Bullets of Envy

[Yahoooi! This is really fun!!]

The bike that ran in front of us sped up earnestly. Mimir seemed to have gotten used to it in no time at all.

While I was thinking to myself, I felt myself become weightless as our bike rolled over a bump on the ground and bounced slightly into the air.

In the meantime, Roxy was...

[Wawawa, Fai! This is bad!]

[Calm down! Balance your body first. Uaaaaaaaa!!]

Even if I had to speak highly of her, I would still say that she rode poorly. Well, she's new to this after all.

She'd eventually improve if she got more practice. Roxy has good motor skills, so I think that she just needs to get more acquainted with this bike since she's not used to it.

As for me, it's harder to ride a horse than to ride the bike. If Mimir could learn to do it in such a fast period, Roxy should be able to do so quite easily too.

[Fai, Fai! There is a large rock in front of us!]

[Really!? Calm down, and get around it.]

[Yes.]

Instead of getting around it, we're approaching it!

But with Roxy's current bike riding skills, there was no way for her to swerve around the rock in time. So I reached out for the handle from behind her.

[Eh... Fai]

[It's alright. We'll just drive it together for a while.]

[Un...]

Her voice was unusually sounded trembling, perhaps because I suddenly placed my hand over hers to help control the bike.

After narrowly avoiding the rock, Mimir who had gone ahead of us rode back to catch up with us.

[Fiuh~, that was dangerous]

[We're save. But, this is...]

Hearing Roxy's stuttering voice, I came to notice the position we're in.

We were in such a close proximity to each other that we could literally feel each other's heartbeat and body temperature.

[Oh....sorry]

[That is not what I mean. I am not against it or anything...]

One thing that is clear to me, she didn't mind, judging from her now playful tone.

But I couldn't let go of my hand just yet. Because I needed to keep the bike steered.

My mind was focused on the road, unable to think up anything to talk about. Merely staying silent as the sound of the bike rumbling as it ran through the road entered my ears.

That's when my eyes took note of Mimir who rode slightly ahead...

Together with Eris, she's looking at us with narrowed eyes. I still don't get why they're staring at me like that.

[What is it?]

So without hesitation I rode in parallel to them and asked.

But then, Eris puffed her cheek, and actually pointed the black bayonet Envy at me!

[Ho... not that I think about it, it's been a while since you've been bitten my bullet. Isn't gluttony skill getting hungry there?]

[Oii, hold your horses there!]

[Eris-sama! Please go for it!]

Even Mimir who was busy driving the bike gave her agreement.

Both girls had seriousness in their eyes. This is bad!

[Roxy! We must run.]

[Eeh!? What is going on?]

Apparently Roxy had been focusing only on the road just now. She didn't even realize that Eris was pointing Envy's muzzle at us.

At this rate... Eris will shoot me. I could almost sense her finger squeezing on the trigger ever so slightly.

[I'll tell you later, let's go!]

[Please wait a moment. Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.]

It's emergency. I could only believe in the bike's performance and accelerated ahead. And without slowing down, I raced straight to the cliff that was just around the corner.

Of course, a horse wouldn't normally go that way. That's why Roxy was screaming a lot as we go.

[Fai!]

[There]

Since the bike is equipped with balance control function, it can traverse terrain that most horses couldn't, including these steep slopes.

[It's alright. Just a little difficult to drive like this.]

[But I am just a beginner! Mou!]

[Sorry, sorry.]

I apologized, then checked for our pursuer. Just like Roxy, Mimir was just a beginner, so she should have some trouble scaling down the cliff like that... or so I thought.

[Right behind us already!? She's too good!]

[Fate-sama! As if I'll let you escape.]

[Are you ready to be shot?]

Eris grinned as she pointed Envy's muzzle at me. Ready to shoot.

That's bad! I let go of the handle to draw black sword Greed out.

But as soon as I let go, Roxy had to take control of the bike on her own, which caused her to scream.

[Fai! I can't, I can't do this!]

[Eris is aiming at us from behind.]

[Really!?]

[For real, just see for yourself.]

[EEEeeeeeee! Eris-sama, but why!?]

Eris fired at the same time as Roxy began speaking! She's serious!

Already predicting that, I waved my sword to deflect the bullet.

Eris saw this and smile in satisfaction.

[Not half bad. Well, let's shoot faster then.]

[Please stop.]

[That's no good. Both of us... are already at the limit of our patience.]

[Un un, Fate-sama... prepare yourself.]

And Mimir too. I'm supposed to be her lord. This was rebellion.

[Roxy, can you manage?]

[Ye, yes. But it really is impossible for the current me. Fai!]

[Here it comes! Hang in there just a bit more!]

Eris shot several times in quick succession without any warning.

[Dammit! That's overkill. This is just you being trigger happy!]

[Ahahaha, I'll consider that a compliment. Then, I'll just shoot some more]

[Just stop!!]

[Go~go~, Eris-sama!]

[Mimir too, cut it out.]

[Place your hand on your chest, and think deeply about why all this happen. Of course, after Eris-sama shoots you.]

[Oii.]

They just won't listen. Eris is shooting at me, while Mimir is chasing after us with her skillful riding.

The best I could do was to defend. In the middle of it, I could hear Greed laughed at me via "Mind Reading".

『Aren't you so popular? How jealous.』

[Seriously, now of all times? Look behind us, Eris is shooting at us. She might kill me.]

『Because she's a maiden in love now.』

[....but isn't she shooting a bit too often for that?]

『Ahahahaha.』

[So you are just going to laugh!?]

Right about then, Roxy started to make a fuss about riding down the slope.

[Fai, Fai! I am at my limit! It's going to slip!]

[There's a balance control, you won't slip.]

[But...]

[Since it has come to this.]

I put Greed back on his sheath, and placed my hands over Roxy's once more.

[We'll escape at once. Roxy also pour magic power in.]

[Okay!]

With the two of us pouring in magic power at once, the bike was pushed to its performance limit. The openings on the bike's jet black body started to emit blue glow.

Mimir got left behind. We had the upper hand in terms of magic power.

Maybe Eris would attempt to help out, but by then, we would've already gone beyond the horizon.

We scaled the cliff down in no time at all, and proceeded to dash through the open plains below.

[This is fast!]

[I do not think the vehicle will last this way.]

The speed was too blinding and mechanism seemed to be about to explode at any time.

Mimir and Eris was reduced to a mere dot in the distance. Then disappeared in the horizon.

[Fuu~, we managed to get away from those barbarians.]

[Ee, I guess we did. But that was so horrible of you to call Eris-sama and Mimir with that kind of nickname.]

[But she shot at me with Envy.]

[She certainly... did. But, this is no good after all. They all come along mostly because of Fai.]

[I know. Well, shall we wait for them then?]

[No. The Lanchester territory is just up ahead. It should be easier for us to regroup there.]

Roxy turned around a little to see me, and I saw her sticking her tongue out a bit.

She may seem like serious all the time, but she also likes to do unexpected things. I came to know this side of her when I was still working as a servant back at the Heart mansion. She would wear regular town's girl clothing and slipped away from the mansion.

Being reminded of that part of her, I chuckled.

[Mou, why are you chuckling so much?]

[Roxy will always be Roxy, won't she?]

[Wha, what was that? What was that all about!?]

[It's nothing bad. I'm just feeling relieved.]

[U~n, fine then.]

Convinced, Roxy focused back on driving the bike. Apparently the spartan training session on the cliff did well, as she drove better than before.

If it's like this, I should be able to take off my hands away from the handle just fine.

But when I tried to, Roxy told me to stay put instead.

[It's fine to stay like this up until Lanchester territory.]

[If you say so then.]

And just like that, we stayed that way as we rode on our own for quite a while. I didn't see Mimir and Eris appearing from behind us yet. Apparently we made a fairly large distance.

When turned my head back to the front, I heard Roxy's chuckling.

[I'm glad that I came along]

[Nn?]

[Sorry to say this all of a sudden. But, I am glad. I am happy to be able to travel together with Fai like this. And...]

She kept her eyes to the front as she continued.

[I don't want to lose someone close to me anymore. I would regret it if I just stayed at the capital while Fai and the others are fighting. I just could not wait.]

[Roxy...]

[I am well aware that I cannot compare to Fai in power. I was very grateful when you saved me from the Tenryu back then.

But it also made me realize the gulf standing between us. Even now, I do not have the power to stand against the Tenryu.]

The bike ran faster. Probably because Roxy poured in more magic power into it.

[However, if I keep thinking like that, I would have never left the capital in the first place. And sorry for storming off during Fai's farewell party.]

[It's alright. I knew that Roxy was worried about something, though I couldn't do anything about that...]

[I should make it up with Fai somehow... and that is a problem I should deal with myself.]

[I...]

[Yes. But I am happy. For Fai to welcome me with a smile despite me being powerless.]

I took one hand off from the handle, and placed it on her shoulder.

[You're not powerless at all. You might not know this, but I've been saved by Roxy many times. And I'm thankful for it. Roxy coming along truly gives me encouragement. And also...]

[And also?]

[I'm happy, to be able to travel around with Roxy like this]

[Fai...]

She leaned her head sideways, putting her cheek over my hand that was on her shoulder. I felt gentle warmth there.

If only this moment could last forever, but the tall wall of the old Lanchester territory could already be seen in the distance.