Chapter 26 - What Remains [4]
"There isn't enough fuel!" I checked the motorcycle's fuel tank. It could run for no more than five minutes.
“Damn it!” I expressed my frustration by hitting the wall.
Are you telling me I have to fight countless horrifying monsters? Ridiculous.
The difficulty spike was absurd. It felt like going from defeating a tutorial boss to facing a mid-game boss.
'Can I even do this?' I questioned myself.
I killed one Eldia, but that doesn't mean I can confront them confidently.
I'm talking about battling creatures beyond human comprehension. A single mistake could cost me my life—poof! Just like that.
"…Alright." I sharpened my gaze and straightened my posture.
What else can I do at this point?
It's either I die, or I die trying.
The chance of my survival is astronomically low, but it's never zero.
'I need a place to hide.' I set my sights on one of the tall buildings to fight them strategically from afar.
Unless you’re a monster that can go toe-to-toe with Eldians, fighting them one-on-one is like bringing a knife to a gunfight.
I need to take advantage of the terrain and their strengths and weaknesses. Everything must be put to use.
'I… don't want to die yet.' The will to live within me persisted, defying despair.
My adventure has only just begun, and I haven't fulfilled my promise to Noah.
So, I won’t die until I say so.
No matter what it takes.
"Urgh… ah…" As I was about to leave the broken-down shack, the girl clad in heavy clothing tried to speak after regaining consciousness.
I looked at her in silence, her pitiful state rendering me speechless.
“Eua…. uha… ak…” She kept trying, desperately clinging to whatever she could muster.
Even though she was injured and had lost her strength even to speak, she persisted until the very end.
It felt like looking into a mirror, a reflection of the past.
“Mmm… mgaah! How stubborn!" I picked her up and placed her on my back to carry her.
'Muu… so heavy…' I attempted to lift her, but I recalled how weak I was and nearly fell myself.
—Vooom…!
"There, that’s much better." I made her float, reducing most of her weight with telekinesis.
After seeing her skillful usage of telekinesis, I forgot I could use it too, a Magic Art I learned beyond manipulating the basic elements.
Now that I could carry her, I ran to a building that was as wide and accessible as possible. In this terrain, I would have a better chance of fighting against them.
The Eldians are designed to imitate humans, or rather, they aspire to be false replicas of humanity.
Most Eldians always lack something essential that further separates them from humans: their sight, hearing, senses, touch, limbs, or any characteristic that resembles a human.
In exchange for their flaws, they focus on gaining an excessive number of limbs, turning them into monsters devoid of a sense of self.
—Vooom…!
Thin strands formed across my left hand, accumulating at the tip of my finger.
I bound Libera to my arm to prevent it from slipping, weaving the strands into a pattern and bonding them together as if it had always been there.
It’s like a hidden wrist knife, except that it's a gun.
—Kachick!
I loaded a magazine into Libera and infused it with mana to enhance its firepower.
It’s my first time using Libera against Eldians, so I fear this might not work against them.
—■○□●■○○■●○…
In the distance, countless sirens blared—noises from the Eldians who had heard the call.
"They're already here..." I whispered, hiding on the middle floors. Climbing higher would compromise Libera and my accuracy, while going lower risked being spotted.
From this position, I can shoot effectively despite the distance between us.
“I should put you down," I murmured to the girl behind me to find a safe place for her.
As long as I can lure the Eldians away, she should be fine.
"Stay here. Is that clear?" I gently laid her down, ensuring she landed softly on the floor, only to see the state I was in.
Ah, are my hands… trembling?
“Ugh…” I clenched my hands so tightly that my nails began to dig into my skin.
Suddenly, my mind went blank with fear.
I reached a building… What's next?
Should I hide? Should I fight?
How many Eldians are there?
Could I even defeat them?
Will I survive?
Can I win?
…
…
...
“I… I don’t know what to do.”
...
...
...
"Don't go..." The stranger regained her voice and mumbled two words.
I trembled at the sensation of a pair of hands, gently landing on my smooth cheeks.
Those hands, concealed beneath the rough fabric of her gloves... they felt… warm.
"I’m sorry, so please…" The strong, fierce tone she had maintained before was long gone.
“Don’t leave me.”
...
...
...
"I won't leave you," I said with a bright smile.
I held her hands and nuzzled my cheeks against them, as if I was addicted to that warmth.
"...Thank you." She replied softly.
I hadn’t noticed it before because of her mask, but beneath it must be a face she had long forgotten—
One that held a genuine smile.
...
...
...
I understand now.
I checked my hands again; this time, the tremors had ceased.
Without thinking about the consequences, I gripped Libera tightly, preparing myself not to lose, but to win.
From now on, this is no longer Noah's story, nor simply a tale within a novel.
—it's mine.
“■■○□●■○○■…” The Eldians were scouting the area in search of the siren's call.
As they searched, the stranger's house was half-destroyed simply by their presence.
“■○○■○■…?” Finding no traces, they continued their search outside the house and moved on to the nearby buildings.
There were six Eldians in total, each vastly different from the others. Due to the distance from Arcadia, the source of the Eldians, those who ventured here were few in number.
One of them was about to detect my location by scent alone. Running away wasn’t an option, as Eldians are notorious for pursuing their targets relentlessly for the rest of their lives.
There are only two possible outcomes once they find you: either you survive, or die without ever knowing what killed you.
Unfortunately, it’s usually the latter.
As long as I remained in their vicinity, my chances of escape diminished significantly.
—Kachick!
“○■■○○■…?”
That’s why I’m going to take it down before it notices me.
—BOOM!
“■○□●■○-” The Eldia that found me tried to notify the others. However, before it could do so, its entire frame was split in two, instantly dying from a single shot.
‘It killed it...!’ I felt ecstatic that the Libera proved itself to be effective against Eldians.
But I held back my excitement; this is where the real battle begins.
“○■□●…!? ■○●○■○●○!!!” The Eldians, enraged by the loud noise, began to move to investigate what had happened.
Before I got caught, I ran away as fast as I could from my position, hoping they wouldn't see me.
—Rumble...
To create a distraction, I fired another shot, generating enough noise to mask my footsteps.
—BOOM!
The building collapsed loudly after that, creating much more noise than everything else combined.
This is the infamous strategy people have used at least once in their lives: running away.
Just in case, the girl is in another building, safe and sound, far away from the battle. Well… maybe not from the noise, though.
"○●■○■□?!" The Eldians screeched in harmony, unable to comprehend what was happening.
As soon as they entered the destroyed building, I took the opportunity to shoot another Eldia after the smoke cleared.
—Kachick! BOOOOM!
"■○●□○■□!!!"
It was a clear hit; half of its body was torn apart and reduced to ashes.
'Two…' I counted in my head.
Out of the six Eldians, I had successfully taken down two in under a minute, while I used another one as a distraction.
I had three rounds left in my gun, leaving me at a disadvantage against four.
After running, I hid behind a wall and crouched under an office desk to take a peek and observe their positions.
Not all of them were inside the building.
'That means the one in the house must be the leader…'
The smoke was everywhere, and the buildings were still in the process of collapsing, so they couldn’t see or hear me.
In the house, one Eldia stood out above the rest; it was much larger and more intimidating.
Eldians are unpredictable, and it’s difficult to determine which ones are stronger at first glance.
However, this particular one stands out as noticeably different from the rest.
If Eldians are considered eldritch monsters, then this one is an amalgamation. I’m uncertain if my gun can penetrate its hard shell.
'Haha, why is my life like this?' I sighed, shaking my head as I reflected on the unfortunate events that led me to this moment.
It feels like one misfortune after another. The Ichor and Exitium Stone absorbed in my left hand could be a curse that I don't know about.
It's suspicious that it has integrated into my hand so easily, especially since this never happened in the original novel.
"■□■●○●□■●!!” The Eldians continued their search for me, becoming increasingly aggressive and destroying everything in their path.
The real issue lies with their leader; the evidence suggests it is commanding them.
I have only three shots left before my gun breaks, and confronting the leader with just one bullet won’t be nearly enough.
"■○●○○□■□-"
—BOOM!
I shot another Eldia while its back was turned, trying to regroup with the others. It was a gamble, but it paid off well in the end.
'Three…' I counted.
"■□○●□■●!!!" The remaining Eldians, besides the leader, became enraged and charged into the building, roaming around blindly after I killed three of them.
Now, there are two of the three active Eldians inside, all radiating intense bloodlust. It’s a blessing that there aren’t any scouts, as they are the only ones capable of calling for reinforcements.
'This is too risky,' I thought, as the reality of how dangerous this plan was began to sink in.
But I’ll do it anyway.
The two Eldians who noticed the direction of my bullet began to close in on me.
I had them in my sights, but something happened, as if they truly were unpredictable creatures.
"■○●○○■□○□!!!"
'Shit…!' An Eldia lunged at me from my right, seeking to gut me to shreds.
—BOOM!
Just in time, I shot the Eldia at point-blank range, its guts spilling out grotesquely.
Before I had the chance to vomit in disgust, I ran away with my hand over my mouth.
'This is bad…!' I muttered as I slowly walked away. If I stayed in the same spot for even a few seconds longer, I felt like I would get caught.
The good news was that I had successfully taken down four Eldians, leaving only two remaining. The bad news was that this encounter had revealed my position.
From that point on, victory felt close at hand.
If I were to describe it in gaming terms, I felt like a mage with a glass cannon build, rushing into a high-level zone without a tank, support, or healer.
I only had one bullet left, and I needed to create another Libera to kill them once again.
—Rumble Rumble…!
The floor beneath me began to crumble. I felt my feet quiver, a premonition that usually doesn't bode well.
"They're below me!" I gasped, my face contorting in horror as I tried to escape. But it was already too late.
—Crack…! BOOOM!!
The floor abruptly collapsed, revealing an Eldia breaking through, its gaping mouth stretched grotesquely.
—Fwip…!
'Ah… t-that was close…' In the nick of time, I used the Ichor to create a web and grappled onto the next floor.
The Eldia's jaws were so close that I would have died if the Ichor hadn’t been able to support my weight.
Although I still feel a sense of bitterness about not being as strong as I once was, my light weight and flexibility as a girl made me realize that this style suits me better.
—Click…!
I aimed the Libera at the Eldia and shot without hesitation as it lunged at me again.
—BOOM!!
With a pull of the trigger, the Eldia exploded into pieces, completely obliterating it.
My unsupported hand flew up and struck the ceiling, but the armour from the Ichor protected my arm from being injured.
—Crack!
With that sixth shot, Libera was beyond repair, forcing me to create another. At least there was only one Eldia left.
"A little more… just a little more," I thought as a sense of hope began to swell in my chest once again.
I landed on a safe platform and found another hiding spot.
"If it keeps going like this, then I can win…"
—Shiiik…!
…
…
...
"…Huh?"
There was a cold sensation I had never felt before—numb yet intense.
Why was that, I wondered? When I touched my leg just now... I felt nothing.
I couldn't comprehend it; the massive gaping hole in my leg didn't feel real.
It was so large that my heart nearly stopped at the mere thought of it, beating as fast as a steam engine.
…Then after a few seconds, the pain finally hit me.
"Ah… AAAAAAH!!!" I cried out in agony.
A huge spike had pierced nearly the entirety of my left leg. The sight of it almost made me black out, and I wished none of this had ever happened.
"Mmpgh…!" I forced my mouth shut with my left hand.
Even now, I couldn't risk revealing my position, especially while I was fighting the last one.
Just letting my guard down had resulted in an injury that could have killed me.
I covered my leg with Ichor to fill in the gaps. I struggled to concentrate due to the pain, causing the Ichor to become unstable.
What emerged was a golden liquid that dripped down my leg, reminiscent of the time I received a stab wound in my left palm.
All I could do was endure the pain, yet I couldn't shake the feeling of helplessness.
My thoughts raced endlessly, pushing my brain to the brink of shutting down from fear.
It was only when I began to reflect deeply on my life, with memories flashing before me, that I realized the significance of the people I had encountered during this brief journey.
There were only two, but two was more than I’ve ever had. They recognized me as someone important, someone who had a role to fulfill in a world I never truly belonged to.
"N-NO!!!" I screamed out loud.
I clenched my hand so tightly that all my focus narrowed to one single goal—getting out of this hellhole.
That was all I needed to understand. Nothing else mattered.
"Focus…" I breathed steadily, trying to locate the last Eldia that had struck my leg.
I hadn't accounted for the possibility that they could shoot projectiles, and now I found myself in a situation where I could be mutilated beyond recognition if I let my guard down a second time.
I stayed silent, concentrating on my senses—sound, touch, sight, and smell—like never before.
Seconds stretched into minutes, and still, nothing happened; only the pungent stench of smoke and dust lingered.
I waited patiently, biding my time until the moment was right…
…
…
…
"■○□○●□○□!" The Eldia screeched loudly, launching a barrage of the same spikes that pierced my leg like butter.
'NOW!!' I made another Libera just in time as I waited for the Eldia to appear.
—NYOOM!
I propelled myself against a wall at high speed, utilizing a bullet filled to the brim with wind magic to evade the spikes.
I had used this risky method of movement so many times that I was confident I could withstand it.
—Kachick…!
Faster than the spikes, I aimed at the Eldia with a second Libera—the same one the stranger had stolen from me.
This was the moment I had been waiting for.
All I had to do was pull the trigger.
‘…Huh? What’s this?’ I thought.
As I soared through the air, shards of glass drifted in front of me, and time seemed to slow down as I caught a glimpse of my reflection.
‘Am I smiling…?’ I questioned myself.
This was a moment where I had to gamble my life, a moment that should have been terrifying rather than enjoyable. But… why was I smiling?
Returning to reality, I focused my gaze on the Eldia and held the gun so tightly that my hands felt numb.
“If the character Kuro Historia—no, Aria Cyth—doesn't exist in this world…” My heart began to race.
With one final stand, my golden eyes shone brightly, like a flame unwavering against a fierce storm.
“Then I will find my place in this world...!”
—Kachick…
"THAT'S WHY I WILL DEFY MY DESTINY AND BREAK THROUGH!!!”
—BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOOM!!!
I fired three bullets in quick succession, causing Libera to shatter instantly.
“Gaah!!!” The explosion from the Libera breaking struck me as well, and my left hand was caught in the blast.
‘N-Not yet…!’ Despite the pain from my wound, I focused solely on the Eldia to see if it went through.
—Crrr…
The first shot wasn’t enough; it merely cracked the Eldia's shell instead of obliterating it.
—Crrrk…!
The second shot almost shattered its husk—but still, it wasn’t enough.
—Crack!
…Then the third shot landed.
After breaking its defences, Libera successfully pierced the Eldia, causing its metal-like husk to explode.
The Eldia tried to defend itself, but it was ultimately pushed back and overwhelmed.
—Shaaa...
Squinting my eyes, I gazed upon its crumbling shell as it disintegrated into dust.
“…Ah.” I fell forward, my head hitting the ground after forcing myself to push beyond my limits. I couldn't move a single inch.
“Ha… hahaha, I… I did it.” I chuckled weakly.
My leg had a giant hole in it, my hand was a bloody mess, my ears were almost deaf, and I was both physically and mentally exhausted.
But at least… it's finally over.
‘My consciousness is… fading away.’ Every part of my body ached. The injuries I sustained were immense.
'I could go for some fried chicken right now…' I surrendered to the numbness and accepted my fate. The only thing I could do now was lie down and stop overexerting myself.
'Haha, at least she's safe…'
Unable to endure the pain any longer, I slowly closed my eyes, and my consciousness followed suit.
"Hey...! Are you still alive...?" Someone vigorously shook my shoulders, checking to see if I was still alive.
Though my vision remained blurry, I could sense a familiar presence, carrying me on their back, a feeling that ignited a flicker of recognition.
The last thing I heard was a girl's voice. It was familiar—so familiar that it felt as if I had travelled back in time.
At that moment, the only thought occupying my mind was the word... family.
