had led me to this moment.

It was just the feeling that overcame me.