From The Earth

Across the sprawling ocean, the seeds take root in a familiar land

"Whoa, it's so pretty…"

The late-morning sun causes the gentle ocean waters to shimmer underneath the colossal Grand Seto Bridge. From one end to the other, the bridge is lined with construction vehicles; its deck is dotted with wooden boards concealing massive holes in its framework. A small white truck, emblazoned with a black emblem of a tree on its side, hums as it scurries along between the hordes of construction workers. In the back seat are two young women, one with her face glued to the truck's window.

"Rina, you're on official duty now. At least try to act serious about it."

The older of the two lets out a sigh as she scolds her young companion, whose gaze never leaves the ocean beneath. Until recently, such a journey would be unthinkable for the two girls and yet, here they were. Finally averting her gaze from the outside, Rina turns her attention to her older partner, a fire burning in her emerald green eyes.

"How can you not be excited, Nori-Nori? We get to see the outside! And we're the first ones to do it!"

"Rina...it's Captain Ishida. Didn't I just remind you of that earlier?"

The idea of seniority was still a new concept to the two, who had been equals until just weeks before. Turning her head towards the vehicle's driver-side window, she takes a glance outside to see much of the same as Rina had before her. The mountains across the ocean seem docile and gentle as if they had rested undisturbed for thousands of years. The calming sight was a far cry from the state of the world mere months prior.

"I suppose it is a bit exciting, isn't it? There's a whole world out there, waiting to be discovered again...to be reclaimed, and we're the ones chosen to carry that task out."

As Noriko muses once again about the mission that awaits the two, Rina takes the opportunity to nudge closer to her dear friend. Clutching Noriko's left arm, Rina looks up at her friend's face.

"Are you excited, Nori-Nori...I mean, Captain Ishida? We're gonna be just like the Heroes, a duty only we can perform."

Noriko couldn't help but chuckle at Rina's optimism. Smiling, she turns her eyes towards the car's windshield, taking in sights of the road ahead as the two near their destination. Rina had always been a beacon of optimism to everyone around her, even in the darkest of times. Her smile was known throughout the Sentinels to be infectious. As Rina rests her head on Noriko's shoulder, the masked driver who had remained silent throughout the journey addresses the two.

"Captain Ishida, Miss Konoe, we've reached our limit. This is as far as I can take you."

The truck slows to a halt as the vehicle reaches the edge of the Grand Seto Bridge. He quickly flips a switch, unlocking the vehicle's doors. Opening the door, Noriko steps out of the vehicle and stretches her arms above her head. The salty ocean breeze causes her ponytail to sway back and forth as she takes in the sights of her surroundings. The once busy highway ahead lays decrepit and failing, bordered on one side by the ocean and the other by a dense treeline. As Rina climbs out of the small truck's back seat, Noriko turns to the driver and bows in appreciation.

"Thank you very much for the ride, you can return to your normal duty. Miss Konoe and I will be off now."

"Very good, Captain Ishida. May the Shinju-sama watch over you on your journey, we all pray for your safe return."

The Shinju-sama...Noriko scoffed slightly in her head at the mention of the holy tree that had once protected Shikoku from utter disaster. In the months since the Heroes' fight, the Shinju-sama had faded into the background, more a cultural figurehead than an all-protecting god. The Shinju-sama's power could no longer be felt since the actions of one brave Hero defeated the gods of the heavens, yet its influence remained constant within Shikoku. As the truck's engine revs, Noriko takes out her phone and quickly opens up an archived map of the area.

"According to the old maps, we should be able to get a good view of the area from the highlands above the trees. Let's go, Rina."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Rina salutes and follows behind as Noriko climbs over the short guardrail at the side of the highway. Entering into the shade of the trees, the two find fallen trees and mud pits obscuring their path. Rina groans as she attempts to stay close to her superior officer.

"Nori...Captain Ishida, is there a reason we had to go this way?"

Hopping over a fallen log, Noriko trudges forward through the dimly lit forest. Pushing branches out of her face, she turns her head slightly towards Rina.

"It's not ideal, but we'll likely have to navigate paths like this more than once in the journey ahead. It's best to condition ourselves to it now."

"Ughhh, what did I get myself into?"

Rina groans as the two continue to push their way through the dense forest. After several minutes of walking, the two emerge from the forest onto a narrow road. The far side of the narrow road is dotted with overgrown flower patches overlooking a large, decrepit school building. Regaining her bearings, Noriko checks her map once again and shifts her attention to the northwest.

"It's just a little further this way. Come on, we'll set up there and have lunch."

Rina's eyes, downtrodden from the laborous trek through the forest, light up at the mention of food.

"Alright! Let's go, Nori-Nori!"

Noriko chuckles at the girl's quick shift in demeanor as she starts ahead with Rina following close behind. The young girl's eyes dart from side to side as the two continue down the asphalt path, trying to take in everything she sees around her. Passing by a side road, Rina points out a large sign.

"Hey, hey, Nori-Nori! Check it out. Wa-shu...Highland Hotel. It looks like this area was a tourist attraction in the past."

"That's where we're heading, Rina. Look."

Noriko points at a sign just up ahead of the two girls. Rina, stepping up next to Noriko, directs her attention to a large yellow sign at the side of the road. In large letters, the sign reads "Washuzan Highland". A towering ferris wheel and roller coaster decorate the small amusement park, lying in various states of disrepair.

"We should be able to get a good view of the ocean below from near the top of the park. I thought it would be a nice way to symbolize the start of our journey,"

Noriko blushes slightly at the idea. While she still views the journey as an official duty on behalf of the Taisha, a part of her relishes the idea of going on an adventure with her dearest friend. Nervous about how Rina would react to the idea, she notices the same excited look as always on her friend's face.

"Sounds like a great idea! Come on, I wanna see it too!"

Grabbing Noriko's arm, Rina pulls her companion along into the entrance of the amusement park.

"Even through the uniform, her grip is so warm."

For the first time since embarking on their journey, Noriko felt a wave of comfort wash over her. In a cold and unfamiliar place, she could always trust the warmth of Rina to push her forward. Releasing herself from Rina's grip, she runs ahead of the young girl to direct her forward.

"This way, it shouldn't be much farther now."

Rounding a few more corners along the gravel walkway rising up the hillside, Rina and Noriko come to a brief halt as they catch view of the land beneath them. Houses and buildings dot the earth ahead of them before melting into the gentle blue of the sea. The bright sun, now resting high in the sky, shines off the bay separating Shikoku from the mainland of Japan. On that small island, seemingly miniscule next to the Grand Seto Bridge, lived everyone and everything the two of them had known. Before them lays an unknown wasteland waiting to be discovered.

"We're really here, aren't we, Nori-Nori?"

Rina gazes out at the sea as she addresses Noriko. Picking out small fishing boats near the shores of Shikoku, she marvels at the scale of the events the two of them had freshly solemnly nods, letting the gravity of their actions sink in.

"We're the first people in 300 years to see this sight. Tons of people lived their lives here and all vanished in the blink of an eye."

She had realized the meaning behind their mission from the moment it was assigned, but this was the first moment it had really sunk in. She and Rina would be the pioneers of a new era of humanity, re-discovering the land that their ancestors had once walked. Pulling out her phone, Rina quickly snaps a picture of the scenery before them. With a smug smile painted on her face, she turns to face Noriko, who had noticed her actions.

"I have to get a picture of this, Harurun will be so jealous~"

"Ah, Inokuma. She's likely in class now, isn't she? You shouldn't disturb her."

"It'll be fiiine."

Inokuma Haruka: a former comrade of the girls during their time as Sentinels. While the two bickered and feuded frequently in the beginning, she and Rina would quickly become friends during their time as Sentinels. The two were almost as inseperable as Rina and Noriko, being assigned to the same school and class after the Sentinels' disbandment.

As the sun reaches its crest in the early afternoon sky, Noriko pulls her leather backpack and sets it on the ground in front of her. Kneeling down, she begins to search the bag. After a few seconds, she grabs a small sack and pulls it out of the bag before sitting on the ground.

"Rina, do you want to stop for lunch?"

Rina's eyes light up at Noriko's question as she quickly drops to the ground and pulls out her bag. Rifling through the contents, she finally pulls out a similar looking sack and opens it up before beginning to scarf down the contents inside.

"Thanks for the meal!"

Noriko chuckles at her partner's enthusiasm at such a simple meal. As a part of the preparations, the girls were given several weeks worth of military-grade rations. The meals are basic and take little preparation, but would hold for long stretches of time. Noriko opens her small package and joins Rina in her dining.

"Say, Nori-Nori, there's something I've been wondering about this whole trip."

Noriko looks up from her food at Rina as she begins to speak.

"Why were we selected? I mean, the Taisha made a big deal about 'the daily lives of these young girls mustn't be disturbed anymore', but now they pick us to go out on an adventure like this?"

Noriko admired the curiosity in her young companion's eyes. Rina was always the curious one from the moment the two girls first met and relied on Noriko as her mature senpai.

"Well...I don't exactly have the full answer myself, but I did hear from Captain Kusunoki… something about the Taisha being under-staffed. I've heard the battle between the Heroes and the Heavenly Gods depleted a lot of the Taisha's manpower, so they called upon willing Sentinels to undertake the mission."

Rina looks on in fascination as Noriko answers.

"So, they just didn't have enough people? That's a kinda lame reason."

Noriko chuckles at Rina's nonchalant response as she continues with her explanation.

"Well, from what I hear, the Taisha weren't sure of what became of the land outside as well. They're worried about the impact the Vertexes may have had on the-"

~SCREEEEEEE~

A sharp high-pitched screech erupts from the forest behind the two girls, interrupting Noriko as the girl quickly turns towards the noise. A loud rustling can be heard rippling through the wooded area behind them as the sound of small, fast footsteps advance towards the two Sentinels. From the forest emerges three small, grotesque-looking white creatures. The pale-white beasts stand on all fours, almost like wolves, with large gaping mouths covering the front of their heads.

"N-...Nori-Nori, are those…"

A tinge of fear shakes Rina's entire body as she beholds the foul creatures standing before them. As Noriko watches the creatures' every movements, she reaches slowly for her musket. Clutching the weapon steadily, she takes aim at the middle creature's mouth.

"Rina, we have to fight. The second I fire, be ready."

"Right."

Rina nods as she slowly reaches for her weapon. Raising the barrel of her gun, she points it squarely at the middle beast, steeling herself for battle.

"Now!"

Noriko lets out a shout, attracting the attention of the three creatures, as she fires off her musket. A glowing orb rockets out of the barrel of Noriko's gun as the center beast takes notice. Rina quickly reacts by firing her own musket at the same creature. The two bullets blast directly through the beast as it seems to burst into a cloud of sand. With the first target down, Noriko takes off in a mad dash towards the startled beasts.

"Let's see just how tough these monsters really are!"

Noriko shouts as she raises the musket and charges forward. Using the bayonet at the musket's tip, she pierces clean through the creature on the right as it lets out a blood-curdling scream.

~SCREyaaaaaaa~

Sliced in two down the middle, the beast explodes into sand, coating Noriko in the particles as she turns her attention to the final creature, now staring her down. Letting out a gutteral growl, the beast charges into a leap towards Noriko, who takes a quick defensive stance with her musket. As it latches onto her musket with its large fangs, a blast of light pierces through the creature's head before it erupts into sand. Rina gives Noriko a cheerful thumbs-up as Noriko turns back towards her.

"Good work, Rina. Your ability in combat will be a great asset to us."

Rina locks eyes with Noriko, giving her a smug smile as Noriko resumes her official tone of voice. Firmly resting her hands on her hips, Rina bends over and teases Noriko.

"Come on, Nori-Nori, you know you want to."

Noriko nervously averts her eyes from her companion's smug gaze as she lets out a soft cough.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about."

As she tries to skirt around the topic, Rina raises her own hand and looks at Noriko, gazing into her nervous superior's eyes. After a few moments, Noriko sighs before raising her own hand and high-fiving Rina. Rina pumps her own fists in excitement over the girls' triumph as Noriko turns back towards the piles of sand.

"You were asking the other reason the Taisha chose Sentinels for this mission...That would be why. The higher-ups feared something like this would happen after the world was ravaged by the Vertexes for so long."

"Yeah, now that you mention it, those didn't look like normal Stardust."

Rina ponders to herself about the distinctions between the creatures she just fought and those that had previously laid claim to the world outside Shikoku. The Stardust were grotesque, floating white creatures with gaping maws that fused together to make the colossal Vertexes and yet, these looked almost like animals.

"The Taisha fear that the Vertexes may have ravaged the ecosystem of the outside world so much that the wildlife would be scarred. Stardust that take the form of wild beasts and continue to run amok in the unpopulated wilderness. They don't know how far these depraved monstrosities spread, so they chose to send us as something like a clean-up crew."

"Man, those Taisha fuddy-duddys never could understand a fragile maiden's heart, could they?"

At Rina's comment, Noriko burst into laughter. A wide pout overtook Rina's face at Noriko's amused reaction.

"Hey, what's so funny?!"

Wiping a tear from her eye, Noriko struggles to contain her laughter at Rina's "fragile maiden" retort. Choking down another laugh, she smiles at her partner.

"The Taisha could never understand a fragile maiden such as yourself, Rina."

Ignoring Rina who began stomping about, Noriko pulls out her smartphone. Quickly opening up a map, she confirms the two girls' location before bringing the phone over to Rina.

"Alright, Rina, let's get back to business. Look here."

Holding her finger to the screen, Noriko points out a large red dot on the map. The dot rests further north from the girls' location, almost twice the distance they had already traveled.

"This is Kibitsu Shrine. It's the first major destination we've been tasked with investigating. The shrine is said to date back over a thousand years before the start of the Divine Era and is supposedly connected to some folklore of the old era."

"Ooh, ooh, what kind of folklore?"

Rina's eyes light up at the mention of folklore. Excitedly, she jumps up and down in anticipation. Noriko chuckles as she tries to recall the information the Taisha had given her.

"Well...it was something about a boy born from a giant peach who fought demons."

"Ooh, you're talking about Momotarou, aren't you?"

A bright smile stretches across Rina's face as she recognizes the legend Noriko mentions. She begins to ramble on about the legend of Momotarou as Noriko listens on.

"Momotarou is one of the oldest classics there is. It's about an old couple that finds a giant peach floating down the river and a boy climbs out to the peach and he tells them about an island filled with demons…"

Noriko can't help but be amused by Rina's ranting and raving. Rina was always in love with old stories and legends and Noriko was usually the first one to hear about whichever tale she was obsessing with every other week. Not wanting to be rude, she cuts into Rina's story with a remark.

"So, I guess that means you're okay with going to Kibitsu, huh?"

"Absolutely!"

Chuckling, Noriko once again pulls up her phone, still open to the map centered on Kibitsu Shrine.

"Well, we'll have one other destination before leaving the Okayama prefecture. Right over...here."

Moving the map to the right, Noriko points to another large red dot, a bit east of the marker for Kibitsu Shrine. The marker sits along a winding river heading further inland.

"Okayama Castle. It was one of the last havens on the mainland before the Vertexes decimated the outside world. The Taisha have reason to believe the Heroes there before may have left some kind of remnants behind, though who knows if they're still there."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get going!"

Rina raises her fist in excitement as she ushers Noriko onward towards the two girls' next destination, the first of many yet to come on their journey. Marching forward and never looking back, these girls carry the torch forward into a dark and unfamiliar world that humanity had long forgotten.

＊＊＊＊＊

Rina's enthusiasm never seems to fade…It's always been one of her best qualities. I have to stay strong for her. The beasts we saw today are likely only the start of the horrors we'll see from here on out, but I have to be strong. I'll carry Captain Kusonoki's ideals and strength with me. Never look back. Always march forward. Together, we'll carve out a new era for humanity.