ARM Backup/Settei book 3 translation/Sidestory: Fierce Battle at the Reservoir! The Birth of a Masculine Friendship from the Crossing of Swords! Or is it?

Pages 158 & 159:
アルトネリコ3～外伝～
Ar tonelico 3 ~Sidestory~
貯水池の激闘！　交えた剣が漢の友情を生む！か？
Fierce Battle at the Reservoir! The Birth of a Masculine Friendship from the Crossing of Swords! Or is it?
作　富松元気
Author: Genki Tomimatsu
監修　土屋暁
Supervision: Akira Tsuchiya
著者プロフィール
Author's Profile
『アルトネリコ』シリーズのシナリオやイベント、コスモスフィアなどを担当。
GA文庫「アルトネリコ2」も好評発売中。
In charge of the Scenario and Events, such as Cosmospheres, from the [Ar tonelico] series. Also authored the very popular [Ar tonelico 2] GA light novel.
　倉谷の郷にある貯水池周辺は、適度
に広くてあまり人も来ない。
　タツミにとってその場所は、Vボード
の練習に最適のスポットだ。
　今日も朝からボードを操り、難易度
の高い技の練習をしていたのだが……
「てやあっ！　ふんっ！　もういっちょ！」
　タツミの背後には、剣を振るアオト
の姿があった。
　アオトは騎士でもなんでもない、鳶
をしている少年だ。つまり剣を振る必
要などない。
　当然タツミはそれを言ったが、
『せっかくこんな立派なの持ってるんだ
がら、何があった時に使えるように稽古
しておかなきゃ勿体ねえだろ？』
　そう言われた。
　……集中できないから帰れ、って意
味で聞いたんだけどなぁ。
　しがし、タツミの集中を一番乱して
いるのは、アオトの声ではない。
　稽古と吉いながらも、ただ単に剣を
がむしゃらに振り回しているだけ。それ
が一番気になっていた。
「おりゃあ、あっ、どわあっ！」
　勢いよく振った剣の動きを止められ
ず、アオトは足をもつれさせて尻餅を
ついた。
　……見てらんないよ、まったく。
　タツミはボードがら降り、尻をさする
アオトへと近づいた。
「ケガするからやめときなよ。剣より
も逃げ足を鍛えた方がいいんじゃない
の？」
　タツミの言葉にムッとした表情になる
アオト。
「バカにすんな。今のはちょっと失敗し
ただけだ」
「本番で失敗したらおしまいだよ？」
「わ、わかってるさ。だがら稽古してる
んじゃねえか」
　剣を構えなおしたアオトは、再び剣
を降り始めた。
　……少し、キツかったかな？
　アオトを不愉快にさせるつもりはな
かったが、騎士の知り合いが多いタツ
ミにとっては言わずにいられなかった。
　とはいえ、このままギクシャクしたま
ま放っておくのも気持ちが悪い。
「……力任せに振ってるだけじじゃ意味が
ないよ」
「当たれば問題ないだろ？」
「ふ～ん……それじゃ、、僕が稽古つけて
あげるよ」
「はぁ？　何言ってんだよ、そんなナヨッ
ちい体してるくせに……」
　冗談がと思って笑うアオト。しかしそ
の瞬間、タツミが動いた。
　距離にして五歩は離れていたタツミ
が、一瞬でアオトの懐に入り込んでいた。
「速っ…… ぐっ！」
　鳩尾に鈍器でも叩きつけられたよう
な衝摯を受けたアオトは、倒れそうにな
るのを必死で耐え、タツミから離れる。
　いつの間にかタツミの手は拳を作り、
前に突き出されていた。
「見かけで判断するとケガするよ？」
　くい、と人差し指を曲げで挑発する
タツミ。
「……なるほどな。それじゃ、遠慮なし
だ！」
　剣を振りかぶりながらの疾走。一気
にタツミの間合いに入りこむ。
「食らえ！」
 タツミの胴をめがけて振った剣は、
空を斬った。
「え？」
「大振りは当たらないって」
 耳元で聞こえる呆れたようなタツミ
の声。
　タツミは剣の軌道を先回りするよう
に移動し、アオトの背後に回っていた。
「いつの間に！」
「普通に移動しただけだよ」
 返事の代わりに背後に剣を振るアオ
ト。タツミは軽く背後に跳び難なくか
わした。
「くっそ、ちょこまかと！」
 アオトの剣は、何度も振らてもタツミ
に当たることはながった。
　……う～ん、やっぱり素人だなぁ。
でも、意外と体力はあるみたい。全然
勢いがやまないし、その点は凄いと思
うけど。
　はぁ、とタツミはため息をつく。
「ごめん。正直を言うけど…君、剣の
才能ないと思うよ」
「へへ・…俺の武器は剣だけじゃねぇ！」
　アオトはタツミがら離れると、剣の柄
にあるスイッチを押した。
　剣の刀身部分が二つに開き、そこか
ら現れたのは、
「男のロマン、ドリルだ！」
 柄を両手でしっかりと握り、剥き出し
になったドリルを腰だめに構えた。
「こいつをよけられるが？」
　走り出すアオトを見てタツミは苦笑。
……これがドリルじゃなくて槍だった
ら……でも、ナイフ持ったチンピラみ
たいなあの構えは許せないな。
「どうだ！」
　突き出されたドリルを タツミは背後
に軽く跳んでよける。
「甘いね。限界まで貫くつもりでやらな
いと……」
「た、タツミ、足元！」
「え……あっ！」
　着地しようとした場所に地面はなく、
代わりに貯水池の冷たい永が広がって
いた。
「ふぇっくしゅん！」
　貯水池の水は流れてくる雪解け水の
ため、恐ろしく冷たい。
　更に悪いことに、蒼谷の郷は常に冷
たい風な吹きつけるという環境にある。
　びしょ濡れのタツミの体温は、刻一
刻と奪われていった。
「だ、大丈夫かタツミ？　 焚き火起こす
から待ってろよ」
「い、いや、いい……今日は家に帰るよ」
「そんな格好じゃ風邪ひくぞ。・ほら、火
がついたぞ。服乾がすから脱げよ」
だが、タツミは驚いた表情で自分の体
を抱き、首を振った。
「い、いいよ。外で裸になるなんて
……」
「男の癖に何言ってんだよ？」
「変態か、見られて恥すかしくない体
の人以外は嫌がるのが普通だよ。じゃ、
じゃあ、帰るから……」
　離れようとするタツミに、アオトの手
が伸びる。
「脱いじまえば慣れるってのに。ほら、
大人しく脱げ！」
　脱がされまいと自分の体を抱く腕
に力を入れるタツミだったが、間違い
だった。
　アオトはタツミのズボンに手をかけ、
一気に引き摺り下ろしていた。
「う、うわぁぁぁぁぁぁぁぁっ！」
「え、ンゴアッ！」
　顔を上げようとしたアオトの顔面に、
タツミの膝蹴りが叩き込まれた。
　ゆっくりと背後に倒れるアオト。タツ
ミはそんな彼に目をくれることもなく一
目散に走り去っていった。
「……そんなに自信がなかったのか」
　仰向けに倒れたアオトは、鼻血を拭
いながら呟いた。
　翌日の朝、アオトはタツミの家の前
に来ていた。
「おーいタツミ。風邪引いてないか？」
　ドンドンとドアを叩く。しかし中から
は返事がない。
「……まさか、寝込んでたりしねぇだろ
うな？」
「タツミならないよ」
「え？」
　若い女の声。
　振り向くと、そこにはローブ姿の小
柄な少女がいた。フードで顔が隠れて
いるが、この郷の人間でないことはわ
かった。
「あんた、一体誰だ？」
「タツミの友達だよ。用事があって、昨
日から世話になってるの」
「へえ、タツミに女の友達がね……そ
れで、タツミは？」
「朝早くからボードの練習に出たっきり
だよ。どこかはわからないけど……」
「いや、それだけわかれば十分だ。あ
とは自分で探してみる。ありがとな」
　礼を言って立ち去るアオト。その背
中が見えなくなるまで、少女は手を振
りながら見送っていた。
　やがて、アオトの姿が見えなくなると、
「……まったく、本当にプーなヤツ
……っくしゅん！　ううっ、今日は大人し
く寝てよう」
　そう言って、タツミの家へ入って
いった。
In the outskirts of the Blue Canyon Hamlet, there was an small reservoir 
which wasn't frequently visited by people.
To Tatsumi, this place was the perfect spot for honing his V-Board skills.
This day, he had also taken his board since very early in the morning, and 
trying performing the most difficult tricks he knew, however...
"Hiyaah! Hwaahh! Once more!"
Behind Tatsumi, there was Aoto, swinging his sword around.
Aoto wasn't a knight or anything, and was merely a boy that worked as an
steeplejack. Therefore, there wasn't any need for him to be practicing with 
his sword.
Tatsuma naturally had told him this, but:
"I've worked very hard to earn this, so why I shouldn't at least train with 
it in case anything happens, and I'm forced to fight?"
Aoto replied with this.
...He thought that Tatsumi could have told him that with the meaning of 
"I can't concentrate with you around, so just go back", but he couldn't 
confirm it.
However, Aoto's voice wasn't what messed up Tatsumi's concentration.
No, it was that, while it was good for Aoto to get some practice, he was 
merely swinging around the sword like a madman. That's what worried Tatsumi 
the most.
"Hiyaah, aahh, hyaaah!"
He was swinging around the sword so vigorously that his legs got entangled, 
and fell hard on his back.
"...*sigh*. I wish I hadn't seen this"
Tatsumi descended from his board, and approached Aoto, who was still rubbing 
his back.
"Since you have hurt yourself doing this, it'd be better if you stopped. 
And besides, shouldn't you focus in training for running away instead of 
swordplay?"
Aoto instantly began pouting due to Tatsumi's words.
"Don't be stupid. That was just an small blunder"
"And you would get killed if you made that same mistake on a real battle"
"I-I know. That's why I should practice, isn't it?
Aoto took his sword, and began swinging it again.
"...Haven't you noticed?"
While he didn't intend to get Aoto upset, Tatsumi was acting like this due
to the fact that he was friends with some knights, despite not having told
him anything.
In other words, he would regret it later if he left Aoto in his own for
this.
"...There's no point at all if you simply swing it around with all your
strength"
"But it's the same thing if I do hit someone, no?"
"Hmm... Well, I'll let you spar a little with me"
"Whaat? What are you saying? But you have such a flimsy-looking body, that..."
Aoto laughed, thinking this was a joke. However, Tatsumi began moving towards
him in that moment.
He took five steps away from Aoto, and in just a second, he was right face-to-face
with him.
"H-how fast... agh!"
Tatsumi then struck him in the stomach with the blunt tip of his weapon,
which would have been lethal if they had been fighting for real. Aoto distanced
from Tatsumi as much as he could.
In a few seconds, Tatsumi closed his hand into a fist, and thrust forward.
"Don't you know that it's dangerous to judge your opponent only by their appearances?"
As he uttered this phrase, Tatsumi then began taunting Aoto by flexing his
index finger.
"...I see. Well, then I won't hold back either!"
Aoto, now visibly blushing, began running while swinging his sword around.
A instant later, he had gone close enough to hit Tatsumi.
"Eat this!"
He swung the sword upwards, trying to hit him on the torso, but only ended 
hitting the air.
"What?"
"You won't hit anything with such a wide swing"
Tatsumi's voice resounded directly inside his ears, which really shocked
him.
Tatsumi had predicted the trajectory of the swing, and moved to evade it,
ending behind Aoto.
"When did you...!?"
"I'm just moving at my normal speed"
In response to this, Aoto swung the sword around himself. Tatsumi merely
leaped a little behind, avoiding the blow once again.
"Damn it! Stop moving!"
Despite having swung the sword a lot of times, Aoto hadn't been able of
hitting Tatsumi even once.
"...Hmph, as I thought, he's only an amateur. However, it's a surprise to
see he has so much energy. I thought that he would stop as soon as he got 
tired, but that doesn't seem like it will happen for a good while...
*sigh*" - Tatsumi released a sigh of exasperation.
"Sorry. I hate to break this on you, but honestly... I don't think you have
talent for swordplay"
"Hehe.... but I don't only have a sword as my weapon!"
Aoto distance a little from Tatsumi, and pushed a switch that was located
on the sword's grip.
The blade then instantly split up on two, revealing a...
"Drills are a Man's Romance!"
From the grip he was now holding with both hands, a drill shot up in the
center, and it began spinning.
"Do you think you can avoid this?"
Tatsumi then smiled bitterly at Aoto, who began running toward him.
"...If that wasn't a drill, but a spear... however, I would never allow
someone that looks like a knife-wielding delinquent have one of these..."
"What do you think!?"
When Aoto tried stabbing him, Tatsumi merely jumped backwards to avoid the
attack.
"You're still too naive. Like this, you will never able to do a maximum
penetration on..."
"T-tatsumi, watch where you're stepping!"
"Huh...? Aaagh!"
The place where he landed wasn't solid ground, and instead, he fell into
the cold surface of the reservoir's water.
"Atchoo!"
Since the reservoir's water came from the thawed snow that descended from
the mountains, it was terribly cold.
And to add insult to injury, the Blue Canyon Hamlet was located in a place
where a very chilly wind blew constantly.
Being completely soaked in that cold water, Tatsumi's body temperature began
falling quickly.
"A-are you ok, Tatsumi? I'll make a bonfire right now, so just wait a sec"
"N-no, it's okay... I'll just go back home for today"
"You'll catch a cold like that. Come, get closer to the fire, and take
off these clothes so we can dry them off"
However, Tatsumi showed a shocked expression to this, as he embraced his
body, and his neck trembled.
"I-it's all right. I don't want to be naked out on the open"
"You're a man, and still say that stuff?"
"Aside of perverts and people that aren't ashamed of having their bodies
seen by others, it's normal to dislike the idea. Well then, I'll go home
now and..."
However, when Tatsumi began going away from Aoto, he stretched his hand
towards him.
"You'll get used to it once you get completely naked. Now, come on and strip
away everything!"
While Tatsumi was making great efforts to embrace himself to avoid getting
naked, that ended being a mistake.
Aoto grabbed him by the trousers, and instantly pulled them down.
"W-waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
"Huh? Uugggh!"
While Aoto was trying to raise his head, he received a direct knee to the
face from Tatsumi, and fell to the ground.
Now that he had left him on the floor, Tatsumi began running as fast as
he could away from him without thinking it twice.
"...He was so insecure about himself?"
Aoto whispered while he was left face-up on the ground and wiped away the
blood that began flowing from his nose.
The next morning, Aoto went to Tatsumi's house.
"Hey, Tatsumi! Did ya catch a cold or something?"
He began knocking on the door. However, no one answered from the inside.
"...Oh man, is he staying in bed for today too?"
"Tatsumi isn't here right now"
"Huh?"
The voice coming from the inside was that of a young woman.
When he turned around, there was a short girl wearing a robe. While her
face was covered by a hood, it was obvious that she didn't live in the hamlet.
"Who are ya?"
"I'm a friend of Tatsumi. I had some things to do, and I was indebted with
him for some things he did yesterday"
"Huh, so Tats had a female friend, huh? ...And where's him?"
"He went to practice V-Boarding since very early in the morning. I don't
know where he went, though..."
"Nah, that's good enough for me. I'll go around to look for him by myself.
Thanks"
And after saying this, Aoto went away. The girl kept waving her hand to
him until she lost him from sight.
In a short time, Aoto disappeared from her view, and then,
"...I can't believe how much of a boo guy he is... atchoo! Ugh, I better
go in and rest for the remainder of the day"
And saying this, she went into Tatsumi's house.
初出：ケーマガ2010年5月号　（小社刊）
First Published On: May, 2010 Gemaga Issue (Magazine)
河内プロデューサーの秘蔵ラフ
=Producer Kawachi's Treasured Drafts=
　最後に河内プロデューサーが制作時のフォルダから発掘したラフを公開。1つはP.006
に掲載したイメージビジュァル用だ。はじめてヒロインをお披露目するイラストであること
や、アオトに主人公としてのアピールをメモ書きしていることなど、プロデューサーならで
はの指定が入っている。もう1つはパッケージイラスト用で、中央の3人の構成などがほ
ぼ完成形に近い。ヒロインの多人格たちを入れることも検討されたようだ。
Finally, we will disclose to the public some drafts that were taken from the folders that producer Kawachi held during the project's development time. The first one is the draft that was used to create the image that was published on page 6. The producer himself specified that this illustration should begin by showcasing the Heroines, and showing Aoto's appeal as the protagonist. The other was used for creating the box art, and the structure it has, including setting the three characters in the center, makes it extremely similar to the complete version. Apparently, they also considered adding the personae of the Heroines to this piece of art.