Gematria.
They're the villain organization of the Blue Archive world… or at least, that's their role. In reality, the only ones who really act like villains are Black Suit in the Foreclosure Task Force arc and Beatrice. The rest of the members are surprisingly friendly toward Sensei, the protagonist, which has given them a bizarrely large fanbase.
"Beatrice, the ritual you conducted was far too dangerous. Had you limited yourself to merely observing the Color, we would have respected your research. However... contacting the Color is an entirely different matter. To us, who study Mystic, Horror, and the Sublime, the Color—an entity with which we can neither communicate nor analyze—is a threat that could reduce this grand laboratory named Kivotos to nothing. It is, for all intents and purposes, our nemesis. Your ritual, which ignored this fact, was a taboo that could have rendered all of Gematria's research null and void," Black Suit said.
He was characterized by his dark skin and the black smoke that poured from the cracks in his face, and true to his name, he wore a stylish black suit. His most prominent trait was that of a scientist or researcher.
"To be precise, she wasn't just trying to contact it; she was trying to use its power. Madame had no intention of turning the Color's attention toward Kivotos," Golconde added.
The man in the trench coat with a hollow head and the portrait of a man in a fedora he held were Decalcomanie and Golconde, respectively. The two claimed to represent the concepts of illusion and non-existence to each other. If I had to define him, he was closest to a philosopher. For the record, I don't understand half the things he says. This is why I can't stand philosophy.
"Indeed! She tried to use the power of the Color to aggrandize herself! There is not a single shred of intellect in the arrogance of trying to use such an incomprehensible concept without any proper understanding, and for such a base purpose," Maestro chastised.
He looked for all the world like a two-headed wooden doll, but he was a petty fellow who got angry if you called him a mannequin. He wore attire befitting an orchestra conductor, which perfectly matched his name. As his name was his identity, there was no other word for Maestro than 'artist.'
"Kh, hahaha... Is a wooden doll really trying to lecture me?"
Wow, that Beatrice. Even after being stomped on by Tsurugi, she still has the energy to run her mouth. I'd quite like to stomp on her a bit myself…
"Kuaaargh?! G-get your foot off me! You have no respect for your elders— Aaaargh!!"
"Sorry, my foot slipped. ☆ What were you saying just now...? Respect? Would you show respect to someone who just tried to kill you? Not that I have any respect for you to begin with."
My foot slipping was a lie, of course. I slowly, deliberately ground my heel into Beatrice's hand. Right now, Beatrice was the one person in Kivotos I had no intention of letting go, even if the sky were to fall. A little payback was the bare minimum. If I couldn't kill her with my own hands, then I'd have to use Gematria's. I'd rather dirty my own hands than leave such a threat lingering, but if I didn't have the nerve to do it myself, I had to take the next best option. If I let her go now and she ended up hurting the people I care about, I'd regret it for the rest of my life. Since Beatrice was originally supposed to be dealt with by Gematria anyway, I honestly didn't feel much guilt about it. Yeah, probably.
"Hoh. O, maiden. I salute the strength of your spirit, to have witnessed the shadow of death and not only remained unbroken but emerged even stronger. Furthermore, to not even bat an eye at the sight of Gematria's members... Your composure is not born of ignorance, is it? Interesting. Exceedingly interesting!" Maestro exclaimed.
"I must agree with Maestro. O, most great archangel. Is it possible that you were aware of our existence before this? If so, how? By what means? We pride ourselves on not being so careless as to allow our existence to be observed by an ordinary student... Yes, I too find your existence intriguing," Black Suit added.
"You two are missing one important detail. Ah, yes. Indeed. The maiden before you is, surprisingly, a maiden and yet not a maiden."
"Indeed!!"
Excuse me? How the hell did you know that? No, the important thing isn't
how. It's
how much Golconde knows.
"…Hoh?"
"Hmm, Golconde. Could I trouble you for a more detailed explanation?"
"Of course. While one cannot deny the fact that she is a maiden, she is at the same time a full-fledged adult. Yes, she is a rather unique Text that possesses two aspects simultaneously."
As Golconde spoke, Black Suit tilted his head toward me, studying me intently. Maestro made no move, but he hadn't taken his eyes off me since he first called me interesting.
Wait, so that's not what he meant by "not a maiden." That was a close call.
Just as I was breathing a sigh of relief, Golconde suddenly changed his tune.
"...No, I stand corrected. She is a truly special case, one even I have never seen before, where the Text and the sign do not align. She is not merely a Text with two aspects."
"Indeed! Indeed!"
…What the hell is this?! Golconde, what is his deal? How did he figure that much out when we've barely exchanged a few words? Honestly, this is getting a little scary. This is exactly why I didn't want to get involved with Gematria!
"In short, are you saying that the maiden's body and soul do not match?" Maestro asked.
"A fascinating story indeed. If what Golconde says is true, then I have a question for you. Would you be so kind as to answer my query?" Black Suit asked.
Frankly, I wanted nothing to do with them. Golconde was unsettling, with the way he seemed to see right through me. And, sorry to say it, Maestro's appearance was just... a lot. As for Black Suit, I didn't like him because he looked like he'd want to use me as a lab rat for his Mystic experiments.
"Well, I guess it doesn't matter... Yep. As long as it's not a rude question or something I don't want to answer, I'll answer it, Black Suit."
"Hmm, Black Suit. You address me with the same title as a certain student I know. Do all students think alike? Or could it be the unexpected case that you two know each other? This is quite..."
Black Suit paused for a moment, then suddenly straightened his suit.
"Excellent. I rather like it. From now on, I would appreciate it if you would all refer to me as Black Suit."
He then bowed his head in the manner of an English gentleman.
Oh, right. Hoshino was the one who came up with the name 'Black Suit,' wasn't she? I really need to be more careful with what I say from now on. But not being able to call Black Suit 'Black Suit' is just torture... This is the kind of excuse even Nagisa would hear and go, 'I suppose I can't argue with that.'
"What I wish to ask is simple. Are you, perhaps, a being like us... that is, an adult from outside this Kivotos?"
My first instinct was to just play dumb. But one look at Golconde, and that thought vanished. He was the reason I was half-exposed already, and at a point where any of my secrets could be revealed at any moment, was there really any point in lying? I just had to make sure not to reveal everything.
"Ahaha, I can't deny that. But I'll refrain from answering the 'adult' part! I believe my current existence still has room for growth, so I don't think it's right to definitively call myself an adult."
"Hoh. A maiden, yet not a maiden. Once an adult, but no longer an adult. The mind and body have influenced each other, turning the maiden's existence into a bundle of contradictions. An adult, yet not an adult... she is an existence that cannot even be compared to that ignoramus who defined herself as an adult. O, maiden, I have taken a liking to you. O, maiden, in you, I have glimpsed the potential to be my 'muse'!"
This is insane. Please, I'm begging you, stop saying weird things about me, Mr. I've-Been-Playing-Piano-Since-I-Was-Five. But man, he's being so scathing toward Beatrice. It's almost cathartic. Ah, now I'm getting the urge to cathartically punch a hole through Beatrice myself. Wait, now's not the time to be getting caught up in a conversation with these guys, is it? It's time to get to the point.
"So, why has Gematria graced us with their presence? I hope you didn't come here with the intention of taking this monster back with you."
"I'm afraid I must disappoint you on that front. As pathetic as she is, Beatrice is still a member of our Gematria. So... yes, we did come here with the intention of retrieving her. Though I cannot deny that the desire to converse with an interesting individual such as yourself was also a factor."
"Ahaha, you say that even knowing the madness she harbors inside? Are you really going to treat that madwoman, who has strayed so far from the essence of Gematria, as an equal researcher?"
I immediately threw a counterargument at Black Suit's words. I was revealing far too much to them, but Beatrice had to be dealt with, no matter the cost. The one thing I had to prevent, in an era without Sensei and with only my limited knowledge to rely on, was the unleashing of an unknown I couldn't handle.
"...?!"
I viciously kicked the head of Beatrice, who had been writhing at my feet before giving up. She was still conscious, probably thanks to embracing the Color, so I kicked her again for good measure. The members of Gematria fell silent for a moment at the sight of such primal violence.
"I can guarantee it. Beatrice will summon the Color to Kivotos. Even if it's not now, she will, in the near future. Now that you know that, does your opinion that this woman is a member of Gematria still stand?"
"...You wish for us to dispose of Beatrice on your behalf," Maestro noted.
"You define yourself as a being closer to a maiden than an adult. Your sign is deeply tinged with purity. This means you do not wish to taint that purity by bloodying your own hands. I believe I can interpret it as such," Golconde said.
"Indeed!!"
…God, Golconde really gets on my nerves. To the point where I hope I never have to see him again. The problem is, I have a feeling this won't be the last time.
"...If what you say is true, then Beatrice has lost her right to exist as a member of Gematria. That is, only if what you say is true... but you seem to firmly believe that there is not a single lie in your words," Black Suit said.
"Ahaha! I don't 'believe' it, Black Suit. I wouldn't be appealing to you with something as flimsy as a belief."
"In that case...?"
"Well, you could say it's like this. Yes, the existence that is 'I' knows that Beatrice will bring the Color to Kivotos. That's all you need to know. ☆ Has that changed your minds at all?"
"...I have had my own doubts about your knowledge. But after hearing those words, such things no longer matter. My muse, I express my gratitude for your favor! Though one of our plans has been thwarted by your existence, a collaboration with that fool would have had an obvious outcome anyway!"
The first to come over to my side was Maestro. The "thwarted plan" he mentioned must have been the Artificial Angel series, right? With Gematria's existence revealed to me, the student president of Trinity, and with Atsuko's blood no longer available, completing Hieronymus and Ambrosius had become next to impossible.
"Hey, can you not try to paint this as some kind of 'favor' when you know it's nothing of the sort, Maestro? This isn't a favor; it's a deal. A deal made because our interests happened to align. A-and please, I'm begging you, stop with the 'muse' thing. Okay? Just call me 'maiden' like you did before!"
"But I refuse, my muse!"
Ah, I'm losing my mind. This is exactly why I didn't want to meet anyone from Gematria. Fucking weirdos.
"Separate from the fact that the signs and Text that compose you are interesting, the Text you pursue is far from my tastes. By simply eliminating this one source of trouble, this story has moved even further away from a literary Text. In that sense, I cannot help but express my disappointment. It would have been nice if you were someone who shared my views," Golconde lamented.
"Ahaha, I don't dislike literary Texts in stories either. But Golconde, there's one big difference between you and me. You see the world through signs and Texts, but I don't. The 'literary Text' you speak of, as a mere observer of the world, represents an ending that I, who live in this world, must never reach."
"That is certainly true. My apologies. I, too, express my gratitude for your favor. If Madame had truly succeeded in summoning the Color to Kivotos, the very Text I observe would have been destroyed. However, I'm sure that you, as an observer yourself, can understand my disappointment in the content of the Text."
"Indeed!!"
I understand the feeling of being disappointed in the direction a story is heading as a reader, but I think you're probably the only one who would preach about it to a character in the story, Golconde… Wait, I'm getting sidetracked again.
"So, what's Gematria's final decision, Black Suit? For the record, I'm hoping for a positive answer."
"...Keke. While it would be amusing to crush such hopes, this is not a matter to be taken lightly. Yes, as of this moment, Beatrice has been excommunicated from our Gematria. We will handle the cleanup. We were already preparing for the worst from the moment she made contact with the Color. So, we will be taking our leave now. It was a pleasure to have a mutually beneficial conversation, o, most great archangel... Ah, by the way."
No, why? Weren't you just about to take Beatrice and leave? What more do you have to say?
"We'll need to fill the vacancy in Gematria."
"I refuse."
"O, most great archangel, would you join us in Gematria and... Hmm, I didn't expect you to refuse before I even finished the offer."
"Because it feels like you'd try to inject me with Horror in the name of 'research cooperation.'"
"...You truly know a great deal. Should you change your mind, we will welcome you at any time. I shall visit you from time to time in your dreams."
I watched as the four members of Gematria, including Beatrice, vanished, and clutched my throbbing head.
Please, I'm begging you, can you just not visit me at all? Just leave me alone and go have your bond stories with Sensei, you Demon of 'Hug Me'!