Chapter 17: Turbulent Winds
November 18th. Second Day of the CCSE. 01:23 PM.
(Cliffside. Island.)
[Takeru]
BOOOOOOOOM!
"Look at that explosion! That went better than I expected!" It's the first time I improvise the fuse so this explosion feels more 'personal' than all the other times I might have seen that hangar get blown up.
"With such a diversion any hostiles in the area would be surely distraught with fear. Another fine work of yours Shirogane." She nods my way, an approving smile raising forth.
Thankfully, it looks like that talk we had yesterday calmed her down a bit. She still looks at me with a bit of doubt, but at least she isn't flat out ignoring me or sending knives in every word.
The way to the hill has been quite slow, we found another machinegun with a whole magazine of rubber bullets that we had to dodge. We also found some sonic mines near the base of the hill we had to avoid, and on the way to the top there's been quite some trip wires set up almost everywhere.
We slowly keep raising as the sun showers us with his heat. Honestly, it's nice to have the light but between the humidity and the heat I'm getting worn down faster than I thought I would. To make matters worse, I've had to disable a lot of the traps under the sunlight, I can't even rest for a little while under a shadow without spotting another wire in the way.
"Shirogane, that over there isn't a cable?" She points to a rock nearby, a slim cable could be seen to its side. Another trip wire?
I get close slowly to check, and on the way I notice something weird on the stone wall. There were three 'stones' that looked somehow out of place. Slightly tapping the cable I see that the 'rocks' move a bit. What is this even? I slowly cut the wire, and the three things get ripped off the wall as a stream of muck comes forth from where they were.
Sigh… Now the wall is covered in mud. I feel like it's better this way, let's just look for another way up.
"Let's go from that side instead." I point to another path to my left. If I remember correctly, that's the way me and Mikoto always used, just that this time we couldn't go with that thanks to the sonic mines that were on the base of the mountain.
Meiya sighs with a tired face as she wipes the sweat off her face, her whole body is again drenched. She must be exhausted, even with her superior stamina with how much time we have to spend under the sun's relentless warmth it's no surprise she's so exhausted. Not like I'm any different at this point.
We climb the wall and reach the place where I got bit by a snake. I double check my belt, it's tight and in place. Not falling this time thankfully. Now then, the trap should be… Huh? It isn't under the usual leaves. Where is it?
She climbs up right behind me and starts moving forward, and as she does I see the snake that once bit me. I'm taking you for dinner. Fuhuhu! Slowly approaching the vines I quickly grab it behind its neck and snap it.
"Shirogane, what are you doing?"
"Found a snake, got it for dinner." Disgust flooded her face. Maybe she also had to eat one of these in her previous CCSE?
"Do you even know how awful they smell?"
"I brought the curry powder with me, so it's alright."
"Right, you did say so. Then, let's keep movi- A-Aaaaahhh!" Meiya stepped forward only to end up hanging from the cliff's ceiling upside down. So that's where the trap was moved, I didn't even see the wire.
"Can you reach your feet?" She was trying to bend upwards to cut the wire with her knife but it wasn't going so well. Grabbing her legs with one hand to not lose balance, she still couldn't cut the wire.
"Uuuhh… Such a simple trap. Ugh, get cut already!"
"Want some help?" She didn't look at me, but I know she's bothered by it.
"If I can't release myself from this, what kind of soldier would I be?" Stubborn to the core, what did I expect?
"The same as everybody else? We're wasting time, you know?" Her grip slips and she falls back. Again she grabs her leg and slowly tries to get her hand in position to cut the wire.
"We… still have until… tomorrow to reach the hill." She was struggling quite hard and the wire started to swing slightly.
And so, I waited for a minute. She finally cuts the wire and falls with a loud thud. That must have hurt a lot, she rubs her back while wincing a bit.
"Wanna rest for a while?"
"I am okay. There's no reason for us to stop for a small- Augh!" As she gets up she winces again, licking her lips. Why do you always push yourself so much?
"Let me see that, we should treat it just in case."
"I'm not so weak to need rest after such a petty struggle. I can deal with this- Ah! Shirogane, stop- Ah!" I press my thumbs on her shoulders again, making her squeal once more.
"See? Your shoulders are all tensed up now. You did bring some bandages, right? It won't take long to treat you and we can't risk this pain getting in your way when you're climbing." Like hell I'll let you risk climbing with a pained back.
"Fine! I'll give you some bandages, but do not do that- Ah! S-Stop it!" You cannot stop me, not when I know where you always get tense.
"Shut up and pass me some bandages already."
"Uuh… Here." She passes me a roll and slowly starts to lift her tank top. "Y-You better not try anything-"
"Ouch, there's blood coming out. Do you have something to disinfect the wound?"
"I think I do. Yoroi recommended me a spray. Oh, here it is." She passes me a small white spray, I recognize it as the one Mikoto was always using on our usual skits when we got together in my first loop.
"Alright, this might sting a bit. So try to hold it in."
"Hmph, who do you think you're talking with? I'm not- Ahh! It burns…" Told you.
"Stay quiet. I'll clean the wound a bit with part of the bandage, and after that I'll hand it to you."
"Huh? Why are you handing me the bandage?"
"I can't really tie it myself. Unless you want me rolling the bandage on your stomach and end up accidentally touching your chest." She tenses up, she's so fun to tease.
I finish cleaning the wound and put the point of the bandage on one of her sides. After two rolls the wound was covered and I tightly tie both ends.
"And the knot is done. There, feeling better?"
"…Yes, thank you."
"What's up? Getting embarrassed?" I smile at her reddening face, causing her to pout.
"What do you expect?! You suddenly grab my shoulders like that, make me lift my clothes, and you even had to go and tease me instead of just passing me the bandage."
"Hahaha, sorry. Consider that payback for how coldly you treated me all these days."
"Uuuh… I cannot believe you're the same person that's so skilled with a blade. Anyways, we wasted enough time and I feel fine now. Let us continue."
"Yeah, I know. Let's go." Thankfully, I can joke about now. Sure, she's still quite pissed, but at least we can have peace between us.
We kept hiking to the top without crossing words. I know she isn't the same but I can't help it when she reminds me of the Meiya I met in the other world and in my own. It seems her body reacts the same though. Her shoulders are always so tense.
Eventually, we made it past the mountain. Now, this part should be easy since we're going downhill but I'm sure this place is going to be littered with traps this time. We're not so far from the hill, so we can take a slower approach to reach it. We are still moving almost as fast as I did with Mikoto in the other loops despite all the traps. Oh, toad! Got you little fella, forgive the rude treatment but a boy needs to eat his daily portion of meat.
"Shirogane! Where are you going?!"
"Oh, shut up! Found a toad, that's all." I show her the toad and she grimaces.
"You… You truly are planning to eat them?"
"Yeah, of course. Why would I be picking them up if I wasn't?"
"Uuh… Yes, of course."
"Why the long face, Mitsurugi? Have you eaten some of these?" She jumps at my question as a thick drop of sweat tickles down her forehead.
"No, I haven't. We… had enough supplies last time. Yoroi found some… mushrooms for us." I would believe you, if it weren't for that disgusted face you're making. "Anyways, we are losing time. Leave the hunting for when we reach the hill, will you?"
"No need to get so angry. Let' go."
The way down was full of pitfalls and sinkholes. Luckily there were no more wires or guns. The rest of the way towards the hilltop was similar to the path to the target. It took us all the afternoon but we reached the top, we seem to be the first ones to arrive.
"We made it. Should we set up camp here?" Meiya says after taking a look at a small clearing between some trees.
I think this is fine, the sun is already going down and we don't want to be wandering around in the dark with how many traps are here this time, much less with her back being injured.
"Yeah, let's settle down here. Can you light the fire again?"
"Sure, are you going to take care of the traps?"
"And look for more toads!" She made yet another disgusted face as I left.
Moving in between the leaves and vines, checking every little suspicious spot, the traps are met with their disabler. …Does that word even exist? Eh, whatever.
There's a lot of trip wires that lead into a pitfall here. That over there… Another machinegun? What were they… Wait, can I disable it? Let's get closer… If I can cut this wire here… Please don't shoot, please don't shoot, please don't shoot…
…Is that it? Can I move it? I pick it up from where it was and move it around. It has a magazine in it and it's not that heavy compared to the guns we are always holding during practice. Oh, look at that! Another toad.
I return to our spot and Meiya was rubbing her back.
"You okay?"
"Yes, I am fi- What is that?!" Her eyes shot wide open as she saw me.
"A gun, can't you tell?"
"Where did you find it?" She got up and came to my side really slow, gazing at the machinegun I had with narrowed brows.
"It was set up as a trap, I saw I could cut its cables without triggering it and then got it with me."
"I would have never thought to do that. But why did you do such a thing?" She narrows her eyes at me slightly, tension in her stance.
"We may need it for something. What if we need to take out a trap from afar?"
"Hmm… Yes, you are right. But… Well, I suppose leaving it in your hands is for the best." She nods and goes back to her leaf bed.
"Want some toad?" She makes another disgusted face.
"I'll pass. I still have my rations."
I get the little pot we have in our kits and with my knife I cut the toads and the snake. I pour a bit of water and put half my curry powder on it. Now I just have to wait a while until it gets done. I set up some sticks above the small fire and put the pot above them. Shortly after, the smell of the curry powder reached my nose. This is going to be delicious, for being toads and snakes.
I caught Meiya looking at the fire and she immediately looked away, bet your tummy wants some of this. Some minutes passed and the food was done. I grab the plastic fork I have and start eating from the pot. It's better than the supplies we are given at least. Meiya was taking some glances at me as I ate.
"There's enough for two, do you want some?" It seems my offer caught her by surprise as she looked at me with wide eyes, but then she looked away again.
"No, thanks. I have my own food, and tomorrow we will meet up with Yoroi so there's no need for you to share."
"Yeah, sure. Here you go, I already got my fill." I leave the pot by her side.
"Y-You don't have to. I already have-"
"If you don't want it just throw it away." She looks down, avoiding my gaze, as she moves her lips a bit.
"…Thanks."
"Don't mention it."
We're on schedule, it wouldn't surprise me if the rest showed up tonight as well. The stars are really beautiful, just looking at them is enough to calm me down. I always used to look at the sky before going to bed, when we talked by the window.
If someone told me that I was going to end up in this causal mess back then I wouldn't have believed any of it. I mean, why did I even came to this world? I have no connection to it. Unless… No, this isn't the same world as before. It's way too different.
Then why? Why am I here? Is it because there's no Sumika in that world? So I can't will myself there anymore? But I time traveled back to October 22nd here, if I could do that then why didn't I end up in the other world at a point in time when there was still a Sumika there?
This is too complicated for me. Maybe it's because I choose to transfer myself willingly after my link got severed? Last time I went back I was still a conductor, and maybe a weak nucleus. This time I went not as a conductor, but as a stronger nucleus. I willed myself, I didn't get 'transferred' here by another force like in all the other loops. Just how I overwrote the Takeru of my world when I ran away, I overwrote this world's conductor when I arrived. Even my room was the one from 2003. Does this have to do with how the nucleus works then? Sensei said that it was drawn to the leaks when there was a strong enough connection. But what if there's more than one connection? I mean, from all the possible parallel worlds that I could have ended on, why this one?
Hmm… So the nucleus when it connects itself through a leak, instead of being the magnet it turns into the metal, being drawn by the strongest 'pull' or so I think. Then, I triggered a leak in this world by forcing myself into it with the microwave's help. But instead of appearing at the same point in time that I was in my world, I ended back on the 22nd. Because the 'awakening' of the conductor had more pull on the nucleus? That still doesn't answer why I came here in the first place. I'm going in circles right now, gotta calm down.
The Why, the How, and the When.
Why did I came here? How was I pulled to the past? And when was the connection to this world formed?
First, I had no connection to this world so unless there's some quantum shenanigans in play there was no 'when'. My world and the other world were the ones that were linked, this one was not even on the equation. So, we go to the first question. Why? What lies in this world that made me come here? I've been rejected by everyone at some point. Sensei tried to kill me, the whole base treats me like shit for being a 'foreigner', the Shogunate wants my head on a silver plate, and part of my squad was and probably still is suspicious of me. Only Kasumi has been always nice to me, probably because she can read my mind and see my emotions. So why the hell did I end up here?! Does it have anything to do with this world's me?
And that leads into the second question. How did I time travel? That only happens when the conductor dies and the loop is still in effect. I was not a conductor when I transferred, and I want to believe I didn't die during the transfer because I would… well, be dead right about now. So how did it happen? Was it because of the revisions Sensei did with her new theories? The higher power we used from the reactor? The fact that Sumika broke the loop after Ouka, blocking me from returning to that world? My emotions to save my squad? I was trying to sever the two worlds' connection, but what if I just got another world into this mess?!
Ugh, I'm going nowhere. I'll need to talk it out with Sensei when I get the chance. Sigh…
Why the hell am I even here? Surrounded by familiar but hostile faces, being pulled into this messed up Japan, blamed for being someone I'm not. I'm suddenly really happy that the me in the past loops was a nobody, imagine if I was part of the Guard like here. Tsukuyomi-san would have detained me on the spot.
That reminds me… Am I even sending data to the squad? I mean, I should be linked to the other two worlds right? Now that I'm a conductor again they should be receiving that data, and being a stronger nucleus would probably help too. Why were they so hostile then?
I look again at the stars. Just two or three days more. Once we get to pilot TSFs I'll do my best to put them to the real test. I failed to protect the three Valkyries on Niigata, so I won't fail on training you.
Meiya still didn't put out the fire, she was still waiting for the rest to arrive. Was she staring at me? Quickly averting her gaze, but was looking just now. Seems like she did finish the food.
"So, how were they?"
"Better than I expected. Thanks again for sharing it." She nods at me, sounding relaxed for once.
"Think the others will arrive tonight?" I get close to the fire, feeling its warmth on my palms.
"I don't know. We did make good time, but they might take a bit longer."
"Say Mitsurugi, how do you think things will go in the way to the evac point?" She seems to be surprised at my words, a hand of hers going to one of her elbows.
"Huh? How… Why are you asking such a thing?" Why did she got so defensive?
"We saw quite a lot of traps today, surely there will be even more on the way to it. There's also the little paper."
"Right. Well, there will surely be more sonic mines on the way, maybe two or three tough obstacles. As for the paper, I have no idea what W could mean." She shrugs as she rests her hands on her leaf bed, stretching her legs forward.
"Me neither. So you think the sonic mines are going to be the greatest obstacle?"
"Well, that was the case last time. Unless we count our discussion as the problem." She averts her gaze again.
"Are you worried the same will happen this time?"
"Yes. I know Ayamine doesn't follow Sakaki's orders when she doesn't agree with them. And now you're here too. I don't think she'll take kindly to your suggestions." At least you're a bit less hostile now.
"I get it. Don't worry, I'll try to not provoke her. So, same shifts as yesterday?" She seemed worried for a second, but nodded at me.
I turned my back to her and curled on the floor after putting my blanket over me. Let's just hope I don't have another nightmare today.
"Shirogane?"
"Hmm? What's up?" I raise a bit and look at her, she still hasn't put out the fire.
"Where did you learn to do massages like that?" She can't seem to be able to look at me. She must be embarrassed to have enjoyed it, probably. Haha… It's so nice, hearing you without that layer of aggression again.
"We just got trained on how to relieve the strain on our partners' muscles, in case it ever became a necessity. I didn't hurt you, right?" I ask, staring at her, she doesn't look at me but still replies.
"No, it didn't hurt. But don't do it again. I won't forgive you if you lay a hand on me again without my permission."
"So… if I ask you before it's alright?" She looks at me the intensity of a thunder's roar behind her eyes and a tinge of red on her face. Teasing you is so much fun.
"Even if you ask I'll say no!"
"Such a shame… Your shoulders were really tense, you know?"
"…Thanks for worrying, but I'll deal with it until we pass the test. Anyways, that's all I wanted to ask. You can sleep now."
Sigh… She's still not entirely back to how I remember her, but she's cool with me now. That's a Gekishin off my shoulders. Let's hope we can keep being on good terms after I have to give her the sword back. Thinking about that…
"Say, can I ask you something?"
"I'm not letting you touch me again." An instant reply, huh?
"Not that. What do you think would happen to me if the Guard decided I have a Minaru Kamui illegally?" She takes a deep breath, leaving the silence hanging and faces me with clear eyes and a serious expression.
"You would either be deported, or in the worse case executed. But considering how they were with me all the times I talked with them about you, I believe you'll be fine. As I said yesterday, I think they might even ask you to formally take possession of it. I know you said you don't believe it would happen, but if they asked you… Would you accept?" She stared at me, unblinking.
"…I don't think that would happen, but I also wouldn't accept. I don't think I would be welcome in the Guard even if someone was interested in my skills."
"…I see. So that's what you think…" I thought I had angered her, but for some reason she looked troubled. Is she… biting her lips?
Is she wanting me to… become her fellow? Maybe… now that she saw I was being honest…
I'll see what happens once we're back at the base. I shouldn't get my hopes up, it'll only hurt more if she goes back to how she was all these days.
"Well, in any case, let's worry about that when we get back to the base." She nods and I curl up again, letting the stars lull me to sleep.
Near 6 AM.
The rays of the sun greet me as I was standing watch. Meiya's still asleep and nobody else got here yet. I had a dream about the time me and Sumika went to the amusement park together before Meiya woke me up for my shift. That was nuts, that roller coaster was really scary.
And how could I forget when Meiya interrupted the play of those colored rangers? Sumika and a boy got called to the stage and she thought it was real! Hahaha, she was so dumb to not realize that was just a performance. She even went and slashed the screen in half with her sword, poor support guys had to pull all the stops to fix the thing for the next scene.
Wait… How do I know that?
Stretching my arms as I raise from the floor, I glance around. What did I even do last time to kill time? I think me and Mikoto just talked about the time she was in the hospital and I joined the squad. Now, however… I don't see myself talking with Meiya for long, even if we kind of made a truce. I'm going to die of boredom, or bust my brain thinking on why I got here like last night.
"Uuugh." Meiya stirred around on her leaf bed. She looks so cute right now.
"Good morning, Mitsurugi." She seems startled as she looks at me with sleepy eyes. Her hair is a mess, now that she undid her ponytail it's all whirly down to her knees. I never asked her why she has it so long though.
"Yawn… G-Good morning, Tak- …Shirogane. Did anyone arrive?" Did she just… try to call me by my name?
"No, nobody's here yet. I'll go gather some leaves and mushrooms for breakfast, you stay watching over in case anyone arrives." She gives a faint nod as she yawns.
Now, time to put all the knowledge that Mikoto taught me to good use. These yellow mushrooms are poisonous, I gotta find the brown ones. And the bitter leaves too. After a little while I got back with some mushrooms and a few leaves. Meiya already did her ponytail and was eating her rations.
"So you even know about survival in the wild?" Sigh… Again with that surprised and dubious look?
"Hey, I asked Mikoto for some pointers that's all."
"Ah, I see."
"Well, here are your mushrooms."
November 18th. Second day of the CCSE. 8:43 PM.
(Ministry of Defense. Eiji's Office.)
[Yui]
"I can't believe you managed to convince those hard headed men by yourself. You've truly grow, Yui." Uncle says as he lits a cigarette.
"This is all for their sake, it's my duty as the survivor to honor the time we spent together. I won't let their efforts be in vain."
"I see. I only hope they are well rewarded. I'm also surprised you agreed to go to Yokohama as a UN officer, you really were against their involvement when you got assigned to Yukon."
"Well… Let's say I realized your words held some merit. It's not like all foreigners are our enemies, and also it's not like Nikkeis are traitors. There was… someone who helped me understand that."
"Forgive me for bringing those memories back. In any case, let me tell you why I called you here today." Uncle drops his smile as he takes some folders from his drawer.
"You said you had some important business to convey to me, what is this about?" For him to call me to his office at this hour, it must be something serious. Or completely silly.
"First, a word of warning. Be careful with the UN, they are really sensitive after the whole Korean fiasco. Your actions will reflect on the Empire's reputation. I'm sure you know, but it's never bad to remember that." Please Uncle, I'm not a kid anymore.
After what happened with Yuuya I know I have to try to be more open with people. I can't let my pride hold me back, much less now that the UN gave me this chance after my proposal got accepted by the Minister. With some luck, I may be able to get one Type-94-1C to Yokohama after I complete the railgun, to restart the XFJ Project.
"Duly noted. Is there anyone in particular you think I should be careful about?"
"Vice Commander Kouzuki. She moves all the threads in the base and it's a real genius, you don't want her angry at you. Keep her words close to you, as far as I know she thinks the same as you and me and doesn't want any more conflicts between the UN and the Empire. She can become a very important ally for you, if you still wish to continue the XFJ Project." I'm glad to hear that. If I can get permanently assigned to Yokohama to continue the project that would do wonders. Especially if she is as much of a genius as the rumors say she is.
"Anyone else?" He hands me a profile. What's this? A boy? Takeru Shirogane? "Who is this boy, Uncle?"
"Kouzuki's special protegee. There's very little info about him, however he was stationed at Yukon during the incident."
"What?! He… But, I don't remember him. Was there another Japanese pilot on base at the time?" Well… I was focused almost entirely on the project. And when we came back from Kamchatka… Ugh, just remembering how Yifei flirted with him is enough to make me mad again. You two idiots… Why did you have to go and die?
"He was a Cadet being trained in a mixed unit. Apparently, part of the UN's plans to bring as many nations together as they could." So there were Cadet squads that worked like our Argos Test Flight? That's really interesting.
"How did a Cadet from Yukon become the Vice Commander's protegee?"
"Kouzuki saw great potential in him and decided to recruit Shirogane to train him to be her personal bodyguard, it seems. His scores on Yukon were apparently very good, and all his efforts in Yokohama are trampling over his Yukon data." I check the other page of his profile with his current records at Yokohama, to think such a recruit exist.
"Uncle, the reason you recommended me to choose Yokohama… It wasn't only because of Kouzuki's influence, right?"
"I liked you more when I could surprise you." He lowers his eyelids, his voice sounding low and creaking like old wood. Oh, Uncle! Be serious for once! "I got a call from a friend about this super recruit that appeared in Yokohama. When I saw his data, I thought that if he were trained rigorously he could become a good enough pilot to be the tester of the Second."
"But he still hasn't taken the piloting test, right?" Uncle slowly squints his eyes as he entwines his fingers together.
"We have our reasons to believe he'll become a good pilot." So you can't tell me because it's some sort of secret.
Shirogane, I hope we can get along. If you can finish what Yuuya started, the relations with both the UN and America will surely improve greatly. Though, I wonder…
"Is this something I'll have to ask of the XO myself? She is his guardian after all. Or are you informing me of this 'pact' now?"
"No, Kouzuki won't reveal any info about the boy. I can only hope she'll agree to take the torch and continue the XFJ Project. That's why I said, keep her words close to you. She's the only person that might be interested in the project. Otherwise, you can forget about the Second ever being a reality again." He leans back on his seat as he sends a cloud of smoke to the roof.
"I understand. I'll do my best to show her the potential the Second has." I can't express how grateful I am. After this month of negotiations, I finally got another chance.
Everyone, all your efforts won't go to waste. I won't allow it. You can leave the Second you liked so much in my hands, Yuuya. I'll make it fly once more!
"Also a bit of advice, take some natto rolls with you when you go meet her." Uncle says as an uncharacteristic smile appears on his face.
"Natto rolls? Does Kouzuki like them?" I don't know many people that do, but geniuses can be peculiar in their tastes.
"You take some when you go there just in case. Now, onto the not so pleasant news. I'm afraid to tell you that you were used as a bargaining chip."
"What? For what purpose? What did the Empire ask?" I can't believe they had the gall to ask for something in return. We are the ones asking for a favor, can't you bow your heads for once? These developments could turn the tide of the war, they could get us the recognition you all so desire!
"We do not know who, but someone convinced the Defense Minister to accept your transfer to Yokohama as a UN officer. You know that they wanted you to be stationed there as a member of the Guard, right?" Sigh… Damn politicians. If I'm there as a Royal Guard, they won't let me near the UN's research hangars or any sensitive intel. How foolish can they be?
"So someone profited from my efforts? Do you know what they got in exchange?"
"It's a rumor as of now, but it seems that on the next session the Parliament will approve an increase in the budget for the production of the Type-94. A 46% increase compared to the current budget."
"What? That's… Where are they getting the funds from?" Uncle grimaces, closing his eyes.
"You can already guess, don't you?"
The civilian camps… Of course, lower the budgets for schools, hospitals, repairs and food centers, and you suddenly got the money to spend on TSFs. But this…
"Does Her Highness approve of this?"
"Of course she doesn't. But you know that her authority is restricted to military matters now, she can reject the budget increase but can't stop them from taking funds away from the social care system. It's even worse when you take into account that they might have taken funds from the Kyoto Restoration Project."
"What?! But… That was a project ordered by the Emperor! How can they get away with that?"
"Yui, you know as well as I do that the Emperor has no real power nowadays. He's just a figurehead, to placate the people and give some politicians an excuse to do the 'hard things' without receiving much backlash. It's just like in the past, the Imperial family is allowed to keep living in luxury, trapped inside their palace, while the common people die of hunger and sickness. It's like nothing changed in this nation since the end of the Sengoku era." He looks down as his eyes darken, his fists and lips tighten, and he lets out a huge puff of smoke.
"Don't say that, Uncle! This situation can improve, even if I was used as a pawn in someone's board the chance I have now can bring us one step closer to our goal of mending our international relations. Do not despair, I'll do all I can in Yokohama to restart the XFJ Project, so you make sure I get the approval to remain there."
"You do know you might be branded as a traitor to the Empire for choosing to join the UN willingly?"
"Do not worry about me. I'm willing to lose my title if it means making all this a reality." He winces upon hearing my words
"I hope you know what that means. You'll be exiled from the Empire if that happens. I'm sure the UN will be more than happy to have someone of your skill in their ranks, I'm sure I can get you assigned there after a talk with the XO."
"Thanks, Uncle. I don't know what I would do without your support." He laughs again, then he hands me another profile.
"Now, that's the most problematic one of the bunch. I bet even you will be surprised about it." What is he smirking about? I'm not falling for any tricks you may-
"Wh… The Shogun?!" Are my eyes deceiving me? What is Her Highness doing dressed in UN fatigues?!
"AHAHAHA! I knew you'd lose it!" With both hands in his stomach, Uncle starts laughing so much that it turned into coughing.
"Uncle, what is the meaning of this?!"
"Read the profile. By the by, this is top secret information. You'll have to be very careful around that girl."
Meiya Mitsurugi? She's a member of the Tozama, but why is she so similar to Her Highness? What is this? She's there under the Shogun's orders, as part of her training. There's a unit of the Royal Guards stationed at Yokohama Base to keep her safe for the time being. So she's one of the most important people of the Empire, if the Shogun arranged her training regime.
"Uncle, why are you showing me this? Wouldn't it be better if this was kept a secret?"
"Yes, it would. But, you see, my friend I told you about has a certain… reach, let's say, within the Shogun's palace. He came yesterday to deliver this letter in person. It's for you, from Her Highness Yuuhi Koubuin-sama herself."
"…Did I heard that right? Her Highness has sent a letter to me?" What is this about? Where did this come from?!
I take the letter and read it. Three times. A special mission, to watch over Meiya Mitsurugi after she gets commissioned. Apparently, the Guard's squad will have to leave Yokohama Base at the end of November so Her Highness wishes me to be her eyes and ears, to protect her protegee. But that's not all there is to it. My grip on the paper strengthens as a small veil of sweat starts covering my hands.
"Uncle… Is the last part true? About there being an accord between Vice Commander Kouzuki and the Shogun to develop new TSF technology?"
"I dunno. I didn't read the letter, if it says that it has to be true."
"This is…"
"Are you not feeling up to the task? You can always decline it, it's an unofficial order after all."
"No, I'm not scared or insecure. It's just… All I fought for this month alone, to see now so much support for me is frankly shocking. I can't wait to be in Yokohama. I'll gladly accept Her Highness' orders, tell your friend that I'll aid the XO in anything she needs from me and I'll keep watch over the Mitsurugi girl."
Finally, my prayers have been answered. I'll make the most out of this, for it is more than what I hoped to receive. I have Her Highness' trust on me, these new developments, the young pilot, I'm blessed to be given so many things. I can't fail this mission, there's too much in stake here.
"I see. I got the papers for your transfer here at the ready, let's get them done. Tomorrow I'll file them in, I expect that you'll be arriving at Yokohama on the 20th of this month. Take this time to rest, you'll be worked to the bone by Kouzuki when you're there."
"That's exactly what I want. I'll show them the results the railgun can provide and convince them to take the XFJ Project under them as well."
If I can make this accord progress our relations with the UN will dramatically improve, I may have an easier time than I thought in convincing them to take the XFJ Project. I don't know who moved the pieces to convince the Minister, but this has gone in my favor. I now know that I have the support from the Shogun, I need to gain Kouzuki's support now. As well as keeping this girl safe. I won't let this go to waste, not after how everything ended last time.
November 19th. 2:25 PM. Third Day of the CCSE.
(Somewhere on the island.)
[Meiya]
Spotting another trap I stop in my tracks yet again. Cutting down yet another wire, I breath a sigh. I'm not making much progress here, with how many times I have to stop. This island is truly brimming with traps, more than I thought it would have.
I walk slowly through the vegetation, glancing carefully, almost like a madman, in all directions to spot anything out of place.
"Mitsurugi, is that side clear?" Sakaki calls out from behind me.
"Yes, I'm done."
"Mitsurugi-san, don't force yourself. We're all here together."
"Thanks Tamase, but I must also contribute here."
"Don't be so hard on yourself, Mitsurugi." Shirogane addressed me from the front. "You've been dealing with traps for half an hour, take it easy for a while."
"But I…"
"Rest rest, don't worry." Ayamine pats my back as she moves to take my place.
I move slowly to Tamase' side. Shirogane and Yoroi were on the front dealing with the most traps. He was still carrying the gun he found. Sakaki and Ayamine each had a piece of a rifle Yoroi had found on her target.
We all met up around 1100 hours, with Tamase and Sakaki being the last ones to arrive. Ayamine found a paper similar to the one we found as well, it said 'Run away from the wasps', and combining it with the one we found we deduced something will pop up on our way to the evac point. Tamase and Sakaki had found the coordinates through a code.
And so, we started our march towards our coordinates on the west side of the island. We regularly switched our duties in the formation as we advanced, to give us all some rest under this heat, and now I was relegated to watching the back with Tamase.
Which means I'm alone with my thoughts again. Sigh… Why did I have this weird dream?
I saw myself with Shirogane, living together in some sort of luxurious mansion. The thing is… W-We were kissing. Quite passionately. Is a bit of physical contact all it takes to hamper my thoughts? I mean, it's not like I completely trust him, I still wish to see him hand over his sword myself before I can try to trust him again. So why did I dream of us being lovers? Makes no sense.
As I gaze at his back I feel my throat close shut again, as I recall what he told me yesterday. He doesn't even know if his family is alive. Forced to join the military, just to have a roof and a plate of food everyday. And yet he never complains, he's always doing his best.
Tsukuyomi said we were similar. We both don't have family, as Grandpa couldn't move out of our prior house when the BETA attacked. And… I was never wanted on my parent's house. He's the same, he doesn't have a place to call home. Maybe that's why he was so sad when we pushed him away?
In that sense, we both joined the UN to have somewhere to be. Even if I'm here by the Shogun's orders, someone gave him the Minaru Kamui. And he is terribly skilled in almost everything. If he became my fellow… Having him by my side sure is reassuring, however…
Sigh… Would he even forgive me? The way he spoke about the Guard these days made his apprehension palpable, he doesn't think he's welcome here. I don't think Tsukuyomi would make such a mistake, but still… He didn't know what the blade meant, what if he never came back to the Empire? Maybe he received the blade just before coming here?
Well, I can try to be more fair with him from now on. I also hope Tsukuyomi doesn't get angry about this. I shiver just thinking on what she'd say if he ends up rejecting an offer to join us because of how we were treating him and all I said these days.
We're making decent progress despite all the traps. As we keep advancing we reached a river, a large and deep ravine separating us from the other side.
"It's… pretty deep. Ayamine, take the rope you found, tie it to that tree and cross to the other side." Sakaki gives the order to which Ayamine complies without retort, to my surprise.
"Roger." And there she goes. It's always amazing to see her climb with such dexterity.
With some luck, we might be able to reach our destination well before dusk comes our… Huh? What was-
I felt a cold drop on my head, and as I looked up the sky had clouded and rain was starting to fall, quite strongly.
"Rain?!" Shirogane seemed surprised, not that I blame him.
"What bad timing." Sakaki clicked her tongue as we moved to take shelter from the downpour. "Squad, we'll cross from lighter to heaviest. Tamase, Yoroi. Each of you take one part of the rifle with you as you cross." We all nodded, Tamase and Yoroi each grabbed one part and began to fasten it to their backs.
This really came with bad timing, it'll be harder to cross with such strong rain. There's no telling whether this will be just a squall or a storm. Sigh…
"Shirogane, Mitsurugi, how long do you think this will last?" Sakaki asks us as Ayamine ties the rope to a tree on the other side.
"I think it might be a squall, but some of those clouds look truly dark." It really looks like it won't stop for a while at the least.
"Shirogane, what about you?"
"…It might last for a few hours, probably." He says looking worriedly at the sky. Don't tell me he also knows about meteorology…
"Then, if it doesn't stop raining, should we leave the rope hanging? I think we could destroy the knot with the rifle."
"Sakaki, we would lose the only powerful weapon we have. Shirogane's gun only has rubber bullets, and it is not powerful enough to shoot the rope under this rain. In that same sense, it might come short if we ever need the anti-materiel rifle."
"How about we discuss this after crossing?" Shirogane is right yet again.
"Yes, that's true." Sakaki then looks at the other side of the cliff.
Ayamine gives the signal and Tamase starts crossing with one part of the rifle on her back. Yoroi got the other part on her back and got closer to the rope.
Hmm? Shirogane was looking towards the forest. He dropped his gun near some bushes.
"Is something the matter?"
"No, I thought I heard something. I must have mistaked the sound of the rain with something else." He starts moving his shoulders, he must certainly be tired after carrying the gun all day long.
"Don't worry. There are no big animals in the island." Sakaki says as she takes off her glasses and cleans the water they have with her shirt.
Tamase made it to the other side and gave us the okay. Yoroi starts to cross, taking the other part of the rifle with her.
I had hoped this would be a squall but it's not letting up, and those clouds look really dark. I don't think this rain will stop any-
click
"Mitsurugi! Down!" Shirogane pushed me away suddenly, sending me into the mud. What is wrong with him?!
"Oh man! You fucked up! Heh, point for me! You owe me a beer!"
"Oh shut it. Damn boy, how did he notice?!"
Barely recovering from the shock, I quickly stood up. Four soldiers in gray uniforms appeared from the forest, they were carrying an automatic machinegun. A real one.
"What is the meaning of this?! This island is under the jurisdiction of-" Sakaki's bark was drowned by one of their shouts.
"Shut the fuck up! Can't you tell who we are? We are playing the role of your chasers here, we are here to take you all down Cadets." Says one to my left.
"And to score some points with Jinguuji!" Said the other one to my left. Ugh, more depraved men. The UN truly is nothing more than a dumpster.
"We were not notified of this change!" The briefing said nothing about being actually chased by someone.
"Sorry babe, orders are… Hey, look! We took the boy down!" What are they… I could only gasp at what I saw lying on the mud.
"S-Shirogane!" His shoulder had a huge bruise, there was some blood coming out of it.
"Man, you're right. He really went down faster than I expected." Damn you, this wasn't in the briefing.
"Yoroi, hurry up and cross already!" Sakaki screamed towards the girl, that was trying her hardest to make haste.
"Oh, c'mon now! No need to rush, why don't you stay with us to chat for awhile?"
The four of them slowly closed in on us, pointing their guns straight at our faces, and at Shirogane as he tried to get up. This is bad, at this rate all of us will fail again. Why are you not running?! Ayamine and Tamase were looking nervously towards us from behind a tree. Wait, the rifle!
"Tamase! Mount the rifle and take down the tree!" She looked shocked on the other side, but gave a weak nod.
"Look at her! She wants to resist, that's how I liked 'em. Feisty girls are the best." I glare at the man, who simply snickers at us.
"No hard feelings, right? This is just how it goes. Now, stay put and nothing bad will-"
"SEI!" Shirogane rose up in a flash and kicked one of them. I follow his lead and send a punch at the one in front of me, sending him into the mud.
I sidestep and elbow another of them in the stomach, then grab his shoulder and throw him to the ground.
"Agh!" Sakaki! Damn them, the fired at her! I rush the one that attacked her with a punch and kick his lower parts when he tried to retaliate.
"Sakaki! Are you alright?!"
"Y-Yeah, they're rubber bullets… But they hurt a lot…" She had a giant purple circle on the side of her waist, but it wasn't bleeding.
I hear a loud splash, as I look towards Shirogane I see another two soldiers had appeared and were trying to restrain him.
The two I had thrown to the ground had gotten up and were now pointing their guns towards us.
"No more struggling! We have enough bullets to pacify you both, so stop resisting!" He wasn't lying, they will not hesitate to harm us. Who ordered this? Why does this happen to us?!
"Mitsurugi… This seems to be the end of the line for us."
"…Seems like it."
BOOM!
A deafening noise rumbled through the rain. Tamase shot down the tree, tumbling the rope down. The soldiers were startled, they didn't expect us to actually shoot down the tree.
"You have to escape! Run!" Yoroi shouted as she grabbed the rope, all three of them continued their march.
"Sakaki, now!" I grab her hand and start running to my left into the forest. Forgive me, Shirogane.
We need to lose them, so that we can cross and regroup with the rest. We can't… We won't fail this time! Even if I have to abandon you… Just when we had started to clear the air between us… Forgive me, please…
"Stop right there!" They start shooting at us, we barely manage to avoid their shots thanks to the trees and the fact that we are desperately running, not slowing down at all to avoid slipping with the mud.
"Mitsurugi, where are we going?!"
"No idea! We need to get some distance between us, or find a way to cross the river!"
We continue to run, bullets hit the trees we leave behind to let us know we had become the prey under the rain.
Some time after that.
[Wasps]
"This is Wasp 3 to Wasp 1, we're currently cornering the two girls. Over."
"Wasp 1 here, I'm retreating…"
"What is it, Captain? Oh, you're taking the boy back already?"
"No… the bastard got away."
"What?! But… you had him pinned down!"
"He broke free a short while after you all left. We tried to recapture him but he messed me up, and he injured Two quite gravely, he broke her arm. I'm taking her to the command post via boat. Seven, do you copy?"
"Wasp 7, loud and clear."
"The boy is going after the two girls, get him at all cost. Use the drug on him if you must. That bastard is really strong, don't think we could subdue him in a fight."
"Seven, Wasp 3 here. The two girls are near to your position, according to the Pleiades. Can you and Eight set up an ambush?"
"Roger that. Leave it to us, we'll coordinate with your signals. By the way Captain, are Nine and Ten not here?"
"I told those two to stay behind, to let us handle this part of the 'test'. I doubt they'll listen. Let's complete the mission before they move."
"Understood. We'll ready the ambush and capture the girls, sir! Wasp 7, over and out."
"Good. Three, make sure you give Shirogane his well deserved payback!"
"Yes, Captain!"