229: It Was A Very Scary Dream
A mysterious light flashed, and immediately afterwards a huge blue figure leaped up from the surface of the sea.
Its pointed triangular nose pointed towards the sky and its round eyes like black pearls gleamed brightly. Its appearance was exactly like that of the king of the sea (shark) that dominates panic movies.
「Saaaaaaameeeeeeeeeeeeee!!」
Short arms grew out from the sides of its large mouth, which was lined with countless sharp fangs. The giant shark-like mysterious being jumped vertically out of the water like a whale, raising its arms in a cheering pose.
『A mysterious being has been spotted on the sea! This is bad, we’re about to collide! Urgently ascend! Get some distance!!』
「Fugyan, ssuuuuu!?」
The snout of the giant mysterious being appeared as if parting the sea and poked the belly of the high-speed helicopter from Hero HQ with a loud thud. While it may look like a cute collision, it’s a different story when the other party is a gigantic 60-meter shark.
『Aaaaah! Mayday mayday mayday! Rotor Failure, loss of controll! We’re falling!!』
To begin with, high-speed helicopters are not designed to be involved in mid-air collisions. If they were to be hit from directly below, they would be in big trouble.
The helicopter carrying the hero teams and “village” staffs spun around in a spiral and plummeted into the waves, screams blaring.
「Oouuuuuuuuch, ssuuuuuuuuuu.」
Like the helicopter, the giant shark-like mysterious being also fell into the sea, holding its nose. However, its mass was incomparable to that of the helicopter.
Doppaaaaaaaaan!!
Ripples spread across the ocean, like someone submerging themselves in a bathtub filled to the brim with hot water. The impact, like that of a falling meteorite, easily broke the base of the offshore platform.
The explosion had already brought the Village to the brink of collapse, and it eventually turned into concrete and steel wreckage, falling apart and sinking to the bottom of the ocean.
Rintaro, Bearion, and a semi-dazed Colonel Usanyi-chan watched the end of the abominable village from the back of a giant shark.
「Sorry for the trouble, brother.」
Gazing at the rubble sinking into the deep blue, Bearion gave a brief thank you to Rintaro. Rintaro was well aware that this was a necessary resolution for Bearion, so he simply nodded slightly.
「Aniikiiiiiii.」
「Samechi, it’s quite a distance from here to Tokyo Bay. Please operate safely.」
「Buuut, ssuu, onee-chan.」
「Samecchi’s onee-chan isn’t the type to kick the bucket that easily, is she?」
Rintaro lied.
Rintaro remembered the last time he saw Asaka. Samejima Asaka, the older sister of Samecchi who had given the heinous legion so much trouble, disappeared into the deep blue sea.
With the village now almost completely destroyed and no hope of rescue from Hero Headquarters, it seemed unlikely that she would be saved unless a miracle occurs.
（Well, at best near death. At worst fish food…）
But what good would it do to say it?
In order to leave this area with an over-capacity submarine and a dinosaur, Samecchi’s powers as the Fanged Shark Mysterious being Samegaro is essential. If Samecchi found out that Asaka was not safe, she would refuse to leave.
This is a major disaster. No doubt heroes will be gathering here soon.
「Ooi Samecchi! What are you waiting for, nyan? Get out of here quickly, nyan!」
「……Please don’t shake so much, wan…! I’m out of breath and can’t hold on any longer, wan…」
「Mugyuuuuuuu, Rintarooo, Please hurry uuuup.」
Distressed cries came from the submarine held in Samecchi’s hand. If a battle were to break out, there would be no way for them to resist as they were packed like sardines.
Wasting time searching for Asaka, whose chances of survival were extremely slim, would put everyone here in danger. They had to get everyone back to Ark Dominion’s secret base as quickly as possible.
And at that very moment, the only one who could make the decision to retreat was Rintaro.
「Hey, brother……」
Bearion sensed Rintaro’s state of mind and was about to call out to him when he stopped himself.
This sortie was almost entirely his own selfish wish. Now that Bearion had gotten his way, if Rintaro decided not to retreat now, he would have no right to object.
「Samecchi, let’s go.」
「Buuuuuuuuut」
「You’ll meet your onee-chan again somewhere. Believe in your aniki.」
「Uuuuuun, Understood, ssuuuuu.」
Rintaro lightly patted the hesitant Samecchi on the back.
「Brother, are you sure about this?」
In the end, he left the most difficult decision to Rintaro. That was how Bearion felt.
Bearion was staring at him with an apologetic look on his face, and Rintaro silently turned his gaze towards him. As if to say that was the answer.
The giant shark carrying the mysterious beings swam away heading north, looking back several times.
…………
Meanwhile, on the ocean floor nearby, a submarine from Hero Headquarters was rapidly approaching the ruins of the Village.
「Confirming the giant mysterious being’s reaction! It moves away from the scene!」
「Eei, Don’t let them get away! This is the time to avenge the acting director, the chief of staff, and Apache Five!」
「Let’s show them that we’re not just some random local heroes!!」
They are the Coastal Squadron Dancurious, a member of the Iwate branch. They are a team of heroes specializing in the sea, tasked with defending the Pacific Ocean.
「Genkaimaru, hard to port! Steady as she goes!!」
The maximum speed of Dancurius’s vessel, the Genkai Maru, is an astonishing 75 knots. With an overwhelming speed roughly three times that of a high-speed submarine, it rushed like an arrow from its base in Kamaishi to the coast of Iwate.
However, the offshore platform they were defending collapsed before their very eyes. While I stood there dumbfounded, the Apache Five aviation team was shot down by the giant mysterious being—a blunder beyond excuse at this critical juncture.
It seemed the only way for them to restore their honor was to at least eliminate the band of mysterious beings in their favored underwater combat.
「Alright, our target is the giant shark-like mysterious being! Full speed ahead!」
「Hold on a sec, Captain. I’ve detected what appears to be human life signs on the water’s surface. Might be someone needing rescue!」
「Wh, whaaat?! We can’t let them get away now… but what if the vital signs are people in need of rescue… Damn it! We’ll surface immediately, saving lives take priority!」
As the Genkaimaru surfaced, the captain peered into the external camera. But all that floated on the surrounding sea surface were the wreckage of the Village.
「What? I can’t see anything. Maybe the sensor malfunctioned…?」
At that moment, the hatch of the Genkaimaru made a loud thud.
The hatch on the Genkai Maru was designed to withstand not only the water pressure thousands of meters below the sea surface, but even an underwater nuclear explosion. And yet, it was being banged on repeatedly from outside by someone, right in the middle of the ocean.
The captain cautiously opened the hatch, and there was…
「Haaaaah…… Haaaaah…… Sorry, please let me in.」
A hero clad in a soaking wet red suit stood holding a woman in his arms.
………………
…………
……
To me, the name Samejima was nothing more than a symbol that indicated that I once had a family.
By the time I became aware of things, I no longer had anyone I could call family. For a girl barely fifteen to make it on her own, there weren’t many paths to choose from.
They either go to an institution and behave like a mere ornament, sell their bodies on the streets at night, or become the pet of a rich man.
Fortunately, however, I was exceptionally skilled at fighting.
Warm meals, safe beds—most things needed to survive can be obtained through violence. While fighting repeatedly just to stay alive, I somehow became the leader of Sharknado, the largest motorcycle gang in the Kanto region.
Perhaps I wanted to cause trouble for someone. I wanted them to sympathize with my situation and pay attention to me.
At that time, I met a certain man.
「So you’re the “Shibuya Onizame”? I see, not a bad looking face.」
「……What do you want, you bastard.」
「I was asked by a friend of mine in the Public Security Bureau to come and scout you.」
He seemed to be in decent shape, but he was an old man approaching sixty. Apparently some big shot named Morikuni from some organization or other.
I really hated these guys who dangled money in front of others and thought they were great. At the time, I was boasting an undefeated winning streak in the Kanto region, so I can’t deny that I had more pride than a mountain.
「If you are asking for a fight, I’ll take it, but my fights are expensive, old man.」
「That’s always been my intention. Sometimes, when dealing with a beast, you have no choice but to use your fists.」
To cut to the chase, I was utterly and completely crushed.
「Samejima Asaka, with your rotten talent, the best you can hope for is to lounge around in a monkey mountain. Come on, I’ll personally retrain you.」
「Geffuh…… You…… Who are you, you bastard ……」
「Me? I’m a hero.」
I later learned that this man, Morikuni Ichitetsu, was the legendary Director of the Hero Headquarters. In short, he was Japan’s strongest and most powerful hero.
Being drilled relentlessly all day, every day by such a guy, it was only natural that I would rise to prominence at Hero School.
One day, just before graduation from Hero School, Morikuni brought a child with him.
She was probably about 2 or 3 years old. She was a little kid who had just started to walk on her own.
「Morikuni-san, what’s with that kid?」
「Asaka, this is your little sister.」
「……Haa?」
「She’s a brat born in a research facility under the jurisdiction of Hero Headquarters. Subject number 38. She’s called “Saya” after her number, but it’s up to you what to call her.」
I couldn’t make heads or tails of it.
What on earth were you thinking, introducing me to such a strange child?
Immediately afterward, I couldn’t believe my ears.
「Starting today, you’re taking care of this girl.」
「Haa? I don’t get it. I told you before, I hate kids.」
「I told you to fix your bad language too, didn’t I.」
「……Hate it……, ssu」
It was unclear what his intentions were, but it seemed Morikuni himself didn’t really understand. However, he said that he had been asked to do so by the head of a department called the Research and Development Laboratory, who was an old acquaintance of Morikuni.
「O- onee-cha……」
「Shut up! I’m not your sister! …ssu」
「Piiie……」
「Daaah! Don’t cry, it’s annoying! …ssu! Ah geez, damn it!」
Rumors spread quickly that I was raising a kid who was too far apart to be called sisters, but too close in age to be called mother and daughter. Especially since I was a former delinquent, some of my classmates started spreading false rumors.
「Aara, Samejima-san. I wonder if your child is with you today?」
「Don’t get cocky, ssu, I’ll crush your head, ssu.」
「Ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch! You are already doing it, suwa! My head! My head!!!」
Through repeated friendly discussions, no one openly spread such rumors anymore. However, this was only publicly.
Even after I was eventually assigned to the Acceleration Sentai Transmission and given the name Silver Zero, my isolation only deepened.
I thought about kicking Saya out many times, but I wanted to honour my obligation to Director Morikuni who had picked me up. And so, as we continued to play sisters, I gradually learned what it meant to “give up.”
「Onee-chan, here you go, ssu!」
「What is this? A clay… tiger?」
「Shark-san, ssu!」
「Haa, is that so.」
I believe I managed to maintain a good distance from Saya without overstepping. At least, until that moment.
Three years ago on that day, the experimental vessel owned by the Research and Development Department was attacked by a mysterious being.
I was on board the ship on defense duty, and to be honest, I was quite nervous. That’s because, although I was very good at fighting, I was terrible at swimming.
But I had no choice but to board. Saya was on this ship at the request of the R&D department.
「……Onee-chan has a scary look on her face, ssu. Is onee-chan scared of the ocean, ssuka?」
「Not scared. onee-chan can swim 100 meters in 30 seconds.」
There were several test subjects on board, including Saya, and it seemed they were going to conduct some kind of experiment. At the very least, I was told there was no risk to their lives.
The mysterious being’s attack tore a gaping hole in the hull just thirty minutes after the ship had left port. Pathetically, I was unable to fulfill my duty and was thrown into the sea by the impact.
「Go bobo……-sa, Saya! Aappu…… bukubukubuku……」
In the ocean, unable to tell up from down, I was tossed about by the rough waves, unable to even open my eyes. Just as I was losing consciousness and prepared to die, someone pulled me by the hand.
「Onee-chaaaan!!」
I distinctly heard Saya’s voice at that moment. Though it was a voice I had grown accustomed to, it reached my ears with astonishing clarity, even amidst the raging sea.
But the arm that grabbed mine was so strong it seemed impossible for an eight-year-old girl, pulling me up to the surface of the sea.
Barely clinging to the wreckage of the ship, what I saw was…
…a single dorsal fin gliding away across the surface of the sea.
Shortly after the accident, all researchers aboard were confirmed to be alive.
However, despite an intensive search, not a single person who had been on the ship as a test subject was found.
Saya, my sister had suddenly vanished from before my eyes on that ocean, leaving only one trace behind.
Only a large, fin-shaped bruise remains on my arm to this day.
………………
…………
……
「……Nn!」
「……saka-san！」
「Asaka-san!」
Hearing a voice calling her name, Asaka slowly opened her eyes. Looking at the ceiling lined with pipes, she realized she was inside a submarine.
This time, a man’s face came into view, blocking out the blinding light of the lightbulb.
His dark, baby-faced face broke into a relieved smile.
「Thank goodness, Asaka-san. I thought you might never wake up.」
「Kurenai……-san……?」
For some reason, Retto was still wearing his hero suit but had taken off his mask.
「Yes, that’s right! It’s me! Kurenai Retto!」
Retto said, gripping Asaka’s hand tightly as she laid on her back. The grip was so strong it hurt, it gave Asaka a real sense of being alive.
「Kurenai-san…… It hurts.」
「Waa! I’m sorry!」
Retto tried to let go of his hand in a panic, but this time Asaka gripped it tightly. Retto’s eyes widened in shock.
「Wh- Wh- Wh- What’s wrong?」
「……Just for a moment, please let me do this.」
「Asaka-san, did you have a scary dream?」
「………………Yes.」
Retto asked casually, but he soon noticed that the palms of his hands were shaking. Retto gripped the hand that had gripped his tightly, refusing to be outdone.
「……It was a very, very scary dream.」
Asaka muttered just that one word and covered her face with her wet sleeve. A silence like that of the depths of the ocean fell upon the submarine.
「………………」
Without saying anything, Retto picked up Asaka and gently cradled her face in his chest.
「It’s okay now. Asaka-san, I’m here.」
「Kurenai, -san……」
Asaka’s voice was trembling, like ice sunk to the bottom of the ocean, about to melt and crumble.
「Captain-san, head towards Tokyo Bay. Full speed ahead, please.」
As Retto spoke, the submarine began to rumble and shake, as if it had woken up. The turbines roared, the ballast roared, and the instruments covering the walls howled deafly.
「Wow, it’s really noisy inside a submarine, isn’t it, Asaka-san?」
Still held in Retto’s arms, Asaka clenches his hand tightly again.
It was so strong that it hurt. But Retto didn’t shake off her hand, he just let her hold him, and gently rested his fingers against hers.
「This is really noisy. With all this noise, no one can hear anything.」 The submarine roared. Her childlike cries dissolved into the roar of the deep sea.
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