Chapter 58: The Second Rewind
The time of awakening is before four o'clock, resulting in an additional hour of time.
"Is this considered good news?"
"An additional hour of freedom to act."
"However… it also brings forth greater uncertainty."
The girl stood in the park, pondering with a lowered head on what to do next.
With nearly two hours remaining until the tram explosion at six o'clock, there is even more ample time, but correspondingly, a sense of confusion arises, unclear about what to do with this additional hour.
Suddenly, a crow flapped its wings and landed on the lamppost, emitting a hoarse cry.
It urgently exclaimed, "If you don't wish to perish, depart from this place immediately!"
Kichyō lifted her head and looked at the crow, saying, "What?"
"They are rushing over!" the crow urged, "Stay here, and you will be killed!"
"What?!" The young girl expressed her confusion, "Why so soon? It should have been after one hour!"
The crow tilted its head questioningly, "I don't understand what you're saying."
… As soon as I wake up, will the followers of the sinister deity immediately become aware?
Kichyō was stunned and hastily shook her head, rushing towards the park exit on the north side.
The crow flapped its wings urgently, "Wait, that direction is wrong!"
She walked briskly towards the entrance of the park and unexpectedly ran into several robust young men.
One person was holding a steel rod, while another person was gripping a small sword with a length of two feet.
"Found it!"
"Nishino, you can't run anymore!"
"Capture her, even if it requires using force, make her spill the information!"
While listening to their conversation, Kichyō's eyes flashed with determination. She immediately turned to escape, swiftly darting through the bushes and leaping into the meadow.
Several strong men immediately gave chase. As they turned the corner, they witnessed her suddenly halt her movement and grab a handful of sand from the ground, flinging it towards the crowd. Like a leopard, she swiftly leaped and forcefully collided her knee into the abdomen of the foremost individual.
Intense pain surged forth, and the strong man felt as if his intestines had been forcefully severed. As he tightened his grip, the young girl exerted a sudden burst of strength, yanking his elbow joint forcefully. With two distinct cracking sounds, his joint dislocated, and the small blade slipped from his hand, now seized by the girl as she disarmed him.
Kichyō grabbed the small blade with a backhand grip and swiftly passed it between the two individuals. With a swift stroke from left to right, the blade drew a vicious arc, causing blood to spray forth.
A shadow cast over the scene as the brute raised the heavy iron pipe in his hand, aiming to strike her head.
She raised the small blade, intentionally tilting the angle and applying subtle force to deflect its trajectory, causing the iron pipe to veer off course.
With a resounding "thud", the iron pipe struck the green brick ground, causing the bricks to fracture.
The girl furrowed her brow as she leapt up, the small blade slashing through. The brute's hand was severed directly halfway, blood pouring forth.
She kicked the thug aside, then took the opportunity to stomp forcefully on his wound, causing a chorus of wretched screams to resound.
Having swiftly dealt with this group of individuals, she dashed out of the park, her heartbeat pounding fiercely.
…This time, I successfully caught that stick! Truly worthy of me!
The crow chased after and remarked, "Well done, you have excellent adaptability."
Kichyō glanced at the small blade in her hand and commented, "Unfortunately, the quality of this sword is not very good; it has already cracked."
The crow said, "First, let's find a safe place… Given the current situation, I need to explain in detail to you."
Kichyō said, "You may speak, I'm listening."
As the crow was about to speak, he suddenly noticed that she had paused her steps and asked, "Don't stop… What are you looking at?"
She stood at the entrance of the antique store, fixating on the rather modest-colored sword displayed in the left showcase window.
…
Bang! The glass showcase shattered.
"Quick, call the police! Someone is robbing!"
"Unbelievably, they even left a note to insult the shop owner. Despicable robber, you have gone too far!"
…
"You have wasted unnecessary time," said the crow.
"I need a sword for self-defense," replied the girl.
"But this way, it will attract even more attention!"
"But such chaos can disrupt those who investigate, they wouldn't act openly in public, would they?"
The crow was filled with perplexity and uncertainty.
Kichyō walked in the alley, drawing the sword concealed within the rustic wooden scabbard. The unadorned blade displayed mesmerizing wave-like patterns.
"Are these blade patterns perhaps reminiscent of Azuki Nagamitsu…?" She gently caressed the blade. "I never expected to come across such an ancient sword."
"Whatever, since we snatched it."
"This is not a snatch, but rather a credit purchase," Kichyō emphasized. "It's not robbery."
"If it had caught your eye and pleased you, there was another sword available. Why not seize the opportunity and take it?"
"That sword is not an antique, but a replica. At first glance, it may seem like Izumojū Kanetsugu, but it is merely a counterfeit," she stated with certainty. "Its weight is incorrect, too light, and the material is low-grade steel."
The crow perched on top of the vending machine, "That sword in the display case just now didn't come out of the sheath at all, and you didn't touch it. How did you know?"
The young girl remained silent and instead purchased a bottle of coffee-flavored milk from the vending machine.
"Where did you get the money from?"
"I happened to pick up a 10,000 yen banknote from a crevice in this vending machine."
"Ha, what a stroke of incredible luck."
"Luck?" she let out a soft sigh, "If I were truly lucky, I wouldn't have encountered such a thing."
"The next…," the crow spoke up.
"I will go over by the tram," the young girl said. "I need to figure out what exactly happened."
After a moment of silence, the crow uttered, "Miss Nishino, since you insist, I will assist you. However, I must inquire about your level of understanding."
Kichyō also turned to the crow, "Very well, there is still over an hour left. I have enough time to converse with you."
"Sure, what would you like to ask?"
"First of all, my name… what is it?"
…
Exactly six o'clock.
The young girl had already arrived at the entrance of the tram station. In the distance, she heard the melodious sound of music coming from inside the station.
However, it wasn't the young man she had seen before, but rather an incomprehensible, peculiar rock music that she wasn't particularly interested in.
Just as she was about to leave, she heard a commotion. A young man walked onto the stage, picked up a guitar, and after a brief, familiar introduction, began singing acoustically.
She halted her footsteps.
She still remembered that in the first encounter, this person wasn't present.
However, this song is actually quite pleasant to the ears.
She didn't have enough time to listen to it completely last time, but now she still has some time.
In the back of the crowd, she quietly listened to the completion of this melody, and also joined in with a gentle applause, as if temporarily resolving a small emotional burden within her heart.
Glancing at the time, she discovered that it had just reached six point seven minutes.
Wait a moment… It seems like this time doesn't quite match up?
Why is it possible to listen to the entire song now? I clearly arrived more than ten minutes earlier than the last time… Is he planning to sing it again?
The girl immediately turned her head to look at the stage, only to see that the lead singer's spot was already vacant.
Incorrect!
Has the person already left the stage? When did he leave the stage?
Is his behavior truly devoid of any pattern?
As she was in a state of astonishment, lost in her own thoughts, suddenly her shoulder felt a weight, and a hand pressed upon it. Instantly, the girl shivered and goosebumps prickled across her skin.
Grasping the hilt of the sword, she gradually shifted her body to the side.
If it was a follower of the evil god, she would definitely unsheathe her sword immediately.
However, when she shifted her body to the side and looked back, what she saw was a young and handsome face. The other person politely withdrew their hand, causing Kichyō to let go of her guard.
She looked at the singer who was playing and singing on his own, assuming that he was trying to promote his albums or something of the kind.
"Um, is there something you need?"
"I have been looking for you for an hour," the young man sighed.
"What?" she asked, sounding puzzled.
"Is it not good to live well?"
"!" Her pupils contracted, almost indicating the meaning behind her words.
"Insisting on sacrificing yourself on the tram," Bai Wei emphasized with deep sentiment, "Life is not something to be discarded, you know."
