Volume 7 Chapter 15 Shirogane Aqua, Follow Me
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Ah, thank you very much for agreeing to the interview.”
Kirika-san and I entered the Trash Punks’ dressing room with Morikawa-san. We could have left her there without granting an interview, but Kirika-san decided it would be best to explain the situation to Morikawa-san.
”You… what are you doing here of all places?”
At Kirika-san’s voice, Morikawa-san froze at first, seemingly not understanding, but then her comprehension caught up and she opened her mouth wide.
”Uh…?”
Oh, danger. Since Morikawa-san seemed like she was about to let out a loud scream of surprise, I quickly covered her mouth with my hand, hugging her from behind in the process.
”Mmm…”
Huh? Did Morikawa-san’s atmosphere suddenly become more alluring? I felt like her body temperature had risen slightly, and her breathing seemed to have become heavy. Is she okay?
”Aqua-san, please release her. If you keep going, Morikawa-san might end up in a bad state.”
”Oh, yeah.”
Following Kirika-san’s advice, I let go of Morikawa-san. With a heated gaze, she looked at me, then adjusted her disheveled clothes and took a deep breath.
”Nee-san, why are you…? And that aura coming from your lower half… I thought you had above-average combat power, and it’s really Aqua-kun, huh?”
Aura from my lower half? Wait… do I emit some weird aura from there!? Just to be sure, I stared at my lower half. No… there’s definitely nothing emitting from there, right?
”Wait a second, don’t say strange things that might trouble my talent.”
”Eeep, eep.”
With a light chop from Kirika-san, Morikawa-san held her head.
”So… why are you here?”
”Um…”
According to Morikawa-san’s explanation, it seemed she was in Stars for work related to the national broadcast. In the process, upon learning about her friend Kanon’s marriage, she couldn’t contain herself any longer and took action. Since Kirika-san and Morikawa-san had come to the café together before and Kirika-san mentioned being friends with Kanon, I had suspected they might be friends, but I never expected Morikawa-san and Kanon to be friends as well… that surprised me, even though I had anticipated it. The world is smaller than I thought.
”That’s why I’m here to help too!! And, by the way, these girls are also helpers, so rest assured.”
When Morikawa-san pointed, the local photographers who had accompanied her were somehow in a posture of reverence, bowing deeply. Huh, huh? What’s going on!? What happened!?
”Hey, w-wait!”
Morikawa-san rose, and with the help of someone I assumed was a local photographer, she started whispering in the local language. Unfortunately, they were too far away for me to hear what they were saying, but it seemed Morikawa-san was trying to convince them.
’Chief, this won’t do…’
’Well, still…’
’No, that won’t do at all! It’s written somewhere that we mustn’t do that in front of the person! Didn’t we write something like that?’
One of the nearby staff members stood up and cut into the conversation between Morikawa-san and the cameraman.
Is everything okay? Is there some sort of dispute going on?
’Chief… It’s written the same way in the scriptures. Thou shalt never cast doubt upon the One True God. Our actions just now inadvertently led us to pay reverence to the divine nature of the One True God Aqua-sama. Saint-sama, thank you for pointing that out.’
’I see, is that so? I’ll be more careful next time.’
’Nevertheless, you truly live up to being a saint. To remain composed even when standing by the side of the One True God Aqua-sama is something to be admired, even as one of the humble followers.’
For some reason, now it was Morikawa-san who was being revered. Um, is this some kind of cultural thing in Stars?
’Se—rious—ly, just stop it! Come on, stand up properly!’
It seemed that the conversation among the three had come to an agreement.
”Hahaha, sorry about that. You don’t need to worry too much, Aqua-kun. Anyway, could you tell me how you plan to help Kanon?”
”Uh… Are you really okay with this?”
”Yep, because Kanon is my friend. If our goals align, wouldn’t it be better to cooperate with the plan that has a higher chance of success? And those people there, they’re posing as staff, but they’re actually locals who oppose the Stars Orthodox Religion, the masterminds behind this incident, so you really don’t need to worry about them.”
Oh, there are groups opposing the Stars Orthodox Religion. I don’t know much about the people involved, but having locals who oppose the church’s actions is reassuring. I decided to seek help from Morikawa-san and the others as well.
”Thank you, Morikawa-san, and everyone.”
I bowed my head to everyone. Seeing that, the locals who were disguised as staff seemed to show signs of unease. It’s probably not common for a man to bow here.
”Right, because Kanon is my friend. If our goals align, wouldn’t it be better to cooperate with the plan that has a higher chance of success? And those people there, they’re posing as staff, but they’re actually locals who oppose the Stars Orthodox Church, the masterminds behind this incident, so you really don’t need to worry about them.”
Oh, there are groups opposing the Stars Orthodox Church. I don’t know much about the people involved, but having locals who oppose the church’s actions is reassuring. I decided to seek help from Morikawa-san and the others as well.
”Thank you, Morikawa-san, and everyone.”
I bowed my head to everyone. Seeing that, the locals who were disguised as staff seemed to show signs of unease. It’s probably not common for a man to bow here.
”Just, if there’s a chance to stop Kanon’s marriage, it would be the moment she arrives at the church. I think she’ll enter the waiting room first, so I planned to ambush her there, congratulating her and introducing myself. Then, I want to talk with Kanon for a bit. If she doesn’t want this marriage, I want to find a way to prevent it. And if she truly desires this marriage, well… I’ll try to persuade her, and if that fails, as frustrating as it is, I’ll give up… But if she’s happy, I’m okay with it. I feel worse seeing Kanon not smile.”
My only wish is for Kanon to be happy. Of course, I’d like to be the one who makes her happy. No, I will make Kanon happy. It might sound childish, but I absolutely can’t stand the thought of entrusting her happiness to another man. So, I want to express these feelings to Kanon.
”I see… Yes, I understand. In that case, leave it to us. And remember, we can also help delay things a bit!”
”Thank you, Morikawa-san, and all of you.”
Morikawa-san’s voice reassured me, and everyone else chimed in with support.
”Just now, Kanon seems to have left the palace.”
I turned my gaze to the television screen set up in the waiting room. There, Kanon in her pure white wedding dress was being shown getting into a car. She looks so beautiful… It’s as if my chest is being tightened in a painful way.
”Let’s get ready too.”
Kirika-san’s words prompted us to have a final briefing before our assault.
”She should be arriving soon. Let’s go as well.”
Timing our exit to coincide with Kanon’s arrival at the church, we pretended to go to the restroom and slipped outside. Thankfully, John had given us an idea of where the waiting room might be located, so we only needed to avoid the guards’ attention and make our way to Kanon. If I could just have a short moment to talk with her, I believed I could figure something out. That was the plan. However, my plans took an unexpected turn.
”Something seems to have happened.”
The guards were rushing about inside the church.
”Somebody outside the church is inciting the crowd to revolt!”
”Princess Kanon is changing her plans. She won’t be going to the waiting room; she’ll head straight to the wedding!”
”Hurry, we need to reposition the staff!”
Hearing the voices of the guards, Kirika-san and I exchanged glances. Kanon won’t be going to the waiting room? That means our plan is completely ruined.
”W-What should we do?”
While Morikawa-san seemed baffled, my mind oddly remained clear. Seeing someone more anxious than myself somehow helps me stay calm.
”Please calm down, Morikawa-san. The plan remains unchanged. If things have come to this, I’ll directly enter the ceremony.”
If this is what Kanon truly desires, it might make her sad. No, that can’t be. Seeing Kanon’s sad smile before, I’m convinced this isn’t what she truly wants. So, I absolutely need to prevent this marriage. That determination is solidifying within me.
”Then, I’ll go alone. Everyone, please flee.”
As I said this, Kirika-san grabbed my shoulders.
”Aqua-san, don’t underestimate Morikawa-san’s and my resolve!”
Kirika-san’s strong words made my spine straighten. I can’t see her face under the helmet, but her intensity and fervor resonate within my heart.
”You… You changed me. No, it’s not just me. Morikawa-san, and everyone who cooperated in this plan, we’ve all changed because of meeting you. Just like you’ve resolved yourself, we’ve resolved ourselves too! So please let us be by your side until the very end. You, as the idol Shirogane Aqua, will change the world. I’ll be there until that moment! This is my determination. Remember that!”
In response to Kirika-san’s words, Morikawa-san also nodded firmly.
”Aqua-kun, I might not be very reliable, but I’m with you in spirit, just like Kirika-san. I might stumble sometimes, but for today, let me handle this. And, Aqua-kun, my desire to see Kanon happy isn’t any weaker than yours. After all, Kirika-san and I have known her longer than you have! So, say it like you did at that time… at the live concert. ‘Follow me!!’”
Their words made me grip my fist tightly.
”Thank you, both of you! Got it. I won’t say anything more. I’ll leave the rest to everyone. Stick with me!”
Everyone nodded in response to my words. Just then, a security guard passing by happened to notice us.
”Trash Punks, what are you doing here? Get back to the waiting room!”
There’s no other choice. At that moment, the female photographer jumped at the security guard.
”Hurry, go! We’ll help too.”
”Th… thank you!”
We dashed towards the ceremony hall.
”They’re suspicious individuals!”
”Anyone will do, stop them!”
”Don’t use your guns! Just restrain them!”
The locals posing as staff shielded us from the approaching security guards, creating a path for us. Thanks to their help, we managed to reach the front of the ceremony hall.
”Aqua-kun, go!”
”Aqua-san, leave this to us!”
Two security guards by the door got entangled with Kirika-san and Morikawa-san. In that opening, I kicked down the large door in front of me. I believed Kanon would be there, but… behind the door was an even larger door, blocked by numerous security guards.
Is this the end? Just for a moment, I felt my resolve waver. Then, a deafening voice echoed through the area.
”Listen to my songggggggg!”
That… No, it was more accurate to say it was Toa’s voice, the one from when he was Oumi Tama. Something was happening outside. No… everyone was taking action. I’m not alone. So many people are standing by me. If that’s the case, I have no choice but to move forward! I reached up to my helmet and threw it to the ground.
The security guards started to murmur upon seeing this. Among them, the one who seemed to be their leader was calmly observing me.
’Shirogane Aqua… Why are you here?’
”A man doesn’t need a reason to go see the woman he loves!”
It was an immediate response.
”So clear the way. If you want to shoot, shoot. If you want to obstruct, obstruct. But even so, I won’t stop, and I will open that door and go see Kanon. Only those who are ready to stop me, come forward!”
I slowly moved towards the large door. The security guards didn’t move.
’…Make way for him.’
The leader of the security team spoke, and they all looked surprised, then gradually parted to the left and right. I walked in that direction, one step, then another. I thought I could reach Kanon this way. At that moment, someone raised their voice.
’What are the security team doing!’
A group in sister attire appeared from the side passage, led by a woman who stared at me with a fierce expression. I recognized her. Priest Mees, the leader of the extremist faction of the Stars Orthodox Religion.
’Quick, apprehend that man!’
The security guards hesitated between the orders of their leader and Mees.
’Absolutely useless bunch. Go, all of you!’
As the nuns started moving upon Mees’ command, the sound of a motorcycle engine revving could be heard.
At the moment when everyone turned their heads towards the sound, a Bike flew through the air and crashed into the church’s stained glass.
”Aqua!”
”Sh-Shintaro!”
I locked eyes with Shintaro, who was riding behind the seats.
”Wh-what are you doing? This is a sacred church!”
Ignoring the flustered Mees, the person who had driven the Bike into the church and had Shintaro riding on the back calmly dismounted. Seeing the familiar suit and mask, I was more surprised than by Mees. W-why is that here?
”Masked Driver – Poison Chalice… I, have arrived!”
No, no, no! We all froze at Tenga-senpai’s cool pose. Even Shintaro, who he brought along, was frozen. Why did it end up like this?
”Go, Kenzaki. Leave this to Tachibana and me.”
H-He’s really getting into it… This is Tenga-senpai in full character. With his naturally tall height and the fact that Tenga-senpai actually trains to perform action scenes himself, he’s really intimidating. The nuns were clearly unsure of how to react to this situation.
”Thank you, senpai. We’ll take it from here. And, Shintaro, I’m counting on you too!”
I’m not entirely sure what’s happening, but Shintaro, I’m leaving the rest to you! You should be able to handle this chaotic situation skillfully. Yeah. I handed over the unfolding events in front of me to Shintaro and slowly pushed the large door in front of me with my hands. The door opened slowly, and I could see Kanon’s figure on the other side.
”Kanon!”
The moment her figure came into view, I shouted her name. In response to my words, Kanon turned her face towards me slowly. The moment our eyes met, I became certain. No one but me can make Kanon happy! It’s me!
”I’ve come to take you. So… just for now, quietly let me abduct you!”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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