Meanwhile, at that time, I was behind the stage using my Living Poltergeists ability to manipulate the metallic equipment. Yes, I controlled Ivan’s equipment with my ability to make it look like he was automatically being equipped with it. Because, at this range, I could do that even if they weren’t dolls.
Liscia was watching me with the who-knows-how-many-th look of exasperation I had seen from her today. “That’s a horrible waste of your ability.”
“Hey, a trick is a trick, even if it’s just a party trick,” I said. “Now, time to get going.”
“Hey, wait, Souma?!”
Once I had confirmed that Ivan’s gear was fully equipped, I moved next to the Jewel Voice Broadcast’s jewel, making sure I didn’t appear on the broadcast as I did. Meanwhile, in the hall, the flash of light subsided, and the hero dressed in metallic equipment appeared. Ivan struck the transformation complete pose, and shouted.
“Charge! Silvan!”
Once he had given his name, I spoke into the jewel so that only my voice would appear in the broadcast. “Allow me to explain. When Ivan Juniro the Exercise Guy receives energy from children, he transforms into the metallic hero Silvan.” I clenched my fist as I explained with gusto.
It was a genre standard to have narration explain after the hero’s transformation. I wasn’t going to do the thing where they go back and look at the transformation process scene again, though.
With my role finished, I went back to Liscia’s side. She looked horribly exhausted.
“I don’t know, it’s starting to feel stupid to say anything…”
“Tokusatsu is very much a ‘Don’t think, feel,’ sort of thing,” I explained. “If you don’t think about it too deeply, just go with the flow, there’s nothing more fun to watch.”
“…I’ll do that.”
Now then, turning the story back to the hall, the transformed Silvan was strong.
Danbox had been toying with him earlier, but now he showered the monster with a flurry of punches and kicks, keeping it on the defensive the whole time.
Strong. You’re strong, Silvan, everyone had to be thinking. The children were all worked up, too.
“Da, dan… box…” Eventually, Danbox stumbled and took a knee.
Now was his chance!
“Eat this, Danbox! Ultimate Thunderclap Kick!”
When Silvan unleashed a flying kick, lightning raced along the tip of his foot. That lightning-infused kick stabbed into Danbox.
I know I keep saying this, but the lightning was a product of his ability. It was, in effect, just a flying kick, so it didn’t hurt Aisha, the person inside Danbox, at all.
However, Danbox stumbled backwards a few steps.
Leaving behind a cry of, “Da… Danboooooooox! That’s me!” it exploded scattering parts in all directions.
Of course, all that really happened was that it hid while Ivan’s ability generated the explosion effect.
With Danbox defeated, Miss Dran, the evil female commander who hadn’t had much to do while she was watching the two of them fight, stamped her feet in indignation as if she had just remembered what she was supposed to be doing.
“Curse you, Silvan! I’ll let you off lightly this time! When I come back, you’d better be ready!”
With those parting words, she turned and ran off the set to a spot where the viewers couldn’t see her.
Once he had watched her go, Silvan took off just his full-face helmet and thrust his fist out in the direction Miss Dran had gone. “You and your evil organization who are plotting to take over the world, the Black Group! If you’re going to come, then come! I will crush your ambitions time and again!”
Ivan declared his resolve and then turned back to the children. Then, with a smile that seemed a little suffocatingly passionate, he shouted, “Okay, everyone! Let’s train with Silvan Energy Exercises so we won’t lose to the bad guys! Stand a little ways away from each other so you don’t bump into your friends!”
Moments later, a cheerful tune started to play in the hall, and Juna and Roroa came in at just the right moment to split the children up. Then Juna began singing along with the music.
If you want to grow up strong, do your Silvan Energy Exercises. ♪
“Now, let’s start by exercising our upper bodies,” Silvan called. “Everyone imitate a shoujou!”
Eek, eek, eek, ook. Eek, eek, eek, ook.
We are shoujous. Eek, eek, eek, ook.
When Ivan moved in time with the music, the children imitated him.
This exercise routine involved imitating the various animals of this world while Juna sang comical lyrics. Their lyrics were aimed at children, but the exercises themselves were based on the radio calisthenics that most Japanese people would be familiar with (the shoujou imitation was a lateral bending exercise), so they should be a logical workout.
“You do a lot of ridiculous stuff… But this takes the cake,” Liscia suddenly muttered as she watched the exercises. “This is an educational program, right? What’s the meaning behind the short drama earlier and this exercise?”
Not long ago, I bet she would have asked, “Is there some meaning in it?” instead. But now, Liscia had asked, “What is the meaning?” It was a only a few words’ difference, but there was a subtle difference of nuance.
In the first, there was an assumption that there was probably no meaning to it. In the latter, there was a confidence that there must be some meaning and that she wanted to know what it was. I could feel her trust in that subtle change, and that made me a little happier.
“Of course there’s a meaning,” I said. “If we draw in their attention with the short drama, more people will watch. The exercises are good for the children’s health and development. I’m actively trying to spread them. But, more than anything, what I want to spread is the word ‘hero.’”
“The word ‘hero’?”
That was just when, out in the hall, the interlude part of Silvan’s Energy Exercises began.
Ivan turned to the kids and spoke to them. “You’re all doing great! Now then, there’s something I wanted to tell you. To become a truly strong person, you need more than just power. If you forget to be kind, too, then you’re just a brute!”
Then he turned towards the Jewel Voice Broadcast jewel, which is to say towards the viewers, and spoke.
“The truth is, I’d like to be friends with the Black Group, too. If we could talk things over, we might not need to resort to our fists. That’s why, no matter who you’re up against, never give up on trying to understand them. What do you do if they’re still unreasonable and violent, you ask? That’s right! To make sure you can protect those close to you, do your Silvan Energy Exercises!”
The interlude ended at the perfect time, and Ivan began exercising along with the song again.
When she heard Ivan’s words, after closing her eyes for a moment, Liscia said, “‘Being strong isn’t enough. Don’t forget to be kind, too. Never give up on understanding one another’… This is what you wanted to get across.”
She whispered the words again, as if reflecting upon them.
I nodded silently. “When you’re little, the words adults say to you have a strange way of sticking with you, right? Especially if they’re coming from a hero, those words will remain in some corner of your heart even when you grow up. As a bonus, when we say these things to the children, we can count on their caretakers hearing them, too.”