1. Philance Red Makes an Appearance!!
“Are you okay, young man?”
Before my despairing young eyes, the fluttering cape resembled a crimson flag symbolizing victory in battle, and her carelessly flowing hair was like a blazing fire. Her entire stance was composed of strength and dignity, and her mere presence would inspire respect and awe in most people.
“I’m here, the strongest on Earth, so don’t worry anymore.”
Through the glass, her slightly visible eyes burned with a languid glow, like the sun after a sleepless night. Sensing an ominous unease hidden within her reassuring words, I wondered what I had said.
*
“Did you see the news online yesterday? That was crazy!”
“I did! She’s so cool! Which hero do you like? I’m a Red fan.”
“Really? I prefer Green.”
Inside the train, high school boys chatted about the Sentai heroes. A few years ago, such enthusiastic discussions about such a childish topic would have been met with judgments of immaturity and nerdiness. However, they weren’t talking about a Sunday morning kids’ show or a superhero manga; they were talking about real-life Sentai heroes.
Real-life, but not in the sense that their identities were publicly known. At scenes of unexplained accidents and disasters occurring all over Japan, mysterious heroes with superhuman abilities and unknown identities would rush to the rescue, saving people from danger. Such rumors spread , and the public came to acknowledge and support the existence of the Sentai heroes.
It’s said that the heroes’ activities began about fifteen years ago, but they rarely showed their faces and never revealed their true identities. By the time TV crews arrived at disaster sites, they would already be gone. Even if they managed to capture footage, no conclusive evidence ever made it to broadcast. Due to their elusive nature, many people dismissed them as urban legends or staged events by an event company. Indeed, at that time, there was no clear video footage of the heroes’ exploits, and their activities were known only through the testimonies of survivors who happened to be present at the scenes.
However, as smartphones became more advanced and social media developed, photos and videos taken by survivors at the scenes began to surface online, leading to an explosion in the number of people who believed in the existence of the heroes. Recently, the heroes’ activities had been featured daily on online news, and many people admired and praised their heroic deeds.
“Why Green? Isn’t she a bit plain?”
“No way, she’s got huge boobs! She’s totally a beauty, Philance Green!”
When people think of Sentai heroes, they usually imagine men, but the actual heroes are predominantly female. Since no one knows their true identities for sure, there’s no way to confirm this, but according to eyewitnesses, the bodies visible beneath their hero suits are unmistakably female. While there have been some male-looking heroes sighted in the past, all the currently active heroes are said to be female based on eyewitness accounts from the past few years. The reasons why only women, who are generally weaker in terms of physical strength, are heroes, and why they’re called Sentai heroes instead of magical girls if they’re mostly female, are topics of speculation online, but only the heroes themselves know the truth.
Incidentally, they are often referred to online as Philance Red and the like. I don’t know who started it, but it’s said to mean something like universal love or compassion. With their self-sacrificing spirit to save anyone, they truly embody the spirit of universal love. In any case, there’s no doubt that they save many people and are objects of admiration for the public. The number one career aspiration for elementary school children is, of course, to become a Sentai hero.
As for me, Asagi Sora, despite being a grown-up college student, I have a strong admiration for the Sentai heroes.
“…Philance Red.”
I opened the news app and a photo of a crimson cape billowing high in the sky was prominently displayed. This cape was the trademark of Philance Red, and many children imitated it in the streets. Last night, she reportedly stopped a train derailment. She was one of the most active and popular Sentai heroes. And my favorite.
When I was still in elementary school, she saved me once. It wasn’t a major accident that made the news, just a case of me getting lost during a school hiking rally, but Red came to my aid. For her, it might have been just a detour on her way back from a bigger accident nearby, but my young and innocent heart was completely captivated by the absolute justice of a hero. I wouldn’t utter such nonsense as wanting to become a Sentai hero, but I had cherished the wish to see her face again for ten years.
Unfortunately or fortunately, my life has been free of major disasters so far, so I’ve never had the chance to encounter Red or any other heroes. Besides, rumor has it that the Sentai heroes change their “actors” from time to time. This is almost a certainty, given the differences in physique and hair color seen in eyewitness accounts and photos taken at different times. In other words, the Philance Red who saved me ten years ago is probably not the same Red who is active today. Even superheroes for kids on Sunday morning TV get replaced, so it’s only natural for real-life heroes to retire.
“Next stop… Chikabano Station, Chikabano Station.”
As I pondered these inconsequential matters, I arrived at my destination. The high school boys I had seen earlier were nowhere to be found.
I got off the train with my backpack and felt a strange dissonance on a platform that should have been familiar. It was eerily deserted, yet there was a cacophony of noise as if I were in the middle of a bustling city.
“What the? Is something wrong with the speakers?”
Though slightly suspicious, I paid it no mind and headed for the east exit, where my favorite large bookstore was located.
“…This is strange.”
There wasn’t a single person around. I had chosen a time when there would be fewer people, but the area around the station was fairly lively, and there should have been a few people around even at this hour. It was also strange that there were no station staff on the platform.
A sudden unease washed over me, and I took out my smartphone. I hoped it was just unreasonable, but I had a bad feeling that I was being drawn into something unpleasant. I should at least prepare to call the police.
“Huh? Isn’t this station supposed to be out of range?”
It’s not unusual to lose signal while riding the subway, but I thought I could get reception once I got off the platform. Maybe it was just my imagination. Since I couldn’t get a signal, I headed for the ticket gate at a brisk pace… but despite walking for what felt like a long time, the scenery didn’t change.
“I think I’ve seen that poster before.”
Well, it’s possible to have multiple copies of the same poster at the same station. It must be my mistake, I’m sure. As I tried to convince myself of this, I heard a voice.
“Why won’t you testify?”
“Huh?”
I turned around and saw a pitch-black figure standing on the tracks. Not a figure, but a shadow in the shape of a person.
“Wh-what is that!?”
“Why won’t you testify?”
The voice came from the shadow on the tracks.
“Testimony? What are you talking about?”
As I replied,
“You’re going to pretend you don’t know, too! How awful! You murderer!”
A hysterical scream that echoed in my head rang out, and then the shadow proliferated beyond the platform, the tracks, everywhere.
“Give your testimony.”
“He’s the one who killed her.”
“You must have seen it.”
“I didn’t kill myself.”
“Murderer.”
“You’re a criminal, too, for leaving me to die.”
The shadows began to walk unsteadily, slowly approaching me. Grudges spilled out from each figure, and the pitch-black humanoid shadows seemed to glare at me with their invisible faces.
“W-Wait, I think you’ve got the wrong person! I had nothing to do with it!”
“Nothing to do with it, huh?”
“Liar.”
“Filthy liar.”
“That’s what everyone said.”
“I don’t want any trouble, so I’m not going to testify.”
“That’s right.”
“Murderer.”
The shadows began to swarm up the platform.
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“…!”
I tried to escape, but the platform stretched out before me in every direction. Where was the ticket gate? Where was the exit? What was happening? I had to do something, I had to…
My mind couldn’t keep up with the sudden abnormality. Like in a game where I didn’t know the controls, I fumbled around, barely able to move my limbs. Before I knew it, the shadows’ upper bodies had already crawled onto this platform.
I had to run, I thought.
—Z-Bat—
A red flash sliced across the platform in a straight line. At the same time, the bodies of the figures wriggling to get their bodies onto the platform were severed by the flash.
“Test, imony? What, t are you ta, lking abou, t?”
“Liar!!!”
The words of the severed shadows turned into noise and melted away. And then another blow.
—Z-Bat—
This time, a huge red light pierced diagonally from this platform to the other. The shadows that had been swarming around, spewing curses, disappeared one after another.
“I’m… saved…?”
I had no idea what was going on. But something invisible and incredibly fast was taking down the eerie shadows one after another.
“Test, imony! Test, imony! Test, imony!!!”
When the last one disappeared, the invisible something revealed itself.
“Are you alright, young man?”
That crimson cape was unmistakable, the one I had seen in my dreams so many times.
“Philance…Red…”
Wearing a hero suit with a large heart emblazoned on its bright red chest and a flowing cape, he tossed back his long, voluminous, vibrant red and orange hair, which was styled in a casual yet striking way. He had a model-like, slender, tall figure, and his large breasts were visible through his suit. And his crimson eyes sparkled behind his glasses. His rigid posture was the very embodiment of justice and compassion. He was none other than Philance Red, said to be the strongest of the Sentai heroes.
And his voice was exactly like the voice of the Red I had heard as a child.
“Thank you! You see, ten years ago, I think you helped me too. Red-san might not remember, but… I’ve always wanted to thank you. For this time and for ten years ago, thank you so much!”
He bowed deeply, with all his might. It felt like a dream. It was a nightmare just a moment ago, but now it felt like a dream because he was too happy. He never thought he would meet Philance Red again!
“……..”
Perhaps because he had been speaking one-sidedly, Philance Red did not respond.
“Um…”
Thinking that he might have angry her, he looked up. To his surprise, Philance Red had removed the mask that covered her face.
“Huh?”
He saw her red eyes directly, and with her mask off, he could see her slightly pointed teeth as she smiled broadly.
“I see you remembered me too. I’m so glad I finally met you!”
The girl dressed as Red suddenly hugged him.
“Whaaat!?”
Despite the rubbery suit, he could feel her large breasts pressed against him. She was a little taller than him, which made it feel even more dangerous. Besides, wasn’t she not supposed to take off her mask? He didn’t understand why she was suddenly hugging him. His head was spinning.
“Ww-what’s wrong!? Red-san?”
He was tightly wrapped in her arms as if he had just reunited with a long-lost sibling. As expected of a hero, her strength was incredible.
“Um, Red-san. It’s hard to breathe.”
She gasped at his words and let go.
“Sorry! Are you okay? Are you hurt? Do you have any pain?”
“Ah, yes. I’m fine, but…”
“That’s a relief. It would be terrible if you were hurt.”
She heaved a sigh of relief.
“By the way, what’s your name? I’ve always wanted to know about you.”
“Me? My name is Asagi Sora.”
“Sora. It’s a nice name.”
“Thank you…?”
She looked at him with sparkling eyes. Philance Red without her mask was, in a word, beautiful. She looked to be around twenty years old, the same as him. Her fiery hair and her crimson eyes, like heated glass, were impressive. It was hard to believe that such a beautiful girl was the Red of the Sentai heroes who were famous throughout Japan. However, considering the hero suit she was wearing, the mask she was holding, and the unreal phenomena that had just occurred, he had no choice but to believe it.
“Um, you’re Philance Red, right?”
“Don’t be so formal. Just call me Akane. My real name is Suoh Akane.”
“Huh, is it okay to tell me your real name!?”
“Of course it’s okay for Sora. By the way, are you free later?”
“Huh? Well, yes.”
He had planned to go to a large bookstore to buy a new book that was only available there, but an invitation from a hero took precedence, no matter how he thought about it.
“Then come with me.”
“Huh, where…”
Without waiting for his reply, she spread her right hand wide. Then, out of nowhere, a giant battle-axe as tall as her, Akane-san, appeared.
“Whaaat!?”
“Heave-ho!!”
She swung the battle-axe, which had a red jewel in the center, with ease.
――――Za――――
It was as if a crack had been made in the world. He closed his eyes for a moment because of the impact, and when he opened them again, the strange feeling that had been lingering around had disappeared.
“Ah, the ticket gate!”
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Just now, the platform that seemed to stretch endlessly was suddenly before the east exit ticket gate. What were that dark figure and that space just now? It was like a space cut off from the world I usually live in.
“I don’t want to be seen much, let’s go.”
As she said that, she lightly picked me up. It was the so-called princess carry.
“Eh, that. What…”
“Tch, you’re in the way.”
――――Crash――――
She broke through the ticket gate with monstrous leg strength. Hey, property damage.
Blood flowed profusely from her knee where she had kicked and destroyed the ticket gate, but it immediately disappeared without a trace. It seems that the Sentai hero has self-healing abilities.
When we got outside the station, she jumped up high before anyone could notice us and headed somewhere while carrying me, leaping from rooftop to rooftop like a ninja. Her figure was like something out of a movie, but I was too scared to do anything but clinging to Akane-san.