Chapter 22 - Chapter 22: Tactical Respite

​At Yoriki's side, who was sitting near Gwankai, the latter had his arms crossed. [ Gwankai ]: "The President wasn't satisfied with making us work all night; he's asking us to return again tonight to start early in the morning. He's planning to deprive us of sleep as well. He is a heartless man." [ Yoriki ]: "I'm planning to punish him by not showing up for one of the missions. No, I will actually do it; I'll be absent. I won't keep executing everything he asks for. I'm not a machine, and he needs to understand that and stop exploiting the fact that the war forces his cruelty." ​Gwankai let out a sigh, sinking into his seat in regret. Meanwhile, Eno-Eyosho and his brother, whose cold expressions never wavered, sat quietly together. [ Eno-Eyosho ]: "You are one of those who benefited from what happened to the President's sons. The Turtle Brothers' plan actually worked in your favor. But tell me, what happened to you two years ago? How were you kidnapped by those who are weaker than you?" ​Haijiki looked at him with lethal intensity. [ Haijiki ]: "You are under no obligation to know what happened; it won't benefit me, and it won't even benefit you." ​The cold look did not leave Eno-Eyosho's face as he relaxed further into his seat. [ Eno-Eyosho ]: "Fine, as you wish, brother." [ Haijiki ]: "I want to tell you all something regarding this President of ours." ​Haijiki's gaze was contemptuous as everyone turned their attention toward him. [ Haijiki ]: "You are unlucky... because you are under the administration of the Agency's General President, instead of being like the rest of the sailors—including myself—who are under the administration of a Department Manager. A Manager, at the very least, is less cruel." ​Their gazes all shifted to disdain. [ Gwankai ]: "You're right; we really are unlucky with him. I'm also certain that if Eyanka were with us, we would have set out to complete the mission tonight instead of tomorrow. It's a good thing Eyanka wasn't present." [ Yoriki ]: "Perhaps my absence from one of the missions will force him to change the work schedule." [ Gwankai ]: "I don't think so. Your 'punishment' might just force him to send you on a mission with another group as compensation for your absence." ​In front of the submarine, a yellow dot appeared on the horizon. This dot approached very rapidly, as if it were going to collide with what lay before it. It turned out to be another submarine, similar to a dynamic war sub. Astonishment spread among everyone except Oshnirai, who looked back toward Gwankai and Yoriki. [ Oshnirai ]: "Now you can stop complaining about losing your festival day, Gwankai. As you just saw, there are others besides us who were deprived." [ Gwankai ]: "What are you saying? They weren't in the middle of a celebration only to be suddenly transported to the world of work, interrupting their joy like what happened to us. Don't compare 'bad' to 'worse.' We were relaxed and enjoying ourselves when nervous exhaustion and fatigue suddenly hit us, while they were already prepared." ​Oshnirai glanced at him with disdain, and Gwankai shot the same look back at her. [ Oshnirai ]: "It seems you won't be convinced." [ Gwankai ]: "And I won't be. What happened to us was an injustice." ​Oshnirai let out a sigh, turning her head forward again as the civilian submarine continued its path, clearly approaching the city. ​Inside the city itself, specifically the part subjected to destruction, there were ordinary-looking people watching the place with shock and regret. Some had vacant eyes and sagging skin, expressing their grief. There were groups of other people in uniforms of unified shapes and colors, dominated by red and striped horizontally with blue lines distinct from the blue of the sea. Shimmering blue protective helmets in the shape of domes sat atop their heads. These groups were running here and there—various species, men and women, and even some non-amphibious animals, consisting of dogs and rabbits. Some were searching through the rubble, while others collaborated to carry stretchers covered with white sheets; the tremors of the sheets suggested they covered something. A young man approached one of the destroyed buildings, staring at it for a long time as sadness overwhelmed his face. He collapsed to the ground, striking the earth with his hand like a hammer trying to dig. [ The Young Man ]: "Sister... he ended your life. That shark... he thought you were a meal and ended your career." ​Near a pile of debris, a large red submarine appeared, with a spherical light mounted on top that alternated between red and blue in a sad, silent harmony. This submarine had an opening at the rear, and the group in red uniforms were loading the stretchers into it together. On its side, a long, wide sentence was engraved in white: ( The Relief Agency ). It appeared clearly from a distance, seen by those near and far. Standing near it were two individuals, also in uniforms, monitoring the progress of the work intently until one decided to break the silence with a sigh. [ Person ]: "What a tragedy. Families and friends didn't even finish their celebrations before their happiness suddenly turned to grief for the loss of their loved ones, instead of the loss of the past year... At least this time the entire city wasn't shelled, otherwise we would have been working for two days at most." ​The other shook his shiny blue helmet. [ Other Person ]: "Your words are somewhat mistaken. If the whole city had been shelled, we would have been among the dead as well, or we'd be being sliced up to be digested in the stomach of a shark." ​As soon as they finished talking, the civilian submarine passed quickly by those in uniforms. Inside, Oshnirai and the rest appeared, watching the place through the windows, their eyes wide with astonishment—except for Eno-Eyosho and his brother, as expressions of indifference did not leave them. [ Chyohana ]: "It seems the rescuers arrived a bit late to clean and repair what Ehawan ruined, otherwise they would have finished their work earlier and we wouldn't have seen them here." [ Oshnirai ]: "They work all year without interruption, so they were too lazy to come earlier." [ Chyohana ]: "I hope the suction workers haven't done the same. If they haven't, they would have finished sucking out the percentage of water that flooded the Surface City." [ Oshnirai ] (whispering): "I think they were lazy too... Well, honestly, they aren't forced to suction at this exact moment. After all, you know, all the surface dwellers are extremely wealthy, so the water level won't reach their large homes. Do you get my point?" ​The submarine continued its journey, moving away from the rescuers. Finally, it reached a place with a paved road where various types and shapes of submarines moved. On both sides of the paved road were two platforms where some people stood as if lying in wait for something to arrive. The moment the submarine stopped near one of the platforms, those inside descended in pairs until it was empty. It immediately filled with other passengers—the ones standing on the platform—and then the submarine set off to leave the place. Oshnirai gathered with the rest, while Eno-Eyosho and his brother were the only ones who moved away immediately after descending in a slow motion of their own. [ Yonsharin ]: "Well, we'll say goodbye now. See you later." ​Both Oshnirai and Chyohana nodded in agreement. At the same time, Yonsharin, Gwankai, and Yoriki left. [ Chyohana ]: "So Oshi, as we agreed. In an hour." ​They bowed to each other, showing their smiles. [ Chyohana ]: "Goodbye Oshi, get yourself ready." ​Chyohana said this as she moved away in the opposite direction of Oshnirai. [ Oshnirai ]: "See you, you'll find me there in the training room." ​Oshnirai turned her back, and thus the two friends parted. Oshnirai walked with quick steps among the people—some going the same way and others in the opposite direction. The atmosphere was buzzing with everyone, making the place active. [ Oshnirai ]: "Oh my god, I remembered—I left my house decorated. That's aside from the dirty dishes, meaning I have to clean my house and prepare tea for myself within this hour." ​Suddenly her eyes widened slightly, and she increased her walking speed. [ Oshnirai ]: "I remembered something else. Since my house is in a bad state, I'll likely find that boy and he'll try to clean it. If he hasn't, I must beat him to it." ​Oshnirai was hurrying in her walk until she reached a place that looked like the center of the city, where buildings formed a circle around a park. The park's ground was decorated with moss, and wide white stone benches were distributed in several corners. Coral was part of the park's beauty, and the movement of small and medium-sized brightly colored fish added to its charm. In the same area, there was a pure white statue of a bald man in loose clothing, 300 meters tall. He held a book to his chest with his right hand titled ( Chigi Constitution ), and in the corner of the book, a small word carried the name ( Gyan Howi ). The statue seemed to dominate the entire park area. At the same time, Oshnirai passed by it, casting a fleeting glance, then continued forward to pass through its large shadow that covered a distance equal to its height. Elsewhere, where a house taking the shape of a pineapple fruit appeared—its yellow color making the surroundings radiant—the owner reached it and stood before it. [ Oshnirai ]: "I hope that brat hasn't beaten me to it and cleaned the place. He's supposed to be in his school right now anyway." ​At the front of the house was a small green rug. She leaned down to lift it, and there was nothing under it; then she returned it as it was, letting out a sigh as she adjusted her posture. [ Oshnirai ]: "The absence of the key indicates he's here." ​She knocked on the door, and it moved to open. A boy appeared, looking to be about sixteen years old, with orange hair and narrow blue eyes. He stood firm, wearing a red shirt and white trousers, showing a wide grin to the one in front of him. The height difference was clear, as Oshnirai surpassed him in height. [ The Boy ]: "Oh, Lady Oshnirai, you've returned." ​She glared at him with disdainful looks. [ Oshnirai ]: "Aren't you supposed to be in school? This isn't the time for reviewing lessons, but for receiving more of them." [ The Boy ]: "Surely you saw the part of the city that was destroyed. Maybe my school wasn't smashed—or actually, it didn't melt—but the department where my colleagues and I study is among the departments that were melted. So our studies were postponed until further notice, and that's what made me come here." ​She placed her hands on the sides of her waist. [ Oshnirai ]: "You boy, Yogishi." ​Yogishi's skin trembled while he maintained his smile. [ Yogishi ]: "What? Lady Oshnirai, what is the reason for your torn clothes?" [ Oshnirai ]: "Don't change the subject. You cleaned the house, didn't you?" [ Yogishi ]: "Aaaa... my lady... you left... the house and the decorations hanging and... the dishes dirty.... Aaaa... I hope you enjoyed last night... which in the end turned into a nightmare." [ Oshnirai ]: "I didn't ask you to tidy it. You are not a servant here. I am capable of taking care of it myself. I don't need your effort; you aren't here to work." ​She moved to enter inside, and indeed the decorations were no longer there. She walked until she reached the living room, and Yogishi followed her. She looked right and left, then suddenly turned her face to Yogishi. The house, which carried a modern style, was all tidy; the cushions were arranged on the sofa, and the circular table in the middle was shiny. There was even a black backpack between the cushions. [ Oshnirai ]: "You foolish boy." ​Yogishi let out a shaky laugh. [ Yogishi ]: "I only wanted to help you." [ Oshnirai ]: "Ah... then I will prepare tea, and you will drink it even if it's bitter." [ Yogishi ]: "There's no need to tire yourself and prepare it for me." [ Oshnirai ]: "And who said it was specifically for you? It's for myself, but since you are here, I will force you to sip it. Go sit on the sofa." ​She gestured to the sofa, which enjoyed a whiteness that could hardly be distinguished from the color of milk. Yogishi went to sit on one of these sofas while Oshnirai went further inside, approaching a staircase leading to a door. She ascended it and reached the door, entering it. After moments, she appeared wearing a lavender-colored kimono—only parts of it were visible as the kitchen apron covered it. She carried a tray with a teapot and two cups containing green tea, finally sitting on the sofa as well. [ Oshnirai ]: "Here is the tea, you silly child." ​Yogishi extended his hand to take the tea cup. [ Yogishi ]: "Ah, my lady." [ Oshnirai ]: "Ah yes, you are a fool and an idiot, because you cleaned the house without a request from me. You must endure every word you are called, you mindless boy. Finally, I am not your lady." ​He began sipping the tea, then Oshnirai began her speech in a calm tone. [ Oshnirai ]: "Tell me, are your parents okay? I hope they survived what happened in the city." ​With relaxed eyes, Yogishi looked at her. [ Yogishi ]: "I don't have parents, my lady—or actually, I don't know where they are in the first place. I live with my older sister." ​She stared at him with looks carrying sadness. Suddenly, Yogishi flipped his expression; his eyes widened, and his wide smile emerged, changing the general atmosphere around them. [ Yogishi ]: "Lady Oshnirai, you left the decorations hanging and the dishes dirty, this isn't like you. I also noticed the presence of several uneaten meals. So what happened?" ​Oshnirai continued sipping the tea calmly, giving him a disdainful look. [ Oshnirai ]: "What do you think happened?" [ Yogishi ]: "I understand. You and the frog Chyohana didn't finish your evening. An emergency occurred, right? You received a mission that had to be completed on time, didn't you?" [ Oshnirai ]: "Yes, they are the sons of the Protection Agency's President. They were kidnapped by the humanized Turtle Brothers, and because of them, our fun was ruined. In the end, all that was for the sake of blowing us up." [ Yogishi ]: "Ah, that explains why your work clothes were torn and damaged. Anyway, the sons of that President deserve what happened to them, especially his eldest son named Enyojo. He is arrogant to a great extent. Finally, he tasted some humiliation. Tell me, how was he tied up? On the ground or hanging above? In both cases, the sight of him would have been wonderful for me and for many others." [ Oshnirai ]: "He was bound with chains and thrown on the ground like he was scrap... It seems you hold a grudge against him." [ Yogishi ]: "Hahaha, of course. I said before he is arrogant. Of course I and the rest of the students will hate him. Thanks to the Turtle Brothers, at least this time they did something useful. I will tell what happened to him to my companions; they will die laughing." ​Oshnirai looked at him with disdain while he struck his leg laughing. [ Oshnirai ] (to herself): "Honestly, I noticed some arrogance in him and thought myself mistaken until he confirmed that for me." [ Yogishi ]: "Huh, Oshnirai? You noticed the arrogant behavior from him, say you noticed, right?" [ Oshnirai ]: "If I stay talking to you, the hour will end and Chyohana will beat me. I promised her she would find me there ready for her." [ Yogishi ]: "What?" ​Oshnirai moved to stand up, taking the tray with the teapot and the two cups. [ Oshnirai ]: "Don't worry. All I will explain to you is that I must leave immediately; I have a training appointment. Take care of the house as long as you stay here." ​She walked until she disappeared, while Yogishi followed her with his eyes. In a moment, Oshnirai returned to climb the stairs and entered the door after the staircase. It turned out to be her room, which was covered in white with a bed in yellow covers. [ Oshnirai ]: "I must put on the training clothes within these few remaining minutes."