Chapter 1 - To cut one's belly with a branch

To cut one's belly with a branch.

Suzume: Gyaah, I'll die! They'll kill me, they'll kill me for sure! Save me, Mebuuuu!
Shizuku: Stardusts. A lot of them.
Mebuki: Suzume, stop panicking! The wall is right there!
Suzume: But, but! Gyaaah!
Yumiko: What are you afraid of? Is this not precisely the time to show our worth?
Yumiko: I shall send those Stardusts back where they came from and add to the Miroku family's achievements!
Mebuki: Miroku-san, don't overextend!
Mebuki: Gunner squad, get ready to fire!
Mebuki: Fire!
Suzume: We beat them... We beat them, Mebu!
Mebuki: Of course we did. That's how it is.
Mebuki: We humans prepared some thorough measures for them.
Mebuki: Everyone! Those who can, help the wounded and panicked move!
Mebuki: Nobody's going to die! We'll all return back alive!
Sentinels: Roger!
Mebuki: Divine Era, year 300, autumn.
Mebuki: The 32 of us former Hero candidates now have the duty of being Sentinels.
Sentinel A: Keep it together!
Sentinel B: Someone help carry the wounded!
Sentinel C: It hurts...
Mebuki: The Sentinels' first sortie somehow succeeded. However...
Aya: Mebuki-senpai!
Mebuki: Aya-chan.
Aya: I'm glad you're back! I was really worried.
Mebuki: I'm fine. But a lot of people are wounded. We need to have them treated quickly.
Aki: Kusunoki-san, have you collected the samples of the soil and lava outside the barrier?
Mebuki: Yes. They're in the Kagami each of the Sentinels has.
Aki: Then allow me to retrieve them.
Mebuki: She sees this situation and the first thing she asks about are the samples, huh.
Mebuki: I received the notification from the Taisha at the end of summer. The gathering place was to be the Gold Tower in the Daisoku city of the Kagawa prefecture. I've heard that it was under renovation and entry was forbidden... But what could the Taisha even want from me now? I couldn't become a Hero...
Mebuki: At the viewing platform there were around thirty girls and the priestess who was my instructor back at the training facility.
Aki: Kusunoki-san. So they've summoned you too. You were the top candidate to inherit the terminal of one of the past Heroes, after all.
Mebuki: You were the one who denied me that.
Aki: It wasn't my personal decision. It was that of the Taisha, and thus the Shinju-sama.
Mebuki: Leaving that aside, why were we called here? From what I can see, some people here have been at the training facility along with me back then.
Aki: I will be explaining that now. Be silent, everyone.
Aki: The ones gathered here right now are all former Hero candidates. There are two types of Hero candidates. The first type undertook training to inherit the terminal of one of the previous generation Heroes. The second type are those who were in the reserve Hero groups located around Shikoku.
Mebuki: I was the former.
Aki: You are not Heroes. However, everyone here has a high aptitude. We would like to make use of it and entrust a new duty to all of you.
Sentinels: A duty? What?
Aki: Please look at this screen first.
Mebuki: Displayed on the screen were red inflamed ground, a pitch black sky and massive abnormal creatures.
Aki: This is the true shape of the world.
Aki: As you all know, Shikoku, where we live, is surrounded by a wall that has been created by the Shinju-sama. The image you see here is what lies beyong that wall.
Yumiko: Please wait! Certainly, we have heard that the outside world has been ravaged by a lethal virus. However... How could a virus cause the land and the sky to be this way?
Aki: This is the truth the Taisha has been concealing from the people. What brought the world's downfall was no virus, as is normally told. It was the heavenly gods' messengers: the Vertexes.
Mebuki: The priestess went on. Around 300 years ago, the monsters called Vertexes suddenly appeared and began to exterminate humanity. At the same time, an agglomerate of the land gods - the Shinju, appeared in Shikoku, put up a wall and a barrier to stop the Vertexes' advance and granted a few girls the power to stand up against the Vertexes. Those were the Heroes.
Aki: However, as it stands now, eventually Shinju's power will fade and Shikoku, along with humanity, will perish. We humans must make our move as well. For that purpose, we want to ask of you to fulfill the duty of conducting a thorough investigation of the outside world to allow us to prepare for a counterattack.
Mebuki: Investigating the state of the outside world to prepare for the counterattack... For that, we would need to bring back samples of soil and lava. That was the duty of the Sentinels.
Aki: You've done well leading the squad as their commander. It was your first mission, but the results are sufficient. I will inform you of your next assignment.
Mebuki: There's a problem.
Aki: Is it about those who want to relinquish the duty of a Sentinel?
Mebuki: Yes.
Aki: We have expected this. And there are also gravely wounded people, unable to fight. There is no time to wait until their recovery for the next mission. We will replace that personnel immediately.
Mebuki: Replace?
Mebuki: The next day, those who expressed their desire to quit and those with grave injuries disappeared from the Tower and their hospital rooms. In their place, new girls became Sentinels. Parts that could be replaced indefinitely. Those were the Sentinels.
Mebuki: Milk, salad, eggs, chicken and udon. Time to dig in.
Suzume: Waaah, Mebuu!
Mebuki: Suzume, don't cling to me! I'm going to spill my udon!
Suzume: I should've said I wanted to stop doing this too! I give up, give up, it's time to give up!
Mebuki: Listen to me when I'm talking to you! I said let me go!
Suzume: Mebuuu!
Mebuki: This girl is Kagajou Suzume. Even though she's one the Sentinels, she has no confidence in herself and is always pessimistic.
Mebuki: Suzume, I've told you many times. You have ample power. I won't let you say you're giving up.
Suzume: But, but the girls who left were better than me at training!
Mebuki: Training is just that, training. You were much better when push came to shove. You should believe in yourself more.
Suzume: I don't believe in myself at all!
Mebuki: Well, why don't you go and say you want to quit the Sentinels then?
Suzume: Uu... that's... O-okay, I'll say it! I'll tell them I want to quit the Sentinels! I'll tell that priestess! I'll say it, I'll definitely say it! Sayonara, Gold Tower!
Mebuki: Sure, sure.
Suzume: Wah, I'm still too scared! She'll kill me! That priestess, she's wearing a mask, but it's like she's always staring at you with a cold gaze! In the first place, why doesn't she ever remove that mask!? Is she a robot or something!?
Yumiko: My, my. There are certainly some noisy people around here. A meal is something that should be taken with a little more grace and elegance.
Suzume: I'm gonna die next time, I definitely am!
Mebuki: You won't die. Nobody in my squad will die.
Suzume: Aah, Mebu, you're so reliable! You've gotta protect me, okay!? It's a promise, hear me? Promise!
Mebuki: You'll be fine even if I don't protect you, Suzume.
Yumiko: Mebuki-san! Suzume-san! Could you please not ignore my presence like this!?
Mebuki: Ah. Miroku-san. Were you talking to us? Sorry, I didn't notice.
Yumiko: A-as a member of the Miroku family, I am not fickle enough to get angry at something like this...
Mebuki: This is Miroku Yumiko. A daughter of the esteemed Miroku family... apparently. She's Suzume's polar opposite and is very proactive on the missions, too much even. She tends to be foolhardy.
Yumiko: Well then, Mebuki-san. Next time, I shall defeat more Stardust than you, Mebuki-san, and make my superiority over you abundantly clear!
Mebuki: Our mission is investigation.
Yumiko: And when I prevail over you and attain the rank of the commander, I shall make you my right hand, Mebuki-san. Consider that to be an honour.
Mebuki: You're not listening, are you.
Aya: Getting along is fine, but fighting is a no-no, Miroku-senpai.
Yumiko: Me and Mebuki-san are rivals! We are not getting along!
Aya: Heehe, doesn't that make you get along already?
Mebuki: This is Kokudo Aya, the only girl in the Tower who isn't a Sentinel. She's a Miko, who has the power to hear Shinju-sama's voice.
Mebuki: By the way, Aya-chan, I didn't see you this morning, did something happen?
Ay: Since there were those who just became Sentinels, I was praying to the Shinju-sama.
Ay: So that those who became Sentinels today and all of you who were already Sentinels would safely fulfill your duties.
Suzume: Ayaya, you're really pious.
Ay: I'm a Miko, after all.
Shizuku: Kusunoki. Is this seat empty?
Mebuki: Oh, Shizuku. It is.
Mebuki: This girl is Yamabushi Shizuku. She's taciturn and expressionless, so it's hard to figure out what she's thinking.
Mebuki: But her abilities are definitely not to be laughed at.
Suzume: Shizuku, you're having ramen today too?
Shizuku: Mhm.
Suzume: But having ramen together with rice is weird, it's totally weird!
Shizuku: This is normal. In Tokushima.
Yumiko: While we happen to be speaking about food, Mebuki-san's is certainly odd as well.
Yumiko: Udon and milk, just what is this combination?
Mebuki: Carbohydrates and proteins are absorbed by the body more efficiently together, which helps build a stronger body.
Mebuki: I'm not that concerned with the taste of the combination.
Yumiko: Back at the training facility, Miyoshi Karin-san ate nothing but supplements and was completely unconcerned with the taste of her food as well...
Yumiko: Both of you highest achievers at the facility have quite a weird shared trait.
Ay: I like udon too.
Yumiko: Do you not get tired of eating it every day?
Me/Ay: I don't.
Suzume: But Miroku-san, don't you always eat skipjack tuna yourself?
Yumiko: Not knowing the charm of skipjack tuna from Kouchi... What a miserable existence you must lead.
Yumiko: Alfred! Prepare the finest one you can!
Yumiko: Back at our home, when I happened to call out, Alfred would appear whenever and wherever.
Suzume: Who's that?
Yumiko: The Miroku family's butler.
Suzume: This rich girl backstory sounds really fishy.
Yumiko: It is not a backstory! The Miroku family is a noble and distinguished one!
Suzume: No matter who I asked here about a "Miroku family", they all told me they've never heard about it.
Yumiko: Right now it is in somewhat of a downfall, but I shall revive it by achieving honourable deeds!
Aya: I respect them. I've heard that the Miroku family is a noble house that once helped save the world!
Yumiko: Kokudo-san! You and you alone understand me!
Mebuki: Suzume. Miroku-san. Shizuku. Aya-chan. Me. The five of us tended to gather a lot.
Aya: By the way, Shizuku-senpai, there's something I wanted to ask you.
Shizuku: What?
Aya: I've heard you were from Shinju-kan, is that true?
Shizuku: It is.
Mebuki: Shinju-kan?
Aya: It's where the former generation's Heroes studied. Shizuku-senpai is the same age as them, so I thought if you maybe knew them...
Shizuku: Yeah.
Mebuki: Shizuku, is that true?
Suzume: Mebu, what's wrong? The look in your eyes changed.
Mebuki: You've met the Heroes?
Shizuku: Yes.
Mebuki: What kind of people were they?
Shizuku: Uh...
Mebuki: Shizuku!
Yumiko: Mebuki-san, calm down. What has gotten into you?
Mebuki: Ah... Shizuku, I'm sorry.
Aya: Ah, Mebuki-senpai! So you were in the bath too?
Mebuki: Oh, Aya-chan. At this time there are no other people, so I can use it freely.
Aya: There's a bath in everyone's room, so not a lot of people use the big bath.
Aya: But I like this big one, you can even swim in it!
Mebuki: Aya-chan, you shouldn't swim in a bath.
Aya: Okay!
Aya: Uh... Mebuki-senpai, I'm sorry about today.
Mebuki: What are you apologising for?
Aya: This afternoon. I was worried if what I said rubbed you the wrong way.
Mebuki: No, don't worry. It's just me being childish. When I hear the word "Hero", I get, well...
Aya: Mebuki-senpai...
Mebuki: I undertook training at the facility as a Hero candidate before this. But in the end, Miyoshi-san was the one who became one.
Aya: I've heard about it. That you tried really hard and didn't lose to Miyoshi-san in grades either.
Mebuki: I still don't get it. Why couldn't I become a Hero? What was I missing? So I was hoping to learn what kind of people the Heroes were from Shizuku and see if it brings me anywhere.
Aya: Mebuki-senpai...
Mebuki: It's nothing for you to be concerned with, Aya-chan.
Aya: Here!
Mebuki: Aya-chan?
Aya: Stay still, please. Let me hug you a little.
Mebuki: Okay.
Aya: Even if you aren't a Hero, you're amazing, Mebuki-senpai. You're trying harder than anyone. You're fulfilling your dangerous duties as a Sentinel. You're leading the squad as their commander. You're not any worse than the Heroes!
Mebuki: Aya-chan.
Aya: Even if others don't think so, I think you're no different from the Heroes.
Mebuki: Thanks. Now that you've said this much, I have to do my best on the next mission as well.
Aya: Please don't overdo it. I don't want you, or anyone else from the Sentinels get hurt. I want all of you to stay safe.
Mebuki: Don't worry. I won't let anyone die.
Suzume: I'm gonna die! Save me, Mebu!
Mebuki: Suzume, hold your shield properly! Gunner squad, take aim! Fire!
Mebuki: We've collected enough samples! Commence retreat!
Sentinels: Roger!
Yumiko: Our mission this time was an utterly easy one. It was so mundane, I nearly fell asleep...
Suzume: You're totally out of breath though. And covered in wounds.
Yumiko: Suzume-san! Should I perhaps pluck a thousand or so hairs from your eyebrows and see if your face gets more interesting?
Suzume: I-I'm sorry!
Mebuki: Miroku-san, you're too reckless. If you're tired, it's fine to rest inside the shield wall.
Yumiko: I shall have to decline that. That would make me unable to keep building my achievements.
Suzume: Waaah!
Mebuki: Suzume, what is it now?
Suzume: There's... There's a whole lot of them gathering!
Mebuki: This is bad.
Mebuki: The Stardust have an ability to merge together into a much stronger being.
Yumiko: Two of those large beings... I, Miroku Yumiko, shall take them down!
Mebuki: Wait, Miroku-san! One of those is a Sagittarius-alike! The arrow! It can't be blocked with our shields! We have to retreat for now!
Suzume: Gaah!
Mebuki: Suzume!
Suzume: It's gonna kill me, it's gonna kill me! Dad, mom, forgive me for dying before you!
Mebuki: Instead of taking the impact from the front she's angling her shield and deflecting the arrow?
Yumiko: When it comes to surviving, Suzume-san is, admittedly, without peer.
Mebuki: She herself doesn't realise that power of hers though.
Mebuki: Another one!
Yumiko: Shizuku-san is in the rear guard!
Mebuki: I'll go save her!
Mebuki: Shizuku!
Yumiko: Please make it!
SHIZUKU: The hell's this huge freak?
SHIZUKU: You're so goddamn dead!
Mebuki: Uh, Shizuku?
Yumiko: W-Who is that even?
Aki: Well done again. No casualties this time either, and the amount of samples collected is sufficient.
Mebuki: I have a question, though.
Aki: About Yamabushi-san, I take it?
Mebuki: Yes. What was that transformation?
Aki: Another personality of hers. It appears to come out when she's driven into a corner. She possesses strong battle capabilities.
Mebuki: But she's completely incapable of following orders! She kept going off on her own and ignoring orders. That will pose a problem to the entire squad.
Aki: Then make her obey them. That is one of the leader's duties as well.
Suzume: Eek! Shi-Shizuku-sama, my apologies!
SHIZUKU: Don't you -sama me! If you've got something to say, say it properly!
Suzume: A-a-as if someone like me has the right to speak to you.... H-how long are you going to be like this, again?
SHIZUKU: I'm me, you got a problem with that, huh?
Suzume: M-most certainly not!
Mebuki: What's going on?
Yumiko: Suzume-san and SHIZUKU-san got into somewhat of a quarrel.
Mebuki: Guess I have no choice. SHIZUKU.
SHIZUKU: Hm? What do you want?
Suzume: Mebu~! You came to save me!
Mebuki: SHIZUKU, how long are you going to be in this state?
SHIZUKU: Dunno. But do you really care? I'm way stronger than that Shizuku.
Mebuki: You're right, your strength is definitely reliable. But you're unnecessary to our squad right now.
SHIZUKU: Huh?
Mebuki: You acting by yourself is going to put the rest of the squad in danger. I'll have you abide my orders from now on.
SHIZUKU: I'm not gonna be ordered around by someone who's weaker than me.
Mebuki: Then I'll just have to force you to.
SHIZUKU: You can put the commander suit on, you know. It'll be just the right handicap.
Mebuki: Planning to use that as an excuse when you lose? Ordinary equipment will be just fine.
Suzume: Do you think Mebu will be alright?
Yumiko: Indeed, today SHIZUKU-san happens to be almost as strong as me.
Suzume: No, Miroku-san, you're way weaker than her.
Aya: Mebuki-senpai...
SHIZUKU: Take that!
Mebuki: Ugh.
Mebuki: Heavy...
SHIZUKU: Not bad, former Hero candidate prodigy!
Mebuki: I'll show you that a beast can't win against a human!
SHIZUKU: Heh!
Suzume: Those two are too strong...
Yumiko: Indeed...
Yumiko: Seeing as I was also formerly at that training facility, I know Mebuki-san's strength firsthand. I was certain Miyoshi-san was about the only person who could stand as her equal. But now, there is someone else on par with her. And I cannot measure up to them at all. Even thought I must achieve more than anyone else to restore the Miroku family... However... No, exactly because of that, I must not falter!
Aya: Miroku-senpai, where are you going?
Yumiko: I have decided that merely standing here is pointless, so I shall be off to train.
Suzume: You sure you didn't get scared of how strong these two are?
Yumiko: As frustrated as I am to admit it, the two of them are, in fact, stronger than me.
Suzume: Huh? That's surprising. I never expected you to admit defeat this easily.
Yumiko: My goal is reviving the Miroku house. There is no problem in being inferior to them right now. All I have to do is become stronger and earn more merit than either of them eventually. That is all there is to it.
Suzume: Miroku-san...
Yumiko: Now, please excuse me.
Suzume: I think this is the first time I've felt Miroku-san was cool.
Aya: Miroku-senpai is always cool. She just doesn't show that to others.
Suzume: You think so?.. I'll probably leave too. My survival instincts are screaming at me to get away from here before I end up getting involved in their fight.
Aya: I'll be here watching. It would be bad if either of them got hurt.
SHIZUKU: You've got guts, aren'tcha? What's your reason for fighting so hard anyway?
Mebuki: I... I'll become a Hero! For that, the duty of a Sentinel, the role of the commander, I'll fulfill them all perfectly! And if you get in my way, I'll break you in and force you to abide! Everything is to become a Hero!
SHIZUKU: A Hero... A Hero, huh? The Heroes I knew didn't just constantly whine about how they wanted to become Heroes like you! They went to school, took lessons, ate food, played with their friends... They were just like normal kids you'd find anywhere!
Mebuki: So what? Are you saying that all you have to become a Hero is to live normally!?
SHIZUKU: How the hell should I know!? But those Heroes, they were cool. They were noble. Kusunoki, right now you're just a damn brat with saliva dripping in jealousy! Someone like that could never become a Hero!
Mebuki: Even so... I'll become one!
Mebuki: My win. And now you're in my hands. From now on, you'll be obeying my orders.
SHIZUKU: I got it, that's what we agreed on. Aah, I lost, huh.
Mebuki: Just constantly whine, huh. I guess you might be right.
SHIZUKU: That's right. You're lame as hell.
Mebuki: I know. Even so, I'm not going to change my way of life. I don't think there's anything wrong with stubbornly striving to be a Hero. Even if it's pathetic, I won't let anyone deny me this way of life. And I'll achieve my goal.
SHIZUKU: Now that's some determination. You're an interesting one, you know.
Aya: I think your devotion to your goal is your virtue, Mebuki-senpai. I really like that part of you.
Mebuki: Aya-chan.
SHIZUKU: Hey. I'm talking with Mebuki right now, don't butt in.
Aya: I was looking at you two and somehow just wanted to join in.
SHIZUKU: What, you're not afraid of being threatened by me? That Suzume kept shaking like a leaf.
Aya: I'm not scared at all. Your tone is rude, but I know you're definitely a good person.
SHIZUKU: Huh?
Aya: Even if you're not a Hero, the fact you became a Sentinel means Shinju-sama chose you. The calm and quiet Shizuku-senpai and the strong and reliable you. If either of you were bad people, Shinju-sama could not have possibly chosen you. That's why you're definitely a good person.
SHIZUKU: What a softie.
Mebuki: That's just like her.
Aya: More importantly, that means the two of you are friends now!

Mebuki: This is not a story of beautiful flowers blossoming splendidly. This is a story of nameless weeds no one would stop to look at, ones that kept getting trampled, but still frantically struggled for their lives. It is a story of how those who were not Heroes would become them.