Volume 6 Chapter 22 Hiroshima
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Sheena-san has officially left for America with her father, George.
”Without that tail wagging around, the living room feels enormous,” Saran-san remarked.
She was right. The house was quieter now, leaving a gaping void where her presence used to be.
To be honest, I-Halt Kashiwagi-never did cross that final line with Sheena-san. I wonder when we’ll see each other again. While I keep telling myself “next time for sure,” Saran-san has been on my mind more and more. She seems to be settling into the Kashiwagi household; her initial stiff-necked attitude has melted away, and I can feel her guard dropping just a bit when I’m around.
”Alright, Halt, Shu. The schedule for the Tokyo trip is locked in,” my mother, Tomori Kashiwagi, announced. “George reached out to the AWCC¹ for us. He even sent over the tickets…” She pulled a thick, heavy envelope from her bag.
”Wait, Mom,” I said. “Why aren’t we taking a jet all the way to Tokyo?”
”We’re not taking a plane?” Shu asked, looking worried. “I’ve grown quite fond of those.”
”Don’t worry,” I told her. “We’re flying as far as Fukuoka. But Mom… why the Shinkansen² after that?”
”George insisted,” Mom explained. “He told the AWCC for us that since we’re traveling across the country anyway, we should actually see the sights. It’s basically a ‘Best of Japan’ tour.”
That made sense. George was nothing if not thorough.
Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Nagoya, Atami… wait, Atami?
Mom caught my puzzled look and laughed. “Oh, that part was my personal request.”
A sightseeing tour through the heart of Japan sounded like a blast. Aside from Okinawa and Tokyo, I was practically a stranger to the mainland myself.
In early April, our journey to Tokyo began: me, Mom, Shu, and Saran-san.
After I talked Shu down from her panic-she was convinced the jet was going to nose-dive into the city streets-we touched down at Fukuoka Airport. We went straight to a hotel near Hakata Station, spent the evening wandering through Nakasu and hit up the food stalls. Our bodyguards were definitely lurking in the shadows, but looking at a girl like Shu, no one would ever suspect she was a princess from another world. I never felt any real danger in Naha, either. Besides, we had Saran-san if things got ugly… though, to be honest, I still didn’t know just how powerful she really was.
The next day, we caught the Shinkansen from Hakata Station.
”Wow! Is this the ‘Shinkansen’ train? It’s massive!” Shu exclaimed. “It’s nothing like the ones the Merchant Guild Euler³ ran back in Naha…”
Shu had been buzzing with excitement since yesterday, her eyes darting toward every new landmark.
”The Merchant Guild Euler?” I asked.
”Yes, Halt-san,” Saran-san explained. “In the Royal Capital, the Merchant Guild Euler operates as local circuit Tax Collectors…”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Right, right. That explains the luxury.”
The train surged forward, and Shu’s excitement only intensified. She was practically vibrating in her seat.
”This brings back memories,” Mom said with a wistful smile. “I remember when Ellulu first saw the Yamanote Line. She nearly fainted, screaming that it was a giant snake.”
Mom seemed to be enjoying herself as much as the kids.
An hour later, we pulled into Hiroshima Station and transferred to a streetcar. Shu’s energy was at its peak.
”Where are we going next? I’m so restless I can’t sit still!” Shu chirped.
Mom’s expression turned gentle, almost solemn. “If you’re going to rule a nation one day, Shu, this is a place you need to see at least once.”
We eventually arrived at the ruins. There it was-the Atomic Bomb Dome⁴. Not long ago, we’d toured the war ruins in Okinawa for our history studies; I realized this was the weightier sequel to that lesson.
Standing before the skeletal remains of the Dome, Shu went bone-still. The bubbly girl from the train disappeared instantly.
”What is it, Princess? Did you sense something?” Saran-san asked.
”It’s not just ‘something,’ Saran,” Shu replied quietly. “Do you feel nothing looking at this building? I… I’ve never felt a chill like this. It goes straight to my soul.”
”I see a building burned in a war,” Saran-san said, sounding confused. “Is there more?”
”I can see it,” Shu whispered. “Not just this ruin. I see the whole city, the bustling streets, this park… I see a vision where everything has been reduced to this.”
”I see,” Saran-san murmured. “So that is your gift at work.”
Mom watched them with a look of quiet pride. “You truly are fit for the throne. You feel the weight of history instinctively. Never lose that sensitivity, Shu. It’s a leader’s greatest asset.”
We spent the rest of the afternoon in the Peace Memorial Museum. I understood the history in my head, but I lacked Shu’s raw empathy-the ability to look at a ruin and see the ghosts of a whole city. The walk back to the hotel was quiet. Shu didn’t say a word until we were almost there.
”Halt,” she said, turning to me. “Everything I felt today… I’m going to tell Uncle Aaron. Zerlant has had its wars, but we have to make sure our future never looks like this. We have to be so careful.”
Saran-san had mentioned that “Uncle Aaron” was Queen Asuka’s brother and the Commander-in-Chief of the Elf Army. If anyone needed to hear this, it was him.
* * *
By the time we reached Kyoto, Shu’s spirit had bounced back. We did the full tourist circuit: Kinkaku-ji, Kiyomizu-dera, and enough mitarashi dango to make us sick. She even insisted on a Maiko cosplay photo shoot. In Nagoya, we saw the castle and gorged ourselves on tenmusu⁵ and miso katsu⁶-delicacies you don’t find much in Okinawa.
”This is amazing, Halt! The culture, the food… everything is perfect!” Shu cheered. “And everyone is so kind!”
I felt a surge of relief. If I was getting a passing grade from a princess, I was doing okay.
Finally, we reached our last stop before Tokyo: Atami.
It was time for the classic hot spring episode. But with my mom along for the ride, I knew any “steamy” rom-com moments were dead on arrival.
”Tomori-san, you were the one who wanted to come here, right?” Shu asked.
”That’s right,” Mom replied. “You’ve seen the history, but you can’t say you’ve visited Japan until you’ve soaked in a hot spring.”
”Please, just call me Shu-Shuria,” the girl insisted. “So, Tomori-san… since it’s a hot spring, can Halt and I bathe together?”
”Wait, what?!” I sputtered. “Shu, no. Absolutely not. This isn’t a mixed bath.”
”Aww, really?” Shu pouted. “Saran told me she was looking forward to it because Japanese baths were mixed.”
”Princess! I said no such thing!” Saran-san barked, her face turning crimson.
The mixed-bath drama was just a misunderstanding on Saran-san’s part-a bit of a letdown, honestly-but then Shu spotted the ping-pong table in the lobby.
”Oh! Halt! I saw this in an anime! You wear a yukata⁷ and play this after a bath, right?”
Shu’s grasp on Japanese culture was definitely skewed toward my late-night watch history. My bad.
After our soak and dinner, the four of us squared off at the table.
The “uniform” was, of course, our yukatas.
”Take that! Wait, whoops!” Shu swung wild and missed the ball entirely. As she twisted, her yukata started to slip, threatening an accidental eyeful. I looked away immediately. Stop it, Halt. She’s eleven. Don’t be a creep.
On the other side of the table, Saran-san was a predator. She moved with terrifying efficiency, catching every ball and returning them with vicious smashes. This wasn’t “leisurely ping-pong”; she was playing for blood. Mom, surprisingly, was holding her own, keeping up a fierce rally.
”No fair,” Shu grumbled. “I can’t hit the ball at all. I want to smash it like Saran does!”
”You can’t do that on your first try,” I told her. “It’s supposed to be fun, Shu. Take it slow.”
”I guess…”
As we watched Mom and Saran-san go at it, Shu leaned in and whispered.
”I really did want to soak in the bath with you, Halt.”
”Shu, give it a rest,” I muttered.
”It’s not fair,” she continued, her voice dropping. “I know you were doing intimate things⁸ with Sheena-san the other day… but you just treat me like a child.”
My heart skipped a beat. She actually knew? She understood what was happening behind that door?
”Well, you are still a child,” I stammered, my face heating up.
”I’m a kid, but I’m not! I’m taller than Saran, anyway… just a little would have been fine.”
”Absolutely not! If Saran-san ever found out, she’d skin me alive!”
”Who is being skinned alive?” Saran-san asked, appearing out of nowhere.
I nearly jumped out of my skin.
”Whew, I worked up a sweat,” Mom said, coming up behind her. “Shu, Saran-san, want to go back for one last soak?”
As Mom led them away, I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.
But seriously… what was Shu thinking?
—
Summary:
Following Sister Sheena’s departure, Halt, his mother, Shu, and Saran embark on a ‘Greatest Hits’ tour of Japan toward Tokyo. The trip takes a somber turn at the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima, where Shu’s supernatural sensitivity reveals the tragic history of the site. The group eventually reaches Atami for a traditional hot spring stay, where Shu displays a surprising awareness of Halt’s recent intimacy with Sheena.
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Trivia:
- The trip itinerary was George’s idea but Atami was specifically Tomori’s request.
- Shu is only eleven years old but physically taller than the adult-looking Saran.
- Halt’s mother, Tomori, is surprisingly good at ping-pong, holding her own against Saran.
- Shu plans to report her feelings on war to the Elf Army commander, Uncle Aaron.
- Saran’s misunderstanding of Japanese culture led Shu to believe mixed bathing was the norm
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Character Insight:
Shu shows significant character depth here; her ‘waku-waku’ persona is balanced by a deep, visionary empathy for human suffering, leading her to vow to prevent such tragedies in her own world. Halt continues to struggle with the ‘lucky lecher’ tropes while realizing the younger characters are more observant than he thought.
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Behind the Scenes:
The ‘lucky lecher’ (Rakki Sukebe) trope is a common light novel staple where the protagonist accidentally encounters a girl in a suggestive state. The author uses it here to contrast with the very real emotional weight of the Hiroshima segment.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• George – An U.S. military officer and the son of Michael Anderson, a high-ranking official. He is also the brother of Gregory. Tomori’s husband. Halt’s father and a Major General in the military.
• Sheena – A Lizardman from the Apocalypse Empire, specifically a junior researcher in the teleportation research team of the empire’s army. She is the 47th resident (hence ‘No. 47’) of the secret underground facility in Nevada, where she has been living for several years after accidentally being transported to this world through a failed gate experiment. Yuuta’s saffle too. Grey hair, long hair.
• Saran – An elf; part of the joint team working on the Gate. A Royal Palace Guard Officer from the Zerlant Royal Family. She has very white skin, is small in stature, and is described as incredibly cute. Despite her appearance, she is a master of all martial arts and exceptionally strong. She is described as ‘stiff’ or serious.
• Halt – A sixteen-year-old high school sophomore living in the suburbs of Washington D.C. He is the grandson of the President of the United States and is recognized as a severe otaku by his peers. He attends a prestigious high school for children of celebrities and elite families.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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