It was a street I’ve never seen before.
It was neither prosperous nor was it desolate.
Various shops were lined up along the main street towards the center of town, I guess usually it would be quite prosperous.
However, that street is now dyed in crimson.
The screams that permeated the air, and the deep voice which sounded like it was ridiculing those screams.
With the crackling from the wood of the burning house and it’s crumbling groans as the background, the monsters rampaged inside the town.
There were men whose appearances resembled soldiers running around, but, they were not in any condition where they could assemble.
Having no idea what to do, the cowering mother who had been hugging her crying child became a victim of the monsters.
The woman’s vivid scream clung to the ears, and her child’s cry.
Combined with an eerie deep voice that would make a chill run down one’s spine.
This is surely — an incident that really happened somewhere in this real world.
『Kyaaaa~!!』
「—- ku!?」
I snapped right out of sleep, checking my surroundings without so much as a second to readjust my rough breath.
For a moment, I couldn’t separate it from the dream that I had seen until just before, but the blazing crimson was nowhere to be seen, which made me feel relieved though only a bit .
But shortly after that, I woke up to the worst fact.
The fact that, “there was nobody else except me” in this small pitch-black bedroom.
『Stop, let go!!』
Next to the living room, I heard the sound of something jostling together, as well as Onii-chan’s scream.
As I tried to surpress my violently, loudly beating heart and frantically calmed down my chaotic mind with all of my might, I dashed out through the door which was connected to the living room.
And what I saw was ……
A lantern placed on the floor lit up the room.
And then, what faintly showed itself in this dim light was a dirty, small man.
With unkempt stubble on his chin and a slender build, he glared with his weird glittering, googgly eyes.
On his right hand, he was carrying a small sharp object which resembled a kodachi.
He is a robber.
That was the conclusion I made based on my intuition.(1)
That small thin robber, was looming over mother whose clothes had become disordered.
And then facing that robber, Onii-chan was gripping a wooden sword which didn’t even reach 1 meter in length.
「Tch, what an annoying kid.」
As that small robber murmured that in a rough low voice, he brandished the kodachi he possessed.
Before I could shout out anything, mother jumped over to cover Onii-chan, screaming「Roguna!!」.
「Ugh…!?」
「Ka, Kchan!?」
From my point of view, it looked like that robber’s kodachi certainly had cut at mother’s body.
Tearing the clothes that mother wore, blackish liquid started to slowly spread.
「Aah~, damn. The precious young girl…」 (2)
While saying that, the robber unpleasantly spat while Onii-chan’s expression started to distort due to hatred.
… But, when I slipped between the robber and mother and Onii-chan, immediately Onii-chan’s face was repainted in surprise.
「Se-Sefi!? You…!」
Onii-chan’s voice didn’t register in my ears; I touched mother with my trembling hands.
The slash on mother’s back was about 20 cm, the spilled blood was slimy and eerily glowing because of the reflection of the lantern’s light.
When I heard mother moaning in pain, spontaneously my tears began to spill.
「O… Oka~san, Oka~sa~n…!」
Not knowing what to do, with my trembling lips I couldn’t do anything but call at mother.
Since I had just woken up and couldn’t think straight, being suddenly thrown into several unexpected situations caused me to completely fall into panic.
As I was calling out, I thought that at least I must stop the bleeding so I pressed on mother’s wound; when I felt the hot moist sensation and the smell of iron, inadvertently, nausea started to well up.
Nevertheless, mother, who heard my voice while desperately holding back the pain, gave me a weak smile.
「It is all… right, …that is why, Roguna… take Sefi away…」
「What are you saying, Ka~chan!? That is…! 」
「The promise with Otou-san, …Even if it is only Sefi… Please, Roguna…」
While spilling over large drops of tears, Onii-chan exchanged looks between my face and mother’s.
A ghastly expression came upon his face, and then he clenched on even harder on the already tightly gripped wooden sword.
… Onii-chan? What… are you doing?
「Oh? You want to do it, little kid?」
From behind, I could hear the robber’s elated voice.
S-stop it, Onii-chan! That is no good…!
However, before I could call to stop him,
「Uwaaaaa~!!!」
From beside me, Onii-chan started running with all his might, brandishing his wooden sword.
But, the robber easily caught the stick that 5 year old Onii-chan swung, and then smoothly kicked him away.
When I heard Onii-chan’s weak groan and the robber’s laughter as drowning in triumph …… Within my vision that roiled in turmoil, I regretted it.
… This is my fault.
I selfishly decided that there were no robbers at all, and didn’t even consider any countermeasures.
The truth is, I who could wield magic should have been the most cautious towards the robber than anyone else.
Magic or otherwise, there were plenty to choose from. I wished that I had done something like placing a trap, making an alarm device, or even searching for them and taking the first move to apprehend them first.
Because nothing ever happened until today, I was blinded by the peace and had one-sidedly decided that it would last forever.
Even now, because I was deep in my slumber and couldn’t wake up until this happened, right now mother is covered in blood…
Things like magic with the power to hurt people, it was only in theory: I had never actually shot it.
Even the resolution to shoot it, I haven’t even prepared my heart to do that.
After all, the necessity for it had only just come not too long ago.
However, my negligence invited this kind of situation.
Everything is my fault.
The responsibility lies with me.
… But, even though the responsibility is on me, the sin is on the robber himself.
If he didn’t exist, mother wouldn’t have to shed any blood.(3)
If he didn’t exist, Onii-chan wouldn’t have to suffer.
If only he didn’t exist.
If… only… this… person… didn’t… exist. (4)
I watched mother suffer while blood and sweat flowed from her body.
Onii-chan who was breathing hard while pressing on his painful stomach.
Finally, I saw the palm of my hands which were dyed in bright red.
Simmering, something dark surfaced from the pit of my stomach; I can feel it invading my thoughts.
「I will beat the shit out of you… !!」(5)
With my sight dyed deep red, I turned over my head and pointed my bloodstained hands toward the robber.
Staff notes :
1.(TL : Hello there Mr.obvious! ) (ED : No, he is santa)
2.(ED: You just activated my trap card, “sakuretsu armor”)
3. (TL : yandele ~ Sefi ~)
4.(ED : Go use mist dispersion on him, it is ecofriendly, not even dust will be left behind …… “Mist Dispersion, Not even a dust will be left behind even for the dirtiest person in the world”)
5.(TL : need better Translation for this sentence) (ED : This one?)