[ES!! Era Year 2] TEN-CODE
- Ten Four (Roger)
- Rescue Patrol
- Motivated Police Chief
- Ten Eight (In Service)
- Guiding Patrol
- Futuristic Feature
- Ten Seven (Out of Service)
- Reporting Patrol
- Breaking Away From A Pursuit
- Ten Six (Busy)
- Governing Patrol
- Riding Police Officer
Chapter Index
Ch 1 - Ch 2 - Ch 3 - Ch 4 - Ch 5 - Ch 6 - Translation Notes
Dispatch! VR Police Chief For A Day 1
Season: ES 2nd Year, Summer (August)
2nd year since ES’s establishment, in August. In Star House’s hallway…
…Sigh. I’m sadly back at Mega Sphere.
We’re free to travel between here and the ground now, and things are a lot more tolerable than before… And well, based on the facilities alone, it is pretty nice here.
But I still can’t shake off how it felt being locked up here like we’re under house arrest, so I feel a little reluctant…1
Anyway, I’m sooo happy I could bring over all my favorite little ones from home. All for my emotional support…♪
The cushions they provided us aren’t bad, but the design is so inanimate that it doesn’t really help me relax in the end.
I just have to have my bed fully surrounded by plushies. Fufu, just the thought of it soothes me…♪
…But will this amount of plushies do? I feel like I didn’t bring enough.
Mmh~… Maybe I should’ve brought more after all…
But, like… I know everyone said they were bringing their belongings up here, but I’d definitely stick out like a sore thumb if I carried several cardboard boxes with me…
I doubt anyone would tell me off for it, but it’s still embarrassing…
…Yeah. I’ll make do with this much for now.
I can just add more to the pile bit by bit while checking how much others are bringing.
I’m back…2
—Police! Open up!
(…—!?)
(That startled me… Ah, so that was Morisawa-senpai yelling.)
(That guy’s striking a pose in front of the mirror… What’s he doing that for?)
(Playing cops and robbers? No, seriously, what’s he doing in his grown age?)
(…Well, whatever. That guy’s strange acts are nothing new, and I just lose if I get myself involved.)
(Fortunately, it doesn’t seem like he’s noticed me, so I’ll just put down my box here and get away fast…)
Hands up! I’ll have you interrogated at the station!
……No, that’s far too oppressive. It’d make even the honest civilians shrink back. I think I’m getting influenced by that “close look into police officers” show I watched yesterday.
And wow, were the police officers in that show really cool…!
Their determination to track down crooks…! Their flawless coordination with their teammates! Their gallant figures as they zip through the night on a white motorbike!3
That’s exactly a hero of justice of our modern day! My soul was burning just watching them~♪
I have to become that being who carries on such determination while still being amicable with the citizens… Mm~ This is a tricky task…!
Uh, there’s no way you can. Apologize to the people who actually have that as a job…
Mm?
Ah, crap—…
Sorry for intruding~…
Sound of running footsteps
Woah, Takamine!? Why are you running away!?
Wait! I can explain—
Watch it, Takamine! Weren’t you taught not to run in hallways!?
Shut up, you’re running too!
It’s because you keep chasing after me! Quit coming for me…!
I refuse! I can’t just leave you on your own before you’ve gotten to know the truth!
That being said, your running is incredible! You’ve truly grown, Takamine!
You won’t make me happy with that compliment at a time like this! Please just give up and go back to the room!
Not happening! I just swore to myself that I won’t give up!
But I’ll make no progress at this rate. In the worst case, we may crash into someone.
In that police show, they’d call for back up through the radio, but I don’t have the means to do that…
Ah, I’ve got it! I’ll use the plush toy I brought over just today—
Takamine-kun, calm down now, okay? I won’t do anything bad to you, so be good and surrender yourself~? (High-pitched voice)
Don’t say “surrender”! I’m not some wanted criminal or culprit!
…Wait, what’s that plushie?
Alright, he stopped in his tracks. I just knew you’d latch onto this!
When I stopped by my home, my mom gave me this plush toy. It was apparently a lucky find at a flea market.
She said, “Don’t you think Takamine-kun would like this?” ☆
Why are your parents aware that I love yuruchara… It’s way too scary…
That’s definitely an invasion of privacy…!
Invasion? Don’t say something so alarming. This is public information.
Plus, you’re a precious comrade of mine, so of course I’d talk about you, y’know?
Even then, usually someone would talk about the work or unit activities they’ve been doing. Why’re even my hobbies becoming common knowledge…8
Uu, I’m so embarrassed, I wanna die…
Hmm? I’d be completely fine with you talking about me to your family however much you like, though.
I’m never telling them anything. …Sigh, whatever.
I’ll let go of the small things. It’s not like there’s much point to telling you anything, anyway.
Fuhaha, that’s what I like to hear!
C’mooon now, the plush toy awaits you. Come, come, over here~♪
Quit trying to slide up to me! That big grin on your face is so irritating…!
First off, why are you even using a yuruchara as a tool to negotiate in your weird police game?
That’s a cowardly move! An ally of justice would never do that!
Ghh, he got me where it hurts!
It’s true that taking advantage of your weakness goes against what’s right, but! But… in order to stop you, this is the only—…
Dammit! What even is justice…!?
(Alright, now that he’s wallowing in his thoughts…!)
You just stay there while you reflect on yourself, Morisawa-senpai!
Sound of running footsteps
Ah, hey! You’re running away again!?
I told you to wait, Takamine!
Beep, beep! Mido-chan, that’s out of line~ You mustn’t run in the hallway!
—Ugyah!?
Dispatch! VR Police Chief For A Day 2
Aaalright, target secured! ☆
Restraining him by jumping at him… That’s Harukawa for you! You truly have incredible physical ability!
Sora was only trying to stop Mido-chan, that’s all~ Shisho~ always tells Sora to never run in the hallway, after all.
“Secured”… Blazing Oni~san, are you rehearsing for the “VR Police Chief for a Day” by any chance?
Rehearsing? What’s this about “VR Police Chief for a Day”…?
Hmhm, what’s this? It’s preeetty lively here. Are you having a sumo match in the hallways or something?
Ooh! That’s an outstanding arrest by a police officer. Aaall that’s left to complete the job are some handcuffs! ☆
Ehh? Please stop. I haven’t even done anything wrong…
Why’re you all so into this…? Is playing cops and robbers trending or something…?
No, there’s a reason for this — If you hadn’t tried running away, I would’ve been able to explain it to you.
W-Well, that’s…
I mean, I got busted for silently watching you do strange acts, y’know? Isn’t that so awkward?
The way you looked while imitating a police officer in front of the mirror was also just scary…
And I bet the reason isn’t worth it, anyway. I’m done with getting caught up in troublesome situations.
Come on, no need to say that. This isn’t completely unrelated to you anyway, Takamine.
You see, we got a request from a local police station. And now, we’ll be conducting a course on cycling etiquette and patrolling the area in a virtual reality — In other words, VR.
…In VR?
Isn’t that usually done in an assembly hall or something? Why go through the effort of having it virtually…
Thaaat confused me at first, too.
And from what I’ve heard, it’s ‘cause “not many people attend lectures about bicycles in person”.
You have to go to the assembly hall at a certain time, and the lecture tends to be overly formal, sooo it makes sense that people usually avoid it.
That’s where Sora and everyone come into play~ As “VR Police Chiefs for a Day”, we can have fun learning cycling etiquette in the VR world with everyone!
If it’s conducted in the online world, then people can join from any part of the country! There’s also no limit to the participants, so it’s pretty efficient~♪
Also, this makes it easier to simulate situations such as, “what happens if you gets into an accident”. Everyone will be able to watch the good and bad examples first-hand, so it’s super understandable~♪
It’s just like practicing magic! Instead of sitting down for a lecture, it’s a lot easier to master it if you do it yourself~
It’s also because these past few years, there’s been a steady rise in bicycle accidents among all traffic accidents.
It makes sense why, too. Most people learn how to ride one on their own, and for rules, you learn the basics in school at most.
There’s no written test for it, like the one for automobiles. Mooost people learn what to do while on the go.
But if you’re riding on a road, it’s naturally your duty to be fully familiar with the rules while on your bicycle.
And naturally, if accidents keep increasing, then the rules will be reviewed and enforcement tightened.
However! It’s far too unreasonable that someone can end up becoming a violator without even realizing it, all because they never had the chance to learn properly…!
That’s exactly why they asked for our help, as a way to make these rules more well-known.
Our efforts will directly link back to the safety of our people, and that means our society as a whole. It’s exactly the job of a hero! ☆
…I see. I get the part about the etiquette course now, but—
What’s this about a patrol? Does that have to do with bicycles, too?
No, this is a separate thing; it’s an online patrol!
Being able to let out any honest feelings you normally can’t say, and becoming your ideal self through your favorite avatar are some of the nice things about the internet…
But the more anonymity you can have, the more likely it is that there’s someone who gets a little too bold and starts throwing around unkind words~
Sora feels like that’s such a shame~
Those who use prickly words look scary to others, so nobody will be inclined to get near them.
They become all alone in a dream-like world that’s meant to be boundless… Even though there’s always the possibility they could become friends with people all across the world… It’s so sad and lonely~
That’s why Sora hopes our patrol can be the magic that turns everyone kind~!
Of course, our actions alone won’t be enough to change everything. …It’s just a drop in the bucket in the end.
But there’s meaning in at least having others be aware that their actions are being watched by someone. It’s basically using a deterrent force.
If there are people patrolling the location, they will surely give up trying~ That way, at least that area can be a clean place!
With Sora and everyone around, we avoid having anyone hurt themselves! It’s like the police officers who watch over the town, so cool~♪
I see… I get it now.
It sounds tough, but good luck out there, everyone.
Uh-oh, I’m not letting you get away, Takamine! For ignoring this officer’s warning and violating the rules by running down the hallway—
You’re going to be a “VR Police Chief for a Day” along with us!
Ugh, “this officer”, he says.9 It’s so cringey how he’s acting and talking exactly like a police officer. I’m getting secondhand embarrassment…
No way I can do that. I don’t know enough about cycling etiquette to act as a role model. I can’t be of help at all.
If you don’t know, then Sora thinks this is the time to learn!
Red lights aren’t scary to cross if everyone is together, but that’s only when it comes to walking~ When it’s everyone on bicycles, each person will just receive their very own ticket!10
It’s such a pain though, so I’ve procrastinated on it…
Fuhahaha! Then we basically have our answer!
Now then, Takamine! Join this officer here to help cultivate a safe and peaceful town together…☆
Dispatch! VR Police Chief For A Day 3
The next day. Inside the virtual world, in the tutorial area…
HaHa~♪ All connected now!
And Sora’s avatar is fully updated! Sora can move as he likes~♪
Sora hasn’t been using this avatar lately, so it actually feels novel to him! As for everyone…
Heeey, Sora-saaaaan! (waves)
Ah! Giant-san and Mido-chan! Sora’s over here~☆
Whew… I’m finally connected.
It took way longer than I expected, so I was starting to panic that I might get here late.
Hahaha, Midori-san, you’re suuuch a worrywart, aren’t you? There’s still an hour before the etiquette course starts, y’know!
Of course I’d get worried. I haven’t used VR for a good while, really.
I think the last time was in winter last year…? I plucked out weeds and subjugated others alongside yuruchara.13
It was a lot of fun, but… I vaguely remember feeling empty inside after it was over.
Empty? Did something sad happen?
No, the events in the VR were plenty satisfying.
But VR is just a fantasy in the end, so… I was sad I couldn’t take the little ones over in that world and bring them back with me to the real world.
HiHi~♪ That’s just like you, Mido-chan~
Sora really understands that feeling. Sora thinks it’d be a lot of fun if he could meet his online friends and hang out with them in the real world too~
Eating snacks together, playing about in secret spots…♪ Just imagining it excites Sora!
But… Even if people aren’t able to come into contact with each other in the real world, the online world still has its own charms~
Just by moving your avatar around, you can travel to many different places. You can see the same things together, and hear the same sounds—
Smell isn’t possible just yet, but… Sora is sure that someday in the future, we’ll be able to share that, too!
Within this vast universe, people can become friends for life with someone they may not even know the name of. This is a place where something as miraculous as that can actually happen!
That’s why Sora loves the internet~☆
Fufu. You chat online a lot even in games, don’t you, Harukawa-kun?14
I’ve always thought it was amazing that you could do that. I’m personally bad at chatting, so I turn off the online feature immediately…
…Huh? By the way, where’s our Morisawa-senpai?
I was juuust wondering about that myself. Is he having trouble logging in?
…No, he’s logged in. His status says “online”~
Maybe he doesn’t know which room is for the tutorial and got lost? Sora will pull him over to this area!
Opening up the command screen and — beep-boop-beep-boop…☆
…Ha!? Where am I…!?
Ahh, you’re all here! Whew, I’m saved…!
The loading screen just wouldn’t end, so I tried pressing several buttons over and over again, only to find myself thrown into an unknown town.
Words from a foreign language I’ve never heard of were flying about everywhere, and I almost felt myself cry!
…Mm? Is it just me, or did you all grow taller? What on earth happened while I was gone…?
Hahaha. Naaah, it’s just that your coordinates are sooo down low, you’re practically buried into the ground, Chiaki-san.
You’re only looking up at us ‘cause your face is near our ankles.
Ohh, that’s what it was! I’ll have to adjust my position. Ermm…
Woah!? Now everyone’s become tiny specks of grain!?
You just turned humongous, that’s all. Since when were you this bad with technology…?
Mmh~ I thought I wasn’t, but… It’s my first time working with this device, so…
I’m used to VR for performances and MV filming, but I didn’t think the controls would be so different for this sort of thing…
Was I the only one having trouble getting here? I’m so sorry, everyone!
It’s nooothing to be so down about, Chiaki-san. The latest technology tends to be the hardest to grasp.
HuHu~♪ If you manage to master it, you’ll even be able to transform all you like~ Please do your best, Blazing Oni~san!
Transform…!? What’s that about!? It sounds like an exciting feature made for a man’s dreams…!
As a hero, I have to master this no matter what it takes! —Alright, I’m going to give it another shot! ☆
One hour later…
“Hello everyone! Thank you for joining our cycling etiquette course!”
“In here, we’re going to have a fun time learning about safety together!”
“Mikejima-san and I will be the speakers! The demonstrators will be Harukawa and Takamine! Everyone, your applause, please~☆”
“Applause…? We’re not here to do a hero show, y’know…”15
“Hahaha, Midori-san’s preeetty shy, huh?”
“But it’s actually a fitting phrase for this, y’know? Instead of going ooon and ooon with an explanation, presenting it through a show is more likely to stay in people’s minds.”
“Yes! Sora and Mido-chan will demonstrate the ‘bad examples’! Please pay close attention to what is dangerous to do on the road~♪”
“Right, it’s time we start the course. Do aaany of you know how many practices count as a bicycle rule violation?”
“It may surprise you to hear that there’s over a hundred and ten ways to violate the rules! Isn’t thaaat earth-shattering! That’s a whole lot more than all the types of worldly desires out there!”
“The amount alone could make you faint, but don’t have your guard up just yet. You can think of a few already by now, riiight? Like ‘two people riding a bike together’, ‘riding in the opposite direction’, or ‘ignoring traffic lights’.”
“If we sit here and go through each rule, you’ll come to find that they all make sense. But if we tried introducing all of them right now, it’d take aaall day.”
“So instead, we’ll pick a few from the pile and introduce the ones that you miiight accidentally end up doing.”
“Let’s start with ‘cycling with one hand’! Everyone knows that riding a bike while holding an umbrella is dangerous, but it doesn’t end there!”
“Steering the handlebar with only one hand constitutes a violation as a whole. That means holding a phone in one hand or carrying big luggage are also prohibited.”
“Alright, Sora and Mido-chan will give a demonstration~ See this for an example—”
“Holding a dog’s leash is dangerous~ Riding your bicycle while holding a life-sized Shisho~ doll is also a no-no, of course!”
“Drinks also take up one hand, so let’s drink them only after we get off the bicycle! Gulp, gulp…♪”
“…He’s walking the dog, carrying a doll and drinking something. It’s like a whole party of bad examples. Wow, he’s dexterous…”
“Wait, this isn’t the time to be impressed. If this was real life, there’s no way he’d be able to ride his bicycle like that.”
“This is dangerous for anyone to do, so don’t copy him, okay…?”
“Anyway, the point is: Anything that makes it impossible to instantly control your bicycle is not allowed, right?”
“And it looks like even having your shopping bag hanging from the handlebar like this isn’t good either, since it could get in the way of your steering.”
“I feel like that’s something I may accidentally do without realizing, which scares me… I’ll have to be careful, too.”
Dispatch! VR Police Chief For A Day 4
Ahh~ I’m exhausted…
Are you feeling sick from the VR, Mido-chan?
No, I just feel tired after listening to the course in detail. I feel like I’m too scared to ride a bicycle now…
Why’s that? The course was all about riding safely, so wouldn’t that be missing the point?
O-ho. Lemme guess; all the big rules overwhelmed you?
Yeah… I was aware that you’re not supposed to talk on the phone while steering with one hand, but—
I didn’t know that you’re not allowed to use your phone even if it’s fixed onto the metal, too. It hurts to know that I can’t move an inch when checking the maps app during a delivery.
…? If you want to use your phone, you can just leave it for when you’re waiting for the traffic light, right?
Yeah, but if it turns green while you’re on your phone, wouldn’t you want to start pedaling instead?
As for traffic lights, even if you’re on the roadway, you still have to abide by the traffic light for pedestrians and bicycles…
It’s such an overly specific rule. If you’re on the roadway, you’re going to end up paying attention to the car’s traffic lights by reflex, y’know?
I can easily imagine myself getting stopped by traffic police, and it’s so depressing… Even though the nice thing about bicycles is that they’re easy to ride… Uuu…
HaHa~♪ Bicycles are overpowered vehicles; you can use them on both footpaths and roadways! Convenient magic has to have something equivalent to compensate for its benefits~♪
It’s tough to cram in all that information in one go, just like when studying for tests~ So how does memorizing the rules while relating it to something you like sound?
Ehh? Figuring out a way to relate the Road Traffic Act to yuruchara would be a huge challenge though, wouldn’t it?
…The course’s details almost made my head burst, but… I’m glad our guests were all in their avatars.
It was like we were teaching a group of yurucharas, so it was a lot easier on me compared to being watched by a huge crowd of people.
I see now. So that’s why you had such a relaxed look on your face, Takamine.
You didn’t have to mention how my face looked, but… yeah, basically.
Avatars are so nice~ If only every human being except me could turn into an avatar in the real world, too…♪
That sounds like a horrifying scene to me, though.
But either way, I’m more than happy to know you grappled through it with such a positive outlook! ☆
Now if I could just use VR as freely as the rest of you… Controlling my own body still takes all my power to do.
Even when I tried riding a bicycle, I somehow ended up getting ridden by the bicycle instead…
Oh yeah, Chiaki-san, you were secretly practicing while the other two were doing their demonstration, weeeren’t you?
Watching the bicycle spin around on top of your head was quiiite the sight to behold! ☆
Right. That should be enough for a break, so let’s go meet up with everyone who came today.
Yes! Being able to communicate with everyone freely is another great part about VR~
Let’s use the camera feature to take commemorative photos, have an autograph session… and enjoy this exchange event together!
Autograph…? I know there’s a camera feature, but you can even sign autographs?
Of course! It’s super simple to do~ You just open the command screen and choose the “pen” icon!
Then you’ll be able to write or draw wherever you like~ You can even do it in the air, like this! Scribbly scribbly~…♪
Ooh! That’s ground-breaking information! I’ll try it right now!
Open my command screen, and… This one, right!?
Hahaha, Chiaki-san, thaaat’s the “fireworks” icon, not the “pen” one.
Ack! I accidentally pressed the icon next to it!
UOOOOH—!! The fireworks won’t stop!! What am I supposed to do!?
You can’t cancel that command~ It won’t stop until it’s over!
Eugh, he’s setting off a huge fireworks display all by himself. It’s so embarrassing for a grown adult his age…
I’m going to keep myself at a distance so nobody thinks we’re from the same group…
…Ah, hello. You’d like to take a commemorative photo? That’s alright with me.
Okay, say cheese…☆
(…Fufu, it’s like I’m interacting with yuruchara. Everyone looks so cuuute~♪)
(But their avatars are just skins in the end; what’s inside is an actual real person.)
(Our fans might be here too, so I can’t show any odd sides of myself.)
(Well, now that’s all said and done… I was honestly doubtful if there’d be any point to a bicycle course in VR, but—)
(Since this many people came for the course, it might have been effective in a way… I think?)
(They didn’t really move their own bodies, though, so… I can only hope they don’t accidentally assume they already understand everything, and then end up violating a rule…… Mm?)
Eh—? I-Isn’t that… “Keiji-kun”!?16
No way, why’s he here…!?
Heeey~ Mido-chan, what’s wrong?
Harukawa-kun…! Look, it’s the local police station’s mascot character, Keiji-kun!17
I knew about him, but this is the first time I get to see him in person…! No, well, I know this is virtual and all, I know that, but—!
Did you come here to see how we’ve been doing? Thank you, Keiji-kun…♪
…Hm? This “Keiji-kun” keeps talking in only numbers; is that the character’s setting?
Don’t you dare call it a “setting”. Keiji-kun is a cool character that communicates only through numbers.
O-ho. What a geeky one we have heeere; it’s speaking in “Ten-code”.
“Ten-code”? What’s that?
It’s jargon used by overseas police officers and firefighters through the radio, meant for simplifying communication. For example…
“10-4” means “roger”, and “10-18” means “urgent” — Thaaat sorta thing.18
Ah! Sora’s heard it before in a game’s radio cutscene~ Giant-san knows so much!
One of Mikejima-san’s parents has ties with the police, after all.19 That’s likely why he’s so knowledgeable in that field of expertise.
“Ten-code”, huh… Mikejima-san, if you don’t mind, could you teach us more in detail?
We’re going to split into two groups to patrol the area after this, right? I feel like if we can effectively use this communication method in our patrol, we’ll be even more like actual police officers.
HiHi~♪ Sora would also like to learn it, as part of the “VR Police Chief for a Day”!
Mmh~ It may be “more like police officers”, but that’s only for the police overseas… I feel like we’d get things done faster if we just spoke normally instead of forcing ourselves to use something we just learned…
Mido-chan, if you memorize the “Ten-code”, you’ll be able to know what Keiji-kun is saying, you know~?
Right, I’m getting that lesson.
We’re in your care, Mikejima-senpai…♪
“10-4 (Roger)”! Aaalrighty then, let’s have a course on it after this exchange event…☆
Dispatch! VR Police Chief For A Day 5
—Woahhh!?
From a savanna to a snowy mountain… The terrains are so wildly different, it feels like I’m touring through undiscovered lands across the world all in a single day.
It’s also snowing, so it feels all the more realistic… I know this is VR, but I feel like I’m about to get shivers all over my body.
HaHa~♪ Blazing Oni~san, you said, “it’s so hot that I feel like eating ice-cream now” back in the volcano, didn’t you~?
You can’t underestimate VR just because it’s virtual~ Not all the information coming into your field of vision is “visible”, after all.
You’ll be paralyzed in place if you go to a high area, and looking at a snowy scenery will make you feel cold!
Sora’s the same when he’s in the world of rollercoasters; he feels like “swoosh”! Our five senses can surprisingly be easily tricked~♪
True. I don’t feel like my life’s at risk like I’d felt at the volcano, so I’m not as anxious here, at least…
No, snowy mountains can be dangerous too, you know~? It’s bad news if you get stranded, and you’ll die if you sleep here!
But if we get lost, we can just go back to the “real world” with a click of a button. Since this is VR~♪
Mm, yeah. It’s quite convenient in that sense, isn’t it? You can safely travel to various places in an instant.
But then again, I’m barely able to master it… so if it weren’t for your help, Harukawa, I wouldn’t have been able to get anywhere in the first place!
…Oh! Look over there, there’s some avatars here too.
They seem to be chatting inside the snow hut. How heartwarming…♪
It looks warm in there~♪ Would you also like to enter the snow hut, Blazing Oni~san?
We can make a snow hut in an instant by copy pasting its data~
No, let’s keep the snow hut construction for another time. We’re still in the middle of our patrol right now.
Ah, you’re right! Sora was having so much fun walking around with Blazing Oni~san that he almost forgot~
Haha, that just shows how truly peaceful this world is.
…I served as a “Police Chief for a Day” back when I was in Yumenosaki, too.20 There was a huge parade held as well, so it was a pretty grandiose event.
That’s why I thought we’d have something similar here too, but… So far, it’s felt more like we’re sightseeing, so it’s honestly a little anti-climactic.
But I still think this is the right call as part of our duty. In here, I’m just a newcomer who doesn’t know his left from right.
If I started strutting around here in a flashy manner, I’d end up making it uncomfortable for everyone in the area.
This has also been a great chance for me to learn about the innards of VR, so… Mm, yeah, this should be fine as is.
—Ooh! Now we’re in a place that looks like Japan. I can see the sea!
If we zipped through this long downhill road on a bicycle together, we’d get to enjoy the taste of youth! ☆
Beep, beep~ Blazing Oni~san, riding on one bicycle together is a traffic violation, you know~?
Fuhaha, I’m aware. It’s just an analogy in the end, of course.
I’ve watched a scene like that before in an old movie, you see. Even if we can’t do those things in real life, we’re still allowed to talk about it, right?
But really, it’s so peaceful here no matter where you go.
Although, since they asked us to patrol the area… That must mean there is “evil” in the world of VR too, I assume?
Yes. This looks to be a server with a safe userbase, so there isn’t anything bad so far, but—
Depending on the area, there could be someone flinging awful words in the chat, or exploiting bugs to trouble users…
And there are even “newbie hunters” who specifically aim for new users who still haven’t gotten used to the controls~
You’re kidding me…! There are people out there who’re foul enough to take advantage of the fact that this isn’t real? Just the thought of it emotionally drains me.
…Still, it’s incredible how much technology has advanced.
I wonder if the way I see the world would’ve drastically changed if I had VR when I was young.
Even if I was unable to move my body, and couldn’t leave my room — I would’ve been able to go anywhere if I was in VR, and I would’ve even had a chance to connect with someone, too.21
I would’ve been able to use an avatar to turn into the form I’d want to be. It really is like the magic of dreams, isn’t it? ♪
Sora has thought something similar like that before. Wishes like, “if only Sora got to use VR so much sooner.”
But if that really had happened… Sora would’ve surely stayed locked up in the virtual world, and never came back to the real world~
Hm? With how skilled you are at handling it, I can’t imagine that to be the case.
HaHa~♪ It’s because reality felt a looot more cramped to Sora when he was young compared to now.
If Sora had VR back then, he probably would’ve escaped into the virtual world and never moved from his spot~
And if that had happened, Sora would’ve never met Shisho~ and Senpai. Sora hates the thought of that.
(…Also, the first time Sora met “that child” was in an online chatroom.)22
(In a world that’s full of people “different” from Sora, Sora found out there was someone across the screen that felt the “same” as him.)
(And so, Sora was able to think more positively. He accepted being “different” and learned the joy of conveying it to others~)
(We were in a world that had nothing visible except text, and Sora thinks that’s the exact reason why he was able to become the “same” as “that child”.)
(…If Sora had VR back then, would he still have been able to become friends with “that child”?)
(Sora doesn’t know. But, he feels like it wouldn’t have turned out the way it has now.)
(And most of all, it feels as though it invalidates all those memories from the past—)
So Sora is glad that he could get to use VR at this time of his age~
…I see.
We can’t change the past in the first place, but — Even if I could go back and do it all over again, I would no longer be the person that I am today.
In that case, it’s far more constructive to express happiness that we can experience this moment right now. Instead of regretting the past, we should adore the present!
As for the charms and possibilities of VR, I can just experience and grow to understand it all I like now that I’m here. And with those charm points I got to learn, I can link it to the next generation—
And then the cycle of happiness will surely continue on forever…☆
HiHi~♪ Blazing Oni~san has such a lovely smile on his face~♪
Sound of ringing
Ah, a radio call… Hello?
“—Phew, I finally got a signal.”
“This is Mikejima Madara speaking! ‘10-18 (Urgent)’ — it’s an emergency!”
“Midori-san was attacked by someone…! Hurry back to the main area!”
Dispatch! VR Police Chief For A Day 6
—Bam! Are you alright, Takamine!?
Mm? You got thinner since the last time I saw you…? Wait, no, you’ve become faint!?
So annoying… I don’t need that kind of worrying…
Mido-chan is semi-transparent~ Did he turn on an effect that makes his body transparent?
No, as I heard, after he was attacked, he forcibly restarted and turned into this.
It’s on me for neglecting to supervise him. It’s ‘cause he was gazing at aaall the avatars walking around on the other side, and happily saying that it’s like he’s in a country of yurucharas.
After I suggested that we split so that he can enjoy himself as much as he likes, this happened… I’m so sorry!
…I see. It sounds like we have a case on our hands.
Who’s the culprit, Takamine? Do you have anyone in mind?
Erm… I guess if I really had to say, then I absolutely do have someone in mind…
What do you mean, Mido-chan~?
I think the one who attacked me was… Keiji-kun.
What? Thaaat police station’s mascot character?
I don’t want to believe it to be true either, but… While I was walking with Keiji-kun, my field of vision suddenly started flickering, and then my screen went blue…
I panicked and tried restarting, but now my body’s transparent for some reason, and my unit uniform data is gone.
Uu, why am I the only one suffering like this…
Hm… It’s hard to believe that a police station’s mascot would do something so violent, but—
As a “Police Chief for a Day”, I can’t overlook this! I’ll catch the culprit and restore peace as well as Takamine’s uniform!
…Although, I’m pretty clueless when it comes to problems like these. Harukawa, do you have any ideas in mind?
Mmh~ From what Sora heard so far, Sora can’t truly say that the culprit is Keiji-kun~
Blue screens also happen when there’s something wrong with the device, so it could just be a coincidence.
Y-Yeah, you’re right…! No mascot character could ever be a bad kid…!
Uh-uh, we can’t truly say that he isn’t the culprit either~ There could be an imposter who made the exact same avatar as the official one and then acted maliciously.
Maybe what Mido-chan saw was a user disguising themself as “Keiji-kun” to play a trick on people?
When something like this happens, the best thing to do is to report it to the management team, but — since everyone here is a “VR Police Chief for a Day”, how about solving the problem as one, too?
Can we truly do that? The culprit has already left the scene.
If we’re looking for Keiji-kun, then it isn’t impossible~ By tracking his ID, we’ll be able to pinpoint his current location!
…Oh, it looks like he’s on the move and running away somewhere. Sora will guide you through the path, so—
Blazing Oni~san, please chase after him with this white motorbike~♪3
A white motorbike!? So cool…! Then let’s head on straight to the culpr—
…Mm?
The motorbike got attached to Morisawa-senpai’s head… Ehhh, you still haven’t gotten used to the VR’s controls…?
Shoot…! The virtual barrier has come in my way! Why on earth does it move to the top of my head…!?
Ahhh—! Now it’s attached to my hand!? All I want to do is ride the motorbike gallantly, just like a rescue team…!
HaHa~♪ Blazing Oni~san, if the controls are difficult for you, then let’s have Giant-san be the motorbike~
Me as… the motorbike?
Yes! Mido-chan is in a ROM state, and Sora will act as the guide, so~ The only one who can be a motorbike is Giant-san~
Sora will type in a special command! Click, click, click… Boop~☆
Ooh, Mikejima-san turned into a huge motorbike! And the model is exactly made for a man’s dreams…!
“Hm, I can’t tell how I look from the outside, but…”
“I see the text ‘Movement Speed: 20x’ displayed in front of me, so I guess I really did turn into a motorbike.”
“I’ll link Chiaki-san to my coordinates, and… Aaalright, we can give throttle at full speed aaanytime now! ☆”
Got it! I’ll definitely catch the culprit with my own two hands!
It’s go time! Become one with the wind, Mikejima San Gou…☆23
One hour later…
…Whew. I feel like I’m finally back to my usual self.
VR isn’t bad either, but I prefer my real self best in the end.
Knowing my body will move the way I want it to — That alone is a precious thing to have…☆
Blazing Oni~san, Giant-san, Mido-chan, thank you for all your hard work! It was super duper fun~♪
Sigh… I was so happy by the thought of being in a country of yurucharas and suffered for it.
The internet really is the den of evil. I think I’ve had enough of VR for now…
Hahaha, you went through a disaster, diiidn’tcha, Midori-san.
In the end, Keiji-kun was an illusion within the virtual world, just a lump of bugs — Who would’ve seen that coming?
Mm. It appears that the local police station created a VR version of Keiji-kun for our “VR Police Chief for a Day” session, but couldn’t make it in time in the end—
So they deleted the temporary version used for testing, but in reality, half of that data was still left in the database.
Takamine then kept accessing that data at an excessive rate, and it caused an abnormal reaction — That’s the main details.
Excessive rate…? All I did was try to ask for a handshake, and if possible, an autograph too…
Hahaa. Your zealous move acted as the trigger, huuuh.
Anyway, I was quiiite impressed to learn that he ran through the town left and right all so that he avoids causing trouble to other users.
Yes! Sora felt the spirit of a police officer from the reckless Keiji-kun.
Maybe he did that simply because he was programmed to do so. But even then…
Sora saw it as an act of kindness, and it made him feel warm inside~♪
Sound of a notification
…Ah! Sora just got a notification from the local police station~
The message says that Keiji-kun will make his official VR debut next week!
They’ll also fix the bug that Mido-chan caused! That’s wonderful news~♪
Really? Me turning transparent wasn’t for nothing either, then…
I take back what I said, I’m not done with VR just yet. I’m definitely going to rush over to see Keiji-kun on the day of his first debut…♪
Well, isn’t thiiis great news! It’d have been a shame if you kept your distance from new technology just ‘cause of one bad experience, after all.
We were here to do a job, buuut I still had my own fair share of fun. I would’ve never gotten to experience speeding through roads in the form of a motorbike if this were real life, after aaall.
HaHa~♪ Everyone got to learn the correct rules of cycling, and even got to experience the charms of VR, so Sora is super Happy~♪
Let’s all explore the world of VR again sometime!
Yeah! I’ll make sure to master the VR’s controls by then. It’d simply be pathetic of me if I just kept relying on others!
Alright then, it’s time we signal for a “10-24 (Assignment Completed)”…☆
Translation Notes
- ↑ Referring to the Mega Stream main story. In July, all the ES idols were locked up in Mega Sphere for a month to do a world-wide stream (Midori was shown to be anxious about this in Sailing Ceremony). As of August, idols can freely go between ES and Mega Sphere.
- ↑ In Mega Sphere, each unit lives in a room together in the Star House. Ryuseitai talks about living together in their Mega Stream mini talk.
- ↑ Police motorcycles in Japan come in white.
- ↑ Chiaki tends to talk to himself when he’s alone, including cheering himself on. He’s done this on several occasions, some examples are Meteor Impact, VS★GOURMET, and even a mini talk.
- ↑ Referring to VS★GOURMET, when Chiaki made Midori possess him in order to overcome his hatred of eggplants, which then gets broadcasted on prime-time TV. This happened in Flood of Customers, Chapter 3 & 4.
- ↑ This might possibly be about the ZOKIRIN yuruchara, which is a hybrid of elephant and giraffe.
- ↑ Midori loves yuruchara (yuru means “loose,” “laid-back,” etc). Yuruchara’s defining feature is their peculiar designs, ranging from bizarre-cute to adorkable. And Midori personally loves the designs that are most odd-looking and vague. For more information read here.
- ↑ Chiaki has done something similar to this before in Strawberry Colored Holiday; Midori was gifted yuruchara merchandise by young fans, who were aware he likes yuruchara because “Chiaki-oniisan told them”.
- ↑ Officials (like police officers, judges, government workers, etc.) tend to use the first-person pronoun honkan (本官) to refer to themselves. Here, I translated it as “this officer”.
- ↑ Referring to what happens when you violate a law when driving or riding.
- ↑ Referring to what is called the Road Traffic Act.
- ↑ In Whimsical City Rider, Midori delivers vegetables with Hiyori on a delivery bicycle.
- ↑ Referring to Manga Club, when the circle members got to try out VR of various manga settings.
- ↑ As a fun note, Sora loves to play games and is quite good at them. Another fun note, Sora and Midori have played games together before, like in the Feature Scout story, The Young Master’s Moving Out.
- ↑ Hero shows are skit-like performances aimed toward children, typically consisting of a tokusatsu hero in costume fighting a villain. It’s common to clap and cheer during a hero show.
- ↑ Keiji means “police detective”.
- ↑ Midori literally says “mascot character” in Japanese here. Although similar, it’s a different term from Midori’s favorite type of mascots, known as yuruchara.
- ↑ This can also be found in the gacha cards’ skill names, over in the Associated Cards tab.
- ↑ Madara’s father is a high-ranking police officer. As an interesting side note, Chiaki phrases this in a polite manner.
- ↑ Referring to the story Police.
- ↑ There is no story that illustrates Chiaki’s childhood as of this moment, but it’s been mentioned before that he was a sickly child, and had to go to the hospital often.
- ↑ Sora’s thoughts here, including his dialogue above, are referring to what we learn about him in Candy House, such as the chapter “Program to Fall in Love 1”.
- ↑ In Japanese, Chiaki calls him mikejima-san gou. The gou is a suffix attached to vehicle names.