Kikanshita Yuusha no Gojitsudan : Chapter 18

Chapter 18 Side Story – The Determination of Each of These Man Latter Part

Side – A Certain Otaku’s Determination

“Yup, ah, yup, but I’m glad you’re safe. No, I was with Kashiwagi-kun, so it’s not him. Yeah, right? All right, see you later.”

　Psst, pssst, pssst.

　After finishing the phone call from Ayumi, I let out a breath and stared at the TV screen again, engrossed.

　The TV repeatedly reported on the incident that occurred during the day: the attack on the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. In particular, the mysterious person who defeated all the terrorists and solved the case was massively covered while they showed the footage.

“This is definitely my costume, isn’t it?”

　Without asking anyone, I say it without thinking.

　Or rather, I’m the only one in the room right now.

　On the screen, there is footage of a person in a Kamen Rider Wizard costume kicking a terrorist and freezing both of the terrorist’ hands on the floor.

　As you would expect from a 1440 x 1080 resolution digital broadcast, every detail was clearly visible. Of course, my television was capable of full high-definition viewing, and it showed every detail of the scene.

　Seeing this, there was no doubt in my mind that the costume this person wearing was made by me.

　As those who have ever made a handmade item will understand, even if you make the same thing in the same way as the model, you can tell the maker’s habit from the slight differences.

　Therefore, it is unlikely that I will ever misidentify the thing I made.

　And also it is impossible for me to make a mistake in the thing that I was just touching with this hand until a few hours ago because of Kashiwagi-kun’s size change.

　I look at the costume on the desk that serves as my workbench.

　I made this one from scratch to fit Kashiwagi-kun’s body shape, which is one of my proudest work.

　He’s taller than the original actor of the show and has a stronger body, so even if I made him wear the costume that was used for the shooting, the size of the costume would be slightly different from the original which would make it look strange.

　That’s why I made a more accurate costume for him, including the size of the mask, and adjusted every detail to make it look more authentic. And it’s the most impressive and satisfying work I’ve ever made.

　In addition, I spent the morning watching his form and movements while he wore this costume.

　And judging from that, I’m sure that the person on the screen is Kashiwagi-kun in the costume I made.

“Kashiwagi-kun, you can do something like that?”

　If the costume was something I made, the only person wearing it would be Kashiwagi-kun, but the video that repeatedly appears on the screen shows movements that none of my acquaintances would be able to do, and phenomena that I can only think of as magic, which I can’t even imagine how he did it.

　In the first place, is it possible for a human being, not just Kashiwagi-kun, to do such a thing?

　Of course, I’m assuming they didn’t use any CG or anything like what the TV newscasters mentioned.

　There are other things that aren’t in the video, such as him flying through the air, putting up a barrier to repel bullets, and crushing a gun in his hand, according to eyewitness accounts.

　Normally, such things only happen in the world of Tokusatsu or anime, and are impossible in the real world. It should be.

　Speaking of Kashiwagi-kun, I have the impression that his atmosphere has changed a lot recently.

　He was rather popular among the girls in the past due to his tall stature and friendly personality, but recently I heard that even the girls from other departments in the university were talking about it.

　I don’t know what to call it, but I got a strong presence or something like that from him, especially when I asked him to cosplay this time.

　It felt as if I was asking a Hollywood star to cosplay.

　I met Kashiwagi-kun for the first time in the first year of high school, when we were in the same class.

　I was a target of bullying since junior high school because I was a skinny kid with glasses and not good at talking to people.

　There was no direct violence, but I was often made fun of and ignored, especially after it was revealed at school that I liked Tokusatsu and anime, I was called an “otaku” and “creepy”.

　Fortunately, I wasn’t bad at studying, and I was able to get into a decent prefectural school and go to a different high school than my classmates who were always bullying me.

　Still, it didn’t mean that my appearance or personality was changing, so I didn’t expect to make friends in high school or anything like that, and I was thinking about going more into my hobbies and making friends with people with the same interests. So I tried not to get too involved with the people in my class. I didn’t want to be bullied again, as expected.

　Looking back now, I think I was quite gloomy and somewhat of a loner. I didn’t talk much with Kashiwagi-kun either. Of course, we were in the same class, so we talked sometimes, but he himself didn’t seem to have a negative attitude towards me. He always treated me as if he were talking to a normal friend.

　We became friends when Kashiwagi was talking with another classmate about the monster from the Tsuburaya movie and whether ”Dada” had a beard or not, and I unintentionally interjected. Immediately after I said it, I looked at Kashiwagi and the others’ faces thinking “shit” and before the rest of the classmates could say anything, Kashiwagi said, “Really? So what’s the difference between Garamon and Pygmon?” And when I answered them, he was honestly impressed. My classmates seemed to be a bit taken aback, but Kashiwagi-kun didn’t seem to mind.

　Then Kashiwagi-kun, who was one of my friends in class, started talking to me more and more often, and I started talking to other people as well. I couldn’t talk much with the girls, but the boys would talk to me about manga, anime, and video games, and sometimes we would play games together.

　As a result, my reputation in everyone’s mind changed from “a gloomy otaku that nobody knows what he’s thinking” to “a subculture lover who knows a lot of things”.

　On top of that, when I was talking ”It would be fun to have a game like this,” Kasiwagi-kun said, ” Well, since you’re very smart, Saito, why don’t you just make your own?”. One of my classmates said that his father was doing research and development for a game production company, and it was amazing to me how quickly my ideas ended up being a hit.

　I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that Kashiwagi-kun is the reason I have become the person I am today.

　If it wasn’t for him, my high school days would have been a miserable one, besides the reason I’m earning money as a game creator is because of him.

　That’s why I always feel the need to return the favor to Kashiwagi-kun whenever I get the chance.

　The reason I asked him to cosplay at Comiket was because I wanted to help Kashiwagi, who was looking for a good part-time job when he was in high school, and I figured it would be a good way to show off my booth by using cosplayers.

　Actually, it didn’t really return the favor, and we benefited from the fact that he helped us to attract customers.

　Um, I’ve gotten completely off track.

　What I’m thinking about now is that the person in this Kamen Rider Wizard costume who solved today’s case is definitely Kashiwagi-kun.

　As for why he’s dressed like this, it’s probably to hide his identity.

　Ayumi-chan and Kudo-san were being held hostage, and he had the power to help them. But he couldn’t have others see him doing it.

　I’m sure that’s what he was trying to do.

　I’m sure that the public would certainly make a big deal out of it, from just what was shown on TV, and I’m sure that they wonder why he has that kind of power, or since when, or at least it’s going to make it impossible for him to live a normal life.

　…What’s happening?

　He has powers beyond ordinary people and hides his true identity to save people.

　Isn’t that just the exact definition of tokusatsu hero!

　I never thought that such a person would actually appear in real life.

　In my mind, a ‘Hero’ needs to fulfill certain requirement.

　He or she must not be greedy, must not fight in a cowardly manner, and has to conceal his or her true identity.

　Of course, there can be many different characters in the production, and dark heroes are OK, but I want them to have at least those three things.

　I think it’s not fair to have 5 guys fighting one villain like in the Sentai series, but as long as they don’t take hostages or deceive people, it’s okay.

　That’s why I’m a little dissatisfied with today’s heroes who don’t hide their true identity.

　Of course fiction and reality do not mix, and I don’t think they can.

　But I think his power is comparable to those of the heroes in fiction .

　So what I, as his friend, should do is to back him up while respecting his will to the maximum extent possible.

　Even in the old tokusatsu heroes, there was always a role for someone who knew the identity of the hero and helped him.

　This time, I can be the one to do it.

　And if I can support him in his activities while hiding his true identity, he will be able to entrust me, his best friend, with the minor details without worry.

　If that’s the case, my pride won’t allow me to just let him wear a fake costume like that.

　I need to prepare a costume that is appropriate for him.

　Instead of an ostentatious armor style, he should have a modern and smart look. It doesn’t have to be flashy like a tokusatsu (special effects) on TV, but people should know he’s a hero at a glance. The materials used are fabric made of aramid fiber and titanium alloy, which is the limit of what is generally available in Japan. But how do I go about processing it?

　I had to think about the design from scratch, too.

　There are a lot of things to do and think about, and I’m going to have to get ready for Comiket in earnest, so I’m short on time.

　Still, I’ve got to make the best creations in the name of toku-ota!

　Wait for me, Kashiwagi-kun!

　I, your best friend, will make sure that I create the right outfit for you!

　I was starting to think of design ideas with determination.

---

Side – A Certain Terrorist Determination

(TL : Sorry, I can’t seem to translate the nuance of how he talking)

　Ah, welcome.

　You’re one person too many today.

　Heh~! Are you from Public Safety?

　Public safety is kind of like the secret police, right?

　The secret police in my country are worse than the mafia, but you’re a very nice guy, aren’t you?

　I think I’d like that.

　You don’t have to look so uncomfortable.

　So? What do you want to ask me today?

　　Huh? The reason I joined the organization?

　Why do you care about that?

　Well, okay.

　I don’t know where to start.

　I’d like to introduce myself once again.

　My name is Reda Magdowell.

　I’m a burly 24-year-old.

　I was born and raised in a small settlement in country I, close to the desert, and we were poor. We only managed to harvest enough wheat to keep ourselves from starving and raising livestock was a struggle. My parents and I prayed a lot, but we weren’t very devout. We didn’t have time for that, because we were busy just trying to survive.

　Once every few months the government officials would come, and everyone would hide food to avoid being found, and the women would stay in their houses, except for the old people, and they never let out.

　Why?

　If they find food, they take it away by the roots and say, “It’s a tax,” and if they found a young woman, even if she was someone’s wife, they would take her away.

　It doesn’t matter how hungry we are; the bureaucrats don’t care.

　The women who are taken never come back.

　However, even if they do come back, there is no place for them to live after becoming the government official’s playthings.

　That’s why food is divided and hidden as seeds here and there. Even if they find it, they can tell that it is unhusked seeds.

　And the women hide daggers in their clothes. It’s so that if they are taken, they can die as soon as they arrive at the destination. Huh? I mean, if you die before they take you, they’ll just take someone else instead.

　Protesting to the state?

　You won’t get anywhere. If you do, you will be thrown in jail for no reason.

　It’s not like our country has done anything for us.

　When I was eleven years old, the organization took over the entire area, including the village.

　Our lives changed forever.

　The organization provided us with plenty of food and weapons.

　Soon after, I was trained as a soldier. They didn’t force us to do anything, but we didn’t have any choice.

　I mean, how could I not?

　If you join the organization, you’ll be guaranteed food and safety for your family. If you don’t join, you’ll have to die. Once an area is occupied, the government sees everyone in it as an enemy.

　I’ve trained hard myself.

　I trained hard, not only for combat skills and weapons, but also for language and math.

　Fortunately, my memory is so good that I rarely forget what I’ve seen or heard at first sight, so I was quickly acknowledged and treated with respect.

　Thanks to this, I learned English, French and Russian relatively quickly.

　I was taught a lot of things about the organization’s philosophy and doctrine, but that didn’t matter to me.

　I’ve never even read the scriptures properly to begin with.

　How can you have faith when they can’t make any of your wishes come true?

　People around me think the same way, more or less.

　What makes me laugh is that people from developed countries who don’t know anything about hardship come to our organization and say, “We’re impressed by your philosophy. We want to fight with you.” And a lot of them come to join our organization.

　The organization also takes care of the people with money and skills that are of high use, but most of them are just combatants. No, most of them are useless in battle, so they’re treated like slaves.

　Of course I don’t think of them as my friends. I don’t think any organization needs people who just want to kill people because they can’t satisfy their own self-esteem.

　I traveled around a lot for the organization, collecting information and negotiating with agents in other countries.

　I came to Japan around 3 years ago.

　I came to Japan to gather information because of my language skills, but I had a hard time at first. The Japanese language is very difficult to understand.

　I got the order for this attack three months ago.

　Then we gathered weapons, but we couldn’t get enough of them. We were able to get a decent number of guns, but other than that, it was difficult to smuggle them in, and we sometimes got caught in the process, so we had to reduce our numbers.

　I hadn’t really planned to take part in the raid, but I couldn’t get some people into the country.

　I considered rethinking my plan, but the organization forced me to go through with it.

　It worked until about halfway through.

　We detonated a bomb outside the building to draw the crowd’s attention to it, and then we went in at once.

　The Japanese are really laid back, aren’t they? Even though we entered the building, firing a lot of shots, they didn’t understand what had happened.

　We were able to take the ambassador and the country’s top officials hostage without much trouble.

　But it worried me that it was all going too well.

　Somewhat, I had a bad feeling about it.

　But still, I guess I was also letting my guard down after all.

　As I was watching the stairs, I got a horrible shock right after something suddenly jumped in. And the rest is as you guys know.

　I’m a prisoner now, I guess.

　But I’m grateful to you guys, you know?

　They treated my injuries, and they didn’t torture me. In fact, I feel much better than I usually do.

　And besides, I think it’s made me feel like I’ve met the real me.

　I suppose it’s true that you don’t know what you have until you lose it.

　This country is really a wonderful country.

　Hey, I need to talk to you about something.

　I will provide you with all the information I have on organizations, countries and individuals that I know of and the countries and organizations that we support.

　So when I get out of prison, will you give me asylum here?

　Of course I’m not asking you to provide all the food, clothing, and shelter.

　There’s a place in Shinjuku, Tokyo, where a guy like me can work, right?

　I’d like to work there.

　Of course I’m going to help you as much as I can, okay?

　Well, I don’t think you’ll be able to answer that right away.

　But I want you to consider it.

　Yeah, yeah, okay.

　Well, come back to me if you need anything else.

　A trial was later held and Reda Magdowell was sentenced to five years in prison and was jailed immediately.

　However, he was released on probation after six months. The reason for the unusually early release has not been revealed.

　There were reports that several inmates in prison refused to share a cell with Magdowell himself, but it is unclear if this is related.

　After his release, Magdowell moved into government housing and worked under the name “Linda” at the ”Blue Heart” gay bar in Shinjuku, which he had requested for a long time, while also reportedly working as an unofficial outside cooperator for the National Public Safety Commission.

---

Translator’s Note : 

 There are possibly won’t be any other chapters released this week, I’ve come back to playing a game that I’ve stopped playing a few months ago because there’s a new update, so right now I’m in the middle of leveling my character and grinding for weapons etc. But I’m sure after one week I’ll get bored and stop playing again.

Previous Chapter

Index

Next Chapter