Submarine: Nirai-kanai - 2

 

Location: Beach in Okinawa

Souma: And thus, we have not suffered in vain—we are steadily reaping the fruits of our labor.

Kuro: I’m with ya. The CosPro people were givin’ off such a strong presence from the moment they came to Okinawa, and now even they’ve been shoved into the stampede and trampled, and all they got the nerve to do is moan and groan about it.

Well, I guess doing nothin’ but losing day after day has to have killed their morale. I bet they’d only been fighting chill, easy-win battles until we started takin’ action.

Souma: Every single thing has abruptly begun to go wrong, and so they sulk.

They did not enter having any such reason to fight with urgency. Having accumulated loss after loss, they are not willing to fight to the point of being burdened with scars of disgrace and shame.

Kuro: Well, they’re not gonna be able to fight for their life with some flimsy motive like “the glory of ES.”

The guys who came here to Okinawa who don’t know what it’s like to struggle are gonna get snapped in half just like that by even the smallest setback or failure.

There were more of those kinds of people than you could count at Yumenosaki back in the day. They came here to get pampered, and yet they get forced to gulp down muddy water—they’re gonna get sick of it.

Souma: Still, it would be pitiful to compare them to former Yumenosaki students. There are various indications that those at CosPro have been ordered by higher-ups to retreat (and refrain from pushing themselves beyond their limits) when they find themselves at a disadvantage.

They are rational—or perhaps I should say they are businesslike.

Those at CosPro are quick to cut their losses, and thus I anticipated that they would hastily retreat were we to deal the first heavy blow.

Kuro: (That’s right, isn’t it… So far everything is going exactly as Kanzaki expected.)

(He was persistent enough with that winin’ and dinin’ that he won the trust of those RhythLin veterans and earned a position high enough to be trusted with strategy. And then he reaped the rewards of those battles without a hitch—)

(Kanzaki made those veterans think that things would go perfectly if they left them up to AKATSUKI. That’s about as great of an outcome as it gets.)

(Now they’ve left us to play soldiers for them, and they’re livin’ it up on their nice and peaceful Okinawa vacation.)

(Well, that’s probably a hundred times better than killin’ each other on the battlefield, but still.)

(If we’re up against veterans as careless as them, it’ll be easy to catch ‘em off guard (and betray them).)

(Smooth-talk them out of the SSL$ they’ve earned up to this point, under the guise of keepin’ it as a war fund or somethin’—)

(And if we make off with it, we as AKATSUKI would be able to come out as the sole winner—no one could ever hope to compete.)

(And if we get accused of stealin’ the money, we can just say that was the order we got, and we had no other choice—or some other lie like that.)

(We can get out of it well enough without any future trouble by makin’ excuses.)

(That kind of strategy—that was the plan. And it’s goin’ damn well so far.)

(What we’re doin’ is just like one of those bank-transfer scams that target the elderly, but…)

(To win and move on to the next round here on this ruthless battlefield of Okinawa, we might have to be a little cunning like that.)

(‘S pretty surprising—shocking, even—that Kanzaki, of all people, would go that far.)

(He is a real good fighter, and he’s the kind of guy who will go all in on something once he puts his mind to it.)

(I wonder. If this guy that got pushed out of the way during the War had shown off the same military genius then that he’s showin’ us now—)

Souma: ? What’s the matter, Kiryuu-dono? Could it be, is there something on my face?

Kuro:  (Haha. Talkin’ like he doesn’t know. He looks harmless, like some pretentious teenager, but…)

(This guy’s family used to be synonymous with violence itself in this country—he’s a descendant of warriors.) 

(And even in this day and age, with violence bein’ frowned upon—he kept that sword polished, and never let it rust.)

(He’s a vicious warmonger. I’m sure he’s been forced to study and train that way since the moment he was born—)

(Everyone, including AKATSUKI, has been lookin’ down on him—or rather, for some reason, we just think of him like some silly samurai idol or somethin’, wielding his sword, and nothin’ more.)

(But he just hasn’t had a chance to show off the military genius he inherited from his ancestors until now—)

Souma: Kiryuu-dono.

Kuro: Huh? Wh, what is it?

Souma: Nothing—I was simply concerned, as you seemed to be in some sort of daze. It is just as I had thought—you are still not feeling very well, are you?

Kuro: No, no, I’m fine. Even if I wasn’t fine, though, it’s not good for you to poke around in my business.

Souma: Hmm. Now I cannot tell if you are truly alright or not.

Kuro: (Haha. He’s got a cute little pout on his face—he’s kind of like a kid in that way.)

(The more innocent a kid is, the more likely they are to do cruel things without batting an eye, huh? I gotta keep a close eye on him so he doesn’t go down the wrong path.)

(I don’t want him to screw up and be full of regrets like I am.)

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Submarine: Nirai-kanai - 6

 

<Same time, in the depths of a sea cave>

Kanata: ……

(? it is a little noisy Outside, hm~?)

(that’s nooo good, causing a Racket in a Sacred place will—)

(hmm~? these Voices, could they be the children from my Ryuseitai?)

(even though I told them to stay safe at Home…)

(these days, none of them are doing as they are Told at all. is this the Rumored Rebellious Phase?)

(that is, the birth of the Ego… independence, as a single Human Being.)

(somehow, it makes me remember the past. i was just like those kids, the same Age, when—

(......?)

(i… i can hear some kind of strange Noise. the sound of something breaking…)

(i wonder if someone is Playing Soldiers again somewhere?)

(that would be no good either. sometimes it is meant to be Fun, but there are other times when it goes beyond Joking around.)

(ohhh well… i have to stop this.)

(Because That Child, he will listen to Anything i have to say. unlike ryuseitai’s children, he probably has not reached his Rebellious Phase yet—)

Shinobu: I’ve already told you, it’s not allowed, Kanzaki-dono, okay?! The area from here on is off limits!

Souma: Get OUT of my way! What authority do you hold that you can obstruct my path?!

Tetora: Ugh, we don’t have any authority here! But no member of the general public is allowed past this point, it says so in the guidebook!

Souma: This is far from my concern! As Hasumi-dono says, if the law becomes a nuisance, then change it! Send me the greatest man in this land; I shall convince him to bend the law to my will!

Tetora: That’s way too dangerous of a plan, okay?! H-hey, Midori-kun, don’t just stand there and watch, help me stop Kanzaki-senpai!

Midori: I don’t wanna… I’m scared… I don’t wanna get close to someone waving around a sword like that…

Shinobu: I-it’s Kanzaki-dono, it will be fine! He would never do anything to hurt another person!

Midori: No way… Just the image of someone waving around a sword is too scary, it’s left a wound carved in my mind… If anything, I’m surprised you two can go up against him while staying pretty calm…?

Shinobu: That’s only because I’m familiar with Kanzaki-dono and his temperament!

Tetora: If I use my karate, I wouldn’t be able to beat him, but I’d at least buy us some time…!

Midori: No, I’m telling you that’s gonna be dangerous, so you shouldn’t risk getting involved, right…? We can just let him go, we don’t know what’ll happen to him anyway, so…?

Souma: Takamine is right! You two, stay back! You shall hurt yourselves!

Midori: Ah, he remembered my name…♪ 

Shinobu: Of course he did! Kanzaki-dono is a respectable upperclassman; he is friendly to those younger than him—he always looks after me with utter kindness!

Which is exactly why I simply cannot stand silent and watch as such a wonderful person strays from his good path before my very eyes!

Tetora: What Shinobu-kun said! Gahh, we won’t let you pass even if we die here!

Midori: Stooop it, don’t lump me in your “we” if you’re gonna do something so stupid, okay…? Everyone in Ryuseitai is always like this…

(Not these days, though… I mean, this is kinda like the old Ryuseitai, back when I loved it—)

Souma: Agh! That's enough; this is not the time for me to pay you any mind!

Tetora: It’s not enough! I’m not going to move an inch until you give me a good reason!

Shinobu: Hey, Midori-kun, it’s your turn to do that signature move you showed off at MDM!

Midori: Nonono, no way, the “Takamine Barricade” is powerless if the other person’s got a sword or some other kind of weapon!

Kanata: —cut it out.

Souma: ……?!

(...What a terrible blunder! I was so preoccupied with these children of Ryuseitai that I failed to even notice Shinkai-dono approaching from behind!)

(It cannot be… Have the members of Ryuseitai dared to go so far as to orchestrate this horseplay…?!)

Tetora: Wahh, you scared me?!

Shinobu: Shinkai-dono, you always, always come out of nowhere like that!

Midori: And you’re a big guy, Shinkai-senpai… but even then, there are times it seems like you’ve got no presence, like you’re a ghost—

Kanata: i am not a Ghost~. if i was, chiaki would Hate me.

Souma: Sh-Shinkai-dono—

Kanata: souma. i thought it was you. the So in Souma should stand for “Sooo Noisy.”

Souma: I-I am deeply sorry for the trouble I have caused you! However, I had heard some dreadful news from Morisawa-dono, and—

Kanata: from chiaki? what is he doing? is he just wandering around aimlessly, trying to put the task of watching the Children onto me…?

Souma: I-I do not think it is the case that he is doing anything “aimlessly.” More importantly, umm… it is terribly difficult for me to ask this, but—

Shinkai-dono, is it true that you have been enshrined as a god once more?!

Kanata: huh…?

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Submarine: Nirai-kanai - 10

 

Location: Ryokan for use by ES Idols, Ryuseitai’s room

Shinobu: Let me see… So we’ve been sharing information with AKATSUKI in the hopes of potentially forming an alliance.

Initially it was left in my hands, but this time it seemed more convenient for Morisawa-dono to carry it out, and so he took my place.

Chiaki: Mhm! I’ve been popping up in various places throughout Okinawa, gathering information, and communicating it to the right people—like Ninjaman!

Shinobu: Ninjaman! So cool…☆ 

Midori: Really doesn’t feel that way to me…

But hmm… So that means it was all an unfortunate misunderstanding…?

Kanzaki-senpai heard some suspicious news and believed it, but the only thing he did was something weird… But why did he have such a strange reaction to it anyway?

If I heard the same news, I’d be like, “Enshrined as a god? What the heck are you talking about?”  or something like that—

Kanata: i think you would. but souma couldn’t Ignore News like that.

if i went back to being a God, that child would have a Problem to confront.

Tetora: What do you mean by “problem”?

I’m sorry I don’t get it! Kanzaki-senpai, he’s a member? Believer? Of your religion? Well, that’s what I heard, but…?

i think “Believer” is the Wrong Word. that child is from a Powerful Family, and he has a special Role to play.

that role is, when i—when God loses control, he must Bury1 that away.

Shinobu: Bury? Do you mean to bury information away from the eyes of the media?

Kanata: no. i mean, that he must “Kill” that god.

Midori: K-kill…?!

Kanata: so. souma, thinking that i had returned to Godhood, likely grew Uneasy. since i’ve become a Human now, that child—

he has not been able to fulfill his Duty of tearing god to pieces and killing him. because that child is meant to kill God, not a Human.

if he had a chance to Kill me, i think the last one would have been during the battle of the sea god.

that child, he missed the perfect Timing.

he let things gradually come to an end without fulfilling his Duty.

if i were to return to being God again, that child might have to carry out his Duty someday.

because he was born solely to kill God if the worst were to happen.

and if i went back to being God, that Day might someday come—

that was what he thought, and it made him scared, so he acted Recklessly.

to check if what he heard was true, he swam a long, long Way, to where I was. 

he is a foolish kid, really. like a small Child waking up from a nightmare

but still. i was happy. if souma didn’t hold any sort of Affection for me, he would not have been so Shaken.

he would have probably carried out his duty, indifferently, like a Robot—without Feeling a single thing.

he would have gutted me like a Fish.

but. that child holds me Dearly in his heart; it is because he loves me that he caused such chaos.

he was so scared of even the tiniest Possibility that it could happen that he could not contain himself.

when i think of how souma was Feeling then, aah—

i can’t help but think that he’s really, sooo cuuute…♪ 

Tetora: Hmm. I can’t really understand half of what you said, ‘cause it’s always hard for me to listen when you say things in long sentences, but…

To make a long story short, all the drama that happened earlier was just some kind of unfortunate accident, right? You said that Kanzaki-senpai just went a little out of control ‘cause he heard some unreliable news.

Kanata: yes. the news that i was being enshrined as a God has no Truth to it at all.

it’s just that i heard something that caught my attention from the people of the local Religious Denomination—

i thought i should have a proper Conversation with them, so i made you all stay Home, and i just went to meet with the people in the Religious Group.

Midori: You’re doing it again, you’re keeping us out of the loop—

n-no, that’s not it. that place is Sacred, so normally it’s an area for “Authorized Personnel Only.”

i just received Special permission and was allowed to go in. there was something i wanted to see, but they said it was only in the depths of that Tabooed Land, so—

Shinobu: By the way, “tabooed land” is a place where the general public isn’t allowed entry, to put it roughly.

Surprisingly, there are many places like that all throughout the country—and in many cases, they are sacred religious grounds or something of the sort.

Midori: You know a lot about this, huh, Shinobu-kun…?

Shinobu: Hehe. My Mayoi-dono is quite well-versed in occult tales like those, so it is only natural that I’ll obtain some knowledge when we exchange a dialogue.

Tetora: So even the things that pervy-looking guy talks about are suspicious, huh…?

Shinobu: “Pervy-looking guy”?! M-Mayoi-dono is a good person, okay~? Whenever I am feeling disheartened, he makes me laugh by wriggling around and breathing heavily, or something!

Tetora: That’s what I’m talking about, though?

Chiaki: Hmm. It sounds like misunderstandings and miscommunications have been happening one after another all because of misinformation, and that’s led to some strange things happening.

I feel like it’d just end up as a funny story if that were all there was to it, but I feel a little uneasy. Why was there something that caused a misunderstanding in the message Sengoku sent me in the first place?

Shinobu: I-I just wrote something like, “It looks like Shinkai-dono is meeting with some people from a religious party to talk,” did I not?

It was sudden, and I did not know what it meant, so I figured that Morisawa-dono might have some idea because he has known Shinkai-dono for a long time… I thought I would just try and ask him.

Huh? But now that I’m looking at my phone, it does say something about Shinkai-dono being enshrined as a God?

Wow, did I send something like this…?

Chiaki: Hmm. Maybe Sengoku could have just remembered wrong and sent a strange message by mistake—I’d hope that’s the case.

If not, then this is a pretty concerning situation.

Midori: What do you mean…?

Chiaki: The intent behind it is unclear, but there is a chance this message was overwritten by someone interfering from the outside—on this smartphone provided by ES for our exclusive use.

Only ES could possibly do such a thing—they supervise both the provided smartphones as well as HoldHands.

Plus, the contents of the rewritten message were exactly the kind of thing that would lead Kanzaki-kun to go off the deep end.

In other words. It’s possible that someone in the upper ranks of ES who knows us well and can even intervene in the contents of HoldHands messages attacked us due to harboring ill will.

Kanata: attacked us…?

Chiaki: Mhm. I feel like I’m overthinking it, declaring it as an attack when it’s such a vague alteration that they might not have known what it would lead to, but…

It could just be a simple prank, but if it is an attack, that would be beyond terrible.

We’re ES Idols. If ES were to hold ill will towards us and bare their fangs, I’d say that would be the absolute worst possible development—enough to upturn heaven and earth alike.

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TL Notes:

1: The word Kanata uses here is “kakusu.” In the way he intended it, it is an archaic verb meaning “to behead.” However, Shinobu interprets it as the modern day verb “kakusu,” meaning “to hide or conceal."