Submarine: Nirai-kanai - 11

 

<Simultaneously, at the SS Steering Committee Headquarters>

Gatekeeper: Tsk—

There are three complaints I’d like to make right now.

First, I’ve been too busy to get enough sleep, so my entire body feels sluggish.

Next, while being in such a state, I, unbecoming of my age, came to blows with an energetic youth, so I’ve incurred a bit of damage from the failure I took.

My whole body, particularly the side of my face where I was kicked, hurts like hell.

Last, absolutely nothing is going how I expected it to.

I heard you were in a similar situation, last year or something like that, and I’m almost surprised you managed to do well—very well, to be frank.

Eh, Anzu-chan? You were the one and only little producer at Yumenosaki, yes?

Every last one of them just has the nerve to do whatever the hell they want without listening to me.

Especially the ones who’ve got more power than they know what to do with or something, they’re a real pain in the ass. They mess with the positions and the movements of the pieces we’ve got on the board without a care in the world for our convenience.

Even though those bastards, just like their idols, have no right to.

The only one who’s making sure things go according to my plan is you—Anzu.

I’m starting to think that you’re a little cute. Alright, alright, come here so that I may lay my head in your lap to soothe this exhaustion of mine.

…I’m joking. Quit looking at me like I’m a dying insect; I’m not interested in you like that.

I am a eunuch, castrated upon the death of my god.

Not a single thing that exists in this world can offer me a shred of solace. Though it’s not like I even want that.

I just want to fulfill that “forgotten dream” that my boss left behind in his final moments before this body of mine wears out into nothing.

It doesn’t seem likely that he’ll praise me for it after I die.

It’s simply to satisfy myself. Everything is.

This may just be the face you put on, but I believe you’ve been influenced by the same kind of motivator. Unconditional love, that seeks nothing in return—

Hahaha. You idiot; you’re so absurd that it’s not even funny.

Cheer up, Anzu. I’m the only one who notices, sympathizes with, and recognizes the value of someone like you.

And then, I’ll release you from the clutches of that shitty, worthless duty you hold.

I’ll force you to do it in a way where you can make excuses after. Just say “scary Mr. Gatekeeper threatened me into it, so I couldn’t get out of it,” or something.

Oh? Why would I do something like that, you ask? What’s the point?

Then I’ll flip that question on you—is there a single thing in this world that has a “point”?

This universe, mankind, idols—what’s the point behind their existence?

There was a time when I had an answer to questions like that—that everything existed to give birth to Boss, to our God, and to keep him alive.

But now I’ve lost the answer to that question. What could be more tragic than this, huh?

I wouldn’t really care if anything and everything were to perish right at this moment, you know?

Oh? “I guess that’s the case for you”, you say? So it’s different for you, hm, Anzu?

So, for you, there’s a meaning behind this world and life itself? Well, how can you say that for certain?

If you’re able to answer that question, tell me in secret, sooner or later. If you’ve given me a convincing answer by the end of SS, I’ll let you go.

And if no answer comes to mind, well, my deepest condolences, but—

As per the contents of our dealings, and as per our contract, you are to be a machine who just nods along and listens only to what I say.

The king has a donkey’s ears…♪1

Ahh. That will be enough for me. You’ll rescue Trickstar from my private jungle, in exchange for me allowing them to be decent idols—

For the duration of SS, all your producer activities have been suspended. Essentially, that reduces you to nothing more than a puppet who can’t leave my side and can only listen to me.

I don’t intend to demand anything more than that, so just be a lamb. As long as you don’t do anything selfish to violate the contract, I’ll be gentle with you.

I know it must be frustrating not to be able to give your all to working with the idols, including Trickstar. I’m sure there are lots and lots of things you want to do, yes?

But you can’t. The faint desire you hold, which cannot even be called a dream, will not be realized.

I’m sure I said this while we were watching the preliminary rounds in Hokkaido—I’m going to stamp out Trickstar.

And you’re a part of Trickstar, too. This SS that I’m responsible for has no need for a supporting role.

Everything will end having gone exactly as anticipated. You can stand back and watch these unwanted developments occur while wallowing in a sense of powerlessness, knowing that you can’t do a single thing to intervene.

Just looking at you like that gives me a feeling of satisfaction. I feel that same sense of relief and delight that a caffeine addict feels every time they drink their morning coffee.

That’s all there is to it. I don’t have any ulterior motives or anything hidden beneath the surface—you’re just a tranquilizer to me, nothing more.

Even though you’re surely a symbol of hope, a goddess of victory, for Trickstar and whatnot—

The gods and deities of differing religions are rarely more than an unintelligible pattern painted onto clothes and such.

Nevertheless. In the eyes of those who believe in that god, they are a presence that cannot be ignored. That’s right, they can’t be ignored—that’s the important part.

In the region of Okinawa, Shinkai Kanata was enshrined as a god. If such information were to reach the idols, along with some degree of credibility—what would that guy do?

“That guy” being the one who had the nerve to kick the side of my face. Mikejima Madara.

The faith that he abandoned everything in order to desperately try and destroy suddenly having a revival in the far reaches of the south…Knowing that, he wouldn’t be able to remain calm.

Even if he has to throw everything away, he might fly all the way to Okinawa to ascertain the truth.

While he’s wasting his energy like that, the “Boss’s Secret” that he’s been chasing will slip right through the cracks of his fingers—

That’s why I’m raising this false alarm—to keep Mikejima Madara in check.

I had thought that if such misinformation were conveyed to Morisawa Chiaki, he would be in a position to contact Mikejima Madara, but…

It’s gone terribly.

It seems as though Morisawa has developed a subconscious level of distaste and rejection towards ES and the agency due to the discord that surrounded the recent Comet Show.

I heard that Morisawa was the type of person who’s honest to a fault, so I thought that he would believe the misinformation and act without taking a moment to question it. But he’s surprisingly cautious and quick-thinking.

He’s not the idiot hero that the public sees him as or that his looks suggest after all, hm?

What a pain in the ass. Absolutely nothing is going according to plan.

I don’t have the sensibility to think such a thing as “it’s exactly the unexpectedness that makes it interesting.” 

Any more than this will certainly not stop my discomfort level from increasing, so I’ll leave my intervention in Okinawa here.

I’ve sown the seeds, and if they sprout well, we’ll reap the profits—

For the time being, the preliminary rounds in Okinawa are proceeding exactly as planned, and tremendously in line with my ideal.

I don’t want to spoil everything by intervening in a strange matter either, so as long as nothing happens, it should be fine to leave things to chance from here on out.

In war, the strongest take the victory, and the strongest survive. Ahh, just like that, you idols.

This is what SS is for; this is worthy of idols.

← Previous | Cover | Next →

TL Notes:

1: This is a reference to a children’s tale, “The King With Donkey Ears.” In this tale, there is a king with donkey ears, which he is ashamed of, and his hairdresser is the only one who knows of these ears. The king threatens to send the hairdresser to prison if he reveals this secret to others. In this scenario, Anzu is like the hairdresser—Gatekeeper holds power over her through the form of their agreement, so she cannot speak out of turn, or she will face consequences.

Submarine: Epilogue - 2

 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 “♪ ~ ♪ ~ ♪”

← Previous | Cover | Next →

Submarine: Epilogue - 3

Location: Okinawa Qualifiers Stage

 

Chiaki: “♪~♪~♪” 

Kuro: “~...♪ Yo, Morisawa. How about a duet while we’ve got the chance?”

Tetora: “Ahh, that’s not fair! Morisawa-senpai just keeps stealing everything that matters to me…!”

Shinobu: “Awawa, your microphone is on, Tetora-kun! We’ll get flamed online again if you throw careless remarks like that! Don't get involved with Morisawa-senpai! Just keep your eyes only on me!1”

Midori: “That’s also gonna cause its own kind of misunderstanding…”

Keito: “You guys, be serious. Birds of a feather flock together—and as such, don’t let yourself get influenced by Ryuseitai, Kiryu. Be true to our rough-and-tough style.”

Kuro: “Hah? What’s the point of a joint performance if we’re just gonna stick to ourselves without influencin’ each other?”

Keito: “Guh… I know there’s nothing I can do about it, but nobody is listening to me this time around. It feels so lonely.”

“No, I should reflect on myself for being so naive in thinking that you guys would always listen to me.”

“I was completely ignorant to the stress you must have felt all this time, due to how I would always do as I lik—”

Kuro: “Oh, zip it! Quit lookin’ so gloomy! Don’tcha know the main rule for idols is to smile on stage? So c’mon now! ♪”

Chiaki: (Heheh, Kiryu’s incredible as always. He’s always so sincere about being an idol.)

(...I want to do the same—Let’s start from there.)

(We aren’t back to square one, and we haven't lost anything, either… We’ll go back to our baseline, and build up from scratch.)

(I’m good at that sort of thing, and I already know that everyone in Ryuseitai will work hard alongside me.)

(I’ll never, ever forget the moment you guys rushed over to help me clean up that day, like it was the most natural thing to do. It meant everything to me.)

(The heroes I’ve waited so long for had finally arrived.)

Souma: —Hm. Somehow, this atmosphere feels much like that of a grand finale.

However, there are things I do not understand, Shinkai-dono.

Kanata: yes? me?

Souma: Mhm. Even at this stage, I still do not understand what exactly you wished to do.

Being in a state in which I could not receive orders from Hasumi-dono, I desired the guidance of others—and so I did as you had asked of me.

Hasumi-dono and Kiryuu-dono are my role models, my beloved and respected seniors, and my masters.

Although the respect I hold for you is of a different variety, you play the same role for me—you are a magnificent being who is worthy of my obedience.

Therefore, I followed your orders without hesitation. I changed the very nature of the conflict unfolding in Okinawa and made it as laid-back as a variety television program.

We have won many victories in Okinawa and acquired much wealth, and so we have the ability to do that much. Our hostile adversaries, such as those at CosPro, have already retreated in order to limit their losses as well.

Moreover. Because of that, we are holding this peaceful live together. All of these results are in keeping with your request, and yet—

I do not understand your intentions. Have you simply grown tired of war, and you only wish for peace?

Kanata: hmm~, something like that.

to be honest, i let Ryuseitai move freely while Chiaki was gone. or, i should say, that is what they wanted.

Souma: Haha, so that was the kind of order you were given. Something along the lines of “While Morisawa-dono is absent, Shinkai-dono must lead Ryuseitai”, hm?

Kanata: not exactly, but it is something like that.

actually, tetora, midori, shinobu—i had them each manage Ryuseitai.

i persuaded them into doing that by subtly giving them Guidance.

that is often seen in Tokusatsu Shows. it is normal for the Focus and the Characters to change every episode.

and that is the Ryuseitai i wanted. they correctly carried out my Directions and managed Ryuseitai.

it would be a pity if the burden was forced mainly onto chiaki, or tetora, alone. hmm, that would be unreasonable, after all.

i would have liked to maintain Balance like that, so this Order i received was a good opportunity for me.

Souma: Yet it is unclear to me why the steering committee would give you such an order.

Similarly, in our case, the leader who usually holds the reins was ousted from the center of our unit— 

There appears to be a tendency to attempt to coax them into delegating their full authority to someone else. The intent behind this is unclear. 

Kanata: the Leader’s Plan of Action tends to decide the Unit’s Course of Action, after all…

don’t you think that they just wanted to try and change the Atmosphere, even if only for the duration of SS?

by doing that, they avoid people getting Stuck in a Rut. they avoid people giving up.

Souma: So that is their business strategy, then? I see; this is very typical of Ensemble Square—it is a for-profit organization, after all.

Kanata: there may be other Reasons, but by now, i am not sure… it is a relatively unimportant Point.

what is important is that i made Ryuseitai act Freely, even if only Temporarily.

by doing so, i was Controlling all of them by making good Use of the Power i had gained.

i gave my Children casual Guidance… and on top of that, i gave you Orders as if i am someone extraordinary.

Souma: You are, in truth, extraordinary, so I see no issue in you carrying yourself as though you are. Rather, I feel quite strange hearing you, whom I love and respect, abase yourself as such.

← Previous | Cover | Next →

The first half of this chapter was translated by 310mc.

TL Notes: 

1: Alongside the switch to no ninja-talk while on stage, Shinobu uses "boku" here instead of his usual "sessha" (the more ninja way to refer to oneself)