Imperial Japanese Space Force - I traveled back in time to 1901

Gunshots echoed through the room. However, the shots were fired not by the Red Army soldiers but by the elderly man who had been sitting in the corner.

"Damn it!"

One of the Red Army soldiers collapsed.

"Bang!"

The remaining soldier fired his pistol at the elderly man. He pulled the trigger twice, but only one shot was fired—it seemed he was out of ammunition. That single bullet struck the elderly man in the right chest.

"Zamii!" (Russian for "Don't move!")

Several Japanese soldiers burst into the room, aiming their rifles at the Red Army soldier. The soldier, now desperate, grabbed the young girl by the wall and pressed his pistol to her temple, using her as a hostage. Just as he was about to say something to the Japanese soldiers—

"Bang!"

Lieutenant Arima fired without hesitation. The bullet pierced the Red Army soldier's right arm. Confirming that the soldier had dropped his pistol, Lieutenant Arima delivered a flying kick to knock him down and freed the girl. He then pulled the trigger three more times to finish the job. Lieutenant Arima had noticed earlier that the soldier had pulled the trigger twice but only one shot was fired, so he was certain the pistol was empty.

"Rubanov! Rubanov!"

The girl clung to the elderly man, screaming his name. Her face was crumpled with tears streaming uncontrollably.

The bullet that had struck the elderly man had likely severed a major blood vessel. Blood gushed from the wound, and he had already lost consciousness.

"Get the medics here, now!"

Lieutenant Arima barked orders at the other soldiers. Normally, an Army officer would issue commands, but the senior officers had been severely injured in the earlier fighting, leaving only enlisted men. Lieutenant Arima took charge.

Shortly after, the medics arrived and carried the wounded soldiers and the elderly man away on stretchers. The girl tried to follow, calling out the elderly man's name, but Lieutenant Arima stopped her.

"Miss, leave the rest to us. By the way, may I ask you a few questions?"

Lieutenant Arima felt something was off about the girl. Her clothing was ordinary, like any other townsperson, and her face was slightly dirty, as if she hadn't washed it in a while. However, her features were strikingly refined, far too elegant for a common town girl. Moreover, she had referred to the elderly man as "Rubanov." While it was a common Russian surname, it was unusual for a granddaughter to address her grandfather by his last name.

"Are you a resident of this town?"

"....."

The girl remained silent.

"Was that elderly man your grandfather?"

"...Yes. He's my grandfather," the girl replied in a faint, almost inaudible voice.

"I see. But you called him by his last name, didn't you?"

"....."

"May I ask your name?"

"...Anna."

"Your surname?"

"...Rubanova. Anna Rubanova."

In Russian, surnames have masculine and feminine forms.

Lieutenant Arima's suspicions grew. Something about her didn't add up.

"Oh, it seems you hurt the back of your hand during the fight."

When she had been taken hostage, she must have scraped her hand against something, causing the skin to peel and bleed. Lieutenant Arima took her hand and pressed a handkerchief to the wound.

'These hands have never done cooking or laundry.'

The girl's hands, though slightly chapped from the cold, were soft and white, showing no signs of recent manual labor.

'There's definitely something she's hiding.'

"Let's get that wound treated. Come with me to headquarters. We'll treat your grandfather there as well. Let's go."

Though hesitant, the girl allowed herself to be led by Lieutenant Arima to the headquarters where "Rubanov" was being treated.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

T/N: If you like it please vote with power stone please. More stones equals faster release.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Thank you for reading Chapter 20!

Who is this girl, really?

I'm working hard to bring this story to a satisfying conclusion. If you found it interesting and want to read more, please bookmark or rate the story! If you didn't enjoy it, feel free to leave a "★☆☆☆☆" rating—I'll use your feedback to improve!

Your comments and critiques are always welcome, whether it's about the pacing, clarity, or originality. I'm also curious if readers less familiar with history are enjoying the story. Your feedback helps me write better!

When my motivation is high, I'll even sacrifice sleep to keep writing. Thank you for your continued support!