[The Hero Club heads to the Depths of the Earth]

or

[The Hero Club goes Underground]

Yuuna: The six of us from the Hero Club came deep into the mountains looking for a lost cat.

Sonoko: But... nobody thought it would turn out like this!

Fuu: Nothing's even happened! Stop saying scary things!

Karin: But there have been a lot of requests to look for lost animals recently, hasn't there?

Itsuki: I wonder if they're sensing something? It seems that they're running away...

Fuu: Hey, hey, Itsuki stop saying scary things, too.

Tougou: An analysis of eyewitness reports and others indicate that this area is suspicious. What should we do senpai?

Fuu: Inside the mountains, huh...

Fuu: Hmmm... It’s too dangerous if we go deeper...

Tougou: Indeed. There are evil things in the mountain, too...

Fuu: Daaa! I already told you to stop doing that!

Yuuna: How about we go and look, but return before sunset?

Fuu: Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. We've already come this far anyway, so let's do what we can.

Sonoko: And so, we headed deeper and deeper...

...

Itsuki: We've gone in pretty deep, huh...

Karin: I'm still getting signal here.

Yuuna: Hm? I think I heard a sound...

Yuuna: Arere? There's a cave here?!

Fuu: You're right. It's a pretty big cave...

Sonoko: There's nothing on the map about that, though...

Fuu: ...Oh no, my feet are shaking.

Tougou: There is evidence that the cat has been in the area.

Fuu: Oh dear. Did it go in the cave, I wonder?

Itsuki: Let's try calling it from here. Pudding-chan!

Yuuna: Come out, Pudding-chan!

Karin: We have a lot of dried sardines here, Pudding!

Yuuna: ...Uuuu, there's no answer.

Fuu: Kuuu... we have no choice, then.

Fuu: Want to go look in for a bit? I-I'm not that scared, yeah.

Sonoko: ...

Fuu: Nogi? Do you have a bad feeling about this? If that's the case, let's not go in.

Tougou: Indeed. I believe it's best to follow Sonocchi's hunch.

Sonoko: Hmmm... It’s not a bad feeling... more like a strange one?

Karin: Let's go in carefully and take a look, then.

Karin: Don't force yourself too hard, Fuu.

Fuu: I'm totally not forcing myself!

Yuuna: Going into a cave, how very Hero-like! But...

Tougou: Let's keep our high spirits, but proceed with caution.

Yuuna: Oooh, it's pretty big inside...

Fuu: Rather, this is has "man-made" written all over it! Give me back my fright!

Itsuki: The place is even lit...

Sonoko: There's even fallen pipes around... What is this, I wonder? A tunnel’s construction site?

Karin: In some ways, this feels creepier than a natural cave. Just what is in here?

Yuuna: Pudding-chan!

Yuuna: Hmmm... Maybe she's not here?

Tougou: My curiosity is urging me to continue, but senpai, it's already time...

Fuu: Yeah, I'm worried about the cat... but we need to take care of ourselves too, so let's head back.

Yuuna: Okay.

The entire group decided to go back and turned around...

...but something mysterious stood before them.

Yuuna: Uwaaaaa?!

Karin immediately went to the front.

Karin: Just what are you?!

Fuu: T-This presence... it's... not a Vertex, is it?

Itsuki: From its presence, it's more like a... fairy?

Fuu: Now that you mention it...

Yuuna: Y-Yeah, it feels that way.

Tougou: If it's a fairy, then it's also an ally... right?

Yuuna: Hello, can you hear me? I'm Yuuki Yuuna.

Yuuna: I'm... not enemy. Friend, friend.

Grotesque shape: ...

Yuuna: In English that would be... FRIEND, FRIEND.

Grotesque shape: ...

Without a word, the gortesque shape suddenly attacked.

Yuuna: W-Wha—?!

Karin: Hey! What the hell are you doing?!

The grotesque shape collapsed from Karin's sharp kick.

Karin: A-ara? I didn't mean to go that far...

The grotesque shape's body floated and vanished.

Tougou: An aggregation of small lights?

Soon, the light scattered around.

Tougou: It's definitely a spiritual being.

Fuu: But since it's a fairy and not a ghost, I'm fine.

Sonoko: A man-made cave. And now spiritual beings. This isn't a "criminal's hideout" setting, but a "something-by-the-Taisha" one.

Fuu: I hate the second one more, to be honest. Anyway, let's head for the exit first...

Itsuki: T-The exit's blocked by a door, Onee-chan!

Fuu: What?! Just when did...

Karin: My terminal's signal is... kh, totally useless. I can't connect.

Tougou: Maybe my modded one can... or...

Tougou: It can barely get any connection. It's no use, huh?

Karin: Let me borrow it, Tougou. If yours has a higher chance of connecting, then I'll keep trying there.

Karin: If the Tasiha is involved with this, I've got one relative I can contact.

Tougou: Understood. I leave it to you.

Sonoko: This cave is mysteries all the way down, eh?

Yuuna: W-Who are you talking to, Sono-chan?

Sonoko: Eh? Who, you ask? I'm talking to Wasshi.

Tougou: I'm over here, though.

Sonoko: Uhmmm...

Sonoko: Waa! It appeared again!

Fuu: Hey, aren't you a fairy? We don't have any intention of fight—

Interrupting Fuu, the grotesque shape attacked again.

Fuu: I-It's faster than before?!

Sonoko: Seya!

With a metal pipe, Sonoko destroyed the grotesque shape.

Again, the grotesque shape disappeared.

Fuu: T-Thanks, Nogi.

Sonoko: Hmmm... It didn't even resist.

Sonoko: And unlike a Vertex attack, I didn't feel any bloodthirst. It did attack, of course...

Tougou: It does disperse, but the scattered light doesn't go back to the heavens like the Vertex.

Karin: Just what are these things...?

Fuu: For now, let's just find another way out.

Karin: You're right. That door isn't something we can destroy with brute force.

Yuuna: That's weird. I'm supposed to be scared, but I'm somehow calm.

Fuu: Well, we've already seen Vertex... Hm?

Itsuki: There are two of them this time?!

Yuuna: Anyway, let the persuasion begin!

Yuuna: Hey, hey! We want to talk for a bit so we can become closer—

Yuuna: Waaa?!

Sonoko: It's attacking again, huh...

Karin: Don't worry, I've got this.

Karin: Seei!

Sonoko: Taa!

Sonoko and Karin each destroyed a grotesque shape.

Karin: Getting only these things that don’t know mutual understanding is a pain.

Karin: Kh, we got another one...!

Suddenly, it shot a round of light.

Karin: It shot something?!

Karin narrowly avoided the shot.

The round of light bounced off the wall and disappeared.

Karin: ...It doesn't look painful, though...

Tougou: If that's a long range type, then I'll... hmmph!

Tougou immediately threw stones.

Multiple shots hit and pulverized the grotesque shape.

Itsuki: Ah, it vanished again.

Fuu: Wait, when they reappear, how do I put this, aren't they escalating?

Tougou: Yes. Put bluntly, they get stronger.

Sonoko: Ah! I think I understand it.

Sonoko: Maybe these fairies are used for training?

Fuu: Eh? Do such things even exist?

Sonoko: Well, it looks like the difficulty is increasing, much like a game, right?

Sonoko: If that's the case, they will attack us, but it won't hurt since they're in training mode.

Karin: Ah, I finally got through to my brother! Here's his answer.

Karin: "I'll give the details later, but for now defeat all the grotesque shapes. That should open the door." He says.

Karin: He also said that they get a bit excited when defeated, so it's fine if we go all out.

Sonoko: So the Taisha is connected, after all.

Fuu: I'm grateful knowing that we can fight at full strength.

Karin: Ha! Looks like a lot of them have decided to come out.

Sonoko: All right, let's do this!

Yuuna: Yuuki Yuuna will also do her best!

Yuuna: I'm a Hero in flesh and blood, after all!

Yuuna: Here I go! Hero Punch!

Itsuki: I-If its support, then I can...

Fuu: That's the spirit, Itsuki! I'll go help, too!

Yuuna: With the martial arts I learned from my dad, eeeeiya!

Yuuna: Hero High Kick!

Tougou: My training in the past isn't just for show!

Tougou: I can fight even if it's against dolls!

Fuu: Aim for the weaklings...

Fuu: Take this! Girl Power Tackle!

The grotesque shape fell down with a thud.

Karin: That's pretty powerful, Fuu!

Itsuki: A-At the very least, I shouldn't be a hindrance...

The grotesque shape shot a round of light.

Itsuki dodged it completely.

Itsuki: Even I was chosen as a Hero!

Tougou: Well done, Itsuki-chan. You observed its movements and dodged well.

Yuuna: With that chance... Hero Hook!

Karin: Not having a wooden sword is just a handicap for me!

Karin: I can handle the likes of you with my bare hands!

Sonoko: My body remembers my training, eh? These moves are pretty good, if I say so myself!

Sonoko: All right! I'm fired up!

The heroes fought hard against the grotesque shapes.

Fuu: Haa, haa, haa, we finally got out...

Itsuki: The door... really did open... when we defeated all of them...

Yuuna: Phew... hm?

Yuuna: Aaa! I found Pudding-chan! Hooray! Come here, come here!

Fuu: Is this what they call "a blessing in disguise"? Let's head back, girls!

Tougou: I don't think they'll pursue us, but pay attention to the rear!

Fuu: Ah, geez, this is the usual horror experience!

The next day, the Taisha told Sonoko the truth behind the incident.

Fuu: So that really was a Taisha secret training facility?!

Sonoko: Yup, seems so. One of the sealed ones.

Sonoko: Apparently it was used by a clan called Akamine more than 200 years ago.

Karin: "Akamine". That's a pretty famous name within the Taisha.

Sonoko: Those moving things were a kind of fairy.

Yuuna: So they were fairies!

Itsuki: Still, it sounds pretty disturbing.

Sonoko: Apparently, the entrance was tightly sealed, but

Sonoko: It reacted to the Heroes' power and we ended up there.

Itsuki: Phew... so normal people couldn't enter in the first place?

Tougou: Thank goodness there was no damage.

Fuu: But what kind of people are they? The Akamine clan which trained in the cave.

Sonoko: It looks like their duty was upholding public order.

Karin: Preparing a training facility like that must have been a pretty big deal.

Yuuna: It was a really mysterious place...

Sonoko: In any case, the place has already been sealed, so it probably wasn't needed.

Yuuna: It was... already sealed, eh?

Yuuna: Yet those fairies were in there for that long... I feel bad for them...

Sonoko: They were supposed to have been collected in the first place. But this time, it looks like they discovered some remaining ones.

Sonoko: It sounds like they're proper dealing with it.

Yuuna: I see! Thank goodness!

Tougou: Upholing public order, huh. There are a lot of duties, it seems.

Sonoko: Right, right. The Taisha told us to keep this matter a secret.

Fuu: Yeah, yeah. It's the same thing again, huh.

Karin: Well, I think it's fine if we keep this matter a secret.

Sonoko: In any way, they've upped the security and sealed the area, so nobody should be able to enter.

Yuuna: And like this, our great adventure came to an end.

Yuuna: But I wonder why? I felt very comfortable in that place.

Yuuna: "There are many mysterious things in this world," I thought to myself. (Period)

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Pub: 26 Dec 2020 16:45 UTC
Views: 290