"You're the hero who saved me, right?" the girl asked, her voice hopeful, eyes wide with recognition.
"Aahhh, you must be mistaken, miss. I just arrived here," Stan replied casually—an obvious lie. His tone was polite, but his gaze drifted across the surroundings, quietly absorbing every detail.
"Really? But you look exactly like him..." she pressed, squinting in doubt.
Where are the Gigongomos...? Did time reverse again? Stan thought, his mind elsewhere, completely tuning out the girl's words.
"Maybe it's your outfit. Yeah, you're dressed just like him. It was night that time too, so it was hard to see clearly. You just—"
Her words cut short as she noticed Stan wasn't even listening.
If that's true... then the Gigongomos should be appearing soon, Stan thought sharply.
"Oy! Are you ignoring me?" the girl snapped.
"Bye," Stan muttered abruptly, bolting toward the city wall.
As he sprinted, something caught his eye—an area behind a buggy that hadn't been in his line of sight earlier. It was faint, but clear—the wall was cracked, not demolished. It looked... vibrated. Resonated at a high frequency.
Could it be...?
Then—BOOOOOM!
The Gigongomos burst through the outer wall again, tearing through stone and steel, charging into the open field like monstrous juggernauts. Chaos erupted.
From above, the elf reappeared—Lady Sunfield. In one elegant leap, she soared through the air, crates under her boots forming an impromptu path. This time, she released not one, but two arrows.
As before, the arrows split—each into four deadly shards. The first wave targeted the creatures' eyes, the second went for their feet. One of the beasts leapt to dodge the arrows, as expected.
But the second arrow set—a twist.
The shards that had scattered upward suddenly angled downward, trampling the exact spot the creature landed. It stumbled. Its foot slipped on destabilized ground, and it collapsed with a thunderous crash.
Second takedown—executed perfectly.
---------
Stan, now changed into his uniform, arrived near the scene. A huge crowd had already gathered, murmurs of awe and fear echoing all around. Imperial guards formed a perimeter.
"Step aside! No one's allowed near the creature!" barked a high-ranking guard.
---
"What's gonna happen now?"
"Mama, mama! What anime is this?"
"This is a bad omen! Someone cursed our city!"
"Life near the walls has become unbearable... I might move closer to the center."
---
"Are you Stan?" a guard approached him.
"Ahh... yes, I am," Stan answered.
"Sir Aaron has summoned you."
"Understood."
The two made their way to the command tent. As Stan entered, he overheard Sir Aaron speaking.
"Thank you for your assistance, Lady Sunfield. You stopped the rampage just in time."
"No, no, it's my duty as a royal guard," the elf said with a modest smile, though her pride was hard to miss.
"Truly, you've been a great help," Sir Aaron said, laughing lightly.
"Oh no, really—it's my responsibility," Sunfield replied, beaming.
Oy oy... I'm right here. Don't ignore me like that, Stan muttered internally.
Just then, a presence behind Sunfield caught his eye. A mysterious figure. Dark-cloaked. Silent.
The figure tapped Sunfield's shoulder twice.
"Yes, Nito?" she acknowledged.
Nito pointed directly at Stan.
Now both of them turned their attention toward him.
"I'm the wall inspector, sir!" Stan declared, snapping a salute.
"Yeah, yeah, I summoned you," Sir Aaron said, distracted.
And then you forgot, Stan thought, annoyed.
"As you can see, nothing is hiding in the wreckage. The Imperial Army will cover all repair costs. Can you send me the report before nightfall?"
"Yes, sir. I'll have it submitted by afternoon."
"Thank you, Miss Sunfield, once again, for protecting the city."
Stan gave a polite nod and took his leave.
---
Back in his office, Stan slumped into his chair, deep in thought.
This isn't over. My instincts are screaming. I have to investigate this—but first, the report.
He opened his ledger.
Damage by two Gigongomos. Materials, paint, labor... Add a buffer for unexpected costs. That'll help later.
Satisfied, he closed the file.
Still some time till afternoon...
He leaned back, eyes fixed on the ceiling And remembered what happened.
Morning. Sunfield arrives. I'm alone. Then... the wall breaks. Two beasts appear. First round—she takes one down, I handle the second. But there's more destruction, more casualties.
Then the rewind.
Same events, but she takes both down this time. And this time... she knew. She knew the second would jump. She fired two arrows. Like she'd seen this before. Like she knew That the second gigongomos was going to jump.
Stan exhaled sharply.
No point in overthinking. I can't challenge her. But... I know someone who can.
He smiled.
---
Later – Imperial Army Camp
"This is the report, sir," Stan said, handing it to Sir Aaron.
"Well done, young man. Payment will be processed by tomorrow," the commander replied, sipping wine under the tent's warm glow.
Stan exited the tent, the dusky sky dimming the streets with shadows.
Now it's time for the vigilante to ask a few questions. Though... do I really need to dig deeper? It's probably all resolved. But my instincts are alarming. But then again, it's never wise to stay blind when danger could strike again. I must investigate carefully.
His thoughts were interrupted.
Oh—it's them.
He spotted Sunfield and Nito standing before his office. Stan raised a hand in greeting. They waved back.
Stan approached with a grin.
"Well, isn't it the savior of—"
CRUNCH. SPLASH.
A horrifying sound. Stan froze.
His smile faded. Confusion overtook him.
When... when did this person appear? Where did Sunfield go? She was just here—
His eyes widened.
His hand instinctively rubbed something off his face. Sticky. Warm.
Red...?
He looked down.
Time stopped.
Miss Sunfield hadn't disappeared.
She was under the gauntlet.
Crushed.
In one blink, everything changed.
"WHAT THE HELL"
---