The Mikos of the Taisha

Mas: (First September 2018―― Taisha were enveloped in a sort of tense nervousness.)

Mas: ("The time of beginning" is drawing close―― yes… the beginning of despair――)

[Taisha]

Mas: Aaah! The summer holiday is coming to a close and the second semester is starting! It's the beginning of despairーーー！

Yos: You're noisy, Aki-senpai.

Yos: And even though you said summer holiday, it just means there's no school lessons. Miko training kept going, so you can't rest much either.

Mas: Even so, there're no school lessons, so it is a little nice.

Mas: And to begin with, we are Taisha miko, right? Isn't it okay if we don't study at school!

Yos: Sure sure.

Mas: (Taisha is an organization responsible for countermeasure the monsters that appeared suddenly three years ago, the vertexes.)

Mas: (I and Hanamoto-chan are miko who listen to "Shinju"'s oracle and pass it to Taisha headquarters.)

Hin: You can't do that, Aki-san, Hanamoto-san.

Mas: Ah, Uesato-chan! I see that you have come here today.

Mas: (She is Uesato Hinata-chan. She is also one of Taisha's miko.)

Mas: (But unlike we who lives in Taisha's facility, she lives in Marugame castle in Kagawa prefecture.)

Mas: (Marugame castle is where "heroes" who fight the vertexes live, Uesato-chan has a duty to oversee them.)

Hin: You have to study properly too. Once the battle against the vertexes is over, you will return to your normal life.

Mas: You're really serious, Uesato-chan. We don't even know when the fight will be over.

Hin: It will be over. The heroes are fighting for that sake...

Yos: Uesato-san, you don't need to take her uncalled-for remarks seriously. Just ignore them.

Mas: The way you treat your senior is horrible!

Yos: On another note, why did you come here? It can't be, something has happened to Koori-sama...

Hin: No, nothing is happening to her right now but... right now, Suwa is in imminent danger.

Hin: After Suwa, would Shikoku be the vertexes' focus...?

Hin: Marugame castle's heroes first deployment may be in the near future. For that reason, I have been called for a meeting.

Mas: I see... things are tough for you too. You're the mediator between Taisha and Marugame castle.

Hin: No, this is the least I can do.

Yos: ...

Mas: What's wrong, Hanamoto-chan?

Yos: When the battle starts, would Koori-sama and the Great Heroes... be okay...

Mas: They will be okay! Those kids are strong.

Yos: ...

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Yos: (When the vertexes first invaded Shikoku, Aki-senpai discovered Doi-sama and Iyojima-sama and guided them.)

Yos: (Uesato-sama discovered and guided Nogi-sama, same for me with Koori-sama. We all discovered the heroes.)

Yos: (That's why, Taisha's priests sometimes call me "Koori-sama's miko".)

Yos: (However, I have only met Koori-sama once when we met the first time...)

[Taisha]

Hin: Well then, I should start preparing going back before night falls. If I'm late, Wakaba-chan may get worried.

Yos: Uesato-san, can I bother you a little?

Hin: Of course, it's fine.

Yos: Thank you. Has the meeting with Taisha's priests ended?

Hin: Yes, right now I'm preparing to get back. I have gone for a good while, I have a friend that's feeling lonely.

Yos: I see. And... do you know when will be the Great Heroes' first deployment?

Hin: Fufu, just now Aki-san have came and asked the same questions.

Yos: Really?

Hin: Yes. I think she is worried about Tamako-san and Anzu-san.

Hin: She may seem to you as a strong person, but she is actually a worrywart.

Yos: Indeed. I am of the same opinion, and definitely all the other mikos think so too.

Hin: As of the heroes' first deployment, since there's no oracle from Shinju-sama yet, we can't be sure yet.

Hin: Furthermore, if they are going to fight, no one knows if they are going to intercept the vertexes from entering Shikoku or going on an expedition to Suwa as a reinforcement...

Hin: Nevertheless, I was told that the heroes could be deployed at any time.

Yos: I see...

Hin: Hanamoto-san... since this is the case, would you like to meet Chikage-san once?

Hin: I think Chikage-san will be happy.

Yos: I will pass on that...

Yos: I don't have the confidence to speak smoothly with Koori-sama... on top of that, I'm satisfied with you on their side.

Hin: ...I haven't apologized to you yet, have I?

Hin: Since I had taken the overseer position, I have snatched your opportunity to meet with Chikage-san...

Yos: (Previously, both of us were two candidates for the heroes overseer position, and Uesato-san was chosen in the end.)

Yos: You don't need to apologize. I'm glad that you are the overseer.

Yos: (This is my true feelings. Compared to me who's awkward with conversing with people, Uesato-san will be the Great Heroes' strength.)

Hin: Hanamoto-san...

Yos: Please support Koori-sama and the Great Heroes. Because that's... something I cannot do...

[Marugame castle - Broadcast room]

Hin: Now then, will I be able to contact them...

Hin: (This is the room that Wakaba-chan normally uses regularly to communicate with Suwa's hero, Shiratori-san.)

Hin: (Previously, I have also secretly been here with Wakaba-chan during the transmission.)

Mit: Hello. Umm, I'm sorry, Utano――Shiratori Utano is currently away...

Hin: Ah... perhaps you are, Fujimori Mito-san? I'm Uesato Hinata.

Mit: Uesato... Uesato-san, the Shikoku's Miko?

Hin: That's right. Utano-san is out right now, right?

Mit: Yes, umm... right now she is working on the field. Please wait a moment, I will call her.

Hin: No, it's fine. There's no urgent business.

Hin: I just want to talk about Suwa's people... since this meeting is rare, would you like to chat?

Mit: Are you okay with just me?

Hin: Of course. I have been wanting to chat with you all along.

Mit: In that case... okay.

Hin: Is Utano-san healthy? Previously she was arguing with Wakaba-chan between soba and udon too.

Mit: When it comes to soba and vegetables, Utanon is really stubborn. Today she went out to the fields again...

Hin: (I continue having a silly conversation with Mito-san...)

Hin: (She is an extremely compassionate person, and she told me that Utano-san is her most precious thing, incomparable to anything else.)

Mit: Therefore, I think Utanon was strange during radio transmission! She doesn't usually talk like that!

Hin: I think that's because she regarded you as more special than me or Wakaba-chan.

Mit: Eh, A.. y-you're right... Ehehe...

Mit: Ah, It's almost time for Utano to wrap up her work in the field. I have to go.

Hin: Umm... please hear out this one last thing. Suwa's war situation... how is it right now?

Mit: I think... it's going very badly...

Mit: But, Utanon is very strong. I... believe in Utanon... she won't lose...

Hin: I... see.

Hin: (Can I... do anything to help...)

Mit: Thank you for today, Hinata-san. I'm glad we talked. I'm feeling better now.

Hin: No, me too...

Mit: Well then, see you later. Someday it would be nice... if we talked not by radio transmission... but face-to-face.

Hin: Yes...

Hin: ...

Hin: (What we miko can do, are far too little...)

Hin: (Since I don't have the power to fight the vertexes, I can't go and help Utano-san and Mito-san...)

Hin: (I also don't have the influence to change Shinju-sama and Taisha's plan to help Suwa...)

Hin: (If only I had the power to do that...)

Hin: (Soon after that, our radio connection with Suwa has been cut off...)

Hin: (We have concluded that Suwa has fallen to the vertexes' attacks...)

[Taisha]

Mas: Uesato-chan, Uesato-chan!

Yos: Aki-senpai, she would be bothered if you call her with such a loud noise.

Hin: Aki-san and Hanamoto-san.

Mas: You have come today, what a coincidence!

Mas: The heroes have fought vertexes a little while ago, right. Were Tamako and Anzu-chan fighting earnestly!?

Yos: How about Koori-sama..?

Hin: (Immediately after Suwa's fall, the vertexes started attacking Shikoku... Marugame castle's heroes' are deployed for the first time.)

Hin: (I visit Taisha today to give a report on it.)

Hin: There's no problem with any of the heroes. There are no injuries, they have splendidly accomplished their task.

Yos: I see... I'm glad...

Mas: Haa...

Mas: No no, I'm not particularly worried or anything!

Hin: Fufu.

Mas: What is it, Uesato-chan! What's with that grin!

Hin: It's nothing, don't worry about it. Anyhow, Shikoku's heroes' first deployment has ended without any problem.

Hin: However...

Yos: It isn't something to be happy about, right... since Suwa have fallen, Shiratori-sama and the others must...

Mas: You're right...

Hin: (We don't actually know how Suwa is doing. But I think... it's likely all hope is lost.)

Yos: Shinju and the gods have used Suwa as a decoy... To the gods, even a Great Hero is just a chess piece...

Mas: ...you may be right...

Hin: (The gods' decision was cruel. But it's also true that thanks to that, Shikoku is protected...)

Yos: Sometimes I have been thinking. At this rate, would be obeying Taisha and Shinju really okay...

Mas: Wait. What are you saying, Hanamoto-chan?

Yos: A god cannot understand the mankind's heart. I don't think the Taisha's leadership is steering us in the right direction.

Hin: ...

Yos: (Some day... if that time comes... we may rise in revolt...)