A/N: One thing I've noticed about writing not just this story, but other gacha-game stories, is that it's really quite tricky to give the protagonist a good amount of personality. Doctor, Sensei, Commander, Admiral; faceless characters that at best have some reference points to draw upon, but are otherwise blank slates; understandably so, but it makes it a bit bothersome.

I hope that the Sensei in this story, at least, feels like he has some personality - and I hope I can continue to develop it throughout the story.

That aside, do enjoy~

Halo

Chapter 10: Storm Surge

It took a single minute to get down onto the slippery rocks, and another half-minute to stack up on the secret door hidden underneath the rotten wood docks.

It was cleverly disguised, really. Tucked slightly into the wall and with the shadow covering it you wouldn't know it was there unless you were actively looking for it. However Hoshino wasn't a fool; she knew better than to try and bust through what looked to be a thick steel door. At best they'd alert the people inside and give them time to evacuate through another exit, at worst they'd still do that but be unable to breach the door. One couldn't be sure until they tried.

So they waited. As the rain loudly poured around them, forming a fine mist as it spat against the seawall and as the tides crashed up against it, nearly knocking their feet out from under them they waited, huddled up against the seawall with an iron grip on their guns. It spoke to the seriousness of the situation that none of them cracked a joke to break the tension; all of them laser-focused on the short doorway, waiting.

'Come on...' Hoshino gripped her shotgun tight. They'd have only a few seconds to move once it happened, so coordination was key-

Just as that thought struck her the door hissed open; splitting apart and sliding into the walls as one masked man climbed out of the doorway, his partner right behind him. The man's green eyes met hers a split-second later, alarm filling his gaze.

''Now!'' Hoshino barked, and fired.

A blast of her shotgun knocked the front man back into Nonomi who whacked him bodily with her minigun, sending him flopping down into the sea with a startled gasp. Haruka played her part well and opened fire on the other startled kidnapper, blasting him thrice in quick succession and sending him tumbling back into the tunnel-like corridor he'd come from. Hoshino paid his tumbling form no mind though and hurriedly rushed in through the doorway, fast-walking down the steps and rising to her full height when the ceiling allowed it; trusting the others outside to deal with the other kidnapper.

The stairs widened into a circular room, two guards in white suits guarding a cylindrical doorway. Both raised their assault rifles but Hoshino was quicker; hauling her ballistic shield out and raising it just time to block the storm of bullets that pelted against it, most ricocheting off the front. She waited until one guard ran out of ammo before daring to poke her arm out, aiming half-blind before blasting the right guard and sending him stumbling back into the wall. Akari backed her up; several accurate bursts of rifle fire downing the other man and allowing Hoshino to rush over and firmly kick the right guard in the head, knocking him out cold.

''Key-card.'' Hoshino ordered, pulling out some extra buckshot and loading it. ''They'll probably have heard that. Look for a room called 'Containment Chamber', that's where they'll likely take her. Anyone inside, including unarmed, is considered hostile. We'll let Sensei clean up the rest. Got it?''

''Got it.'' Akari agreed without hesitation, much to Hoshino's relief. She didn't usually take charge, but it was good to know people actually listened. Unlike a certain minigun-wielder on her team.

Banishing the thought Hoshino raised her shield and coaxed Haruka up alongside her, leaving Nonomi to bring up the rear while the Gourmet Society raided the bodies. It took them a painfully-long twenty seconds to find the key-card but once they had it was just a quick slice through the reader before the cylindrical door began to open. Seconds ticked by slower than ever, the metal door shifting open... to reveal a line of guards aiming right for them.

''Down!''

Hoshino barely got the order out before a hailstorm of bullets flew their way; her shield taking the brunt of it as she started marching forwards. Haruka had no such aid and was forced to hide half behind her, though Hoshino still heard her yelps of pain as she was struck by multiple rounds in a row. As if as payback Akari poked out from around the corner then, firing two accurate bursts and downing two separate guards, forcing the rest to duck into cover and buying Hoshino a few seconds to jog ahead, closing the distance.

''Haruka, covering fire!'' Hoshino called out.

''O-Okay!'' Haruka squeaked and stood up. ''I-I'm sorry!''

And then a constant stream of potent buckshot filled the corridor; Haruka's itchy trigger finger popping round after round off. She braced the gun against her shoulder and fed another round into the chamber round by round, ensuring a constant stream of fire down the corridor and keeping the various guards in cover. When one or two dared poke out Akari and Izumi downed them with a quick burst of rifle fire, allowing Haruka to keep firing until she began to run low on ammo, forcing her to slow down.

''Junko!'' Hoshino called out, not bothering with formalities as she rushed forth, hearing the red-haired girl follow her without question.

Hoshino closed the distance between herself and their opponents, turning the corner and bashing the taller man with her shield, opening him up to two shotgun shells to the face. Junko was by her side in an instant, poking out the corner and spraying down three scientists that tried to run whilst Akari and Izumi moved past them; taking the corridor straight ahead whilst Hoshino and Junko took the rightmost corridor. Wordlessly Nonomi went with Akari and Izumi, leaving Haruka to follow Hoshino as they swept down the corridor, shooting at anyone who moved until they were either unconscious or in so much pain that they couldn't move.

The hallway was flanked by science-y rooms; laboratories filled with gadgets and devices Hoshino didn't even pretend to know the names of. Beakers of various fluids wobbled from all the chaos and Hoshino mindfully avoided knocking them over as she cleared out the room, finding a scientist hiding behind a desk and knocking him out cold with a shot to the back of the head. Normally she'd feel bad about doing that to what was probably a civilian.

Then again considering this Elysium group was kidnapping students for their own means, she wasn't feeling much sympathy for them.

Shaking her head Hoshino cleared out the rest of the room, shield raised out of caution – a caution that turned out to be warranted as an older guy jumped her when she entered the next laboratory. He shoved her shield down and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her to one side even as Hoshino fought against him – but durability did not equate to strength, and the man had more mass than she did; able to easily strong-arm her to one side and soon throw her to the floor. She managed to lift her shield in time to avoid the spray of bullets aimed for her back but wasn't fast enough to stop him from kicking her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her.

Another kick knocked her shield to one side and the man aimed for her face, her heart skipping a beat-

''P-Pest!''

-only for Haruka to jump around the corner and open fire; several quick, continuous blasts of her shotgun blowing the guard into and then over one of the tables. With surprising vindictiveness Haruka ran around the table and emptied another four rounds into the man, stopping only because she ran out of ammo and had to unzip her bag to pull out another belt to wind around her waist, hurriedly reloading her shotgun in an effort to keep blasting the downed and likely-unconscious man.

''Mn, it's okay Haruka.'' Hoshino pushed herself up with a bit of effort. ''Where's Junko?''

''H-Here!'' Junko ran into the room. ''Sorry, some guys tried escaping and my guns jammed. You okay?''

There was a genuine bit of concern in her eyes, bringing a light smile to Hoshino face as she waved her off. ''Am now. Thanks Haruka.''

''Oh, um.'' Haruka suddenly shifted back into her shy shell. ''I-It's no problem...''

Still smiling faintly Hoshino hummed, reloading her own gun before leading her two allies back out into the corridor, continuing down. The number of guards present had dwindled somewhat, only another five getting in their way before they too ended up slumped unconscious against the walls and floor; granting the trio a clear path to what Hoshino realised was in fact the containment chamber.

''Haruka, guard the corridor for a second.'' Hoshino ordered, already moving to the downed guards and rummaging around, looking for their key.

The first one didn't have one but the second guard thankfully did; allowing Hoshino to rush over the thick metal door and swipe the key-card through the reader, earning an affirmative beep before the door hissed open. Inside revealed a tall, cylindrical room nearly identical to the one that she'd seen in Shanhaijing. This one though seemed to be in an even worse state than the others; the metal was scorched black in a lot of places and there was only seven chairs, one of which was on its side, the metal floor it'd been attached to having apparently been ripped out with it. As if someone had struggled so hard they tore solid steel just to escape.

However the thought escaped Hoshino's mind as her eyes landed upon the sole individual in the room, tied down to one of the chairs beneath an array of metal limbs holding pointy needles. Haruna. Her silver hair seemed dull under the artificial lights and with how she was slumped against the back of the chair she looked almost like a human-sized doll; had it not been for the slow rise-and-fall of her chest, that is.

''Haruna!'' Junko cried out as she ran over to her, apparently disregarding any possible threats.

Hoshino didn't though. Glancing up at the glass-fronted control room she hurried over to Haruna as well, planting her shotgun down momentarily so she could help rip the restraints off of their unconscious companion. The leg straps came off easily enough but the wrist ones posed more resistance, forcing the two to tug and yank on the worn leather in a contest of strength, lacking any sharp tools to hasten their work.

It was then, as she yanked vigorously on the leather, that Hoshino felt an inexplicable sense of danger – akin to a sniper aimed at her head. She jerked her head up and witnessed the robotic arms moving; shifting in stiff, stilted motions as they moved into position around Haruna's chair, three on each side aside from the front. From their needle-like arms protruded a much thinner, longer needle, glinting in the stuffy air and posed to penetrate Haruna.

''Sorry.'' Hoshino snatched her shotgun up and, without warning, blasted the wrist strap.

The buckshot pellets didn't outright destroy the leather but certainly weakened it with the number of holes blown into it. If Junko had a problem with that she didn't voice it, hurriedly ripping it off and pulling Haruna out of her seat-

-right as the three needles jerked forth where Haruna's head would've been, hitting nothing but air and silently retracting when they missed their target, apparently giving up after that one attempt.

Hoshino aimed at the metal arms but didn't open fire lest they have a self-defence mechanism or something, but her brow was dipped with suspicion. 'Why aim for her head? With needles those long... no, they weren't aiming for her head at all, were they...'

Her musings were interrupted by Junko as the short petite girl struggled to carry Haruna, prompting Hoshino to rush over to her side, leaving Haruka to nervously escort them out of the room. Gunshots and explosions could be heard deeper within the laboratory so Hoshino directed their group back towards the main entrance; situated just outside the secret base just in case someone inside decided to lock the door down. That way, at least, they could call for back-up without fear of a signal getting cut or something.

Junko was trying to wake Haruna, shouting her name and shaking her vigorously, but all she got in return were sleepy mumbles and fatigued groans – unsurprising, considering how Mutsuki had been when they rescued her. Telling Junko that didn't seem to improve her mood much; if anything the idea that her friend was drugged seemed to make her more worried, making Hoshino sigh. If only Nonomi was here, she could calm her down easily.

However with her busty friend busy Hoshino busied herself instead by pulling her phone out, dialling Sensei's private number. Her phone rung a couple times and she took a seat against one of the walls facing the unconscious guards, her shotgun remaining loaded just in-case.

Seconds later the connection went through, and Sensei's mature voice filled her ear. ''Hoshino, what is it?''

''We found the Gehenna base.'' Hoshino said, leaning to one side and peering up the stairs into it. Rain and seawater was lapping over the edge and running down the steps, slowly flooding the entryway, but it was slow progress thankfully. ''The door was hidden underneath one of the old docks.''

''Was hidden.'' Sensei accurately pointed out, suspicion in his voice. ''Hoshino, you wouldn't happened to have launched an attack on the base... have you?''

''...no?''

A sigh came from the other end, equal parts exasperated and disappointed. Hoshino winced at the latter emotion. ''Sorry Sensei. Someone just got kidnapped and we couldn't just stand around and wait for you and the others to arrive.''

''...I see. We'll speak of this later. I'll call Aru's group and Shiroko's group in a moment; we should be there in a few hours. Clean-up and hold down the fort, but if things get too tough then just leave. Don't put yourself in more danger than you're already in; we're dealing with some nasty people.''

''I know, I know~'' Hoshino remarked. ''Just get here soon okay~? I can't go long without a nap; I'm too old for this stuff, y'know?''

It was a jest, and one that succeeded in lightening the mood somewhat judging by his chuckle.

''We'll be there soon.'' And then the call cut off.

Hoshino stared at her phone for a moment, pondering to herself if she should bring up Nonomi's determination to save the until-then unknown victim, but decided against it. Though things like 'boss' and 'subordinate' wasn't really a thing they used at Abydos, she was still the 'President' of the Foreclosure Task Force, and as such it was practically her duty to take the heat off of her friends. Besides, even if Nonomi hadn't pushed her to do this, there was still the case of the Gourmet Society who would've either found the base and tried to break in themselves, or would've lost one of their close friends over their abundance of caution.

No, this was the right call, that Hoshino was certain of. She almost regretted putting her foot down before; how close she'd come to convincing Nonomi to let an innocence possibly suffer. She made a mental note to apologise to her friend after this was all over.

For the time being though Hoshino waited, eyes trained on the two unconscious guards in case they woke up or scanning the hallway ahead, tense despite how casual she tried to portray herself. Eventually the distant gunfire slowed and Akari led Izumi and Nonomi back towards them, a bit banged up in places but overall in good condition. Hoshino was quietly relieved about that, and though she said nothing Nonomi flashed her a reassuring smile nonetheless.

Rising to her feet Hoshino spoke. ''You girls clear out the rest of the base?''

''Yup!'' Nonomi cheerfully chirped. ''Is this Haruna...?''

''Mmhm. She's drugged, but should be fine.'' Hoshino remarked, saying the latter more towards the two Gourmet Society girls who relaxed and nodded. ''Haruka, come with me. I wanna go search the place while we're waiting for Sensei to arrive.''

''I'll go as well and search elsewhere.'' Akari agreed. ''Izumi, with me. If you could stay here with Junko, Nonomi-san...?''

''Mm, it's fine~'' The blonde merrily agreed.

Nodding at that Hoshino went off, Haruka stumbling a few steps behind her as she investigated the area. Most of the scientists and soldiers were still unconscious thankfully but she took their weapons away regardless, finding whatever old cupboards and closets she could and stuffing them in there, if only so it'd take them more time to reclaim their weapons if they woke. That problem taken care of she led Haruka through the various labs, idly inspecting them and making sure nothing was about to blow up, though with how poor her understanding of chemistry was she doubted she'd know even if she noticed something amiss.

However eventually she made her way past the containment chamber to a singular metal door. The location of it, tucked away at the end of the corridor, immediately made Hoshino suspicious. Keeping Haruka a few feet away and guarding the hallway behind them she took out one of the guard's keys and swiped it through the reader adjacent to the door, causing it to hiss open.

She almost wished she hadn't.

'What...?'

Back when they cleared out the base in Shanhaijing, she'd noticed something amiss about Shiroko's demeanour. Compared to her usual quiet persona, she almost seemed uneasy; sickened, in a way. Hoshino had brushed it off as her maybe not feeling well or the stress of the mission, but with the sight before her... she understood.

Corpses. Many of them were clad in variations of the standard Gehenna Academy uniform but some other academies could be seen alongside the occasional casual outfit. Their owner though were still, lifeless; skin pale and in some places stretched. Blisters and burns marred the necks and faces of some, their eyes lidded or wide open; revealing glassy irises that stared at nothing. In the darkness of the room it was hard to make out all the details but Hoshino needed only a single glance to ascertain the situation, her stomach twisting and pushing up into her throat as the scent hit her.

Oh god the scent. Rancid like vomit but cloying at the back of her throat, just smelling it made her eyes water and force her to take a step back, resisting the urge to gag. The bodies had clearly been here for a while; days, weeks, possibly even a month or longer without disposal. Halos laid lifelessly near their owners, their colour drained – and as Hoshino forced herself to look closer, she noticed that all of their halos were cracked.

More specifically, all of their halos had three entry points from where the spiderweb cracks emerged. Three narrow puncture holes.

Hoshino gripped her shotgun tightly, a wave of nausea washing over her as she connected the dots in her mind despite how much she wanted them not to.

'To throw so many lives away...' Hoshino trembled at the thought – and for the first time in recent memory, Hoshino felt rage. 'To toss them aside like used rags...'

A shudder travelled through her, cold anger simmering just beneath her skin.

'...unforgivable!'

X-x-X

It took Sensei just over two hours to make the long trip from Trinity to Gehenna, despite his haste.

He arrived just at the same time as Shiroko's group did, mostly due to Abydos not having many trains regardless of the time of day, and so as one they met up with Hoshino's group just outside the now-seized compound at Gehenna's docks. Police were contacted and they aided in arresting the various scientists, guards and also with collecting evidence of what happened; the pertinent details being forwarded to Rin.

It was still raining though, and with a lack of better options Sensei gathered his students in one of the abandoned storage units; the small, cramped building mouldy and full of cobwebs, but at least they were out of the rain. The sounds of activity could still clearly be heard from outdoors over the pouring rain, shouts and chatter forming a unified background track, the occasional grim-faced officer walking past and glancing inside, but never stopping to ask what they were doing.

''So.'' Sensei remarked, staring out into the rain. ''You were busy searching the docks, heard footsteps, found a pair of suspicious individuals in black and tracked them down to a suspiciously-placed door under the docks, and with the aid of the Gourmet Research Society you busted the base. Am I getting this right?''

''Yeah, that's about it.'' Hoshino languidly remarked.

''Even though I told you not to?''

Nonomi shifted slightly, the motion drawing his eye. Guilt. He connected the dots in his mind. ''Nonomi-''

''Sorry, guess I got overexcited.'' Hoshino yawned, but Sensei wasn't a fool – he could see the tension in her shoulders just as much as he heard the haste in her voice. ''Nonomi and Haruka wanted to wait, but when we ran into the Gourmet gals I suggested it. Ain't that right?''

''Um... yes.'' Akari's slow response only condemned Hoshino's lie further.

'Do the girls really think I'm that dumb?' Sensei took a moment to ponder. 'Or are they just overconfident in their ability to lie?'

After a moment the raven-haired man dismissed the thought, instead turning his gaze onto Akari. Izumi and Junko stood behind her, the latter two supporting Haruna. The elegant sniper had woken up shortly before he arrived apparently, though remained unsteady on her feet. Ayane had given her a quick check-out and confirmed it was just the leftover effects of the sedative, and that she was otherwise perfectly fine.

''Regardless, thanks for your assistance.'' Sensei dipped his head in thanks to the four girls. ''Please keep what you saw here today to yourself.''

''Of course, Sensei.'' Akari nodded firmly; nods coming from the other three girls as well.

''Good. You're free to go; stay safe out there.'' Sensei remarked, stepping aside to let them pass. ''Oh, and to be on the safe side, always stick with a buddy. Going solo isn't a good idea at the moment.''

Despite his casual words Izumi and Junko both glanced at Haruna, understanding what he meant – Izumi being the one to respond. ''We understand, Sensei. See you later!''

''See ya.'' Waving them off he turned his gaze onto the others. ''The rest of you can go on your way too. Head back towards the train station; me and Hoshino will catch up.''

There was murmurs from everyone involved and they also filed out barring Hoshino who stood and waited fearlessly, her hands by her sides and a slight smile remaining glued to her face. However just before she stepped out into the rain Nonomi slowed, glancing back at him... before biting her lip and continuing on her way, joining the others in the jog through the rain, no umbrellas to shelter them.

Sensei turned to face Hoshino then. He let her stew in the quiet, his hands folding behind his back as he stared her down, waiting. The seconds ticked by with only the background noise from the police to break up the tension, and though she kept a lazy smile on when her friends were around, it quickly slipped from her face when she was sure they were gone. There was a seriousness in her eyes without it; a reminder that while Hoshino was small in stature, she had quite the presence when she wanted to.

''I know you're covering for Nonomi.'' Sensei remarked.

''I figured you did. I'm kinda bad at lying.'' Hoshino admitted without hesitation. ''Don't punish her though. It was the right call.''

Sensei sighed. ''That I can't refute. It's easy to tell you to stay back when you're just scouting out a base, but to know that someone is actively being kidnapped... yes, I can understand why you went along with Nonomi's impromptu-plan. If it wasn't for the fact it put you girls in danger, I'd even congratulate you on it.''

Hoshino said nothing, not even a quip, making his brow raise. ''Someone bothering you?''

The petite shield-wielder frowned, a complicated expression on her face. ''Sensei... do you know why they're kidnapping students?''

''Nothing concrete yet.'' The stubbled man admitted freely. ''Rin is pouring over various documents and such and has been since we raided the base in Shanhaijing. It's obvious they want students for something, and that it has something to do with Mystic energy and its connection to the halos you girls have above your heads, but other than that it's inconclusive, she tells me.''

Hoshino swallowed, brow set in a deep frown. ''...when we raided the base, we rescued Haruna from a containment chamber. It looked just like the one in Shanhaijing. You remember those metal arms above the chairs?''

''How could I forget?'' Sensei murmured, recalling them. At the time he'd found them odd, but looking back they seemed so much more ominous.

Hoshino, however, continued. ''When we were rescuing Haruna, they moved. They... it looked like they were trying to stab at her head, at first, but looking back on it...''

In the dim light of the storage unit, Hoshino's visage looked all the more grim. ''...it looked like they were aiming for her halo.''

Sensei paused at that. Halos were what gave the inhabitants of Kivotos their supernatural endurance. They were simultaneously solid and not; able to be grabbed yet also not getting caught on doorways or such, and disappearing when the person went to sleep. He'd not done much research into it mostly because he hadn't had the time with his workload, but the leading theory he'd come up with was that it was only solid when someone else came into contact with it, like a person grabbing it.

Thus, the idea that a machine would stab a halo seemed impossible; being a machine it would just push through it like it wasn't even there... but, Elysium thus far had proven themselves to be a mysterious bunch. There was no telling if there was some esoteric rule as to what could and couldn't interact with a halo, to say nothing about them modifying their machines specifically to come into contact with a halo, or the Mystic energy within them.

''And...''

Hoshino's hesitant words made him look up at the short shotgunner, prompting her to continue. ''Sensei... there was bodies. Students. Their halos had puncture marks. Maybe I'm overthinking things, but...''

''No, you're not.'' Sensei remarked sharply; pieces coming together in his mind. ''I saw something similar back at Shanhaijing. I didn't tell you and the others for obvious reasons; no need to scare you, but I hadn't thought to look for any marks on the halos. Now that you say that, though... it's entirely likely Elysium is trying to extract something from student's halos. Mystic energy, something else, I don't know... but that's how it seems to me.''

''Why though?'' Hoshino asked, visibly disturbed by the thought.

''I don't know.'' Sensei said with a sigh, running a hand through his hair out of habit. ''I'll forward this information to Rin and see what she makes of it. She's smarter than both of us combined, so perhaps she sees something we don't.''

Hoshino just hummed unenthusiastically. Managing a grim smile Sensei approached the short student and knelt down more to her height, pulling her into a one-armed hug. After a moment Hoshino returned it, and though she said nothing he could tell she appreciated the gesture. It wouldn't get rid of the sight of dead, decomposing bodies, but at least she knew she wasn't alone.

''Shiroko and Kayoko also saw.'' Sensei murmured. ''If you need someone to talk to...''

Hoshino sighed. ''I'll be fine, Sensei.''

''If you say so.'' He rose back to his full height and ruffled her hair, earning a groan from his student. ''Now come on, let's catch up with the others. Try to look sufficiently chastised.''

''Aye aye~'' Hoshino saluted.

Chuckling Sensei stepped out into the rain, leading Hoshino after her friends.

X-x-X

''Sir, I've just received word that our Gehenna base has become compromised.''

The words were spoken firmly, echoing slightly through the barely-lit room before the speaker. An array of screens were arranged across a desk and up the wall behind it, some of them displaying naught but static whilst others showed various camera views – views of streets in Gehenna, Trinity, Valkyrie and elsewhere. A large black chair obscured the frontmost screens, an individual resting languidly upon it.

''I see.'' Remarked the man sat upon the chair, one youthful hand stroking along the back of something long and sleek.

The speaker hesitated, standing at attention even with his superior's back to him. ''Your orders, sir...?''

''Hm... would this happen to be the same organisation behind the seizure of the Shanhaijing base?'' The youthful man queried idly, not taking his eyes off of the screen.

''Affirmative.''

''Hmph. Is that so...'' The man reached out – and along his arm slithered a snake, its dark green scales reflecting the screen's lights even as it sunk its fangs into a file upon the desk, handing it over to the youthful man. ''Hm... 'Sensei'. He has no name?''

''None that we've been able to find. Whoever he is, he is not a native to Kivotos, that we are certain of.'' The nameless speaker responded. ''Word has it that the absent General Student Council President hired him right before her disappearance.''

''Suspicious... and, intriguing.'' The man flipped through the file with his thumb. ''Hm. He has a good record with students; no wonder he's gotten involved. The students involved in both raids?''

''Five Abydos students from the 'Foreclosure Task Force' and four Gehenna students from 'Problem Solver 68'. During the Gehenna raid they were also aided by the Gourmet Research Society, though they don't seem to be involved beyond that raid.''

The youthful man hummed, unbothered by the snake that slithered and curled up his arm, its forked tongue hissing against his neck. ''Not dragging any major players into his investigation. Clever. And beneficial to us; Trinity and Gehenna won't be as on-guard, with any luck.''

Silently the unnamed subordinate squirmed as the snake raised its head, serpentine eyes locked onto him despite the darkness; a thin, dark green halo hovering above the animal's head. ''So, erm... your orders on how to proceed, sir? Should we continue with Operation Samael or postpone it again?''

''No. We've delayed it several times already on account of Trinity and Gehenna's kerfuffling.'' The youthful man remarked swiftly, turning his chair enough that his emerald eyes could peer over at his subordinate, his gaze as piercing as the snake resting upon his left arm. ''Continue ahead with that as planned. As for Sensei...''

The snake hissed, bringing a smirk to the youthful man's face.

''...eliminate him.''

[END]

A/N: How ominous~

See you next time in Chapter 11: Incursion~