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Chapter 39 — Witness Report
Michiru
Immediately acting on the responsibility I'd been left with, I marched to the training simulator of the cadet in question. As engrossed as I had been with the sheer amount of learning material and fresh surface piloting data that had emerged from our mock team battle, the stability of Shirogane was a matter of more urgency.
Kouzuki-hakase's request had only served to further hasten my pace, though I didn't grasp why she hadn't put a stop to the simulation before it'd gotten that out of hand.
I suppose, however, that there was no way she'd have been able to anticipate that the circumstances would escalate as quickly as it had. Even I must admit that I had noticed no warning signs that might've alerted me that Shirogane's vitals would erupt out of control.
Crudely put—it's as though a switch had simply been flicked in Shirogane.
How does one anticipate a moment so sudden as that?
Nevertheless, I still consider it a lapse in my judgment... In hindsight, I should have been paying more attention.
Shirogane's dire condition was no laughing matter.
Elevated heart rates.
Shortness of breath.
Feverish body temps.
Signs of hypertension.
Was it possible—that Shirogane had been experiencing a traumatic shock?
From a virtual simulation?
It's not unheard of, though I can't say I'd seen one as severe as his.
There was no time to waste.
So I wasted none.
In no time, I was standing outside the simulator of A-01's guest participant.
(Michiru)
Suzumiya.
Haruka acknowledged my radio call and peered over the control center window. As soon as I met her eyes, with my fingers I gestured her to open up Shirogane's simulator cabin.
Slowly, it did.
What's a Soldier Class... doing outside...?
Even before the door had fully opened, I leaned under it and tilted my head sideways to get a good look of the overall situation inside.
(Michiru)
Shirogane?
I called out.
(Michiru)
Shirogane.
Still no answer.
With the lights having been dimmed, all my eyes could make out was the shape of Shirogane, which was still in the wing chair, though not without movement.
Shirogane's outline was fidgetting.
Perhaps he was unbuckling his belts, trying to stand.
Why wouldn't he answer me though?
I can't particularly articulate what it was exactly that had kept me from stepping any further into the cabin. Although, I could say with a degree of certainty that—I had sensed an inexplicable, bloodthirsty scent in the air.
I've only got a knife... but...
It's just a Soldier Class... so...
If I could stab it at the right spot—
This should be enough... to kill it.
What was—that.
Shirogane's silhouette—had something in its hand?
The air definitely reeked of peril.
Perilous as it had felt, however, the thought of retreating had never crossed my mind.
I braced myself for the worst, on the contrary.
And.
As loud as I could muster, I roared one more time.
(Michiru)
Respond, Cadet Shiro—!
However.
I never even got to finish uttering his name.
Huh?
Captain... Isumi?
That's—her voice.
She's still—alive.
Why... does that Soldier Class... have Captain's voice...?
Something's... not right...
Shirogane lunged at me.
No sooner than his first step, however, I felt a gust to my side that had lifted my hair and dropped it in the span of the same heartbeat.
A blur of indigo had dashed ahead of me, straight for Shirogane. It was much too late for me to prevent her from entering.
(? ? ?)
Takeru—
It was then that I'd realized that it was the recruit Mitsurugi who had rushed into the lion's den.
Hold on.
Stop stop stop stop stop!
That's Meiya you're aiming at, damn you!
Stop moving, hand!
Get a grip of yourself, Shirogane Takeru—!
I—can't.
I can't—
Stop.
Unable to hold Mitsurugi back with my voice (indeed—I was still in the midst of roaring at Shirogane), my arm had stretched out in a reflexive attempt to grab onto her, to keep her from the aura of danger that still emanated from Shirogane. Needless to say, I—missed. I'd grabbed onto nothing but an empty space. Yet my arm remained stretched nonetheless, stunned in place as I was.
Shirogane had halted, as had she.
But not before I witnessed Shirogane rapidly swipe his left arm skyward, in an arc-like trajectory that seemed to end at—Mitsurugi's neck.
My outstretched arm—then felt a curious splash of something warm, something liquid.
And as the door finally opened in full, shining more light into the cockpit—
From where I stood, I'd only seen Mitsurugi from behind.
She was blocking my view of Shirogane.
And on her otherwise indigo crown were several streaks of deep, venous red, staining the hair on both the left and right sides on the back of her head.
I looked over my outstretched arm, only to notice the very same blood-curdling colour.
