Who exactly is Problem Solver 68?
They were once the most beloved club among players of Blue Archive, and they remain incredibly popular to this day. Within Gehenna, it would be no exaggeration to call them the most popular club of all time.
Of course, popularity is difficult to define objectively, so this is just based on what I know. And considering that an overwhelming portion of Problem Solver 68's popularity is owed to a single student, that statement might be a bit of an exaggeration.
That one student, in the early days of Blue Archive's service, captured the hearts of many players with her surprising charm, a personality 180 degrees different from her wicked, almost domineering appearance. Not only that, but her personal theme song was so popular that it even captivated some players who didn't play the game. Wouldn't it be fair to describe her as an incarnation of charm itself?
She longs for the life of a cool outlaw who lives by her own rules, but in reality, her disposition is that of a timid everyman, so she is constantly putting on a bombastic act to hide her true nature.
That is the true identity of the president of the small business, Problem Solver 68… Rikuhachima Aru.
And was her appearance at the amusement park a mere coincidence?
I was certain it was not.
It's possible she was just here to have fun. To deny that possibility would be a sign of an overinflated ego.
But the fact that our eyes met was something that needed to be investigated. Visiting the amusement park on the same day at the same time could be a coincidence, but making eye contact was too much to be one. Besides, it wasn't just Aru I saw. It was from a distance, but I also spotted Kayoko's distinctive hairstyle—white hair with a black fringe and black strands framing her horns, tied up in a ponytail. I could say with certainty: the members of Problem Solver 68 were here, at this amusement park, and more specifically, they were loitering around me.
What is it?
I was sure their target wasn't one of my companions. Azusa and Hifumi had no reason to be targeted. Nagisa's status as one of Trinity's student council presidents was information that hadn't been revealed outside of those involved in my kidnapping by the Gourmet Research Society. And if you were to ask if anyone involved in that incident would put a hit out on Nagisa, I would shake my head emphatically.
Therefore, there was a 90% chance that Problem Solver's business was with me.
That left the question of who had a motive to target me, and for what purpose… but no one immediately came to mind. Frankly, I don't think I'm the type of person who goes around making enemies. Considering that, the culprit was likely someone I'd had friction with in the past.
…Wait, someone I've had friction with?
No, it couldn't be. It wouldn't be her again. The summer festival was only a few days away; there was no way she'd be plotting something strange now. She was probably just gleefully imagining what she'd make me do to humiliate me when she won our bet. The more I thought about it, the more I was convinced it was her.
In any case, to find anything out, I needed to meet with Problem Solver and talk to them. That was why I had pushed the other three into the performance hall where the magic show was starting. I trust that if they were attacked, Azusa could protect the other two. The Azusa of today is more than capable.
By the way, Problem Solver must be pretty skilled. It's one thing when I'm alone, but with Nagisa in our group, there had to be Tea Party guards hidden somewhere in the crowd, watching for any suspicious activity. For them to get this close before being spotted when they approached me so openly suggests that they are quite adept at managing their movements and staying out of sight. It was a moment that made me realize they did have some skills, after all.
I ducked into a passageway leading to the restrooms and turned a corner. Then I waited.
Unfortunately, I wasn't carrying a weapon today. The only ones in our group who had brought their guns were Nagisa, who always carries her pistol, and Azusa, for whom it would be stranger not to be carrying one. It might seem careless, but it's not like I'd lose to a bunch of Sukeban or helmet-gang thugs without a gun, so was it really necessary to lug one all the way to an amusement park? My bare hands and my Mystic are just as deadly as any firearm.
In any case, since I was unarmed, Problem Solver would likely see me as defenseless. If their goal was to harm me, they wouldn't miss the chance to target me now that I was alone in a secluded area and unarmed. That meant it would be easier for me to subdue them with my bare hands by ambushing them. Not that I was planning on beating them to a pulp.
Tap. Tap.
Sure enough, I heard the sound of someone approaching with a natural, confident gait. Just from the footsteps, I could tell it was Aru. Mutsuki or Haruka's steps would have been lighter, and the walk was too dignified to be Kayoko's.
You're pretty bold today, Aru. The situation was obvious. Mutsuki probably put her up to it again.
And so, with my body coiled and ready to spring, I waited for Aru to walk right in front of me.
Tiring!
At the worst possible moment, a MomoTalk notification rang out. I frantically pulled out my phone to check it…
[Three individuals, presumed to be Gehenna students, are following in the direction of your location, Lady Mika… Please be careful.]
It was a message from one of the Tea Party Royal Guards, whom I had instructed to contact me if anything unusual happened during Nagisa's escort.
Hey, you bastard! I appreciate the warning, but you just ruined my perfect ambush…!
"Hey, can we talk for a minute?"
There's no use crying over spilled milk. I let out a small sigh and stepped out from around the corner. Aru, who had been exchanging glances with Kayoko and Mutsuki watching from a distance, jumped in surprise and immediately started to run.
"Eek…!"
But her panic lasted only a moment. Her expression hardened with a newfound resolve, and she pulled out her sniper rifle.
"Chief Clerk Mutsuki, Section Chief Kayoko! Cover me! We're aborting the mission and retreating for now!"
"Kufufu. Leave it to me, Aru-chan!"
"Guess we have no choice…"
Mutsuki pulled out her submachine gun, a grin on her face, and aimed it at me. Beside her, Kayoko aimed her own pistol in my direction.
…Where's Haruka? Has she not joined Problem Solver yet?
Fighting here was the worst possible move. It was me, not Problem Solver, who needed to maintain friendly relations between Gehenna and Trinity. As the highest authority in Trinity, I couldn't just get into a fight with Gehenna students. I was in a checkmate.
"Wait! I have no intention of fighting!"
I quickly raised both my hands and stood still to show I was unarmed. The members of Problem Solver looked at me with puzzled expressions. Then they exchanged glances and nodded.
"Kufufu, in that case, we'll be making our escape! Bye-bye~♪"
"R-Retreat! It's not running away, Chief Clerk Mutsuki! That's what third-rate villains do! This is a tactical retreat!"
Watching the three of them start to flee, I fought the urge to grab my own head in frustration.
Ugh, that Mutsuki, that little mesugaki…
…No, that's not right. Mutsuki is not a mesugaki. This is a crucial point, and I must not forget it. She's annoying as hell, but this is important!
"Hey, I said I don't want to fight! Stop running and let's just talk!"
Not wanting to lose them, I quickly gave chase. Objectively speaking, I was faster, but the distance between us had grown significantly while I was standing still. And with the crowd starting to thicken, it was all I could do to keep track of the three of them as they disappeared into the throng of people.
…Ah, I just want to quit this whole Eden Treaty thing. For real.
I'll endure this just two… no, three more times for Hina's sake. If the General Student Council President has any conscience, she will hand over the SRT to the treaty organization as slaves as soon as possible.
Thankfully, Aru's coat was a conspicuous design, so I was able to follow them through the crowd without losing them. But after navigating the crowd and leaving the indoor area, they suddenly leaped over a wooden gate marked 'Staff Only' and disappeared beyond it.
To follow, or not to follow.
Faced with a choice, I quickly made my decision.
If a problem was going to arise whether I followed or not, it was better for it to happen where I could see it.
With that thought, I used my momentum to run up the gate and place a hand on top. It was a good thing I was wearing shorts under my skirt. Pushing aside that useless thought, I put strength into my arms and easily vaulted over.
Just as I was falling toward the ground, I caught a glimpse of someone waiting, pressed up against the other side of the gate.
It was Haruka, aiming a shotgun at me with dead eyes.
"For Aru-sama—"
…Ah, so it was a trap.
The realization came too late. The image of Aru's startled face when our eyes met after I'd hit the punching machine was so vivid in my memory that I'd just assumed she had panicked and run when she realized I was waiting for her. But she had laid a trap like this just in case, while at the same time trying to subdue me, who she thought was unaware. How clumsy. And yet, I, who had walked right into it, was even clumsier.
But as they say, even if you're caught by a tiger, you can survive if you keep your wits about you. A direct hit from Haruka's shotgun would inflict damage that even I couldn't just shrug off, but this was actually an opportunity. If I had to face all four members of Problem Solver 68 head-on without a weapon, I would have had to brace myself for serious damage. But with Haruka separated from the other three, the situation was now in my favor.
Of course, for that to be the case, I had to survive the current crisis. And so, I racked my brain, trying to paint a picture of how to overcome this situation. But in the end, it wasn't my head, but my body and my Mystic that came up with the answer.
I flicked my finger at the cluster of stars that had naturally formed at my fingertips. I wasn't sure if it was my intention or if my body had reacted on its own.
However, one thing was certain: the physical force generated by the small explosion it created had given me an opening.
Fwoom—!
The sudden explosion caused me to land a beat faster than expected. Without a moment's hesitation, I charged at Haruka.
"—Please die!!!"
Of course, I had no intention of taking a blast from Haruka's shotgun head-on. The charge was a feint. The moment I took a step, I veered off and launched myself at the wall.
KA-BOOM!!!
A deafening roar echoed, but I had already kicked off the wall and launched myself into the air again. The distance between us was barely a meter to begin with. Now that her first shot had missed, Haruka had no way of stopping my approach.
"…Ah, uh. Eh? Uwaaah…!"
In other words, from the moment my hand touched her gun, her fate was sealed.
I forced the barrel of the gun downward, then tripped her. Haruka couldn't even resist, the difference in our physical specs was just too great. A proper close-quarters fight would only be possible against someone like Tsurugi. Against Haruka, who had surprising strength but lacked the technical superiority of Saori—who herself could be taken down with a single mistake—there were no variables she could create to win against me at this range.
I easily snatched the shotgun from her grasp and aimed it at her. As long as I knew it was a pump-action, using it was no problem.
"Hey, I'm sorry? No hard feelings… well, I guess I do have some…"
I really didn't have any personal feelings against her. I just thought it would be better if the unpredictable Haruka took a little nap. If I let her be, she might blow something up, and I couldn't handle that.
So, the right thing to do would be to put her to sleep for a bit… but if I did that, the other three would probably lose their minds and I'd be forced to fight them. Besides, I didn't really feel like fighting today. If this outfit got ruined, I couldn't even imagine how upset Nagisa would be. It would make me the bad guy, ruining one half of our matching set so soon after we got it.
Sigh. How did I end up in a situation where I can't even properly retaliate after being attacked first? How am I supposed to deal with this frustration?
"…?"
In the end, I lowered the shotgun I had aimed at Haruka and stood up.
What choice did I have? I'd just have to find out who hired them and beat that bastard half to death.
"Ahem, how dare you…? I will now carve into your very body the gravity of the sin of laying a hand on Employee Haruka."
"Ahat! Go, Aru-chan~! Show her what you're made of♪"
"…President, Haruka is fine."
"Uh, huh?"
A flash of relief crossed Aru's face as she bravely aimed her sniper rifle at me. She really is a cute kid; her actions and thoughts are so easy to read.
"Look, I didn't hurt her, so please. I'm begging you. Let's just lower our guns and talk. I'm so tired…"
I said, holding out a hand to Haruka.
Seriously, everything I do is a red alert for the Eden Treaty! Emergency! Wee-woo-wee-woo!! At this point, I think just scrapping this whole treaty would be better for my mental health. I'm a person, too. I get tired.
Haruka stared blankly at my outstretched hand for a moment before cautiously reaching out. I felt like if I waited for her, Sensei would arrive in Kivotos before she made up her mind, so I just grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet.
"See! She's perfectly fine, not a scratch on her! So it's okay if we talk for a bit now, right?"
If they still wanted to fight, then I was done. If a problem arose, I'd just scrap the Eden Treaty and everything else. I'd just have to smuggle my poor Hina out and have her transfer to Trinity.
"Hahaha! You're quite bold, aren't you? A dignity worthy of a conversation with me. Indeed, one would expect no less from the head of an academy."
Oh, Aru… can't you do something about those sparkling eyes? You've got the deep voice and the cool pose down, but your eyes are ruining the whole mood.
"Ahem! However, as the leader of Problem Solver, let me make one thing clear. Negotiating with the target of a job is—"
I raised Haruka's shotgun as Aru started to spout nonsense. I probably have about six shots left. That should be enough.
"—of course, perfectly acceptable! What are you curious about? The name of our agency? Or perhaps my name? Or maybe our motto…!"
"Geez~, Aru-chan, that just makes you sound like a third-rate villain. You need to project a more bold and wicked aura if you want to be called a true outlaw♪"
"…What?! W-Was it that bad?!"
"Hah. More importantly, can I get Haruka back now?"
…Oh, my head. I should probably send a MomoTalk to Nagisa and tell her I'll be a little late, and that they should have fun without me.
Seriously, Hanuma Makoto… no.
Client, just you wait until I get my hands on you. I may not have learned it in Abydos, but I saw it with my own eyes. I will give you an experience with Abydos's Tearing Technique that you will never forget for the rest of your life.