Trinity Underground Catacombs.
Deep within the dark, ancient passageways, Saori suddenly stopped her steps and turned back toward her companions, speaking in a low voice.
"…We should be safe for now."
At least, they could finally take a brief breath and discuss their next course of action.
"What do you think? Are we still proceeding with the original plan?"
Misaki paused for a moment, then said with a sigh,
"There are far more troublesome opponents than we originally expected."
If it were only the Trinity and Gehenna reserve forces, then for them, who had obtained the immortal Arius Squad through Justina's Saint power, there would be nothing to fear.
However, after encountering Arisu, Arius Squad had subsequently run into three more groups of students from other academies.
All of them were in small squads, each roughly matching their own numbers.
Two of those teams, like Arisu before them, knew Saori, and had unilaterally assumed that Saori and Arius Squad were "allies entrusted by Sensei."
One group consisted of four students dressed in maid outfits, led by a small-statured orange-haired girl with a fierce expression.
From their attire and academy affiliation, it was easy to identify them as Millennium's maid operatives.
The other group seemed to be from some obscure, unnamed academy. They were also four in number, though one member appeared to be providing remote support from elsewhere.
The suspected leader was a gentle-looking pink-haired girl with a side ponytail.
Having gained some experience from the earlier encounter with Arisu, and without Azusa interfering this time, Saori neither revealed the truth nor chose to exploit the situation by striking first while the others still regarded them as allies.
Instead, she chose to tacitly accept their assumptions, even subtly guiding them with vague words, successfully steering their targets toward Trinity and Gehenna.
However, that tactic would only work up to a point.
The final group wore gas masks and bore no academy insignia, as if deliberately concealing their identities.
The leader was a black-haired, fox-eared girl who seemed to know Wakamo, and was also aware that Arius Squad had ambushed her. As a result, she immediately called out Saori's name and launched an attack without hesitation.
Although the fox-eared girl's individual strength was slightly inferior, her team's seamless coordination and terrifyingly advanced equipment made up for it. Their combat style was so extravagant that even Arius Squad found it enviable.
Had it not been for the intervention of the Saint power, such relentless, cost-ignoring bombardment would not necessarily have defeated Arius Squad outright, but it would have delayed them significantly and prevented their escape.
In short, although they had successfully obtained an immortal army, due to its special rule of only intervening in conflicts between Trinity and Gehenna, its full power could not be used against students from other academies.
The situation was not progressing as smoothly as they had originally envisioned.
"…Once we obtain the so-called 'tactical weapon' mentioned by that wooden doll, everything will change for the better."
Saori said.
"So next is Trinity. We'll take a detour through the underground routes and strike them from behind, then crush them from there."
After thinking for a moment, Misaki nodded.
"Yeah. Even though we probably failed to deal with Pandemonium, we did manage to defeat and injure Hina. We can handle Gehenna later. I have no objections, Captain."
Then Misaki added,
"Trinity has already invaded several times when they attacked Seia and Nagisa. On the other side, Gehenna, having lost its Prefect Team president, is just a rabble. In that case, we'll wait and let the Tea Party deal with them for now."
Hiyori smiled from the side.
"Ehehe… A-after all, as long as we are the contract's core, as long as we are not captured, no matter how many times, the Saint power will revive us…"
Atsuko, meanwhile, signed with her hands, indicating that they could not drag things out too long. If a method to counter them was discovered, everything would be for nothing.
"Exactly. If that happens, then the princess…"
Saori did not finish her sentence. Instead, she took a deep breath, her eyes filled with hatred.
"Those vile Trinity and Gehenna who made us suffer such misery… it is time to make them taste the same pain!"
…
Sisterhood.
"How is Sensei's condition!?"
Hanako, currently acting in Sakurako's stead as the representative authority of the Sisterhood, asked anxiously.
"He is in the room of the Remedial Knights!"
the Sisterhood administrator replied.
"According to reports from the knights, although the amount of blood loss was large, proper emergency treatment was administered…"
"So Sensei is alright…!?" she pressed further.
"Y-yes. Fortunately, there is no danger to his life, but he is still unconscious…"
"Unconscious Sensei…"
Upon hearing this result, Hanako pressed her lips tightly together, unable to relax in the slightest.
But with so many urgent matters piling up, she had no time to continue worrying.
"Analysis results are in!" an analyst from the Sisterhood reported loudly.
"The missile launched at the Old Cathedral was not a ramjet engine!"
"Not a ramjet?"
Hearing this, Hanako frowned deeply and murmured,
"That is surprising enough in itself… but if it wasn't… where did Arius Branch School obtain such extraordinary technology?"
"The camera footage has also been restored. This is the moment the Old Cathedral exploded! It matches the reports from the Sisterhood members currently fighting unknown enemies there!"
The analyst began playing the footage.
The camera clearly captured several figures unlike ordinary students, appearing out of nowhere atop the burning ruins of the Old Cathedral.
"That clothing… the Justina Saint power?"
At a single glance, Hanako (well-read and knowledgeable) recognized the attire she had once seen recorded in ancient texts.
And at the moment she realized the abnormality of those figures wearing it, countless previously overlooked clues suddenly connected in her mind, pointing toward a conclusion that caused Hanako's expression to change drastically.
"H-Hanako… are you alright?"
Noticing the pink-haired girl's pale expression, Mari asked worriedly.
"…This is only a hypothesis. It leaps across dozens of logical steps, but if it truly is that worst-case possibility…"
"Then… there is no way to resolve this incident…?"
Mari asked, half-understanding but unsure how to comfort her.
At that moment, another administrator arrived with new information.
"Hanako-sama, Lady Seia has awakened!"
"Hm?"
Hanako's spirits lifted instantly, hope returning to her eyes.
"I understand. Please connect me to Seia immediately... No."
Hanako corrected herself.
"I will go see her myself right now!"