🎶春日の響きと記憶の音 — 番外 — 舞台 — Night Battle

🌸✨ In this alternate universe, Mio and みお are twin sisters, set in a unified world where the virtual singers of Crypton Future Media, Team TWINDRILL, INTERNET Co., Ltd., and the characters of Project SEKAI: Colorful Stage! feat. Hatsune Miku coexist. 🌙🎶 💜💗💜💗💜 Story 💗💜💗💜💗 The night had already completely enveloped the entire town. The last traces of daylight had long since disappeared. Only a cold moon remained in the sky, along with scattered stars that appeared and vanished behind thin clouds. Most of the wooden houses lining the streets had already gone dark. Only a few paper lanterns still hung beneath the eaves. Their dim yellow light swayed gently in the night breeze, casting restless shadows across the stone-paved road. Miku and the other nine had still not finished their patrol. They had originally planned to check the final few streets and then return to the dojo. However, Mio suddenly stopped in front of a completely darkened wooden house. “…Wait.” Everyone stopped at once. みお was the first to turn around. “What is it?” Mio did not answer. She crouched down. Under the faint light from a nearby paper lantern, a series of footprints could be seen in the mud in front of the house. They were very fresh. And they did not belong to just one person. Miku walked over as well. “These were just made?” Gakupo crouched on the other side and examined them carefully. “The soil hasn’t dried yet.” Luka looked up. “At least seven or eight people.” KAITO frowned. “People leaving from here this late at night?” MEIKO had already placed one hand on the hilt of her sword. Her eyes settled on the lower part of a wooden pillar. “There.” Everyone looked over. Three parallel lines. And beneath them was the same familiar arrow. It pointed toward the outskirts of town. It was identical to the mark they had found earlier inside the abandoned warehouse. Rin’s tired expression disappeared immediately. “That mark again.” Teto also stopped smiling. “Looks like there are still some people who haven’t been caught.” Len lowered his voice. “So the group the officials arrested really was only part of them.” MEIKO stood up. “Let’s go after them.” KAITO immediately looked at her. “Wait.” MEIKO turned around. “What now?” “It’s the middle of the night.” KAITO pointed toward the pitch-black road ahead. “Outside the town is much more dangerous at night.” “That’s exactly why we can’t just ignore them.” “I didn’t say we shouldn’t follow.” KAITO sighed. “I’m telling you not to charge out ahead of everyone again.” Mio muttered softly, “He has a point.” MEIKO slowly turned her head. Mio immediately straightened up. “I didn’t say anything.” みお naturally looked off to the side as well. “I didn’t hear anything either.” MEIKO narrowed her eyes. “You two…” Miku tried not to laugh. But her expression soon became serious again. “We’ll follow the footprints first.” She looked at everyone. “Don’t chase them too far.” Gakupo nodded. “Keep some distance between both sides.” Luka added, “If anyone notices anything strange, call it out first.” She deliberately looked toward MEIKO. MEIKO was silent for two seconds. “…Got it.” KAITO could not help smiling. “You were obviously holding back just now.” “KAITO.” “Fine, I’ll shut up.” The ten of them started moving again. Once they passed the final row of houses, the road immediately became much darker. There were no more paper lanterns ahead. Only moonlight barely illuminated the dirt road. On both sides stretched dark fields and bamboo groves. The wind swept through the bamboo leaves. Rustle— Rustle, rustle— The sound was especially clear in the middle of the night. Miku unconsciously tightened her grip on the sword at her waist. She still was not completely accustomed to the weight of a real blade. Even more unfamiliar was the environment around them. There were no staff members. No lighting equipment. No cameras. There was only genuine darkness. Rin moved slightly closer to Len. Len glanced at her. “Scared?” Rin immediately glared at him. “Who’s scared?” “Then why are you walking so close to me?” “Because I can’t see the road clearly!” “Oh.” “What was that ‘oh’ supposed to mean?” Teto could not help laughing behind them. “It’s pretty obvious.” “Teto!” MEIKO immediately lowered her voice. “Quiet.” Everyone fell silent at once. MEIKO stopped. She tilted her head slightly. From inside the bamboo grove ahead— There seemed to be a very faint sound. Crack. Like a shoe stepping on a dry branch. Gakupo’s hand immediately moved to his sword hilt. Luka raised her head at the same time. Mio whispered, “Someone’s on the right.” みお nodded. “I heard it too.” The next instant— Whoosh! A sharp sound tore through the night. “Get down!” Gakupo shouted. Everyone instinctively ducked. Thud! An arrow slammed into a wooden post behind them. Its feathers were still trembling. Miku’s eyes widened. “An arrow?!” “Ambush!” MEIKO drew her sword. Shing—! The metallic sound of a real blade leaving its sheath rang through the darkness. Moonlight reflected coldly from the steel. The next second— A second arrow was already flying toward them. Whoosh! KAITO stepped in front of Miku. Clang! His blade struck the arrow shaft directly. The arrow was knocked aside and disappeared into the grass. “Spread out!” Miku immediately shouted. The ten of them quickly moved toward both sides of the road. Almost at the same moment— Several lights suddenly appeared inside the bamboo grove. One. Three. Five. More than ten torches lit up one after another. The grove, which had been completely dark, suddenly revealed a group of silhouettes. “They’re coming!” Len shouted. The bamboo shook violently. More than a dozen men rushed out of the darkness. Some carried swords. Some carried spears. Others held wooden clubs. At the rear were even two archers. The orange glow of the torches illuminated their faces. Miku understood immediately. “They’re not the same group that escaped earlier.” Luka drew her sword. “They’re probably the ones who were supposed to meet them.” Gakupo looked down at the footprints. “We found their rendezvous point.” MEIKO stared at the enemy. “Good.” KAITO immediately turned toward her. “What part of this is good?” MEIKO slowly raised her sword. “Saves us from having to look for them tomorrow.” “You really—” Before he could finish— Someone among the enemy suddenly shouted, “It’s them!” Another man raised his torch. “The group that captured our men this afternoon!” Miku’s expression changed. “They know who we are.” Gakupo spoke in a low voice. “Someone escaped and warned them.” The leader drew a long sword. Its edge flashed under the firelight. “Ten people.” “You actually dared follow us all the way out here.” MEIKO stepped forward. “We weren’t following you.” The man sneered. “Then why are you here?” MEIKO raised her blade. “Patrolling.” Just two words. But several people behind her nearly laughed. KAITO muttered, “That answer is very MEIKO.” MEIKO did not look back. “I heard that.” The enemy leader, however, had already lost patience. “None of you are going back tonight!” He swung his sword forward. “Attack!” The next instant— “Kill them!” More than a dozen men charged at once. Their footsteps shook the dirt road. The torches swung violently. Shadows overlapped chaotically in the darkness. Miku drew her sword. Shing—! “Everyone!” She raised her voice. “Fight!” “Right!” Mio answered first. みお was already beside her. Rin and Teto drew their swords at the same time. Len, KAITO, Gakupo, Luka, and MEIKO also rushed forward. The two sides collided instantly. Clang—! The first collision of blades rang through the night. Miku gripped her sword with both hands. She barely managed to stop a strike coming straight toward her. The force immediately sent a numb shock through her arms. “Ugh!” The man pressed his blade down harder. “Just the ten of you?” Miku gritted her teeth. “Don’t underestimate us!” Instead of continuing to resist head-on, she suddenly angled her blade to the side. The enemy’s sword slid down along hers. Clang! The man lost his balance for a moment. Miku immediately stepped forward. She struck his wrist hard with the back of her blade. “Ah!” His sword almost fell. But before Miku could even catch her breath— Another man rushed toward her from the side. “Miku!” KAITO stepped in immediately. Clang! Sparks burst from their colliding blades. KAITO forced the attack aside. “Don’t stop!” Miku immediately nodded. “Got it!” On the other side— MEIKO had already rushed to the very front. The first enemy swung at her. She dodged sideways. A second man followed from the opposite side. Clang! MEIKO blocked the attack directly. Their blades scraped against each other under the torchlight. The harsh metallic sound cut through the night. The man pushed down with all his strength. MEIKO suddenly relaxed her resistance and stepped backward. The enemy lost his balance. “What—?” MEIKO surged forward again. Thud! She kicked him hard in the abdomen. The man stumbled backward. “MEIKO!” KAITO suddenly shouted. She immediately ducked. A spear shot over her head. “Tch!” MEIKO spun around. The spearman attacked again. She dodged left. The spear tip passed just beside her shoulder. KAITO moved in from the other side. Clang! His sword knocked the spear shaft outward. “Didn’t I tell you not to rush so far ahead?!” MEIKO stared forward. “I’m still right beside everyone!” “You’re already five steps ahead of us!” “It’s only five steps!” “That’s not the point!” Another enemy charged. MEIKO immediately shouted, “Fight first, argue later!” KAITO looked helpless. “You actually know we’re arguing?” The two attacked together. Clang! Clang! Elsewhere— Gakupo and Luka had already been surrounded by four enemies. Torchlight flickered constantly around them. Darkness and fire alternated from moment to moment. It was much harder than during the day to judge where each attack was coming from. Luka lowered her voice. “Two on the left.” Gakupo glanced quickly. “I’ll take the right.” “Okay.” They separated almost simultaneously. A sword came down toward Gakupo’s shoulder. He quickly dodged. Clang! He struck the weapon aside. The second man immediately rushed from the darkness. The sword thrust directly toward Gakupo’s chest. “Gakupo!” Luka shouted. Gakupo twisted aside. The blade skimmed across his clothing. Luka was already moving in from the other side. Clang! She forced the attacker’s sword away. “Now!” Gakupo stepped forward. The two attacked from opposite sides. They forced both enemies backward. Luka exhaled. “Fighting at night really is much harder.” Gakupo nodded. “Too many blind spots.” The moment he finished speaking— He suddenly reached out and pulled Luka one step toward him. Whoosh! An arrow flew through the exact spot where she had been standing. Luka spun around. “The archers again!” Inside the bamboo grove— Two archers were using the darkness as cover while drawing their bows again. “This is going to be a problem.” Gakupo said quietly. Meanwhile— Rin and Teto were fighting back-to-back. Clang! Rin blocked a strike. “Teto!” “Coming!” Teto turned immediately. She struck the enemy’s wrist with the back of her blade. The man was forced backward. Another attacker suddenly emerged from the darkness. “Behind you!” Rin spun around. Clang! Their swords collided. Sparks burst right in front of her eyes. “Whoa!” She instinctively stepped backward. Teto immediately filled the gap. “You okay?” “I’m fine!” “Then my turn!” Teto stepped forward. Rin moved back one pace. They switched positions quickly. Len was nearby. “You two, be careful!” Rin looked over. “Watch your own side first!” “I am—” An enemy suddenly swung at him. Len instantly raised his sword. Clang—! “That was close!” Mio shouted, “That’s why you shouldn’t be talking!” Len shouted back, “You were talking just now too!” “That’s different!” “How is it different?!” みお could not help laughing. But in the next second— Her expression changed immediately. “Mio, right side!” Mio spun around. An enemy suddenly rushed from the unlit darkness. His sword thrust straight toward her. Clang! Mio barely managed to block. The impact forced her back two steps. みお immediately moved beside her. “Together!” They pushed at the same time. The enemy’s weapon was knocked aside. The man tried to attack again. A second enemy approached from the side. Mio shouted, “Split!” They jumped in opposite directions. The sword cut through the space between them. Mio turned and swung. Not at the man’s body. Clang! She struck the enemy’s sword instead. みお immediately moved in from the other side. “Behind you!” A third enemy had arrived. The twins were instantly surrounded by three opponents. The battle became more chaotic with every passing moment. Torches were scattered across the road and along the edges of the fields. Some were knocked from people’s hands during the fighting. Their flames illuminated small circles of ground. Everything beyond them remained completely dark. Miku kept scanning her surroundings. Suddenly— Whoosh! “Duck!” she shouted. Len and Rin crouched at once. An arrow passed over their heads. Thud! It buried itself in a tree behind them. Rin’s face went pale. “That was way too close!” Gakupo immediately looked toward the bamboo grove. “We have to deal with those archers!” KAITO blocked another strike while shouting, “Who’s going?” Mio answered immediately, “Me and みお.” MEIKO shouted back, “You can’t get away from those three right now!” Clang! She blocked another strike. “Deal with the people in front of you first!” Miku quickly surveyed the area. If they stayed on this narrow road, the archers in the bamboo grove would keep pressuring them. “Fall back toward the fields!” Everyone looked at her. Miku pointed to the left. “Draw them into the open!” Luka understood immediately. “Once they leave the bamboo grove, the archers lose their cover.” Gakupo nodded. “Everyone move left in formation!” MEIKO immediately shouted, “Don’t turn your backs and run!” “Block as you retreat!” “Got it!” The ten of them began moving carefully toward the fields. The enemy misread their movement exactly as expected. “They’re running!” “After them!” Their leader raised his sword and shouted, “None of them gets back to town tonight!” All of the attackers chased them out. The two archers were forced to leave the bamboo grove as well. When they stepped onto the ridge carrying their torches— Mio spotted them first. “There!” She pointed. “Those two!” みお looked immediately. “About thirty steps.” Teto started running. “Go!” Rin followed at once. “I’m coming too!” Mio and みお broke away from the main battle. The four of them charged toward the archers. Len could not help shouting, “Why are all four of you running off together again?!” MEIKO knocked aside an enemy’s blade. “Let them go!” “We’ll hold here!” The four sprinted along the ridge. Torchlight bounced wildly through the darkness. The archers noticed and immediately drew their bows. “They’re coming!” Whoosh! The first arrow flew. Rin twisted sideways. It brushed past her sleeve. “That was close!” The second arrow flew toward Mio. “Mio!” みお shouted. Mio dropped low. The arrow passed over her head. “Keep going!” They did not stop. Thirty steps. Twenty. Fifteen. The archers tried to draw again. But it was already too late. Teto reached the ridge first. “No time!” Clang! Her sword struck the bow itself. The weapon flew out of the archer’s hand. The second archer immediately turned to run. “Stop!” Rin chased after him. Mio and みお moved around from both sides. The man had barely run a few steps before realizing he was surrounded. He gritted his teeth and drew a short blade. Mio raised her sword. “Still want to fight?” The man looked at the four of them. Then at the darkness in the distance. Finally— Clang. He dropped the short blade into the mud. “…I surrender.” Rin let out a breath. “Finally, someone who actually knows when to drop their weapon.” Teto looked toward the other archer. “What about him?” みお had already subdued the first one. “Done.” Mio immediately turned around. “Back to help the others!” The four ran toward the main battlefield again. The fighting there had become even more intense. MEIKO was facing the enemy leader directly. Clang! Clang! Clang—! Their swords collided repeatedly in the darkness. Sparks scattered every time the blades met. The man was clearly more skilled than the other remnants. Every attack was fast and heavy. “You.” The man gritted his teeth. “You’re the one who chased us this afternoon.” MEIKO blocked another strike. “Yeah.” “You got half our men arrested!” MEIKO shoved his sword away. “You shouldn’t have gone into town stealing.” The man swung again. “Stop pretending you’re some kind of hero!” Clang! MEIKO blocked. Another strike followed immediately. Clang! She stepped back. Then another. Clang! Her arms were starting to go numb. The darkness made it harder to judge his movements accurately. The man saw his chance. “Die!” His sword came crashing down from above. “MEIKO!” KAITO tried to rush over. But another enemy blocked his path. MEIKO did not retreat. She stared at the falling blade. At the final instant— She stepped forward. “What?!” The man had not expected it at all. MEIKO let her blade meet his at an angle. Instead of taking the full force, she guided the attack sideways. Clang—! The enemy’s blade scraped past her shoulder. Her clothing tore. But the sword did not strike her body. MEIKO was already inside his reach. “Too slow.” She slammed the hilt of her sword into his chest. Thud! The man lost his breath. MEIKO kicked his wrist. “Ah!” His long sword flew from his hand. Clang! It fell into the mud. The man lost his balance and dropped to his knees. MEIKO’s sword stopped beside his neck. “Don’t move.” The enemies nearby saw their leader subdued. Their attacks faltered for a moment. Miku immediately seized the opportunity. “Now!” Gakupo knocked an enemy’s weapon aside. Luka followed from the side. KAITO forced back two attackers in front of him. Len and Rin sealed off one flank. Teto, Mio, and みお returned to the battle line. With their leader and archers taken out of the fight, the enemy formation finally began to collapse. “Retreat!” someone shouted. “Move!” Several men turned and fled toward the dark mountain road. MEIKO suddenly looked up. “They’re running!” Mio was already chasing. “After them!” みお followed. Rin and Teto moved at the same time. Miku immediately shouted, “Don’t chase them into the mountains!” “Only stop the ones heading back toward town!” “Got it!” Deep in the night— Torches moved rapidly through the fields. Figures fleeing. Figures pursuing. Footsteps overlapping. And the occasional clash of metal. Every sound carried far through the otherwise silent darkness. The battle did not end simply because the enemy leader had fallen. Instead, it gradually turned into a chaotic late-night pursuit around the outskirts of the town. Miku tightened her grip on her real sword as she watched the remaining enemies scatter into the darkness. By now, she understood one thing clearly. Tonight’s patrol— was going to continue for a long time.