Last Time: A Hololive Story

Gura woke up in a void—an endless, dark expanse. The space around her was silent, an oppressive stillness that seemed to stretch on forever. There was no sense of time, no direction. The ground beneath her feet wasn't solid but felt like walking on the surface of water, soft and yielding, yet it supported her weight. Gura's breath echoed around her, the only sound in the otherwise empty void. Everything felt surreal, like she was inside her own subconscious.

In the distance, a faint light appeared, growing brighter and sharper as it moved toward her. The light was almost blinding, forcing Gura to shield her eyes as it enveloped her.

"So... how was dying?" came AMESS's voice, cool and somewhat amused. The light dimmed enough for Gura to see AMESS, standing casually with a smirk on her face.

Gura scowled. "Not gonna lie, it was kind of disappointing. Dying sucked, and honestly... the way I went out—trying to be good—just makes me feel like an idiot. Is being good bad in this world?" Gura asked, still feeling the sting of betrayal.

AMESS tilted her head, her smile fading slightly. "Life's not all cupcakes and rainbows, Gura. But hey, it's commendable that you still tried to help, even though you were suspicious. I might have done the same thing. Maybe. Well… too bad you didn't make a bookmark before that death. Now, I'll have to send you to a random point in time."

Gura blinked. "Wait, what? You mean I can go back?" She was incredulous. "You never told me that was possible! I thought I was done for sure."

AMESS shrugged, unconcerned. "Oh, did I forget to mention that? My bad. I was going to explain it, but the Gateway activated before I could get to that part. You died, no bookmark—so we're going random. Got any more questions?"

Gura, still processing the revelation, asked quickly, "How many times can I restart, though? Is there a limit?"

AMESS sighed, her tone shifting to a more serious one. "Now, that's classified. But since I messed up, I'll tell you this—you can restart multiple times, but I'm not telling you how many."

Gura narrowed her eyes, growing frustrated. "Then how will I know if the next time will be my last?!"

AMESS smiled mischievously. "That's the beauty of it, isn't it? The unknown. Just make the best of every situation, and keep moving forward."

Gura clenched her fists, annoyed at the vagueness. "Fine, whatever. What about these 'bookmarks'? How many do I have?"

"You've got 10 time bookmarks. But be careful about when and where you place them. The more specific, the better—otherwise, you might cause a tear in time, and... well, disintegration isn't pretty."

Before Gura could respond, AMESS raised a hand. "Without further ado, I'm sending you back. Good luck!"

"Wait! I still have questions—!" Gura's voice was cut off as the void faded, and suddenly she was back in the dune buggy, trying to start the engine again.

Back to the Present

"Oh my god! Of all places, you send me back here?! Why?! TURN ON!!" Gura screamed in frustration, her fingers fumbling with the buggy's controls. The engine sputtered, then roared to life.

CRASH! The buggy lurched forward and smashed into the boat, denting the front. The buggy's bumper caved in, the steering became sluggish, and the engine started to overheat periodically, but it was still usable—barely

"I'm starting to think I'm cursed!" Gura grumbled as she sped off, managing to escape the chickens much faster this time. Despite the damage, the buggy was in better shape than before, allowing her to put distance between herself and the screeching flock. In less than an hour, she arrived at the deserted village, her heart still racing from the narrow escape.

Gura parked the buggy near a corner and waited, watching intently for the old woman to appear again. The air was thick with tension, and Gura's fingers drummed nervously on the steering wheel.

The silhouette of the old woman emerged from the haze, just as before. Gura, without hesitation, slammed her foot on the gas pedal, the buggy roaring forward. The old woman didn't have time to react—THUD! The impact sent her flying through the air.

Gura skidded to a stop, grinning triumphantly as she stepped out of the buggy. "HAH! That's what you get for stabbing me, you old skunk!" She walked over to the crumpled body, ready to savor her victory.

But before she could celebrate, the air was suddenly filled with the sound of gunfire. Bullets tore through the air, hitting Gura from all directions. She gasped in pain, her body twitching as blood soaked her clothes

"1, 2, 3... ahh, fuck..." Gura tried to count the masked women before her vision blurred, and she succumbed to blood loss.

Back in the Void

Gura snapped awake in the void again, anger boiling inside her. "Damn it! I got riddled with bullets this time! How was that supposed to be better?!"

AMESS appeared, chuckling. "Well, that was fast. So... how was round two?"

Gura's expression was stormy. "I'm fucking ecstatic! Getting shot full of holes was just what I needed." Her sarcasm was sharp, but the frustration was real.

AMESS smiled, unfazed. "Do you have any questions before I send you back again?"

Gura hesitated, then took a deep breath. "Can I... stay here for a bit? I need to gather my thoughts and come up with a plan."

AMESS raised an eyebrow, then nodded. "Alright. I'll give you an hour. But you only have three questions this time—use them wisely."

Gura nodded, pacing back and forth in the void. Her mind raced as she began to devise a plan, though it was full of flaws. "Okay, so… first things first. If I avoid the chickens altogether, I can save time. Then, when I get to the village, I'll ambush those masked women before they have a chance to shoot me again."

She paused, frowning. "But I don't know how many of them there are. And even if I take out a few, there's no guarantee I can overpower them all. Maybe I could trick them into thinking I'm dead... or I could set a trap in the village ahead of time..."

AMESS listened quietly, her expression neutral.

"I'll need to use a bookmark before I reach the village, though," Gura continued. "That way, if my plan goes wrong, I can just start over from that point. But how do I know if the bookmark won't tear time?"

She glanced at AMESS, asking, "Do you think setting a bookmark in the village would be too risky?"

AMESS smiled cryptically. "That's question one. Classified."

Gura groaned. "Great. Okay, next question—if I can't fight all those masked women, is there any way I can... I don't know, outsmart them? Lure them away?"

AMESS tilted her head. "That's question two. Classified."

Gura narrowed her eyes, biting back a curse. "Fine. Last question—how the hell do I beat those chickens without the buggy breaking down again?"

AMESS's smirk widened. "Question three. Classified."

After the hour passed, Gura, armed with her risky plan, asked AMESS to transfer her back. Despite the uncertainty, she felt a strange sense of determination brewing inside her.

Footnote:

Function of Bookmarks :

The bookmarks are a type of temporal anchor, allowing Gura to record a specific moment in time and return to it later if needed. This can be crucial when she's in dangerous situations or needs to retry a particular action. However, bookmarks are finite, and only 10 can be used throughout her journey.

Activation:

Gura can only set a bookmark during moments when she is not in immediate danger, i.e., when she's safe or has some downtime. These bookmarks are not physical items but rather "temporal imprints" that are stored within her connection to AMESS.

Rewind Process:

When Gura decides to return to a bookmark, time is rewound, bringing her physical body, surroundings, and state of mind back to exactly the point of the bookmarked moment. Everything after that moment is erased from the timeline, meaning her actions from that point onward can drastically change future outcomes.