yuki yuna cha^p 5

Chapter 5 - Clouded moon, Flowers in the wind

Chapter 5 - Clouded moon, Flowers in the wind

Taking Kokudo Aya with them, the Sentinels, save for those with Mebuki, were retreating.

"I'm saving SHIZUKU and getting her back home. My squad will not produce any casualties", - stated Mebuki with resolve while staring at the Scorpio Vertex, who was recovering from a volley of Sentinel gunshots.

"Aaah, fine! I got it! I'm going with you, then!" - said Suzume with a trembling expression that looked like she was about to break into tears any moment.

"Suzume, head back towards the wall. There's no need for you to subject yourself to any more danger".

"I know! I know it's dangerous and I know I should better run! That I'm going to die if I stay here! I'm scared! But I can't leave you alone, Mebu! If you have no shield, who's going to support you!? And I can't leave SHIZUKU alone either!" - wailing like that, Suzume readied her shield.

"It is exactly as Suzume-san says, Mebuki-san. We cannot leave you or Shizuku-san alone. If our squad is not to produce any casualties, then you too must return safely", - standing next to Mebuki,

Yumiko readied her rifle.

(This kind of thing... isn't bad.)

Rescuing a comrade together with other comrades and protecting the rest of them...

Mebuki would not allow anyone to end up being a sacrifice for the gods on this mission either.

--

SHIZUKU's body danced through the air and despair appeared on the Sentinels' faces.

A grotesque shape appeared before them. The enemy of mankind, wreathed in wickedness and despair. A monstrosity that embodied death and absurdity. It was a Vertex - one bearing a constellation name, at that.

From inside the shield wall, the Sentinels stared at the giant with astonishment. Those fighting the Stardust outside the wall trembled at the sight of it.

In front of the Scorpio Vertex, all Sentinels, including Mebuki, stood petrified. The first one to escape the stupor was Suzume, dragged out of it by her survival instinct.

"Gyaaaaaaah! Save me, Mebuuu~! It's a Vertex! A Vertex!" - Suzume's shriek resounded from inside the shield wall. Thanks to it, Mebuki came back to her senses. She had no time to be blanking out. Their enemy was far too powerful for the Sentinels to engage in combat with. A moment of delay could decide their life or death.

"What are we gonna do!? What are we gonna do, Mebu!? It's a Vertex!"

Mebuki roared out at the wailing Suzume: "Suzume, calm down! It's an imperfect form!"

They have been told that the twelve complete Vertexes have already been vanquished by the Heroes. The Vertexes could be reborn a new a limitless amount of times, but it would take time for them to achieve their complete form again. It was far too soon for a perfect one to appear already. Therefore, the monster towering in front of them right now was an imperfect one lacking a core, just like the Sagittarius Vertex-alike that appeared earlier.

But even so, the Sentinels were in peril.

Scorpio swung its enormous tail to mow the Sentinels down.

"Protector squad! Brace for impact!" - at the roar of Mebuki's voice, the protector-type Sentinels tightly gripped their shields and prepared for the imminent strike. But no preparation could help in front of such force.

A single swing of that tail immediately made the shield wall crumble and the protector squad was sent flying. Without their protection, Aya and the Sentinels who were taking cover inside of the formation ended up defenceless.

(This is bad!..)

If Scorpio aimed for Aya, she wouldn't be able to dodge. She would die in a instant.

The sight of the miko impaled on the horrifying stinger flashed through Mebuki's mind.

Scorpio's tail chose Aya as its target.

"I won't let anyone die!"

Faster than even the stinger, Mebuki pushed Aya down in an attempt to evade, and barely dodged it.

"T-thank you very much, Mebuki-senpai."

Mebuki could hear Aya's words of gratitude, but bit her lip in frustration. That was a bad move. If they fell onto the ground now, then the stinger would come after them the second time well before Aya could get up.

"Mebu, if you die, there's not gonna be anyone left to protect me!" - with a trembling voice and a tear-stained face, Suzume stood in front of the two.

"Suzume!.."

"I'm scared, I'm scared, I'm scared, I'm scared! It's coming!"

The second stab of the stinger was not directed at Aya and Mebuki, but at Suzume who stood right in front of them.

"Here!"

Suzume leapt forwards, to the ground. The stinger passed above her head by the breadth of her hair. Having evaded the attack, Suzume made contact face-first with the ground.

"Fugyah!" - a miserable sound squeezed out of her. Had the ground not been covered in greenery, she would've received hideous burns.

Having imagined all of the worst possibilities, she instinctively chose the way that would have the highest chance of survival. She assumed that if she took the attack head-on with her shield, it would immediately break. And out of all the evasive options, she felt that plunging right to the front would be the safest one.

Suzume got up right away. In front of her eyes was the tail readying for a third strike.

"Waaaaaah!"

Suzume readied her shield. And then just as the stinger was about to collide with it, she jumped backwards and angled her shield. The stab's power reduced, she was able to stave away the third attack as well.

"That's it, the next one is gonna kill me! I'm definitely gonna die next time!" - while screaming out, Suzume kept dodging Scorpio's attacks by the skin of her teeth one after another, stubbornly clinging to life, not unlike a cornered rat desperately trying to survive.

Thanks to Suzume drawing the attention, Mebuki could get Aya away to a certain distance from Scorpio. The rifle-bearing Sentinels lined up in a volley formation.

"Gunner squad! Aim... Fire!"

The volley resounded, and the bullets hit Scorpio's front - the part that vaguely resembled a face, causing heavy damage. It was unclear whether the Vertexes possessed a sense of pain or not, but the tail attacks stopped.

"Mebuki-san, we did it! Now, let us deal the final blow-"

"We won't be continuing the attack! Retreat!"

Yumiko's face contorted with displeasure for a moment when she heard Mebuki's words, but immediately turned into a face of acceptance. She understood the danger of those beings from their encounter with the Sagittarius Vertex-alike. The damage they inflicted right now was but a mere drop in the bucket for them.

(The experiment with using the seed to produce plant life succeeded. We already achieved our goal. Now the only thing left is to make sure everyone gets home safely!)

The destroyed part of Scorpio has started gradually regenerating. After it finished, it would undoubtedly attack the Sentinels again.

"Mebuki-senpai..."

At the sight of Aya's uneasy face, Mebuki tried responding as normally as she could.

"Don't worry, Aya-chan. We'll protect you".

Then she turned to the Sentinels around her and raised her voice.

"Prepare for retreat! As of this moment I'm transferring my right to command to the 7 remaining officer-types! Numbers 2 to 8, lead the rest of the Sentinels and the Miko and ensure everyone gets back to the wall safely!"

The 7 other officer Sentinels nodded. In case Mebuki could, for whatever reason, not command the squad, the seven of them were to lead it in her stead. For that reason, they were given the titles of officer-types.

"Commence retreat!"

At Mebuki's command, the Sentinels headed back towards the wall along with Aya. She always had at least three people positioned around her to protect from a possible surprise attack by the Stardust.

The rest of the Sentinels having left, Yumiko remained at Mebuki's side.

"Mebuki-san. What are you planning to do now?"

Since Scorpio's attacks have stopped, Suzume returned to Mebuki as well.

"I-I'm aliiiiive! Mebu, let's run! Run away, right now, this instant, straight towards the wall!"

Mebuki shook her head.

"I'm going to take the rear guard of the retreat and protect the rest from Scorpio. And..."

Mebuki glanced at SHIZUKU, who was sent flying by Scorpio's tail swing and was lying sprawled on the ground.

"I'm saving SHIZUKU and getting her back home. My squad will not produce any casualties".

Since she wasn't stabbed by the stinger, she was most likely still alive. But it wasn't clear whether she could get back with her own strength or not.

She would be wary of Scorpio's attacks and recover the fainted SHIZUKU. And then keep the rest of the squad safe as their rear guard while carrying her. It would be an absurdly difficult task. But that was the least she could do as the Sentinel commander

Suzume grabbed her own head.

"Aaah, fine! I got it! I'm going with you, then!"

"Suzume, head back towards the wall. There's no need for you to subject yourself to any more danger".

"I know! I know it's dangerous and I know I should better run! That I'm going to die if I stay here! I'm scared! But I can't leave you alone, Mebu! If you have no shield, who's going to support you!? And I can't leave SHIZUKU alone either!" - wailing like that, Suzume readied her shield.

"It is exactly as Suzume-san says, Mebuki-san. We cannot leave you or Shizuku-san alone. If our squad is not to produce any casualties, then you too must return safely", - standing next to Mebuki, Yumiko readied her rifle.

"Suzume... Miroku-san..."

Yumiko and Suzume stood on both sides of Mebuki.

(...Just when did it become like this?..)

She had people who would fight along side her. And not just any random members of the same squad, forced together by the circumstances. The people standing by her side right now were her comrades, people she could trust.

It wasn't a bad feeling. For Mebuki, it wasn't a bad feeling at all.

Yumiko let out bold smirk.

"Long in the past, Toyotomi Hideyoshi served the role of the rear guard during the Siege of Kanegasaki, which led to him rising through the ranks... Or so I believe. Being the rear guard and rescuing wounded team-mates is a large achievement as well!"

Those words were so like Yumiko, Mebuki couldn't help but let out a wry smile.

"Then, first of all, let's save SHIZUKU!"

Mebuki looked at SHIZUKU... or rather, the place where she was lying, for her figure disappeared from that spot.

After that, too many things took place.

Mebuki and the rest were searching the surroundings, trying to find SHIZUKU. Scorpio has finished regenerating and began its attacks again. Its gigantic sharp needle aimed at the girls once again. Suzume let out an indescribable shriek. The three of them leapt to evade the attack. But SHIZUKU jumped on its tail before it could strike at them, and stabbed the bayonet right into

"You shrimp bastard!.. That one hurt! Can't let that go unanswered, can I!?"

SHIZUKU was in no need of saving from Mebuki and the rest. Not only did she regain consciousness already, she was counterattacking the enemy.

"Take thaaaaaaat!" - with the bayonet still lodged inside the tail, she let out several shots and then slashed. But that wasn't enough to completely cut it off. Scorpio swung its tail and flung her off. SHIZUKU's body spun through the air, and she landed right next to the others.

"SHIZUKU~! I'm glad you're saaafe!"

SHIZUKU S looked at the crying Suzume with a troubled expression: "The hell's up with your face? Wipe those tears and snot! And did ya even want me to be alive that much?"

"But you know, if we had to carry you back, it would be really hard for me to come home alive! I'm glad you can move on your ooown!~"

"You... And here I was thinking you were worried about me, but it's still yourself you're concerned about, huh. Well, it's just like you".

The next moment, Scorpio's giant stinger flew at Mebuki's group.

"Waaaaah!" - at Suzume's scream, all four of them jumped away and evaded the attack. But then the tail swung sideways, and closed in to Mebuki and Yumiko.

"Guh!"

The two guarded with their rifles and evaded being hit directly, but were still blown away by the sheer force of the strike and hit the ground.

Suzume's scream resounded like a siren.

"Uuuugh..."

Had Mebuki not gotten in a proper falling position in that nick of time, her bones and insides would probably be a jumbled mess right now.

But there was no time to stop, she had to get up and evade the pursuing stinger right away.

"Don'tcha forget about me!"

SHIZUKU started shooting at Scorpio. The guns of the Sentinels could inflict minor wounds to the Vertexes at best. But that was enough power to at least stave off the tail approaching Mebuki and Yumiko.

"Uuuuh... That attack just now certainly did hurt..."

They weren't hit directly, but both Mebuki and Yumiko took fairly heavy damage. Especially Yumiko, seemingly having failed to land properly, who was holding her shoulder with a pained grimace.

"Anyway, that stinger on the tail is bad news! If you get stung even once, you'll die for sure!" - said Suzume with teary eyes. Yumiko looked at Scorpio with irritation.

"Precisely. If only not for that stinger, this would go far easier..."

"I'll cut it them off. The stinger and the tail".

"Kusunoki, can you?"

"Yeah, I think so. As long as you help me".

Mebuki told the three of them what she was planning to do. Believing in Mebuki's abilities, they agreed to the plan.

"Well... Here I go."

Scorpio paid their scheming no attention, and mercilessly launched its tail and stinger at them again.

"This is just for now! I'm never, you hear, never doing anything this dangerous agaaaaaaain!" - with a scream, Suzume evaded the attack using her shield.

The next moment it headed for Mebuki and the rest. With sharp enough sense of balance and reflexes, jumping on it was a possibility, the same way SHIZUKU did just before.

And so Mebuki did exactly that.

(If I just attack the same way SHIZUKU did, I won't be able to deal enough damage to the tail. But...)

Scorpio's tail was made up of multiple balls connected together. Mebuki slashed her bayonet right between two of them. The joint was a lot thinner than the spheres itself, and was likely to be much more susceptible to damage.

But even so, it did not cut in one slash. Mebuki attacked a second time, then a third time. The tail swung with incredible force. Mebuki couldn't hold on, and was thrown onto the ground.

"Guh!"

The impact with the hard ground distorted her face with pain. But she wouldn't give up after just one failure. Tenacity and repetition were Mebuki's mottos. She stood up and came next to Suzume.

"Suzume! One more time!"

"Eeeeh!?"

Scorpio's tail aimed for Mebuki again.

"T-this is definitely the last time! I won't be doing anything this dangerous a third tiiiime~!"

Suzume once again used her shield to divert Scorpio's tail, and once again Mebuki leapt onto it. To not be shaken off as easily this time, she grabbed onto it instead of standing on it. Clinging to its surface, she kept doing small slashes on the joint part, as if shaving it off.

Realising it can't shake her off, Scorpio bent its tail and aimed at Mebuki with its stinger. But SHIZUKU and Yumiko knocked the attack off its path with gunfire.

"Dammit, if these guns were more powerful, we wouldn't be stuck here shooting our asses off just to slightly knock it away!"

"I beg that you hurry up, Mebuki-san! This shall not last long!"

"I know! Just a bit more!"

With SHIZUKU and Yumiko providing covering fire, Mebuki kept slashing at the tail joint.

"And this is... IT!"

After countless repetitions, the tail finally came apart. Mebuki jumped off the stump and landed next to the others. Having hit the ground several times, she was covered in bruises, but the enemy's attack power fell significantly.

"Take care of the tail swings and retreat while covering for the rest of the squad now!"

"We can finally run awaaaaay!~"

"I should have been the one to slice its tail off! Mebuki-san, you stole my spotlight yet again!"

"Hey, you wreck of a princess! Stop blabbering and get your move on!" - SHIZUKU grabbed Yumiko's arm and dragged her along.

The four of them ran towards the rest of the squad. And protecting its rear, they finally reached the wall.

"Mebuki-senpai, Yumiko-senpai, Suzume-senpai, SHIZUKU-senpai... I'm so glad... I'm so glad you're alright..." - Aya clinged to Mebuki with teary eyes.

The thirty two Sentinels and one Miko have successfully returned inside the barrier, all of them alive.

"Don't exaggerate, Aya-chan."

"I'm not exaggerating! You protected our rear, that's the most dangerous role! And even the Scorpio Vertex appeared! Do you know how worried I was...Uuuh..."

Since Aya was the most vulnerable to attacks of the Stardust and the Vertexes, she was at the middle of the group during the retreat. From there, she couldn't see their rear. Unable to know what happened to Mebuki's group, she was anxious all that time.

The four girls hardly returned inside the barrier unharmed. They were covered with scratches, cuts, burns and were bleeding.

Slicing off the lethal stinger did not mean Scorpio was rendered harmless. Even without it, its massive tail was a formidable weapon in its own right. Mebuki's group was hit by it time over time and thrown onto the scalding ground. But even so, the four of them didn't let Scorpio approach the retreating squad even once.

But it wasn't just Mebuki's rear guard that was covered in wounds. The rest of the Sentinels engaged a large group of Stardust while retreating and protecting Aya. As a result, there wasn't a single of them not wounded in some way.

However... The number of casualties was zero. Without a single one of them dying, they accomplished their duty once again. Mebuki looked over the beat-up Sentinels and said: "Everyone, I'm really glad that you returned back alive... Thank you for staying alive".

Mebuki was happy that everyone here was safe, and not simply as the commander entrusted with the squad. No matter the Taisha's treatment, every single Sentinel came back alive.

They wouldn't ever stand in the center stage. Disposable tools for performing dull and plain but at the same time painful and dangerous duties. The Taisha didn't recognise them personally. They weren't named flowers, but were lumped together into unremarkable "weeds". But every single one of them, even if not basking in the sun's rays, was doing their best to live. And those lives weren't made to be taken away.

"What are you saying? We should be the one thanking you, Kusunoki-san", - one of the officers smiled, her face covered in scratches.

"The reason we're all still alive is because of you, Kusunoki-san. You took command of us and didn't let anyone die", - said another girl in a bright voice.

"And we all survived until now because we properly trained and became stronger. And we got stronger thanks to you, too, Kusunoki-san. You were training so earnestly every day, it was impossible to look at you and not train hard as well. And the thing you said right before this mission really spoke to me".

"We have to protect ourselves on our own... It's just as you said, Kusunoki-san", - said the girl Mebuki defeated in training right before this mission of theirs started.

"The Taisha people probably don't care about what happens to us. So we have no choice but to get stronger and survive".

"Kusunoki-san, you're pretty harsh even in training, so handling that was hard... But thanks to that, I'm still alive".

The reaction of the Sentinels was unanimous.

"...Thank you".

Mebuki couldn't say anything more.

During both her time as a hero candidate and her time in an ordinary middle school, Mebuki was alone. She got used to being by herself, and there was almost no one who could keep up with her overly stoic personality. Even here in the Sentinel squad there wasn't anyone who could completely keep the pace with her and walk by her side. She was resolved to keep being alone at the lead. But even if there was nobody who could walk side by side with her... There were now people who walked right behind her, gazing at her back.

The thirty one Sentinels were following right behind Mebuki.

Not just those walking side by side with you are your comrades.

So are the ones following behind you.

And those following behind Mebuki were her support.

Mebuki faced her comrades and said once again: "Thank you, everyone..."

Mebuki, Suzume, Yumiko and Shizuku - the four of them were admitted to a Taisha-controlled hospital in Ootsuka and undertook a variety of tests.

They were more injured than the rest of the Sentinels and had slight burns all over their bodies.

"This is..."

The priestess that arrived at the hospital to get a report on their condition let out a voice of slight bewilderment. But since her face was covered by a mask, it was impossible to tell her true thoughts. Until now, not a single Sentinel has been found to have burns on their bodies. During the mission, Mebuki felt heat more intense than during any of their previous sorties outside the barrier. It wasn't just her imagination. The heat outside the barrier exceeded the battle suits' protection capabilities.

It was decided that the four girls would stay in the hospital until their burns healed

Mebuki protested against the hospitalisation. The time spent lying on the bed was time better spent training. A day of training missed would take a lot of time to catch up on. She had no leisure of lying in a hospital if she was to become a Hero.

But the Taisha didn't heed her protests. "Resting and preparing for your next mission is also a part of your duties", - or so she has been told.

Rest.

What an unfamiliar word that was.

Mebuki was lying on her bed, awfully perplexed.

(Rest... What am I even supposed to do?)

For Mebuki, who was leading a tense way of life all this time, the concept of "rest" was restricted to breaks between training.

Passing time without doing anything and resting your body, while regaining your energy... That wasn't a thing Mebuki has ever attempted.

But on top of being ordered to "rest" by the Taisha, it's not as if she could simply escape from the hospital.

And after some time spent thinking...

(Okay, then I'll spend this time image training and studying tactics.)

So decided Mebuki.

Most people would realise that was not "rest" at all.

Mebuki was laying in her bed reading books about group battles and squad manoeuvres when Yumiko, in the bed opposite of hers, started talking.

"You are quite like skipjack tuna, Mebuki-san".

"I'm sorry, what? Tuna?"

Mebuki's puzzled face was for some reason met with an expression of triumph from Yumiko.

"Oh my, are you not aware? If skipjack tuna stop swimming, they die. And you cannot settle down unless you are exerting yourself. Thus, you are just like tuna".

"No, no, Miroku-san. You can't just compare a girl to a tuna, now can you?" - said Suzume with amazement from the bed next to Mebuki's.

All four of their beds were in the same hospital room.

"T-that was a form of praise! Is being likened to skipjack tuna not a wondrous compliment!?"

"If you're going to compare her to tuna, then being compared to a mandarin would be way better!"

"What sort of competition are you trying to make this!?"

"Right, Mebu? Being a mandarin would make you happier than a tuna, right!?"

From the bottommost depths of her heart, Mebuki could not possibly care less.

Diagonally from Mebuki was Shizuku's bed. It was the quiet one this time.

"...Ramen would be better" - muttered Shizuku. The arguing Suzume and Yumiko couldn't hear her, but Mebuki could faintly tell those words apart.

"Come on, Mebu! Answer me! Mandarins or tuna, what is better!?" - said Suzume, standing up on her bed.

Then the door of the room opened, and Aya came in.

"Hee-hee, Suzume-senpai, Miroku-senpai, I could hear you from the hallway".

After hearing Aya's words, Suzume and Yumiko's faces flushed in embarassment and went silent.

Aya brought them fruits as get-well gifts.

"I don't have any skipjack tuna, but I've got some mandarins here. Here you go, Suzume-senpai".

"Thanks, Ayaya~! I've been suffering from a mandarin deficiency~!" - Suzume affectionately rubbed the mandarin she got from Aya against her cheek.

"Hmph... So be it! Once we are discharged from the hospital, I shall have our butler Alfred arrange a skipjack tuna party! An elegant one, truly befitting of the esteemed Miroku family!"

"Are you still going to try and keep that rich girl backstory up? That butler is probably imaginary too".

"I keep telling you, Suzume-san, it is not a backstory! Once the Miroku house is restored to its former glory through my actions... It shall become reality!"

Aya looked at the exchange between the two, smiling.

"And so, Kokudo-san, when shall we be allowed to leave this hospital!? Without us, the missions cannot very well continue, can they?"

"Mebu not being there is one thing, but is you being absent really a problem?"

"Suzume-san... Every night from this one onwards I am going to squeeze mandarin juice in your eyes while you are asleep".

"Dooon't! Not the juice, it'll really hurt! Save me, Mebuuu~!"

The hospital room was noisy.

But that noise wasn't an unpleasant one.

"And about your duty, the Taisha said the date of the next mission was still under consideration. But anyway, there will be no missions until you make a full recovery. Please just rest for now".

"But we're fine. Those injuries weren't anything serious".

"I said no! Injuries and fatigue accumulate in your body! If anything happened to either of you, I..." - tears welled up in Aya's eyes.

"Ah, Mebu! You made Ayaya cry!"

"I didn't! Okay, fine, we'll rest!"

In any case, their next assignment was still a long way away. It looked like Mebuki would have to deal with this period of boredom in the hospital.

The four girls' hospital room saw visitors every day. The one who came most often was Aya, who visited them almost every single day. And on the third day, the entire Sentinel squad came.

"Kusunoki-san, we're here to visit!"

"This room gets pretty cramped if thirty-something people are in it at once!"

"Say, say, you fought with that scorpion-like Vertex, right, Kusunoki-san?"

"I was so scared of it I wet myself a little... You're totally awesome".

"Okay, you all, queue up in the hallway~. Come into the room one by one and follow the order~".

Mebuki, however, told all of the visiting Sentinels that if they have time to visit the hospital, they should spend it on training instead.

It was a blunt response, but having spent ample time with Mebuki, the girls got a grasp on her personality already.

"Aha, that's exactly what our great commander would say!"

"Get well and return soon. It feels like something's missing without your brutal training, Kusunoki-san".

The girls' words made Mebuki let out a slight smile.

"...I'll be back soon. It won't be good if either mine or your bodies grow dull".

And just once, the priestess they knew well made a sudden visit to the hospital. Mebuki was ready to finally be told the date of their next assignment.

However, she said nothing about their mission. She just came to examine the girls' condition and palpate their injuries. After doing so, she left the room, without having said a single word.

"...Just what occured just now?" - Yumiko and Suzume's expressions were puzzled.

Shizuku slightly tilted her head and murmured: "...A get-well visit?"

Could it have been, as Shizuku said, her way of visiting them?

(...Yeah, no way. She doesn't view us Sentinels as anything more than tools, why would she bother looking out for us?)

Surely she must've just come to examine their recovery in order to plan the next assignment.

A week has passed by without any information from the Taisha. When the girls were talking about how they probably should be let out of the hospital already, Aya came in to visit, carrying a lock.

"What's that?" - Mebuki made a confused expression.

It was a padlock, slightly big.

"You see, Mebuki-senpai, this is something that's popular with the Sentinels lately. It's a form of ritual that's been conducted in the Gold Tower during the Old Era. You write down your names together with people important to you on the lock and then close it. That way, the bonds with the people whose names are written on the lock will never break".

"Huh..."

"Originally this was something lovers did, apparently. But everyone has been writing their friends' names on these and putting them on the viewing platform of the Tower. The locks used during for this ritual back then used to be special heart-shaped ones, but since they're hard to come by, everyone just uses regular padlocks".

"That sounds fun! If everyone's gonna do it, I'm in!" - Suzume sat up on her bed, took the padlock Aya brought and started scribbling her name on it with a marker.

"Kagajou Suzume... Okay, Mebu, you're next", - Suzume held out the lock and the marker towards Mebuki.

"I... don't really care".

"Eeeh, but it'll feel lonely if I'm the only one who writes anything! Come on, write it~!"

In the end, Mebuki submitted to Suzume's persuasion and wrote her name on the lock.

Kusunoki Mebuki.

"Oh, if even Mebuki-san wrote her name, then it would be unbefitting of me not to do the same!" - Yumiko came along and started writing.

"Miroku Yumiko...here. Wonderful, these letters truly portray the greatness of the Miroku family".

"Why did you write the "Miroku" word in such big letters?"

"Is it not natural, Suzume-san? A name as great as that must be recorded with equal splendour!"

"...Too big, I'll wipe it off".

"You really shall not learn until I squeeze some mandarin juice in your eyes, shall you, Suzume-san!?"

"Stooop~ iiit~!"

While Suzume and Yumiko were grappling on the bed, Aya took the lock and wrote her name on it.

"Kokudo Aya... there. Shizuku-san, you too", - Aya handed the lock and the marker to Shizuku who was lying in her bed and reading a book.

"...Me?" - asked Shizuku with a blank expression.

"Yeah, of course. Come on, write your name with everyone", - smiled Aya, and Shizuku nodded.

And then two names were written on the lock. Yamabushi Shizuku and Yamabushi SHIZUKU.

"...If it's everyone... Then she should be here too..."

And so, six names were lined up on the lock.

Aya held it in her hands as gently as if it was a precious gemstone.

"If anyone was lost during your duties, there wouldn't be six names on it right now. It's a miracle, an amazing one. The fact all of you are safe... Makes me happier than anything".

Aya was slightly tearing up. She took the lock and returned. Aya said she would keep it safe in the tower.

The time in the hospital flew unexpectedly quickly. Mebuki thought that spending time without training, doing absolutely nothing would make her irritated. But every day someone came to visit them, and Suzume and Yumiko quarrelled all the time.

The time flowing inside that white hospital room was unexpectedly noisy and lively. There was almost no time when she was bored. But one thing still struck her as strange - there was still no notification about their next mission.

And soon, the four girls were discharged from the hospital and returned to the Gold Tower.

"And so we make our triumphant return! And no doubt, the rest of the Sentinels were counting hours until I would be back!"

"They'll probably think "Whoa, the noisy one came back..." or something like that".

"Su! Zu! Me! San!"

It was unclear whether Suzume and Yumiko got along really well or really badly.

One of the Sentinels was waiting for them near the entrance of the Tower.

"Hey, welcome back, you all. Anyway, come to the viewing platform, quick!"

"The platform? What, has the date of the next mission finally been decided upon?" - Mebuki's body stiffened. She expected the priestess to finally tell them the details of their next assignment.

But what awaited her there was not the sight of the priestess, but the sound of dozens of poppers.

"Welcome back, Kusunoki-san!"

"We've been waiting!"

"Congrats on your recovery!"

The Sentinels spoke in a disjointed unison.

Mebuki's ears was slightly ringing from the sound of the poppers and her eyes were widened. The viewing platform was outfitted with tables, which had drinks, sweets and a cake set upon them.

"What's this?.."

Suzume, Yumiko and Shizuku had confusion written on their faces as well.

Aya, who was standing amongst the Sentinels with a cracker in hand, started happily explaining.

"We decided to celebrate your return! The four of you played the most important and dangerous role last time, so this is our way of saying thanks".

"...That was something natural to do as the leader of the squad".

Mebuki just performed her duties. It wasn't anything special.

"Even so, Mebuki-san, Suzume-san, Yumiko-san, Shizuku-san, all of you protected us!" - a Sentinel followed up on Aya's words.

"Alright, to your recovery!"

Everyone took up a cup and drank in celebration.

After that, the four of them were surrounded by the rest of the Sentinels. "Thank you for protecting us" - thanked them some. "You four really are amazing" - praised them the others.

Ever since Mebuki became obsessed with the title of a Hero and devoted herself to training for that sake, she hasn't ever attended anything like a party. She was a bit lost.

With her low self-esteem, Suzume wasn't used to being praised by so many people, and was all shook up.

"Uh, uh, I-I just ran away! If it wasn't for Mebu, I would've died!"

Yumiko, on the other hand, was boastfully talking to the rest of them.

"It is only natural for a daughter of the esteemed Miroku family to protect those around her! That, my friends, is what we call noblesse oblige!"

Shizuku kept her usual silent emotionless expression, but didn't stray far away from Mebuki, most likely being lost at such an unfamiliar situation.

And the one of the Sentinels came up to Mebuki and said: "Kusunoki-san, you're just like a Hero".

"...Eh?"

Mebuki's eyes widened.

"I mean, you stood up against a Vertex and didn't lose, right? They said that we Sentinels can't handle them, but you fought against it. Only the Heroes can do something like that. So you're just about as amazing as them!"

"Yeah, you're really like a Hero!"

"I think so too!"

The rest of the Sentinels started speaking out in agreement.

"...T-thank you..." - squeezed out of herself Mebuki, unable to think of anything else to say.

The lively celebration party came to an end.

When the night came, Mebuki went up to the platform by herself. The noise of the celebration might have stopped, but the whirlpool of unfamiliar emotions raged inside Mebuki's chest.

Embarrassment. Happiness. Discomfort. Mebuki wasn't used to any of those feelings that can only be born from interacting with others. Unable to calm down and sleep, she decided to get some fresh air at the viewing platform.

In the corner of the platform stood the object everyone hanged their padlocks on. Just as Aya said, there were more than a dozen of them attached to it. And in front of them stood Shizuku.

"Shizuku? What are you doing here?"

At the sound of Mebuki's voice Shizuku turned around.

"...I was looking at this".

Shizuku pointed at one of the hanging locks. It was the one they wrote at in the hospital, with 6 names written on it. Mebuki looked at it and let out a wry smile.

"We stuffed six names onto just one lock, so it looks kind of shabby, doesn't it?"

Kagajou Suzume. Kusunoki Mebuki. Miroku Yumiko. Kokudo Aya. Yamabushi Shizuku. Yamabushi SHIZUKU.

The other locks had two or three names written on them at most.

"...But I'm glad", - murmured out Shizuku.

"...Thank you for accepting the other me... As well..."

"SHIZUKU is a member of the Sentinels as well".

"...Kusunoki, do you mind listening to something?"

Shizuku has started speaking, with frequent breaks.

"My family was...n't very happy".

The house she grew up in had a lot of problems. Her parents were both unstable and would fly into a fit of rage at the smallest thing. And Shizuku received violence frequently.

"...So I tried to be... As quiet as possible..."

Not showing any emotions, not saying anything. Doing that, she was able to slightly reduce her parents' anger. But only slightly. As her parents' abuse continued, Shizuku has started developing a personality strong enough to withstand it.

"...That was... SHIZUKU".

Strong and wild. The other Yamabushi Shizuku.

Because she was there, Shizuku could bear living in her family circumstances. For Shizuku, she was her most loyal supporter and best friend.

But SHIZUKU was alone. In the first place, nobody would accept a split personality born inside someone as a separate person. And even when SHIZUKU came to the front, she couldn't get along with anyone because of her rough character.

"But Kusunoki. You accepted her".

Mebuki took SHIZUKU head-on and reconciled with her. Until then, nobody else was able to do that.

"SHIZUKU also... Said she was glad to have met you".

"It's not as if I dislike her either".

"Thank you..."

Shizuku stared at Mebuki.

"...I think you're a hero. Too".

The words said by the Sentinels earlier this day.

Shizuku grabbed Mebuki's sleeve.

"...If... You become a Hero, Kusunoki... I still want you to be the leader of the Sentinels..."

"..."

When Mebuki arrived at the Gold Tower, she resolved that she wouldn't stay there forever. That she would become a hero and leave this Sentinel group.

But Mebuki right now was different.

"You're right. I'll definitely become a hero. Become one and lead the rest of the Sentinels".

They were still not informed of their next mission. The days kept passing by.

Mebuki, having fully recovered, returned to her usual lifestyle. Harsh exercise, lessons and training as a squad to prepare for their next mission. What she did didn't change at all. Her emotions, on the other hand, changed.

The time she spent with her comrades filled her with warmth she's never experienced before. Mebuki has resolved - she wouldn't allow a single one of those comrades giving her that warmth to perish.

Those days, this daily life - they were irreplaceable, precious things.

Kokudo Aya said: "I haven't ever met the Heroes in person, but I've heard a lot about their personalities and achievements".

"I thought Miyoshi-san was no different from me..."

"Yeah, the Heroes are no different from any other normal person. During the time of the first Heroes, and the previous generation, there must've been people stronger than them in fighting power. But... The Heroes treasured the time spent with their comrades more than anything".

"..."

"And since they treasured their comrades and daily life, they fought to protect them".

"...I think I started understanding now. The reason I wasn't selected to be a hero".

They were still not informed of their next mission.

Because Kagajou Suzume fought and survived against the Vertexes, the opinion of her amongst the Sentinels has skyrocketed. And in the protector squad, a rumour that Suzume is actually the hidden strongest Sentinel has started circulating.

"If anything happens, Kagajou-san will protect us!" - so said the protectors occasionally.

"They're wrong! Wrooong! Why are they misunderstanding everything!? I'm weak! I'm really weak! If you don't protect me, I'll definitely dieee! Mebuuu~!" - was complaining Suzume in tears during one of her many visits to Mebuki's room.

They were still not informed of their next mission.

In rivalry with Mebuki, Miroku Yumiko has decided to accompany her during her morning and evening exercise. In the morning, running, shooting practice and bayonet drills. In the evening, fundamental strength training and image training.

"Mebuki-san..."

"What is it?"

On one morning, Yumiko suddenly called out to her during the run.

"I, too, do not think you are not undeserving of not being called a Hero, Mebuki-san".

"...What?"

That line was so roundabout, she didn't really understand its meaning.

Yumiko's cheeks flushed.

"I-I mean the same thing as what the rest of the Sentinels said before... That I think you are a Hero as well!"

They were still not informed of their next mission.

That day during breakfast, Aya's expression was stiff for some reason.

"What's wrong, Aya-chan?"

Aya answered Mebuki's words with a smile, albeit still a stiff one.

"It's nothing. Oh, by the way, I'm going to to the Taisha later today, since I have Miko duties".

Mebuki and the rest were still not informed of their next mission.

Inside one of the Taisha buildings six Mikos were assembled, including Aya. One of the priests started speaking. He had a mask on, but his voice was audibly trembling.

"Something beyond our wildest beliefs has occurred. It has been decided that we are to cancel all the plans currently underway... And conduct the Fire Offering Ceremony".

(Chapter 5 end)