Volume 13 Chapter 302 Mary, My Knight
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Chiyoko and I crawled along the roof of the lead car, our knees clanking softly on the metal as wind whipped at our hair. We traded quick hand signals in the moonlight.
[I’ll go in from the right window, sensei.]
[Okay. I’ll take the left door.]
I slipped my phone out, thumb dancing over the screen as I synced it with Unit 3510. The lock gave a faint click. Perfect. Ready. I raised my fingers toward Chiyoko and silently counted down.
Three… two… one…
Right as she smashed through the side window with an explosive crash of glass, I threw the door open and darted inside.
”What—!?”
Too slow. A real pro doesn’t ever space out, even for a second. I flicked my collapsible staff straight with a snap and drove it into the nearest bandit’s chest, pressing the button near its base.
”Gwah!?”
Her body jolted stiff like a puppet cut from its strings before collapsing in a heap. Oh dear. Maybe I overdid the voltage a little.
”Mary Stars Goshenite!?”
”Pardon me.”
Another one swung toward me with her gun half-raised. I hooked the staff under it, sent it clattering away, and zapped him too. Unlike those Power Sect fanatics, I was just a delicate little girl. So I was totally allowed to use sneaky toys like this, right?
”Fuhnnuuh!!”
”Gwaaaugh!!”
One girl flew backward like a rag doll as Chiyoko drove a straight punch right through her—literally punching her and the driver’s cabin door off its hinges. The ones inside toppled over in the chain reaction. Oh my. Power Sect people were always so flashy. I jabbed the leg of one groaning as he tried to stand and hit the button. Sparks danced across her, and she slumped down again. Just a bit sloppy on the finishing blow, though.
”Sensei! The driver’s cabin is secure!! Please let me handle the controls!!”
Her eyes sparkled like a kid in an arcade. Of course. She’d wanted to drive a train. She didn’t have to say it—I could tell.
”Then I’ll leave this to you, Chiyoko. I’m going to regroup with Aqua-sama and the others.”
”Yes, sensei! Yesss, I get to do Train de GO for real!! Fuu… I’m totally bragging about this to Congressman Fujii when we get back!”
Honestly. She had zero sense of tension. If her wife back in Japan or little Sana-chan heard about this, they’d give her the deadest of dead stares. As I passed one bandit still groaning, I shocked her too, just in case. A true maiden never forgets her finishing touches.
”This way!”
”Move!!”
Voices echoed from the next car. I ducked into the doorway shadow. Ugh, come on, I was just one fragile maiden here—couldn’t they be a little considerate? I scooped up a dropped pistol, and when the door slid open, I zapped the first man before he even blinked.
”Stop! Enemy!!”
Too slow, like I said. I pulled her limp body in front of me as a shield, then shot the second and third in their arms and legs to disable them.
”N-no way…”
”Oh, it’s very real. Did you think I was only strong in video games? That’s disappointing. All Stars royalty—except the minors like Kanon and Hermie—have actual combat experience. I’m just… a bit more special than most.”
”Uuugh… it hurts… Mama…”
”Please… don’t kill me…”
Seeing how sloppy their clearing was, the quality of these soldiers wasn’t high. They’d gone too big with their plan and drowned in it—like a strategist undone by her own cleverness. A good reminder for me, really. I zapped the moaning ones out cold too.
”Well then. Time to move on.”
I stepped forward—and the whole train screeched as the brakes slammed, jolting us all.
’This is Habu Chiyoko in the cab! Something’s auto-controlling the system—the brakes just triggered by themselves! I can’t override it!!’
Her voice hit my earpiece and my stomach dropped. Damn it. Slowing the train now… meant they were planning to ditch the Eurostars and flee. I peeked out a window. A helicopter hovered directly overhead. I hit my comm.
’Listen up! They’ve already planted bombs in the train cars! Split up and find them!! I’ll chase the ones escaping!!’
I wrenched the door open, climbed back onto the roof, and sprinted. Miscast for this role or not, I leapt and caught the rope ladder trailing from the chopper as it peeled away from the slowing Eurostars. The train blurred under me as its brakes released and it began picking up speed again.
”Haa… haa…”
I pulled myself inside, staying wary.
”…No one’s here?”
The cockpit yoke shifted on its own. Autonomous control? Of course. A tinny voice crackled from a speaker mounted inside.
’Nice to meet you, former Queen Mary Stars Goshenite, Your Majesty.’
A new voice. Likely someone from the Women’s Mutual Aid Society. I thumbed my comm to broadcast this to everyone listening.
’Let’s not drag this out. This is farewell. You’ll disappear from this world together with this helicopter.’
I leaned out, gauging altitude and surroundings. No good. Way too high to jump and survive.
’Oh, don’t even think about bailing. This chopper’s loaded with explosives. Look behind you.’
I turned. Enough bombs to flatten a city block. So that was it—they only needed to kill one person, and anyone would do.
’You know what happens if this explodes here. So—I’ll give you a chance.’
My gut tightened. I slid into the pilot seat.
’You’ll take control now, and find somewhere empty to crash this bird. Don’t bother trying to survive. It’s rigged to blow on landing, and there’s a timer. If you climb above a certain altitude, it’ll auto-detonate.’
Ha. Thought so. Good thing I’d learned to fly helicopters back in the Stars Navy. I gripped the yoke, old training flickering back.
’Farewell, Mary Stars Goshenite. You fought well. Watch from the afterlife as we rebuild the good old world.’
”The so-called good old days, huh…”
What utter crap. Like the clock’s hands, the world moves forward. Sure, we humans are flawed—we stall, we look back, we even retreat sometimes. But forward is the only way we survive. Stop evolving, and it’s not stasis you get—it’s extinction.
Thanks to Aqua-sama, the boys in Japan, maybe even the world, were changing. No… not just the boys. As they changed, the girls were changing too. So if the ones who knew those harsh old days refused to change… then who would? I believed it—the future Shirogane Aqua was creating held real light.
So…!
”I won’t let you have your way!!”
The auto-pilot cut off. I forced the yoke, easing the altitude down carefully to keep the bombs from triggering. Think. Where could I crash with minimal damage? My eyes darted, then caught a stretch of hills near the highway.
”There. That might work. But…”
I’d definitely die. And there was no other option. I started banking toward it—when a voice cracked in my ear.
’Grandmother Mary, look down!!’
That voice… Aqua-sama!? I yanked open the side door and stuck my head out. Below, a very familiar bike tore down the highway—going the wrong way.
’Control it till the last second, then jump! I’ll catch you!!’
Way too dangerous. But no matter what I said, Aqua-sama would never back down. He never had. Not since that very first day.
’Can I… trust you?’
’Of course. Even if the whole world turns on you, even if God Himself tries to kill you, even if fate or the world says no—I will never let anyone kill you!!’
Honestly… I couldn’t help smiling. And in my heart, I spared a little sympathy for Hakuryuu-sensei and the others. The boy they were trying to beat was impossibly strong. But he was also so blindingly hot it could burn them alive.
’Then I’m coming. So you’d better catch me. Aqua-sama… no—Aqua.’
’Yeah!’
I locked the yoke in place with wire. Good enough. Moving into the back, I craned my head to mark the exact point. Two parallel highway bridges. Aqua-sama was on one of them, speeding straight toward me.
’Grandmother Mary… no—’
He flung off his helmet. His face, brimming with unshakable confidence, aimed straight at me.
”Fly, Mary! Trust me—trust Shirogane Aqua!!”
Something clicked in me. I pushed off the doorframe—and at that exact moment, a crosswind wobbled the chopper.
”Ah—”
My foot slipped. I fell too early—off target, into the open space between the two bridges. Flashes of my life danced through my mind.
Aqua…
It’s fine. You can do this. So I’ll leave the rest to you. The moment I accepted death, I saw him—Aqua yanking his bike into a wheelie.
”UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!”
What… what are you even—!? No, what are you doing!?
Aqua launched off the bridge on his bike, then leapt from it, hurtling toward me.
”Never underestimate me—Shirogane Aqua—YOU DAMN DEATH GOD!!”
He caught me midair, crushing me to his chest. The world slowed to syrup as we spun through the air. The other bridge flashed below—cars rushing past. Oh no. We were going to smash into a hood.
And then—pop!—an airbag-like device burst from the hood with a puff.
Aqua-sama twisted in midair so his back faced down, and the two of us crashed into the cushion, our bodies sinking deep into it together.
”Grandmother Mary, are you okay!?”
”U-um. I’m fine.”
Even though he was the one who took the hit, the first thing out of his mouth was worry for me. Honestly… I clenched my fist tight, trying to steady the wild thump of my heart. No—wait. The helicopter!
We both whipped our heads up. Far ahead, the runaway chopper slammed into the hillside and erupted in a huge bloom of fire. Flames curled skyward, and my chest eased when I saw nothing around it to be harmed.
”Fuu… made it in time somehow. Damn it, Ethan. Always with the impossible demands.”
A voice came from the car whose hood had saved us. A man climbed out. Aqua-sama froze when he saw his face.
”Shirogane Aqua… been a long time.”
”…You.”
Ken—the man who once tried to harm Kanon—reached out a hand. Aqua-sama clasped it, letting Ken haul him up.
”You’re wondering why I’m here, right? Let’s just say… stuff happened.”
His tone was awkward, like someone dancing around a secret. No surprise—he was part of the IAF, the unit under the Holy Aqua Religion, and couldn’t just say it out loud.
”I can’t tell you the details. What matters is, I came to help you and Mary-sama. That’s enough, right?”
”…Yeah.”
Then Ken turned to me and bowed deeply.
”You might not know this, but… I once tried to do something unforgivable to your granddaughter. I’m truly sorry for that.”
”I—I know. And… I also know you’ve been trying hard ever since.”
I’d heard how he’d sent letters, gone in person, apologized to Kanon, to Akiyama Sachiko-san, and to the other girls he hurt. Made amends. Paid reparations. Ken bowed again, lower this time, before facing Aqua-sama.
”And I also tried to hurt you. I don’t know if you’ll believe I regret it… but I do. I’m sorry. Saying it only makes me feel lighter—it’s selfish—but I don’t have any words for you or anyone else except… I’m sorry.”
Apologies don’t erase sins. Words alone don’t cleanse anything. That might be true. But looking at him, I could tell—this wasn’t just words. He really had changed.
”I wasn’t planning to see you today either. But… come on, how was I supposed to know you’d actually fly?”
I bit back a laugh behind my fingers. Fair enough. I hadn’t expected to fly either.
”Ken…”
Aqua-sama murmured his name, then simply pulled him into a hug. It startled not just Ken—but me, too.
”Thanks. Because of you… my precious person didn’t get hurt.”
P-precious person!? My chest lurched like it forgot how to beat. Ugh, honestly, you really are…!
”You… you’d thank someone like me…?”
Ken’s fists trembled, his eyes flickering.
”What you did can’t be erased. You’ll carry that sin forever. But… if someone’s taken their punishment, tried to atone, and is working to start over… I don’t think it’s wrong to tell them to keep going.”
Ah… yeah. I really did love this man, I thought. From the very bottom of my heart. Ken’s eyes squeezed shut as he fought off tears.
”…Thanks.”
He tossed his car keys to Aqua-sama.
”Take it, Shirogane Aqua.”
”Eh? Wait, but—cars? I mean, bikes sure, but the only time I drove a car was for a movie shoot practice, and I don’t even have a license…”
Ken strode to a container truck behind him, hitting a button to open its hatch. Inside gleamed a bright red supercar.
”I wasn’t sure about something this flashy, but Bernard said if you’re gonna storm Parliament, it oughta look like something out of a States action flick.”
The supercar lowered itself with a quiet hum.
”Listen, and listen well, Shirogane Aqua. Stars shifted from monarchy to democracy. But even so, you’re still the knight of former Queen Mary Stars Goshenite, Your Majesty. And a royal knight—former or not—isn’t just some empty title. It’s a license of freedom in this country. A get-out-of-jail card. It means no law or rule can bind you. So basically… you can do whatever the hell you want!!”
”Wha—no way!?”
A blatant lie, probably. But knowing him, it would somehow become true later anyway. Judging from all this, Audrey Bradley—the current head of Stars—had likely been quietly coordinating with the Holy Aqua Religion behind the scenes. Huh. Nicely done.
The gullwings of the supercar popped open in front of us.
’Please hurry inside, Master.’
”That voice… 3510!?”
Oh, right. Aqua-sama had worked with 3510 during that Formula racing movie. The two of us scrambled in as the gullwings flapped impatiently like wings.
’It has been a while, Master. AI 3510 will ensure a safe and comfortable drive for you.’
My gaze slid to the console tablet mounted on the dash. Aqua-sama probably didn’t notice, but this cheeky thing had just hacked into the Stars traffic control satellites, the signal systems, and even the GPS networks of every nearby car. Of course it did.
”Shirogane Aqua… you saved a piece of crap like me. So go. Shirogane Aqua. You’re the only one who can change this world… and stop the rest of us bastards.”
”…Got it. Leave it to me, Ken.”
Aqua-sama said it firmly, then shut the door and floored the pedal. I watched Ken’s figure shrink in the mirror, my eyes narrowing. People change. His sins might stay forever, but even so, change still matters. I turned to look at Aqua-sama beside me. He noticed and glanced back, worried.
”Grandmother Mary, what is it? Are you sure you’re not hurt somewhere after all!?”
”I’m fine. Really.”
At every moment someone changes, he’s there. Shirogane Aqua. That’s why I bet on him. That he could fix every rotten part of this world. We caught each other’s eyes for just a second.
’Beep-beep! Warning, warning! Master, please face forward. Looking away while driving is a traffic violation!’
Honestly. This useless AI had no sense of mood. Like it would even matter—she was driving autonomously anyway! There’s no way we’d crash! Ugh, really now!
I waited until Aqua-sama turned his gaze back to the road, then let myself glance once more at his face. Shirogane Aqua. My knight. I love you. More than anyone.
I smiled, straightened my back, and faced forward again.
Notes:
• Ethan – Male. Captain of the Impossible Aqua Force (IAF). Appears as a beautiful woman in a lavish dress but has an Adam’s apple, indicating he is likely a man in disguise. Silent and professional, with a focus on supporting Aqua-sama’s mission. His relationship with Bernard is that of a superior and new recruit.
• Ken – Male. A rehabilitated man working in the mine. The fiancé of Akiyama Sachiko, the organizer of the party or one of the protagonist’s (Aqua’s) mother’s students (ikebana) appeared in Volume 2 Chapter 12. However, their engagement is not yet officially recognized, as the necessary documents have not been signed by all parties involved. Ken-kun behaves inappropriately during the event, attempting to flirt with Kanon and later becoming aggressive, even wielding a replica sword. His actions cause a disturbance, and he is eventually subdued and removed by the security team.
• Bernard – Male. New recruit in the IAF. Brown hair, average build. Cautious and thoughtful, with a strong desire to support Aqua-sama and his followers. Has three daughters: Beatrice, Leticia, and Serafina. His relationship with Ethan is that of a subordinate and superior.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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