Everyone has a plan.
Until they roll around on the floor like a crazy person and become a rag.
Of course, I kept rewinding time during that training. The training ground was in the Imperial Capital, and I was pretty familiar with it since I’d used it multiple times. Being on the grounds of the imperial palace, it was naturally much flatter than that mountain. So theoretically, it was much easier to run around.
Theoretically.
That theory didn’t include a Sword Saint wielding a wooden sword.
Dodging the sword once or twice was still doable. After getting hit, at least the trajectory of the sword was similar to what Lucas swung. Of course, the Sword Saint wouldn’t be swinging for real like Lucas would either.
But even if I could dodge a few times, dodging perfectly until I reached my physical limit was impossible. No matter how much I managed my stamina and tried my best to evade, infinitely dodging that wooden sword was a no-go, unless I had skills similar to the Sword Saint.
I tried blocking with my mock gun, but that was all. Whenever I tried to block, the Sword Saint just swung harder, making it more obvious how weak I was.
Still, it wasn’t all bad.
It had been quite a while since Lucas randomly swung at me with a sword. The sensations I had almost forgotten were slowly coming back to me now that Lucas was out of the picture. At least, if Lucas were to seriously come at me…
…Uh, honestly, I still wasn’t confident. I had no idea if I could dodge if Lucas came at me with lethal intent.
But…
“I have to say, you really lack talent.”
The Sword Saint said that while looking at me. But there was no dissatisfaction in his voice.
“But you don’t seem to be planning to give up.”
I couldn’t help but think about how pathetic I must have looked when I fled before; apparently, the Sword Saint was a bit impressed by my appearance.
“I don’t dislike that kind of tenacity.”
That sounded like something out of a boy’s manga.
When I thought about how the original game had been made by a Japanese company, it didn’t seem that strange.
“Alright! That’s enough for today!”
At that, Alice and Leo let out a long sigh of relief. Still, the two of them stood until the end. As for me… well, I thought laying on the floor wasn’t really dignified, so I stayed seated on a chair.
It felt a bit difficult to sit straight, so I bent forward with my elbows resting on my knees.
Worried about me, Alice and Leo rushed over.
“Sylvia, you okay?”
Not really. The thought of having to live like this for at least two more weeks hit me with regret right away.
Looking for Lucas? Do I really need to do that right now?
Can’t I just rewind time and make it all disappear and take a nice long break for the remaining two weeks?
Such thoughts crossed my mind but…
When I raised my head, my gaze met the Sword Saint’s, who’s a bit removed from Alice and Leo.
The Sword Saint was smiling at me. I have no idea what’s so funny. Was it a content smile?
Then, seeing that smile made me feel like maybe I was about to rewind time.
…Yeah.
Regardless, let’s wait until the end of these two weeks to rewind time.
At least, it wouldn’t be too late to rewind time after I took full responsibility for what I was planning to do.
Although from the start, there was no option of ‘being late’ since I had the ability to rewind time.
“It’s fine.”
I replied.
But my gaze was still fixed on the Sword Saint, not on Alice or Leo.
I could see the Sword Saint’s lips moving.
It was a facial expression I had seen several times when I was training in meditation for 300 days.
Judging by how often I saw that expression compared to back then, it seemed my training hadn’t been completely in vain.
*
…So, I was thinking quite leisurely about that.
If I rewind time and erase that conversation where I called someone “big brother” or “big sister,” will that just be gone?
Well, still, it might be better to return the favor with “big sister” to Alice someday. It would probably be around the time when my persona starts to break down, so maybe toward the end of my plans.
I was not thinking of looking for a treasure this time. There may be treasure in the Imperial Capital, but at least that’s not something I need to be looking for while smashing through dungeons.
So… I didn’t think that the “masked figure” presumed to be ‘me’ would suddenly pop out.
“……”
I thought it wouldn’t.
“……You.”
I spoke towards the masked figure in the training grounds.
The area leading outside didn’t have the lights on. Especially in the middle of the training facility, that was even more so. There was really no reason to keep them on.
Unless someone were to sneak in over the roof of the imperial palace, there was no way someone could come here. Even if they entered through the gaping roof of the training grounds, the guards in the corridor would definitely catch them.
…Originally, there should have been guards inside as well, but I had sent them all out because I wanted a better look at the training ground.
That masked figure had somehow made it inside during that time.
“How did you get in here?”
It mustn’t have been a coincidence.
If that was indeed ‘me,’ I would at least remember what I had done. Even if I couldn’t recall every day, the days when something happened were certainly something I’d remember.
Like the day I met the Sword Saint when I first arrived in the Imperial Capital, or…
…Or maybe even this moment.
Honestly, asking how they got in might be a wrong question anyway. That entity was indeed a being that existed deep within those ruins. Normal methods or procedures that we think of wouldn’t apply to them at all.
Moreover, that being could block my powers.
Whether simply coexisting in the same timeframe and causing a collision with my power, or whether they were intentionally blocking it—
And recalling that fact sent chills down my spine.
“…Why now?”
Yeah, why now of all times?
If they could appear at any moment, there would have been much more opportune times. Well, unless they were gunning for my life, then maybe it made sense.
If that’s truly me, then I shouldn’t even think of doing something foolish like approaching me like this, right?
But even after hearing my startled voice, the other party didn’t respond at all.
No, there was a reaction, but it wasn’t really anything that could be considered an answer.
The entity shook their shoulders at the sound of my voice.
It wasn’t out of fear, tension, or anything like that. If they were afraid, they wouldn’t even show up in this situation.
Rather, that movement seemed…
Like someone trying to stifle laughter.
Wrapped in a long robe, their shoulders trembled slightly forward as they suppressed their laughter, confirming that my thoughts were likely correct.
“……”
I tensed up for a moment but then dashed forward.
And just like that, I was able to easily grab the edge of that robe.
The person was still smiling. As I got closer, I could hear the breath of someone holding in their laughter.
“Who are you…?!”
But before I could say anything more, the mask suddenly moved forward.
And as if trying to convey something clearly, they spoke through the mask.
“Sylvia.”
“……”
It didn’t seem like they were going to attack, nor did it seem like they were trying to escape. The somewhat giggly voice was hard to understand clearly, but it didn’t feel like there was any malice in it.
But—
“■■,■■■■■■■.”
That sound didn’t come through clearly.
Like trying to talk to someone a few meters away underwater, it felt blocked from reaching me properly.
“…What?”
At the moment I couldn’t quite hear what they said, the masked figure’s shoulders slumped.
For a brief moment, they looked disappointed about something.
“……”
“……”
For a while, we just stared at each other.
The gleam in the holes of the mask sparkled. I still couldn’t tell what color they were, as the only light illuminating us was the faint moonlight.
Slowly, I let go of one hand.
And I took that hand closer to the mask.
Right before I was about to take off the mask, they showed no resistance whatsoever.
But—
“…Ah.”
At that very moment, that figure vanished.
As if they had never been there from the beginning.
…Did someone take them away?
“…No, more than that.”
As my brief daze faded, my mind snapped back to reality.
Once again, chills ran down my spine.
No way, no way, no way…
“Ah, surely not.”
I muttered to myself, trying to calm myself down.
No way, could my ability be blocked just because I ran into them?
We didn’t even clash or anything, did we?
After catching my breath, I steadied my mind and shouted,
“Alright.”
I steeled myself,
“Again!”
I yelled with fervor.
And then I hit something hard and blacked out.
When I woke up again, I was in the training grounds.
It was probably around the time I had first arrived at the training ground. At least, my location in time didn’t change.
That masked figure was gone, though.
I lay flat on my back in the middle of the training ground, gazing up at the sky and muttering,
“I’m screwed.”
Was that smile from a moment ago about this?
…That bastard, I’m definitely going to kill him, future me or not.
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