To the Underground World
Sunday, July 4th
To the five Sun Rangers, the Forthorthian weapons they had been loaned were complete mysteries. While they had only been equipped with nonlethal weaponry to keep the conflict at hand from getting any more serious, they still far surpassed any weapons known to Earth. All five of them were simply amazed.
“What the heck is this? I’ve never seen a taser gun that fires bullets.”
“Hayato-niichan, this looks like a bazooka. Is it seriously nonlethal?”
“Kenichi, wouldn’t this suit you? They said it’s called a shock sword.”
“Huh, I think you’re right. Daisaku, would you spar with me a little?”
“Yeah, sure. Let’s all get a feel for the new gear.”
While they were all stunned at first, they couldn’t let it get the better of them with the battle so close at hand. In order to prepare for it, they began with some light sparring exercises.
“How is it, Daisaku?”
“Hmm, it seems like there’s a bit of delay between the hit and when the zap comes.”
“I see. So I need to respond faster than with the usual blade...”
A loud bang rang out elsewhere in the room.
“A direct hit. Well done, Hayato-niichan.”
“What an unpleasant gun. It hits exactly where I aim.”
“Ah, so that’s why you hit slightly above the mark.”
“Yeah, it looks like I don’t need to compensate for anything with this.”
The group continued like that for a while, and just as their practice was about to come to an end...
“Oh?”
Megumi spotted several small silhouettes behind some steel drums—children of the underground people. The Sun Rangers were currently in the conservative faction’s stronghold, and the young children had come to spy on them.
“What are you doing here? We’re practicing fighting, so it’s dangerous.”
“...Are you heroes of justice?” one of the children peeking out from behind the steel drums timidly asked Megumi.
The children had heard the adults talking about a group of transforming heroes—which was really what they’d come to see.
“That’s what we’ll always strive to be.”
“...Are you going to defeat the underground people?”
That was what the children were worried about most. Still naive to the ways of the world, they didn’t fully grasp the conflict at hand, and the last thing the children wanted was to become enemies of heroes of justice.
“No, it’s not like that. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a surface dweller or an underground dweller. We are only going to stop the bad people who are hurting others.”
“Then... you’re our allies?”
“Are you bullying anybody?”
“No, we wouldn’t do that! We all get along!”
“Even with the people of the surface?”
“Yeah! We even went together to a festival the day before yesterday!”
“What good little boys and girls you are. And as long as you’re good boys and girls, we’ll be your allies.”
As Megumi smiled, the children let out sighs of relief and came out from behind the steel drums, one after another. There were seven of them in total, and they all looked at the Sun Rangers with sparkling eyes.
“You transform, right?!”
“Yes, we do.”
“I want to see it!”
“Hmm, let me ask the others... Everyone, could you come over?”
“Sure thing!”
When Megumi called for them, Kenichi and the others walked over to her and the children. On the way, Kenichi spoke to the other Sun Rangers with a serious expression on his face.
“Everyone, we have a lot of responsibility on our shoulders.”
“I know. We’re not the same as we were last year.”
“I can’t just sit around eating anymore.”
“It’s a little embarrassing, honestly.”
The Sun Rangers were indeed different people than they’d been a year ago. They were still in the grand process of developing and honing their skills, but they knew better than ever what was important—and who they couldn’t let down.
That’s why they had made up their minds. Regardless of what happened, they would fight in a way that they could proud of. In a way they could boast to the children about.
Koutarou and the others were currently in the stronghold of the People of the Earth’s conservative faction. The stronghold was originally a shelter that had been prepared in the event of an emergency, but it was now being used as their base of operations. Koutarou and the others had gathered there to swiftly decide on a strategy and ready themselves for the coming battle with the radical faction.
Right now, they were in the conference room in the middle of a strategy meeting with some leaders from the conservative faction. Professor Roppongi was also there on behalf of the Sun Rangers. Since they were busy training with their new weapons, they left the meeting to him. And said meeting had been going on for quite some time now.
“...Then let’s go over what’s been decided.”
Kiriha, who was the commander of the entire operation, was leading the meeting. Once the entire strategy had been decided on, she went over it with everyone part by part, a serious expression on her face all the while.
“Theia-dono will lead the surface team: Ruth, Shizuka, Maki, the Sun Rangers, and a unit of eighty troops from the conservative faction’s combat force, for a total of eighty-nine men in all.”
For the upcoming battle, Koutarou and the others had decided to divide their numbers. They were split into a surface team that would seize control of the earthquake weapon, and an underground team that would capture the radical faction’s leaders.
Members of the surface team were largely chosen for their abilities to use large-scale attacks. Theia and Ruth had their battleship, Blue Knight, and Shizuka held the power of a dragon inside of her. And after spending some time analyzing the information they had gathered so far, they realized there was a chance that Maya had cast some kind of spell on the earthquake weapon. For that reason, Maki would be accompanying the surface team as well.
The Sun Rangers were also appointed to the surface team, not only because they were more suited to battle above ground, but also for political reasons. Dealing with a threat on the surface was closer to their original duty than intervening in foreign political matters. It was decided that this would be the easiest way to keep the surface and the underground from coming into serious conflict.
On top of that, eighty members of the conservative faction’s combat force under Kiriha’s direct command would be joining them. Because the conservative faction’s forces were relatively small, that was about the maximum amount of soldiers they could muster. Any more than that might also make transportation difficult, so everyone decided capping the unit at eighty would be appropriate.
“The underground team will consist of Koutarou, Yurika, Harumi, and Sanae under my command. We’ll be joined by another twenty conservative faction troops, making a total of twenty-five of us.”
The underground team, on the other hand, was going for flexibility over numbers. They had the calm and quick-witted Kiriha in the lead, Koutarou who fought using all kinds of powers, Yurika and Harumi who could use magic, and Sanae who could sense and detect enemies better than anyone with her psychic powers. They could adapt to just about any situation, and with a smaller team, they could avoid fighting as much as possible.
Even with Kiriha’s subordinates, they still only numbered about a quarter of the surface team. That would be considered an advantage in terms of mobility and strategy when it came to the narrow passageways of the underground, so they’d decided a twenty-man team achieved the optimal balance between fighting power and stealth.
“Clan-dono will stay on standby in the air, and the Cradle will provide support where needed.”
Clan was an exception and wouldn’t be part of either team specifically. Instead, she would be helping both. In that, she had two primary jobs: she would relay communication between the two teams, and provide support for either in combat.
Since the battle would likely be occurring both on the surface and underground simultaneously, it would ordinarily be impossible for the teams to communicate. Forthorthe’s gravitational wave technology would change that, but it still wouldn’t be easy to connect to the team underground. As such, tech wizard Clan would stay on standby to organize communications for the operation. With her help, the two teams should be able to coordinate flawlessly. On top of that, she’d be able to assist with everything from analyzing information to transferring supplies. While such jobs were relatively mundane, they would be critical in the fight to come.
“The underground team will move first, and once we’ve located the enemy’s base, both teams will begin their attacks simultaneously. Since each team will act as a diversion for the other, the timing of the joint attack is of utmost importance.”
Currently, the position of the earthquake weapon was all but confirmed, but the radical faction’s main base still hadn’t been located. While there were some leads, they would have to search for it before they could really make their move. Once they found it, they’d launch a simultaneous attack on both the base and the earthquake weapon.
“The mission will begin as of 19:00 today, and we’ll roll out after the sun sets.”
As it was summer, the sun would set around 7PM. Their movements would be less obvious under cover of darkness, and since not being noticed would be an important part of the operation, they’d be moving out after the sun went down.
“That is all for the outline of the strategy. Any questions?”
Once she finished reviewing the plan, Kiriha looked around the room. She looked more serious than ever; smiling simply wasn’t an option for her today. And she wasn’t the only one. The same was true for the other girls as well. This was their first time ever launching a full-scale attack like this.
“...Then this concludes the strategy meeting. Everyone, begin your preparations.”
Not a single person had questions. Every one of them knew exactly what they needed to be doing in the battle ahead of them—one fiercer than anything they’d ever faced before.
As a leader of her tribe, Kurano Kiriha had very few people she could truly be herself around. One of that select handful was her father, Kurano Daiha. She was currently in her private room, in the middle of a call with him.
“...The radicals have come to demand that we surrender right away, and they’re dangling the existence of that earthquake weapon of theirs in front of us.”
“So that really was their goal...”
“By feeding you information directly, they eliminated the need for us to confirm it, which doesn’t give us an excuse to buy any time... Maguz is tough.”
“How are you planning on responding?”
“I can’t tell you over the call... How pitiful. I’m not even able to speak frankly with my own daughter.”
“I know how you feel.”
At this critical juncture, Daiha couldn’t openly talk with his daughter for fear of magical surveillance and interference. But the same was true for Kiriha. Even though she was talking to her own father, she couldn’t share her mission plans with him. It was a sorry situation to be in. As such, Kiriha’s expression remained quite serious. It was a look that didn’t suit her.
“I will inform you of the details at a later time. Until then, act according to your own judgment, Kiriha.”
Since Kiriha couldn’t tell him anything, Daiha didn’t know that she was planning to launch an attack on the radical faction. Seeing the determination in her eyes, however, he had an idea that something was afoot. As her father, he had a certain degree of insight into her, and he could tell that whatever it was, it was something big. Things made a lot more sense to him when he realized that was probably why Kiriha had called. So though Daiha might have looked calm on the surface, he was uneasy on the inside and wanted to encourage his daughter in some way.
“Thank you very much, chief.”
“I’m glad I got to see you. By the way, Kiriha, there’s talk about arranged marriage—”
“That won’t be necessary. I’m capable of finding my own fiancé.”
“You still remain unmoving on that point... You really do look just like her.”
Daiha smiled. Despite the circumstances, Kiriha finally flashed a slightly more girlish expression when he brought up marriage. While that was the most he could do right now over a video call, Daiha was satisfied that he was at least able to get a word in edgewise as her father.
Once the call was over, Kiriha leaned back in her chair and let out a sigh. She’d gotten the chance to see her father before the battle. Now all that was left was to do her best. The next thing she knew, someone was calling out to her.
“So that’s your father, Kiriha-san?”
It was Koutarou, who had come to her room looking for her.
“Koutarou... you were listening?”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”
Koutarou presented a document to her. It was what he’d come to deliver—a long list of items that had all been checked off. In other words, preparations for the mission were now complete. The document was a formality to let Kiriha know that everything was in place.
“How much did you hear?”
“From the part about your arranged marriage.”
“Then you didn’t hear anything.”
“Sure sounded like it. Sounds like talk of marriage for you is a big deal.”
“Does that worry you?”
“The only thing that worries me is whether or not you’re happy.”
“Then you don’t need to worry. I already have plans laid out for the future.”
“Then that’s good.”
Kiriha smiled, and upon seeing that smile, Koutarou felt like there was no need for him to say anything more. He’d been worried that Kiriha was feeling down and keeping it all to herself again. But it seemed either her talk with her father had cheered her up, or he’d simply been mistaken in the first place. Either way, there was no longer a reason for him to worry. And so Koutarou decided to change the subject, even if it was to something relatively insignificant.
“But still... it’s pretty strange.”
“What is?”
“At first you came to invade, but now you’re working your hardest to stop an invasion.”
“The invasion I desire isn’t one based on stealing.”
“But because you hid all that for so long, you ended up throwing me for quite a loop.”
Kiriha’s invasion was an honorable and dignified one. One that would keep people safe and happy. While the People of the Earth were technically illegal immigrants and breaking the law, she was doing the right thing in choosing a peaceful invasion.
But she hadn’t revealed all that to Koutarou at first. That was for two reasons. The first was to buy time, and the second was because she didn’t know what kind of person he was. As such, she caused him a good amount of undue worry over her intentions.
“Thinking back on it now, it was all pretty strange. You claimed that you would be mass producing weapons like the haniwas for your invasion, but you also spoke sympathetically about what it was like to be stolen from and hurt... I should have connected the dots back then.”
“I’m sorry for deceiving you. But in doing that, I was able to silence the radical faction for a time. What’s more... I was able to reunite with my first love.”
Kiriha smiled as she spoke and put a hand to her chest. Just underneath it was her card—the one she’d gotten as a present from the boy she loved back when she was still a child.
“I’m not angry. I know you were in a tough spot.”
“Thank you, Koutarou.”
Seeing Kiriha smile, Koutarou could see a bit of the girl he’d met eleven years ago. The girl whose eyes had sparkled upon seeing the surface world for the first time, and who was heartbroken when she couldn’t ride the rollercoaster. As Kiriha and her younger self overlapped in his mind, a certain wish blossomed inside of Koutarou.
“Say, Kiriha-san...”
“Yes?”
“Once all of this is over, let’s go ride that rollercoaster.”
Ever since she was a child, Kiriha rarely asked for anything for herself. Koutarou knew she might be holding back even now. But once the battle was over, there would be no need for that. Taking her to the rollercoaster might be the perfect first step to getting her what she really wanted.
“Koutarou...”
But that was when something unforeseen happened. Still smiling, tears began streaming from Kiriha’s eyes.
“H-Hey, what’s wrong?”
Not expecting her to start crying, Koutarou looked at Kiriha with a worried face. She looked back up at him with tearful eyes.
“You just said something that can never be taken back... Do you realize that?”
Kiriha put both hands over her chest, holding back the feelings that were on the verge of bursting out.
“Kiriha-san...”
“You can’t be so dense that you don’t understand what saying that right now means to me... and Kii...”
Inside of Kiriha was a lonely little girl named Kii who rarely showed herself. They coexisted in her mind, and the rollercoaster held a special significance to them both. So Kiriha—both as an adult and as a child—knew it was something truly special to be asked to go ride the rollercoaster after everything was through and done.
“I know. But... there was nothing else to be said.”
Koutarou was well aware of what he’d said and what it meant. He’d chosen those words on purpose. Considering the relationship they’d built, it was all he’d needed to say. There could be nothing more appropriate than that.
“Then... there’s something I want to ask.”
“What?”
“Would you mind if I hugged you right now...?”
“Do you even have to ask?”
Koutarou smiled smugly and spread his arms out.
“Koutarou!”
Kiriha sprung up from her seat and leaped into Koutarou’s arms, embracing him with both of hers. Koutarou responded by hugging her back. She continued crying in his arms, her shoulders gently trembling.
“There you have it, so let’s hurry up and put an end to all this.”
Koutarou patted Kiriha on the back and held her like that as she cried.
“Of course... I love you, Onii-chan...”
Kiriha had a new goal, and she would give this mission her all to that end. Though she continued to cry for a while, strong, positive emotions filled her chest.
When the clock hit 7PM, it was time for the mission to start. Koutarou, the girls of room 106, and the Sun Rangers gathered in the entrance hall of the base. Koutarou and the rest of the underground team would be the first to depart. The others had come to see them off.
“Koutarou, you get it, don’t you? You’re only allowed to lose against me. I won’t forgive defeat at anyone else’s hands. Win, and come back unharmed.”
“Don’t be so unreasonable, Theia. But you guys be careful too, okay? You already stand out enough as it is, so don’t get reckless.”
“Kiriha-sama, please stay safe. And please take care of Master.”
“Thank you, Ruth. I’ve looked through the manual for Koutarou’s armor; there’s no need to worry.”
“Sanae-san, make sure you come back in one piece so you can wear your knight’s uniform.”
“Yeah! Hmm, if you’re indigo, Maki, I wonder what color I should be... Heehee!”
“Ugh, my stomach hurts...”
“Oh, even you’re nervous, Yurika-chan?”
“I... I ate too much... Ugggh...”
“Let’s go on a diet together once this is all over.”
“Harumi, the PAF will last for at least another 24 hours, but bear in mind that you should change your power pack when you have the time to do so.”
“You mean to always be prepared for the unexpected. Got it, Clan-san. I’ll be careful.”
Koutarou and the nine girls wished each other good luck and said their farewells. If everything went according to plan, they wouldn’t meet again until the battle was over. That’s why their parting words were all a little more solemn than normal.
I guess that’s to be expected. Even though they’re all strong, they’re still just normal girls...
Koutarou could easily tell that the girls were nervous. It was the same kind of nervous energy he’d felt before major battles in past Forthorthe. Clan was the only other person in the group who knew what that was like.
“Sun Rangers, take care of everyone. They’re all strong, but they don’t have a lot of actual combat experience.”
Koutarou bowed his head to the Sun Rangers. Since they were part of the surface team, they would be accompanying Theia and the others in his place. And though the Sun Rangers were less powerful than Theia and the others, they far outranked them in terms of actual experience. Koutarou would be counting on that experience to guide the entire group.
“Please leave it to us, Baron-san. The only thing the five of us can take pride in is our experience.”
“Baron-sama is counting on me! Baron-sama! On meee! I’m sooooo haaappyyy!”
“Megu-chan, they’re talking about important things here, so let’s get out of the way for now.”
“I think about it from time to time, but... Megu-neechan really just spins in circles, doesn’t she?”
“Even in this kind of situation, she’s the same as always... You just might be right.”
“I’m counting on you, Sun Rangers.”
“You got it.”
Koutarou and Kenichi lightly bumped fists. A promise between warriors was the same, regardless of the day and age.
“Koutarou.”
As if waiting for that moment, Kiriha called for Koutarou. When he looked over, he saw that the underground troops were all gathered. From room 106, there was Kiriha, Sanae, Yurika, and Harumi. They were joined by twenty of Kiriha’s subordinates. So with Koutarou, the underground team numbered twenty-five strong.
“We’ll be off now. Again, you guys be careful.”
Koutarou bid his final farewells to those that would remain behind for now, and moved to join up with the rest of the underground team.
“Men, make sure you return alive!”
“Master, leave everything here to me during your absence!”
“Nijino Yurika! Watch out for Maya-sama!”
“Kii, you’re not alone! Rely on your allies!”
“Everyone, stay safe!”
Several different voices called out to Koutarou and the departing team. Each made him want to stay, but he forced himself forward and caught up with the rest of his team without looking back. From here, they were headed underground. It was time for the mission to start.
Koutarou and his team were travelling underground via an old passageway that had been sealed for several decades. In order to keep their movements secret from the radical faction, Kiriha had wanted to take as hidden a route as possible. There were several different paths that led underground, but this one in particular led to part of the underground city that had been abandoned due to the decline in population. And since no one lived there now, the passage to it had been sealed off long ago. It was like the whole place had been forgotten by time. That made it the perfect infiltration route—as long as they could break the seal and get in.
“All right, I’ll take a look on the other side.”
With her ghostly powers, Sanae was able to leave her body and inspect the other side of the sealed door.
“Come back soon, Sanae-chan!”
The Sanae who was left behind when she left her body—in other words, Sanae-san who’d been hospitalized—saw her off with a worried look on her face. Aware of that look or not, the ghostly Sanae disappeared through the solid door.
“How does it look?” Koutarou asked.
“U-Um... It doesn’t look like there’s anyone around.”
It was Sanae-san who answered, reporting on what Sanae-chan was seeing. Even when Sanae-chan left her body, the two of them weren’t completely divided. They were still connected through spiritual energy. So while it looked like they had split up, they still shared a soul and their senses. Rather than being two people, they were two versions of the same girl.
“It looks like there are bats, moles, and bugs though.”
“Eeeeek!”
Upon hearing that terrible word—“bugs”—Yurika shrieked. She hated bugs.
“You’re okay with beetles, aren’t you?”
“I hate spiders, disgusting creepy-crawlies, and anything venomous!”
Her lip quivering, Yurika frantically sprayed insect repellent all around her. When she learned that she would be going underground, it was the very first thing she’d packed.
“Karama, Korama, open it up.”
“Ho! Got it, Nee-san!”
“Leave it to us, ho!”
While Yurika was still spraying away, Kiriha gave the haniwas the order to unseal the door. First, Karama connected its personal spiritual energy generator to the door via a cable. That revived the door’s control panel, which Korama analyzed to undo the lock. In total, the process took them about ten seconds. Since the door was so old, the haniwas had no problem at all deciphering its outdated technology. It was a cinch.
“Koutarou, please open it, ho!”
“We’ll leave the physical labor to you, ho!”
“Okay, okay.”
Since he stood out too much while wearing it, Koutarou didn’t have his armor on currently. But even without it, he was still the strongest of the group. He grabbed the door and pulled on it with all his might. It let out a grating screech as it slowly slid to the side. Sanae-chan then returned through the open gap.
“I’m back!”
With a cheerful smile on her face, she hugged Koutarou’s back.
“Sanae, I’m not the one you should be returning to. Try over there.”
Koutarou pointed at Sanae-san.
“Hurry and come back, Sanae-chan!”
Since she was so shy, she couldn’t help feeling bashful over standing next to her beloved Koutarou. She wanted to merge with Sanae-chan again as quickly as possible.
“You know, if you love him, then just say so.”
“Don’t be mean!”
“Sanae, hurry up and go back to normal. We’ve got to go.”
“But you can see better in the dark this way, Koutarou. Look.”
Sanae knew the circumstances, and wasn’t actually playing around. Since Koutarou’s spirit sight was an ability that came from Sanae, she could naturally use it much better than he could. And when she clung to him, she could confer more of her power than normal. Enhanced spirit sight was indeed convenient when walking down a dark tunnel without any light.
“I see. Then let’s proceed like this.”
“If you appreciate it, then you better praise me.”
“You did good. Very good.”
“Heeheehee...”
“In this state, I should take the lead. Everyone, follow me.”
“Let’s go!”
“Wait! Don’t leave me behind!”
Koutarou proceeded through the door with Sanae-chan still on his back. Sanae-san chased after them in a panic. Seeing Koutarou and the others like that, Harumi and Kiriha smiled at each other.
“What a mysterious sight.”
“I never thought I’d so literally get to see someone getting ahead of themselves like that.”
“You could say that again. Heehee.”
“P-Please waiiit!”
Harumi, Kiriha, and her subordinates also followed after Koutarou and both Sanaes. From there, they all moved deeper underground and set foot into the domain of the People of the Earth.
While the passageway leading into the city was old, it was sturdily built. The walls and floors were made out of something similar to concrete. Despite not having seen use for decades, there were no signs of dilapidation. It certainly showed off the People of the Earth’s constructional skills.
“It has a similar vibe to Kiriha-san’s base.”
That was Koutarou’s first impression upon seeing the passageway. The simple yet sturdy structure reminded him of Kiriha’s secret room underneath room 106.
“They were built using the same traditional methods, after all.”
“I see... With all your advanced techniques and technology, even stuff like concrete is considered ‘traditional’ for you.”
“We excel at technology that’s impervious to both moisture and pressure.”
“You might do well to patent all of this stuff...”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
The party progressed down the old-yet-modern passage. In the lead was Koutarou, carrying Sanae-chan on his back. After him came Kiriha, Sanae-san, Harumi, and Yurika, with Kiriha’s twenty subordinates bringing up the rear. Normally such a large group would be quite noisy, but thanks to a spell that Yurika had cast to silence their footsteps, there was hardly a noise to be heard as they moved along. They were also scanning for enemies using spiritual energy and using other magic to conceal their presence. They were ideally equipped for stealth.
“Koutarou, stop!”
“There’s something there!”
As Sanae-chan leaned forward on Koutarou’s back and peered ahead, Sanae-san grabbed his hand and stopped him. Being two in one, their coordination was perfect.
“Sanae, what is ‘something’?”
“It doesn’t seem to be human. It feels a bit like Karama-chan and Korama-chan.”
“There are two corners up ahead, and it’s just past there. It’s getting closer, but it doesn’t seem to have noticed us yet.”
“Kiriha-san, what do you think it is?”
“It’s probably an automated spiritual energy weapon like Karama and Korama. They’re perfect as guards for remote places like this.”
Spiritual energy weapons used the spiritual energy their own souls emitted in addition to the ambient spiritual energy around them to move. As a result, they were very low maintenance and would last until their parts were simply worn out. They were very useful for guarding places where intruders were very rare, but not unthinkable.
“Are you guys good in places like this?”
“No, ho! We don’t like dark and narrow places, ho!”
“The radical faction has some of us that do, though, ho!”
“You mean like the clay dolls that attacked at the amusement park?”
“Probably. The radical faction probably placed guards here just in case.”
The spiritual energy weapons that the conservative faction employed were primarily used as everyday guards and servants, and were given souls similar to humans. Because of that, they felt lonely when left alone. This was especially true for Karama and Korama, but that kind of tendency was common among the conservative faction.
However, the radical faction only used their spiritual energy weapons as weapons, plain and simple. As a result, their souls were far more mechanical. In fact, what controlled them was much closer to a computer program than a soul. They were true automatons. That was why they never complained regardless of what kind of job they were given, and why they never felt lonely. While they were efficient, they were mere tools. The radical faction had no attachment to them, whereas the rest of the People of the Earth felt the same way about them that the Japanese would about tsukumogami—tools that had gained souls after many years of care and use. That was yet another important difference in the ideology between the factions of the underground dwellers.
“So what do we do, Kurano-san? If we don’t decide soon, that clay doll will find us.”
Harumi was right. They didn’t have long before the presumed spiritual energy weapon of the radical faction closed in on them. They needed to think and act fast.
“Let’s go back and take a detour. I don’t want us to be found, and we can’t go and destroy it.”
Kiriha swiftly made a decision. She believed that a lone spiritual energy weapon deployed here would be to detect intruders rather than to stop them. With that in mind, it was best to simply let it pass by. If they let it find them or if they destroyed it, the radical faction would be alerted to their presence.
“All right, then let’s go. And Yurika, could you power up your camouflage spell just in case?”
“Okay.”
Following Koutarou’s orders, Yurika readied her magical staff. Everyone waited for her to finish her spell and then turned back the way they’d come.
As Kiriha suspected, what Sanae had detected was a clay doll spiritual energy weapon. It was several times larger than Karama and Korama, and had a more angular shape befitting a weapon. With their superior numbers, they could have easily overcome it, but such dolls were still dangerous opponents one-on-one.
Koutarou and the others avoided the clay doll and detoured around it. With the help of Yurika’s magic, they did so undetected. Currently, Koutarou was back in the lead as they were making their way down the passage once more.
“Say, Kiriha, how far are we?”
“Just a little further up ahead is an elevator. If we use that, it should take us quite deep. Distance-wise, we’re probably less than halfway, but it shouldn’t take too long to get there.”
“Hmm, so we’ve still got a ways to go. Hey, Harumi, are you okay?”
“I’m okay. Thank you, Higashihongan-san.”
“If anything happens, you let me—the real leader—know right away, okay?”
“Heehee, okay.”
After getting past the clay doll, the group made it to their next objective without running into any more trouble. Said objective was a transportation elevator that led to the underground city. Since the clay doll was using it, it was still operational.
“So we’re getting on this?”
Upon reaching the elevator, Yurika casually reached out for the call button on the elevator’s lit-up control panel.
“Wait, stop!”
But Koutarou grabbed her in the nick of time.
“Kyah! Wh-What is it?!”
Surprised by his sudden actions, Yurika stared at Koutarou wide-eyed. After confirming that the button hadn’t been pressed, Koutarou let out a sigh of relief.
“Give me a break, Yurika. If we call for the elevator, they’ll know we’re here.”
“Ah, r-right... Sorry,” she apologized, turning bright red.
If the radical faction were to ambush them, the elevator exit would be the ideal place. And if they realized that Koutarou and the others were on the elevator, it would be easy to spring an attack on them as soon as they arrived at their destination.
“We’re already in enemy territory, so be more careful, Yurika.”
“R-Right...”
Seeing Yurika nod, Koutarou let go of her and shrugged. Now free, she chased after him with her eyes, her cheeks still flushed.
I-Is that all? He could have some reaction after hugging a girl like that...
Yurika knew good and well that now wasn’t the time to be thinking about anything like that, but she couldn’t help being a little disappointed that Koutarou wasn’t more aware of what he was doing.
“Kiriha-san, there’s gotta be a workaround, right?”
Oblivious to what Yurika was going through, Koutarou called out to Kiriha. After watching them for a moment, Yurika looked down at herself and sighed.
“Indeed. It does seem to have some security on it, but it’s decades old. It’s no match for our present technology.”
“Ho! Leave it to us, ho!”
“Ho, ho! Now it’s our time to shine, ho!”
Karama and Korama began messing around with the control panel. Bypassing it was tedious work that involved deceiving all kinds of security systems, but as Kiriha said, the haniwas didn’t seem to have any trouble with it whatsoever.
An hour had elapsed since the team had passed through the first door in the tunnel. From there, they’d made their way to the elevator, taken it down, and then followed a set of stairs. And now, at last, Koutarou and the others reached the underground city.
“So this is Kurano-san’s hometown...”
Seeing the underground world for the first time, Harumi stared at it all in wonderment, her eyes wide open. Before her spread out a splendid vista of a nighttime cityscape, which at first glance didn’t look like it was underground at all. Seeing her reaction, Kiriha smiled.
“That’s right. This is the largest city of the People of the Earth, which was built up over hundreds of years—Sial.”
Her proud smile revealed that this city held a special meaning to the People of the Earth. According to legend, their ancestors were driven from their original homeland after committing a grave sin. At the end of their exodus, they reached the area around Kisshouharukaze City, where they settled and established their civilization anew. Though they had advanced technology, as penance for the sin they had once committed, they refrained from taking power and confined themselves to a small area.
Supported by their advanced technology and culture, their peaceful lives continued there for a long time. But as time passed, the people living around them began to advance as well. There were also territorial disputes, which naturally generated friction between the two civilizations. When that friction came to a head, the People of the Earth’s ancestors decided to move underground. While it would have been a simple feat to suppress the less advanced people with their superior technology, their ancestral legends proclaimed that such a use of power would spell their ruin. So instead, the majority of them decided to peacefully move underground. Only a small handful of them remained on the surface. That was when the People of the Earth became known as the People of the Earth.
Life after that was far from easy for them. But the People of the Earth united to face their problems, and worked together to build the splendid town of Sial underground. After hundreds of years of improvements to it, it evolved into a splendid modern city. It was a symbol of the path they’d chosen over conflict. The People of the Earth’s ways of peace had led to prosperity. And so not only was Sial home to a great many of the People of the Earth, it was an important cultural touchstone.
“But... this side is dark,” a puzzled Sanae observed.
The People of the Earth’s city was built inside of a massive cave, filling it up entirely. As it was currently night and the lights they had to emulate the sun were off, there were instead lights beaming out of windows here and there from buildings all across the city—except for in the south. The north was beautifully lit up, but the opposite side of the city where Koutarou and the others had entered was completely dark.
“This is the old district. With the decrease in our population, this side of town isn’t in use anymore,” Kiriha explained with a wistful expression.
The prosperous People of the Earth had suffered a decline as the surface developed. Their current population was less than half of what it had been at its height. As a result, the southern district of the city had been abandoned. There simply weren’t people to fill it now. But thanks to the excellent construction of the buildings there, the district remained the same despite no one living there. It was like a fresh ghost town. Proof of the People of the Earth’s decline. To Kiriha who was born and raised down here, seeing the uninhabited district made her sad. When she looked upon it, she felt like part of her people’s unity and pride had been lost.
“So where do we go now?”
“We’ll group up with our allies at an old guard station. This way.”
Kiriha led the team down a road of the old district. Their destination was a building that had been used by city guards in the past. On the surface, it would be something similar to a police station. They would join up with additional conservative faction forces there and prepare for the battle with the radical faction.
“Clan. Come in, Clan.”
As Koutarou followed Kiriha, he opened up a channel with Clan via his bracelet.
“What is it?”
A hologram of Clan quickly answered him. Since she was on standby as everyone’s backup, she was ready and waiting for any incoming calls.
“We’ve reached the People of the Earth’s city. Can you pick up a signal from the transmitter?”
The transmitter Koutarou was referring to was one of five he’d planted on trailers leaving the radical faction’s surface weapon factory. They’d managed to track it until it went underground, and Koutarou wanted to know if Clan could find it again because he believed there was a high chance that it would lead them to the radical faction’s base.
“Please wait a moment.”
Clan remotely accessed Koutarou’s bracelet in an attempt to locate the signal.
“It seems it’s still some distance away. All I can tell you is that it’s somewhere to your north. If you give me some more time, I can analyze the signal better.”
Unfortunately, Clan couldn’t get a clear read on its position just yet. Koutarou would either have to get closer to the source, or give her more time to process the data she was picking up.
“Go ahead and analyze it, please.”
“I’ll contact you once I’ve got something.”
“Please do.”
Just as Koutarou and Clan finished their call, there was an explosion to the north on the populated side of the city. It wasn’t that large of an explosion, but it didn’t end at one. Like a roar of thunder, explosions began going off one after another. Completely taken by surprise, Koutarou and the others stopped and looked to the north. There they saw a furiously burning fire taking over most of the nightscape in the aftermath.
“Was there an accident...?”
“That can’t be it, Harumi-chan! Ho! There’s nothing over there that could explode, ho!”
“Ane-san, based on the distance and sound, it’s very likely that those were explosions from handheld firearms, ho!”
“Not good. The radical faction made the first move.”
Kiriha’s expression stiffened. It was hard to believe that the conservative faction would launch an attack here and now. Based on their policies, they would at least wait until they officially rejected the radical faction’s demands for surrender. It seemed far more likely that the radical faction had gone on the offensive because the conservative faction was taking too long to comply with their demands.
“Kiriha-san, let’s hurry and rendezvous with our allies! We can go from there!”
“You’re right. Thank you, Koutarou... Everyone, follow me!”
The situation was growing more and more tense by the minute. They didn’t have any time to hesitate.
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