Submarine: Epilogue - 2

[verdantgrove]

 Location: Okinawa Qualifiers Stage

Souma:  Hehe, a late appearance is often attributed to the leading role ♪

Kuro: Ooh. Our bad, Ryuseitai—we got into a little disagreement during the costume fitting.

Keito: That’s because I hadn’t agreed to it yet, Kiryuu! I just shelved the matter for now because I didn’t think we should argue to the point of keeping the audience waiting!

I'm wholly unsatisfied with this! It’s incorrigible!

Why did I have to wear a costume prepared by management for Okinawa’s preliminary rounds instead of the one Kiryuu made?!

Didn’t they just admit at the Unification by Force live that the costumes you make are the best of the best?!

Kuro: Don’t just twist their words like that, it ain’t that big of a deal…

I made those right before we left once I found out we were gettin’ sent to Okinawa—I was really rushin’ while designing ‘em, so they’re just all thrown together.

Seems like the ones we’re wearin’ now were commissioned by ES from the locals in Okinawa for us.

They fit with the local climate, plus they’ve got an Okinawan feel to ‘em—they’re good costumes that are really gonna please the tourists.

I feel real honored to get to wear these.

I’m not so childish that I can’t stand it if I’m considered anythin’ other than “the best”—you ain’t either, right?

Keito: Don’t fundamentally negate the very purpose of SS.

Kuro: I mean, the point of SS has kinda been goin’ against the times, hasn’t it? Everyone gettin’ along on even grounds, holdin’ hands, and gettin’ the first prize—that’s been the trend these days, yeah?

Keito: That’s true, but that’s just the way SS is; there’s nothing we can do about that.

Kuro: Yeah, but still. I feel like they’re makin’ a lot of arrangements toward these kinds of events that go against the current to make sure that SS runs smoothly.

I’ve been keepin’ an eye on the breaking news comin’ from the other regions. A lot of the orders are stupid, but—

The “secret orders” in particular seem like they were made to force us into fightin’.

It seems like it’s all a plot to make sure SS goes perfectly accordin’ to plan.

Souma: Hmm. Now that you mention it, it does seem like that.

I had heard a rumor that Hidaka-dono of Trickstar was given a secret order that dictates “you must not disobey orders given by management”, as they never know what he might do.

This is likely a directive meant to eliminate uncertainties and ensure that everything proceeds without incident.

When I think of Hidaka-dono’s feelings, I cannot help but feel sympathy for him. I, too, faced great difficulty having full authority over AKATSUKI abruptly left in my hands due to what I suspect is Hasumi-dono’s secret order.

I was forced to conduct myself in a way with which I lack experience, and so I struggled greatly. In the worst-case scenario, I may have ended up unable to do anything at all.

Truly, it was almost as though you were placing a blade in the hands of an ignorant child.

Keito: Hmm… Kanzaki, you are skilled at following instructions others give you to a tee and carrying them out with precision, but…

When you’re put into a situation where you’re in charge of everything, you tend to be at a loss, and you struggle to carry out anything at all.

That’s your nature, Kanzaki—we saw it during last year’s Repayment Festival, along with other events.

Perhaps someone who has a vague grasp of that fact issued that secret order in order to make it easier to manipulate us…? 

If you were no longer able to receive instructions from me, it would be all the more likely that you would turn to people like the veterans at RhythLin stationed in this region for guidance.

In that case, we as AKATSUKI would move in step with the veterans, and they move as directed by ES.

As a result, everything should have been going exactly as ES’s SS Steering Committee intended.

Yet, thanks to Kanzaki showing his unexpected military genius, we were able to swallow even those veterans whole and have our own way.

Souma: Mhm. Although the situation has changed due to our connection with Ryuseitai, our position at present is by and large a favorable one indeed. After earning the favor of the veterans, we shall take everything by force—

And we as AKATSUKI shall emerge victorious from this ruthless battlefield of Okinawa.

This plan of ours is about to be fulfilled, and even if the veterans were to know our true intentions and resist, at this stage, it would be futile.

They have already been checkmated. 

Kuro: Well, I guess that’s a good thing, ain’t it? If we win the preliminary round and move on to the real competition, I can make as many costumes as I want. 

Keito: Ah… Maybe it’s because of Kiryuu’s order that he can’t wear his own costumes on stage. Something like “Don’t do any work related to costuming during the preliminary rounds.”

If that were the reason, you could have just said so—but it’s against the rules to do that. Incorrigible.

Kuro: Haha. That’s why I’ve been in such bad shape this whole time; I haven’t been able to blow off steam by makin’ costumes. I’m in front of the fans now, though, so I gotta put on a cool and composed face and puff out my chest.

It’d be awful if I just collapsed all of a sudden, so let’s just do what we gotta do and cut it a little earlier than usual. We can think about all the hard stuff after this is all settled.

On the battlefield, the first one to lose their focus is the first to go.

Well, I guess you can’t really call Okinawa a battlefield anymore, now that those guys in Ryuseitai forced it into peace.

Kuro “♪ ~ ♪ ~ ♪”

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