After school, I brought Mika and the others over to Yuji’s house. A white van was parked on the side of the road against the wall, its hazard lights flashing. I glanced at Yuji, thinking it might belong to his family, but he looked just as puzzled and shook his head.
Which meant… this was probably the car Fujiki-san had mentioned yesterday.
"Yuji, did they ever say what time they’d be coming?"
"No, I didn't hear anything while I was home."
So it wasn’t like we were late and keeping them waiting.
As we tried to pass the van to enter the house, the side door suddenly slid open and a young man stepped out. We instinctively jumped back, moving into a defensive stance to shield Mika and her friends.
"Ah! I’m sorry for startling you. You are Hirose-sama, Kokonoe-sama, and Hiiragi-sama, correct? I’m Muroi, and I’ll be your driver today. It’s a pleasure to meet you."
"Oh, uh, right… Nice to meet you?"
"Yes. Also, the predecessor is currently inside greeting Juzo-sama, so it would be a help if you could let him know you’ve arrived."
Basically, he wanted us to go get Genya-san. That was fine.
After a short nod to Muroi-san, we went inside to greet Juzo-san and Genya-san. We found the two in the living room, waiting for our return over tea. After asking Juzo-san to look after Mika’s group for their practice, we left Yuji’s house with Genya-san.
"Now then, we are heading to the mountain for your training… Is that attire acceptable?"
"Yes. You mentioned we wouldn’t need the weapons we usually use for exploration, so I brought my training clothes in my school bag. I can change once we get there."
To emphasize my point, I lifted my school bag to eye level and gave it a couple of light pats.
"I see. Then let us depart at once."
"Yes, sir."
With Yuji in the lead, we passed through the side gate. Seeing us emerge, Muroi-san slowly drove the van closer to the entrance.
"I’ve been waiting. Please, everyone, get in."
Muroi-san slid open the rear door for us. For a moment, I wondered what order we should sit in, but decided not to overthink it. Yuji, then me, and finally Hiiragi-san piled into the car, tossing our school bags into the back. Since there was no one there to lecture us on passenger etiquette, we settled in without any fuss.
Genya-san took the front passenger seat.
"We’re heading out. Please buckle your seatbelts for the duration of the trip."
After finishing a phone call, Muroi-san gave the signal and the car started moving.
After driving through the city and up winding mountain roads for about thirty minutes, the van arrived at our destination. The base of the mountain had been cleared slightly, and a single prefab shed stood there.
"Good work, everyone. We’ve arrived."
Muroi-san opened the sliding door. We grabbed our luggage and stepped out. Looking around, there was nothing but thick, overgrown vegetation.
"For a training mountain, it's actually quite close to the city," I noted.
"Well, it’s not a firing range," Genya-san replied. "There’s no need for it to be in the middle of nowhere."
"I suppose that makes sense…"
"In any case, let’s begin immediately. You should go change in that prefab shed."
We looked at the building Genya-san was pointing to. It was the type of simple prefab often used as a temporary office at construction sites.
"Now then, everyone, please take these. Make sure the electrodes of the wristbands are touching your bare skin."
Muroi-san handed me a case from the van's trunk. This was likely the shock device. After a moment’s hesitation, I accepted it.
"Understood."
With a quick word to Genya-san and Muroi-san, we took our bags and the case into the shed. The interior was simple, with nothing but three-tier steel lockers lined up against the wall.
Yuji and I shared a look before I turned to Hiiragi-san.
"Hiiragi-san, we’ll go change outside. Right, Yuji?"
"Yeah."
There were a few portable partitions standing around, but still… you know? However, as Yuji and I turned to leave, Hiiragi-san stopped us.
"If there are partitions, I don’t mind sharing the room."
"Eh, but…"
"You aren’t going to peek, are you?"
"O-Of course not!"
"Yeah, we'd never do that."
"Then there's no problem. Genya-san and the others are waiting, so let's change quickly."
"Oh, okay…"
Yuji and I wondered if it was really okay, but the matter was settled. We moved the partitions to a corner to create a makeshift changing area for her.
"Well then, I'm changing, so don't look, okay?"
With that, Hiiragi-san disappeared behind the screens. Left behind, Yuji and I shared awkward glances and sighed. Honestly, this situation was more awkward for us than for her.
"…Should we get changed?"
"…Yeah, let's."
We started pulling on the jerseys we’d brought and picked up the shock devices. We donned the vests and attached the wired wristbands to our wrists and ankles. The excess wire hanging down was a bit of a nuisance.
"Daiki. There’s tape in the case for securing the wires. You should probably fix the loose bits in place."
"Oh, there's tape?"
"Yeah. Just make sure to leave some slack at the joints, or you won't be able to move."
Yuji tossed me the roll of black tape he’d finished using. Following his advice, I taped the wires to my jersey, making sure to leave enough room for my joints to flex.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. I'm finished."
Just as I finished taping, Hiiragi-san emerged from behind the partition. She was wearing a vest over her jersey just like us, but…
"Hiiragi-san. If you tape the wires like that, they're going to snap the moment you move aggressively."
"Eh?"
"You should re-tape them."
Hiiragi-san had taped the wires flush against her jersey. After Yuji explained why, she realized her mistake and started re-doing them. Honestly, if Yuji hadn't warned me, I probably would have done the exact same thing. Once we were all finished, we stowed our bags in the lockers and left the shed.
Outside, two more vans had arrived. I walked over to Genya-san with a puzzled expression.
"Finished changing?"
"Ah, yes.…Um, whose cars are these?"
"These belong to the disciples who will be acting as your opponents. They have already entered the mountain and are standing by."
I see. Just as I was processing that, the door of one of the black vans opened and Ririka-san stepped out, wearing a black vest similar to ours.
"Hello, everyone. I'll be in your care today."
"Ririka-san? Why are you here? And in that outfit…"
As we stood there bewildered by her sudden appearance, Genya-san provided the explanation.
"Ririka will be acting as your escort target for this exercise. She knows this mountain well, so having her with you means there is no risk of getting lost. Physically, she should have no trouble keeping up with you."
"I see, that makes sense…"
"I'm looking forward to working with you," she said with a gentle smile.
"Ah, same here… looking forward to it," I replied, a bit dazed.
"Now, before we begin, I shall give you these. Muroi-kun."
"Yes. Everyone, please take one."
Muroi-san handed us each a black shield made of polycarbonate. LED lights were strip-taped along the edges, and the back of the shield was fitted with batteries and wiring connected to sensors. We took the shields and gave them a few test swings. They felt light and manageable.
"By the look of it, you should have no trouble handling them."
"Yes, sir."
"Finally, take these."
Muroi-san handed us small white plastic cases about the size of a disposable lighter.
"…What are these?"
"GPS transmitters. In the event of an emergency, we will use these to track your positions on the mountain."
"I-I see…"
I examined the device in my palm. I knew they were used for things like investigating affairs, but I hadn’t realized they were this small.
"Put them in your vest’s chest pocket so you don't lose them."
"Understood. But won't they break if we trip and fall?"
"They're fairly durable. I don't think a simple fall will break them."
"Alright then."
I tucked the transmitter into my chest pocket, and Yuji and Hiiragi-san followed suit. Once Genya-san saw we were ready, he began the briefing.
"Now then. Since preparations are complete, I will explain the training content. Take these."
He handed us maps of the mountain.
"As you can see, the northern side of this mountain has very steep terrain. It isn't a cliff, but you must be careful not to slip. Next…"
Genya-san… I hate to break it to you, but I have no idea how to read this. I know what contour lines are in theory, but I don't have the skill to extract actual information from a topographic map. I looked at Genya-san with a mix of apology and confusion. Hiiragi-san was wearing the exact same expression.
"Hm? What is it? Do you have a question?"
"Ah, well, the thing is… I don't really know how to read a map."
"…Ah, I see. I had overlooked that."
Genya-san looked a bit embarrassed. Seeing this, Yuji stepped in.
"I'll explain it to the two of them later, so please continue."
"…Is that alright?"
"Yes."
It turned out Yuji was a map-reading pro. I was impressed he could look at a page of squiggly lines and understand it perfectly without a manual.
"Well, if that's the case, I'll leave it to you, Yuji-kun. Let us continue. The objective is simple: escort Ririka to the summit, collect the arrival marker placed there, and return here."
"Just go there and back?"
"Exactly. Of course, the disciples lying in wait will ambush you along the way. The passing grade is to fend off those attacks and return without being hit once. The time limit is one hour. It takes about thirty minutes to go to the summit and back at a normal pace, so an hour should be enough even while remaining cautious."
"Without being hit… at all?"
"The route has been decided in advance. Since the course is restricted, you should be able to identify likely ambush points. Being able to predict the locations makes it relatively easy to time your defense. If you cannot move your escort target safely under these conditions, you aren’t ready for anything more difficult."
He was casually demanding something incredibly tough. But he had a point—if we knew where they were coming from, we could prepare to intercept them.
"I don’t expect you to pass on your first try… but do your best."
So he already assumed we’d be failing a lot.
"Ririka. You are to observe how they are attacked, devise improvements, and present them after the training is over. As they say, 'see the faults of others and correct your own.' This is a good opportunity for your own training as well."
"Yes, Grandfather."
It seemed Ririka-san had her own homework. Two birds with one stone.
"Well then, shall we begin?"
"Yes!"
"Muroi-kun. Send the signal."
"Understood."
Muroi-san pulled out his phone and sent the message.
"Signal sent. They're ready whenever you are."
"Good. Then, begin!"
At Genya-san’s command, we started walking toward the mountain.
But immediately after our first step…
"Gah! Ow!"
Electricity surged through all three of us, and we collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain and numbness.
What just happened?!