No one had expected the first responders to arrive in the disaster zone to be the horse girls and special airlift unit under Chairwoman Akikawa Yayoi's command.
Dyna had been pushed into a corner as people cleared space for the airlift squad to rappel down.
"Ah, so the special unit under the Chairwoman really does exist. I'd only ever heard rumors before. Supposedly they were deployed once when Oguri Cap retired..." Wada stood beside Dyna, sounding much more at ease now. Since professionals had arrived, they could finally breathe easier.
Dyna watched the first wave of black-clad figures descend on ropes, dressed in nothing but light uniforms despite the early-spring chill. From the three Chinook transport helicopters, a total of sixty people and five rescue dogs were lowered down. One of the helicopters was packed full of supplies; it circled overhead until the advance team cleared a flat enough area to land safely, then it finally touched down.
They had come with orders from the Chairwoman. The people here were probably only a tiny portion of the full unit; the rest had likely already scattered deeper into the disaster zone via rope descent.
All at once, the tension that had gripped Dyna for half a day finally broke. She dropped onto a piece of timber, covered her face with both hands, and rubbed hard, letting all that pent-up emotion spill out.
No one slept well that night.
Dyna lay back-to-back with Kirei Jun. Every time she started to drift off, the sounds of the rescue teams overturning wreckage somewhere in the distance would tear the sleep right back out of her.
"Miss Dyna... still can't sleep?" Kirei Jun's soft voice came from behind her. They lay with their backs touching, speaking so quietly they wouldn't disturb the others. Everyone from the team was in the same tent, after all, though there was no telling whether any of them were truly asleep.
Dyna shifted stiffly and rolled over a little, staring up at the dim blur of the tent roof. "Yeah. I can't sleep. Everything hurts... and I keep worrying about the children in Chiba..."
"Don't worry... the Three Goddesses are watching over everyone. They'll be all right. Please don't push yourself so hard, Miss Dyna. If you wear yourself out before you even reach Chiba, that would be the worst outcome of all."
Dyna probably only managed to absorb part of what Kirei Jun was saying, but it still calmed her enough.
"You know, Miss Dyna, you can rely on your friends too, instead of always giving and giving on your own. Friendship goes both ways. You've done so much for us already—this is our turn to help you. So just rest easy, okay? Me, Trainer, Opera O, Gold Ship, and Ms. Nakayama Festa—we'll absolutely help you get to Chiba."
The gentle murmur of the older horse girl slowly seeped into Dyna's ears, carrying with it an irresistible drowsiness. Fatigue gradually overran her thoughts, and once she could no longer fight it, she finally sank into a deep sleep.
When Kirei Jun heard Dyna's breathing settle into a slow, even rhythm, she carefully turned over and pulled the thin blanket more snugly around her.
"That's why, Miss Dyna... you really are someone who likes to force herself to stay strong."
Wada was already speaking with the captain of the airlift unit. By dawn, another wave of special forces had arrived in the disaster zone. These were specially trained horse girls under the Chairwoman's command—before taking up this line of work, they had all been active racehorse girls themselves.
"Our mission is to clear out enough space here to receive airdropped supplies. At present, we can't spare resources to take you into Chiba." The black-haired horse girl gave Wada a straightforward explanation, while her squad had already begun the first phase of wreckage removal.
Wada had wanted their help reaching Chiba, where the damage was even worse, but from the look of it, that was out of the question.
Helicopters were vital strategic resources. At the moment, they were already running around the clock in two shifts just transporting rescue personnel and emergency supplies. To ferry a group of non-specialists into the disaster's core on top of that would be irresponsible to the actual victims.
"I see. Understood. And thank you for your hard work." With a sigh, Wada returned to the tent, where Opera O handed him a piece of bread with two slices of apple tucked inside.
"Hm? Thanks, Opera O. You've all had breakfast already?"
"More or less. A bottle of water and a piece of bread. Though none of us had much appetite." Nakayama Festa, biting into the dry bread, frowned. "Honestly, compared to what Dyna makes, this stuff's awful... but under the circumstances, having food at all is already a blessing."
Wada glanced around and didn't see the chestnut-colored figure. He guessed Dyna was still asleep, so he let her rest. The group sat in a loose circle, everyone worn down from the day before. The fatigue they had built up would probably take more than a week to fully clear. Even for physically robust horse girls, digging through that much wreckage had been exhausting.
The people in the shelter were much calmer than they had been right after the disaster struck. Most of those who had managed a decent rest threw themselves into the rescue efforts, while the rest either tended the injured or helped pitch more tents.
Knowing Dyna as well as he did, Wada was certain she would find some way to get into Chiba no matter what. If she couldn't see those children for herself, it would become a lasting shadow in her heart. But going there empty-handed wouldn't provide any real help either, so Wada came up with another plan: send some members of their group back to Tokyo to arrange transport and gather supplies.
"Ms. Gold Ship, Ms. Nakayama Festa... since you're both members of the Golden family, would it be possible for you to return to Tokyo, see what strings you can pull, and prepare some supplies for Chiba?"
They were the best candidates Wada could think of. The backing of their family and their name carried far more weight than a free-floating trainer-and-racer duo like him and Opera O ever could.
"Looks like it's us, huh~ Of course, no problem! This sort of thing is exactly what little Gold Ship is best at! Right, Festa sis? We'll handle it perfectly!" Gold Ship had just spotted the slightly disheveled chestnut figure emerging from behind Wada and, brimming with enthusiasm, jabbed Festa in the arm.
Festa was just about to snap at her, but then she noticed Dyna standing behind Wada. Instead, she hooked an arm around Gold Ship's neck and locked her in place. "Naturally! Leave it to us. The Golden family's foundations run deeper than you can imagine!"
"Then it's settled. You two head back to Tokyo and work out an effective plan. The rest of us will stay here and make our way into Chiba directly."
"I agree too..." came Dyna's voice from behind Wada, so hoarse it startled everyone.
What had once been a smooth, clear voice now rasped badly. She coughed a few times, pressed a hand to her throat, and frowned as the pain worsened. Kirei Jun hurriedly passed her half a bottle of water, and after a few swallows her symptoms eased a little—but not completely. Still, Dyna treated it as nothing worth worrying about.
They spent the whole morning sitting together, discussing the plan for the next few days. Light Dyna and Wada's group would remain on the front line and head for Chiba, while the Golden group would return to Tokyo. Eventually, they would all reunite at the school in Chiba. The only question was which team would arrive first.
Still, Dyna was sure of one thing: Teacher Amemiya would recognize either her or Gold Ship.
"Then that's how we'll proceed. Dyna, you need to rest for at least a day or two. Kirei Jun, look after her. Opera O and Oguri Cap can help calm the evacuees and keep order in this shelter. I'll go negotiate with the rescue teams. Even if they can't transport us, maybe they can at least point out a route into Chiba."
Wada's arrangement was perfectly sensible.
Dyna wanted to protest, but when she saw the fierce glares all turning on her at once, she gave in and let herself be pinned in the tent.
On the third day after the disaster, Dyna finally got her chance to board a helicopter bound for Chiba.
Before takeoff, she caught snippets of conversation saying the flight had been specially approved for her by the Chairwoman herself. As for how the Chairwoman had learned about her situation... Dyna guessed Gold Ship must have made it back to Tokyo.
Or perhaps one of the Chairwoman's trusted subordinates had reported it. The process didn't matter. The result did: Dyna was finally going to see the children in Chiba.
Her nervous impatience, combined with the relentless hammering roar of the rotor blades even through the noise-canceling headphones, made her smack both cheeks over and over until they turned bright red and stung. Only then did she stop.
"Everyone! Prepare for rope descent! There isn't enough flat ground to land in the academy. The playground has been damaged to varying degrees by the quake, and I intend to reduce the probability of damaging this helicopter to zero!"
The pilot shouted the order toward the back of the aircraft. At once, one of the special operations horse girls slid open the cabin door, and a violent rush of wind blasted into the helicopter.
Even flying low, the gale was enough to rip the ribbon from Dyna's loosely tied hair, sending it whipping out through the open door and vanishing somewhere below.
That single sentence left several of them frozen.
Rappel down?
Could people like them, with absolutely no training, really do that?
"Don't worry! There'll be someone assisting each of you. Their mission is to support Chiba anyway. Just follow orders, and once you're on the ground, you're free to move!"
A horse girl in a neat, efficient special-ops uniform stepped in front of Dyna and fastened the rappelling harness around her. Before stepping away, she smiled.
"Miss Light Dyna, right? My daughter loves buying sweets from your shop. I used to complain that she was a bit too thin and tender-looking, but not anymore. She's very healthy now."
"Ah... th-thank you..." Dyna hadn't expected to meet the mother of one of those girls here. A mother working a job like this, with so little time to spend with her child, was unquestionably a remarkable person. Judging by the way everyone obeyed her, she seemed to be the team leader.
Wada's situation, on the other hand, was rather peculiar. Opera O had literally locked him to herself, insisting that she had once taught herself rappelling and could absolutely manage taking Wada down with her. But why would a racehorse girl ever need to learn rappelling in the first place?
As the Chinook flew over Nakayama Racecourse, Dyna caught sight of its full state through the open cabin door.
Cracks had split across the track surface in different places. The grandstand structure was veined with fractures too, though thanks to its quake-resistant design, it was still standing overall. But there was no way the course would be hosting races again anytime soon.
So the Satsuki Sho will have to be moved to another racecourse... what a shame.
Dyna was still lost in that thought when the helicopter reached a hover above what had once been the academy playground. Though the area had suffered damage, it was still perfectly safe for rope descent. The person descending with Dyna was the very same team leader—the mother of that one girl.
"Safety check complete. No problems. Miss Light Dyna and I are going down first. The rest of you follow after. Drop the supplies last!"
The supply crates had been specially reinforced against impact, so dropping them from a hover like this posed no issue.
And before Dyna had time to react, the team leader took hold of her and leapt from the aircraft, sliding them both down toward the ground.
The wind roared in Dyna's ears. She squeezed her eyes shut on instinct—but an instant later, her boots touched solid earth.
"We're here. Rappelling isn't really anything to be afraid of. You have things you need to do, don't you? We still have to sort out the supplies here, so I can't accompany you while you search for the students."
She smiled. "But don't worry. They're all safe. They should be at the academy shelter now."
Undoing the buckle and freeing Dyna from the harness, she stepped back. Dyna moved a little to get used to having her body free again.
"Thank you so much!"
Hearing that the children were safe was the greatest reassurance of all.
Once the rest of her group had landed and assembled, they headed off together.
As a human, Wada's speed simply couldn't compare to a horse girl like Dyna's. After only a few minutes, she had already left him far behind. Even weaving through collapsed buildings, her footwork was far nimbler than his. Wada clutched the stitch in his side and barely managed to straighten up.
He watched Dyna and Kirei Jun's figures disappear ahead and let out a helpless sigh, turning to Opera O. "Looks like they've shaken us off. She can move incredibly fast through terrain like this—very nimble footwork."
Opera O promptly punched him in the side where he was already cramping. "She's got a little of my shadow in her. That kind of agile stepwork is coming out of her by instinct. She doesn't even need to train it much."
"Guh—!"
The trainer let out a bizarre cry of pain.
No one cared.
Forced to endure the stitch, Wada could only trail after Opera O in misery. By the time they finally reached the student evacuation shelter near the academy, they heard it before they saw it:
the loud, lively chatter of a huge crowd of children.
At that sound alone, Wada felt completely relieved. At least he no longer had to worry about Dyna pushing herself into emotional collapse.
Inside the simple tent shelter, Dyna cradled a cup of hot water and wore the most relaxed smile she had shown in days.
"Teacher Amemiya... I'm so glad all of you are safe."
"Well, we happened to be rehearsing in front of the building at the time, so none of us were indoors. We were all terrified, of course, but people arrived very quickly and set up these tents for us. At least we have the bare necessities now. Honestly, I was very worried about your safety too, Miss Light Dyna... you were still on the train, and I kept fearing something might have happened."
Teacher Amemiya, with her blue hair, smiled awkwardly. Neither of them was particularly good at dealing with people in ordinary circumstances, so meeting under such rushed and extraordinary conditions gave the moment a strange, special meaning.
As it happened, the delivery driver Dyna had arranged for the cargo had also reached the school grounds at the time and, like the others, managed to escape the worst of it. And with food ingredients and toys already on site, they had not only secured basic living needs, but also something to soothe the children's emotions.
"To be honest," Amemiya said with a soft laugh, "at one point I even wondered if Miss Light Dyna had the power of prophecy—like you somehow helped us survive this disaster."
Dyna froze.
"But then I thought... maybe it was mostly the protection of the Three Goddesses after all. In any case, I truly have to thank both you and the Three Goddesses."
The young teacher's relieved smile seemed to brush away a little of the gloom hanging over the past few days.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 126)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter130)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter89)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter157)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 133
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 125
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 84
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 143
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 115
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 99
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 53
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 75
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 66
Uma Musume: From Beginner 75
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 52
Uma Musume: I Want All 51
I Can Copy Unique Skills 53
A Guide to Aid in the Underwor 26
Summoning an Evil God, but the 27
Supernatural Multiverse 27
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