── While the train carrying Subaru and the others was under attack.
After knocking Suou unconscious and returning safely to Abydos High School with Serika and Ayane, Hoshino stood before the school gate, her signature weapon 『Eye of Horus』 at the ready. She aimed from a distance that significantly weakened the effective range of her shotgun.
Normally, this "old lady" would never aim from such a distance. Thousands of hours of repetitive training and the experience etched into her body told her to find cover and close the gap immediately. Repetitive drills in assembly and disassembly, restarting shooting practices from scratch if she missed a single target, infiltration exercises—everything performed with extreme precision. This was Takanashi Hoshino. In the realm of "combat"... ── she was one of the most magnificent weapons in all of Kivotos.
"..." (Hoshino)
Hoshino stood motionless before the school gate, watching a suspicious group of four. Even though one of them held a sniper rifle and had the advantage in this flat, coverless terrain, she didn't budge.
"... Hoshino-senpai, those people... ── do you know them?" (Serika)
"This old lady doesn't know them personally, but she's heard of them... probably." (Hoshino)
"They are "Problem Solver 68"... aren't they...?" (Ayane)
The notorious troublemakers from Gehenna Academy, "Problem Solver 68," were loitering at the Abydos gate wearing bizarre paper bags over their heads. Those strange bags had a way of dampening—or rather, completely erasing—any fighting spirit.
"Why are they wearing Subaru's face on their heads?" (Hoshino)
"I wonder why?" (Serika)
"Who knows?" (Ayane)
Printouts of Subaru's face were plastered onto the paper bags, and they held a white flag in their hands. Even Hoshino lost her desire to fight. While they could have been enemies pretending to be Subaru's allies, given their position, she could only conclude that Subaru had hired them.
(If that's the case, his preparations were incredibly premature. Chronologically, he would have had to call them before the attack on the frontline base for them to arrive on time.)
(... ── No, if it's Natsuki Subaru, perhaps he prepared for everything...?)
"Ohe~ I'll go talk to them for a bit. Stay here, Ayane-chan, Serika-chan." (Hoshino)
Hoshino left them behind, approaching the group while appearing disarmed. However, she had a handgun concealed beneath her body armor. The moment she reached close quarters, this old lady could easily neutralize that sniper wearing the photo. If necessary, she would negotiate using one of them as a hostage—though she didn't know if taking hostages worked on opponents like those in the rumors... ──.
── Regardless, it wasn't in this old lady's nature to lose in such matters.
Hoshino appeared before the school building, placing her shotgun in plain sight of the four to signal she had no intention of fighting. She waited for their reaction.
"Well, what brings you all to this old lady... ──" (Hoshino)
"I've been waiting for you!! We were told you would protect us... ──" (Aru)
""... Huh?"" (Hoshino / Others)
"Protect you? And what's with those mysterious paper bags?" (Hoshino)
"Subaru told me that if we wore these and came to the school, you'd help us... N-no, that's not it! This is... t-this is the "Art of Protection"! Protection Art!! By using the face of that villainous Natsuki Subaru, petty thugs everywhere will fear us!" (Aru)
"Boss... won't that just make you a petty villain hiding behind someone else's shadow?" (Mutsuki)
"Oh." (Aru)
"... Can you give me an honest answer? This old lady isn't patient enough to overlook you right now, Problem Solver 68." (Hoshino)
"──"
In response to Hoshino's words and the sudden surge of killing intent, Haruka nearly bared her fangs. But before the muzzle of her silver weapon could clear, she was stopped. To everyone's surprise, it was Hoshino herself who stopped her.
"I said, this old lady isn't that patient right now." (Hoshino)
None of them could track Hoshino's movement as she pressed a knife toward Haruka's eye while aiming a handgun at her throat. Haruka barely managed to put her finger on her rifle's trigger.
Hoshino recognized the lack of hostile intent from the initial dialogue, but in this world, damage can occur even without malice. If Subaru had summoned them, there had to be a reason. But since one of them had tried to draw a weapon, this old lady had no choice but to shift her perspective.
"Stop it, Haruka... what you just did tarnishes the reputation of Problem Solver 68." (Aru)
"...!! I-I-I am so sorry!!?" (Haruka)
"Wow, she's a monster, just like the rumors said." (Mutsuki)
"Decide quickly. Will you fight me after losing one of your comrades, or will this old lady knock you all out right here?" (Hoshino)
As Hoshino's eyes gleamed, Kayoko stepped forward. She borrowed the white flag from Aru and offered it to Hoshino. She spoke in a voice like ice, breathing slowly and exhaling deeply as was her habit.
"── Hah, excuse us. It was our fault for not restraining Haruka... We have no hostile intentions, believe me." (Kayoko)
"Even without intent, if damage is done, this old lady will have to kick you out." (Hoshino)
"... Can you wait until you hear Subaru's message? We're in a bind, but... it seems you're in a significant bind yourselves." (Kayoko)
As usual, the man's true intentions remained elusive. It was terrifying that this old lady hadn't caught even a glimpse of his core essence yet. Since her juniors trusted him, perhaps this was his true character, but accepting that possibility required his foresight to exceed all her expectations. Although she had known Natsuki Subaru for less than a day, the compressed time he created made it feel as though days had been packed into those moments.
"Understood. But first, tell me your circumstances. If you lie... ── this old lady can't guarantee what will happen to this girl." (Hoshino)
"... We were originally in a cooperative relationship with Subaru. You might know from the news, but Kaiser was involved in the events of the D.U. district. While we were tracking information, we ended up in Abydos... which was fine, but..." (Kayoko)
Despite the tension, Aru's stomach let out a loud growl. Her face flushed crimson. She tried to act dignified, thinking, "Wouldn't I look cool if I acted calm?" but when all eyes fell on her, she looked utterly humiliated ──.
"The thing is, as you can see, we were almost on the brink of collapse..." (Kayoko)
Subaru's call had been like the appearance of a savior. While Kaiser continued to track them, they had lost their way in the desert and run out of supplies. Subaru's call arrived as a ray of hope.
We don't know how, but Subaru told us... where to find food and shelter. After we finished eating, we arrived at the high school as instructed.
"Subaru told us about Abydos High, and I've heard of your strength before, so we intended to surrender from the start." (Kayoko)
"... ── And the message?" (Hoshino)
"I don't know the exact details... but it seems Subaru trusts you implicitly." (Kayoko)
"── He says: 『There is someone I want that old lady to save.』" (Kayoko)
●○●○●
Debris from the train rained down before Subaru's eyes as he collapsed from sheer exhaustion. From his helpless position in the lead carriage, the scene looked like a vanishing world being ground into dust beneath the wreckage.
How fast had the train been going? The remains that had arched through the sky like a shrimp's body now lay scattered across the vast desert.
"We won... but can I really call this a victory in this state...?" (Subaru)
"Our train──!!?" (Nozomi)
"Nn. A magnificent sight... but that's not important. Subaru, what happened to your arm?" (Shiroko)
While Nozomi sank into despair, clutching the unconscious Hikari and weeping over the destroyed train, Shiroko's focus remained elsewhere. Nozomi received no answer; she could only watch as the train, shattered a hundred times worse than she had imagined, vanished into scrap. Even though the flying shrapnel had wiped out the Arius and Kaiser soldiers alike, no amount of mourning would bring the locomotive back.
Meanwhile, Subaru found himself trapped in Shiroko's interrogation, having failed to come up with a single plausible excuse. Shiroko's expression grew sterner with every wound she discovered. When she began inspecting his mangled left arm and the bullet wound in his abdomen, Subaru felt his blood run cold under her gaze.
The gash on his forehead was one thing, but the injury to his left arm wouldn't have stayed shut with mere bandages... ── if she discovered the botched, improvised way he had closed the wound (using his Authority), it would be all over.
"Ah, I-I'll explain later! I'll tell you everything later!!" (Subaru)
"There is no "later." The train isn't moving anyway, so talk." (Shiroko)
"You say it's not moving... ── N-Nozomi! It can still move, right?" (Subaru)
"It moves... it moves, but... it's capable of moving, but, well..." (Nozomi)
"Hey! Don't just wither away and turn into ash! Never give up! Get up! Get up, Nozomi! Why are you quitting here? Mr. Train is still alive, isn't he?" (Subaru)
"That's not it. Didn't Big Sis blow up the tracks? How is it supposed to run?" (Nozomi)
""..."" (Subaru & Shiroko)
"Ah." (Subaru)
── Dammit. Subaru had focused entirely on surviving the immediate moment. He had failed—what a total idiot. Why had he even tried to keep a functional part of the train intact? More fundamentally, the lack of a parallel track was beyond mere incompetence.
"Why... ah, damn it! I failed, I failed, I faaaaailed!!" (Subaru)
"It's fine. I brought my bike... I'll carry everyone on my back and run." (Shiroko)
"Are you out of your mind??" (Subaru)
"Nn. Because if I do that, Subaru won't be able to run away from this conversation." (Shiroko)
"──" (Subaru)
It was over. "Here lies Natsuki Subaru"... No, was this really the only way back? Think. There had to be another way to return to Abydos—quickly, safely, and surely—to meet the Discipline Squad and Aru's group immediately... ── otherwise, there was no telling what kind of conflict would break out between them.
The problem lay elsewhere entirely. Floating in his memory was the contents of that white box from the council site: the Chief's head and Kanna's armband. If he took that at face value, it meant Kanna had been attacked after arresting the Chief.
"Do you have bandages? And antiseptic solution too." (Shiroko)
"Y-yeah, I have the bandages." (Subaru)
Today marked the fourth day since Subaru woke up in the hospital and reached Abydos. It was also the fourth day since his arrest, which had been pushed to the fifth due to the sandstorm. He didn't know if he would be attacked because of it... ── but looking at his physical condition, the chances of him moving much further were slim.
He needed to ask for help—from her, the one Subaru trusted more than anyone else when it came to "strength."
"I'll stitch the wound later, but... ── wait. How did you treat this arm wound?" (Shiroko)
"Waaa!! Waaaaaa──! No!? Nothing! I didn't hide anything, really! I'll tell you later...! Later!" (Subaru)
"── Subaru." (Shiroko)
Still, she wouldn't abandon the comrades she had just reclaimed. It made sense; she had no intention of easily letting go of the people she had poured her entire being into, nor the glimmer of hope she had finally found at the end of a road through hell. Even if he wanted her to leave the school to save Kanna... ──.
"Enough with the flirting, let's just get going... ── Hikari is still asleep, and we can't exactly return the train to the depot. How am I supposed to report this to the supervisor, Big Bro?" (Nozomi)
"B-by offering your deepest, most heartfelt condolences for our company's misfortune, maybe?" (Subaru)
"That is completely the wrong way to speak to a superior. Minus 10 billion points." (Nozomi)
"Damn it." (Subaru)
As Subaru cursed at Nozomi's merciless evaluation, Shiroko grabbed his face firmly, preventing him from looking away. There was no escape; he felt like a fish on a cutting board. Shiroko pulled the bicycle from inside the lead carriage and set it down by the tracks.
Just as Subaru thought he might be able to deceive her through the flow of events, a warm sensation flickered in his gut for a few seconds, but—
"Since you said "later," that means you'll speak in front of everyone at Abydos High." (Shiroko)
"── W-wait a second." (Subaru)
"I'm not waiting." (Shiroko)
She hoisted Subaru onto her back, then... ── proceeded to lash Nozomi and Hikari to the sides of the bike with ropes, as if they were nothing more than luggage.
"Eh?" (Subaru)
"Nn. Just bear with it for a bit." (Shiroko)
"Impossible"—the bike took off before the word could even leave their mouths.
── As the fierce wind slapped his face, Subaru could only hope that when they returned to Abydos High, Hoshino wouldn't be there.
"And by the way, I really hope there aren't any more problems waiting for us...!" (Subaru)
●○●○●
"..." (Ako)
The car speeding toward Abydos High School bore the Gehenna Academy emblem. To any bystander, it would have looked like a full-scale invasion.
Ako leaned her arm against the window, letting out a weary sigh as she brooded over several grievances. There was a man she couldn't stand, but that was a separate matter; what she truly couldn't accept were the President's recent actions. Ako usually supported all of Hina's decisions and deferred to her judgment, so when the President acted out of character, Ako reacted with caution.
── This mission held no benefit. In fact, this excursion had many drawbacks. Abandoning Gehenna's security to provide military support could turn the district into a slum overnight. Hina surely understood the political and administrative risks as well as Ako did.
"What is the President thinking... ──" (Ako)
Strictly speaking, the act itself—considered an abuse of authority—wasn't the problem; that so-called Head of the Defense Office from the General Student Council had instigated the whole mess. Had anyone other than Hina been at that site, they wouldn't have faced suspension. Did they not realize the consequences of Gehenna losing President Hina for an entire week?
"..." (Ako)
In that desolate, rural high school... ── lay a specific "Special Weapon." After Abydos became a target for invasion, Ako had done her research. Though she initially thought the school had nothing left but past glories, Takanashi Hoshino was the one the President had her eye on. I'll make an additional demand of Natsuki Subaru; after lending our troops, we'll "borrow" Takanashi Hoshino to work in the President's stead until the suspension ends.
"That is, assuming Takanashi Hoshino is actually worth the trouble." (Ako)
She looked at the sky, painted in the hues of twilight. It had been a day of constant tension. Only turning Natsuki Subaru into her "dog" would soothe that stress, though that was a secondary goal. Since the President had sent them on this expedition while unable to move herself, there must be something she wanted them to resolve.
"── The President entrusted us with settling the situation..." (Ako)
"It's a gratifying task, but we can't leave Natsuki Subaru alone. He's the only one who knows what happened at that site. He acts as if he owes a debt to Schale... ──" (Ako)
── Before resuming the frozen Eden Treaty, I'll use Natsuki Subaru to incite a revolution at Trinity. I don't mind acting on my own; if it allows me to handle Natsuki Subaru, I won't hesitate to capture him or put him under house arrest.
"Hehe... ── Hahaha. Leave it to me, President. After I give those Kaiser soldiers a proper beating, I'll take your revenge! Yes, I understand; I'll be the one to get back at the man who brought you down. I'll do it with absolute precision!" (Ako)
The hatred that nearly made her gnaw her nails and the bitterness boiling within her suddenly turned into honey-like joy the moment she felt she was working for the President. Twilight filled the sky. It had been a tense day, but since she was the only one capable of changing things, tomorrow would come for everyone equally. The backlog of past work and the scandals currently piling up in Gehenna would haunt her today, tomorrow, and into the future...
"── Still, stress relief is important." (Ako)
── Indeed, stress relief was essential. Things that won't disappear, won't disappear; even if tomorrow became more efficient and wonderful, the tension would remain. I'll randomly pick someone who makes a mistake during the fight and force them to write an apology letter to vent my anger.
"Your self-talk is getting a bit loud... Admin Ako." (Chinatsu)
"... How much longer until we reach Abydos High, Ako-chan?" (Iori)
"Not much further." (Ako)
""Not much further"—you've been saying that for a while! Aren't you answering a bit too dismissively?" (Iori)
"Even if you say that, the route changes constantly depending on whether the sand covers the road or not. I can't help it." (Ako)
"Iori, if you're bored, should we play chess or Othello?" (Chinatsu)
"Eh... even if I play against Chinatsu, you're just too strong..." (Iori)
Pleasant conversation was hard to come by with nothing to kill the time. Normally, one would fiddle with a phone, but unfortunately, in the decaying Abydos region, signal was non-existent. Out of boredom, Chinatsu and Iori eventually began their match. Ako watched their game while processing paperwork with her busy hands, using the dull landscape outside the window as an appetizer.
"..." (Ako)
(Progress report... ── 『Regarding the annihilation of the Helmet Gang's 17th hideout』...)
── Clang, clang.
"In Othello, you often can't win even if you take the corners. I wonder what the right solution is?" (Iori)
"The set rule is... control the sides without leaving openings. That makes it easier to trap the opponent's pieces later... I think." (Chinatsu)
(The employment relationship between Kaiser and the Helmet Gang, rescuing kidnapped members...? Heh, was the recent trend of Prefect Team members going AWOL Kaiser's doing?) (Ako)
"Oh, I made a mistake..." (Iori)
"The spot where you placed your piece is exactly what I was hoping for." (Chinatsu)
── Clang, clang, clang.
"Dammit, there's no chance of winning now." (Iori)
"The more precise the play, the less fun the ending becomes... ── Well, if the goal is only to win, keeping the corners the entire time is enough..." (Chinatsu)
(── This means the reason the President sent us to aid Abydos... isn't the school itself. Destroying Kaiser is the core objective. That makes sense—truly impressive, President Hina!) (Ako)
── THUD, THUD!!
"Ah, dammit, what's with that noise! Even if it's a jolt, be a little quieter..." (Ako)
"I swear it's not us! It sounded like the noise was coming from you the whole time, Ako-chan..." (Iori)
The sound of hard metal clashing suddenly turned into the sound of strikes. Until that moment, they thought someone's belongings were hitting the car's metal body, but the wet, vivid sound of human flesh made everyone uncomfortable. The two girls exchanged glances. Realizing the source wasn't either of them, they grabbed their weapons immediately and scanned the area. There was no sign of an enemy outside the window, yet even the driver began to tremble with tension as he gripped the wheel. In the midst of this, Chinatsu realized the sound was coming from directly above. As Ako and Iori watched, she alone struck the car's roof from the inside to respond to the noise ──.
"""────""" (Everyone)
A human head with silver hair dangled upside down from the window, only the face visible. A muffled gasp escaped them, which then turned into a loud scream. The driver nearly lost control of the wheel, causing the car to swerve violently. The dangling face shook and fell immediately. Once the body was revealed, their racing hearts began to steady. The driver slammed on the brakes, and Chinatsu signaled the surrounding troops.
"I-I-I was really spooked just now!?" (Iori)
"Who was that!? And anyway, didn't I tell you all to guard the perimeter properly...! Why did no one report this──" (Ako)
Ako's expression froze, not from anger or confusion, but because of the bloodstains smearing the window in front of her. She had seen many wounded at the clinic under Sena's supervision, but wounds usually closed quickly in this world. While she had seen bleeding before, a literal "river of blood" was a rare sight. She didn't know who the student was, but they likely had a deep wound. She gathered her thoughts, decided against a warning shot until she confirmed the face, and looked out the window.
"...──" (Ako)
Through the gap between the flowing blood and the glass, she recognized the face that had fallen to the ground.
"Natsuki Subaru." (Ako)
What a surprise. She hadn't expected to see that irritating face in a place like this. She had seen him repeatedly in documents and news reports, but seeing him in person stirred no special emotion in her. What had happened to bring him on top of the car? And why did Natsuki Subaru appear after that silver hair fell? Various thoughts clashed, but while anger and resentment flared, bewilderment was the dominant feeling.
"Ako-chan! Get back inside!" (Iori)
"No need. The opponent is Natsuki Subaru. And the one who fell under him must be one of his comrades." (Ako)
"Huh, Natsuki Subaru?" (Iori)
── The hand reaching toward the window was drenched in blood. Struggling with the smooth glass, Subaru used it as leverage to support his body and stand up. Ako couldn't pull her gaze away; she was pinned by his every movement as if a spell had been cast on her. In that moment, by chance, she held the same gaze as the Hina she respected. A thin, weak being, drawing attention with something he shouldn't possess.
"Oh... sorry for the delay... ── Could you help us clean up some "annoying pests" right away?" (Subaru)
A burning boil of fervor and madness. What a surprise—but it wasn't because of the sudden change in the situation. It was that madness that made the body shiver, that deep-seated terror emanating from the man before her. ── He spoke in a friendly tone, as if inviting her to tea.
Natsuki Subaru, a boy with nothing to distinguish him, was displaying that madness today while utterly crushing his enemies.
"── Well, aside from that, thanks for coming to help, Ako." (Subaru)
The distant explosions sounded like trumpets forcing everyone to begin the battle. Yet, the world continued to smile upon Natsuki Subaru. ── A fact that Kaiser, "Natsuki Subaru's" enemy, could never have known.
●○●○●
There's just no dealing with him.
Really, there is absolutely no way to handle him, nor any path to take action against him.
It's a blatant violation—as if he's using cheat codes. No matter what happens, you can't turn the tables on him; he is always the one flipping them.
Is he spying on my thoughts, or can he actually read minds? Regardless, something supernatural surrounds him, as if the entire world is offering him its blessing. He pulls a winning chance out of two, out of a hundred, out of ten thousand—no, out of a hundred million.
I remembered the two girls' match in the car. An Othello game played only to win is incredibly dull; the player with the knowledge of the best moves simply corners the opponent and wins. That's all there is to it.
I think I felt an intuition deep in my heart that this man was exactly that kind of being.
── There's just no dealing with him. That was the impression Natsuki Subaru left on Amao Ako's soul.
"Sena... I love you, all jokes aside!! How many times have you saved me now!?" (Subaru)
"── If my memory serves me, this is the second time. You were much closer to a corpse than you were before." (Sena)
"And is that a good thing in your book, Sena?" (Subaru)
"── Do you really think so?" (Sena)
"I'm sorry." (Subaru)
I wanted to see him in a pathetic state. I was supposed to see him screaming in pain, begging for help. I cannot believe the casual way he's joking right now.
Intrigues and machinations aren't supposed to control the overall flow of events. This applies to combat styles and issuing orders as well; I understand—painfully well—how difficult it is to move large armies.
"Strategy" is what should manage the grand scheme, with the outcome determined by the effectiveness of the secondary elements within it. The quality of the soldiers, their numbers, and the well-thought-out plans for distribution and tactics—even with an exception like the President by my side, we live in a world where a single individual should not be able to tip the scales of everything.
"Ako... ── Administrative Lead..." (Radio Voice)
"Target destroyed. Operation complete for all units...!!" (Radio Voice)
The voice from the radio was a mix of bewilderment and dread. That report also signaled the end of the battle that had erupted so suddenly.
This was the conclusion after only two hours of fighting the massive Kaiser army that Natsuki Subaru had dragged along with him.
Just like Takanashi Hoshino ──.
"President Hina..." (Ako)
Monsters simply transcend everything ordinary humans possess.
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