Washio 4+5

Chapter 4: Battle.


■■■■ years ago, according to documents of the ■■■ era,
friends that you want to stay with forever are called friends forever.
It's an interesting word somehow, and I liked it.
Us three are forever friends.
Even now.
I feel them close to me.

Hero Record 298.7.10


Nogi household, Sonoko's room.
[I...I really don't think this suits me]
[That's not true, right Wasshi~?]
[Yes, It suits you very well Gin (snap)]
[H-Hey! Stop it Sumi. Don't take pictures]
[Aah. Me too me too; a photo session]
Sonoko quickly took out her terminal.
[Daa~. That's it, this ends now]
[Ah~, don't take them off, I still haven't taken any]
[I'll send you the pictures later, Sonocchi]
[ku~h. I thought i would be able to dress up Sumi as I pleased. How did it turn out like this]
Sumi and Gin were hanging out at Sonoko's house.
And the moment Gin proposed Sumi should try out some of Sonoko's Frilly clothes.
[But...Don't you think this would suit Gin as well?]
Sumi countered with her own idea.
[WHATTO? What nonsense are you...]
[I do! Mino-san would look so cute in these]
[No No No No. I've never even worn something like this. Plus, I'm being sold as the sporty type]
[Well then, this is your chance to take up the cute-type challenge]
[I want to see an even cuter side of you, Mino-san]
[tch, Sumi was supposed to be the one wearing them, how did it turn out like this. No, there is still a way!
Rock Paper Scissors. The loser has to wear them]
[Very well, I will be going with Rock first then]
[Mind games?!!]
And thus, Gin's pace was broken and as a result lost. She was forced to wear frilly clothes as a penalty.
[Shall we try another one, Sonocchi?]
[Okay, there's still a lot more~]
[No No No, my time as a dress-up doll is over]
[Eeeh...But you looked so cute]
[Yeah, you looked really cute]
[S-stop calling me cute]
Gin's face turned bright red.
She took refuge, and rolled down on the bed. Sumi and Sonoko went in for the final blow.
[[C U T E !!]]
The servants at the Nogi house pleasantly listened to the laughing voices coming out of Sonoko's Room.


Shinju-kan.
The end of a day, the students were all nervously getting ready to leave.
Their childish side itching to go out and play, and the feeling of responsibility fueled by Shinju-kan's
high morale code telling them they have to listen to their teachers, were clashing.
Sumi's class, their homeroom teacher was talking about the school trip.
The fresh sea breeze blowing from far away was counteracting July's heat.
Sumi had her head held high as she listened. As she sometimes gave warning gazes to Sonoko who's spacing out
on the seat next to her's.
Sumi was determined to raise Sonoko to be a splendid leader. She would move in and warn her in person if she
weren't out of her reach.
(I wonder if Gin's listening to the teacher...)
Sumi quickly looked to Gin's direction.
She was sitting properly, eyes wide open.
The focus of her eyes however, wasn't stable.
She's probably in full image training mode.
She still looks like she's listening, so I'll simply give her a slight warning later. Sumi thought to
herself.
A little while back, this would have been a full lecture, instead of a warning.
Sumi felt herself getting softer.
(Still, I wonder if it's gonna be okay...us going on the trip)
After all, even if for just a little while, they were still leaving the city.
Wouldn't this get in the way of their duty?

After school and training were over, Sumi professed these concerns to her friends.
[Ahaha, you're overthinking it, Sumi]
After a shower to wash off the sweat, Gin laughed at Sumi's concerns while getting dressed.
[But when I think about what would happen if a Vertex were to show up while we're in the middle of the
trip...]
[We're heroes, so even if we're a bit far we can get back to the bridge in no time~]
[It does piss me off that we don't ever know when Vertex might show up, but if you think too much you won't
be able to get anything done. For example, If you start thinking they might come right this moment when
we're exhausted from training, you won't be able to concentrate on training anymore. Even sleeping at night
would become difficult, am I wrong, Washio-chan from the Washio-kun household?]
Sumi nods approvingly.
[...Yes, I understand, Gin]
[Then relax and let's enjoy the school trip, Wasshi~]
[yes, relax. Ahaha]
[Your mental strength is blinding, you two...]
[With that being said, us 3 will be on the same group, right?]
[Are you sure you don't wanna be on Matsui-san's group, Mino-san?]
They're girls Gin sometimes plays soccer with during break time.
[Yep, I've already talked to Mattsun about it. I wanna be in this group]
[Mino-san...]
Sonoko, who found herself alone a lot; was absolutely overjoyed by Gin's statement.
[I just washed off the sweat, don't cling to me like that...]

A few days later, during lunch break.
After eating at the school cafeteria, Sumi invited the other two to her desk.
[I would like you two to have these]
Sumi took out a chunky pile of printouts with a thud, and handed them to the other two.
The cover read "School trip guidebook".
[...Sumi-san, Whatever might this be?]
[It is as you can see Gin, the guidebook for our group. I just sent a digital version over to your
terminals]
[Oho. You went through all the trouble of making this by yourself, Sumi]
[When i realized it was okay for us to enjoy the trip, I somehow stayed up all night making it, and as
result i ended up with a lot more content that i had originally in mind]
Sumi gestures as if wiping off the sweat.
[I'm starting to think Wasshi~ is not just too strict, but obsessed~]
[Whoever ends up marrying Sumi will be extremely fortunate, but I also feel sorry for him]
[How did it come to this?]
[If only there were a man just like myself, Minowa Gin]
[Sounds petty]
[Sumi is pretty stiffened up, so you would need someone to forcibly lead you around]
[Could you not talk about me as if I were a mushroom?]
[A boy like me would...not be able to handle Wasshi~...Sorry~]
[At any rate, If we follow this guide properly, we'll be fully prepared for the trip. All that's left is to
pray to Shinju-sama that it wouldn't rain]
[Ah. In that case I'll make 3 Teruteru Bouzu~ I'll model them after us~]
[But we'll be hanging them...doesn't that sound too surreal?]
The three kept thinking about the trip as they chatted.


Shinju-kan's trip will be at the prefectural capital, a bit far from the girls' town.
It is known for having some of the country's highest grade gardens and athletic facilities.
A lot of students have been there already, as it is the biggest touristic region; despite that everyone was
excited.
Sumi's group was no exception.
As per Gin's request, the Hero party went to the athletic course first.
[Since we're heroes, we should at least be able to clear all the attractions at the playground]
Gin's mysterious reasoning process aside, this is a good chance to get some exercise since we can't train
here; Thought Sumi.
[Ehehe. The old me might have been left behind, but I'm different now. This is new bitter me, not old sweet
me~.]
[Well said, Sonoko. You are such a man]
[I'm going on ahead, Gin]
[Ah, You're leaving without a retort? Wait up Sumi]
The three lightly ran from course to course in their current clothes.
Thanks to all the battles and their training, the girls' bodies were unbelievably fit.
They even cleared all the courses designed for middle-schoolers. Spectators were dazzled by their swift
movements.
[Awawa, I'm...I'm swaying~ I'm swaying~!]
Sonoko alone was struggling from time to time.
[You guys are too fast~ wait for me~!]
[What's wrong Sonoko? Where did your enthusiasm go?]
[Uu~ Now that I think about it, even if we're always fighting together Wasshi~ and Mino-san are constantly
ahead of me~]
[Stop complaining. Come on, only a little more to go]
Sonoko let out an "Eeei" as she passed the finishing line, Gin then went and hugged her.
[Good girl, good girl. You did your best]
Gin patted her head gently.
[Uu~ Next time I'll run side by side with you~]
Witnessing that sight, Sumi shoved herself in between the two.
[What are you doing, Sumi?]
[I wanted in too]
[What are you a dog?]
[I bet Wasshi~ wants Mino-san to pat her head as well. You're so good at it]
[You're such a spoiled brat. Come here you]
[...]
Sumi said nothing, as she closed her eyes.
Next, they headed to the hall of encouragement of commerce and industry, as per Sonoko's request.
In here, you could try producing all kinds of crafts by yourself.
Sonoko and Gin now had their positions completely reversed.
[Ununu. I'm disappointed in my lack of dexterity]
[That's not true. yours looks fabulous too Mino-san~]
[Sonocchi, your work is just...too good, I can't stop sighing]
[Eeh~ I'm just making it the way I imagined it~]
[The staff members were all so surprised, they kept staring at your hands as they worked]
[Give me some of your creative imagination, Sonocchi]
[Sumi's work looks exactly like the sample after all. Even I went and made some arrangements]
[That's because you couldn't make it according to the sample, and went and made all those modifications]
[It's that obvious huh. ahaha!]
Sumi lets out a lively laugh.
Still, she thought better of Gin's wild design than her own, which looked exactly like the model.
In the end, Sonoko's work was so complete that she was asked by the staff if they could display it.
Lastly, the three visitted the Japanese gardens, as Sumi requested.
[What a splendid sight...It completely lifts off the exhaustion from earlier]
Sumi closed her eyes, as she admired the traditional beauty laying before her.
[It sure is a neat sight, but for this to be the one thing you were looking forward to the most. As expected
of Sumi]
[Wasshi~ became a lot softer, but this is the kind of thing she will never let go off~]
[Well then, I shall explain to you two just how wonderful of a place this is]
Sumi smiled as she grabbed both of their hands firmly.

The children, who had been frolicking all day had fallen asleep on the bus back home.

The trained heroes were no exception.
The bus eventually safely arrived to Shinju-kan.
The three were on their way back home As the sun was setting.
[Ah~ That was so fun~]
Sonoko was unusually in high-spirits.
[We had plenty of sleep on the bus, so we're fully charged]
[Tomorrow's our day off~ We'll be spending half of it training, what about the other half?]
[Hmm...]
Sumi was thinking how they should spend the rest of their day.
With these two, anything they did would be fun.
[Alright, I invite you two to my super special Ines full course tour]
At that moment, the three felt a familiar feeling of uneasiness.
Time had stopped, The world had forestized.

[The Vertex is not invited though]
[Aww~ It was such a fun day~. At the very end this thing comes and ruins everything]
[At least it came after the trip ended]
[It hasn't ended yet, not until we're home, Gin]
[What are you a teacher?]
[Let's go~!]
It was pretty enthusiastic for Sonoko.
At the leader's command, the three took their terminals into their hands, and transformed into their hero
forms.

Sumi and the other two stood on the bridge; awaiting the arrival of the enemy.
As always, the world was forestized.
[You really do get used to this view]
Gin nonchalantly commented on the sight from the big bridge, as she did some warm-up exercises.
[Don't let your guard down, Gin. That's...]
[The most dangerous of times, right? I know Sumi]
[Lately, It seems as if Mino-san has been purposefully saying things that would make Wasshi~ warn her
about~]
[Ahaha, It kinda became a habit]
[I would rather you don't]
Is what she says, but she herself didn't really mean it.
An innocent conversation that helps them all relax.
Sumi has become able to tolerate such a thing.
At that moment, the enemy had appeared.
[! It's here~. Eh? EEEEEEH?]
The reason for Sonoko's surprise quickly became apparent.
On the other side, "Two" enemies were approaching.
Giants with a bizarre shape were standing side by side.
Advancing slowly, they looked intimidating.
[Aww man, Two of them at the same time...Now that you mention it, they didn't need to be fair and come at us
one at a time]
[We've been told Vertex moved independently though...]
The fourth battle.
The experienced Sumi was calm.
An unexpected happening, but if they joined their powers they could overcome it.
[That surprised me, but it's fine~. Mino-san and I will take one each, Wasshi~ will support us with her
arrows]
The strategy Sumi was thinking about. Sonoko had already put it into words.
What a reliable leader.
[As expected of Sonocchi, Understood]
[Well then, I'll take the disgusting one]
[Both of them are pretty disgusting though~]
Gin charges at the enemy, Sonoko immediately follows.
Sumi aimed her bow.
(I'll focus on whoever's having a hard time...but for now, I'll be covering both of them...!)
Gin's enemy had a large pair of scissors for a tail.
It swung them down with an immense force, But Gin wasn't overwhelmed.
[This one's pretty simple. It's fits me!]
Gin violently swung her two axes, emitting endless sparks as they came in contact with the Vertex.
Relying on Sumi's well-timed arrows, she focused on attacking the enemy pushing it back.
Sonoko's foe had a long tail, with a sharp pointy needle at its end.
It freely manipulated it to strike thrusting attacks over and over.
Sonoko calmly observed its movements, and made it her priority to dodge the pointy tip.
[You really look like you want that to hit~. Well then I'll just make sure that needle doesn't touch me~]
Sonoko's spear had a tip with a special shape in the form of multiple blades, It was wider than a normal
spear.
She could easily use it to block the enemy's tricky attacks.
Sonoko used the chance created by Sumi's arrows to attack, driving the Vertex back.
(They're both so vivid...! At this rate we'll win easily! Even against two enemies!!)
Sumi continued firing, as she was convinced of their victory.
At that moment.
It came down raining from the sky.

[?! Something's coming from above!!]
The moment Sumi shouted that.
Thousands of arrows of light came down raining.
Aimed at Sumi and the others, they all came down at once.
[The target area is too large! We can't dodge it~!]
Sonoko immediately spun her spear above her head acting as an umbrella.
Sumi rushed to Sonoko's side instantly.
That was their emergency plan.
Gin joined her axes and used them to block the rain of arrows.
However, as they attacked the girls, the arrows hitting the other two Vertex also seemed to be healing them;

regenerating as high speed.
They relentlessly attacked the heros.
With nowhere to run, they couldn't deal with all the attacks at the same time.
[Uaaaaaaaaah!!]
It was unclear Whose scream that was.
The three girls were sent flying, after taking the Vertex' blow.
Their bodies fell scattered on the bridge.
[Ah...ha....aa....I-It hurts...]
Her entire body was in pain. Sumi couldn't help but groan.
She couldn't even tell where she was hit.
[Cough...cough.....Cough]
Sonoko's pained coughs were being heard.
[C...Can you stand...Sumi, Sonoko...?]
Gin was struggling to get up on her feet.
Sumi forced herself to stand up.
As she did, the feeling of pain coursing through her body multiplied.
She coughed up blood when she tried to answer.
Sonoko was in the same state.
As she was looking over to the wounded Sumi, she saw a third Vertex joining the other two.
There was another one.
It was all three of them from the start.
It was the source of the previous attack.
Making great use of its regenerative powers, It attacked in a coordinated manner.
Vertex might possess a higher degree of intellect than expected.
The other two were still being repaired by its arrows.
Sumi braced herself.
It would only take a few more seconds for them to be completely healed.
They would then resume advancing immediately.
If that were to happen, the girls laying in their path would definitely "die".
Being heroes, Sumi and others had their regenerative powers enhanced as well.
However, compared to the Vertex being healed instantly; theirs were too slow.
[I'm the only one who can still move, huh...That only leaves us one choice]
Gin, being the most close-ranged fighter of the three, had a higher defense than the others.
Thanks to that, she could still move unlike the others two.
She carried both of them.
[Here we go...You're heavier than Sonoko, Sumi]
[What are you....saying Gin...This isn't the time for...]
[Mino-san, what are you trying to...]
[If us heroes run away, the world would end. We gotta do our best]
Gin held their hands firmly.
[...Gin?]
Then, from the top of the bridge.
[Leave this to me. You two rest for a bit]
She threw them into the ocean.
[Wha...?!!]
[Mino-san...!!]
[See ya]
Just as if they were parting at the end of the school day.
Gin bid farewell to the two.
[GIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!!!]
The two yelled as they fell down.
Eventually, They disappeared into the darkness.
[Now then...]
Still feeling the warmth of the hands she was holding.
She picked up her axes.
The Vertex had already finished regenerating, and were advancing.
The girl confronted the three monsters.
[I told them to leave this to me, so If i don't take responsibility I would look really uncool...]
[Let's do this!!!!]
Gin charged at the Scissors Vertex with an immense speed.
She had already grasped its weakness from the exchange earlier.
The scissors part is pretty solid, but its torso appearently wasn't.
She violently slashed at the part Sumi's arrows seemed to be most effective on.
The Vertex in the middle started shooting arrows.
Gin used the Scissors Vertex as a shield against them.
The long-tailed one attacked her from a blind spot.
Gin joined her axes and blocked the Needle, then charged and started attacking it.
The other Vertex was still shooting its arrows.
If she were to pause here, she would be overwhelmed by the three monsters.
Gin braced herself, as she limited her dodging to simply twisting her body around so as not to get hit in
her vitals.
Arrows pierced her all over.
Still, she didn't stop her assault.
She stayed close to the long tailed Vertex as she mercilessly attacked with her axes.
She completely ignored all attacks that wouldn't cause fatal wounds.
By abandoning defense, she was able to deal great amounts of damage with her blows.
[You monsters wouldn't understand this kind of strength!]
She kept pushing the three monsters back, while taking their attacks all by herself.
[This here is the will of humans!!]
As she howled.
As she swung her two axes.
She attacked the three monsters one after another, as if she were dancing.
The monsters were faltering in response to Gin's erratic onslaught.
Little by little, they were heading back.
[GET..THE HELL OUUUUUUUT!!]
Gin's family's faces flashed through her mind.
Her baby brother.
He should be sound asleep around this time.
She was planning on raising him with love, to be her loyal underling.
She wondered if he'd think his sister was super cool, If he ever heard about her accomplishment.
The arrows of light were stuck to Gin's feet, as if stopping her movements.
She almost lost her balance, and collapsed.
But she stood firm.
This is no time to be collapsing.
She clenched teeth and continued attacking.
Her body that should have reached its limit long ago, was strangely still able to move.
Her vision blurred.
But she couldn't stop her assault.
Sumi, Sonoko, her family, baby brother, school, friends.
She was going to protect them all.
Swinging her axes as she was absorbed in her own thoughts.
Gin's yells echoed through the big bridge.
Eventually, her consciousness faded into a white light.

Sumi and Sonoko climbed back up the bridge.
They had healed enough to be able to move again.
Uneasiness was coursing through Sumi's whole body.
It was too quiet.
They climbed up to the top, but there was no one there.
All there was a blood trail and traces of destruction leading up to the wall.
They were proof Gin drove the enemy back.
[GIN....]
[Let's go!]
They dragged their bodies still in pain as they ran ahead.
(Gin...We'll be there in a moment...I can at least provide cover fire)
(Coming up with your own battle tactic without the leader's approval, prepare yourself for a lecture when we

get back)
The two soon arrived to the wall.
The enemy was nowhere to be seen.
Standing there, in front of the giant wall, was Minowa Gin alone. Still holding her axe in hand.



[GIN!!!]
Sumi and Sonoko felt relieved.
They approached their friend with their hands on their chests.
[Mino-san...You drove them away. Amazing, that's so amazing~]
[The world will be back to normal soon. Let's head straight to the hospital when we go back...!]
The two called over.
But Gin didn't answer.
[...Mino-san...?]
[Gin? What's wrong?]
No response still.
[Gin...? GIN?!]


Staring intensely at the wall, as if to make sure no enemy would attempt to come back.
Her crimson outfit, now painted bright red with her own blood.
The girl stood still.






	------------------------------------------ Chapter 4 End ------------------------------------------









It was the first day of summer.
[Here we go, hold tight Sonoko]
[Wa~, so fa~st!]
Sonoko was ecstatic, as Gin pulled her swim ring around.
The three heroes are currently playing at a pool owned by Taisha. (reserved for them)
It was the result of Gin's suggestion, since they, as heroes needed to improve their basic physical skills.
[He~y Sumi. How long are you gonna be doing those warm up exercises for?]
Gin called to Sumi, hopping up by the pool side.
[You guys went in too fast. Gin, you didn't even do your warm ups, unbelievable]
Sumi said as she stretched.
[Water accidents are really scary. I'd rather be safe than sorry]
[Fufu~...Take a look Sonoko. Sumi really does...have a body unfit for an elementary schooler, don't you think?]
[I'm so jealous~. It's like a fruit shop~]
[Wait, what are two looking at!]
[Gimme those peaches, pops]
[Shut up, Gin]
Sumi entered the water blushing.
[...so cold, it feels nice...]
[Hey, this just came to me. But what if enemies show up now? Will we sortie in swimsuits?]
[Ah~ that'll probably happen~]
[It'd look pretty miserable if we were to lose...We gotta be careful]
[Speaking of water, Gin. You just went and drank that Vertex' water. Did nothing really happen afterwards?]
[Ah...Thinking about it, I might get addicted to that taste. I kinda wanna drink it again, fufufu]
[I wonder if it had any addictive materials...Still, you're looking pretty well. I'm glad]
[Super well. That's my redeeming feature!]
Gin said as she made a fist.
[Although, I'd really appreciate it if you'd spare me from the long study sessions!]
[Long or short, you can't concentrate at all, Gin.]
[Fua~ah...I'm feeling sleepy]
Sonoko yawned as she made herself comfortable inside her swim ring, and floated down the pool.
[Ah, I thought she reminded me of something. Jellyfish!]
[Sonocchi was probably a jellyfish in her previous life]
[But jellyfish are poisonous. It really hurts. I've been stung by one before]
[That must have been terrible, Sonocchi]
[Did it just attack you while you were swimming?]
[No, It was washed up ashore]
[What?]
[I was taking a walk, when I saw it on the shore. I went and touched it thinking it might be squishy, that's when
it got me~]
[I...I see. Must have been rough, Sonoko]
[...Don't go touching Vertex out of curiosity too]
[Alright Sumi!! Wanna race?]
[Abrupt, aren't we? Very well, Gin; this is what those warm ups were for]
[Oo~ The usual showdown~]
[What's your preferred swimming style? Let's decide on one to go with. Mine's butterfly]
[I prefer the traditional stroke style]
[Tra...What now?]
[The traditional stroke. I can also do the breaststroke and the backstroke]
[What about the crawl? it's pretty fast]
[I do not like it very much]
[What about the butterfly? It's more active than the breaststroke]
[I do not like it very much]
[What about the dog paddle]
[Ah, I actually like that one]
[Sometimes, I have no clue what to expect from you]
[I'm also good at the dog paddle~ Wanna see~?]
[I could imagine Sonoko swimming that way]
[Yes, faintly]
[Here I go~ Eee~i]
SpashSpashSpashSpashSpashSpash!!!!!
[Too fast!!]
[I knew it. Sonocchi is not to be underestimated]
[I'm exhausted. let's just swim normally, Gin]
[Aight]


After they left, the three went to an Udon shop.
Their hometown had a large number of Udon shops.
A lot of them welcomed elementary schoolers.
They had prices as low as 200 Yen, so they were light on the wallet as well.
[I'll go with Soy Sauce Udon~]
[Pickled plums here]
[Kitsune Udon for me]
Each had their preferences.
They placed their order as usual.
[Now then, Let's do the "We're expecting good Udon" aura ritual while waiting]
[Yes, It is a tradition for when you're waiting for your Udon]
[Yep Yep~]
The three of them joined their arms, closed their eyes and emitted their aura in silence while waiting for the
order to arrive.


Gin thoroughly savors her Udon as she eats.
[mm~, so goood...]
The other two nod in approval.
[I bet if the Vertex tasted Udon, they would give up on trying to destroy mankind~]
[I hear they actually tried the Udon strategy once]
[Eeh? Really~?]
[One of the Taisha people was half-jokingly talking about it, so i don't think it was serious. But since normal
weapons don't work on Vertex, they had to try all kinds of stuff]
[...So that's when they tried Udon~]
[Looking at our current situation though, it must not have worked...]
[Yeah, it seems they threw Udon balls at Vertex, but it didn't even faze them. We don't even know if those things
eat in the first place]
[U-unfazed by Udon~]
[The more we learn about them, the harder it becomes to understand them. I mean, It's Udon!! How can you not
react at all?]
Sumi and the others were very serious about this matter.
That's how important Udon was to them.
[Speaking of which, do you two have any dreams for the future?]
[That came out of nowhere again, Gin. At this point it's become an everyday thing though]
[It's just that I never asked you two about this. We can do our duty as heroes because we're still little girls.
But that also means we won't be able to do it forever]
[Well, I suppose we'll just be recruited into Taisha, considering the families we were born into]
[I wonder if we'll still be able to work other jobs while being in Taisha though~]
[Yes, I have heard of such cases]
[I'll change the question then. What would you like to do, aside from Taisha?]
[I'd like to be a scholar. And specialize in ancient civilizations' history]
[Ooh. As expected of Sumi-san. A very serious answer]
[You're gonna study about the Christian Era~?]
[Yes, that's what I'm interested in. What about you Gin?]
[Well you see, I don't really have any life goals. I guess I do like sports, but not enough to want to go pro. I
wanna raise my little brother to be my underling, but that can't exactly be called a dream. Which is why I asked
the two of you.]
[Don't you have any wishes? At all?]
[...nope, not really...]
[Why did you blush just now?]
[Ah, well; I suppose i did consider having a family of my own to be cool. But that would imply my goal in life
would be to become a bride. And that's kinda embarrassing]
[It's not embarrassing at all~]
[Fufu, It's wonderful, Gin]
[N-no...It's pretty embarrassing. H-hey Sumi, don't cling to me!!]
[I'm thinking of writing short novels while working at Taisha~]
[Sonoko's...Novels?]
[I'd expect some amazing development naturally happening within 10 lines of the start]
[An airhead like Sonoko might actually hit the jackpot and come up with something great]
[She's a natural after all]
[I'd love to model some characters in my novel after you two. The kind and dependable Mino-san, and the serious
but sometimes interesting Wasshi~]
[Serious but...sometimes interesting...]
[Better than boring]
[True, but...I'd like to be depended on as well]
[Having two dependable characters would ruin the balance of the story, wouldn't it?]
[That might be the case, but...]
[I love seeing you blush and get all flustered like that, Sumi]
[Me too~]
[Uu...]
Lately, it seems that Sumi has been put in such situations a lot.
She might complain, but she didn't hate them.
As long as the three of them were together, anything they did was fun.
The heroes spent their time talking about all kinds of stuff.
Since each of them was so unique, they enjoyed listening to the others' opinions.


By the time they realized, it was already sunset.
[Time sure flies when we're chatting like this]
[I kno~w, I wanna talk some more~]
[There's still tomorrow]
[You're right. Today was fun. See ya]
Gin turned around and left.
Looking at her back as she walked away, Sumi couldn't help but feel discomfort in her heart.
Tomorrow...?
Tomorrow, will I be able to see Gin?
[Ah...Wait, Gin. Gin!!]
Gin wouldn't turn around, no matter how much Sumi called to her.



[Ha...]
Sumi opened her eyes.
It was the middle of the night at Taisha headquarters.
Sumi was brought back to reality, when she saw the coffin in front of her.
That was all just a dream.
Joyful memories with her friends.
The coffin she was looking at was not a dream.
Gin, inside it was sleeping peacefully. An eternal slumber.
She exhausted her life as she fought back the three Vertex all by herself.
Allowing Sumi and Sonoko to escape.
[Gin...]
Sumi firmly held her hand.
The hand that was so warm in her dream, was now cold.
Just a few hours ago, they were playing, laughing, squabbling and fighting together.
Warm tears gathered up in her eyes.
Next to her, Sonoko had already cried herself to sleep.

The next day, was the moment of farewell.




Shinju-sama is god itself.
Therefore, I prayed.
That I didn't want to be separated from my friends.
That was, in a way, something that would continue to be granted to me.
In exchange for the sacrifice of a comrade, we gained the ■■■'s ■■.

Hero Record 298.7.12


Chapter 5: Goodbye.





Minowa Gin had lost her life in duty.
It was announced at Shinju-Kan.
The duties performed for Shinju-sama come in all forms, some of them were exceptionally severe. The students at
Shinju-kan were taught such.
Still, the death of a peer was a first. Almost all of Gin's classmates were in tears.
It seems like a lot of the male students had feelings for the cheerful young girl that she was.


Sumi and Sonoko were dumbfounded.
All kinds of feelings were clashing inside them.
One thing they had both decided on. If the enemy were to come they would fight.
No matter how sad they were, if they ran from battle then Gin's sacrifice would lose all meaning.
However, they still couldn't perform basic daily tasks the way they usually do.


Gin's funeral was being held in the midst of the rain.
Sumi's chest tightened everytime she looked at the smiling portrait of her friend.
The Minowa family's sobs could be heard.
Gin's baby brother was sleeping soundly.
And, at last the moment of final goodbyes had come.
The girls felt a familiar uneasiness.
[...!!]
[...Wha~]
Time froze.
And Forestization began.
Vertex had come attacking.
That moment of grief.
Of farewells.
The enemy trampled it as well.
[AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!]
Sumi let out a scream, as her feelings burst out of her chest.
Sonoko wasn't surprised, she was feeling the same.
The next words that came out of Sumi's mouth were simple and clear.
[Unforgivable]
Reflecting her feelings.
She had nothing clever to say at that moment.
[Wasshi~...Let's go!]
[Yeah...]
They no longer had a vanguard to rely on.
The two of them had to protect the world alone.
Anxiety wasn't what they felt though. Another emotion, much much stronger dwelled inside them.
[We will...!!]
[Drive it away!]
Anger.
Sumi and Sonoko transformed without hesitation.
[We'll be right back, Mino-san!]
[Gin...]
They addressed their friend in the coffin.
And headed towards the bridge.


The two heroes awaited the enemy atop the big bridge.
The forestized world had the same majestic feeling as always.
In face of the upcoming battle, the two showed clear hostility towards their foes.
No more pre-battle chat.
They had no idea where the Vertex would come from.
Sumi climbed to the highest position on the bridge, and started shooting her bow.
She moved a bit far from Sonoko, but they both knew it was better than having the enemy suddenly attack them
again.
[Sonocchi! One coming from the front!]


Ahead in the distance, a giant with a strange form appeared.
It faintly resembled some kind of living creature.
[Doesn't seem to be any others~?]
[We're good...for now!]
The moment she confirmed the presence of the enemy, Sumi rained arrows down on it.
Soaring like missiles, they pierced the Vertex.
Sonoko observed the enemy's movements.
It started violently spinning the cloth-like part sticking out of its body.
It acted as a shield, protecting it. And immediately repelled all of Sumi's shots.
[Is that all you can do!!]
Sumi kept firing.
The Vertex deflected all her arrows in retaliation, but...
[HAAAAAaaaAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!]
Sumi howled once again.
She continued shooting as she howled.
So fiercely that her fingers started bleeding.
However, Gin that was covered in blood must have endured dozens, no hundreds times the amount of pain.
This was nothing.
As if trying to keep up with her fervor, Sumi's brain seemed to have released some kind of limiter.
The Vertex, no longer able to handle the incoming attacks was skewered all over.


Its body was being torn apart in face of Sumi's immense firepower.
[Wasshi~...Amazing...Me too]
Witnessing that sight, Sonoko got fired up as well.
The Vertex was slowly backing off.
Sumi remained alert the whole time. She knew the beast could still fight back.
From what looked like its tail, the Vertex expelled some sort of lump.
A mass about the size of a curled up human, and Fired it towards Sumi.
Sumi calmly shot it down.
It exploded mid-air without ever reaching her.
The Vertex continued firing the lumps at her, while Sumi, bearing the pain of her bloodied fingers blew them all
up.
[It seems to be focusing all its attention on me]
The other hero didn't let this chance go to waste, and charged at the monster's torso.
[Here I go~~!!]
Sonoko targeted and attacked the parts that started regenerating with unmatched accuracy.
In addition to Sumi's rain of arrows, the million stabs from Sonoko's spear made the Vertex let out an eerie
groan.
It started moving its cloth-like part, in an attempt to chase away Sonoko that's been clinging to it.
However, she was full aware of its capabilities as she's been watching the exchange with Sumi for quite a while;
and knew exactly how to deal with it.
(This is so easy, the athletic courses from the trip seem more challenging~)
Agile as a butterfly. Deadly as a snake.
Those words perfectly describe Sonoko.
Sumi checked her surroundings once more.
[No further enemies in sight. resuming support fire!!!]
She coordinated her attacks with Sonoko's movements.
At this rate, the enemy will turn around and leave at any moment.
Their victory was certain.
But the Vertex wouldn't retreat.
(...It's not going away~?!)
(Our attacks...are not strong enough)
They're once again reminded of the fury of axe blows that drove away so many enemies.
But they still couldn't give up.
[Guts!! That's what being a hero is all about]
That's what their friend would say.
Sumi bit her lip, bearing the pain in her fingers and continued shooting.
During the exchange with the enemy, Sonoko caught a glimpse of the bridge's surface.
A red trail.
It was the noble proof that her comrade accomplished her mission.
[Yes, It's all about guts~!]
She clenched her teeth so hard you would think they'd shatter under the pressure, as she swung her spear.


A few hours later.
The Vertex was struggling just to get to the other side of the wall.
The girls collapsed on the bridge from exhaustion.
They were covered in wounds, but none posed a risk to their lives.
It took all they had to drive away a single enemy.
[We were lucky...Only one showed up today]
[Yes...If there were any others~...]
[...]
She didn't even want to think about it.
In the end, they managed to chase it away.
They sighed in relief, while making sure they wouldn't lose their consciousness.
They still had to see their friend off.
The world returned to normal, and the two of them went back.



A few days later.
After they healed, and were done with their examinations. Sumi and Sonoko were called to their classroom at
Shinju-kan.
School had ended already, so no one else was there.
Only their homeroom teacher that has been waiting for them.
[Thank you...For not failing your duties at such a time]
[It would be rude to Mino-san if we did nothing~]
Sumi nods.
[We couldn't get it in time for the last battle. But Taisha has been working on an update for the Hero system. We
didn't manage to find reinforcement due to an aptitude problem. But Nogi-san, Washio-san. You two will be able to
manifest more power as heroes. Your weapons will also change and you'll gain new abilities. To put it simply,
you'll get closer to Shinju-sama, and be able to gain further divine powers.]
[That sound really amazing~]
[It is. I think it should be enough power up for you to be able to handle multiple enemies]
[Thank you very much. If that's the case.]
[Yes, we'll be fine by ourselves.]
[...]
[Sensei, is something wrong~?]
[You know, at first i thought the hero duty would be too much burden for 6th graders like you]
She looked at the two and continued.
[...But after going through so much. You two still are still determined to do it...]
The teacher held the two in her arms.
[You two are real heroes. I'm so proud of you!]
[...Ahaha, This might be the first time sensei has praised us like this~...]
[Sensei...]
[But sensei~. I think Mino-san was the greatest of us all. She drove away three enemies all by herself...]
Sonoko pointed at the empty desk, trembling.
[So...please don't forget about her...She was so strong...and amazing...We're not two, but three heroes....]
Sonoko's eyes overflowed with tears.
[...I'm sorry, Nogi-san. I take it back. You three are real heroes]
[...Gin]



Sumi couldn't hold herself and burst into tears as well.
Reminded of that smile as strong as the summer sun.
Losing her made her realize how much she loved her.
[Gin....Gin....]
She sobs as if expecting an answer.
But there was none.
No matter how much she cried, it wasn't enough.




	------------------------------------------ Chapter 5 End ------------------------------------------