Recently, I've come to realize that having the ability to turn back time is, without a doubt, a ridiculously overpowered skill.

Of course, people might think I'm talking nonsense. After all, the very idea of being able to erase your mistakes just by turning back time reeks of unfairness.

What I’m trying to say is, the scope of application for this power is absolutely absurd.

For starters, as anyone would expect, you can correct your mistakes with this ability.

For example,

“Eek!”

“Huh...?”

…Like when my ‘stepbrother’ suddenly slashed me with his sword.

In the original story, Claire becomes one of the emperor’s children. Essentially, she becomes one of the emperor’s most cherished officers, wielding a sword that acts like a whip—a recurring trope in Japanese subculture.

Even though it was called a whip-like sword, it didn’t mean the blade was flexible. Rather, it was a sword with several segmented blades connected by a strong wire, kind of like if you separated the individual blades of a box cutter and strung them together. Normally, it could be used as a regular sword, but when needed, it would extend and whip around like… well, a whip.

It doesn’t exist in reality, but for some reason, it appears frequently in subculture.

In addition to her sadistic-looking appearance, Claire's voice was sharp and harsh. Although that wasn't her true nature—she was just someone who had given up on everything—her dead eyes and decadent aura somehow fit together, making her a surprisingly popular character.

She was occasionally a guest character in the protagonist’s party, and you could even raise her affinity level to unlock special events. However, she was also a character who, according to the story, ultimately met her death.

Well, since she was a popular character, the game developers often found excuses to bring her back, so it was possible she would return in a future sequel, but in the latest version I played, she had died…

Of course, that’s not the case now.

Claire is safely living in the orphanage run by Baron Grace’s estate. I don’t know how the original story will progress in this world, but at least this version of Claire won’t have to endure the excruciating pain that might make her wish for death. Nor will she have to become a villainous officer. There’s simply no reason for that.

…The problem is that I ended up taking that ‘villainous officer’ position.

My image has changed a lot since I first arrived here. I worked hard to change. I figured it was safer to stay here than risk being discarded by the emperor. So, I always made sure to present myself well, remained polite to my superiors, and even cut my long, unruly hair short to keep it neat.

But looking at my current situation, I wonder if I really needed to go to all that trouble.

Right here, standing before me, was the perfect example of someone who lived recklessly but still wasn’t cast aside by the emperor.

“Hey, you alright?”

I heard the voice of my ‘stepbrother’ asking me that.

"....."

I wasn’t completely split in two. His strike wasn’t meant to kill me.

But it was a critical blow, just severe enough that I couldn’t even feel the pain yet. My brain must be pumping out endorphins like crazy to prevent me from going into shock.

Based on past experience, I know this won’t last long. Soon enough, the excruciating pain will hit me, and I’ll be screaming.

When that happens, not only will my life be in danger, but my ‘value’ in the emperor’s eyes will plummet.

And that won’t do.

“Hey, wait, you're bleeding…”

You idiot, you did this to me.

I glared at my stepbrother as I thought.

Again.

•  

Anyway.

By turning back time like this, I can avoid getting hit by a sword.

I can even avoid it without looking.

Of course, the faster my opponent's sword is, the harder it is to dodge, and the more mistakes I make. That means I have to retry more often, but it doesn’t matter. I can turn back time as many times as I need.

Not only can I dodge, but I can also keep retrying until I dodge in the coolest way possible—whether it’s scrambling on the ground or narrowly sidestepping by half a step. How I dodge depends on how many attempts I make.

…And after seven years of dodging this stepbrother’s sword since becoming Sylvia Fangryphon, I’ve had to evade his attacks multiple times a day. Even if my physical reflexes haven’t improved, dodging the sword strikes of one of the strongest swordsmen in the world hundreds, even thousands, of times a day has sharpened my instincts.

Now I can dodge half-hearted attacks like this with just a step.

Still, I mean, does it really make sense to swing a sword at a twelve-year-old?

I’m grateful that he brought me here, but this guy isn’t normal.

He wasn’t normal in the game either. He’s here under the emperor because he can spar with more opponents.

“Phew!”

As I stepped forward to dodge the sword coming at me from behind, I heard him whistle.

I immediately pulled out the revolver from the holster under my left armpit and spun around.

After becoming the emperor’s ‘daughter,’ I spent a lot of time thinking.

Even though I had the ability to turn back time, my physical capabilities weren’t extraordinary.

I was just like any other child my age.

Compared to the other monsters under the emperor’s command, my body was pitifully weak.

To those who didn’t know I could rewind time, I probably looked like a freak with superhuman reflexes, hearing, and senses. I could dodge every strike, detect assassins the moment I entered a room, and recognize who was standing outside a door before they even entered.

Of course, I was just acting on what I had already seen, but to others, it seemed like I was using my senses alone.

It’s like performing a TAS (Tool-Assisted Speedrun) in real life.

But no matter how impressive my ability to rewind time was, the emperor wouldn’t be satisfied with that alone. A man who dreams of world domination would want me to have undeniable combat skills.

So, I chose guns.

The game developers claimed that the setting was inspired by the Industrial Revolution.

Although they added many fantastical elements, the design and technology in the world resembled the mid-19th century. However, as a steampunk fantasy, it featured advanced technology, including mass production and press techniques that were still in their infancy in the real world. There were even hints of modern 21st-century technology, especially in things like school uniforms.

Some aspects of the technology in this world seemed to lag behind Earth's 19th century, but in the original story, this gap was closed within a few years.

Despite the widespread mass production and press techniques, revolvers were still more popular than automatic pistols, and bolt-action rifles were preferred over semi-automatic or submachine guns. Simpler designs were more reliable since complex firearms weren’t fully perfected yet.

The revolver I carry is a Wexler military model. It’s a break-action revolver that opens completely to eject all six spent casings at once and reloads with a moon clip. It was designed for adult men, so it’s not exactly the right size for my still-growing hands.

Naturally, when I first started using it, I dropped it several times. But as I’ve said, I always have infinite chances.

I rewound time countless times until I mastered the perfect draw.

When I rewind time, any physical training I’ve done, like strength training or running, resets along with my body. But the sensations and muscle memory remain in my head.

So, I practiced drawing the revolver thousands, even tens of thousands of times. If I struggled, I’d just rewind time and keep practicing until it felt natural.

Shooting was no different. As long as I had a single bullet, I could practice firing again and again, whether it was with the revolver or a bolt-action rifle almost as tall as me.

Even if I missed, I’d keep practicing until I could hit the target. If necessary, I could even fire bullet after bullet into the exact same hole until there was only one left. I could keep rewinding until I achieved that level of precision.

I guarantee no soldier in the empire has had as much shooting practice as I have.

Bang!

I felt the strong recoil of the revolver in my hand—

“Huh?”

“…Oh.”

Did you know that if you practice hitting the bullseye over and over again, it becomes harder to miss?

…My stepbrother now had a bullet-sized hole in the center of his forehead.

Uh, well…

Again.

•  

There’s a god in Norse mythology named Baldur.

He couldn’t be harmed by any weapon, and the other gods would throw things at him for fun, knowing he wouldn’t be hurt.

…Apparently, it wasn’t bullying; they were just having fun with him because he couldn’t be injured.

That’s exactly how my stepbrother and stepsisters looked at me.

Whether they swung swords at me out of nowhere or fired arrows at me, it became a joke because I dodged it all as if it were nothing.

Of course, the only person crazy enough to keep doing it was the one who just got shot by me.

Hmm.

Since I rewound time before he died, I guess it doesn’t count as killing him, right?

Bang!

The sound of the gun echoed, and his movements froze.

Even after dodging his initial strike, this madman had prepared for a follow-up attack.

The ends of his red hair, specifically the area near his temple, were singed. That’s where the bullet had grazed him.

I didn’t aim to hit that exact spot, but since it served as a clear warning, I guess I’ll let it slide.

“Whoa, whoa, calm down, little sister.”

Little sister, my ass.

“…Would you really swing a sword at your little sister like that?”

“Well, you dodge everything I throw at you anyway. I knew you’d dodge this too.”

He made a show of sheathing his sword with an exaggerated gesture.

I didn’t dodge it, you lunatic.

Not that he’d believe me if I told him.

“What if I hadn’t dodged?”

I asked, and he furrowed his brow, thinking for a moment before replying,

“Huh? But you did dodge.”

And that’s it.

This guy’s intelligence does not match his sword skills. Then again, it’s no surprise he let his guard down and got shot by me earlier.

Even though I’m skilled, I’m no match for this master swordsman’s raw ability. Of course, no one else knows that since I keep rewinding time to ensure I get the best outcome.

To dodge his constant sword swings, I even have to keep myself in decent shape by working out every day. Otherwise, I’d just shoot from afar and run, but no—damn it.

And there are still three years until the main storyline begins. The academy selects outstanding children who turn 15 that year, so this guy still has some growing to do, mainly in the intelligence department.

At least in the game, he wasn’t such an idiot that he got shot because he let his guard down.

He’s only 22, so let’s chalk it up to inexperience.

…Then again, I’m only 12.

Damn it.

“Whoa, whoa, Sylvia.”

He raised his hands in mock surrender, as if I looked cute glaring at him.

“Calm down. I wouldn’t seriously hurt my little sister.”

You literally did hurt me.

Although, I guess it’s true that since he didn’t swing with full force, I wasn’t split in two.

And technically, I’m not hurt right now.

“...Lucas.”

“Hey, come on, don’t be so cold, little sister. Call me oppa~ (big brother). You’ve known me longer than you’ve known Father.”

Yeah, by a matter of hours.

The emperor had been observing that orphanage from the start.

It wasn’t because he was looking for talented kids like Claire or me. Rather, he was trying to gather dirt on the nobles frequenting the brothel connected to the orphanage.

And the one assigned to watch the orphanage was Lucas Fangryphon.

After the orphanage burned down, Lucas noticed how I led the orphans to safety without a hitch and decided I had potential. So, he kidnapped me and brought me before the emperor.

And then he swung his sword at me. This lunatic.

At a five-year-old.

I barely managed to dodge after a few attempts.

I mean, I thought I’d entered a game by Millennium, not one by FromSoftware.

Well, thanks to that, I caught the emperor’s eye, and my name became Sylvia Fangryphon.

“…Lucas. If you ever do that again, I’ll make sure not to dodge and will report it directly to His Majesty.”

“Oh, no, did little Sylvia get upset? Are you going to tattle on me to Father?”

“.....”

Should I just kill him?

Maybe I should.

I seriously considered it as I ran my fingers over the gun in my hand.