Sprouting Flower
A flower emerges from beneath the soil
Dark clouds hang over the skies of the decrepit city of Okayama as rain pounds the decaying wreckage. Every so often, the patter of rain beating against the pavement is accompanied by a loud crack which reverberates through the noontime air. In the distance, a bolt of lightning strikes one of the decaying skyscrapers. The heavy rain makes the air thick and a dreary atmosphere seems to envelop the once-beautiful cityscape.
Ducking in and out of the shade, Rina and Noriko dart quickly through the stormy streets en route to their next destination. The two girls' uniforms shake with their movements as each rustle flings water into the air.
"Nori-Noriiii...Can't we take a break somewhere? I'm soaked."
Rina whines as the two duck beneath the overhang of a building. She grabs hold of her top and twists it to wring out the excess water. Noriko peers out from their cover, assessing their location and planning their next movements. She clutches her smartphone in her right hand, occasionally glancing down to look at the map displayed on-screen.
"If I'm correct, we shouldn't be far now, Rina. Just push through it. Let's keep moving."
Noriko quickly motions to Rina as she once again dashes from the time-worn building. Rina hustles to try and keep up with Noriko's swift movements as the two hurry down the rain-soaked streets. Examining their surroundings as the two girls run, Noriko's gaze quickly shifts to their left.
"Rina, over there!"
Noriko points across a small moat towards an island enshrouded in trees and stone walls. The peak of a black castle roof pokes its head out from amongst the treetops.
"Okayama Castle should be on this island here."
"Finally, let's gooo!"
Rina raises her fist into the air in triumph as she runs towards the small footbridge to the island. Noriko looks up with a smile that quickly melts into a serious expression as she shoots her right hand out, grabbing Rina's left and pulling her back. Shocked by the sudden resistance, Rina falls backwards and plops into a puddle next to Noriko.
"Hey, Nori-Nori! What gives!?"
"Shh! Look…"
Noriko whispers as she crouches down next to Rina, pointing towards the far end of the footbridge. Rina can just barely make out two white creatures prowling near the island's entrance. They skulk low to the ground on all-fours with large gaping mouths where a face should be. Slowly and carefully, Noriko pulls her musket from her back and takes aim towards the foul monsters.
"Rina, on my mark."
Rina pulls her musket from her back and takes aim at the creatures. Holding the musket close to her head, she steadies her aim at the beast's gaping maw.
"Now!"
On Noriko's signal, each girl pulls the trigger of her musket, sending a bolt of bright light rocketing from its muzzle. The two bolts of light shoot through the air towards the beasts as each hits their mark. The pale-white monstrosities cry out in pain as they burst into a cloud of sand. Noriko stands up with her musket still drawn as she extends her left hand to Rina.
"Keep your guard up, those might not be the only enemies we see."
"Right!"
Rina raises her musket across her chest in a pseudo-salute to her acting commander. Her nonchalant displeasure toward the pounding rain now replaced by a sense of nervous caution, she carefully scans her surroundings as the pair make their way onto the island. Coming to the first crossroads, the two girls take cover behind a stone wall, scanning the path ahead of them.
"No signs of Stardust through here...Let's move."
Noriko signals forward to Rina as the two hurriedly make their way around the corner. As the two run by a pair of decrepit shacks, a low growl echoes from one of the wooden buildings. Another of the monstrous white beasts creeps out from behind the corner of a doorway. The beast takes off in a mad dash towards Rina, startling the young Sentinel and causing her to slip on the muddy terrain. Noriko steps in front of her, driving the bayonet of her musket through the head of the pale-white creature. It erupts into sand as Noriko offers her hand to Rina.
"The Stardust seem to like this island. I guess that means the Taisha were right."
Rina takes her superior's extended hand and pulls herself off the ground. Following close behind, she begins to question Noriko.
"So, Nori-Nori, what exactly is it we're looking for here, again?"
As the two girls hurry up the stairs, Noriko begins to explain the purpose of their excursion to the feudal-era castle.
"Well, Taisha records report that one of the last surviving bases for humanity on the mainland was Okayama Castle. All the data seems to say there can't have been more than one or two Heroes defending the castle by the end. Some of the higher-ups believe there may be something left behind by the Heroes that fought here."
Rina's eyes light up as Noriko makes mention of past Heroes fighting out of Okayama Castle.
"You mean...we get to see something left by the Heroes? For real!?"
Rina shouts in excitement as the two girls reach the top of the stairs. As they assess their surroundings, Noriko motions towards a large gate to the right of the staircase. The two girls hurry through the gate and into the courtyard of the castle. As they enter the sprawling garden, a feeling of warmth washes over the two.
"Nori-Nori...This place feels...different."
Noriko nods at Rina's assessment of the change in atmosphere. Looking up towards the rain-soaked castle, the black paneling along its walls set it apart from the surrounding greenery. The ornate walls seem to shimmer in defiance of the gloomy weather.
"You're right. It feels...safe."
Stepping into the lush garden seemingly untouched by the passage of time, a strange yet familiar noise fills the courtyard. The soft song of birds chirping in the tree reverberates throughout the air of the castle's premises. As the two take in the tranquil atmosphere on their stroll through the garden, Rina's eyes excitedly dart around the sprawling courtyard.
"It's amazing! It's so much nicer than that dingy old shrine."
"It feels almost as if it hasn't been touched over the past three hundred years"
Walking up to the main building's entrance, Noriko beckons Rina to the closed gates. Each girl grabs one of the handles to the large doors and they slowly swing them open. Rina's eyes sparkle as the two girls enter the historic building. She darts back and forth, examining the paintings and decorations in each room, as they proceed into the castle.
"Nori-Noriii! This is sooo cool!"
Noriko chuckles at her partner's enthusiasm. Rina's excitement over historical structures and folklore was something to behold. Noriko teases her younger companion as she starts up a flight of stairs.
"Just try and remember we're on a mission, okay?"
"Right, right, I know."
Pulling herself away from examining a hanging scroll, Rina hurries up the stairs behind Noriko. The two split up to investigate the small hallway at the stairs' peak. Making her way down the corridor, Noriko sees a door ajar on one side. Curious, Noriko slowly walks up to the room and peeks inside the door before calling back to Rina.
"Hey, Rina, come over here."
Noriko swings the door open and steps into the small room as Rina approaches the doorway. The room, likely once a tourist stop with various informative posters on the wall, had been converted into a bedroom. A mattress lies in the corner of the room with sheets and blankets left strewn about. Sitting down on the makeshift bed, Noriko notices a small leather-bound journal at the foot of the bed. Picking it up, Noriko undoes the small tie and begins to read aloud from the book.
"March 21st, today was a good day. The Vertexes didn't show up today, so everyone got to take a little break…"
Noticing Noriko with the journal, Rina walks up to the mattress and sits down beside her, watching and listening as her partner continues.
"I was on garden duty today. I had to trim up all the shrubs and brushes around the castle. It was super boring work, but everyone kept telling me it has to be done. It's okay, though. Makoto made udon for lunch, her cooking is always so good. Everyone always ends up wanting more."
As Noriko continues to read from the book, a slight smile begins to grow on Rina's face. Memories of her time as a Sentinel with Noriko and Haruka dance through her mind, sparked by the mystery writer's words.
"Everyone seems to be saying there's going to be another big attack coming soon. The adults seem restless and there have been more and more attacks lately. But, with Makoto and Kayo here, everything's going to be fine. Okayama Hero Kibe Ayumi, signing off."
Finishing the page, Noriko closes the journal and sets it down on the bed. She stands from the mattress and offers her hand to Rina.
"Well, now we know for certain there were Heroes here. Let's look around and see if we can find anything else."
"Aww, but I wanted to hear more."
Rina pouts as she takes Noriko's hand and pulls herself to her feet. The two make their way back into the hallway to continue investigating the castle. Continuing to climb the levels of the castle, stopping to note down the conditions of the various chambers within, Noriko and Rina finally reach the top level of the castle. Gazing out the barred windows of the small chamber at the castle's summit gives a wide view of the cityscape of Okayama.
"Look, Nori-Nori!"
Rina points out the window as the two gaze through it, onto the decrepit city. The surrounding river makes the small island seem like a completely different world, its pristine grounds contrasting the decaying structures just across the water. Large mountains create a lush green horizon separating the land from the grey skies as the two girls look on.
"It's beautiful…"
Looking away from the scenic view, Rina glances into the small chamber. Along one wall, a large map of Japan is plastered over what was once an informational graphic. Various cities are marked in red marker with only a few in the surrounding areas still untouched.
"Hey, Nori-Nori? What's the deal with this?"
Noriko turns and inspects the map that had caught Rina's interest. Noticing the marks on the map, she makes a quick deduction and explains.
"It looks like this was a war map for the Heroes. Those red marks are probably other bases that were overtaken."
"That's horrible..."
Reminded of her duties, Noriko begins to search the small chamber. Looking for any traces of things left behind, she begins to comb the room from front to back. Noticing something in the corner of the room sparks a look of horror stopping Noriko in her tracks.
"Rina, come over here. Now."
Noticing the change in Noriko's demeanor, Rina quickly hurries to her side and looks to see what had caused such a disturbance. Lying on the floor in front of the two girls is a small smartphone.
"Is that…"
Rina freezes up as she realizes the gravity of what they might have just discovered. Kneeling down, Noriko picks up the phone and swipes to unlock the device. Looking at the phone's homescreen, she notices a small app with a flower icon in the corner. The icon is distorted and greyed out, not responding to any inputs. Her fears confirmed, Noriko turns to Rina and points out the app.
"This...this was a Hero Terminal."
"S-So, what's it doing here? Is there anything on it?"
Noriko continues to inspect the contents of the phone. Tapping through the phone's photo album shows several photos of a group of three young girls. The tallest of the three consistently wears a confident smile on her face and often has one arm extended out of the camera's shot. Taking notice, Noriko comments as she points out the tall girl that would often take the middle spot in the photos.
"This must have been hers'."
A sense of nervousness hangs in the air as the two search the phone for any information. Looking at the notification bar at the top of the screen, she notices a lone icon. Swiping the bar down, the icon grows larger with a message displayed alongside it: "Recording saved". Noriko begins to feel sick as she taps the icon and opens the terminal's recording software. The software looks somewhat barren with only a single recording displayed on-screen. Rina clutches Noriko's arm as Noriko nervously taps the screen and the device begins to emit sound.
"If someone should find this, my name is Nagai Kayo. I am a Hero stationed at Okayama Castle in the Okayama Prefecture."
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"My comrades and I have been defending Okayama Castle for just over a year now. We stand as one of the last lines of defense for humanity against the Vertexes. At this point, it is believed that only ourselves and the Shikoku party remain."
In the background of the recording, the sound of voices can be heard from a distance as Kayo continues.
"The date is currently May 7th. A large Vertex has been spotted in the distance near the Seto Inland Sea, much larger than any we have observed before. The Taisha have already taken actions to protect their headquarters. They even sent orders for our group to transfer to Shikoku within the week."
As Kayo continues her monologue, the sound of shoes pounding against wood can be heard in the recording. After a moment, another voice, this one more cheery and upbeat, rings through the smartphone's speakers.
"Kayooo! Are you coming? Makoto's almost finished with dinner."
"Oh, Ayumi. Just give me a minute, I'm...recording a transmission for the Taisha."
Kayo clearly struggles to give an answer to Ayumi's bubbly voice.
"Oh, a recording for the Taisha? Tell them everything's a-okay! With the three of us here, we can take down any Vertex that comes at us!"
"Right, right, yes, I'll tell them. Now, go on. I'm sure Makoto would be upset with you if you let her food get cold. I'll be right down."
Kayo's quip causes Ayumi's voice to let out a shocked gasp as the recording captures the sound of shoes against wood, more pronounced than before. Letting out a light sigh, Kayo continues with her message.
"The Stardust have been especially restless lately. We've been seeing groups of them in much greater numbers and they all seem to be conglomerating around the large Vertex. Our stronghold here might not hold out much longer…"
The room is filled with a deathly silence as the recording seems to cut out for a few moments before one final message can be heard.
"If you should find this recording, remember the names of those who fought to protect Okayama Castle. Hero Kibe Ayumi, Miko Kudou Makoto...and Hero Nagai Kayo."
＊＊＊＊＊
As quickly as the noise of the recording filled the room, silence once again returns to the small chamber at the peak of Okayama Castle. Only the light patter of rain hitting the castle's roof fills the room as Noriko and Rina stand, shocked by the discovery they've made.
"Nagai Kayo...So, she was one of the Heroes who defended this place."
"And Kibe Ayumi...Nori-Nori...The way they talked, how they acted...It reminds me of us…"
Noriko turns to her partner for the first time since the recording began. Rina was visibly shaken by the gravity of what they had just heard. Clutching herself and wearing a panicked look on her face, her whole body quivers. Tears can be seen starting to form in Rina's eyes.
"They were just like us...Kayo...Ayumi...and they…"
Rina begins to cry as Noriko quickly stows the phone away in her bag. Wrapping her arms around Rina, she pulls her partner into a tight embrace and caresses the back of Rina's head.
"It's okay, Rina. Let's rest here for a while."
Rina sniffles as she attempts to force out a response to Noriko, choking up as she speaks.
"O-Okay."
Noriko reaches down and clasps Rina's left hand with her own right hand, leading Rina downstairs. Rina sniffles as she wipes tears and snot from her face with her free hand. She pulls Noriko's hand closer as the two girls make their way back downstairs, clinging to the one thing that keeps her calm.
＊＊＊＊＊
Kibe Ayumi...Kudou Makoto...Nagai Kayo...Their legacy, everything about them was left here at Okayama Castle. Neither Rina nor I will likely ever be able to forget the things we saw and heard here today. We'll carry on the legacies of the Heroes and their Miko that once fought to defend humanity. We will create a world where they could happily live their lives.