　Translation: Nico

　The Bridge of Peace (The Capital of Harholt)

　Chapter 1

　Collapse

　It was June 24th when somebody suddenly blew up the “les Serti dis Bera” bridge, crossing the Norde Strait. North and South Vadria, split up by this strait, were connected through the bridge, ironically called “The Bridge of Peace” in Vadrian.

　Many civilians died in this incident, as the collapse of the bridge led to a steam train falling into the sea. Considering the hundreds of years of mainstream antagonism between the north and the south, something like this wasn’t rare—and for the widespread civil war that was to follow, this was only the beginning.

　For Marisha, who was by happenstance riding that train towards Harholt—as an involved party—of course it was nothing short of an absolute disaster.

　“This... can’t be...”

　Marisha couldn’t believe her eyes when she opened the window and took a look outside. Black smoke rose, thunderous roars in conjunction with a collapsing bridge: The Bridge of Peace, what should have been a symbol of North-South Unity, was mercilessly destroyed before her eyes.

　It started with a sudden exploding sound. At noon, as the steam train headed south over the bridge, a sharp, rumbling boom was heard. Even the engineer noticing the urgent situation, panicking to hit the emergency breaks, did not make it in time.

　The train shook violently and was filled with screams as a sharp, metallic screech sounded.

　“Morge!”

　With a moment crying out to God, the passengers clung desperately to their seats, initially unaware of the situation.

　Eventually, the front train pulled off the bent track. Half of it was stopped over the ten-meter high bridge.

　For a moment, the inside of the train turned quiet...

　The explosion was the first part, and the collapse itself followed shortly after.

　A number of people tried to check on the situation outside. Marisha followed suit, but this was when that scene of smoke came about. Finally realizing the seriousness of the situation, the passengers fell into complete panic, all racing to get out of the train as quickly as possible.

　“What the hell happened?”

　“I don’t know, this is insane...”

　“Whatever the case, we need to get out!”

　“Hey, stop pushing!”

　As everyone rushed out in a frenzy, Marisha felt completely removed from the situation. I was finally going to get to be in Harholt after all this time...

　Even though she was wrapped up in an unfathomable situation, Marisha had no sense of reality.

　She was from a rural village in Nordia, and had just turned twenty years old. A friend from her hometown who lived in the capital had invited her over, and she would have used this as an excuse, really, to eat to her heart’s content. Until just moments ago, she was simply wondering about the delicious Shokoladine she had last time she came.

　Why would something like this happen...

　Just as she was clinging onto the window frame in a daze, a voice from someone called out behind her without warning.

　“Miss, are you out of your mind?!”

　Marisha turned toward the voice in an instant, her blond hair whipping around.

　A middle-aged man with a mustache, equipped with a dark-green military uniform, was standing there.

　“You’re quite the person, wrapping up others in your own death wish.”

　He shrugged his shoulders and gave a wry smile, pointing to the track beneath them. Marisha followed his finger with her eyes. Is the train still moving?

　It was gradual, but it was certain. The passenger cars were slowly moving forward, pulled along by the head of the rain. At this rate, it was headed straight into the ocean.

　“I’m sorry but, could you get out of the way?”

　Behind the man, other passengers trying to escape stood impatiently. Marisha finally understood the how dire the situation was.

　“Prazho...” she apologized.

　“There’s nothing more that I could thank you for,” he said sarcastically, leaving through the window sill before her eyes.

　Whatever the case, I gotta get out. Marisha got the trembling in her body under control, and pulled herself together. Why it had to be this day of all days she wore a long skirt and brought luggage into the train she wouldn’t know, but she was thankful just to live.

　Right as she leapt through the window and headed outside, a huge clatter sounded.

　Everyone turned around at once. The head car of the train which came off the tracks, like a butterfly’s cocoon, was now dangling off the bridge suspended mid-air. This delicate tug-of-war between the train and the weight of its carriages could not be held for long.

　“Cheiva! It’s gonna fall!”

　Marisha came before the panicked crowds with an unprecedented calmness.

　How would it be if the train just fell into the ocean like this?

　Above the bridge people poured out running away, but this was not everyone. There were still many of those late to escape stuck inside.

　“Hit the brakes! The brakes!”

　“It’s no good, we’re not gonna make it!”

　The brakes had no effect, and the carriages pulled along the track began to speed up.

　“AAHHHH!”

　The head of the steam train fell straight into the ocean. All people could do was hold onto their desperate fate in that moment. A splashing sound in conjunction with an emerging geyser stood, and a spray like heavy rainfall coated the nearby surface entirely.

　What followed was the cars attached crashing down one after another, and everyone turned into an uproar.

　“Shkala!”

　“Färn shkala!!”

　The people who escaped to the bridge with their lives cursed in all manners. However, they were safe for now.

　A voice yelled out, “Who knows when the rest of this bridge will collapse. Quickly, let’s escape to the shore!”

　All at once, people began to turn back north the way they came.

　But Marisha, who for some reason was still standing there, stared with a pale expression at the foaming surface of the water.

　There’s still people alive in there...

　And without a moment to spare, someone burst from the rippling water.

　“Help!! Help!!”

　It was the voice of a child.

　At first there was only one voice, but then they grew in number, and finally dozens of people were wailing out from under the bridge.

　There were those drowning, and the those who ran away, abandoning them. It was a hellish scene, with everyone wanting to save their own lives, trying with everything to survive.

　As for those lending a hand to save the victims, there didn’t even seem to be one.

　I need to save them.

　The next thing she knew, Marisha, without any consideration for her own safety, headed towards the collapsed bridge.

　One person from the other side, the soldier from before, yelled at her,

　“Hey! Some people go out of their way to jump into places even angels don’t dare tread!”

　He said this in an attempt to scornfully warn Marisha, but she did not stop. She glanced at the sea beneath the collapsed bridge, and took in a deep breath.

　The man felt something strange, and warned her again,

　“Listen, I’ll say it clearly. Don’t be a fool! If you want to live, get out of here!”

　Regardless of whether or not she heard his words, Marisha fixated on the drowning people before her. Unlike before, there was no hesitation in her blue eyes.

　Only I can save those people.

　“Stop! Whatever you do, they won’t be saved!”

　The soldier called out once more in a loud voice. In that moment he understood more or less what she was trying to do, but it was not something he would even dream of doing.

　But, she did what no one else dared to.

　“Sometimes, you have to cross the ocean to get something.”

　And with that, before his eyes, Marisha dove into the ocean.