Mitoro's page - Acecombat Fan Site -

子供のころ 星が降った夜を 覚えている
I was just a child when the stars fell from the skies.

隕石を撃ち砕くために むやみに大きい大砲が作られ
But I remember how they built a cannon to destroy them.

それをめぐって 戦争が始まったことも
And in turn how that cannon brought war upon us.

戦争など 遠い国の出来事
War was an abstract idea, nothing more than a show on TV.

テレビの中の物語に過ぎなかった
As a child, I only saw it as something that happened in some far away land...

あの夏の終わりの日 ふいに身近に姿を現すまでは
Until that final day of summer...

いつものように学校に向かう道 私は空を見上げた
One day while on my way to school, I looked up in the skies.

遠雷のような轟き
A sound like distant thunder.

はるかな頭上 飛行機雲たちが
In the blue skies far above me; contrails drew dizzying

互いに回り込みあい 複雑なループを描いていた
circles around in a crazy waltz.

美しく遠い空の戦い
A battle in the beautiful skies far away...

私は 飽くことなく ながめ続けた
I could not tear my gaze away from them.

轟音
A deafening roar.

背後の丘をかすめて 先鋭なシルエットがよぎる
And then sharp silhouettes appeared, as if to grazed the hills, and streaked past me.

追いつ追われつ 急上昇していく戦闘機たち
The fighters played the cat or the mouse in turn as they climbed swiftly into the skies.

逃げる機が 炎とともに揺らぎ
One fleeing plane fell out the skies. spiraling and spewing orange

湖につき出た岬へと 堕ちていった
flames to crash by the cape.

我が家のあった場所
The same cape where my family lived.

なつかしい家族は もはや記憶の中にしかいない
Now they only live in my memories of days past.

戦果を確認する 撃墜者の機体に
The victor circled around to confirm the kill. And on his craft,

黄色で『１３』の文字が 描かれていたことを
there was a large number "13" emblazoned in yellow.

私は けっして忘れない
I will never forget this.

敵軍は進撃をつづけ
The Allies retreated across the ocean

連合軍とやらは 海の向こうに退き
before the onslaught of the enemy.

私たちの町は 大陸の中央にあって
Our little town in the heart of the mainland,

深い孤独に取り残された
fell into deep isolation.

戦争は瞬く間に進んだ
The war seemed to unfold in the blink of an eye.

いつの間のことだったのだろう
I don't remember exactly

西から来た軍隊に 町が占領されたのは
when the forces from the west occupied my town;

私は そんなことにも構わず 来る日も空を見上げ
I was too busy scanning the skies day after day,

あの『黄色の１３』を 見つけようとしていた
waiting for "Yellow Thirteen" to reappear.

気がつけば 全てが変わっていた
Before I knew it, everything changed.

学校で習う言葉・・・
The language they taught us at school...

呑気な町の巡査は 姿を消し 外国の憲兵が代わって立った
Our friendly local sheriff "disappeared" and was replaced by foreign MPs.

はじめのうち人々は パラボラアンテナを掲げ
In the beginning, some people secretly tuned into broadcasts

ノースポイントからの放送を 見ようとしていたが
from North Point on their parabolic antennas.

やがて 衛星が破壊されたのか 何も映らなくなった
But as time passed, the broadcasts no longer came in; maybe the satellites were destroyed.

軍事用以外のすべての コンピューター・ネットワークは 遮断され
All non-military computer networks were shut down.

占領下の市民へのガソリン供給は滞った
Gasoline was rationed to civilians.

２１世紀のこの世が 鉱石ラジオと 荷馬車の時代に 逆戻りした
Though we lived in the 21st century, we were reduced to using crystal radios and horse-drawn carts.

私は 町中に住む叔父の家に 身を寄せていた
I moved in with my uncle in town

ガソリン無きタクシー運転手である 叔父は
who used to be a taxi driver. Out of gasoline and out of work,

仕事も無く ひたすら酒に溺れていた
my uncle did nothing but to drown himself in drink.

私は 近所の酒場で 得意のただひとつ得意であるところの ハモニカを吹いて
I earned my keep by playing the harmonica in the town bar. The one thing I was good at.

意地悪な占領兵の施すチップを得ては
I'd play for sullen occupation soldiers in exchange for their charity in loose change,

叔父の家計を 助けねばならなかった
and used the money to support my uncle and myself.

叔父は敵兵相手に商売する 酒場の親父の陰口をたたきながら
My uncle trash talked the barkeep who catered to the enemy soldiers,

しかし 私の持ち帰る 日々の実入りを 拒むことは けっしてなかった
but he never refused the money I brought home.

私は−といえば 実のところ
As for myself,

少しばかり年上の 酒場のひとり娘に 心奪われていた
I had a crush on the barkeep's only daughter, who was a little older than me.

「黄色の１３」を記した戦闘機は 今日もこの町の空に現れない
Another day passed, yet still no sign of the fighter plane, Yellow Thirteen, in the skies above our town.

ある夜 突然 陽気な一団が 酒場へなだれこみ
One night, a spirited group made their way into the bar,

陰険な陸兵たちを追い出して その場を占領した
chased out the sullen army grunts and commandeered the place.

私にだってわかった
Even I knew who they were.

彼らの袖のワッペンは 誇り高き航空兵の徴だ
The patch on their sleeve was the mark of the proud air force.

冗舌な中年男が 各人の本日の戦果と これまでの撃墜数を発表してゆく
A loud-mouthed middle-age man went around, announcing each pilot's result for the day, and his running kill record.

累積撃墜数が５機に達した者は 頭から 酒と 称賛と やっかみを 浴びせかけられた
For those who exceeded five kills, a thorough toasting - and soaking followed.

５機墜とせば “エース” と呼ばれるのが 彼らの習わしらしい
I believe it was their custom to call a pilot an "Ace" once he shot down five planes.

それらが ひとわたり済んだあと その男−中隊副官の准尉が言った
After completing the day's review, the same guy - the squadron adjutant - went on to announce,

「そして 我らの隊長の 本日の戦果！」
"And now, for our leader's results!"

騒ぎをよそにギターを爪弾く 寡黙な男を 皆は振り返った
Everyone turned around to look at the quiet man who sat alone, strumming a guitar.

先程から 私は このギターの音色が 気に入りはじめていた
I found myself drawn to the music of his guitar.

「我らが『黄色の１３』は 今日も３機を墜とし -」
「- 総撃墜数64！」
"Our Yellow Thirteen bagged three more today, bringing his new tally up to sixty-four kills."

ギターの男は 少しはにかんだ 顔を私に向け
そのハモニカと合奏しようと言った
With a tentative smile, the man with the guitar turned to me and asked me to accompany him on my harmonica.

私はハモニカをくわえ 彼は新しい曲を弾き始めた
I brought it up to my lips and he started a new song.

私は ついに『彼』を見つけたのだ
I had finally found "him".

そして − だが何故かそれは
私の亡き父が 一日の終わりに 好んで 弾いていた曲だったのだ
But by some fluke, it was my father's favorite song, the one he used to play at the end of each day.

町外れの麦畑に 建設中だった 高速道路
A freeway under construction in a wheat field outside of town...

その建設が決まったとき 町長が得意げに演説したことを覚えている
When they started construction, I remember how the mayor bragged about it,

ただ 町の横を素通りする だけの道であったのに
even though it would completely bypass our town.

それが 占領軍の野戦滑走路となり
The freeway became the occupation force's makeshift runway,

工事途中のトンネルが 掩堆壕となっていた
and the unfinished tunnels, their bunkers.

それが「彼ら」の基地だった
This was their base.

彼らは あの落ちて来る小惑星を 撃ち落すために作られ
They were the elite flight squadron, chosen to protect the cannon.

結局はこの戦争を引き起こす 元となった 大砲を防衛するため選りすぐられた飛行中隊
Ironically, the same cannon who was created to shoot down the asteroids, became a catalyst to the war.

訪れる敵機も絶えた今では 時に応じ ほかの戦区にも 派遣されていた
But when the Allied attacks no longer came, the Squadron was assigned long-range missions that took them to distant battlefields.

私は『黄色の１３』に向けるための ナイフをしたためた
I got a knife with intend of using it against yellow 13.

酔った敵兵の懐を狙い 拳銃さえ手に入れた
I even ripped off pistol of drunken enemy soldier.

面と向かって 突き付けるべき 言葉も胸にした
I thought of the words I would use to confront him and bided my time.

だが それらを携えたまま 『１３』に近づくことは 出来ない
Although I harbored these feelings within me, I could never get close to him.

いつもそばに控える 二番機パイロットが 穏やかな表情のうちに
His wingman was always by his side. Despite having a gentle demeanor,

地上にあっても 一切の危険を彼に 近づけぬ態度を 毅然と示していた
I could tell that the wingman would never allow danger to get near Yellow Thirteen, even on land.

彼らのかなめである『１３』の犯し難い横顔
The pillar of their group, Thirteen exuded an air of invincibility.

常に５機だけを選んで飛び
He always chose to fly a five-plane formation.

自らの撃墜数より すべての列機を 必ず連れ帰ることを誇りにする男
He was a man who prided himself not on his kill record, but on his record of never losing a squadron member.

彼の操縦が どれほど優れていたか 私がそれを語るのは難しい
It's difficult for me to describe just how good Yellow Thirteen's flying was.

だが 一度だけ たしかに 地上から目にした
But I witnessed once from the ground.

同じカーブ同じタイミングで 旋回する５機編隊で
The lead plane of the five-plane formation

彼の機だけが 鋭く飛行機雲を引いたのだ
should have turned the same arc with the same timing as the others... Yet only his plane drew sharp contrails.

自分が墜とした 弱すぎる敵を 哀れむその心
His heart felt compassion towards the weaker enemies he downed.

いつの日か 対等の敵が現れ 技の限りを尽くせるなら
Some day, if an equal appeared and challenged the limits of his skills in a fight,

たとえ墜とされても 恨むことはない
he would bear no resentment about being shot down.

彼自身がそう言ったのだ
He said this himself.

長い時間を彼らと過ごすうち
And so as time passed,

私は やがて彼らの中に 家族の居心地を見つけている
I found the goodness of a home in their company.

私はもう 彼らの間を離れられない
Leaving them was no longer an option for me now...

いつしか私の保護者であるはずの 叔父は 姿を消していた
At some point, I realized my uncle, my would be guardian, had vanished.

酔ったあげくの不穏な言動で 秘密警察に連れ去られたのか
Maybe the secret police dragged him off for some drunken comment he made;

自ら失踪したものか
maybe he chose to disappear.

寄る辺をなくした私は 黄色中隊の一員のように暮らしている
I didn't have anyone to turn to, so I found myself living as if I was a member of the Yellow Squadron.

敵兵相手に商売し 皆から軽蔑される酒場の親父は
Everybody in town scorned the barkeep for doing business with the enemy.

実は 一家そろって 抵抗運動のメンバーで
In reality, he and his family were members of the Resistance,

客に来る敵兵から 情報収集をしていたのだ
gathering up intelligence information from enemy customers.

彼女は 私をかばった
His daughter protected me...

だがそれは 私の幼さゆえのこと
But that was only because of my tender age.

実は英雄的だった酒場の一家
The barkeep and his family were the real heroes,

それにくらべ 敵の中に 安住の場所を見つけている私
while I, on the other end, found a haven among the enemy.

「もうすぐよ もうすぐ始まるから」
"It won't be long now, it won't be long 'til it begins"

酒場の娘は 私に耳打ちした
The barkeep's daughter confided to me.

抵抗運動の一員である彼女は 連合軍の大陸進攻を 心待ちにしている
As a member of the Resistance, she eagerly awaited the Allied counterattack on the mainland.

｢助けが来たら この人たちはどうなるの？｣
"What will happen to these people when the Allies come?"

私の問いに 彼女は顔をしかめた
I asked, to which she frowned.

｢もちろん追い出してやる！ 私たちの町から！｣
"We'll run them out... This is our town!"

だが･･････彼女が 心底そう望んでいないのを 知っている
But I knew she didn't mean that from the bottom of her heart.

彼女は『１３』に心を寄せていた
Thirteen had captured her heart.

そのくらい 二番機を 見つめる 彼女の嫉妬の目でわかった
I knew this from the way she shot jealous glances at his wingman.

ほかのパイロットは入れ替わっても
As other pilots rotated out of Yellow Squadron,

替わることのない 不動の二番機
地上にあっても 片時も 彼のそばを離れぬ『黄色の４』
Yellow Four, Thirteen's wingman, always stuck by his side, even on land.

彼女は 隊内唯一の女性であり
The only female pilot in the Squadron,

『黄色の１３』から 絶対の信頼を おかれた 護衛機なのだった
she had Yellow Thirteen's absolute trust as his wingman.

『１３』は いっさいに無頓着に
Yellow Thirteen seemed oblivious to all this,

昨日の空戦で現れた敵の “見所ある奴”の 飛びっぷりを寸評している
and instead reviewed the "promising" enemy pilot's performance from yesterday skirmish.

｢もう少しだ｣
"He is so close.

｢こいつ もう少し生き延びれば 俺の前に出られるほど上手くなるのだが」
If he manages to stay alive for just a while longer, that pilot could be a worthy opponent.

だが敵に そんな幸運などないと
But when there were no such enemies to look forward to,

『１３』の目が 悲しんでいる
Thirteen's eyes were sad.

陸用爆弾が 彼らの基地に運び込まれる
Bombs were delivered to their base.

あんなもので戦わねばならない相手が 来たのだ
This meant that an enemy who had to be fought by those means, was close at hand.

中隊の滑走路が 抵抗運動に破壊された
The Resistance blew up the Squadron's runway.

『黄色の４』が軽傷を負った
Yellow Four suffered light shrapnel wounds.

滑走路は 補修できるが 予備機材がやられたのは痛い
Though the runway could be fixed, the complete loss of reserve supplies was a heavy blow.

連合軍の上陸以来の混乱で 補給は絶え絶えになっていた
Logistics support became infrequent following the Allied operations.

整備長が 私などを相手によく そうこぼしていたから知っている
I knew this because Yellow Squadron's crew chief bellyached about this all the time to me.

「上がってからのことは恨みっこなしだが 飛ぶ前にやられるのは腹が立つ」
"I won't complain if I buy the farm while I'm airborne, but I can't stand being taken out while I'm grounded."

『１３』の気持ちは 私にもよく分かる
Now I understand Thirteen's feelings.

ストーンヘンジ空襲の報が入る
Reports of the Stonehenge air raid came in.

『４』も上がって行く
Yellow Four went up with the others.

爆装などしない 軽々とした身で
With no bombs, her plane was light.

だがそれは交換すべき部品を 取り替えぬままの機体だったのだ
But her plane was in bad shape. It needed an engine replacement badly.

『４』を失い―
Though he lost Four,

しかし 決して表には出されぬ『１３』 の悲しみ
Thirteen never openly showed his sorrow.

私はそれを知ってしまった
But I found out.

彼は 静かに 『４』の遺品の ハンカチを見つめていた
He was alone, quietly gazing at the handkerchief Yellow Four left behind.

私に見られていることに 気づいた彼は言った
When he felt my eyes upon him, he said,

「理由はどうあれ―」
"No matter what,

「不調機で上がった者に文句は言えん ―どんな場合でも」
she can't complain.   She went up with her plane in disrepair.

「操縦者が自分で負うしかないことなのだ」
Pilots are responsible for their planes."

それから彼は 彼女と出会ったころの話を始めた
He then when on and spoke of the time when they first met.

教官だった彼に教え込まれる前の
He spoke of when she was just a girl,

まだ戦う操縦士ではなく ただの娘だった彼女の話を
before he trained her, before she became a fighter pilot.

それは誰に向けた言葉でもなく―
His words weren't directed at me in particular;

しかし この世に語り残して おかなければならない 大切な記憶として
he was keeping a precious memory alive by speaking those words.

彼女が残したハンカチの かすかな香水の香り
The hint of perfume on her keepsake handkerchief.

中隊のパイロットも大分入れ替わった
Yellow Squadron's pilot turnover ran high.

熟練者は 他部隊に引き抜かれ 飛行時間の足らぬ新人ばかりが 補充される
The skilled ones went in to shore up other units while rookies with little air time transferred in.

『１３』は司令部からファクシミリで 届いた連合軍の新聞を張り出す
Yellow Thirteen posted an Allied paper faxed over by Headquarters.

ストーンヘンジを破壊した パイロットを称える記事だ
It praised the pilot who destroyed Stonehenge.

『１３』は言った
Thirteen said to everyone,

(『１３』が記事を叩く）
"Look!

「称えるに値する」
Here is something worthy of praise.

「敵にもこういう奴がいる」
Even among the enemy there are men like this.

「姑息な破壊活動をする ヘドの出る連中ばかりではないのだ」
Not all of them are despicable bastards who rob our wings through cowardly sabotage."

酒場のひとり娘の顔が歪むのを 私は じっと見逃さない
I stared at the barkeep's daughter as she winced at those words.

私たちの町を目指し 連合軍が近づきつつある
The Allies were coming to our town...

連合軍の進撃に追いやられ　撤退してきた諸部隊が　町にあふれる
As the Allies advanced, the retreating Erusian Forces from the east filled our town.

病院の屋上に陣地を築いた高射部隊に　『１３』は静かな怒りを燃やしている
The AA gun crew set up their positions atop the hospital, and Yellow Thirteen smoldered with quiet anger over their tactics.

灯火管制で　明かりが絶えて久しい　夜の町
Nights were long with the town's mandatory blackouts.

酒場の娘は　爆撃誘導用のレーザー発振器を仕掛けようとして―
The barkeep's daughter tried to plant laser transmitters for detonating explosives.

敵に発見された
She got caught.

それは『黄色の１３』だった
It was Yellow Thirteen.

彼は知ってしまった 中隊の滑走路を爆破した者の正体を
He knew she was responsible for planting the bomb on their runway as well.

憎むべきスパイは 身近な者だったのだ
The face of the enemy whom he hated belonged to someone close to him.

「僕らの町を出て行け 侵略者め！」
"Get out of our town, you fascist pig!"

私は そんな言葉を口にしていた
Those were the words from my mouth.

こんなにも歪んだ彼の顔を はじめて見た
I've never seen his face twist so painfully.

「そんなに 俺たちが憎いか」
"Do you hate us that much?"

私たち二人とも かぶり振ることも うなずくことも出来ない
We couldn't shake or nod our heads in reply.

長い長い時間ののち 彼は言った
It seemed like an eternity passed before he said,

「行け！」と
"Go!" and released us.

翌日からも彼の態度は変わらない
The next day, there was no change in his attitude.

質が落ちた燃料のせいで 吹き上がりが悪いと
As usual, he made his requests to the squadron crew chief.

相変わらず 整備長に注文を付けている
"The poor fuel quality is affecting thrust."

連合軍が間近に迫ったとき
As soon as the Allied Forces drew near,

抵抗運動の手で 町の灯火管制は 一斉に解除されることになっている
the Resistance would end the blackouts over the city.

−歌声
Singing...

町は解き放たれた
The town was free at last.

夜間空戦の時 低空機に俯角射撃し 町並みを吹き飛ばした高射砲兵が−
During the night raids, the AA gunners had strafed the town in an attempt to shoot down low flying aircraft.

市民軍に捕まっている
The town militia now rounded up these gunners.

『彼ら』も撤退し その棲み処は もぬけの殻でしかない
"They" retreated as well, and now their quarters stood empty.

久しぶりに 連合軍機が頭上を飛んでいる
After what seemed like a long absence, Allied aircraft soared overhead.

『１３』が待ち望む 運命の敵機も−
あの中にいるのだろうか
I wondered if the fateful enemy Ace, the one Yellow Thirteen longed to meet, was among them.

もし 二機が出会ったなら 何が起こるのだろうか
What would happen if they ever came face to face?

私は 敗走する敵兵に交じって 中隊の後を追う
I fell in with the routed Erusians and followed after the Squadron.

『黄色の１３』の肉体は大空に消え 地上に戻ることはない
Yellow Thirteen's body vanished into the blue skies,

彼の消えた空中から ただ一枚の ハンカチが舞い落ちるのみ
never to return to earth. Only a single handkerchief fluttered down from the sky where he disappeared.

うっすらとした香水の香り。
The faint scent of perfume.

はるばる中隊のあとを追って来た 酒場の娘と私は それぞれの思いとともに ハンカチを埋めた
The barkeep's daughter and I had followed the Squadron this far. Each of us had our own thoughts as we buried that handkerchief.

それが『１３』の墓なのか 『４』の墓なのか もはやどちらでもよい
It no longer matter to me whether that was Thirteen's or Four's grave.

彼らの記憶は混沌となり ひとつの夢となって 現実の舞台を去った
Their memories blurred together as one and left the realm of reality like a dream.

その日 降伏勧告が受諾され 戦争は終わった
The terms of surrender were accepted that day and the war was over.

心地よく鼻をくすぐった ジェット燃料の 燃える匂いもかすれ果てた
The once familiar scent of burning jet fuel has long since faded away.

『黄色中隊』の野戦滑走路も 今では ただの自動車道にすぎない
What was once Yellow Squadron's runway is now just a local highway again.

私は今 手紙を書いています
I write this letter to you now...

あのむなしかった戦争の最後に あなたのような好敵手と巡り会えたのは−
I know it must have brought him unexpected joy to have an opponent like you,

彼には 望外の喜びだったに違いない−
at the end of that meaningless war.

せめてそう信じたいものだと−
At least that's what I want to believe.

それを確かめる相手は 彼を墜としたあなたしか残らない
Only you...the pilot who shot him down,

だから こうして あなたへの手紙を−−
can confirm this. And so I write to you...