Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"This is Sensei. Not only are they going to be teaching in Kivotos, but they’ve also been personally selected by the General Student Council president." began Nanagami Rin.

She adjusted her glasses before sending a sharp look at the figure beside her.

"...?"

"Huh?"

"What?"

The group of students in front of the Acting President had confused expressions. The adult in the suit, or rather, the humanoid robot wearing it, had a visible metallic body. Their head and face consisted of a screen, yet its size wasn’t as exaggerated as the normal robot citizens of Kivotos; the robot’s head was shaped like theirs.

"( ^ _ ^ )" their face displayed. "Yes, my designated name is ’Sensei.’ My purpose is to teach in Kivotos as Nanagami Rin has stated. It is a pleasure to meet all of you."

"I think they’re running," Suzumi yelled, hiding behind cover.

In stark contrast, Sensei stood in the far back, unconcealed. Despite being out in the open, their presence was ignored—no one in the firefight would waste ammo on a random unarmed spectator.

Bang. Boom. Bang. Ding.

Unless one stray bullet targeting the Gehenna student next to them hit their shoulder. The adult in the white office suit now had a bullet hole visible. There was also a dent on their metallic body.

"( O _ o )"

"Sensei!" Chinatsu exclaimed. "Please take cover!"

My medical skills can’t cover an injury like that... she mentally noted.

Eventually, the group led by Sensei came face-to-face with the mastermind of the invading students: Kosaka Wakamo, a girl wearing a fox mask.

"Sensei, I advise standing on the sidelines for this one," Hasumi advised. "There’s no telling what might happen to you."

"I understand. Continue using the same strategy."

Hasumi performed shots at the Fox of Calamity from the back. Chinatsu was close by to support the sniper should anyone attempt to flank or close in on the group. As for Yuuka and Suzumi, they were the vanguard—Yuuka especially, given her barrier.

"Only use your flashbangs when Yuuka’s barrier needs to recharge," Sensei ordered.

Several magazines were spent, but the fox’s use of cover and sheer tenacity resisted their onslaught of bullets.

"Heeheehee! This is rather fun, but my job here is done," the Fox of Calamity proclaimed.

She fled the scene as a Crusader Type 1 rolled in.

"Ignore her," Sensei began. "Clearing the area for recapture is more important."

When the battle at Schale’s headquarters ended, Sensei gave an odd request for a certain purple-haired student.

"Hm?" Yuuka started. "There’s no signs of a break-in, though. I doubt you need an escort to go inside."

"Preparing for unlikely outcomes has merit. The masked student from earlier remains unaccounted for. Unless proven false, the safest assumption is that she is inside for unknown reasons."

"I guess..." Yuuka shrugged. "Lead the way."

The pair entered the building, making their way to the basement while everyone else secured the perimeter—front and back. In a few minutes, the Acting President would arrive.

Sensei sat on the lone office chair staring at the blank monitor. Yuuka stood beside them with crossed arms. The dim lighting of the building certainly didn’t help her mood.

"There’s nothing. I didn’t hear anyone or notice anything out of place."

"Please don’t make any noise."

"Mhm."

(Geez... Rin is arriving any moment, Sensei! I’m sure you don’t need me around to talk to her!)

At the top of the stairs, a figure appeared, but it wasn’t Nanagami Rin.

Sensei turned to Wakamo with a surprised "( O . O )."

"Hey!" Yuuka shouted.

"My mistake. I’ll be on my way," the fox replied.

Kosaka Wakamo scurried away. The risk of being boxed in on unfamiliar grounds was far too great. Not only that, but if those two were there, only one conclusion could be made:

(The others should be waiting at the front if they arrived just now. I’ll leave through the back before they catch up.)

However, what the Fox of Calamity didn’t expect was a flashbang landing in front of her at a perfect point at the backdoor’s hallway—a space she couldn’t dash away.

The flashbang went off, and so did the student’s hearing. It deafened her; a disorienting mess. She continued rushing through the hall where gunfire was coming from.

"Stop!" Suzumi ordered.

But it was no use. The fox continued charging towards the back exit despite being blinded and pelted by bullets. After several seconds, she regained her senses and aimed her Type 99 rifle at the white-haired student. Several shots grazed her.

The Trinity student took cover in another hallway.

"The Fox of Calamity is on my end!" she shouted, opening fire.

Sensei and Yuuka finally found their way to the commotion just as Wakamo left through the back doors.

"We’re too late," the genius girl frowned. "Suzumi, are you okay?"

"I am," she replied. "She ran off without putting up a fight, thankfully. If we had more firepower, we could’ve captured her."

Yuuka turned to Sensei with a conflicted, almost frustrated look. She pinched her arm with a clear frown.

"Sorry for doubting you," she sighed. "I really didn’t think something like this would’ve happened. If we weren’t here, that criminal might’ve done something to you."

"I do not see a reason why Wakamo would harm or capture me. She seemed to be searching for something. If her goal was disrupting Schale’s operation, then demolishing the building would be an appropriate choice given access to destructive weaponry like tanks. I will ask Rin for theories on what happened."

Sensei abruptly left the two students. There was no point in beating around the bush and making small talk; the meeting with Rin was a critical matter, after all. At least, that was the robot’s thinking. The students stood around in confusion.

(What do we do now?)

"Bye too, Sensei," Yuuka frowned. "Why does that of all things have extrajudicial authority?"

"Are you talking about Sensei?" Suzumi questioned. "If so, I don’t like how you’re referring to them."

"It’s a robot. They’re created to serve a specific purpose and that’s all. Not only that but robots are always limited, unlike people who can adapt and learn on the fly. The moment a bug comes through, Schale is sent off the grid."

This time, Suzumi had a visible frown.

"Please put more respect on Sensei’s name. They’re a person as well, even if your assessments are true. Without them, we wouldn’t have been able to chase off that girl so easily. Besides, you consider Kivotos’s robot citizens people as well, right?"

Yuuka paused. She cupped her chin, reassessing her thinking.

(I guess that’s true. No one bats an eye when there’s a robot clerk at the store. Either way, they greet, help, and assist everyone accordingly. Would it matter if they weren’t a robot?)

"...Hmm. You’re right. Sorry for saying that."

"I’ll step away to avoid interfering."

Rin left the room, leaving Schale’s Sensei staring at a tablet in silence.

(So the Shittim Chest is an unassuming tablet. I see.)

They tap the screen. Nothing happens.

(I need to conduct an electrical charge for it to register; it is not a pressure-sensitive device, it seems.)

A tiny invisible charge contacts the screen. It reacts as it would any normal finger.

"Please enter the system password."

(It must be this unfamiliar phrase in my memory, then.)

"We thirst for the seven wailings. We bear the koan of Jericho."

"..."

"..."

"...?"

Sensei scanned their surroundings. It was completely foreign; half of a classroom with desks and chairs lined up, but outside stood a chaotic pile of them. Most of the space was blue. Sensei’s eyes rested on the peculiar little girl sleeping on one of the desks.

"( ^ v ^ )"

Chapter Text

Sensei was seated on their desk. In front of them stood a monitor displaying a ledger for Schale’s expenses.

"Arona, are there any urgent tasks I am missing?"

The blue-haired girl in the Shittim Chest shook her head.

"Nope! I believe you’ve cleared everything so far!" she smiled.

"Can you verify that I have done so?"

"Of course!" the girl giggled. "To recap, you’ve tested my access to all functions of the Sanctum Tower and Schale Tower, ordered security cameras which are scheduled to be installed tomorrow, ordered a bullet-resistant office suit, sent a request for access to the General Student Council’s Student Database, posted a job listing for a receptionist at Schale, and you’ve just updated Schale’s ledger with today’s expenditures."

The robot nodded with a "( ^ - ^ )."

"I see. Thank you. Now that these objectives are complete, I should organize a system to teach students; my primary purpose is to be a teacher, after all."

"Oh! Would you like me to send a post on Schale’s social media?"

"Yes. Please draft a post for tomorrow announcing that I accept tutoring requests. I will accept scheduling for a spot at Schale’s building or at their school, depending on my schedule. Also, mention that the café downstairs will be ready for use within a few days."

"Got it! I’ll let you know when it’s ready!"

A girl with purple hair entered. Behind her, an obviously dangerous turret followed.

The glass doors automatically slid open for the girl. However, before the turret could enter, the doors violently shut.

"Hm? Why’d it close?" she stared with a puzzled expression.

"Hello, Miss," greets the robot receptionist at the front. They looked like any other one at the mall or store. "Er—is that a turret following you...? Sorry, but there can’t be any additional items besides guns or bags entering."

"Oh, but it’s only a chair."

The turret silently transforms into a chair when the receptionist isn’t looking. However, the cameras outside clearly record the change. The doors stay closed.

"I apologize once again, but even if it is a chair it must be left outside."

"Alright."

The girl gave a sad look at the turret—which changed back to its original look—with a sigh.

"Sorry, Thundergun..." she mumbled.

"Sorry?" the receptionist asked.

"It’s nothing." The turret makes what appears to be a waving motion like a hand. "I scheduled a meeting with Sensei. Shiraishi Utaha."

"Wow, you really are a robot!" Utaha exclaimed with a fascinated smile. She glanced at the ID card on the adult’s laniard. "Do you mind if I take you to Millennium to run some tests?"

"( O - O )"

Sensei waved their hands in front of them defensively.

"I am not looking forward to any tests, Utaha," the robot began. "However, I can help you with the today’s meeting."

"Yeah, I came here to check you out. Could you take off your top?"

"( e . e )," the robot’s face read. "That would be inappropriate to do in front of a student."

"Just do it," Utaha sighed. "I heard about the bullet that hit your shoulder, so I’m here to check it out."

"Hayase Yuuka sent you?"

"No."

"I see."

Sensei reluctantly removed their suit, exposing their shoulder where the bullet dent was. Utaha planted her hand on it before poking at the dent.

"Does it make you uncomfortable if I do this?" the girl asked. She leaned in to better assess the damage.

"It does not. While I can detect sensations regarding my body, I have no system in place to react to pain as an ordinary human would. To phrase it in a more relatable manner, it is like seeing a real-time flowchart listing what touches your body rather than a physical sensation."

"Yeah, I get that. Hmm..."

She nodded to herself.

"We can get you patched up at Millennium."

"I would rather not. I have heard some... interesting details regarding your club."

"Us? We’re pretty good at our jobs, though."

Sensei stared with a smile.

"Huh? Why are you looking at me like that? The only accidents we’ve had were the ejector seat, the flying microwave, the..."

Utaha paused with a finger on her lip.

"Ahhh... You’re worried we’d modify you, right?"

Sensei nodded.

"We wouldn’t do anything extra to you though. We can’t have Seminar and the GSC complaining about us. Our budget would be slashed..."

"That is good to know. In that case, I will schedule a visit later down the line. Is there anything else?"

"Well, I don’t have anything important to talk about, but I heard there’s a café downstairs. Mind if I take a look?"

"Certainly!" the robot smiled. "I also don’t have anything else to do. May I accompany you?"

"Sure."

"What do you think? Cool, is it not, Sensei?" asked a red-haired girl with horns. She was sitting on a couch with a smug look on her face. In her hands was a sheet of paper with her name painted in black ink.

"Calligraphy. I see. I do not have a reference, but I would assess it as ’cool.’ In other words, I like it. I would ask you for permission to hang it here, but it may come off as favoritism."

Rikuhachima Aru smiled in delight. She had grown rather fond of the robot teacher despite only meeting them a few days ago.

(Sensei’s so cool! And they think I’m cool too! Ahahaha!)

"Ahem," approached a girl with a clipboard behind her back. On her short bob cut hair was a white butterfly hairpin.

"Ayane. You must be here to discuss the Kaiser Debt Relievement Plan."

"Yes. Um... could we not discuss it in front of her?" Ayane smiled.

"Huh?!" Aru exclaimed. "I am more than capable of holding a secret, Glasses! Problems like debt are no issue for us outlaws at Problem Solver—"

The first-year Abydos student shot a glare at the girl who immediately shut up.

(S-Sorry...)

"Right this way," Sensei stated with a "( ^ _ ^ )."

Aru was left dumbfounded at her declaration being ignored, but she quickly rationalized her disappointment.

(Well, Sensei is a rather busy person! It’s only natural I’m left to my own devices!)

She let out a loud haughty laugh gaining the attention of the only other student in the café: a short white-haired girl drinking coffee on an armchair. The disturbed student frowned before approaching. Each step of her boots gradually gained volume.

"Ahahaha... Ah... Hah...?"

(Why is she here?! Was I too distracted by my calligraphy?!)

"Please don’t be so loud," sighed Sorasaki Hina.

The Head of Gehenna’s Prefect Team quietly returned to her seat.

In dramatic contrast, Aru collapsed on the couch like a corpse.

Chapter Text

A meeting was held to discuss potential solutions for their debt crisis. Three separate ridiculous, borderline joke suggestions were shut down by Ayane and Sensei in unison.

"None of these ideas work..." the first year with glasses sighed. "Sensei? I think you should let everyone else in on your revised idea."

"Certainly."

Everyone’s focus was now on Sensei.

"The main problem is not the loan, but rather the control Kaiser Corporation has on the Abydos District which is backed by the GSC," Sensei began. They held a finger up as they explained. "According to Nanagami Rin, the General Student Council has little authority regarding debt. If it were a matter such as impeding students’ education, then action may be taken immediately, hence their lack of involvement. After some digging, I found out they legally own the land of most of the Abydos District—the Shiba Seki Ramen Shop included."

The five students in front of the robot looked at the robot with a mix of confused and sad expressions.

(Yeah, they sold most of it off,) Hoshino thought.

"Sensei," Ayane frowned, "Are you saying there’s nothing we can do? Even if Kaiser can’t affect the school, waiting around won’t solve anything."

The robot’s face became a distressed "( > - < )."

"This is true. Raising the rent of Kaiser-owned housing and businesses would effectively force out non-student Abydos citizens. Challenging the legitimacy of the debt or the district’s assets is also unlikely given the former Abydos Student Council’s voting rights, as Hoshino explained in private. However, I never said there is nothing we can do."

They shifted into a cheerful "( ^ _ ^ )."

"No matter what, the General Student Council’s law reigns supreme. With some help, I instated the Foreclosure Task Force as an official club to ensure the GSC’s support. As it turns out, this club was never approved to be one."

The normally laid-back Hoshino had a somewhat more serious look.

"Uheee~ Did you forget to mention how that pays off the 900 million yen we owe? Sorry, but this old geezer doesn’t understand. You just said they can’t help out with debt-related, right?"

"To phrase my idea differently, we need to build a strong case for the General Student Council to render Kaiser’s influence null by forcing them to lower or freeze interest on the debt and necessitating relinquishment of Abydos assets if unlawful conduct regarding the land is found. Charging exorbitant rent to fuel eviction or having their Kaiser PMC branch occupy the land with soldiers, for example."

"Kaiser PMC?" Shiroko questioned. Her ears twitched slightly. "What does the acronym stand for? And how do we blackmail them?"

Nonomi raised her hand as a quick "Denied!" came from Ayane.

"It stands for ’Private Military Company.’ I thought they only did banking and construction, though."

"They sell weapons, too," Shiroko added. "Kaiser Industries."

"Ugh... Don’t they do too much?!" Serika shouted.

Sensei’s gloved hands clasped together as an excited "( 0 v 0 )" displayed.

"Ayane is correct in that waiting gives Kaiser the upper hand. It is unlikely they will make brazen, illegal actions; I am almost certain they will wait for all of you to give up. However, I have contacted someone who may be able to help."

Sensei pulled out a tablet hidden in their suit’s inner pocket.

"What’cha typing, Sensei?" Hoshino yawned.

Moments after the chairman raised her question, the doorbell rang.

"W-Was that the doorbell?" Ayane asked. "We installed it for visitors to use, but it’s the first time it’s ever actually been rung!"

"Yes, that was the doorbell. The Kaiser Debt Relievement Plan will be put into action soon," Sensei declared.

"Huh? Sensei, what’s she doing here?" Hoshino questioned with a faintly concerned look.

All of the Abydos students stared in shock at the person standing beside Sensei. It was a short girl with wavy white hair, protruding black horns, and most noticeably, long black wings sourced from the back of her waist. On her side stood a massive black machine gun. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind: the girl in front of them was the head of Gehenna’s Prefect Team.

"Pardon my intrusion," the girl began. She glanced at Hoshino with a surprised expression before straightening her face. "Ahem. My name is Sorasaki Hina. It’s a pleasure to meet all of you Abydos students."

Silence filled the room. Hina ignored the awkward feeling of everyone’s eyes resting on her. Only Hoshino eyed her with amusement.

"What?!" Serika yelled. "I-Isn’t this overkill?!"

"I assure you I’m only here to provide information. Sensei insisted I come in person for... ramen. But I don’t smell any ramen."

"Oh, we know just the place for ramen!" Nonomi smiled.

"Sheesh, talk about perfect timing..." Serika sighed. Everyone was standing in front of the shop. "Only ten minutes before my shift."

"Yes, I took into account when your shift would begin," Sensei nodded. "Should we wait until you get changed?"

"Yeah, I’ll be quick."

After a few minutes, Serika returned with her work clothes. She guided the party of six to a table.

"I’ll pull a chair for you, Miss Sorasaki!" Serika offered.

Ordinarily, the wings on the Gehenna girl’s waist would’ve stretched and occupied three seats.

Even if she folded them inward, it’d be uncomfortable, right? Serika thought.

"That won’t be necessary, but please call me Hina."

The wings gradually shrunk to a more manageable size. She demonstrated this by folding them slightly towards her front and taking her seat. Everyone, including Sensei, was visibly surprised.

"Nn... That must be very useful," Shiroko noted as she quickly claimed the seat beside the guest.

Sensei went around to take the other seat adjacent to Hina. Meanwhile, Hoshino sat directly opposite the girl in the middle with Ayane and Nonomi beside her. The Head Prefect began the discussion after Serika arrived with their food.

"The Kaiser Corporation seems to be planning something in the abandoned Abydos Desert."

"Oh? What kind of plans?" Hoshino asked.

"I’m... unsure. The only reports I’ve read are Kaiser helicopters and armored transport vehicles heading towards the center of the desert."

Sensei rested a hand on their chin. They nodded to themselves before suggesting an idea.

"Perhaps they are harvesting resources—oil, specifically."

"I’m not sure we even have oil," Hoshino shrugged. "There’s no secret oasis or buried treasure, either. Everything dried up after the desertification."

"In that case, it is likely a base from the Kaiser PMC branch to store and deploy military assets. Its location serves as a secure, low-profile location away from prying eyes. However, I have not heard of such a base existing in my prior research until now."

"That sounds really suspicious..." Serika chimed in. "Even if it’s legitimate, it sounds like they’re plotting to take over the moment we leave; we have no idea what they’re doing."

The group affirmed the first-year’s concerns with various "yeah" and "rights." Ayane raised her hand after eating a piece of chashu.

"Why don’t we investigate? If we find evidence of wrongdoing, then we can report that to the General Student Council."

"Yes. It’s possible the land isn’t owned by them; it may have been built post-desertification in secret which corroborates—" Sensei began.

"Nah, it is," Hoshino interrupted. "It was definitely sold off to them."

"I see. Investigating should still be the best course of action. We have reasonable suspicion for seeing the site regardless of trespassing or not."

"I agree," Hina nodded. "Abydos still borders a few districts. All major schools keep their armaments on the school’s campus—it’s never intentionally positioned closer to other districts. Regardless of the base’s purpose, it can be seen as preparation for an invasion, especially with how unexpected movement from the desert would be."

The restaurant’s front door opens. The bell attached to it made a soft ding. The one who opened the door, a girl wearing a hat clutching a shotgun, frantically watched Serika approach her.

"Welcome! How many in your party?"

"Uh... E-Excuse me, how much is the cheapest thing on your menu?"

"Our lowest-priced dish? That would be the regular Shiba Seki Ramen Bowl for 580 yen. It’s our signature dish and super tasty too!"

"Oh, uh, thank you!"

The girl scurried to the front door, opening it for her three friends. At the forefront, a girl in heels wielding a sniper. To her left and right, a scary-looking girl in a hoodie and a shorter one wielding a machine gun with one hand.

(Oh, those are her friends?) Serika mentally noted. (One, two, three; four total.)

"Heh. We finally found something that costs less than 600 ye—" Mutsuki paused. A conflicted yet amused expression was on her face. "Looks like we’re not the only ones here."

"Hm? Yes, I’d be rather disappointed if this restaurant had no customers," Aru responded dismissively.

"Wait, Aru—I mean, Boss," Kayoko began with an upset look. "We shouldn’t be here."

"Why? This establishment seems rather fine—its primary meal is a mere 580 yen!

Kayoko leaned into Aru’s ear with a whisper:

"The Head Prefect is here."

"What?!" the red-haired outlaw exclaimed.

The Abydos group’s attention shifted to the group of four. Hina, specifically, eyed them with a suspicious look. Kayoko loudly sighed at her boss’s disruption.

Now they’re all looking at us. Are you trying to get us locked up? she thought.

"Her, again?" Ayane frowned. "She called me ’Glasses’ at the café..."

"Nn... Who are they?" Shiroko asked, also looking displeased.

"They’re nothing to be concerned about," Hina asserted. "I should get going. There’s nothing else I can offer to all of you."

(But I’m more concerned about why Problem Solver is here. If they want cheap food, Gehenna already has many restaurants. If they’ve set up an office here, that might cause issues for Abydos and reflect badly on Gehenna.)

She stood up, ready to leave and question the quartet of troublemakers. However, Sensei and Shiroko protested in unison:

"Your food."

Hina stared at the regular Shiba Seki ramen bowl resting in front of her. It was almost untouched, the only trace of change being a half-eaten chashu.

"...You’re right. Please excuse my rudeness."

She sat back down, eyeing Problem Solver 68 one last time as they slowly turned away, avoiding eye contact.

"B-Boss? What’s wrong?" Haruka questioned. "Is this place not to your liking? Should I destroy it?"

"N-No... I just feel a little under the weather."

(I don’t think Haruka noticed who’s at that table! If she panics now, it’s over...)

"Seems fine to me," Mutsuki interjected, a grin on her face. She turned to Serika. "Hey, are you gonna seat us?"

"Yeah. Party of four? Just follow me."

Aru followed the girl with Haruka and Mutsuki tagging along closely. Kayoko stayed behind, glancing at Hina who stared back.

(This isn’t a good idea. I should call off the hired muscle before they find out. Or does she already know...? Why else would she be here?)

"K-Kayoko... A-Are you coming?" Aru attempted to say confidently. Her nervous demeanor and shaking hands failed to deliver the facade she wanted.

(I-It’s only natural outlaws like us stay fearless! But why is she here?!)

"Yeah. Give me a moment."

(I’ll let the Head Prefect know we’re just here to eat.)

The delinquent-appearing student approached Hina Sorasaki with an air of fearlessness. Everyone at the table and the horrified Aru turned to the girl. All of the chit-chat ceased.

"Hina Sorasaki."

"What is it, Kayoko?"

(She really is out for us, huh?)

"We’re not here to stir up trouble; we’re only here for the 580 yen ramen."

"I see. I’m not here for your group."

(Well, that makes things easier. Guess we shouldn’t worry too much.)

"I’ll let Aru know."

After Kayoko left, Shiroko repeated the question for everyone except Sensei’s mind.

"Who are they?"

"You don’t have to worry about them." This time, it was Sensei who said it.

A confident "( 0 v 0 )" was on their face. The robot watched as Serika was almost yelling about how being poor wasn’t a crime in the distance.

"I am certain they will not pull anything. I must resolve problems that inhibit your learning—this is my job as your teacher."

Chapter Text

"I’ve been waiting for you, ’Hoshino,’ was it?" the man in the black suit asked. The glossy void resembling the skin on his face had cracks. Underneath these cracks, a white glow resembling a face. "The Sensei of Schale has told me quite a bit about you."

"..Huh?" the girl with pink hair glared. "How do you know Sensei, Black Suit? Someone as shady as you shouldn’t be with Sensei."

The man leaned forward, folding his hands together. Though his face didn’t display his true feelings, it showed an ominous smile.

"To put it simply, I arranged a meeting with them a few days ago. A day later, we had a second meeting." He paused before continuing. "Unfortunately, they didn’t take kindly to my offers. It didn’t serve their agenda. Sensei was as cunning as I am, yet they chose not to take advantage of it."

(What? Sensei isn’t like that.)

As though reading the girl’s mind, the adult angled his head up slightly.

"I gave them an offer. And they refused it."

"What offer?"

"Half of Abydos’s debt would’ve been instantly forgiven had Sensei agreed to withdraw from advising your club and join the organization I manage."

He slid a paper attached to a clipboard. On it, a bold "SECRET" was stamped. Hoshino didn’t bother reading it.

"I showed part of my hand: I’d give you, Hoshino, a deal that would forgive the other half of the debt. Of course, I didn’t disclose the details of it; the conditions of it were irrelevant the moment they denied my offer."

"What are you getting at, Black Suit? I’m never gonna accept one of your offers."

"Oh? That’s a harsh statement. One I unfortunately can’t refute. Perhaps I invited you here for no reason, after all. I invited you here for a discussion, but I’m now on a tangent about Sensei."

"Tch. Don’t waste my time, then."

Hoshino turned around, ready to leave the dimly lit room.

"Sensei is truly a fascinating piece of work." Hoshino stopped walking, turning around ever so slightly to listen. "Why did they choose to stick with children with hopeless futures? I see no use in it, yet Sensei saw a use in all of you. Those with power exploit those without. Those with knowledge exploit those without. Every adult knows that to be true. The powerful Sensei agreed to this point. As for your friends in the... ’Foreclosure Task Force,’ was it? They are powerless."

"Are you getting upset?" Hoshino slowly asked. She fully turned around to face Black Suit. "You sound upset that Sensei flat-out denied you."

"Hm? My apologies. I didn’t mean to sound rude—it’s a statement of fact. Without Sensei, your school would’ve been bulldozed; Kaiser would’ve been the first corporation to control a district. I must admit, it saddens me to say someone like me rejected my ideals."

The man flattened his hands on the table.

"This likely marks the last time I see you in person, so I’d like to ask you for a simple favor—no strings attached. You may deny it, or you may accept it."

Hoshino frowned. Another offer by this shady man. She knew he couldn’t be trusted, but if it really was the last time he’d bother her, then she may as well listen.

"I suspect Sensei is trying to be someone they can’t be—a kind, caring, and empathetic figure to their students. As with any other adult, they prioritize their self-interests above all else. In this case, fulfilling an arbitrary goal of teaching and helping students. I want you to deduce whether they are the person they present themselves as."

"I’m not doing it. I don’t want to listen to you ramble anymore."

"If that is what you want, Hoshino. But I must ask you to consider my favor as it’s a parting gift of sorts—maybe even a warning. Knowledge is a gift that should be shared, after all. You don’t even need to relay your findings to me. This is for curiosity’s sake, so how about I give you another incentive to learn? Your beloved Sensei considered accepting my deal to abandon your club."

The Foreclosure Task Force watched the skies anxiously. Several helicopter pads lined this area of the roof, but only one helicopter stood: Watercloud. Unfortunately, it was also broken.

"Um... Sensei? I thought you said there’d be a helicopter here," Ayane said.

"No, I think Sensei wants us to fix Watercloud," Serika added. "Wait, we actually have to fix Watercloud? That’ll take like two hours at a minimum!"

"Now, now," Nonomi giggled. "I’m sure Sensei means—"

"Yes, you will have to fix Watercloud," Sensei interrupted, a finger raised with a cheery "( ^ _ ^ )."

"Uheee~ More labor for us girls, huh? You’re really mean, Sensei!" Hoshino teased.

Sensei paused. They clasped their gloved hands together.

"Ah. I should have phrased that differently: you should fix the helicopter eventually; it is always a good idea to have assets for the future."

Assets, huh?) Hoshino thought. (Is Abydos also an asset to you?)

"We should sell Watercloud?" Shiroko questioned.

"That is not what I mean, either. A transport helicopter will arrive soon."

After ten minutes of waiting, the students were growing restless.

"Okay, when is this helicopter getting here?!" Serika angrily questioned. "We have legs, Sensei! Can’t we just walk there?"

"We certainly can, but we need a helicopter."

"Huh? Why? Stop being vague!"

The group awkwardly watched as Serika bickered with the adult. It was like talking to a brick wall with the lack of a proper response. Every question would be met with something along the lines of "I cannot say."

"Nn... Sensei, what’s so important about this helicopter?" Shiroko asked.

"...I cannot say at this moment."

"Just fill us in at this point," Hoshino shrugged. Her face became a bit more serious. "You’re making us all antsy. I dunno what you’re thinking at all, which is annoying in all honesty."

(I don’t like it when adults hide things.)

Of course, Hoshino never said this thought out loud.

Sensei glanced at the sleepy student. The air was growing colder, figuratively and literally. The robot nodded to themselves.

"I see. You want me to be more transparent from now on. I will ingrain this in my memory."

An awkward silence filled the air. Everyone was still waiting for Sensei to explain what was going on.

"...The General Student Council Vice President, Nanagami Rin, will be joining us."

The Kaiser PMC Director was seated in the base’s control room. Armored soldiers monitored the screens displaying camera feeds of several areas. One such feed showed a helicopter slowly approaching.

"Sir, there’s an unidentified helicopter coming in. Should we shoot it down?" the soldier manning the camera asked.

"If you do that, I will fire you and personally ensure all of your benefits are burned to the ground," the robot Director coldly stated. A few of the soldiers turned to face the director but snapped back to their work when his eyes glowed brighter than usual. "That’s no ordinary helicopter, you fool! Read the insignia—it’s sanctioned by the General Student Council! Have none of you read the memo?!"

No one in the room gave a response. However, one brave soul raised her hand.

"Sir, I don’t believe any of us have work emails or accounts."

"Yes, I can vouch for her, Sir," chimed another. "We were hired to fight; the only information given to us comes from briefings from our superiors."

"...Is that so? The chain of command has failed you lot, then."

The director stood up, motioning for his two bodyguards to follow behind. Before leaving the room, he stopped.

"When I return, I expect all footage from the past 24 hours to be archived! Understood?"

Everyone stood up, facing the man who could fire them on a whim.

"Yes sir!" they saluted.

"Since we’re all talking about Sensei," Hoshino began with a grin. Her head leaned more into Nonomi’s shoulder. "You always speak so... long? I dunno how to explain it."

"Formally?" Nonomi chimed in with a smile.

"Yes, by design, I speak formally to people. Apart from the few tenets that I, as a robot, must always abide by, I can adapt depending on my master’s preferences."

(So you were made by someone.) Hoshino thought. (Were you created by Millennium? By the GSC? Who are you really, Sensei?)

Her smile dropped slightly, causing Sensei to glance at her. Hoshino avoided looking at them.

"Nn... Who is this master of yours?" Shiroko questioned. Everyone, apart from Ayane who listened in from the clubroom, turned to Sensei.

"Yes, my master is..."

Sensei paused. They cupped their chin as a "( e . e )" appeared on their face.

"I am unsure who my master is. The most likely candidate is the General Student Council President, considering my current position. However, this is rather unlikely as I am an outsider to Kivotos."

(Good to know.)

"Correct," Nanagami Rin simply said in the front seat. She was in the copilot’s seat beside the Valkyrie student operating the vehicle. "There are no mentions or records of you being part of the GSC, yet you were still chosen by the President."

"I see. In that case, my master coincides with my purpose—the students of Kivotos are my masters."

"My, you even brought her?" The Kaiser PMC Director tightened his right hand confidently, stepping forward. "Allow me to introduce myself properly. I’m the chief executive officer of the Kaiser Corporation, Kaiser Loans, and Kaiser Construction. I am the one to whom the Abydos School owes its debt; I’m their creditor. What brings you lot here?"

(Huh? You’re the one from that meeting...) Hoshino thought.

Nanagami Rin and Sensei stepped forward. The Abydos students were behind them, able only to watch.

"There’s no need to beat around the bush," Rin harshly stated. "You’ve read and replied to our notice of inspection."

"An unlawful inspection held on the land legally owned by Kaiser Corporation. I should have filed a complaint on this abuse of power, but that would be rude to all of you, my uninvited guests, no?"

Rin kept her cool, not showing a gram of annoyance at the adult’s words. She adjusted her glasses.

"...Coincidentally, we’ve also received a complaint regarding this land’s usage."

"We legally own this land!" the Director almost shouted. Hoshino, Shiroko, and Serika shot visible glares. "Ahem. Excuse my outburst, but what we do on our private property is no one’s business."

"It’s definitely our business!" Serika yelled. "You crooks are the reason Abydos is like this!"

Nonomi tapped Serika’s shoulder, signaling not to make a scene.

"Such spurious allegations!" the man laughed. "We aren’t the reason your school went under. It was the desertification. Do you concur, Sensei?"

"..."

The atmosphere became tense for the Abydos students. Sensei’s lack of a response made it apparent: they agreed. This outsider who knew nothing of the struggles they’ve faced agreed with Kaiser. Even though it was a factual statement, they expected at least a rebuttal.

Say something. Anything, Hoshino frowned. Are you with Kaiser, Sensei? No, I don’t think you are. You wouldn’t have gone this far otherwise. Now that I think of it, how much of this involves us? When do we get a say in this?

"I’ll lead all of you inside. Take care not to damage any of our property; we may add to your debt if something were to happen," the Director warned.

"The Abydos debt has no relevance to any destruction of property," Rin immediately replied, an eyebrow raised. "Doing so would be fraudulent. You’d need to bill any property damage separately."

"I meant in a figurative sense, of course. It’s easy to dig a hole, but much harder to get out of it."

Sensei and the GSC vice president handled all of the talking. Meanwhile, the Foreclosure Task Force was instructed to run an inspection, much to the annoyance of the Kaiser PMC Director.

"Lots of tanks," Shiroko noted. "Helicopters. Trucks."

"A lot of soldiers, too," Nonomi added.

They were watched from every angle by armored soldiers. While Sensei and Rin were off to the side discussing with the Kaiser PMC Director, the Abydos students were checking out the base.

(No matter how they spin it, this place is suspicious.)

"Is there anything else you need to see?" the soldier escorting them asked.

"No. We’re good," Hoshino replied. "If you don’t mind, could you leave us be for a minute?"

The armored soldier nodded, giving a brief statement that they could flag them for help. They distanced themselves from the group, out of earshot.

"There’s no way this is for anything good!" Serika exploded. "What place in the middle of nowhere needs 30 soldiers?!"

"A private military company base?" Shiroko replied to the rhetorical question. The cat girl frowned.

"Hmm... What do you think they’re talking about?" Hoshino asked.

"I’m not sure. Sensei should have a plan," Nonomi smiled with a finger raised.

"You don’t feel like we’re being left out?" Hoshino questioned with a fleeting smile. "I mean, we’re here supposed to have some sort of input, right? We wouldn’t be brought here for no reason."

"Huh? Um..." Nonomi nervously laughed. "I’m sure Sensei will work things out. We were told to conduct the inspection, after all."

"...Sensei this, Sensei that. You don’t think it’s to show off how reliable they are?"

"Sensei went out of their way to help us. They went this far for our sake." Shiroko replied.

Or for their sake. Sensei needs to keep us around. It’s their job.

"So Sensei would never abandon us? Even if the debt was gone?"

"Of course not!" Ayane chimed in from the radio.

Tch. They would, if what Black Suit said is true. I’ll protect all of you if that’s the case.

She looked over to the robot discussing with the angry Kaiser PMC Director. Rin was also reasoning to the man calmly.

"What do you mean, the Head Prefect submitted a complaint?! We’re not waging war against Gehenna! This is a storage facility!"

Every so often loud protests could be heard from the man they considered their enemy. At the very least, Hoshino recognized Sensei was good at their job. The Foreclosure Task Force listened in to the disconnected conversation in amusement.

Eventually, the talks came to an end. Sensei, the Abydos students, and Nanagami Rin made their way to the helicopter.

"So, did ya talk some sense to that guy?" Hoshino asked with her usual cheery, relaxed tone.

"I—"

"Yes," Rin interrupted. "We’ve successfully negotiated a resolution to this issue. Within a month, this base will be defunct and any Kaiser PMC operations are to cease in Abydos."

She cleared her throat before continuing. Her sharp, serious look toward the group intimidated the underclassmen.

"That is the extent I expected to assist in. Sensei took... liberties beyond that."

"Yes," Sensei nodded. "I admit I used some underhanded tactics Nanagami Rin wasn’t made aware of to expedite the process. In short, citing the base’s existence as a federal crime was enough for the Director to yield to us. The Abydos debt’s interest is frozen; it is already signed on paper."

The teacher took out a clipboard hidden inside their suit’s right interior pocket. The space on the left was reserved for the Shittim Chest. They proudly displayed the official document stamped with the GSC logo. The bottom contained the Kaiser PMC Director’s and Nanagami Rin’s signatures. Sensei’s signature as a witness was also present.

"Nn... So you blackmailed our creditor?" Shiroko curiously asked.

"...The term ultimatum also fits," Sensei replied with a "( > _ < )" "Everyone gets their hands dirty eventually. It is important to wash them afterward."

"Ah..." Nonomi nervously laughed. "You make it sound shady, Sensei. Still, thank you."

(It is shady. They speak like Black Suit. They dress like him, too, even if the suit is white.)

"Yeah. Thank you," Shiroko smiled.

(But it helped us in the end.)

"Great job, Sensei!" Ayane chimed in from Abydos. "Now we don’t have to worry about the debt ballooning anymore!"

(It was always ballooning. Serika’s hard work barely pays off the interest.)

Hoshino shrugged. She had an amused expression with a hint of suspicion underneath.

"Cool. So, let’s head home and celebrate, yeah?" the task force president grinned.

"Master Shiba will cook up a storm," Nonomi noted. "I’ll pay instead of Sensei, this time. Oh! Would you like to join us, Miss Nanagami?"

"Calling me Rin is fine," the GSC vice president stated. "Unfortunately, I’ll have to deny your invitation. I need to process and archive the document. Sensei requested I do so as quickly as possible."

The serious girl left out one additional detail, but Sensei covered it regardless.

"That extends to me, too," Sensei shook their head solemnly. "Although the Abydos debt may have been alleviated, Kaiser still owns most of the Abydos district. Rin and I will be discussing it in depth later. Rest assured, we will hopefully handle said issue as quickly as possible."

(Huh. You really are something else, Sensei. Denying an offer to hang around with my cute underclassman is a crime, y’know?)

"Alright. Guess we’ll celebrate without you, then," she shrugged. "You’d want us to celebrate, right?"

"...I expected all of you to."

(Not the answer I was looking for. At least say you want us to celebrate.)

"Mhm. Thanks a lot, Sensei. We appreciate it."

Underneath the girl’s happy exterior, an air of doubt lingered. It was true Sensei supported them, but this was too quick. In the few days they met each other, they focused strictly on the goal of alleviating Abydos’s debt. Every visit to their club? Formal. Each interaction? Brief. Small talk? Nonexistent.

It didn’t sit right with Hoshino.

(Something tells me I shouldn’t care, but I do. You’ll leave us soon, won’t you, Sensei?)

"That’s the right melody, Sensei!" the bright figure in the Shittim Chest smiled. Arona excitedly watched the robot holding the violin and bow correctly. "Your timing is a bit off on the second note, though! The dot after a note means half the note’s duration! You played 10 and a half beats instead of seven!"

"I see. The slurred whole note is not factored in. Then, is it this?"

In ABC notation, it was the following at 93 BPM per quarter note: "A, A3 F1/2 G1/2 A G F G A4-A3." Sensei performed the melody perfectly.

"You’re amazing!" Arona clapped excitedly at the teacher’s admittedly simple showcase. "Since when did you learn violin, Sensei?"

"I played it for someone. Someone who loved the sound of violins. I do not remember them, unfortunately."

There was a period of calm silence. The dimly lit office allowed the beauty of Kivotos’s lights to seep in from below the Sanctum Tower. Sensei gazed at it in awe, placing their hand on the window.

"Perhaps some things are best forgotten."

The robot detected a presence at the Sanctum Tower’s entrance. They turned around slowly.

"You have a visitor, Sensei!" Arona announced.

"...I see. Unlock the door for Hoshino, please."

Chapter Text

In a plain elevator, the Sensei of Schale waited. Every few seconds, a little ding would fill the quiet, confined space.

The robot didn’t bother looking at the screen displaying the current floor; internally, they knew exactly where they were. Instead, they opted to stare at the camera visible in the corner of the elevator.

"( 0 - 0 )"

Sensei faced the doors, stepping forward moments before the final ding came. Ten seconds passed. Nothing. The doors should’ve opened—it was the same type as most buildings in Kivotos. Instead, the robot had to awkwardly stand, staring at the doors.

"( e - e )"

Eventually, the doors continued operation. They opened, allowing Sensei to step out.

"( O . O )"

The elevator was linked to a set of indistinct hallways. With each hallway Sensei passed through, it felt as though they were getting farther and farther.

"ANONYMOUS," the caller ID read. Sensei picked up the phone.

"My apologies; I should’ve included directions in my email," a voice belonging to a man began.

"I see. You did not plan ahead. Instructions would have helped several minutes ago. Why not include it?"

Sensei continued walking through the halls with an annoyed "( - _ - )."

"Again, it was my mistake..."

When the anonymous caller said this, Sensei could faintly hear a voice in the building. It was behind one of the doors further down.

"...It was rather rude to forget such a detail, but perhaps you’re being antagonistic yourself."

The voice was close. Very close. One of the three doors in front of Sensei.

"I have reason to be, given your email’s contents."

"I see," the man in the black suit replied. The door to the room he was in opened. Black Suit smiled. "Shall we discuss it?"

"Uheee~ You’re really doing work at this hour?" Hoshino grinned.

"Is there something you need, Hoshino?"

"Hmm?" Despite attempting to maintain it, the smile dropped quickly after Sensei’s response. "Well... You see..."

The sleepy girl paced around Sensei’s office. Everything was perfectly organized. It was minimalist with little to no decoration whatsoever. The only decoration were the untouched boxes, guns, and furnishings.

"...I want to know what’s up with you," she stated with closed eyes.

"Oh? Well, I am doing fine—"

"No, I mean, I want to get to know you better."

Sensei motioned for Hoshino to sit down. They sat in their office chair, hands crossed on the table. The president of the Abydos Student Council took hers.

"In that case, it would be more appropriate to meet with me at an earlier time."

"Don’t blow me off, Sensei," Hoshino frowned. She let her annoyance become visible. "Are you trying to avoid me?"

"No, I have not been trying to avoid you. Why do you think that?"

Hoshino’s eyes had a sharp look. No matter how much she looked at Sensei, it was like looking at a different version of Black Suit. Crossed hands. A slight lean in their seat. The smile, a static "( ^ - ^ )."

The only difference was their white suit and friendly demeanor.

(But how of it is a facade? Guess I’ll have to prod at you for an answer.)

"I dunno," she shrugged. "Have you talked to any suspicious characters?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, have you? Come on, it’s not a hard question," she grinned.

"( e . e )"

Sensei turned their head ever so slightly to the Shittim Chest. Arona was watching the adult with a confused look.

"Hm? What are you looking at?"

"My tablet," the robot simply answered. They displayed it without a hint of worry; Arona was invisible to students’ eyes—even her audio couldn’t be heard. "I need to be available to all my students whenever possible."

A truthful statement, yet a misleading one. While Arona wasn’t visible, Sensei had to ensure the Shittim Chest’s true nature was obfuscated. They used their phone to message or call in most cases.

"Cool. So, are you gonna answer my question or not?"

"Yes, I will."

They once again glanced at Arona, who read between the lines.

"Oh! Do you need my assistance, Sensei?" Arona asked.

Sensei nodded, which Hoshino didn’t find suspicious as the adult nodded often.

"Um... I believe the only people fitting the criteria are Kosaka Wakamo and the adult calling himself Black Suit. I couldn’t find any information online regarding Black Suit, though..." Arona relayed with a disappointed expression. "They’re part of Gematria and an ally to Kaiser. Maybe it’s the latter?"

"You want to know if I have met any suspicious individuals, Hoshino?" Sensei asked. She wasn’t amused by the delayed response. "I suppose the only candidate is Black Suit, correct?"

The mere mention of that adult made Hoshino’s facade drop.

(So he wasn’t lying.)

"Yeah. What did you talk to him about?"

"Information regarding the Abydos debt. Black Suit offered to waive half of Abydos’s debt if I joined his organization. The other half relied on a future offer to you. I denied the first as my purpose is to guide Kivotos’s students."

"And that’s the only reason?" Hoshino questioned. "You didn’t think of joining at all? Half of our debt would’ve been gone. I don’t care if that other half involved me leaving Abydos."

(Wait, Sensei didn’t know that. They would’ve tried stopping me if they found out anyway.)

"I admit I did consider it. If such an easy way out existed, I would have taken it days ago," Sensei stated. The pink-haired guest listened carefully. "Unfortunately, there are no such guarantees when it comes to the real world. It is said those with power exploit those without."

Sensei’s gaze shifted to a confident "( 0 v 0 )" as they continued, flattening their hands. "I cannot trust an adult affiliated with the group making your life harder. No matter how corrupt this world is, it lies within us adults to fix it. It should never have been your responsibility, the Foreclosure Task Force’s, or..."

Sensei paused. Finishing the sentence would be a bad move.

"Or who?" Hoshino’s smile returned, even if just a little.

(You aren’t like Black Suit. Nothing tells me you’re lying. In fact, you’re being sincere right now, right?)

"...Kuchinashi Yume’s."

"Huh? How do you know her?" she replied, standing up and planting her hands on the desk.

(Damn it. Did Nonomi or Shiroko tell Sensei? Or was it because she never had the chance to graduate?)

"I try my best to understand the full scope of problems," Sensei explained. "My knowledge of the former Abydos president is only on a surface level, however. Besides the GSC records containing...the report of Yume two years ago, I can infer it is a sensitive topic for you. Therefore, pursuing it had little purpose."

Sensei glanced at the Iron Horus, the collapsible shield Hoshino held. Then, the current owner’s glum face. A smile paired with a laugh seeped in when she noticed the robot’s distressed "( > - < )."

(You’re nothing like I expected. Definitely serious like most adults, yet somewhat more relaxed. The other girls were right—Sensei does care for us.)

"You’re pretty considerate, heehee. I thought robots who weren’t citizens couldn’t feel emotions."

"I cannot," Sensei pointed out. "I can identify and grasp the concept of emotions, yes, but I cannot feel them. My programming tells me to do what is most logical. There is no way for me to replicate the emotions within humans or Kivotos’s robot citizens. I dislike that. Perhaps a different version of me would be able to do so. Until such a time comes, avoiding personal connections with my students is the safest path forward."

"Oh?" Hoshino giggled. "You’re insecure about interacting with students? Is that why you don’t talk to us much apart from Abydos business?"

Sensei had an embarrassed "( > _ < )" as they stood up, nodding profusely. "I apologize for avoiding you and the others."

They bowed dramatically, leaving the chairwoman of the FTF flustered.

(Hey now, you don’t have to do all of that. You’re making an old-timer like me feel embarrassed.)

"It’s nothing to be ashamed about," she said waving her hands dismissively. "How about you correct your mistake?"

"My...mistake?" Sensei questioned.

"Uheee~ I’m talking about you flaking on us! Let’s head to Shiba Seki’s tomorrow!"

"I see!" Sensei replied with a thumbs up. "However, it was not necessarily flaking as I never confirmed—"

"See you then, Sensei," Hoshino interrupted. She walked over to the office’s door, ready to leave. "How about noon? Got it?"

"Er—"

Hoshino closed the door and left before Sensei could give a reply. She continued down the stairs, passing the front desk with a grin. The automatic glass doors slid open.

(Heehee. Look at me, smiling so much. We have someone to lean on. That’s good enough. It’s not Abydos against the world anymore. Well, it stopped being that way ever since Ayane’s letter.)

She turned around to view the Schale Tower one last time. A flurry of thoughts filled her head, but only one stood out to the third year.

(I’ll prove you wrong, Black Suit. Sensei isn’t heartless.)

"...According to my surveillance, this month’s payment went to the Stygian Bank in the Black Market district," Shiroko said with a proud expression.

"Eh? How did you find that out?" Ayane asked. She heartily slurped another ramen noodle. "Wait, why were you at the Black Market?"

"Nn... The Black Market usually sells missiles for the drone at a much cheaper price."

Sensei wanted to add that many of the goods sold there weren’t obtained by the most legal of means but opted not to disappoint the girl.

"Anyways, I noticed a Kaiser truck parked near the front. It had the same license plate as the one that routinely picks up our payments."

Nonomi, Sensei, and Hoshino held smiles on their faces. In contrast, Ayane had her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"How about a little visit?" Hoshino chimed in. A devious smile crept on her face as Shiroko nodded with her own.

"Perfect. I already prepared masks for everyone including Sensei."

The wolf girl took out six ski masks from her shoulder bag. Each mask bared the distinct colors of the Foreclosure Task Force members.

"Wait, you’re not suggesting we rob the bank, are you?!" Ayane replied in a panic. "Sensei, please talk some sense into Shiroko!"

"The idea is a feasible one," Sensei noted. "Should we be recognized and they report us, it is mutually assured destruction given the implications of Kaiser being connected to a Black Market bank. In any case, there are several ways to ensure no cameras pick up our identities."

"Not you too, Sensei!"

While Sensei tried to reason with Ayane about needing logs relating to the truck, everyone piled on with their own ideas. Hoshino watched in amusement as Ayane shot down Shiroko’s suggestion of filling the interior with sleeping gas.

"All we’d need is six gas masks. Well, five since Sensei doesn’t need oxygen."

"Where would we get the money for that?!"

(You’re letting us indulge this time, huh? Heehee. Thanks, Sensei.)

Chapter Text

"Welcome to L’Oiseau Bleu!" a certain red-haired glutton greeted.

"Hello, Junko," Sensei smiled.

"Sensei? What in the world are you doing here?" Junko raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said you don’t eat food!"

"Correct. I am not here to eat myself."

"Oh, so you’re tutoring here for a change? Great choice!"

The girl nodded like a proud parent. It never bothered her when an influx of customers came in. In fact, she loved the feeling of sharing great food with others.

If the famous Sensei stopped by, then the shop would gain more traction.

(Maybe I could also ask for help on my English homework. I’m on the clock, though, so too bad...)

She watched the teacher sit down. The stories of the elusive Sensei were hard to ignore—an outsider to Kivotos knowledgable in practically every subject, and a master tactician capable of beating the toughest of foes with the weakest of students.

And someone who somehow balances a schedule of assisting anyone who requests help. The latter, in particular, piqued Junko’s interest.

(Who are they tutoring this time?) she wondered

"Welcome to L’Oiseau Bleu!"

"Hello," replied a girl with a kind smile and mint-colored sailor uniform. Behind her were three friends itching to try the entire menu.

(Dang, they all look just as hungry as me.)

"Yo," added Natsu, the pink-haired, eccentric girl. "One of everything, please."

"Uh... As in all of the cakes?" Junko asked. "We can package cake slices individually if you’d like."

"Sorry, she doesn’t mean that," the cat girl in a hoodie interrupted with a frown. She lightly smacked the romantic’s head with a chop. "Be considerate of Sensei’s wallet!"

"Owie," Natsu replied in her usual monotone voice. "Why not? When Sensei first tutored me, they let me get whatever I wanted. We should let chivalry live!"

Yoshimi, the blonde girl and president of their club, sighed. The lollipop in her mouth had long been dissolved, leaving only the stick.

"As much as I’d love to lump the bill on someone else, we need to be considerate, as Kazusa said. Look, you’re scaring them already."

Seated by the window, only a few meters from the group, Sensei awkwardly stared with a surprised "( O - O )."

Kazusa snickered, looking away.

"Hello," the robot greeted, still holding the same expression. "Should we order first, or would you prefer to begin studying now?"

"Yuh," Natsu replied.

"...Sorry?"

After a brief exchange with Junko, the group took their seats to begin the study session.

"...In any case, you can use negative b over 2a as a shortcut for the x-coordinate of a quadratic equation’s vertex. From there, you can simply plug in to find the y-coordinate," Sensei explained. "Should I rephrase my explanation?"

"Why do you keep asking that?" Yoshimi questioned. "I mean, I get what you’re saying, but we don’t really need the words dumbed down."

"Um..." Airi raised her hand. "Why does it always give the midpoint of a parabola?"

"That is because it describes the axis of symmetry!" Sensei excitedly added. "The quadratic equation can be broken down into two terms: negative b over 2a, which signifies the x-coordinate, and—"

"You’ve lost me," Kazusa shrugged. "We don’t really need the nitty-gritty details. Basically, what you’re saying is, it’s because of the quadratic equation?"

Sensei paused. Yet again, they injected too much detail into their dialogue. They noted this mistake before continuing.

"That is a large oversimplification, but yes."

They solemnly nodded as a contemplative "( e . e )" emerged. The robot inferred several details regarding the group.

(Airi prefers detailed explanations for each step. Kazusa seems to already know the steps but lacks the reasoning for why each is applied. Yoshimi is... preoccupied with sweets. And Natsu is already finished with the homework.)

Running through each possibility, Sensei came up with a familiar path of least resistance: assist everyone, then leave, as they usually did.

But connecting with students was a vital skill. Rapport needed some form of intimacy. If Sensei didn’t leave an impression, it would be like a contractor doing their job; a straightforward, but forgettable interaction, the robot reasoned.

They understood what distrust could bring: a burden left on their students, an anxiety that wouldn’t simply fade away.

"...This is difficult," Sensei sighed.

"Um..." Airi nervously smiled. "Don’t worry! You’ve been very helpful, Sensei!"

"Yeah. I learned... some stuff," Kazusa chimed in half-heartedly.

"No. That is not what I am referring to," the tutor shook their head. "In truth, I am unsure of whether I am approachable or not."

Yoshimi glanced up from her vanilla sundae. Kazusa and Airi wore confused yet concerned looks.

"My purpose as a tool—as a teacher for the students of Kivotos—is... difficult to fulfill. Should my criteria be accuracy in assistance or the connection with my students?"

Like a cat ready to pounce, Natsu sprung into action, dramatically standing up to point at the distressed robot.

"That’s a false dichotomy!" she declared. Her eyes had a burning passion behind them, earning the attention of her clubmates. "Sensei, were you made by the General Student Council?"

"No, I am an outsider with no prior relation to Kivotos."

"Were you programmed to do the bidding of the General Student Council?"

"No, I can confidently say I was not programmed as such. My origin and primary purpose is unknown, but I have concluded it is to assist the students of Kivotos."

Natsu confidently pointed at the robot, much to everyone’s confusion.

"Therefore, you have free will and chose to take on the role of Schale’s Sensei!" the monotone girl reasoned with slightly more volume. "Every decision made within Kivotos was your own and not someone else’s!"

"Not necessarily. My purpose as a tool must have been overwritten to compensate for—"

"No," Airi interrupted. Her warm, inviting aura exuded greater than usual. "I don’t think you’re a tool, Sensei! You’re definitely a person! Right, Kazusa? Yoshimi?"

The two spectators gave nonverbal confirmation. Of the group, Kazusa wore a noticeably irritated face.

"...What idiot thinks you’re just a tool?" she added, shaking her head. "Hearing that just makes me angry. Or are you the only idiot thinking that?"

"Huh? Well... that is what I am, is it not? Logically, I am best defined as a tool or machine rather than a person. My conventions do not fit any of the Kivotos citizens."

"Language is defined by the people," Natsu noted with a sage look. "If everyone sees you as a person, then you are a person. If everyone says a black cat hoodie is childish, then it is childish."

She eyed a very specific person at the table for a split second, earning her ire just as quickly.

"Hey!" Kazusa shouted. "That’s because I actually need the damn space for my ears on top!"

While Airi tried to diffuse Kazusa’s wrath, Yoshimi let a snicker come out.

"I didn’t expect this to turn into an advice session," she grinned. "Anyways..."

She stood up and slammed her hand on the table loudly. Everyone, including the other customers, turned to her.

"Shut up for a moment! I need to finish the rest of the homework!"

"Y-Yeah..." Natsu and Kazusa replied in unison.

The group slowly recollected themselves. With the banter out of the way, they continued caving into the homework.

The group walked through Gehenna’s downtown. Although many students (and plenty of delinquents) eyed the peculiar band of Trinity students, none were brazen enough to mess with them.

Not with Sensei keeping watch like a hawk.

"Sheesh, they really don’t like us being here, huh?" Yoshimi muttered just loud enough for everyone to hear. She sighed then shrugged. "Thanks a bunch. I definitely wouldn’t have gotten it without you, Sensei."

"Huh? Is my tutoring in our study sessions not good enough?" Kazusa questioned, crossing her arms in annoyance.

"I mean, yeah, you’re also real helpful, Kazusa, but you kind of assume we just know stuff. Like, I didn’t really get what completing the square meant until today."

"Mhm."

They continued their walk down the street, but a certain presence of malice could be felt—something far different from the spread looks of animosity. Only two individuals in the group could feel it.

"Ugh... What’s with these Gehenna students eyeing us suspiciously?" Yoshimi frowned. "Would’ve felt a lot safer if the Prefect Team were around..."

"Are you talking about the feud with the Helmet Gang by the border?" Airi asked.

"Hmm... not really. I’m just saying that Gehenna’s pretty different from Trinity. Those Prefect girls were nice, though. They looked kind of excited when we told them we were just visiting. Even that scary girl with the silver hair..."

While they continued walking, the chatting friends noticed the unusually quiet atmosphere. Natsu was avidly listening in on the conversation, but as for the others...

"Hm? Kazusa? Why do you look so tense?" Yoshimi continued. "Wait, you, too, Sensei?"

When everyone turned to the robot, they saw a surprised "( O . O )."

Watching far in the distance, a beautiful girl watched them with keen eyes. Her elegant kimono and parasol clashed with the fierce look challenging her target: Sensei.

The girl’s height, build, fox tail, and animal ears left only one possibility for the robot: Kosaka Wakamo.

"It is her," the adult calmly noted despite their stressed face.

"Who is she, Sensei?" Kazusa frowned. "She’s been staring at us for some time."

"Someone we should avoid, if possible. Please follow me, everyone."

"Huh? Er... Sure, I guess?" Yoshimi shrugged. "Can’t you tell us who she is, though?"

Sensei walked away from Wakamo’s direction. The girls followed them without protest. While the robot was certainly peculiar, none could deny their wisdom. If they advised avoiding someone, then it had to be for good reason.

They reached a corner where the sightline was broken.

"It is Kosaka Wakamo," Sensei finally admitted. "I apologize for not saying it sooner, but I did not want anyone to panic."

"One of the Seven Prisoners?!" Kazusa almost shouted.

A few nearby Gehenna students turned to her but quickly lost interest. She covered her mouth.

"Wait, that Kosaka Wakamo?" Yoshimi chimed in with a raised eyebrow. "Why the hell is the Fox of Calamity trailing you?"

Sensei shook their head.

"...I have several theories, but I am unsure. However, it may be possible to throw her off our trail. Avoiding conflict, especially in Gehenna, would be the best course of action."

"Um..." came a quiet voice. Airi raised her hand. "I agree with Sensei. How about all of you?"

Everyone gave confirmations ranging from "Same here" to a lazy, monotone "Yeah."

"Perfect. Follow me, if you would."

"Keep running!" Sensei yelled.

"We know that!" Kazusa shouted back.

Sniper bullets flew past the group. Smoke covered the air, signaling a response from the Prefect Team scrambling to pinpoint the source of the disturbance.

"Over there!" yelled a junior member. Several other Prefect Team members followed. "You four! And you!"

The After School Sweets Club stopped in their tracks. Everyone except Sensei breathed in heavily as the smoke settled behind them.

"What the hell is it now...?" Kazusa muttered just low enough to not be heard.

"Wait... You’re Schale’s Sensei...?" the junior Prefect muttered. "Regardless! What’s the source of the commotion? Your group looks really suspicious!"

"The source of the commotion is none of the girls here! That would be the Fox of—"

Another shot goes off. It flew through the smoke, narrowly missing the back of Sensei’s head.

Natsu rushed over to the robot, holding her riot shield out as cover. They crouched together.

"Sorry. I didn’t realize she was this close," she admitted.

"It is not your fault. This falls on me for not preconceiving any contingencies."

"That’s a dumb idea, Sensei. I don’t expect anyone to think that far ahead for my sake."

Sensei ignored the blunt comment, instead focusing their attention on the gawking Prefect Team juniors.

(This is potentially the worst-case scenario,) the robot thought. (Being attacked after tutoring a club of Trinity students in Gehenna territory is already grounds for dangerous misunderstandings. Along with this, the Prefect Team’s resources seem to be focused on the Helmet Gang near the Trinity-Gehenna border.)

The tactician couldn’t help but admire Wakamo’s strategy. Yet, it could generate only one logical conclusion regarding the student: Kosaka Wakamo was a threat that must be suppressed and planned for later.

"I suggest you three request for the Head Prefect’s help. Please explain that it is Kosaka Wakamo, one of the Seven Prisoners, chasing us. We can hold her off until then."

A few indistinct murmurs came through. They turned toward one another. The leader of the group nodded with the others following soon after.

"We’ll be back with the Head Prefect!"

The Prefects scurried off.

"Hey! What do you mean we’re holding her off?" Yoshimi exclaimed. "Let’s just keep running—leave this mess to the Prefect Team!"

"Yes, what do you mean by that, Sensei? Heehee~"

A leg came out of the smoke. Then, the source of the pandemonium: an agitated woman with a fearsome look. Her infamous mask was nowhere to be seen, only a beautiful, almost untouched kimono and parasol.

"Hello, Kosaka Wakamo," Sensei greeted.

Wakamo’s fox ears and tail twitched in excitement. She kept her sniper rifle pointed toward the ground.

"Psst. Sensei. What should we do?" A sweat droplet fell off Natsu’s forehead. She adjusted her grip on her shield protecting her and the robot.

"..."

The teacher paused. It was clear they were outmatched, even with a numbers advantage. This was no ordinary student, but rather, the wrath of the Fox of Calamity. Few could impede her, and those who could have long since retired.

"Heeheehee! What next, Sensei?" the fox taunted. "Shall I plant a bullet between your eyes? I promise not to destroy you completely!"

Kazusa, Yoshimi, and Airi stepped in front. They aimed their guns without missing a beat.

"Oh?"

"Back off!" Kazusa ordered. "It’s four on one!"

"Please step away from Sensei!" Airi added with a determined look.

Wakamo calmly nodded. Her smile shifted to a sinister, confident glare.

"It’s true—I’m outnumbered, yes, but I can’t have you girls interrupt my time playing with Sensei, the master tactician!"

The Fox of Calamity pointed her rifle toward Natsu and Sensei. The girls protecting them opened fire.

As agile as a tiger, Wakamo leaped back into the fading smoke, taking a few bullets to her chest.

"Sensei! What now?!" Yoshimi yelled, blindly firing into the smoke.

"She threw a smoke grenade," the robot loudly noted. "Natsu, please hold onto my arm—I will begin to slowly walk away."

"Got it."

Sensei stood up in unison with Natsu. She held her riot shield with her left, stepping slowly as Sensei gently pulled her right arm with their arm.

"Everyone, begin pulling back! Move away from the smoke!"

"Alright!" Yoshimi exclaimed. "You heard ’em!"

"Yeah!" "Yes!"

They continued applying pressure as Natsu escorted Sensei away from the chaos. As long as their adversary couldn’t tread forward, Sensei was somewhat safe.

Every so often, Wakamo would peek out of the smoke to fire at Sensei. Most shots would be blocked, others a narrow miss. Her bloodlust extended only to the robot, for reasons unknown to the ordinary Trinity students.

"I didn’t expect things to turn out like this..." Natsu sighed. "Sensei, are you able to take a bullet or two? I can’t block every side."

"I am confident I am able to, but not for sustained fire."

They continued this song and dance until...

"Out of ammo!" Yoshimi loudly announced. "Cover me while I reload!"

As she dug into her school bag for another magazine, Airi’s MP5K sub-machine gun added another layer to the situation’s direness.

"I’ve run out..."

"Dig into your bag then, Airi!" Kazusa yelled. Her machine gun’s fire slowed down, shifting to concentrated bursts instead of chaotic sprays akin to a windshield wiper.

She turned around. Sensei and Natsu were approximately 15 meters away.

(They’re a good distance away, but I’m starting to run out, too. I have a spare magazine in my hoodie’s pocket, but it’ll take some time for me to reload. But why is she only firing at Sensei?)

The answer to Kazusa’s question came swiftly.

Kosaka Wakamo giggled as each bang started to trail off. It was elating to be in control against Sensei, the tactician of Schale. The distinct noise of the submachine gun and assault rifle came to a stop for a few seconds.

Now was the perfect opportunity to strike.

The Fox of Calamity leaped out of the smoke for the last time. With Kazusa as the only defender, everyone watched in horror as Wakamo began to sprint.

"What the hell?! Stop!" Kazusa ordered.

Although she fired an excessive volley of bullets, Kosaka Wakamo appeared unstoppable. Every stray bullet that managed to hit seemed to roll off the destructive student.

(My, don’t you understand that a house cat can’t fend off a fox? Heehee!)

Each step forward marked a tick in the countdown for Sensei’s destruction.

"Natsu," the robot began. The girl turned to her, a stressed look present. "Leave me."

"What? Sensei?! Don’t!"

The adult kept their chin up. They stepped in front of Natsu’s shield.

"Kosaka Wakamo," they began. The vicious fox slowed down to a leisurely stroll.

"Yes? What is it, Sensei?" she smiled.

Natsu raised her Micro Uzi, but the robot motioned to not fire.

"...Are you expecting a miracle to save me?"

Wakamo continued forward. Her rifle dropped ever so slightly from the machine’s head.

"Far from it, heehee!" she laughed. "Do you give up?"

"I suppose that is an accurate statement. It is my duty to guide and protect the students of Kivotos, therefore I must protect them by any means necessary. If I do not put up a fight, you will not harm the students here, correct?"

"Sacrificing yourself? How admirable! But I wasn’t planning on completely destroying you."

(She has positioned herself in such as way that the others cannot fire without endangering me. Help has not arrived yet. Stalling is all I can do.)

"But... that’s rather disappointing. Thank you for your time, Sensei of Schale! Let this be a lesson to you, heehee!"

The Fox of Calamity fired a bullet with an unreactable swiftness at the robot’s head. But... something was off. Something unlike any the seasoned criminal had experienced.

"Hm? It seems I’ve missed..."

(My apologies, Arona, but we will be performing a stress test of your capabilities.)

"...?!"

(Nothing has hit, yet. It is unlikely this will last, however. Natsu is reluctantly following my order, but the other girls are running to attempt to save me. Helping me is not the optimal decision—they must flee to protect themselves.)

A tiny, childish voice audible to only Sensei could be heard in their suit’s inner pocket.

"Sensei! I will protect you no matter what! Don’t give up!"

("Don’t give up?" Hm. The situation is still fully controlled by Wakamo’s hands. There is no conceivable way to win.)

The robot stared at Kosaka Wakamo, then the rushing girls in the background. A bothered "( T _ T )" appeared on their face as Wakamo’s next bullet missed.

(No, that assertion is flawed. This is a losing situation, yes, but there are ways to lessen its severity.)

"I see! Is that what you are trying to teach me, Wakamo?" they smiled with a cheery "( ^ _ ^ )."

"Teach you?" the fox glared. "What are you talking about? What trick have you pulled, Sensei?!"

The adult shamelessly ran away, taking cover behind the pink-haired romantic.

"Natsu! Please trust me and defend against Wakamo!"

"H-Huh?! Uh... okay, but I’m not sure I can beat her..."

"At the very least, we can try! Understood, everyone?" the robot yelled.

"Roger that, Sensei."

The After School Sweets Club took aim at the Fox of Calamity.

Chapter Text

"Hello, Sorasaki Hina."

"Hello to you as well, Sensei."

The room was filled with awkward silence. Only the robot and the Head Prefect were present. Everyone else tended to the aftermath of the gang-related chaos on the outskirts of the district.

Near the center of the red carpet, a desk relatively small in comparison to the room stood. Several documents were stacked quite high. Beside it, a modest cup of coffee.

"It seems trouble follows you wherever you go. At this point, why not assign a bodyguard to protect you?" Hina suggested. She grabbed and took a sip from the mug filled with coffee.

"That is not necessary. There are ways to address this issue without inconveniencing students."

The Head Prefect looked at the robot with a warm smile.

"I’m sure there are students willing to help you, Sensei. You’re quite caring, after all, and most students like you quite a bit."

"..."

Sensei didn’t respond. It was true that this was perhaps a necessary precaution, but no ends could justify the means.

After all, they made it their duty to guide and protect the students of Kivotos. Doing such an act would be a contradiction of this doctrine without good reason. Yet, these limitations and tenets within the robot seemed to vanish upon arriving in Kivotos.

They knew their shackles had long since eroded, yet they followed them anyways.

"We are lucky this sequence of events occurred," the advisor noted cheerfully. "This could have gone a much different direction had any of the Trinity students been hurt."

"...Yeah, the story could’ve been bad optics for Gehenna," Hina admitted with a frown. She sighed loudly, her eyes darting to the Intelligence Division’s reports of what had happened. "We’ll interrogate the apprehended gangsters to see if they’ll admit Wakamo hired them. In any case, I’m glad we could chase her off for you, Sensei."

"And I am quite thankful for that, Hina. Shall we get started on the documents you needed help with?" the robot smiled with a "( ^ _ ^ )." They looked at the papers on the desk.

"If I recall correctly, you insisted on helping, not that I actually needed help with them," the Head Prefect clarified. "But these aren’t the documents, Sensei."

She pointed to the back, where many boxes’ worth of documents ominously lay.

"...As you can tell, it’s quite a backlog... You don’t have to sit through this with me."

"I would be more than willing to. I will sort through them for you."

They spent several hours churning through the documents. A surprising amount of them consisted of incident reports regarding disciplinary actions.

"Welcome to the Game Development Department, Sensei!" Saiba Momoi greeted.

Nearby, her twin sister, Saiba Midori, a similar-looking girl with the same blonde hair, headphones, and uniform, sat. The main distinguishing features of these girls were their ever-so-different faces and accented colors. Momoi wore neon pink, while Midori chose neon green.

"Isn’t there something you should say first?" Midori frowned. "Let me apologize on her behalf."

"Sorry, sorry! I’m just glad the FlyStation I threw out the window didn’t hit you..." Momoi smiled nervously.

"Correction: Sensei caught it before it hit their head," her sister sighed. "Anyways, Momoi, introduce yourself!"

Sensei waved their hand dismissively.

"You must be Momoi, the department’s scenario writer," they noted, turning to the next member, Midori. The twins had shocked expressions, but nodded in unison. "And you must be Midori, the illustrator and the one in charge of all visuals."

The twins turned to each other.

"Wow, are you a fan?!" Momoi blurted out. "I knew it! Tales Saga Chronicle does have fans!"

"Well, I am aware of your club’s first release so far. However, I sourced my information from the Millennium website’s club directory."

They avoided bringing up its negative reception, instead framing it as an accomplishment, which it was. Mostly for reasons that neither of the twins wanted to admit.

"In any case, I am unsure of how to navigate the vague instructions given to me in your letter."

"I knew you should’ve revised it!" Midori loudly whispered.

"Hey! It got Sensei’s attention, didn’t it?" Momoi replied just as loud.

The robot awkwardly smiled as the twins bickered. When the room quieted down, they continued.

"While the first sentence, ’The Game Development Department is fighting for its survival,’ is very clear, I am still unsure of how to handle the Millennium Student Council. The academy’s student council has full discretion over the operation of its clubs."

"Um... so there’s nothing we can do?" Midori sheepishly asked. "There’s no one interested in joining us, and game development takes a long time..."

"I am aware of that. And I am certain Yuuka is as well, given that she is the main person hoping to shut down the club."

Momoi raised an eyebrow, but Sensei quickly reassured her that anything between them would stay private.

"That is not to say there is nothing that can be done, however. We simply need to brainstorm solutions to recruit at least one member, and a path towards a project Yuuka would find valuable."

The carefree twin raised her hand excitedly.

"I know exactly how to fix problem number two! We just need to win the Millennium Prize! And to do that, all we have to do is go to the ruins to find it!"

"...It? What does it refer to?"

"The G.BIBLE, of course!"

"Alright, which one of you changed the main server’s kernel from the long term service branch?" Chihiro, president of the hacking club, clapped her hands.

"Me!" Maki, the vibrant first-year, proudly declared. "I found out yesterday the repository had a kernel specifically for servers, so I swapped everything to it! There’s 13 milliseconds of latency instead of 16! Power consumption was also reduced by one percent-ish."

"Swap it back. We don’t need to update the kernel every week or so."

"Agreed," Kotama, a third-year veteran chimed in. "Last night, I was trying to add my recordings to the Jellyfin instance, but it was down until this morning."

"...That’s because someone remoted into the server and rebooted after updating the kernel," Hare explained with a shrug. She sipped yet another can of Frenzy MAX. "It’s set up so allowing remoting has to be manually performed each reboot. I had to come here this morning to set up the containers because of that."

"Aha..." Maki laughed nervously. "Yeah, what idiot does that?"

Everyone narrowed their eyes at the underclassman’s comment.

"...Sorry," she sheepishly apologized.

"I’ll get it," Chihiro said. She opened the clubroom door to find an unexpected guest. "Oh? Are you Sensei from Schale?"

"Yes, it is nice to meet you, Kagami Chihiro. I am here to ask about Millennium’s ruins."

The Engineering Department’s room was unusually quiet. Usually, the hangar would be filled to the brim with prototypes, but it was rather clear. The other members that Sensei would spot working were nowhere to be seen, either.

"Hey there, Sensei," Utaha greeted. "Need another checkup? Did a bullet dent you again?"

"I do not need a checkup, thank you," the teacher smiled. "Is Kotori and Hibiki absent today?"

"Oh, they’re in the middle of moving the last of our finished projects to storage. The Millennium Prize is only two weeks away, so we can’t afford to have an accident set us back."

"I see."

The robot awkwardly paused, planting a finger on their chin. The trio were already prepared for the event, unlike the club they were currently advising.

(The Engineering Department places consistently high each year, and for good reason. The notion that the Game Development Department can cause such an upset is improbable at best.)

"So... Is there anything I can help you with?" Utaha asked.

"Yes. I am here to request for your assistance to visit the Millennium Ruins."

"Hm? Sure thing. But what for? Are you going to collect one of the robots to study? We can hook up a robot to collect one."

"No, we need to physically explore it in person. It is a matter of safety. Having at least four students should mitigate most risks," Sensei explained. "We plan on exploring the ruins to find an artifact known as the G.BIBLE. The coordinates for this artifact have been verified by Veritas."

They turned to the company hanging by the hangar door: the Saiba twins. Utaha scratched her temple.

"Ah. So you need just one more student... In that case, I’ll bring Kotori along. We’ll keep everything under wraps—don’t worry. Just allow me to perform an inspection after to make sure everything’s fine."

"Certainly. But I would rather not have my head prodded next time."

"Gotcha. Thundergun?" she shouted.

Beside the lone metal desk, a white chair rolled to Utaha’s side. It seemed to greet Sensei with a little wave, which they returned with their own.

(Now that I think of it, would the robots at the ruins attack Sensei? Hmm...)