A/C: Now it's time to explain the SSS2's usage of the Angel Program. Since i'm not going to explain it in the chapters, i might as well put it in the A/Cs.

The SSS2 is using a 'pirated' version of the Angel Program, or something along the lines of a 'back-door'. When they realized that the Angel Program was responsible for this war, they sought to end it but realized that the Program cannot be stopped unless all 'users' (Angels and Shadows) have been eliminated. Shadows and Angels are infinite in number and the Organization knew that if they could not fight the Angels with their own weapons, they would have to rely on the thing that gave the Angels their power, the Program.

Initial attempts to use the program resulted in catastrophic failures. The last of these failures resulted in a large number of Type A Angels appearing, as well as the Type EX Angel making an appearance. It has been called 'That day' or 'that incident' by the division leaders. It is also coincidentally the day that Katsuragi appeared in the World of the Afterlife.

Even though there were failures, the SSS2 managed to 'replicate' the program though they can only draw a portion of the program's true potential. The power they use is inversely proportionate to the individual's own unique personality and powers.

The Division leaders use an advance form of the Program, and thus need to chant out a passage similar to script writing in Java or typing in a password to access the program. It acts like a preparation phase for both the user and the program, connecting the user to the program and synchronizing the two. The higher the synchronization, the stronger the skill. Awase, her chant almost being non-existent, is considered the weakest of the Division leaders who use this method of the Program.

For the others, they use the more basic form. As the usages are basic in nature, the user merely needs to 'access' the program normally. There are three main types of usage for the Program: Creation, Enhancement, Weapon

Creation
This is the broadest type of usage for the program, having various different applications. This is the type that is most favoured by the squad leaders due to the near limitless uses it has. This type of skill, however, has limitations. The user can only create one item each time and in order for another item to be created, the previous must be canceled. Creation is able to create things that surpass logic of the living World, though the amount of energy required to create something is extremely taxing. The more far-fetched the item, the more energy is needed to supply the creation.

Enhancement
This is the most used type for almost all SSS2 members who have the proper clearance of Sergeant rank and above. The usage is extremely simple and requires the least amount of energy. Enhancements are usually projected onto the users themselves but it is also possible to apply it temporarily to other things, such as weapons to give them additional power. Enhancements can come in the form of speed, toughness, strength, sight, hearing and even thought processing. Though it may be simple to use, it is also the least varied and it takes a lot of experience in order to fully master this type of usage. Sakagami Tomoyo is one of the few masters of this usage.

Weapons
Any person who is able to gain an A ranked personalized weapon would also have this. This type of usage of the program is used to make weapons 'unique', adding different powers to the weapons and 'bonding' them with their users. The program would require weapons that are made from special essences and dirt in order to fully function. This usage also allows the user to essentially 'summon' their weapons despite the distance that separates the two.

Angel Beats!

What We Live For

Operation 25

Faster than wind

Katsuragi awoke, feeling like his head had gone through yet another Operation mine sweeper. This was not good. He took a moment to reorientate himself to his surroundings. Where was he? He wasn't in the infirmary, he wasn't lying somewhere in the middle of nowhere. So where was he? He tried to remember what had happened. He was talking to Yukari, then he walked down Tunnel A-5.

Then what? Oh yeah, he was looking for the leader of the Runners so Yukari told him to look for Shinobu. Shinobu? That's right! He went through a door that said 'Shinobu's room', looked for a light switch and got a basin dropped on his head. A WASH BASIN! Dammit! Who the hell put a wash basin there? ! And why was there a switch to drop it on his head? !

"Oh... you're awake now."

A voice said, making Katsuragi turn. Standing there, carrying that very same wash basin, was a girl with long blonde hair and a helmet with biker goggles on her head. A...a...a...

"?"

The girl tilted her head, confused by Katsuragi's expression.

"... A FOREIGNER!"

The wash basin flew at his face again.

"How rude, who are you calling a foreigner?"

The girl said, narrowing her eyes at Katsuragi before she sat down on the floor in one corner of this small room. Taking a look around, after taking off the wash basin, Katsuragi noted that it looked very much like a small 1K LDK flat. (For those wondering, LDK means Living-Dining-Kitchen. 1K equates to a one room apartment with a kitchen. 1DK equates to one room apartment with kitchen and dining etc.) It was really small, cramp, and littered with rubbish. This was clearly a household scene from some NEET (NEET refers to someone who isn't working or going to school, it stands for Not in Education, Employment, or training... coincidentally, I'm currently a NEET every since I got my university certificate), or a hikikomori (Hikikomori refers to someone who is a shut-in, doesn't leave his or her house at all. Worst cases involve a hikikomori shutting themselves in their room and not leaving their room at all, not even the bathroom. Note, I am not one. I do have a life). Just who can live like this?

"... So?"

The girl asked, hugging her knees and glaring at him.

"Huh?"

"What 'huh'? You came here for something, didn't you? No one comes here for no reason."

The girl said.

"A-ah... I was asked by Himura-san to help out with the runners. Then Takamachi-san from the Guardians asked me to seek out 'Shinobu'."

Katsuragi explained. The girl stared at him for a while, before getting up to her feet.

"I see... So you are the reinforcement that the boss promised me."

She said, walking over to the kitchen area and opening the refrigerator

"Reinforcements?"

Katsuragi was confused. The girl took a small red drink packet from the fridge and poked a straw through it to drink.

"... I am first Lieutenant Senjougahara Shinobu, leader of the Runners, Overcharge. I'm surprised you didn't realize that by now."

The girl said, slurping up the last bits of her drink through her straw. Just what was she drinking? The drink packet did not have any labels on it so what could it be? Finishing her drink, Shinobu tossed the packet into a bin next to her fridge and walked over to the door. She stepped outside the door and paused, looking back to Katsuragi.

"... Aren't you following?"

Shinobu asked. Eh? He was meant to follow? Katsuragi got to his feet and followed Shinobu out of the room and back into the tunnel A-5. As they walked, the two of them did not say a word to one another. Shinobu chewed on some gum that she popped into her mouth, cutting the silence with her chewing. It was disturbing.

"... Erm... so, what am I suppose to do?"

He asked. Shinobu continued to walk on, blowing a bubble with her gum before it burst.

"Follow me... for now."

Shinobu said, sticking her gum back into her mouth. Katsuragi felt extremely uneasy doing as she told him, but he guessed this was necessary as well. The two travelled all the way out of tunnel A-5 and back into Guild. But instead of heading into Guild itself, Shinobu led him towards the other end, right next to the rail-car station. But where Shinobu was heading to wasn't the rail-cars but rather a pile of crates. Katsuragi had always wondered what these crates were for since they never moved from their position.

If they carried supplies, shouldn't they be moved already? Considering the number of times Katsuragi had used the rail-cars to get to Big Site, he had never seen these crates being moved. And now the reason was clear. Shinobu walked over to one of the crates and traced her finger down one of its corner. A slight click could be heard after that and Shinobu walked over to the next crate and pushed its side. Surprisingly, the side gave way like a door, leading into short tunnel that opened up to a large room filled with various crates, supplies and a lot of people. Shinobu turned to face Katsuragi with a smirk.

"Welcome to the lair of the Runners. Try to keep up with our work for we never slow down."

And never slow down indeed. The entire room was filled with people running to and fro. Not walking. No one walks in this place. So this is the heart of the runners. Looks like a dump. With crates of supplies, weapon stockpiles, food rations and other various items scattered all over the place, it was a miracle the Runners actually got anything delivered. But in fact the Runners did seem like they knew what they were doing. There walls of the room were actually boards with which the names of people who required certain supplies were pinned on. Lists of supplies were divided into divisions that requested them, after that further divided up by the squads and after that further divided up by the people within each squad who requested it.

"We get our goods delivered, no matter where, no matter who, no matter when."

Shinobu said with some pride in her voice as she led Katsuragi through the cluttered room. It seems like in order to walk through this room one must know which steps to take, otherwise you would step on something... or someone.

"Although that saying is our pride, things have changed just recently."

Shinobu continued, leading Katsuragi into a back room where there was less people and much less items lying around. This was probably Shinobu's office, as evident by the mountain stacks of red drink packets in the room. There weren't much of anything else, but that red packet really stood out. Just as Katsuragi was getting more curious over it, Shinobu walked over to the pile and grabbed a packet, poking a straw into it and drinking it, though at a much slower pace than before. Was it some sort of vitamin supplement?

"Our enemy have struck back in a very radical way. Warfare has changed radically topside and the division leaders and scrambling to reorganize the front lines."

Shinobu explained, walking over to her desk and sitting in the chair behind it.

"Not only are the supplies running dry due to the last Operation, but we've got more requests than we can handle. The entire Organization is in need for more things, in particular, food stock."

"... Food?"

Katsuragi was rather surprised by this.

"As I said before, the situation topside has changed radically. Until Guild can get their new line of items mass-produced, we're stuck with having to distribute more food items to keep people happy."

Katsuragi was still having problems understanding this. What was she talking about?

"For now, I've gathered a group to go and investigate a certain find. You're to be part of it."

Shinobu said, throwing a document onto the table for Katsuragi to look at.

"Isn't investigations meant to be under the Intelligence division?"

"They are in-charge of finding out things, yes. But their authority does not extend underground to the tunnels. That is our domain. The team I've assembled consists of ten people, most of them are my own Runners and two of them were recommended by the Boss."

Katsuragi noted that Shinobu's tone changed slightly at mentioning Yuuko. Was it... admiration?

"Though they are strong in their own fields and have been trained in basic battle training, none of them have any real battle experience, which is why I am including you. You are a Wolf corporal, are you not?"

"Y-yes."

Shinobu nodded at his reply.

"Good. That means you have some battle experience. Amongst all of the squads the Wolves are the ones with the hardest promotion tests, so in order to be a Corporal, you must be of certain calibre. Though I do not expect any sort of enemy, it is still to be best prepared. You are to meet with sergeant Okonogi. He's been placed in charge of this mission."

"Just what is it that we're looking for?"

"... To be honest, I'm not too sure."

Not sure? What the heck did she mean not sure? Katsuragi swears that this organization is just a gathering of crazy people. He met up with Sergeant Okonogi, a short fellow with some imaginary pride of glory stuck in his head, before they set off for their objective.

"Intelligence actually found out about this while they were searching for a new way to get around the security of the disciplinary committee."

Okonogi explained as they headed through the tunnels.

"But since it is underground, it is under our jurisdiction. Well, more like the joint jurisdiction of the Runners and the Provisions division. Thing is, the Provisions squad had been seriously stretched thin for all of the demands."

"I see... what is the difference between the Runners and the Provisions?"

Katsuragi asked, though he somewhat expected Okonogi to scold him for not knowing the difference. But Okonogi didn't scold him.

"Ah, not many know the difference since both the Runners and the Provisions squad do very similar things. We're both under Senjougahara-san anyway so we're both doing the same thing."

"Eh? She can do that? Be in-charge of two squads?"

"Technically, no. The leader of the Raiders (provisions) was consumed by a Shadow some time ago. His last wish was to let Senjougahara-san take over the Raiders as well. To respect his wish as well as respecting the rules of the Organization, the Boss made it such that Senjougahara-san is the leader of both squads, but the Raiders also had a proxy leader who takes care of things and reports to our leader."

"Haa... I see."

It must be tough, being the leader of two squads. Is that why she requires those supplement drinks?

"We're here."

Okonogi said. I look ahead and saw that a large door. Okay, large isn't the right word. Enormous. This was as big as the doors to the warehouses down in Big Site. More over, this pair of doors looked like some sort of secret military base blast doors or something.

"Where are we?"

Katsuragi wondered out loud.

"We're under the infirmary building. This place was hidden from us all this while when the entrance was simply a door behind the staircase. Well, we dug a tunnel from Guild to here so it doesn't matter. What matters now is how to open it."

Okonogi muttered, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Sergeant! We found a strange device here!"

One of the team members shouted.

"Oh, good work!"

Okonogi went over to look at Katsuragi look at the massive door in awe.

"Hmm... looks like some sort of digital pass-code. Do we have a decoder?"

"Yes!"

The team set about with their work as Katsuragi just continued to look at the door. There really wasn't much for him to do. Really. He overheard the team starting to fret and argue over the entry pass-code

"What? The decoder isn't working?"

"More like it isn't even reacting to it."

"Tch... can't believe that there is something that the decoder cannot crack."

"Must be something extremely important."

"Maybe it's the leader of the Angels?"

At that, everyone became silent. Then all eyes turned to Katsuragi. Katsuragi had a very bad feeling about this.

"... eh? Me?"

"Well, you're the expert in battle amongst us, so you're going to take a look."

Okonogi pushed him forward to the pass-code device. Katsuragi had to wonder. If he was the so-called 'battle expert', then why was he asked to crack the code?

"Erm... exactly how am I going to-"

He turned around and noticed that everyone was gone. Hiding behind some rocks very far away.

"..."

So he was a sacrificial lamb now? Just great.

"... Hm?"

Katsuragi took a closer look at the pass-code device. There seems to be a lot more buttons than necessary. And...

"... Isn't this..."

Katsuragi sighed, turning over to where the other team members were.

"... This here is a calculator."

He said out loud.

"... EH? !"

The team shouted in surprise as they rushed over to see. It was true. It was a simple calculator built into the wall. And next to it was... an open button.

.

.

.

"W-well! We found it! Good job! Now, let's open it!"

Okonogi pushed the button without thinking and all the other team members all cringed, covering themselves as though they expected an explosion. No explosions. The giant doors slowly opened, gears cranking and a lot of noise coming out from it, letting Katsuragi and the team step inside. But what they saw was... not what they expected.

"... A farm?"

It was indeed a farm.