"Everything is futile… I taught you that, didn't I?" Saori said. "Chasing light is pointless. Dreaming, hoping—all of it's empty. I drilled that into you over and over. So why? Why do you keep fighting?"
"…"
"There's no place for you in Trinity or Shalle… You know that, don't you?"
"…Sorry, Saori," Azusa said.
"What, still making excuses?" Saori snapped.
"Your head wound and that teary face make it hard to take your words seriously," Azusa replied.
"…I'm not crying," Saori muttered.
"I said you look like you're about to cry, not that you are," Azusa clarified.
"…I didn't raise you to be this good at verbal sparring," Saori grumbled.
"It's not even a debate, Leader," Misaki interjected.
In a corridor a short distance from the battlefield where they'd clashed with Mash, the Arius Squad (plus Azusa) held their so-called family meeting.
Saori tried to persuade Azusa with her grim outlook, but her near-tears expression dulled her words, turning the conversation into a mess. If anything, Saori was getting outtalked and visibly annoyed—where had her dignity gone?
"…Anyway," Saori said, regaining her composure, "don't trust Mash Burnedead. His words are lies."
"Everyone's happy ending…" Azusa murmured.
"Exactly. That doesn't exist in this world—it can't," Saori said. "How could he make it happen?"
"How can you say that so confidently?" Azusa asked. "You've barely spent time with Sensei. How can you judge him so harshly?"
"…"
"You only know Sensei from reports and Madam's words," Azusa continued. "The first time you met him was just now."
"…Exactly. And that's why I know," Saori said. "That man is dangerous. He hides the world's truth, twists facts, and spreads lies—a bad teacher, a bad adult."
The truth of the world: everything is futile, meaningless. Saori was certain that happiness, a happy ending, was impossible in such a world. That's why she branded Mash a bad teacher.
"Saori, Sensei's just a kid like us," Azusa said.
"So what? He's still responsible," Saori countered.
"Responsible, yes—forced to be," Azusa said. "He was just living his life, but this world thrust its fate onto him. He's a kid, like us."
"…" Saori faltered.
"Sensei's not a bad person," Azusa said. "He's a good one."
"How can you say that so confidently?" Saori demanded.
"I've been watching him the whole time I've been at Trinity," Azusa said, touching her stomach and chest as if savoring the memory. "I've seen him, heard him, felt him—with my whole being."
Her words were resolute, heartfelt.
"My empty body… Sensei and everyone filled it," Azusa said. "My stomach with choux cream, my skin with warmth, my heart with inspiration. I'm being fulfilled, constantly."
"Don't joke," Saori said. "Have you forgotten? Vanitas vanitatum, et omnia vanitas—nothing in this world can fulfill you."
"It can," Azusa said firmly, a radiant smile breaking through. "It absolutely can—because it's happening to me right now."
Her eyes sparkled, unclouded, glowing with a light Saori had never seen. That smile—it was unfamiliar, disarming.
"Stop… don't make that face," Saori pleaded. "Remember, we're the only ones who understand and accept you. Your place is here, in the shadows. You're turning away from that truth, dazzled by sweet lies."
"Lies?" Azusa chuckled. "No way. Sensei's terrible at lying."
"…The Justina Saints, guardians of the covenant, Trinity's legendary force—or rather, their Mimesis copies," Saori said. "They're still protectors of the covenant, an immortal army aiding us, the Eden Treaty Organization."
"…?" Azusa tilted her head.
"Trinity and Gehenna's hostility toward Arius violates the sacred covenant," Saori explained. "That makes them targets for suppression."
"The Justina Saints hold the covenant as absolute," Hiyori added nervously. "Even as copies, they show no mercy to violators… Pretty reliable, hehe."
"What's your point?" Azusa asked.
"Don't you get it?" Saori said. "He'll lose. No matter what, the enemy will keep coming. He can't win—so why listen to a loser like him?"
"He won't lose," Azusa said, pulling out her gun and a choux cream, mimicking Mash's demeanor as she took a bite. "Nothing can beat Sensei's punches… Oh, this is delicious."
"Why?! Why do you trust him?!" Saori shouted, her voice cracking. "Why believe his words?!"
"Simple," Azusa said. "He's my friend… and he's Sensei."
"I won't accept it!" Saori cried. "If I acknowledge him here, I—we—!"
"Leader…?" Misaki said, sensing something off. "(…Something's wrong…)"
"I'll deny him—everything about him!" Saori roared.
"Saori-san?!" Hiyori gasped.
Bursting with unprecedented rage, Saori raised her rifle and charged at Azusa. Swallowing her choux cream, Azusa met her gaze steadily.
"…Our first sisterly fight, huh, Saori?" Azusa said.
"Azusa!" Saori screamed, rushing forward.
Azusa charged head-on to meet her.
"They… they're the reason Trinity might fall apart!" a voice cried.
Though the signing ceremony wasn't public, many had witnessed missiles streaking toward the venue. It was easy to deduce the Eden Treaty signing was under attack. The Pater Faction, Trinity's most anti-Gehenna group, assumed Gehenna was responsible and acted without Tea Party orders.
"It's Gehenna's doing, isn't it?!" a Pater member shouted. "Who else would pull this?!"
"Exactly! What are the Justice Task Force and General Headquarters doing?!" another demanded. "The enemy's attack has already started!"
"Our enemy is Gehenna! Time to punish those horned devils!"
"I'm telling you, the attack came from somewhere else!" a voice protested.
"Please, just stay calm for now! Soon—'What's all this commotion?' …Oh, N-Nagisa-sama… and Chairman Hanuma Makoto?!"
Students who'd been fighting began returning to headquarters. Amid the Pater Faction's uproar, Hanuma Makoto, Pandemonium's chairman, was escorted in. Most returning students had minor injuries, but Makoto was bleeding heavily from her left arm, a shocking sight that silenced the Pater Faction.
"Makoto-san, just a bit further," Nagisa urged.
"Tch… Tea Party," Makoto scoffed. "I didn't ask for your help."
"With wounds like that, saying 'don't help' is absurd," Nagisa said. "Rushing here was the right call. Come on, inside."
"W-Wait, Nagisa-sama!" a Pater member protested. "What are you doing?! Letting a filthy Gehenna student into our sacred cathedral—"
"Mind your tongue," a sharp voice cut in. "Is that how you speak to Tea Party's host, Kirifuji Nagisa? If you have time to argue, help with the wounded."
"Who are you?!" a Pater member demanded.
"Which student are you?!"
"Watch your mouth, outsider!"
"You're the ones who should back off," the voice retorted. "Enough with your noise. And for the record, I'm no outsider. I'm a passing fox, entrusted by my 'beloved gentleman' to protect his friends. Now move—you're in the way."
Carrying several injured students, Wakamo's red eyes glared through her mask, silencing the Pater Faction with sheer presence. Students from Pandemonium, Tea Party, Disciplinary Committee, and Justice Task Force supported each other through the crowd, heading for treatment, resupply, or to report damages.
"—Chairman Makoto! Finally connected!" Ako's voice crackled through.
"What's this, Ako? Shirking your duties?" Makoto teased.
"Not at all!" Ako snapped. "First, the report: we defeated the Apostles. The Justice Task Force, Sisterhood, and our Disciplinary Committee detachment are receiving treatment from the Rescue Knights and Emergency Medicine Club on-site."
"Ako-san, please relay this to everyone," Nagisa said. "'In the name of Tea Party host Kirifuji Nagisa, I permit entry to students of both Gehenna and Trinity, regardless of status.' We'll make a place for those exhausted by battle."
"…Thank you," Ako said.
"Uh, um… Makoto-sa—er, Makoto-dono!" Izuna stammered.
"Oh, you're… that ninja serving Sensei at Shalle, right?" Makoto said.
"Yes! Makoto-dono, you should rest too," Izuna said. "You're badly hurt protecting your allies…"
"Hah! These scratches, serious?" Makoto laughed, then winced. "Ow… I thought as Hina's peer, I'd hold my own, but maybe I'm slipping."
"The blade pierced your arm," Nagisa said. "There's no way that's minor. It might be affected by something—get treatment now."
Makoto had been injured shielding her subordinates during the retreat. Her left arm bore deep, gruesome wounds, unmistakably those of a gravely injured person.
"Where are Sensei, Sorazaki Hina, and Kenzaki Tsurugi?" Makoto asked.
"We haven't been able to contact them…" Ako replied.
"No need to worry," Wakamo said. "Sensei wouldn't lose to something like this, nor would he be injured—"
A truck's horn blared, cutting her off. All eyes turned to the source—a truck careening like a wild horse, screeching to a halt with a grating brake sound, nearly mowing down the Pater Faction. Its rear hatch burst open.
"Who does that truck belong to?!" a Pater member shouted.
"Stop! Only authorized vehicles—!"
"Sorry, let us through! It's an emergency!" a voice yelled.
"Someone, please help!" another pleaded.
"Knights, medics, anyone! Hina-san and Tsurugi-san are critical!" Gehemi cried.
"What…?" Makoto gasped.
"No way…!" Nagisa whispered.
Carried from the truck by Gehemi and Torimi were a tearful Sorazaki Hina, barely conscious, and Kenzaki Tsurugi, so exhausted she seemed ready to collapse. Blood trailed from their dragging feet, and Hina's eyes were barely open.
"H-Hina… Committee Chair?" Ako's voice trembled.
"Tsurugi-san too… how?!" Nagisa said.
"What happened?!" Makoto demanded. "Hina, Tsurugi—what could do this to you?!"
Moments later, Serina Sumi of the Rescue Knights arrived with several members, likely stationed as a precaution by their leader.
"Sorry for the wait! …Those injuries are severe!" Serina exclaimed.
"Tsurugi-san, hurry!" Torimi urged.
"I'm… fine," Tsurugi rasped. "More importantly…!"
"We'll save Committee Chair Hina no matter what," Serina said. "So please—'No!'"
"Look at the other one first!" Tsurugi shouted.
"Another…?" Serina paused. "No way…"
"Sorazaki Hina…!" Makoto said, approaching Hina's stretcher.
"What happened, Hina?" Makoto asked. "For someone of your caliber—and Tsurugi's—to be this injured…"
"…" Hina groaned faintly.
"Forget it, just focus on your wounds," Makoto said.
Hina's hand shot out, gripping Makoto's arm tightly. Ignoring her pain, she forced herself up, eyes wide and brimming with tears, shouting desperately as blood worsened her condition.
"Please…! Sensei… Sensei…!" she cried.
"…Sensei? What about him?" Makoto asked.
"What happened to him?!" Wakamo demanded.
At that moment, Koyuki's tearful voice shook the air. "Sensei, no! You can't move!"
All eyes turned to the truck's hatch. There stood Mash, his body mottled with toxic discoloration, poisoned to the core.
"You can't move like that…! Please, stop!" Koyuki pleaded.
"Thanks, Koyuki-chan…" Mash said weakly. "But I'm fine… I can stand… on my own…"
"That's… Shalle's Sensei, right?" a student whispered.
"How… did he end up like that…?" another gasped.
Mash's ghastly appearance turned faces pale. Wakamo rushed to him, her expression one of utter despair.
"My love…! No, how…!" she cried.
"Sorry, Wakamo-chan…" Mash said. "They told me to call you… before it got this bad…"
"You don't need to apologize…!" Wakamo said, tears streaming.
"I told them… to wait," Mash said. "Didn't want… to drag you into this… cough, cough…"
"Even so…!" Wakamo protested.
"My body's… numb," Mash said. "Hard to talk… sorry…"
The poison's paralysis had spread, gradually overwhelming him, though muscle destruction had slowed. Izuna, pale with fear, rushed to support him.
"My lord! No, you can't…! You can't die!" she cried.
"I won't die…" Mash said. "I can't die… not until… everyone's happy ending… I can't stop…"
"Please, reconsider," Wakamo urged. "You'll—"
"No way," Mash said. "I'm… Sensei. 'Sensei, so what?!'"
Nagisa, silent until now, roared—not as Tea Party's host, but as a student, her voice raw with emotion.
"Moving because you're Sensei?! Working through injuries and poison because you're Sensei?! Stop with the ridiculous jokes!" she shouted.
"Nagisa…san," Mash said softly.
"Wakamo-san, Izuna-san, get him inside," Nagisa ordered. "Even if it means knocking him out, make him rest. He's in danger."
"Of course," Wakamo said.
"Yes!" Izuna nodded.
"Wait, I'm not—" Mash began.
"Shut up!" Nagisa snapped. "Keep this up, and I'll stuff your face with every tea snack I have!"
"Eep," Mash squeaked.
"Hurry!" Nagisa barked.
Nagisa's unprecedented intensity overwhelmed Mash, forcing him to relent and rest. Her rare display of raw emotion stunned everyone—Hina's tears even stopped in shock.
"…Oh," Hina murmured.
"Sorazaki Hina, Kenzaki Tsurugi," Makoto said. "Sensei's in Kirifuji Nagisa's hands now. You two, rest inside."
"…Yeah, okay," Hina said faintly.
"…Ah," Tsurugi managed.
Intimidated by Nagisa's presence, the Pater Faction scattered silently. The Choux Cream Club stayed to watch over Mash, while Ako, worried for Hina, dropped everything to rush to Trinity.
-------------------------------
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