The Raven Dark Hero 55

Chapter 55 : Between the front and back

TL:SummerPeanut

Gratias tibi for the peanuts, peanut, Kevin Mach, and DelEd. This extra chapter is as usual thanks to patrons support.

“Ah…Bright-kun…”

The next day, after his first mission with Takahiko, he watched over his own funeral and farewell ceremony and felt a bit sentimental. When he pulled himself together and about to return to take on a new mission(training) with Evil, Bright was stopped by Teaser, whom he hadn't seen in a while.

(She most likely just came back from my funeral... Her eyes are a little red. She must be grieving for me...)

“Teaser, it's been a long time.”

"Yeah...I'm sorry. I know I told you about it in the email, but, well, I'm kind of sad about it…”

Kouki's death was treated as the death of a civilian caught in a terrorist attack, not as a filth. This was partly because of Nature Stranger's concern for Azusa, Haruka, and Fuuka, the captain of the Byakkotai, and also because it served as propaganda for the beautiful story of how Kouki risked his life to save his best friend Hiro.

And apart from the soldiers of the NDF, the number of civilians affected was 120 including serious and minor injuries where only Kouki was the only death count.

The sad event that Teaser was referring to was probably his death, and he figured that revealing his identity to Teaser wouldn't be a problem anymore…

"Actually…”

"Whoa~! Bright, I got bird droppings on my precious coat from today's mission, so let's go to old man Sid's place for a bit!”

"Ah? ...Ahh. See you later, Teaser.”

"...Yeah. I'll text you later, okay?”

With Evil's hand dragging him along, Bright etcs were on their way to Cid's store.

"Oi, what's going on all of a sudden?”

"Hmm? Didn't you just try to tell Rumi who you are?”

"Yeah. Because there’s no reason to hide it anymore, do I?”

"Rumi has close acquaintances with you in the surface world. You never know where information might leak out, do you?”

Indeed, Rumi and Fuuka are friends on the surface. Rather, they have a fairly close relationship through Kouki.

"No, but Rumi is also a member of Kuroyume, so why can’t I just tell her I'm Bright?”

"…even if it results in interfering with Rumi's surface life?”

“Huh? Why would it interfere with her life? Wouldn't it be better for her to be on the lookout as an accomplice?”

“I'm sure Rumi is close with Mizutani, right? There's no guarantee that she won't tell Fuuka that fact when she finds out you're alive, right? And even if she doesn't do so, do you think Rumi will be able to treat Fuuka the way she used to?”

“But still…”

“By the way, I know a lot of things you don't know. It’s obvious from the case with Hiro. But I didn't tell them to you, my best friend. Why do you think that is?”

Truthfully, Takahiko would have known about Hiro if he had used his God Eye. However, he approached him quite normally.

“That's what the boss wants. The people who live on the surface should not be given information related to the underground as much as possible. No matter how trivial the information may be, it may disrupt their daily lives.

My God's Eye is capable of obtaining most information. That's why I'm going to say it again and again. There are many things in this world that are better to remain hidden.

This is one of those times.”

...He understood what Takahiko was saying, but there's a part of him that doesn't agree with him.

“...But if the NDF find out who Rumi really is and attack her for some reason, won't that be putting the cart before the horse?”

“That's something to think after it happens. ...But didn't you ever wonder? In the mission of the Skull and Joker, why was the boss able to sense your situation and send the number 2 etcs to rescue you?”

“...he’s monitoring me, right? Maybe... there's someone with that kind of gift.”

“That’s a bad way to put it, but yes. However, it’s only surveillance placed to protect the members living on the surface in case of unforeseen circumstances.

Although boss looks like that, he's a really nice guy. He values his comrades more than anything else. That's why I, and the rest of the members, are loyal to him.”

“...well, I know boss is a good guy, but…”

“That man will never abandon his comrades. That's why, if there are members who are enjoying themselves on the surface, he wants them to stay as natural as possible.”

“So you've got surveillance on you, too?”

“Well, I’m more focused on the underworld than the surface. I’m prepared to throw everything away if it comes to it, so no surveillance on me. In addition, now that you're dead, I don't have any regrets from that front. So I've decided to have Takahiko Matoba being transferred to another school.”

“…So that’s why you haven't been to school for the past few days…”

“Because school without you would be boring.”

“...... you, when I think about it again how you never had a girlfriend, don’t tell me you actually...”

“Eh? No, you got it wrong! I love girls! The other day, if you hadn't left the mixer, it would've worked out for sure!”

“It’s more suspicious now with how you are being so defensive...”

“I said, you got it wrong! Oi, why are you covering your ass? I swear you’re wrong!”

In this way, our daily life passed happily, one way or another.

-Port branch, National Defense Forces.

The day after Kouki died.

At the port branch of the NDF, that female Major General＝Mizutani Fuuka was locked up in her room.

All that came to her mind were the memories of Kouki.

The encounter was sudden. It was at the school where she had transferred to evaluate Hiro Sanada, a high school student who had manifested a rank A+ gift. It was for the captain of the Byakkotai to see if he had the rights to join the Byakkotai. She had been so busy training herself and carrying out her duties that she had initially declined the talk, but grandfather had urged her to start her life as a high school student. That was how she met Kouki on the first day.

Kouki... had such a look in his eyes as if he was in despair.

From that point on, she became interested in him, and as they worked together, she began to feel emotions that she had never felt before.

She wasn’t sure why she felt that way. She didn’t know but her heart ached. When she consulted Nature White, who was older than her, she told her that it was love.

From then on, while assessing Hiro as the captain of the Byakkotai, she started to spend more and more time with Kouki as Mizutani Fuuka.

Those days were the most beautiful moments for her. As if all the harsh training she endured since small and the past where she had given up on enjoying her youth were all lies.

At some point, her feelings for Kouki became definite, and from then on, she tried to conquer him aggressively, but he was somewhat dense and her feelings weren’t conveyed to him properly.

The day of the date.... She had made plans with Rumi that if Kouki didn't confess until the end, she would confess herself.

But Kouki... did confess to her.

Even though they will never be able to meet again….

Why didn't you make sure Kouki evacuated to safety at that time?

Why did he stop the terrorist attack even at the cost of exposing his identity?

Why couldn't you have arrived at the scene sooner?

Why can’t she return everything back?

All she could think about were these questions.

“Kouki-kun…”

She tightened her grip on the necklace she had found. She immediately realized that it was something that Kouki had bought for her, given the circumstances.

Her first love, her target of affection, was no longer there. Fuuka wet her pillow with tears yet again.

"Fuuka... I’m coming in.”

Fuuka, who still can't recover from the shock of Kouki's death...or rather, the casualty caused by their(NDF’s) own hand, was holed up in her room when Nature White, a.k.a. ‘Shinoda Marine’ comes to visit.

“...Fuuka, I understand how you feel, but you're the youngest Major General in the history of the National Defense Force, and also the captain of the Byakkotai. You don't have time to wallow in sorrow forever.”

Fuuka, who is cowering in bed with the covers over her head, did not respond to White's words.

“...what a troublesome child. I know it's not a good time, but there’s a new mission for you. In the near future, NDF will be raiding the hideout of Shiroyume, one of the top three filths organization in Japan. We, the Nature Stranger, have been asked to participate in this mission. Red and Green are no longer with us, though…

This is not going to be a simple matter like destroying a small organization. This is a top-secret mission that the NDF cannot afford to fail, so the assault force will consist of few but elite members. Of course, the Byakkotai should have received a request to participate.”

White knew that Fuuka was not in the mood to participate in the mission, but she continued.

“Fuuka. In the end, it's our fault that your lover died... I admit that. But if we trace it back to the source, it was Kuroyume’s filths who caused that terrible terrorist attack, wasn't it? If we don't stop them, there will be more tragedies to come. Isn't that why we're here to prevent that from happening?”

“....I know it's hard. I was too scared to move at that time...But this time, I won't run away. I will kill…that person who killed Red and Green...Bright, with my own hands.”

After saying that, White left.

White's words were probably correct as far as the military is concerned. She understood it. Yet Fuuka was still crouched on the bed.

Author’s Note:

If White can defeat Bright for Red and Green, it'll be a big win! Or will he be resurrected and Fuuka will...? Well, we'll see what happens…＼(^^)／

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