If you had to pick the characters with the most tragic backstory in the game
Blue Archive, I'd say the students from the Arius Branch School win by a landslide.
Arius was once one of Trinity's many branch schools. However, during the process of consolidating the various schools into one large academy as decided by a past council, they were the only ones who stubbornly refused. As a result, Trinity's Tea Party, now reborn as a massive, unified academy, branded them as heretics. Unable to withstand the oppression from the Justina Council, Trinity's enforcers, the Arius students lost everything and were cast out.
Afterward, whether out of regret or guilt, the Justina Council helped the Arius students hide away in a remote ruin whose location was unknown to all. There, in that harsh environment, they began to rebuild. After a long time spent living in that desolate district, constantly fighting amongst themselves, they were suddenly visited by Beatrice of Gematria. This absolute madwoman is the one who twisted Arius to fit her own twisted plans, pushing their already dire situation into the absolute worst-case scenario.
This is actually why I'm being more cautious of Beatrice's power than I probably need to be. I can't be sure of her actual combat strength, but I can't underestimate her, either. The fact is, she single-handedly subjugated all of Arius at the time.
Of course, since they were in the middle of a civil war, the number of students who fought her, their level of training, and their equipment might have been less than what they have now, but I can't be certain. Without solid intel on the enemy's strength, it's only natural for me to approach this carefully.
Anyway, after becoming the ruler of the Arius district, Beatrice began injecting the students with hatred for Trinity and Gehenna. She twisted a scripture meant to teach the virtue of humility into a doctrine of nihilism, teaching them that all is vain and that hope is meaningless. To mold them into disposable soldiers, she gaslit them with the bizarre logic that 'since you now harbor the will to kill, you are no different from murderers.' She forced harsh military training upon them and shackled them so they could never escape.
But even in such a harsh and barren land, flowers can still bloom. And I would dare to say that Saori Joumae and Azusa Shirasu are living proof of that.
The only difference between the two is that Saori Joumae was trampled and uprooted before her flower could ever fully blossom. Azusa Shirasu, on the other hand, was protected by the fence that was Saori. Because of that, she never completely broke, and she was able to meet good people and blossom brilliantly.
"...You're here."
We were at the same deserted playground where I'd met the other Arius students before. Leaning against the post of the swing I had planned to sit on today was that tragically broken flower.
I will help this flower stand again, to ensure she can face a future where she can bloom to her fullest.
In the original story, Saori Joumae confesses her sins and her true feelings to Mika Misono, repents, and desperately wishes for a second chance. And Mika Misono, in the final moments before her revenge, finds salvation by witnessing Saori cast everything aside and repent.
But that perfect narrative ends here, today. The story I want to write may be far less polished and might lack any semblance of narrative coherence, but now that this world has become my reality, I refuse to accept a story that forces pain and suffering on its students.
Ignoring Saori as she turned her head to look at me, I leisurely walked over and sat on the swing. It was probably an unexpected move, but I didn't think for a second it would faze her.
"Man, the last time I met your schoolmates, I caught a cold. So I wore an extra layer today, but it's actually warmer than I expected. Guess I'll just take this off for a second. It's not like I'll catch another cold, right?"
"..."
"Ahaha, seriously though, you have this incredible aura about you! Standing there like that, you look like a movie star or something. Super cool. ☆"
"Cut the small talk and get to the point, Trinity."
Wow, she doesn't even blink at a compliment. Looks like convincing her with words alone is going to be tough.
"Fine, if that's what you want... but I have to say, it's strange. Last time, a whole group of you showed up, but today, you're all alone. Does that make you a higher-up, or are you just a disposable pawn? Or, hey, maybe you're both! What do you think?"
"...Just as I was told. You talk way too much."
"Ahaha! Yep, and my friends say it's my greatest charm."
Saori came alone? Ha, no way.
Thanks to avoiding a fight last time, my combat abilities are still a mystery to Arius. So there's no way they'd send Saori, of all people, by herself. She's one of their top fighters; they wouldn't just throw her away like a pawn.
Which means the rest of the squad is hiding nearby, waiting to ambush me. The fact that she was here before the scheduled time was probably to scout the area and secure advantageous positions.
Misaki Imashino, Atsuko Hakari, Hiyori Tsuchinaga, and Azusa Shirasu.
Among them, Hiyori, the sniper, is most likely posted up in the church right next to us. I don't know where the others are hiding, but frankly, besides Azusa, none of them are a major threat individually. Misaki's arsenal is something to be wary of, but with my current physical specs, I doubt a missile would do much even if it hit me.
However, assuming Azusa is here, I can't rule out the possibility of booby traps being planted everywhere. The squad being here first means it's the perfect environment for Azusa to work her magic. Given my lack of actual combat experience, I might have a harder time against the Arius Squad than I think.
If a fight does break out, I just have to hope Arius's existence doesn't get leaked. Even in a deserted area, a loud commotion this late at night could become a problem.
Still, they must have heard from the others that I came alone last time. Preparing for a fight from the get-go… is that just Saori being Saori?
"You know we don't think highly of Trinity. Are you sure you should be sitting there so defenselessly in front of me? Where does that confidence come from?"
"Hey now, that's a pretty hostile thing to say to someone trying to make peace. We've barely exchanged a few words, and you're already threatening me... That's a little sad. Still, you sound like you're higher up the ladder than the girls I met last time, so maybe that's a good thing?"
"You said that Trinity wishes to beg forgiveness for the sins it committed against Arius."
What's this? Is she just going to say her piece and ignore me? Fine, two can play at that game.
"Hey, hey. That reminds me, I've got a question! Is that what the girl from last time told you, or are you just hearing what you want to hear? Because I'm pretty sure the word I used was 'reconciliation,' not 'forgiveness'..."
"Yes, forgiveness. Do you believe sinners have any right to speak of reconciliation without first being forgiven?"
"...Aha."
I think I get what's happening.
Did Beatrice put her up to this? Is this an attempt to probe my intentions or steer the conversation in a direction she wants? I guess this is what I get for even mentioning forgiveness.
Something I said must have given her an idea. For example... right, she could be trying to use my desire for forgiveness to turn me into some kind of spy within Trinity.
"Ahaha, you got me! You're right, that's just how it is..."
I deliberately dragged out my words, subtly scanning my surroundings. It's the middle of the night, so they're hard to spot, but if I look carefully on the assumption that there
are booby traps, I should be able to find at least one. Knowledge is power. It's amazing what you can see when you're actually looking for something.
"So, tell me. What kind of apology do you want? If I kneel and bow my head, will that be enough? Or are you looking for some kind of monetary compensation? This isn't something that can be resolved with a simple 'I'm sorry,' is it?"
Yep, there they are. One was rigged using a discarded soda can as a tripwire, and another looked like some kind of explosive buried under a careful pile of leaves.
If it were autumn, I might have never noticed that second one.
"Before that, tell me your exact position in Trinity. We need to know if you can actually back up your words. A vague answer like last time won't be enough."
Okay, booby traps confirmed. That settles it. The squad is in position and ready for a fight. With Azusa in the mix, this is the true strength of the Arius Squad, something that was never seen in the original story.
I turned my head to look at Saori. She was still leaning against the post, but her hands were already resting on her rifle, ready for combat at a moment's notice.
Personally, the dagger strapped to her thigh is what bothers me.
I didn't choose to walk all the way to this swing just to have a chat. It was to get within striking distance of Saori. I closed the distance anticipating a close-quarters fight, but I completely forgot she had a weapon that could be a threat up close.
In my defense, how is a person supposed to remember every little detail? I can't even perfectly recall the major plot points of the story.
"Ahaha, my position in Trinity, you ask...? That's a serious question. I'm the only one in Trinity who can make this happen. What do you think that means?"
"We have our suspicions. We just want you to confirm them with your own mouth."
Honestly, I never intended to win the Arius Squad over with just my words.
To be more precise, I didn't think I could.
These girls have been brainwashed under Beatrice's thumb for a decade. It's not something that can be undone with a few meetings and a couple of nice speeches. If I could make them realize what they only learned in the original story after countless incidents and tragedies just by talking, I'd be Jesus Christ himself.
That's why, when it comes to the Arius Squad, I was planning on cheating a little. I'd transmigrated into Mika's body, but since the main story hadn't even started yet, I hadn't had a chance to use my future knowledge for anything truly important. All I'd done was make a little money off Kaiser Corporation stock and help out a few other students. But now, I'm going to use that knowledge...
"Trinity has a peculiar system of three student council presidents, who take turns holding the most authority during their term. If you hadn't been kicked out during the First Council, who knows, maybe one of those seats would have been yours. I am one of the current Tea Party student presidents, and the one with the most power: the Host. And you are the leader of the Arius Squad, Saori Joumae."
I'm going to play the Arius Squad exactly how I want.
"You... what did you just... ugh?!"
And, of course, I fully expected things to get violent. That's why I closed the distance with Saori. To put myself in a position where I could neutralize her with a close-range attack when she least expected it.
SLAM—!!!
I grabbed Saori by the collar and slammed her into the ground. The first thing I did was snatch her dagger. Just as I expected, the moment I moved, a sniper shot shattered the window of the church. I dodged it, taking a few steps back.
"Ahaha, was that too rough? My bad. ☆"
"Ugh...
cough, how did you know who we were...?"
"It's not just you, Saori-chan. I know about all your squad members hiding nearby. Misaki Imashino. Hiyori Tsuchinaga. Atsuko Hakari. And Azusa Shirasu. I know all of them. ☆ Curious how I know their names, too?"
Without hesitation, I threw the dagger at the spot where I'd seen the booby trap, both to confirm its existence and get rid of it.
Clang—
The dagger flew through the air and hit the soda can dead on.
And then,
BOOM—!!!
"Whoa...?"
...Are you kidding me, Azusa? You made a booby trap with a flashbang? It's a good thing this area is practically abandoned, or that sound would've caused a massive uproar.
Even from a distance, the noise was so loud it momentarily stunned me, my ears ringing. Lucky I wasn't looking in that direction. A direct hit from that in the middle of the night could have been dangerous. Considering how durable Kivotos students are, I wouldn't be surprised if that thing was even more powerful than a standard flashbang.
Thanks to me shielding her vision, Saori seemed unaffected. She was still on the ground but was already taking aim. My own reactions, however, were sluggish.
I managed to move, but not before taking a couple of bullets. Honestly, they were barely scratches, but it still made me regret triggering the trap.
I should have just held Saori down and subdued her then and there. But the thought of directly laying a hand on these girls and hurting them made me hesitate, and that hesitation cost me. Even I don't quite understand the double standard in my head where shooting them is fine, but punching them isn't.
Gunfire erupted from all directions. Azusa and Atsuko were hiding closer than I thought, within the playground itself, while Misaki seemed to be observing from somewhere else. Saori was already back on her feet and joining the fray.
Well, if this is how it's going to be, so be it.
I'll just have to take them all down first and talk later. It seems they have the exact same idea.