超ヒロイン戦記 - Super Heroine Chronicle/Flow Chart/Episode 7: Partner

第7話: パートナー

Episode 7: Partner

Meru: Karaoke was fun!

Rem: You’re right, though there was an accident, feels like Aria-chan and us are no longer restraining ourselves and getting along.

Claude: Even so, she’s still keeping a strict watch over us though…

Rem: That reminds me, where’s Hibiki-chan?

Meru: She went somewhere while taking Aria-san with her.

Rem: Before anyone knew, looks like Hibiki-chan is able to do what she wants with Aria-chan.

Meru: She’s powerful!

[Scene Change]

Hibiki: Osu! Please take care of me!

Aria: Are you really going to do it like this without protection? You know its okay to transform.

Hibiki: I’m fine! What I want to learn from being taught is how to be strong!

Aria: To be strong, you said such an abstract thing.

Hibiki: Actually, right now I…can’t use my power very well.

Aria: What do you mean?

Hibiki: Because I can easily go berserk, that’s why I’m still training to become stronger in order to control my power.

Hibiki: But, I still can’t use my power well, and because of that…I’m scared to use my full power.

Hibiki: …Though I know it’s shameful to talk like that.

Aria: So that’s why you continue training?

Hibiki: Yes! I try to use good ideas from others too.

Aria: I’ll say this first, there are 3 phrases I hate the most. ‘It’s impossible,’ ‘It’s tiring,’ and ‘It’s a bother…’

Aria: Those 3 phrases prevent people from being able to push themselves. Never use those in front of me. Okay?

Hibiki: I promise!

Aria: Then, for 30 minutes, dodge or protect yourself against my continuous attack.

Hibiki: Eh? Not 3 minutes but 30 minutes?

Aria: Yes, Start!

[Time passes for training]

Hibiki: Hoe~~…

Aria: I’ll praise you for not dying. Though you still get 0 points.

Hibiki: Thank you very much…ha~ ha~…

Aria: Do you understand now?

Hibiki: Yes…I really understand. This means I still need to get stronger…

Aria: …Hmmph. Because you’re like that, I hate it…

Hibiki: That’s right, Aria-san! Let’s go get some food to eat! Food! You’re hungry too right?

Aria: Ha!?

Aria: (Even though she’s beat up all over…she’s already recovered? Who the heck is she?)

Hibiki: Hm?

[Scene change]

Rem: Even though we’ve been on this world for some time, we haven’t been able to gather any information.

Meru: Um, I want to investigate whether or not sensei came to this world. Though there doesn’t seem to be any clues.

Claude: Seems like Hibiki-san’s training is the only thing going well.

Hibiki: Yes! And every day the food has been good!

[Shirauki arrives]

Shirayuki: I’ve come to tell everyone someone. Is now a good time?

Meru: Hello, Shirayuki-san.

Rem: Is something the matter?

Shirayuki: No, I came to say that I will be in charge of helping you.

Hibiki: And Aria-san? Did she quit?

Shirayuki: In order for Kanzaki-san to cooperate in an investigation for a big case, she’s taken a leave of absence from Butei High School.

Hibiki: Could it be, about the Butei Killer going like overseas?

Shirayuki: No, she’s being involved in an investigation for a case about a series of bizarre murders.

Shirayuki: The reason why Kanzaki-san is cooperating with the police with the investigation is because of the headless corpses of the murdered girls that were found.

Rem: Wait, did you just say headless corpses!?

Rem: That case, let me also help cooperate with the investigation! That is same as the case that happened on my world!

Shirayuki: Um…I appreciate your feelings but that’s impossible.

Rem: Why?

Shirayuki: For this case, the police are moving to protect the welfare of the public. Also your existence here is a secret, and because of that…

Hibiki: That might be the case, but wouldn’t it be bad if dream demons and Noise appear?

Meru: If Aria-san is alone, it’ll be dangerous!

Shirayuki: I’m sorry…this was the decision of Butei High School, even I can’t change it now. I hope you understand…

Rem: I see…

[Time passes]

Rem: Haa~, even though I wanted to negotiate with getting cooperation with Butei High School…

Meru: In the end, we couldn’t get anything.

Hibiki: If that’s the case, let’s force our way and go help Aria-san!

[Riko appears]

Riko: I heard everything you said! That means you all love Riko!!

Meru: Riko-san!?

Riko: Hello~☆

Rem: Riko-chan heard us? About Aria-chan…

Riko: Of course, it’s Butei High School’s number 1 hot topic right now.

Riko: And there’s something I want everyone to hear.

Riko: Uh, Aria has always been looking for a partner.

Rem: Partner?

Riko: That’s right. Every generation in Aria’s family has always had an excellent partner.

Riko: But, Aria hasn’t been able to find one. She hasn’t been able to discover a partner who can go well with her own power.

Riko: That’s when Aria decided. She’ll do everything alone.

Hibiki: By herself…just like her name.

Meru: Hm? What do you mean?

Hibiki: An aria is a solo vocal piece in an opera. A part that is sung by only one singer. That’s what I learned at the academy.

Riko: Since she’s doing this alone again, wouldn’t it be bad for her? Wouldn’t she be a tempting target for the Butei Killer?

Claude: Eh, please wait a second, why does Riko-san believe that the Butei Killer and the headless corpses murder case are related?

Riko: The Butei Killer is really cunning. Don’t you think that while using the case, they could attack Aria while she’s by herself?

Rem: While she’s distracted by the serial murder case, they would have an opportunity to kill Aria-chan then…that is possible.

Hibiki: Rem-san! I knew it, we should go!

Meru: But, we can’t just selfishly move on our own…!

Riko: Then, this is when Riko makes her entrance! Make a contract with Riko of the detective department [Inquesta], and I’ll be able to help you out with a lot of things~☆

Riko: Disrupting information gathering, evidence destruction, and cover up work! Want me to make it nice and cheap for you?

Rem: …Guess we don’t have a reason to refuse.

[Scene change]

[Aria on her own doing an investigation]

Aria: A murder investigation, huh. Even though this is first time doing one, to be feeling this nervous…

Aria: No…that’s wrong, this is just my intuition but this will teach me some things…!

Aria: The weather looks suspicious…this is bad…it would be good if it was only this though…

??? Ho~, that’s a nice face…let me see more.

Aria: Who’s there!? Show yourself!

[Shinigami Hakase appears]

???(Shinigami Hakase): Tonight’s prey has been decided…

Aria: I’m the prey? Then, you’re the Butei Killer!

???(Shinigami Hakase): Butei Killer? I won’t kill something that worthless. What I kill are, only those that are beautiful.

Aria: I see, so you want my neck. Unfortunately for you, you can only blame the luck of the moon because you appeared before me.

???(Shinigami Hakase): That’s good…that strong face twisting into fear, when you make your scream of terror, your running away form, I hope you show it all to me. Inside the dream that is…!

Aria: Ha!? Inside the dream? I don’t get what you mean! Prepare yourself, pervert mantle!

Shinigami Hakase: Fufufu…

[Sound of gas being released]

Aria: Na!? G-Gas…!?

Shinigami Hakase: Good night, mademoiselle…

Aria: Ku! My consciousness…

[Aria collapses and falls asleep]

Aria: Su~…Su~…

Shinigami Hakase: All too easy…It’s entertainment time. Let me enjoy your lovely nightmare…

[Shinigami Hakase disappears]

[Claude and the others arrive]

Hibiki: There she is! Aria-san! Eh, huh? She’s sleeping?

Rem: This is the 'Outbreak of People Sleeping on the Road Phenomenon'! We have to quickly wake her up!

Rem: With this alarm watch…Wake up! Aria-chan!

[Alarm sounds off]

Aria: Uu…ha!? What? What was I…?

Hibiki: Aria-san! Thank goodness!

[Shinigami Hakase appears]

Shinigami Hakase: Fu~fu~fu~fu~…So you finally came…

Rem: I knew it, it was your doing…Shinigami Hakase!

Shinigami Hakase: It’s been a long time, Dream Hunter Rem. For the sake of seeing your face again, I have returned from the depths of hell…

Rem: You’ve revived again! You really don’t learn!

Hibiki: Rem-san, that is!?

Rem: The criminal responsible for the 'Outbreak of People Sleeping on the Road Phenomenon' and the serial bizarre murders, my old enemy…Shinigami Hakase! I’ve already killed him 3 times…!

Meru: Killed him 3 times? What do you mean!?

Shinigami Hakase: You don’t need to understand.

Shinigami Hakase: Rem, the way you are now, you can’t kill me. You understand right? If you fight me now, you will not win.

Rem: …

Shinigami Hakase: That’s a good face. Then I will erase that strong face and paint it with fear…allow me to enjoy this to the utmost.

Shinigami Hakase: That will…

Aria: Shut up, old man! I’m going to blast holes in you!

[Aria shoots at Shinigami Hakase]

Shinigami Hakase: …

Shinigami Hakase: Hmph.

Aria: No way!? Even though the bullets hit him!?

Shinigami Hakase: Now what shall you do? Would you like to ‘blast more holes’ in me?

Aria: …!!

Shinigami Hakase: Fu~fu~fu~fu~, Haa~~Ha~Ha~Ha! Hii~Hiihiihiihii! Haha~~!

[Shinigami Hakase disappears]

Aria: What…he turned into liquid…he disappeared…?

Rem:…Kuu!

Aria: It’s him…! It’s him! It’s him!! He’s the Butei Killer! There’s no mistake!!

Aria: Get back here! I’ll catch you and send you to court!!

Riko: Ahahaha~. He’s the Butei Killer? Aria must definitely have a talent in comedy~!

[Riko appears]

Riko: Yo!

Hibiki: Riko-san…?

Riko: With that stupid reasoning, don’t you think you should apologize to your ancestor? Ne, Holmes.

Meru: Holmes? Who? Who is that…?

Riko: Hey, this is a request, can you not lose to anyone else but Riko? If you lose to someone else, that’ll be a problem for me…

Aria: …What do you mean?

Riko: An idiot that can’t be helped. Even though I came out in front of you. It can’t be helped but to introduce myself.

[Event CG: Riko’s self introduction]

Riko: My name is Riko Mine Lupin IV.

Rem: Lupin…

Riko: That’s right. France’s great Kaitou(mysterious thief) Arsene Lupin is Riko’s great-grandfather. Also, one more thing…

Riko: I’m also the Butei Killer.

Aria: Ha!?

Hibiki: Riko-san is the Butei Killer?

Riko: Kufu! Wouldn’t it have been better if you realized it much more quickly?

Aria: You…? Why!!

Riko: Because, Riko is Riko.

Rem: What do you mean…?

Riko: All the people in Riko’s house, no one calls Riko, ‘Riko.’

Riko: Even though Oka-sama(mother) gave me such a cute name…they always say ‘IV’, ‘IV’, ‘IV-sama’(the 4th-sama).

Riko: Am I a number!? Just a holder of genes!? I am Riko! I’m not a number!

Aria: Why are you snapping!? What do you mean number!!

Riko: I don’t want to be always treated as just Lupin’s great-granddaughter! If I don’t surpass great-grandfather, I will never be me!

Rem: And what does that have to do with being the Butei Killer?

Riko: Butei Killer? That was just playing around. My real target was you! Holmes IV!

Aria: After me…?

Riko: Don’t say you don’t know. 100 years ago, Lupin and Holmes had a showdown that only ended in a draw.

Riko: If I defeat Holmes IV, then I can prove that I have surpassed great-grandfather!

Riko: …Also all of you, be sure to do your role as well okay?

Claude: Yes?? Our role…?

[Battle Map]

Riko: Because Holmes didn’t have a partner, I couldn’t kill her immediately…however that’s when all of you appeared.

Riko: Though that is to say, Riko would have preferred someone of this world.

Riko: But then Holmes wouldn’t be equal against Riko on her own right?

Riko: Your abilities were a bit doubtful, but if you were all together, you all should be able to qualify and work as Holme’s partner?

Aria: You’ve been saying whatever you please just now. I don’t need a partner!

Aria: I’ve already decided! I will by myself…

[Sound of violent thunder]

Aria: Kyaa~!?

Meru: Aria-san? You couldn’t be, about thunder…

Aria: I-I-I-I’m not scared. I’m not at all scared of…

[Another sound of violent thunder]

[Aria falls down after hearing another one]

Aria: Hyaa~!

Hibiki: Aria-san! I’m here with you! If thunder comes again, I’ll use my fists to crush it!

Aria: Hibiki…!!

Claude: Aria-san, I don’t know if we can be a partner to your solo act, but…!

Claude: I think we can work as your back up chorus.

Meru: That’s right!

Rem: Let’s catch the Butei Killer!

Aria: You guys…

Aria: …I don’t know what it means to be partners, and I don’t like being used for Riko’s plans. But…!

Aria: I have something I need to do! If it’s for that…!!

Riko: That’s fine, Holmes! Just as planned! No one will have complaints!

Riko: Today, Riko will be Riko~!

[Grunt enemies appear]

[Battle start]

[After Riko takes a certain amount of damage]

Riko: Ku~. You’re pretty good…

Aria: For the Butei Killer crime, Riko Mine Lupin IV! You’re under arrest!

Riko: …If you’re able to do this much, then those people are qualified enough to serve as Holmes’ partner.

Riko: If you can understand that much, then that’s good. Holmes! If you want to arrest me, then chase after me!

Riko: When you and your partners show your power, and after you defeat Riko! Then I will…!!

[Riko disappears via the mysterious light]

Aria: She disappeared!?

Rem: That light was…!

Meru: That’s the same light that took us to another world…?

[Battle over]

[Return to Visual Novel]

Hibiki: Riko-san disappearing, just like us, could it be a coincidence…

Rem: No, she said to ‘chase after.’ It’s not hard to think that it’s not a coincidence that she doesn’t know where she’s going.

Meru: That is a mystery…

Aria: Yareyare, because of you all, now we got a complicated topic. If it’s like this, then it’s better for me to be on my own.

Claude: Aria-san…

Aria: Sorry, that was a lie.

Aria: I don’t have any more time to spare to search for a partner. I understand that now.

Aria: Even though finding my only partner is an ideal, for now you guys will do…

Hibiki: Aha!! Really!?

Aria: Don’t get the wrong idea! Riko disappeared earlier, didn’t she? There is only one way then!

Rem: That’s right. Since we have similar goals now, it’s best to work together.

Aria: T-That’s obvious!

Claude: Thank goodness…

Aria: What do you mean ‘thank goodness?’! You’re training as my apprentice slave, you still need to be work hard towards being a workhorse!

Claude: A-Apprentice slave…so I’m still not at the level of being treated as a workhouse…!?

Aria: Shut up! This has already been decided!

Claude: I-I want to be treated as a human soon…

Meru: That reminds me. Who is Holmes?

Aria: That’s my middle name. Holmes is read in French, it’s spelled H O L M E S.

Aria: Aria Holmes Kanzaki. That’s my full name.

Rem: Holmes? You mean that great detective Holmes!?

Hibiki: I also know him! Heh~, so that person actually existed here!!

Claude: Uh…

Meru: Who is exactly Holmes?

Rem: (So these two don’t know…)

Aria: Well then, this is a bit sudden but, tell me the method of how to chase after Riko.

Rem: Eh?

Hibiki: Eh?

Meru: Eh?

Rem & Hibiki & Meru: Eh?

[Slight pause]

Aria: What? That’s your specialty right?

Hibiki: Um, we don’t know how it works, couldn’t we try getting help from Butei High School…?

Rem: We couldn’t get anything else besides observation condition though…

Aria: What’s with that!? Then that means we can’t chase after Riko?

Claude: At any rate, we did get the strongest S rank Butei of the frontline assault department [Assault] to guard us…

Aria: Shut up! Keep saying troublesome things and I’ll blast holes in you!

[The group is wrapped in the mysterious light]

Claude: Uu!? …I’ve been shot…

Aria: I didn’t shoot!

Claude: But the gun’s muzzle flash…

Meru: This is different!!

Rem: What does this mean, can’t think of this timing as mere coincidence now…

Hibiki: I wonder where we’ll be taken to next?

Aria: Eh!?

[The mysterious light takes them.]

[Scene change: DOKOKA Town]

Aria: …W-What happened?

Hibiki: This place must be DOKOKA Town.

Claude: Fuu…seems like we were suddenly brought here again.

Rem: You don’t really know? Look! There seems to be people here!

Meru: Hawa!? Who’s there!?

[Noel appears first]

Noel: Aah~! Meru!

Meru: Noel?

Noel: Mou~, where have you been!!

Meru: Right back at you! You never showed up at Rem-san’s office!

Haruka: Ah, look Aoi-chan. There’s a lot of people here!

Aoi: You’re right. Though it looks like its only people that Noel-san knows…

Sonico: …Ah~! G-Good work everyone! Um, guess we’ll be having a costar party!

Rem: Seems like Noel-chan’s party got more people now.

Claude: Huh? But, Tsubasa-san isn’t with you?

Hibiki: Tsubasa-san!? Is Tsubasa-san here!?

Noel: You’re Tsubasa-san’s partner, right? Tsubasa-san is…

[Time passes for explanation]

Hibiki: Eh…Tsubasa-san used the Swan Song…

Noel: It was such a frightful power. But if Tsubasa-san didn’t use it, we wouldn’t know what to do at that time…

Hibiki: Tsubasa-san thought that as well, she thought she had no choice but to use it.

Noel: The Swan Song, using that is tiring right?

Hibiki: I would need to know how Tsubasa-san was at that time. Worst case scenario, she would have died from using it, however Tsubasa-san should be okay…that’s what I think.

Noel: …I also thought this about Tsubasa-san, you are also strong too.

Hibiki: No, I still have much to learn. Aria-san has been teaching me a lot.

Aria: Hibiki, do you know these people?

Rem: We should spend some time exchanging information with each other.

[Time passes for information exchange]

Haruka: Heh~! Hibiki-chan also does a similar transformation like Tsubasa-chan?

Hibiki: Yes! Have you heard Tsubasa-san sing?

Haruka: Un! It was very cool!!

Haruka: Ah, but…

Hibiki: Ah, um, I’m sure Tsubasa-san is okay. Even though Tsubasa-san has the resolve to fight with her life on the line, she will never thoughtlessly throw away her life.

Hibiki: I know her the best because I’ve fought alongside her.

Haruka: Hibiki-chan…

Aoi: Trusting in each other, that’s what it means to be partners.

Hibiki: That’s right!

Aoi: However, the truth is, without Tsubasa-san using that power, she wouldn’t have been able to protect us or prevented the enemy from stealing the “Angel’s Tear.”

Aoi: Because of that, I wish to give my thanks. We were saved because of Tsubasa-san.

Hibiki: Please give your thanks to Tsubasa-san directly! I’m sure we’ll meet up with her again!

Aria: You say that with such confidence without any basis whatsoever.

Hibiki: That’s because I believe in Tsubasa-san.

Rem: And you only need that much just to fight alongside each other.

Haruka: Hibiki-chan and Tsubasa-chan are so great…I want us to be like that too…

Aoi: Fufu, you’re right, Haruka-san.

Aria: (Partner, huh…)

Noel: Huh? How does Aoi-san and Haruka-san fight? Are you two responsible for calling Twin Angel?

Aoi: Yes. Even though Haruka-san and I don’t directly fight, we have always been friends with them.

Haruka: Right, Aoi-chan!

Rem: Speaking of partners, where is Meru-chan and Noel-chan?

Sonico: Ah, about those two, since it was noisy here, they went over in that direction!

[Scene change]

Meru: Mou~! That’s why I said not to do anything unnecessary and come to Rem-san’s office!

Meru: Getting involved with her because of that, even Tsubasa-san…!

Noel: T-That’s wrong! Then what about you!

Meru: I understand it pretty well!

Meru: After all, Noel is the type to just use force with any issues!

Noel: Unyuuuu~, then what about you!

Noel: Even after listening to us talk, Meru still didn’t decide to do anything!

Meru: T-That’s not the case! Even I can…

Noel: Being involved with Rem-san and the others, haven’t you just been carried the whole time?

Meru: Mukaa!! Even if it’s as you say! Then have you been properly looking for sensei?

Noel: Before looking for sensei, we have to find a way back to our world!

Meru: Didn’t you think that sensei might also be in a different world?

Noel: Ah…

Meru: As I thought, Noel is an idiot!

Noel: I’ll listen but, have you’ve been properly searching? Have you found any clues?

Meru: There hasn’t been any, but, but…

Noel: In the first place, where’s the proof that sensei is on another world? Then wouldn’t finding a way back to our world be first?

Meru: Then wouldn’t it be possible that we would forget about finding sensei?

Noel: …

Noel: Fine…I get it. Then we’ll just split up and search for her then.

Meru: Eh?

Noel: Then I will search for sensei my own way. That’s fine right!

Meru: That’s just you doing your own thing again!

Noel: That’s fine! I’ll just do it my way! Bai Ba~~i!

[Noel leaves]

Meru: Noel!?

Noel: I’m not a clumsy dog like Meru!

Meru: Mou! You’re being really selfish!

[Claude arrives]

Claude: Um, shouldn’t you chase after her…?

Meru: It’s about time to eat, she’ll come back soon enough.

[Scene change]

Noel: Don’t lose my way! Here I go~!

[Noel gets taken away by the light]

[Scene change]

Meru: No way! That Noel!?

Catherine: Yes! She left here completely! She’s no longer in town!

Meru: Mou! She didn’t reflect at all!

Meru: …Idiot…

[Scene change: Everyone gathers together]

Rem: Noel-chan really left on her own?

Haruka: We have to go after her!

Aria: Go after her, but where?

Rem: That’s the problem. Even if we left DOKOKA Town, we have no idea where to go to next.

Aoi: Then, the best thing for us is to wait for Noel-san to return here.

Aria: If that’s the case, I’ll leave first. No point in waiting here, since Riko won’t appear here.

Hibiki: Isn’t it a good idea to split up then?

Aria: She won’t just disappear and cause problems because she did it for her own sake, that’s impossible.

Meru: It’s just as Aria-san says. It’s fine if you don’t worry about Noel’s situation.

Haruka: Aren’t you worried Meru-chan?

Meru: I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worried. But if we keep spoiling her she won’t grow up.

Rem: That means that Meru-chan is confident for her to be okay even on her own then.

Meru: Even though her mind is like a child, but the techniques Noel has are very strong.

Sonico: T-This could be a new development! Just after reunited with each other, suddenly they’re separated again…!

Aria: You’re awfully carefree about this, huh?

Aoi: [whispers] (Aria-san, Sonico-san misunderstands and thinks our situation is a movie shoot, she’s a rookie idol…)

Aria: [whispers] (She is mistaking this for a shoot…Well, if she doesn’t know anything and returns back to her world happily, that would be good though…)

Rem: For the time being, we’ll all move together, okay?

Meru: Yes.

Aria: (Riko, I’ll definitely catch you…! Please wait for me, mama…)

[EPISODE 7: MERU ROUTE END]

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