General Student Council Headquarters, the Sanctum Tower.
The incident during the Eden Treaty signing ceremony had already reached here.
However, the General Student Council at present was already exhausting itself just trying to preserve its own stability, and had no capacity left to intervene in academy-level affairs.
The Defense Office Chief, Kaya, who would normally be leisurely enjoying coffee at this hour, was instead pacing back and forth in her spacious office, visibly agitated.
At last, a notification sound she had been waiting for an unknown length of time, a sound that felt like heavenly music to her ears, rang out. The pink-haired girl hurriedly answered and asked hopefully:
"Yukino, how is it? Did you find Sensei?"
"No, but..."
"Then hurry up and keep looking!"
Before Yukino could finish, Kaya interrupted her in dissatisfaction, then began rambling,
"Damn it, why did something like this happen? What are those useless people from Trinity and Gehenna even doing? Sensei is an outsider, he could get injured or even worse from a single bullet..."
Yukino, who had originally planned to wait for Kaya to calm down naturally before reporting, suddenly spoke up after hearing this:
"Although we did not find the Sensei of SCHALE, based on the intelligence gathered on the battlefield, we can confirm that Sensei has already been transported to Trinity for treatment."
"What!? Treatment!?"
Kaya's eyes snapped wide open, her usual narrowed expression breaking as panic set in.
"So Sensei really was injured?"
Yukino nodded slightly.
"…Yes. However, Sensei should not be in any life-threatening danger..."
"Then why didn't he reply to my Momotalk?"
"He has only temporarily lost consciousness."
The two voices overlapped almost perfectly. After that, both girls fell silent at the same time.
Kaya's expression turned somewhat complicated, her earlier excitement diluted into awkwardness.
She took a deep breath and put on her professional, business-like smile again.
"Hehe, since Sensei's whereabouts have been confirmed, there's no need to stay there any longer. If you're discovered, it'll be troublesome. You can return now, Yukino. You've worked hard on this mission."
"It is my duty."
Yukino replied calmly.
In truth, before Kaya contacted her, she had already been leading the FOX Squad toward the Old Cathedral, and had already planned how to conceal it from Kaya.
After a brief pause, Yukino couldn't help but ask:
"Kaya, are you very concerned about that Sensei?"
"…Hehe, isn't that obvious?"
Kaya said.
"After all, Sensei is the head of SCHALE, an organization granted authority beyond law, personally established by the President. In a situation where someone so important has suffered an incident like this in Kivotos under the governance of the Seven Prison Keepers... as expected, only true superhumans can save Kivotos."
She smiled and then asked Yukino as if seeking agreement:
"So, am I wrong to think this way? As long as you help me ascend to the position of General Student Council President, everything you have done will become an act of justice."
This naturally included FOX Squad's attack on the General Student Council headquarters a few days earlier.
The pink-haired girl added casually:
"Of course, SRT Special Academy will also regain its former glory~"
"…So, we are to recruit Sensei?"
Yukino asked.
"And tell him everything we have done?"
"Well... hehe, not yet. That's enough questions for now, Squad Leader Yukino."
"I'm sorry. I overstepped my bounds."
Sensing Kaya's displeasure, Yukino immediately lowered her head.
"Hehe~ It's fine. A so-called superhuman would not concern themselves with such trivial matters. But as a weapon, you don't need so many thoughts."
"Yes."
Yukino replied respectfully.
…
The sky was heavily overcast, dim and without light.
Inside the Trinity Academy District, on a bridge located in a remote area.
At a time when the district was already in chaos, a place that should have been even more deserted now had a figure completely out of place with its surroundings.
The honest-looking blonde girl tightened the straps of her white chicken plush backpack.
After receiving a message containing only coordinates, a time, and an animal name as a code, Hifumi immediately guessed the sender and rushed here. She looked around and called out loudly:
"Azusa-chan, it's me! Are you there? Azusa-chan!"
A light landing sound came from behind her.
Hifumi turned around, and saw a white-haired girl who seemed to have just jumped down from the top of the bridge tower, landing more than ten steps away. She folded her wings and straightened up, then cautiously called:
"Azusa... chan...?"
Azusa nodded.
"…Hifumi."
Hifumi walked closer excitedly.
"Azusa-chan, where have you been all this time...? The school is in total chaos right now... and Sensei..."
"Yeah, I know. Sensei is seriously injured."
"…Azusa-chan?"
Noticing something off about her friend, Hifumi couldn't help but ask.
"…So, someone has to stop all of this."
Azusa, who usually kept her emotions hidden deep inside, now showed an expression Hifumi had never seen before, one mixed with sorrow, nostalgia, and determination.
That expression made Hifumi feel a faint unease.
"What... do you mean...? Why are you making that face...?"
"Don't come any closer!"
However, a sudden sharp command made Hifumi instinctively stop.
"…Thank you, Hifumi. But you must stop here."
Azusa stepped back, retreating into the shadow of the bridge tower, watching Hifumi, who remained in the light with a slightly confused expression.
"Do not overstep. One more step forward, and you will be in my space."
Azusa said seriously.
"Someone as kind as Hifumi... should not be involved in something like this..."
"A-Azusa-chan, what are you... what are you saying...?"
Hifumi asked in confusion.
"Why can't I...?"
"…The ordinary and gentle Hifumi should not be dragged into something like this."
Hifumi stepped forward again, trying to persuade her friend.
"Azusa-chan, I...!"
"Killers."
But from Azusa's lips came a cold word.
After realizing what that word, something that had never intersected with her life until now, truly meant, Hifumi found her legs frozen in place once again in shock.
"I am a killer, so I can no longer be Hifumi's friend."
"A-Azusa-chan...?"
Hifumi gripped the straps of her bag tightly.
"But... but Azusa-chan isn't that kind of..."
"It's my fault."
Recalling her earlier conversation with the girl named Alice, the white-haired girl said:
"Saori was right. It's all my fault. If it weren't for me, Sensei wouldn't have been injured. So..."
"I'm going to break Saori's halo."
Azusa said.
"I'm going to end this, with my own hands."