Submarine | AKATSUKI
Partial Translation Disclaimer: This is a partial translation of main story SS2 Submarine.
Prologue
Hasumi... Kanzaki... Sorry, I’m done for—
Don’t give in, Kiryu! You’re a strong man, aren’t you?
That’s right, Kiryu-dono! Haven’t we AKATSUKI always come together to overcome any hardship?!
Haha. That’s right, we never lost to any enemy.
Whenever the three of us were together, we were always unstoppable. We showed them AKATSUKI was here, and we did it the right way.
But it’s not gonna work out this time. We can’t go on, our paths end here.
Whining like that’s pathetic but… Whining like that’s pathetic but… that’s just how it is.
This isn’t like you, Kiryu!
I agree with Hasumi-dono! I can’t bear to see you like this, Kiryu-dono!
It’s said that if you clear your mind, even fire will feel cooler! Bolster your spirit! With the power of your well-trained physique and your spirit, there is nothing that can defeat you, Kiryu-dono!
That’s right, Kiryu! Fight, do your best!
Don’t let something like seasickness get the best of you...!
Urrgh... hrgh. I-... I get it, I’ll try my best. Quit with the shakin’.
People who don’t get motion sickness can’t get how I feel.
Forget it, just leave me alone ‘til we get to Okinawa at the very least. I’m beggin’ ya. Please, I don't wanna lose it and sock you guys.
Mnmn... I knew you didn't like vehicles, but I didn't expect you to be so bad with boats, Kiryu-dono. Are you truly alright, your face is deathly pale.
Yes, it's worrisome... How are you holding up, Kanzaki? Do you want to take something for motion-sickness just in case?
Nay. On the contrary, if I ingest medicine I might feel worse. I suppose it's a consequence of me being very particular about what goes into my body at all times.
Hm. Well, I suppose too much medicine is poison. Taking drugs when you’re not actually feeling ill interferes with the body's homeostasis, so what good would that be.
But, well, it’s nothing more than awful luck. Of all the SS qualifying rounds held across the country, I never expected that we would be placed in Okinawa all the way in the south.
Right. If this were closer to where we lived, we could just run to the location as a warm up exercise.
I’m not like you freaks of nature. There’s no way I could stand on stage after running a full marathon.
If we can, I’d like to mobilize as soon as we get there.
Kiryu threw a fit and begged not to be put on an aircraft, so I chose for us to travel by boat instead.
Because we took a longer mode of transportation, we’ve got somewhat of a late start compared to the ES idols who flew.
On top of that, I’ve heard that Okinawa’s been a battleground and that the local idols have all the power. Hopefully, this delay doesn’t give us trouble moving forward.
Be that as it may, it’s not something we can help. We can’t leave Kiryu-dono behind just because he loathes transportation.
That’s right. Per the rules, we idols cannot move from the area we’re placed in during the qualifying rounds.
I’m sure not being able to make it to the qualifying venue would get you disqualified too.
So we have to make it to Okinawa by any means necessary, even if we have to crawl.
Right… As far as Kiryu-dono’s concerned, this is a harsh turn of events, but there is no other choice but to endure it.
I’m sure he’ll be fine, but I’m worried the motion-sickness will keep him out of commission.
And we’re fighting in a different environment than usual…
Between the constant setbacks and the late start…– I just hope we don’t end up with a bad result because of it.
Mnmn... This is the track AKATSUKI has been on since Unification by Force. I’m in no way superstitious, but it feels as if this is a terrible omen.
Hmph. It’ll be alright, Kanzaki. We won’t make the same mistake twice. We won’t fall to the same enemy twice. And so we’ll overcome every setback and loss, and become stronger through thick and thin.
It is we, AKATSUKI, who will make it through and win the battlefield of Okinawa.
(Hm~mm... the way he speaks sounds as if he’s trying to convince himself of it.)
(I imagine Kiryu-dono, his ever-reliable partner, not feeling well is making him anxious deep-down.)
(To me, I think it’s times like this where I must support them properly.)
(In fact, I think Hasumi-dono feels the same way. For some reason, he keeps trying to make me decide the course of action.)
(“What do you think we should do, Kanzaki?" “What do you want to do, Kanzaki?” “It’s up to Kanzaki to decide, alright?” and so on... He’s insisting for me to give my input, it’s all very unnatural.)
(I had thought Hasumi-dono should understand that I wish to follow the lead of my seniors, but… Sure enough, he’s so anxious, even someone like me is something to cling on to.)
(The particulars are unclear, but, whatever it is— the road ahead will be rough. Well, for us, that is nothing out of the ordinary.)
Battlefield 1
Now then. Before we arrive at the venue, let's review the contents of the SS qualifying round again.
We have free time while we’re en route, after all. I think it’s necessary to sort out the details— That way we’re fully prepared to start working the moment we arrive at the site.
(And the more Hasumi-dono talks, the spirited he becomes.)
To give you some context on SS, it’s a large-scale occasion with a long-established, storied history in the idol industry
The basic idea is to find the best and brightest out of the countless sea of idols out there.
Every year the rules change, but that basic principle remains the same.
Hm. But compared to past years, the scale is far bigger, and the content seems to have changed as well.
That’s right. First of all, you can only participate in SS as an idol unit. You could say it’s an advantage for those of us who are familiar with the unit system.
Well, you might also say it’s far too much of a disadvantage for solo idols outside of ES…
We ES idols have left our home base and been deployed to every corner of the country.
The SS steering committee, primarily made up of the P-Agency, decides which units get stationed in which areas.
What goes into the selection process is unclear. For me, I am relieved to see the people I know are scattered across various places, but...
It will be unavoidable when push comes to shove, but I am not particularly eager to face off against my friends.
Ultimately, I'm sure we’ll have to clash somewhere.
SS is an event held to decide who is at the top of the pack. All other idols are rivals that should be completely kicked aside— and even if they’re not enemies, they are still opponents.
That is the reality, though that’s just one side of reality for the idol industry. Everyone is a business rival.
That's right. Even if we said stuff like, “We don't want to fight, let's all get along”, it’d be an absolute laughingstock of a story.
Back to the topic at hand. Starting from now, in mid-November, each of the units across the country will conduct their idol activities in their respective regions over the next month.
By regularly conducting activities, idols will earn a currency called SSL$. At the end of the preliminary round, the idols that earn the most SSL$ will advance to the main tournament held at the end of the year.
That’s yet another advantage for those of us who are familiar with the L$ system.
I imagine local idols have a hometown advantage given their loyal fanbases. In order to compete with them on equal footing, we have to handicap them that much.
Right. When it comes to fighting local “aidoru” who have a local advantage on their home soil, how well we can strike and cut them down with the weapons we’ve mastered— that is the key to victory.
Hmph. If we ES idols are the ones to win, the validity of the structure of ES will be guaranteed.
ES can prove the effectiveness of its newest weapons by making a public example out of defeating idols who have worked tirelessly and developed built-in relationships with the people around them on their own turf.
By denying the existing way of being an idol, and crushing it, it just shows that ES’s way of doing things is precisely what is right and just.
That’s what it is to change the world, but the method is fairly violent.
Well, that’s not for me to say actually.
…
Well, that's fine. Having the support of ES is an advantage for us. Let’s make the most of it and succeed
There’s many things I don't like about it, but before we can change ES’s structure, we have to advance through the competition and gain authority through that.
We’re just mere footsoldiers right now, so no matter what we say, I imagine it’ll only make us sound like sore losers.
We’re not children anymore. We can’t dream that we’ll get everyone around us to notice and do what we want by throwing a tantrum.
We’ll follow the right steps, raise our standing, and change the world fair and square.
To do that, we need to start by proving our worth and strength in this qualifying round.
I’ll be leaving that strategy up to you, Kanzaki. Start thinking about what we’ll do when we arrive at the site while you still can.
I don't know about Kiryu, but I’ll obey your instructions to the letter.
R-Right…… You keep saying things like that, Hasumi-dono, but I just don’t understand your intentions, so I’m baffled.
Aren’t you the one who has always come up with such strategies, Hasumi-dono? Why are you trying to leave it up to me like this, at such a critical point in time?
I can't tell you. Figure it out.
… It surely can’t be something to do with your order, can it?
During the preliminary round, we are all given “orders”. These orders tell us what to do or what not to do.
If you go against it, you'll be fined, and since the condition for winning the preliminaries revolves around money, it’s quite a troublesome regulation.
Are you acting out of character because of that order, Hasumi-dono?
Even if that were the case, I can't tell you that. We’re forbidden from revealing the contents of our order.
The one thing I can say is that the leader of each unit is given an additional secret order, alongside the normal order.
If you break the normal order, you’ll simply get away with a fine. However, if you break the secret order, the punishment becomes more severe.
While I think it’s trivial, the penalty would feel as harsh as capital punishment for some people.
So Kanzaki, please don’t make me break it. I’ll do whatever I can as long as it doesn’t go against the order I’ve been given.
R-Right….. I understand. Even if it feels off to me, I won't ask about it any further.
(I see. An additional secret order, mm? I guess there are things like that in play, too. My order is something absurd like “don't eat seafood during the preliminary round”―)
(I figured the others’ orders were just as much of a prank as mine.)
(In reality, normal orders are probably meant to be that simple or light.)
(On the other hand, the secret order seems to be a burden. Maybe I should think about it as if it’s some sort of religious commandment that denies you from heaven if you break it?)
(If I do as Hasumi-dono said and tread smartly and carefully, things may work out, but...)
(It is difficult enough having to get accustomed to a new place as it is, there are so many things to do and think about―)
(It's fairly difficult to keep track of all those different trains of thought at once.)
(Hm~mm…… But thinking isn’t my strong point to begin with.)
Battlefield 2
We’ve arrived, Kiryu! Kanzaki!
So this is Okinawa……!
I see. I’d thought it wouldn’t be that different from Yumenosaki and ES, in terms of proximity by the sea, but...
The weather is so pleasant, it doesn't feel like it's winter. Seems we’ll make some good headway on our idol activities.
Heheh. You’re talking quite a lot more. It’s unusual to see you in such high spirits, Hasumi-dono.
Is that a bad thing? Temples are rooted where they stand, so I’ve rarely left my hometown. It makes my heart race just to set foot in a distant place like this. How fun.
I see. I go to all kinds of shrines for networking events quite often. Temples and shrines, Buddha and gods— are the forms of faith that different?
It's more a matter of family principle than religious belief. No, I suppose it's my own personal inclination.
One of my childhood friends was like an infant: it felt as if he’d die if I took my eyes off of him. The other was one I wanted to meet up with and talk to every day.
I feel like I didn’t have any particular desire to travel very far, especially when I was younger.
“Will my life be like this routine forever?” — Thoughts like that started to well up, and it frightened me, so when I hit puberty, I went on trips for no reason.
I used an archery tournament as an excuse, and tried to set out on my own.
But ultimately, I got homesick almost immediately. It seems it’s not easy to leave the place your soul is rooted to.
Heheh. If Hasumi-dono gets “hoomushikku” like that, we will have to settle our battle swiftly.
Without you, our chances for success are pretty dire if it’s just the inexperienced me and the limp, deflated Kiryu-dono left, Hasumi-dono.
Kiryu, are you doing alright……?
Sorry, ‘m sorry—
Hmm. All Kiryu-dono has been doing is apologizing since a while ago, but...
The motion-sickness likely won't last any longer. If he eats something delicious and gets some rest, he’ll feel better.
Right, because Kiryu’s a strong man, after all.
Sorry…
Heheh. Hence, before anything else, I was thinking we should get Kiryu-dono to some sort of lodging so he can rest. Where might our lodging accommodations be, Hasumi-dono?
Don’t leave everything up to me, do some research on your own, Kanzaki. But I suppose it’s not like I mind, I don’t dislike taking charge of coordinating everything.
If anything, you’d probably pout if someone butt in with their input, wouldn’t you Hasumi-dono?
Saying that, why you little……♪
… Hasumi… Kanzaki…
Hm. Kiryu-dono is trying to say something.
Forget that. You’re pretty composed carrying that hulk of a man Kiryu on your back while you have all that luggage under your arms. That’s a considerable amount of strength, Kanzaki.
Heheh. It’s because of my training. Managing heavy loads is about how you brace and posture yourself, not the muscle strength you have.
… hind…
Hm? Forgive me, Kiryu-dono, but could you speak a little more clearly――
— Behind you!
…!?
(What the–! Countless men are coming out from the bushes behind us!?)
(What’s more, they are unusually bloodthirsty! It is as if they’re possessed by a “curse”!)
(Moreover, those poles they’re brandishing seem to be weapons, don’t they? These are clearly ruffians...!)
Stay back, Hasumi-dono! Take Kiryu-dono!
Whoa!? Don’t just chuck him at me like a ball!
You’ll have to excuse me, these are times of emergency!
Heheh! You’ve picked a fight with the wrong person, you lowly scum! We came not by plane but by Tenshouin-dono’s private boat! A twist of good luck for us, isn’t it?
There was no baggage inspection, so I was able to bring my precious sword, my loyal companion!
Hee–ey! I told you to leave anything dangerous behind! SS is being broadcast across the country.
Everyone at ES may be used to it, but the world at large isn’t as tolerant to something so abnormal!?
I understand that! But rumors and reputation aren’t something that can truly kill you, right? I’d rather have the power to resist physical harm!
You ruffians! Whether you fell from the sky or came from the ground, I do not know, but consider it your misfortune that you are challenging us!
Even if the endless grains of the sand on the beach were to run out, my military prowess will not crumble! It’s nothing personal, but if you all intend to do us harm, I'll allow your blood to become the rust on my sword!
Get it together, Kanzaki! This isn’t Edo, we’re not in an era where you can just kill all guilty-before-proven-innocent anymore. If anything, you’re the one acting more like a villain, aren’t you!?
Ridiculous! We, AKATSUKI, are used to playing the villains! Fwahahaha☆
K-Kanzaki, has all of the traveling got you wound up too…?!
Nirai Kanai 1
― One, two, threee, four– Hup~♪
(Alright. I’m startin’ to get back on my feet, finally. Haven’t been this sick ‘n for this long in a long time. Guess it means I’m not young anymore.)
(Nah, all that exhaustion that’s been stored up an’ collected for ages burst out in one go. Come to think of it, I’ve always had my guard up since high school.)
(Look cool, stand up straight, ‘n be a real good boy.)
(I kept my chest up ‘n out so I could face my mom in heaven properly.)
(I wanna live my life on the straight ‘n narrow, ‘n become a guy that doesn’t get looked down on by the world)
(But no matter how good of a guy I try to be now, I’ll never get to undo all the awful things I’ve done before.)
(Still, I’ll never be that version of me ever again.)
(…）
(But, recently at Unification by Force, I was recognized ‘n appreciated by the agency big shots, and it felt like I’d been rewarded.)
(It felt like all the work I put in up ‘til now wasn’t for nothin’. And then I got all happy ‘n pleased, like some brat that got praised by his parents.)
(I lost all that steam, and all the fatigue and pain I stuffed away caught up to me ‘n hit a tipping point.)
(That, with the motion sickness, did me in, and got me real sick.)
(... It went somethin’ like that probably.)
(This place isn’t helpin’ either. Okinawa’s so beautiful, it's like paradise on earth. When I'm here, I can't help but relax…— )
(Even if I force myself to, my edge is completely gone.)
(My legs have turned to jelly and there’s nothin’ I can do about it. It’s not even like we’re on vacation or anything.)
Kiryu-dono~!
Hm? Oh, Kanzaki, what’s the matter?
I should be the one asking you that. You suddenly disappeared, Kiryu-dono, I was so worried!
I was afraid you had been kidnapped by the enemy, as unlikely as that sounds!
Kidnapped? What am I, a princess? If they were lookin’ to kidnap someone, they’d probably wanna pick someone easier to carry off.
Besides, we keep callin’ it a somethin’ like a war, but they’re just live battles. No one’s gonna pull a crime like kidnapping, probably.
No, we mustn't let our guard down. I've been hearing some rather alarming rumors from all over the country.
Ah, Like Mikejima. It’s things like Trickstar causin’ a fuss for no reason, too.
Those guys are goin’ on somethin’ like a tour ‘round the country, but there’s no way they’re actually flyin’ all the way from Hokkaido to Okinawa, right?
If they did, it would be quite a problem. The way they act is unpredictable.
Naturally, people are keeping them at an arm's length because they were last year’s champions, and they probably know that―
So they likely won’t be such a public nuisance as to go rampaging across the country. If you make the same mistake twice, you are simply a fool.
Then again, if they were mere fools, they wouldn’t be able to reach the peak of the industry even once.
Haha. Honestly, if it’s those guys, I wouldn’t be surprised by anything they did.
Yes. However, there is no point talking about them when they’re not here with us. We should focus on our own battles.
You're right. I just went for a light run to check how I was doin’, and it seems like I'm gettin’ back in order… From here on out, keep usin’ me as much as ya need.
I understand. To be honest, I do not want to force you to push yourself. Even if you are recovering, Kiryu-dono, you are still in poor shape.
Hmph. Lying in bed without moving is what’s gonna make me sick. I need to get a good amount of exercise.
Since I couldn't move properly, I feel like I put all the burden on you guys. If that kept up, we’d be draggin’ ourselves to the finish line by the end of it.
Right… Myself aside, since I am well-trained, it seems to be draining Hasumi-dono.
However, this is exactly how we have to go about it. As planned, we are at the beck and call of the Rhythm Link veterans―
That alone is a challenge, but on top of that, COSPRO’s forces are considerably formidable. Even with the aid of the veterans, each battle we have won was not easy.
We are constantly thrown into brutal battles where you have to be quick-witted just to survive
Nirai Kanai 2
And so, our hard work has begun to pay off. We are steadily seeing results.
That’s right. COSPRO had such a big presence when they first got to Okinawa, but now they’re reduced to nothin’ but groanin’ while we trample all over ‘em.
Well, morale will drop if they lose battle after battle. They were probably only picking off weaker opponents in easier battles until we came in.
If everything suddenly stops going their way, it will bend them out of shape and make them sulk about it.
They never had a reason to fight desperately in the first place. They will not fight hard enough to endure all of the defeats, or the wounds and shame that come along with them.
Well, fightin’ for somethin’ like the glory of ES is too flimsy a motive to fight for your life with.
All these pampered guys here in Okinawa aren’t the type that’re gonna be able to get over setbacks.
Back in the old Yumenosaki, we had guys like that by the dozen. Come in all ready to be pampered ‘n spoiled, and you’re gonna hate having to drink muddy water.
To be honest, it’s sad to compare the old students of Yumenosaki to them all. It seems that COSPRO’s superiors are ordering their forces to retreat if they find themselves at a severe disadvantage.
It’s a rational, or rather, a “bujinesu-raiku”1 way of going about it.
Because COSPRO cuts their losses quickly, I expected a quick retreat from them from the very beginning if they were dealt a harsh enough blow.
(That’s right… Just about everything’s been goin’ Kanzaki’s way now like he expected it to.)
(He won over the veterans’ trust with all his incessant service, ‘n got promoted to comin’ up with strategy for Rhythm Link. And then, he started producing results one after another, smoothly and without a hitch…)
(Kanzaki made them think that if they left everything to him and AKATSUKI, it’d all be fine. Somethin' like that's as good as it gets.)
(Now, they’re leavin’ all the “playin’ soldiers” stuff to us, and enjoyin’ their Okinawan vacation. The fuckin’ nerve of ‘em.)
(Well, guess it’s a hundred times better than havin’ to kill each other on the battlefield.)
(It’ll be easier to rob ‘em blind if they’re completely unsuspecting.)
(Connin' ‘em into entrustin’ all the SSL$ they've earned so far with us with a silver tongue, sayin’ we’ll use it as war funds...)
(If we run off with it, AKATSUKI’ll be the ones at the very top. No one could even dream of bein’ able to surpass us.)
(Even if we got accused of runnin’ away with the money, we could just lie and say we had no choice, our orders made us do it.)
(If we can just talk our way outta it, we can get away with it clean.)
(That was the plan, and so far it seems to be goin’ smoothly.)
(What we’re doin’ feels kinda like one of those bank transfer scams that go after the elderly…)
(But for us to survive in the ruthless battlefield of Okinawa, we‘re gonna hafta do some real underhanded stuff like that.)
(I'm pretty surprised. Maybe I should say I’m shocked. I never thought Kanzaki was capable of acting to that extent.)
(This is an experienced warrior. The moment he decides he wants to do somethin’, he sees it through to the very end.)
(I hafta wonder. This guy got shoved into the background during the War. If he had gotten the chance at usin’ the talent for battle he’s showin’ now―)
What is it, Kiryu-dono? Do I have something on my face?
(Haha. He’s got the nerve to play dumb. He’s got a look about ‘im that makes him seem harmless, but no doubt, he’s a cocky guy.)
(This guy's clan was one and the same with violence in this country― he's the descendant of samurai)
(And even now in this day and age where violence is avoided, he polished his sword and never let it rust.)
(He's a warmonger through'n-through. He musta been forced to study and train for that sole purpose since he was a kid.)
(Everyone, AKATSUKI included, underestimates Kanzaki, or just thinks of him as a silly samurai idol who carries a sword for whatever reason)
(He's just never gotten the chance to use the talent for war his ancestors passed onto him, until now―)
Kiryu-dono.
Eh? Wh-... What?
Nothing, it just seemed as if you were dazed so I started to get worried. I suppose that means you’re not feeling much better.
Nah, it’s fine. And even if I weren’t fine, pushin' through it is the kinda thing a delinquent does.
Mmnm. Then if that’s the case, I truly can’t figure out if you’re okay or not.
(Haha. The way he pouts is cute, but it’s that kinda thing that makes him look like a kid.)
(The more innocent a brat is, the more capable of remorseless cruelty he is. I needta keep an eye on ‘im so he doesn't go down the wrong path.)
(I don't want him to mess up and end up full of regrets, like I did.)
Translation Notes
- ↑ In Japanese, words from other languages (such as English) are typically rendered in katakana. However, when Souma uses katakana words, they are all written in hiragana instead, likely to emphasize how he struggles with foreign words. These words are kept as written in hiragana, and put in "quotes".