We are boarding the Land Battleship Shiranui, and it’s finally time to sortie.
From the Author: Previously, I used “Psionic Strength” for the name of the supernatural abilities in the story, but I’m changing it to “Nenshin Power.” It’s a concept equivalent to magic in fantasy, but writing “Nenshin Power” is easier than “Psionic Strength.” Writing “Nenshin Power Power” would be too unnatural. I was careless. I will also correct past stories. Also, the text is too cramped, so I will try to add line breaks between dialogues to make it more readable. I hope it makes it even a little easier to read.
I quickly received my equipment pack C from the supply clerk and headed to Storage Section 1.
I haven’t written a will. I’m writing a diary, which will serve as my will.
Inside the hangar, Tatiana-san and the Mechanic Team were working at full capacity, performing final checks.
No matter how attractive busty women are, I can’t disturb them right now.
In front of me stands the moving steel fortress, the Land Battleship Shiranui.
“Nice to meet you, Shiranui. I’m Amagake Kanata. I hope we have a long relationship.”
After greeting her, I lightly tapped the Shiranui’s armor plate and boarded.
I had seen the floor plan in advance, so I headed to the living quarters first.
I’ll put away my daily necessities and underwear, then take a walk around the ship.
The living quarters were exactly like a capsule hotel. The only difference is that the TV is three-dimensional.
This space seems tough for the huge Vodka.
I’m looking for my nameplate. Ideally, I’d like a bunk on the upper level.
The God, surprisingly, heard my wish.
I found my name on the upper bunk space.
“Kanata Who Lives for Boobs”
…I was prepared for a joke of this magnitude.
My internal clock alarm chimed at 19:00, and the Shiranui began to move with a rumble.
Wait a minute, aren’t they taking roll call?
Well, there won’t be any idiots who miss the departure, and if there are, they probably aren’t needed.
Vodka is coming. Vodka’s bunk is below mine.
“Is this Vodka’s doing? This nameplate.”
“It was the result of everyone’s discussion. There were others like ‘Flaccid Boy Kanata’ and ‘Kanata, Deceased at 20.'”
‘Kanata, Deceased at 20’ was definitely Hotaru. I’ll remember this. I’m the persistent type.
“So, who came up with ‘Kanata Who Lives for Boobs’? Depending on the situation, I might have to go pay them a visit.”
Vodka grinned and said, “It was Marika-san. If you’re going to pay a visit, I’ll come watch?”
“…I’ll pass. It’s not entirely inaccurate.”
“It’s a direct hit, but I’m sick of this coffin. My large build is even more of a curse at times like this.”
“I hear you get a private room if you get promoted.”
“Yeah, but I don’t want to get promoted. Sergeant suits me.”
“Don’t you think you can have dreams?”
“…I don’t want subordinates anymore. If I make a mistake, I want to resolve it with my own life.”
There was a shadow in Vodka’s expression as he said that. Something must have happened.
“A carefree life as a subordinate. As a Corporal, I’ll do the same.”
“Kanata, you aim higher. Gen-san said so in the briefing too, right? That you have a personality suited for the army.”
“Is being a worrier and being obsessive suited for the army?”
“But if you die, there’s no point in getting promoted. The first thing is to survive.”
“I’m not going to die. I’ve only read up to volume 10 of ‘Aniking, the Muscle Heavy Armor User.'”
“It’s the best, isn’t it, Aniking?”
“Yeah, it’s the best. On the battlefield, my special Ane-kick will be unleashed, you know?”
“Marika-san really uses a deadly Ane-kick. It’s amazing.”
“I already experienced it during the entrance exam. Well, I’m going for a walk around the ship.”
“Yeah, don’t get lost.”
In the vehicle hangar, Axel-san and the Rigger Team, along with Tatiana-san and the Mechanic Team, were earnestly discussing.
Axel-san says that riggers are the ones who run with the lives of their comrades on their backs.
In operations like this, where quick disengagement after a surprise attack is required, the Rigger Team is undoubtedly key.
The skill of Axel-san and the Rigger Team must have been one of the factors that allowed Marika-san to determine this operation was feasible.
Next to the vehicle hangar is the weapon hangar. There’s also a small operations room and a cafeteria.
Maybe I should head to the bridge.
In the corridor leading to the bridge, there’s something that looks like a rest area, complete with a vending machine.
Rasen-san, the Vice Captain, is there, sipping what looks like coffee from a paper cup.
I decided to speak to him.
I hadn’t talked to him much since joining.
“Vice Captain Rasen, are you on a break?”
“Just Rasen is fine. If I say that, Shuri will get a headache again, but…”
“Shuri is clearly the type who goes looking for trouble.”
“The unit wouldn’t function without people like that. Shuri has to deal with the hardships.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
“Are the four Company Captains all from the same hometown and have known Marika-san since before joining the army?”
“Why do you think that?”
“They all call her ‘Marika-sama’. It seems like a master-servant relationship rather than superior-subordinate. Also, their surnames. Higakure Marika, Isaribi Rasen, Tomoshibi Hotaru. Fire is related to the names of three of them. And then Hotaru, Tagame GORO, Utsusemi Shuunosuke. This time, insect names are common. It’s too coincidental.”
“Marika-sama said Kanata is the type to think things through tenaciously, and it seems to be true. It’s exactly like her. The four of us are from the Higakure village near Shinro. Marika-sama is our Village Chief.”
“Is it a ninja village?”
“Yes, since humans became the main force on the battlefield, the value of things like swordsmanship, martial arts, and ninjutsu has skyrocketed. Both the Mechanist Army and the Alliance Army are scrambling to secure such personnel. Marika-sama’s father, the previous Village Chief, Danzo-sama, was a close friend of Marshal Asura and was involved in the establishment of the Alliance. Therefore, the Commander and Marika-sama have known each other since childhood. When the Commander established the Asura Unit, we, the First Squad, were the first ones called upon.”
I see. So that’s why the Commander called Marika-san his friend.
Rasen-san and the others are like elite ninjas.
“So, are there many ninja-like people in the First Squad?”
“Indeed. Those of us who are lightweight and highly mobile are called Assault Ninjas. To balance the unit, we’ve brought in people like Vodka in Assault Armor, but it’s safe to say that the core of the First Squad is composed of Assault Ninjas. Their specialties include reconnaissance, diversion, and withdrawal support. Of course, they are the strongest in the Asura Unit when fighting head-on.”
“That’s an amazing unit. I wonder how someone like me got in.”
“Marika-sama apparently told her, ‘Rather than dying coolly, I’d rather live on disgracefully.’ That’s what she liked. The time has come to put your words into action.”
“Yes. What are types like me, who are medium-to-lightweight attackers, called?”
“Command Samurai. If you weren’t from Izuruha, you’d be called Command Knight, but the criteria aren’t clear and it’s rather vague.”
I come from a family of Shinto priests, not samurai.
Right, I should ask Rasen-san about Natsume.
“Rasen-san, Vodka told me not to get involved with Natsume, what does that mean?”
“…How about we talk about it after we return from the operation? It’s not a pleasant topic.”
“The moment I heard that children as young as 10 are being used in human experiments, I hit rock bottom. There’s nowhere lower to go. I’m infected with your tenacious-thinking disease, and I’d rather not go into the operation with this lingering unease.”
“…Understood. But this is not the place to discuss it. Let’s go to my room.”
Rasen-san’s private room was a six-tatami mat room. It even had tatami mats.
There’s no bath, but there is a shower room and a toilet.
On the wall hanging, the words “See enemy, kill enemy” were written in elegant calligraphy.
But the inscription is “by Rasen”… That ruins it.
Rasen-san takes out a beer from the small refrigerator.
“Do you want one too, Kanata?”
“I’ve decided that celebratory drinks will be after the successful completion of the operation.”
“Is that so? I don’t want you passing out in my room. It’s not something to discuss sober, so I’ll drink.”
Rasen-san gulps down his beer.
“What happened to Natsume?”
“It was 8 years ago. Natsume was 10 years old then and lived in a colony city of Shinro, called Suzushiro. Her family were traders and seemed to live a comfortable life. It might be hard to imagine now, but Natsume was frail and always carried an oxygen inhaler.”
I did sense a hint of misfortune, but I also thought she had a strong, tense physique.
It’s certainly hard to imagine.
“There’s a weapon called an oxygen bomb. When it explodes, it removes oxygen from a certain area for 15-18 minutes. An oxygen bomb was used in Suzushiro. It was aimed at the Alliance Army unit stationed there. Unfortunately, Natsume’s house was close to the garrison.”
“Bio-Metal can fight for 5 minutes in an oxygen-deprived state, and 15 minutes if stationary. Isn’t that pointless?”
“It wasn’t like that back then. An oxygen reduction app was developed to neutralize the oxygen bomb. Even an expert free diver would find it hard to last 15 minutes. What happens if oxygen disappears unexpectedly?”
“They die. Natsume was saved thanks to the oxygen inhaler she was carrying. But Natsume’s parents… Huh? Weren’t there spare oxygen inhalers at Natsume’s house?”
“The neighbors thought the same thing as Kanata. They thought Natsume’s family must have an oxygen inhaler.”
“…No way.”
“Natsume’s parents died not from suffocation, but from blunt force trauma to the skull. Her parents hid Natsume under the bed, and proposed using the inhaler in turns to the agitated neighbors, but they wouldn’t listen. Natsume heard the dreadful scene from under the bed. A 10-year-old girl. With the current operation and Natsume’s case, does God have a grudge against 10-year-olds? The kind neighbors turned into evil spirits and killed her parents. Those neighbors also fought over the inhalers and all died. All that was left for Natsume was mistrust of humans and aphasia. Natsume hasn’t smiled in 8 years.”
“…This is too much! What is this, really! …Such a thing!”
My emotions were a mess, and I couldn’t continue speaking.
I couldn’t hold back my tears. I cried buckets.
My own circumstances are bad enough, but Natsume’s are on a completely different level.
“Natsume’s illness had a specific cure developed and she was completely healed. Then, Natsume became a soldier sworn to revenge against the Mechanist Army. What’s worse is that the fools in the Public Relations Department used it to boost morale. They gave her a sensational title like ‘An Angel Who Overcomes Tragedy and Delivers Righteous Judgment on the Mechanist Army.’ Marika-sama learned of Natsume’s situation and scouted her for the First Squad three years ago. She overcame her aphasia but only speaks when necessary. We all want her to overcome her mistrust of humans, but we don’t know how. That’s the current state of ‘Killing Angel’ Natsume.”
…This is a famous story, not just in the Asura Unit, but throughout the Alliance Army as well.
Everyone is insane. Clone soldiers, human experiments… And they even use a girl with a broken heart in war!
Vodka said, “Everyone cares about her, but don’t get involved.”
So that’s what he meant.
Everyone wants to do something for her, but they don’t know how.
…I don’t know either. Is all we can do is pray for time to heal?
“Kanata, stop crying. Humans should only carry the burdens they can bear. If you try to carry too much, you’ll just break yourself. For now, don’t get involved with Natsume. Just don’t give her pitying looks.”
Rasen-san said that and gently patted my shoulder.
“I won’t. Pity and compassion. It might make the person giving it feel good, but the person receiving it just feels miserable.”
“It’s good if you understand. Now, go back to your coffin and get some sleep.”
I bowed and left Rasen-san’s room.
I had the worst feeling since coming to this world.
I ran into Marika-san in the corridor on the way back to my coffin.
I’m really unlucky today. I wonder if the tear stains have dried.
I don’t want Marika-san to see me looking like this.
I just said goodnight and tried to walk away without showing my face, but she didn’t let me get away with it.
Behind my back, I heard her voice, lower than usual.
“What happened?”
“…I heard about Natsume.”
“…I see. And?”
“…I can’t do anything.”
“Kanata, turn this way.”
“No.”
I heard Marika-san’s footsteps approaching. I thought she would force me to turn around, but that wasn’t it.
Marika-san gently hugged me from behind.
Marika-san’s gentle murmurs echoed in my ears and heart.
“….Kanata. It’s okay, it’s okay. You can fight, no matter how cruel the world is. Your heart is stronger than you think. My Scarlet Eye can see people’s hearts…. Believe it.”
“….Yes, I believe in you, Marika-san. As long as Marika-san believes in me, I can fight.”
No matter how cruel this world is, it’s okay if there’s no salvation.
Because in this world, I met Marika-san.
This story is quite unconventional for Nocturne. It’s more like an anomaly than unconventional.
