Volume 13 Chapter 300 Shirogane Aqua, Suicide Ladies A-Team
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
After escaping Warsaw, we rolled up to the border between the Eastern Republic of Stars and the Stars side itself. The whole place was locked down, soldiers swarming the checkpoint like we’d stumbled into the set of some war film.
”Pretty tense out here today,” I muttered.
”Of course,” came the reply, steady and cool. “Tomorrow afternoon’s the summit. And don’t forget the recent accident. Right now, borders, airports—everywhere’s like this. Anyway, your IDs, please?”
”Of course,” President Maitrix answered without a flicker, handing over the fake documents we’d cobbled together back at our Warsaw base.
Damn. In movies, forged IDs always slid through like butter. In reality, it felt like my chest might explode. My palms were sweating, and my heart refused to calm down. Was it going to work? Or was I about to get hauled off in cuffs?
”What’s the purpose of your visit?” the soldier asked.
”Why, a simple family vacation,” Maitrix said smoothly, then shot me a glance in the back seat. According to our cover story, I was one of her daughters, along with Prime Minister Habu’s. Yeah. Go figure.
We’d disguised ourselves to hide our identities, but that didn’t stop the knot of worry twisting in my gut.
”I see,” the soldier said, narrowing her eyes. “I’ve got a daughter myself, but you… going on a trip with your mom—that’s pretty sweet of you.”
”HAHAHA, she’s our pride and joy,” Maitrix bellowed.
The woman in camo flicked a sharp glare at me. My breath caught. Please don’t catch on. Please, please don’t. I pressed my hands together in my mind, praying like mad.
”…All right. You can go.”
Relief flooded me. Maitrix reached out to take back the ID, but she snatched it back, pulling her hand away. My chest lurched. Crap. Was it over? Was our cover blown?
”Not so fast. First, you’ll need an entry permit issued in that tent. Things are strict right now. Park over there, all three of you.”
”…Understood.”
Maitrix stopped the car and flicked me a warning through the rear-view mirror. Be on guard. Got it.
”This way,” the soldier ordered.
We stepped out of the car. Instantly, troops surrounded us, herding us into a sealed-off tent. And then—click, click, click—dozens of barrels snapped toward us. Every soldier raised their rifle in perfect unison.
Reflex kicked in. Before the nearest soldier could even aim, I lunged forward, grabbed her wrist, twisted hard, and ripped the gun free. I’d never actually fired a gun in my life, but Akio-san had drilled me on how to smartly disarm someone pointing one at me, and hell, I was grateful for it now.
”Sorry about that. Didn’t hurt too much, did it?” I asked, genuine worry slipping out. Akio had done the same to me before—it hurt like hell. No kidding, that Yui-style lock could crush bone.
Maitrix and Habu moved with the same effortless grace, stripping weapons from stunned soldiers like they’d rehearsed it. Damn. Maybe I’d been trained into the ground, but those two? Way too practiced.
”Stop, stop. Honestly, you girls are too hot-blooded for your own good.”
That familiar voice froze us in place. Habu, Maitrix, and I turned toward it—and there she was. My jaw dropped.
”Grandmother Mary!?”
”Aqua-sama,” she said warmly, stepping forward. “I’m so relieved you’re safe.”
She raised her hand, and the soldiers instantly lowered their weapons and saluted. Relief whooshed out of me. Not enemies, then. Good. I spun the gun once around my finger, then handed it back to the woman I’d disarmed. “Sorry about that.”
”It’s been a while, Sensei,” Habu said. “Who are they?”
”My own subordinates who remained in Stars,” Mary replied. “Loyal not to Stars, but to me. So you can relax.”
She wrapped me in a firm, gentle hug. I didn’t know why, but being held by her calmed something deep inside me. The warmth was the same as when Kanon hugged me. Maybe that was just what it felt like to be held by family.
”Really… I’m so glad you’ve come back,” she whispered.
”Grandmother Mary… I’m sorry for worrying you.”
She pulled away slowly and turned her sharp gaze on Maitrix. “You know we don’t have much time. I’ll share what intelligence we’ve gathered.”
”Yes, Mary-sama!” Maitrix snapped to attention.
Mary led us deeper into the tent. Bigger on the inside, huh? She pressed a button on her remote, and the monitors flickered to life, filling the space with their glow.
”I’m sure you’ve already guessed who’s behind the attempts on your lives,” she said, “but their next plan has become clear.”
The image of a familiar train filled the screen. My eyes widened. Wait, that was—yeah, the Eurostars, the intercontinental express linking the states. I’d studied it back in geography class.
”They plan to plant explosives on the Eurostars and detonate them near the assembly hall in London.”
No. If they pulled that off, so many people would die. My hands curled into fists, shaking with fury. Damn it. When people die, that’s it. Nothing left. Nothing.
”Shouldn’t we warn the authorities right away?” I demanded.
”We already did,” Mary said bitterly. “But they intend to use it as a chance to catch the culprits. Pressure from the States is forcing them to do so.”
”Damn it!” Maitrix slammed his fist into a steel plate nearby. The solid metal bent and crumpled under the blow.
I raised a hand, forcing my voice to stay steady. “Hold on. You mean… they’re going to let ordinary passengers get caught up in this?”
”That’s the decision they’ve made. A foolish one indeed,” Mary spat, her jaw clenched tight. “The only reason things twisted this way is because collaborators from the Women’s Mutual Aid Society are embedded in the upper echelons of government. Kanon, Agewa, even Furia have been trying to convince them, but I fear their efforts will fail.”
Collaborators in the upper levels… meaning the enemy was on the inside, in positions high enough to sway national policy. Ministers, secretaries, generals—it could be any of them.
”Our only option,” Mary continued, her eyes sweeping over us, “is to stop their plan ourselves.”
Her words hung in the air, heavy.
”…Of course!” Maitrix roared. “If a president won’t act to protect even foreign lives, how the hell could they protect their own citizens?”
”Agreed,” Habu said firmly. “A nation’s boundaries don’t matter when it comes to saving people. And you were the one who taught me that, Sensei!”
Both turned their gaze to me. Mary’s eyes joined theirs. My pulse thumped.
”Let’s do it,” I said. “And don’t even think about leaving me behind for safety. When I go all out, I’m stronger than anyone.”
Something softened in Mary’s gaze, almost maternal. It reminded me of Kanon again.
”I know… I know. That’s who Aqua-sama is. I won’t try to stop you.”
She swept her gaze over us once more, then smiled. “Thank you, everyone. Now let’s move!”
”Oooouh!!” we chorused, hands piling together like the OP of Heaven’s Sword, our Yui-style bond sealed with fire.
”First things first,” Maitrix said, grin sharp. “We need to get our hands on that.”
”Agreed,” Mary answered smoothly.
”Perfect,” Habu added with a knowing smirk. “I know just the place.”
The three of them grinned like conspirators. What the hell was “that”? Disguised and anonymous, we headed out toward some hidden spot in Stars’ Belgian state.
”Where is this?” I asked, suspicion prickling.
”An auction house,” Maitrix said. “We need to secure certain items for our next move.”
With forged IDs, we slipped inside. My jaw dropped. Rows and rows of sleek supercars gleamed under the lights, every one rarer than the last.
”As you know, the Eurostars runs at speeds of up to 300 km/h across the continent. The catalog spec pushes close to 320. A true monster,” Maitrix explained, her voice reverent. “Normal cars could never keep up. But these… these are different.”
I followed her subtle nod, and then—holy crap. My whole body buzzed, adrenaline spiking sky-high.
”If you love bikes, you’ll know this one,” Maitrix said, her grin widening. “Japan’s pride and joy, the legendary SUZUGI GSX HAYABUSA 1999RA. Top speed: 334 km/h. Chiyoko, you could handle it easily, couldn’t you?”
”Of course,” she answered without hesitation.
God, it was beautiful. A real Hayabusa. The pearl-white body gleamed like a jewel, streaked with sharp blue lettering that screamed speed. Just looking at it was unfair—it radiated pure velocity. I couldn’t help but gape.
And in the back of my mind, I remembered the Prime Minister giggling about getting her license and going on a touring ride with Summer King. Damn… Sana. I clenched my teeth. Don’t worry. Just hold on a little longer. I’ll finish this mission, and I’ll bring her back safe. I swear it.
”And here we have the KAWAZAKI SHINOBI H3R0,” Maitrix continued, voice booming. “Its top speed is said to exceed 337 km. Just like the action heroes of States and Japan who always rode KAWAZAKI bikes in the movies, Aqua-kun—I want you on this one.”
”Wh-what!? O-okay!”
Holy crap. The latest model, one I’d never even touched. I reached out and brushed my fingers along the black body rimmed with traditional emerald green. The shade was the same as the plate that bore Beryl Entertainment’s name. My chest tightened, thoughts flashing to Toa, Shintaro, Tenga-senpai back in Japan. Were they worrying about me? Nah. They were strong. They’d be doing whatever they could, trusting I’d make it back alive. That was why I had to fight even harder—to make sure I returned to them.
”And that one’s the YAMABA YSP-R1,” Habu said, pointing to the crimson machine. “A full custom, one-off racer, faster than any production model. A wild beast to handle—but Mary-sama, I’m sure you can.”
”Of course,” she replied serenely.
A red bike. Damn, it just looked right. Monotones were cool too, but traffic-light colors always had that aura. And YAMABA’s signal-red scheme? Gorgeous. Red machines always looked fast—cars, bikes, didn’t matter. Was it just me? No, it was real. And somehow, the burning crimson suited Grandma Mary perfectly, passion incarnate.
”Looks like the auction’s about to start,” Maitrix said. “We’ll save the last bike for after.”
The bidding opened—and ended in a flash. Mary crushed the entire field, snapping up all four machines like it was nothing. If this wasn’t what they meant by “invincible,” then what was? Soon the four legendary beasts lined up before us.
”And finally,” Maitrix said, eyes glittering, “the HONNDA CBR1996 XXX Hyper Blackbird. This one’s mine. Retro, sure—twenty-eight years old. But limiter off, rebuilt with modern parts, it’ll keep up with anything. And doesn’t this rugged frame suit me, a States man, perfectly?”
She swung onto the Blackbird, and just like that—it was cinema. The machine looked built for her. Not just speed—the stealth-fighter body screamed power, intimidation. I couldn’t help the thought: thank god she’s on our side.
”Uh, so… question.” Back at base, I finally voiced what had been nagging me. “If we’re driving at 300 km an hour… isn’t that, y’know… over the speed limit?”
The adults traded glances. Eh? Why so quiet all of a sudden? Mary sighed and answered for them. “Aqua-sama. There are no speed limits in Stars. You’ve heard of the Autobahn, haven’t you?”
Wait, wait, yeah, but that’s only highways, right!? And even then I thought the cap was 300! 330-plus was way out of bounds! But Grandmother Mary’s eyes were dead serious. Ugh. Well, she was the former queen here. If she said so, who was I to argue?
”…And another thing,” I added nervously. “I don’t even have an international license…”
More glances. Then Maitrix stepped forward, grin wide. “Aqua-kun. Look out there. See all those cars and bikes? Not one of them has a license.”
”WHAT!?”
The roads were crawling with dozens of vehicles—and none of them had licenses!?
”Listen well. Japan’s the only place with that system. In States, we practice by driving on public roads without one. I did the same! So don’t sweat the details!”
R-right…? If that was how it worked here, maybe I was fine. I did have a bike license back home. But no, come on, that was ridiculous! Even I wasn’t dumb enough to swallow that.
”Enough,” Habu cut in smoothly. “Let’s focus on tomorrow.”
”I second that,” Maitrix said.
”As do I,” Mary agreed, and just like that, the three of them ducked neatly out of my line of sight. …Seriously? Running away from the question? Fine. If things went wrong, I’d just end up back in a holding cell in Japan again. Sugita-sensei’s face floated up in my mind, the man who’d come for me twice already. Sensei… they say third time’s the charm. Please, come for me again—and scold me until I can’t breathe.
”Ready, everyone?” Maitrix barked.
We nodded, helmets in place, engines humming within the trailer. “Here’s the plan. The Eurostars departed Brussels and is en route to London. When the enemy begins, we’ll leap onto the rear cargo platform. Fail, and you die. But none of you will, right?”
I nodded with Habu, Mary calm as ever. The comms crackled. “Mary-sama, Eurostars’ signal just cut.”
”They’ve started,” she said coldly. “Move out!”
Simple plan. Retake the hijacked Eurostars, rescue the civilians. Then ride it straight into London and crash the parliamentary vote. Our survival had been relayed via Agewa-san, but the world leaders wouldn’t believe it until they saw Maitrix and Habu with their own eyes. Fine. Then we’d deliver.
”Please, be safe,” Agewa’s voice whispered in the back of my mind.
The trailer hatch yawned open. Wind screamed in.
”Let’s go!” I shouted.
”Ooooouh!!” we roared back, engines surging as our bikes shot onto the highway. No mistakes allowed. We wove through cars, throttles wide. Good thing I’d filmed those Formula races—already felt the world at 350. At 300, I was calm.
’Eurostars merge point in sight. I’ll go first!’ Habu’s voice rang.
She blasted ahead. But then—”Wait, Chiyoko! Look behind you!”
I flicked my mirrors—and froze. A blur tore up the road, gaining on us. Impossible. Nothing should catch these monsters.
Maitrix’s growl hit the comms. “States military prototype. Jet engine, two-seater bike. Top speed exceeds 600 km. Get ready—they’re on us!”
A… a monster like that exists!? The passenger raised a rifle, aiming straight at Mary in the rear.
”Tch.” Mary’s flawless control swerved her from the bullets. Damn it, she was still in danger. I eased back, sliding behind.
”Mary, get ahead of me!”
”But—”
I grinned inside my helmet. She couldn’t see it, but I knew she’d feel it. “I’ll be fine!!”
”…Very well. But don’t push yourself!”
We swapped, me dropping back to meet the beast head-on. Not a single one of them was getting past me. Not a damn one.
”Chiyoko!” Maitrix roared. “You and I board first. Cover them from up top!”
”Understood!”
They matched the Eurostars’ speed, then used the slope to launch themselves onto the cargo platform. Holy crap. I’d seen Seijo Energy’s stunt videos online—it looked exactly like that. They braked, leapt off their bikes, and raised their guns in perfect sync.
”Mary, go next!”
”I’m on it!”
She soared onto the train, leaving me last. Just as I revved for my turn, a trailer ahead swung its hatch open.
”Target him! That’s Shirogane Aqua! Kill him!”
Damn it! Bullets sprayed, forcing me to swerve off the line. Heart pounding, I scanned desperately. Options? Paths? Think!
”Aqua-sama! Another merge in five kilometers!” Mary’s voice cut in.
”Got it!!” I yelled back, throttle twisting to the limit.
Behind me, enemy bikes tore after us, their riders firing wild. But when it came to sheer handling, I had them beat. Leaning low, I slipped past their bullets, skimming the line between life and death. One enemy lost control and toppled sideways with a crash, the other slammed straight into the barrier.
A quick glance at my mirror showed both riders twitching faintly on the ground. Their powered suits had saved them. Good. That was exactly how I wanted it. I had never intended to kill anyone. Not a single one.
”There—there’s the rendezvous point!” I gasped. And then froze. No slope, no way up to the train. Damn it. What now?
That’s when I saw it: a stopped car carrier, tilted from some earlier accident. Perfect. My eyes narrowed, and I yanked the handlebars toward it.
”Whoa!? Is this a movie shoot!?” the stunned driver shouted as I barreled forward.
”Sorry!” I yelled, but there was no turning back. This was an emergency. My wheels hit the incline, and in a roar of steel and air I launched skyward, bike and all, soaring high above. Then—slam—I landed hard onto the cargo hold of the Eurostars.
”Aqua-sama!”
”Aqua-kun!!”
I wanted nothing more than to leap off and hug them, but this wasn’t the time. Instead, the four of us locked eyes, nodded once, wordless understanding sparking between us.
”Search for the bombs,” I ordered. “Even if I find them, I won’t know how to handle them.”
”Got it. And what about you, Aqua-kun?” Maitrix asked.
I grinned sharp enough to cut steel. “Me? I’m just gonna charge straight ahead and knock every last one of them down.”
”…Eh!?” their voices chorused in disbelief.
Without waiting, I forced open the chained door at the back and stormed into the train.
”What the hell—!?”
The soldier barely had time to aim before my knife flashed through the air. She cried out, dropping her weapon as the blade sank into her shoulder, and collapsed to the floor. My boots hit beside her, my hands pressing down to stanch the bleeding.
”You’ll be fine. I don’t kill. Hold it tight, stop the blood.”
Her face went pale, but she nodded, trembling. Footsteps thudded from the next car. I ducked behind the doorframe.
”Thought I heard something—gah!?”
My backfist smashed into her jaw, sending her crumpling. I yanked my knife back from her vest pocket and breathed. I preferred fists, but having a ranged option never hurt.
”Sorry, just nap here a while, big sister,” I whispered, stepping into the next car.
”There! Hands up!!”
The soldier was ready, rifle leveled. “You—Shirogane Aqua, isn’t it!? Drop the weapon and sit!”
I spread my arms, stepping forward like an idiot daring her to shoot. Her eyes flickered—just one blink, one heartbeat too long. That was all I needed.
”Gwaaah!!”
Her wrist twisted in my grip, and the shot went off, right into her own leg. She cried out, collapsing.
”It hurts, doesn’t it? Remember that pain. Never do this again,” I said, urging her to press down on the wound before moving on.
”Hands up!!”
Two more soldiers burst from the shadows, rifles leveled. Passengers shrieked, the air split by screams.
”Kyaaa!!”
”Stop it!!”
”Aqua-sama!?”
So this was where they’d gathered the hostages. I lifted my hands—then grabbed their wrists. Two deafening shots exploded, echoing down the car. The passengers clamped their eyes shut, screaming.
”Aaagh!!”
”My foot, my foot!!”
Both women went down, clutching their bleeding boots. That’s what happens when you trust your guns instead of your own strength.
”Stop right there! I’ve got a hostage!!”
Another soldier emerged, dragging a girl close, gun to her head. She glared at me, eyes desperate.
”Think we’re bluffing!? I’ll do it!!”
”I don’t doubt it,” I said quietly, stepping forward. “But tell me—are you ready for the scariest big sister of them all to come down on you?”
”What…?”
I winked. The signal.
”Save her, President,” I whispered.
”Leave it to me!!”
Glass shattered as President Maitrix crashed through the side window, her fist landing in a single devastating blow. The soldier crumpled instantly, the hostage safe in her arms.
”Maitrix!” I breathed. Just as I thought—the others had been moving along the roof, watching for my signal.
”Aqua-kun. Chiyoko and Mary-sama are already heading for the front car.”
”Got it.”
I crouched to the trembling girl he’d saved. “You must have been terrified. But it’s okay now. We’re here.”
”T-thank you, Aqua-sama… President Maitrix…”
Her voice was a whisper. I stroked her hair gently before rising. My face was calm, but inside—rage burned white-hot. Attacking me, I could forgive. Attacking the people I cared about… maybe. But dragging in innocent strangers? Never.
That’s why I would put them all down alive, force them to face their sins, and suffer the punishment they deserved. That was my way. The way of Shirogane Aqua.
”Let’s go, President Maitrix.”
”Of course!!”
Together, we stormed forward, smashing the next door clean off its hinges with a single combined punch, ready to meet Chiyoko and Mary-sama at the front in a perfect pincer.
—
Sugita-sensei: “Hehhhkshhh!! Wha—? Am I catching a cold? This chill… it’s unbearable…”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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