Chapter 5 (1/2)
Angel Beats Track Zero Chapter 5: Man-like Creatures
< man-like=”” creatures=””>>
CLAP!
The ball dropped in front of me as I lay sprawled on the ground.
”Ouch! Sc.r.a.ped again!”
”You idiot! Try harder will you? That was a simple shot!”
Yurippe was fuming. She obviously thinks that a bleeding elbow's not as half as important as getting the ball.
”You had full confidence in your skills right? We're losing here! What's this? That was just a bluff? To humiliate me?”
”Yurippe, listen up. I've been trying to hold back from saying anything, but I'll tell you all in one breath now.”
I stood up slowly.
”What.”
”Why must we have a game of volleyball before we start the meeting?”
”To exercise, of course.”
”And why must you be the attacker while I be the defender and setter? Come, I'll be attacker. I'll show you what I can do. And the worst of all, why must we play volleyball in swimwear?! This is not the beach, it's the volleyball court! Look, I've already bruised my knees and elbows!”
”There're only four of us. So this is obviously beach volleyball, no?”
”I can say the same for mah-jong,” Chaa said nonchalantly. Just a minute ago he was mercilessly spiking at me.
”That's not healthy! I can't release my anger and stress then.”
”Ah, so you've finally said it huh? I thought it was for health reasons?”
”Well, it's to let you guys use up your energy instead of keeping them for your third basic need of life! If not who knows what will you guys may do to me.”
”Speaking of which, what are you trying to do, dressing up like that?”
”I found it, that's all. Unbelievable. I wonder why this was in Tens.h.i.+'s closet...”
What Yurippe was wearing was the only thing we gained from scouring her closet. A skirted bikini.
”That's why I said I don't understand why you're wearing that!”
”This is Tens.h.i.+'s swimsuit. Maybe I'll get superpowers when I wear this. That's what I'm trying to get, anyway.”
No, I bet my life that she just wanted to wear it! Pun intended.
”Quickly, let's try again! I wanna test it out.”
”If it's only to verify that this is your everyday nothing-out-of-the-ordinary bikini, I think we've had plenty of chances. You've been spiked so many times already!”
”Sigh... I only wanted to have this on a bit longer.”
Oi. Are you only thinking about playing?
”Well, that's about it I suppose. Let's move on.”
”Now what, you want to have a dip in the swimming pool?”
”Are you stupid? We're not here to play all day, you know!”
G.o.d forbid you are male. Otherwise I'd have punched you right now.
”Hey Chaa,” she called out, arms folded with her usual smile of confidence.
”What's up?”
”It's about time you tell us. How did you get a gun into this realm?”
After changing into our uniforms, we climbed the mountain.
”Here.”
Chaa stopped right in front of a huge tree. Clearing the dense, thick gra.s.s, we arrived at a cave. It looked as though a giant mole lived in it.
”Don't tell me... We've got to go in?”
”Yes. Are you unwilling?”
”No. Ah, at least let me change into sportswear.”
”Then follow me.”
Chaa poked his head into the cave and slowly went in.
Yurippe signalled to us to go in first by pointing to the cave with her chin.
Ooyama and I crawled in after Chaa.
In the depths of the cave, there was a board.
It looks something like a door… Chaa head-b.u.t.ted the board and knocked it down. In front of us was a small room.
We entered the room and stood up one by one.
“There's electricity in here...”
There was a light bulb illuminating the whole room on the ceiling.
Below, there was a wooden table and chair, almost like it was made during carpentry cla.s.s.
“Did you make those?”
“I decorated the room, but this room was here to begin with.”
Chaa answered Yurippe with a low voice.
“Who lived here in the past?”
“This is just a sentry post.”
“Huh?”
“The road still extends downwards, though I haven't checked where it leads to.”
“What is that…… It’s amazing that you can stay in such a gloomy place.”
“If there were people living underground, that'd be gloomy indeed. But, are we here to discuss this matter?”
I gave her a reminder because she digressed.
“Nope. Then, let’s go take a look.”
“Mmm.”
Chaa pulled the seat over and sat down.
Then, he took one of the clay blocks which were piled up on the table.
“Where'd you get the clay?”
“As long as it’s clayey anywhere is fine.”
After Chaa moistened his hand using tea-green water from a bucket at his foot, he started moulding the clay.
It looked like something that needed a lot of patience. We waited tens of minutes.
”It's done.”
In between his fingers, he was clamping something thin and slender, like a needle.
”ah, this was the clay block just now?”
”Yes.”
”Yurippe took over the item, examining it with an interested look.”
”It turned into iron...... This is alchemy? When'd you learn it?”
”At first, I wanted to build a house. If my wife ever came here, we could live in it together. There's clearly enough wood around here, but there aren't enough nails at all.”
”After that?”
”Initially I only used wood, but there were gaps. Afterwards, I decided to use clayey mud to fill the gaps.”
“And after you did that?”
“I realised I was holding on to a nail.”
“The clay became a nail?”
“Uh-huh.”
Yurippe went into deep thought for a moment.
”Who knows, maybe we can do it too. Let’s have a challenge and try.”
After that, it was a time for handiwork.
After 2 hours of battle, only Yurippe succeeded.
”That’s amazing, Yurippe!”
”It’s just that you two are useless......”
Ooyama and I looked on with shocked faces. It was too humiliating.
”But, even after so long we could only make a nail. Chaa, how'd you make the gun?”
”Form all the separate parts and then a.s.semble them.”
”The one just now was also a part?”
“Mmm. It’s the firing pin's core.”
“That means…… You remember perfectly the structure of a gun?”
“Yes.”
“Of course, you were forced by your lover's family to have a divorce.”
“There's no relations.h.i.+p between that and guns right?”
“He's indeed linked to the yakuza!”
Ooyama said loudly.
”You said that too lightly, as though it happened in the realm of some television drama.”
”Wah, sorry!”
You're too timid.
“So Yurippe, what do you think of this alchemy?”, I continued.
“I'm not too sure……just like we won't die physically, this is a spiritual world, isn't it? Maybe there's some sort of link. With distinct memories and strong belief, something like this may be possible to realize in this world. Though if it isn't something simple, then it wouldn't be possible. Just like this nail. That’s why you can't form a gun at one go, but it’s possible to do so for the smallest components. In this case, it’s more like rearranging atoms than alchemy.”
“Sensei, I totally don't understand.”
“Let’s leave you aside and continue. Chaa, how long does it take for you to make all the components and a.s.semble them into a gun?”
“I need a week. Counting by hours, I need around 170.”
“Without rest eh…… That’s a hard task.”
“If everyone splits the workload?”
“I may ask you guys for help in the future, but for now let’s leave it. What's in front is more important.” Yurippe said while looking at the door heading inwards.
“No opinions?”
n.o.body shared the same sentiments as her.
“Let’s go”
“Hey! This is going to be a real dungeon crawl now!”
“Yeah, Yurippe, I don't think we're fully equipped yet.”
I didn't try to dissuade her, but instead asked Chaa, “How deep does it go?”
“I got to the 22nd level but gave up because I didn't have any food.”
“22 levels!! You're lucky you made it back alive!!”
You can't ignore something like that.
“So, Yurippe?”
“I understand. Then, I'll leave the water and food to you. And bring flashlights!”
I returned to the cave at the foot of the tree with mineral water, bread and two flashlights in a sports bag. An ecstatic Yurippe was making so much noise that I could hear it from outside.
She totally didn't try to hide it.
I went through the gra.s.s and into the cave.
After I entered the room, Yurippe leaned over, grinning from ear to ear. Totally disgusting.
“Hinata-kun, take a look at this. Do you know what it is?”
She gave it a blow, and the folded portion started turning.
Before I could give a reply, she continuously blew at it, so much so that she was blowing into my face now.
“It’s a pinwheel. What about it?”
“I made it!”
Er, why are you so excited?
“Ah, I see.”
“Using the clay.”
“Wow, you sure are nimble. With a bit more effort, you'll be able to make a gun.”
“I don't do such boring things. A pinwheel is nice isn't it?”
“Then, give it to me.”
“No way.”
This girl…… Starting a conversation like she was trying to get me excited, and I still made it a point to complement her.....……
“We still have to make two more.”
I did a headcount. There was me, Ooyama and Chaa.
Three people.
Did she count me in?
“I'll be expecting them. Leaving that aside, it seems that preparation is complete.”
I put down the sports bag and took out the two flashlights.
“Well then, let’s go in while it’s not too late.”
After Yurippe carefully inserted the pinwheel into her pocket, she stood at the door leading inwards and kicked it open.
“It looks as though the roof will collapse any time……” said a terrified Ooyama, who was tasked with carrying the baggage.
I followed behind him, illuminating the path with a flashlight.
”It looks like it's been reinforced.”
Yurippe, who was in front, shone her torch at the walls, showing that they were supported by wooden planks.
”Chaa, you never thought of luring Tens.h.i.+ in here and burying her alive?”
”It would be a waste to bury her in such a curious place.”
“My sentiments exactly. I'm really antic.i.p.ating what lies ahead...”
“I think, we should just picnic here and then turn back……”
Do you think this is a test of courage?
“A dead end?”
Yurippe stopped walking.
“Nope.”
Chaa walked in front of Yurippe, kneeled down and clawed at the ground.
And with that, a stairway leading downwards appeared.
How deep did we go exactly...
Getting here was not easy, and the thought that we still had to go all the way back up made me shudder.
“h.e.l.lo.”
Yurippe just did something totally weird.
“What 'h.e.l.lo'.”
“I was thinking that people who lived underground would probably not understand j.a.panese.”
“And you think if you used English they'd be more likely to understand?”
“Well, according to how the Earth's population is distributed, that is the case.”
“Hey wait. What did you find?”
“I told you, underground dwellers.”
“WAAAAAAAARRRRGHHH ————!!”
A roar suddenly resonated from below.
Thunk!
The earth started to shake.
What did that thing use to pound the ground just now?!
In a flash I suddenly recalled Tens.h.i.+'s hand sonic, but it definitely isn't something that simple. It was probably something larger, more terrifying, and more malicious.
“Nice to meet you～”
Why the heck are you acting so leisurely!
“WAAAAAAAARRRRGHHH————!!
Thunk!
That thing pounded the ground again. This time, even our bodies shook from the tremor waves. What great brute force!
“I'm fine thank you～！My hands are full, you guys, do something！”
“Roger, I'll try to do something.”
Chaa stepped up to the task.
A short moment later……
“AHHHHHHHHHH————!!” Came Ooyama's dying cries.
“Hey.”
“What! Let go of me!!”
The underground dweller illuminated by Yurippe's torchlight had his hands bound behind his back by Chaa.
The sound of bubbling blood spurting out continued…… I seriously didn't want to s.h.i.+ne light at it……
“Hinata-kun, join his body parts together quickly,if they're split up like that, he might not be able to heal.”
What?!
“His flesh has been severed, and his bones are broken as well.”
“You seem to treat other people's injury lightly!”
“Uuu……Yes.”
With my eyes closed, I pieced together the body parts. Initially the healed Ooyama looked pale,and couldn't stop trembling.We'd better add scotophobia to Ooyama's record afterward.
“Are you listening? Mr. Underground Man. Can you understand me?”
After handing Ooyama over to me, Yurippe began to cross-examine the man.
“What is your relation with that guy……?”
“We're the ones asking questions here!”
Thunk! Chaa kicked the wall.
“Forget it. Who was that guy you're referring to?”
When did you guys become such a ferocious team?
“This dungeon's Boss……”
“Is there such a thing?”
“That guy said to end this game I'd have to beat him……”
“A game eh……?”
“So I have to use my bare hands to end it all……”
“It won't end.”
“Huh……?”
“There will be no end in this world. It will only continue. That’s why we've got to rely on ourselves to bring about change. Relax; we're on your side. Join us.”
How would that irascible man agree so easily?
“……”
The man stared at Yurippe's face.
“……Okay.”
The record for the fastest recruitment has been born!
Why? What part of her do you see as credible?
“Release him.”
Chaa acknowledged Yurippe's command and released the man.
“I'm the leader, Yuri. Everyone calls me Yurippe. What about you?”
“Noda.”
“Well then, Noda-kun, here's the first instruction. Let’s go beat that underground Boss.”
“Leave that to me. Just watch your backs. As long as I have this, I'm unbeatable.”
With that, he picked up his weapon. But that ”unbeatable” guy was restrained by Chaa.
“Noda-kun. We're a team. We’re not going to let you go alone.”
“Only I can beat him”
He had already broken off from the team.
“Let’s go.”
Hugging his long weapon Noda led the way.
*Sigh*…… What lay ahead sure is worrying.
Our five-man strong team continued venturing deeper.
”H-h-h-he-he-hey!! It's scary, scary I tell you! Let's go back!”
Just as predicted, Ooyama is now scotophobic.
”Hey, why do we have a coward in our team?”