NoWaYu Ch. 12 preview

I know it's meant to encourage everyone,
but each day, when I see the stream of 〇〇 information ,
it sends shivers down my spine.
Isn't that a sign of desperation?
Isn't the world beyond recovery now?
... No, now's not the time to complain.
We are heroes, after all.
Hero Diary March 2019
Nogi Wakaba


"Thanks to the investigation of the heroes and miko, the Suwa area was confirmed to be safe. The Taisha is currently looking into methods of transporting goods and materials to the refugees of Suwa. There is a high possibility of human survival in places other than Suwa, and thus--"

In the cafeteria, Wakaba and the others listened to the stream of news from a portable TV placed on the table.
Today was the third day since their return to Shikoku from their investigation expedition. Everyone was about to eat udon for lunch today.
During the course of these three days, the mass media had been reporting their "successful" investigation expedition on the TV and in newspapers.
"Again with the lies. I was looking forward to udon, but this leaves a bad taste in my mouth."
Tamako placed her chopsticks on the table with a pout.
Just as she had said, the news spreading through Shikoku had been falsified by the Taisha: Suwa was safe. Humanity was surviving outside of Shikoku. Vertex numbers were decreasing. Humanity was taking back its territory... Nothing but things the people of Shikoku wanted to hear. The complete opposite of the truth Wakaba and the others had seen outside of Shikoku.
"Manipulating information to maintain the morale of the people, huh... That definitely is a common sight in wars, but..."
Anzu darkly murmured.
(Strategically, the Taisha's methods make sense... but still...)
Wakaba couldn't shake her apprehension. Spread lies to the populace in order to forcibly boost morale-- Historically, many who used that tactic ended up losing in the long run, didn't they? Wakaba couldn't help but feel it was a tactic for those losing the war.
"Guys, the udon's going to get stale if we just sit around watching the news! So in that case~ if it's just going to get stale otherwise, then I'll eat Tama-chan's meat udon!"
Yuuna reached her chopsticks out to Tamako's bowl and quickly took a bite.
"Ah!! Yuna, you~! You took some of the meat too, didn't you!"
"Well, I thought it'd be better if I ate it for you instead of you just letting it go to waste."
"I was going to eat it! In that case, I'll take the tofu from your kitsune udon!"
"Ahh! But there was only one of them in there!"
An udon war broke out between Yuuna and Tamako.
"Geez, Tamacchi-sempai, please don't bicker like a child."
"Mmgh..."
Tamako was silenced by Anzu's scolding.
"That was rude of you too, Yuuna-san."
"Yes ma'am."
Yuuna, on the other hand, was shamed by Hinata's warning.
Watching her friends like this put a wry smile on Wakaba's face. The dark atmosphere had dissipated before she had noticed.
Yuuna looked around at everyone and spoke up with a cheerful voice.
"Well, you know! The news the Taisha people are spreading might be false now, but we just have to make it all true, right? Just gotta beat up all the Vertexes and reclaim the world!"
"Yeah, Yuuna's exactly right."
Wakaba nodded and turned off the portable TV. There was no point in listening any further. That said, there was no doubt that the false information spread in the news was exactly what the people wanted to hear. And it was the heroes' duty to make that news a reality.
"... Thanks for the food..."
Finished eating, Chikage placed her chopsticks beside her bowl as she stood up from the table. She had been eating her udon in silence without adding to the conversation.
She tidied up her tableware, and without making eye contact with anyone, she left the cafeteria.
After returning from the expedition, she had been even quieter than usual. Instead, her expression became more stern and she became less approachable.
"Oh right, Tama's got stuff to do too."
Tamako also got up from the table.
"Anzu, tell the teacher I'm going to be absent from afternoon class, okay!"
"Huh? O-okay, but..."
"I'm not playing hooky, okay?"
Tamako quickly tidied up her tableware and left the cafeteria.
Anzu anxiously watched as Tamako walked away.

After school-- Chikage kept swinging her hero weapon, a scythe, at the training grounds.
Her weapon was large-- about as long as a full human height-- but it had become light in her hands throughout her experience in battle.
Nevertheless, Chikage's expression was grim as she swung her scythe. It was as if she were venting her anger.
"Gun-chaaan!"
When she turned toward the cheerful voice, Chikage saw Yuuna running towards her from the training grounds entrance.
Yuuna stopped in front of her and spoke with just a little bit of displeasure.
"You should've told me you were going to do some independent training. It's better to practice with a partner than to practice alone!"
"It's independent training... so I'm doing it independently..."
"Then I'll join you 'independently'!"
"... okay..."
Chikage nodded, not giving a reason to refuse. If it were anyone besides Yuuna, she probably would have simply left the training grounds without a word.
The two of them practiced with a mock battle and then took a short break afterwards.
"You've been doing independent training ever since we got back to Shikoku, huh Gun-chan?"
Yuuna looked at Chikage's face while drinking from a plastic water bottle. Something was stiff about Chikage's facial expression. Something strict.
"It's because... we never know when the Vertexes could attack next..."
"Hmm~ well, I guess you're right. According to Hina-chan's oracle, danger is imminent, but we don't know when exactly it'll happen..."
Hinata's oracle had told the heroes that danger was imminent upon Shikoku, and thus they cut the expedition short and returned.
However, neither Hinata, nor any of the Taisha's other miko had received any further oracles, and thus neither the timeframe nor the scale of the Vertex attack were known.
If there were more time before the enemy invasion, the heroes could have investigated a little more to the north. Not even the Taisha understood the reason for the oracle calling for an early return. Perhaps something unlike anything before was about to happen--
"I... want to fight soon... I wish the Vertexes could just come already..."
Chikage slowly muttered.
"Gun-chan?"
Chikage's odd choice of words prompted a worried gaze from Yuuna. Chikage looked down and stared hard at the ground.
"The true value of a hero... is in fighting. In winning... That's what the people of Shikoku want too..."
"..."
Yuuna listened silently to Chikage.
"Look what the Vertexes did outside of Shikoku... I'll annihilate them all... Because otherwise, I'm worthless as a hero..."
"Even if you're not fighting, I'm happy just to be with you, Gun-chan. You don't have to worry about difficult things like your 'worth' or anything."
Yuuna smiled.
Chikage looked back blankly for a second.
"... I... don't really understand..."
And after muttering as such, she looked away.


By the time Tamako returned to the dorm, the sun had already set, and Anzu was standing in front of her door.
"Oh, Anzu. What's up?"
"..."
Anzu sent Tamako an inquisitive look.
Her serious face put some pressure on Tamako.
"Wh-what...? Did Tama do something to make you mad? Ah, don't tell me... you found out how I slobbered all over that book I borrowed earlier!? I'm sorry! I fell asleep reading..."
"Huh!? So that's why just one page was all warped when you returned it!?"
"Oh, so that wasn't it!? Man, did I just screw up then!"
Tamako put her head in her arms.
"Geez... Let's set the matter of the book aside for now. That's not it. ... Tamacchi-sempai, you're hiding something, aren't you?"
"Hiding something...?"
Tamako faltered slightly at Anzu's pointed gaze.
"Where did you go when you skipped classes this afternoon?"
"..."
Tamako hesitated to speak.
"You started looking pensive at times during the expedition, and you still do sometimes, Tamacchi-sempai..."
"... No point in standing around talking. Let's just come inside my room for now."
Tamako opened the door and went in, followed by Anzu.
The room was littered with outdoor goods as always.
Tamako sat on a chair and Anzu sat on the bed.
"I went to the hospital today."
"The hospital?"
Anzu asked back dubiously.
"Yeah, the Taisha-connected hospital. The place we always get checked up."
"Did something happen?"
"No... I'm not sick or injured or anything. It's just... ever since I used the fairy's power during the expedition, I guess? My body's been feeling kind of funny..."
Tamako's eyes wandered around the room as if she were searching for the right words. She couldn't quite explain what she was feeling.
After returning from the investigation expedition, all of the heroes had a check up. No abnormalities were found in any of them, and they were told that they were healthy.
I had them check me up again just in case. But still, no abnormalities were found.
"Oh, is that it..."
Anzu sighed a breath of relief.
"But I still do feel kinda funny... I just can't put it into words."
Tamako spoke in frustration as she brought her eyebrows up together in thought.
"..."
Anzu's heart pounded.
These girls were experiencing things that hardly anyone had even known about throughout human history. Heroes were beings imbued with the power of the gods. Vertexes were unthinkable monsters. The situation outside the barrier was almost completely unknown. Even if no abnormalities came up in a hospital check up, that didn't necessarily mean they were perfectly fine.
"Tamacchi-sempai. If anything happens... please don't force yourself, okay?"
Seeing the devastation of the outside world during the investigation expedition had made Anzu nervous. She couldn't help but feel anxiety.
"Yeah, I know."
Tamako nodded meekly.

Meanwhile, Wakaba was sitting in her room in proper seiza position, deep in thought.
Such was Wakaba's style when she needed time to meditate. Normally, it'd be best to do so at a dojo, but Marugame Castle's lack of a dojo meant she had to use her room for silent meditation to clear her mind.
No Vertex attack had happened since the end of the investigation expedition, so for the time being, Wakaba dn the others had returned to their daily routine. But things weren't necessarily the same as they were before.
(There's a bad atmosphere brewing through the team right now...)
The sights they had seen throughout Japan were just too shocking. The actions the Taisha took after their return was dubious. As a result, the girls were getting irritated.
Furthermore, ever since they returned ot Shikoku, Chikage began talking less and her patience had been visibly wearing thin. Tamako would at times look like she was worried about something, and Anzu would get anxious seeing her like that as a result.
Yuuna's optimism was just barely keeping the team's mood in check... but things weren't looking very good.
(There has to be something I can do as leader.)
What would Hinata or Yuuna do in her position? Thinking on that angle suddenly gave Wakaba an idea.
Back during their hot spring trip at the beginning of the year, the girls played some simple games and had a fun time. It would be for the best if she could recreate that peaceful mood.
"Games... recreation... Sounds like it could work."
Wakaba slowly muttered to herself and opened her eyes.
"Recreation, is it? What do you plan on doing?"
Before Wakaba had realized it, Hinata was in her room, watching over her with a smile on her face.
"H-Hinata!? Why are you here!? When did you get here!? How did you get here!?
"You looked like you were in deep thought, so I sneaked in quietly so as to not disturb you. With stealthy, light steps. You did give me a duplicate room key after all, Wakaba-chan."
It appeared Wakaba had been concentrating so hard that she was unable to notice such a small presence and sound.
"Don't give me a heart attack. Just come inside normally..."
"Please, don't mind the small details. So, what's wrong, Wakaba-chan? After meditating for a while, you suddenly bring up something like recreation."
"I got caught up in those 'small details'... Right now, there's a somewhat unpleasant mood among us all. You've noticed it too, haven't you, Hinata?"
"... Yes, you're right."
Hinata nodded, a serious expression now on her face as well.
"So I was thinking maybe it'd be for the best if we all did something fun together for a change of pace."
"...!"
Hinata's eyes popped in surprise.
"Wh... what? Why do you look so surprised?"
"No, it's just, I never thought I'd hear -you- suggest we have fun, Wakaba-chan..."
"... Well, I guess you're right."
Back when Hinata had neglected to build teamwork, perhaps she wouldn't have thought of improving the team's mood. It would've been even more of a stretch to think she would have chosen to have "fun".
"You really have changed, Wakaba-chan. Changed for the better, I'd say."
Wakaba felt a little embarrassed as Hinata smiled at her.
"That said, exactly what sort of recreation do you want to do?"
"Well, I was thinking of something that would get everyone excited, yet at the same time work as practice."

Wakaba's suggestion was for all the heroes to participate in a battle royale sort of mock battle. The entirety of the Marugame Castle grounds would serve as the battlefield. As grand prize, the last one standing would be allowed to order the other members to do whatever they wanted. The losers would have to abide by the winner's command.
It was a Battle Royal x Osama Game fusion event.
"A mock battle for recreation, hmm? Sounds like something you'd suggest, Wakaba-chan."
Hinata smiled wryly.
"And as a rule, everyone should be allowed to do anything, with the exception of using trump cards. Real hero weapons are allowed."
Wakaba gripped her beloved sword as she spoke.
"... That's a big no-no, Wakaba-chan. What if someone gets hurt!?"
"But if we don't do that then there won't be any air of tension..."
"Please use mock weapons."
"... No, but..."
"No buts."
"... okay."
Despite having that discussion, since the battle royale would be for practice, they obtained permission from the teachers and the event was settled.

The next afternoon. The battle begun.
From the highest castle tower window, Hinata looked down upon the grounds through binoculars. She could see the heroes scattered throughout the Marugame Castle grounds.