"Faustian Bargain?" Xavier repeated curiously.

Nagisa leaned on the arm of her chair. "Faustian Bargain Bin is her full name. Trinity has an expansive library, plenty of books ranging from a wide selection compared to Millennium which only has textbooks. Ever heard of the story Faust?"

"I don't read."

"It's a story about a man trading his soul for knowledge. Just like how Faustian Bargain Bin traded herself into Gehenna. And for what, peace?! I'm not at peace!" Nagisa slammed his fist on the table, worsening the wound.

Xavier furrowed his brow behind his mask. "I'll get her back for you."

Like a light switch Nagisa switched from crazy to bright and cheery. "Ah you don't need to do that for me Hifumi. You being here with me, even though it's brief, completes my life. Seriously!"

Xavier stood up. "I'll do it anyway." since Hifumi wasn't supposed to be in Gehenna, whether it was by her choice or Rio Sensei persuading her. Something like that happening didn't make sense. "In exchange I want your support for my club, the Sabotage Club."

"M-my support… I… cannot." Nagisa lowered her head. "No… you can do something I couldn't. That is, stopping Rio from getting Alice."

"Hm?" Xavier tilted his head. Nagisa continued, "You have to stop him from getting that power. He's unpredictable and uncuth. There's no telling what he'll do with it."

This further added to Xavier's wishes to stop Rio first. Now he had to. He nodded and thanked Nagisa because that felt like something Hifumi would do. Before he closed the door, "And if you will. Please bring Serina in."

Likely for his hand.

He returned to his office, a lot spacious now that Hanae cleaned and cleared the clutter abandoned. Partially done, she had fallen asleep on a row of boxes lined on the wall for her convenience. Xavier's futon was left in the same place for his convenience, and he slept like a log.


"I'm nervous to say the least. Yuuka and Noa didn't visit my office today and they're in Seminar with Rio, likely a key in their plans." Xavier said calmly with his head lying on Arona's lap. It was her choice to relieve him of his stresses after seeing Nagisa Sensei, likely the worst mentality out of all the Senseis. He was afraid one day he'll fall prey to the mentality and end up taking the place of another student. Well he was already doing that to a certain degree.

Arona clapped his cheeks. "Nothing to worry about if your priorities are straight!"

"..."

"..."

Right…

What was there to worry about when he was Sensei, the most influential figure in this world. Even if there were multiple, there were certain things only they could do to sway the world in their favor. As the Sensei who was the successor to the GSC president, he could overcome all odds. He closed his eyes and the next day a nervous vanguard arose.

An unfavorable squad consisting of himself and Serina as strikers and Hanae as their support. There were ruins near Millennium, the same ruins the Game Dev Dept. found Alice but this time they wouldn't—Xavier assumed they were disbanded due to this unless Rio Sensei interfered with Yuuka shutting down their club. Like the story he experienced back when he was alive, their squad was short manned, and stealth was vital; even more so since he and Rio were… on neutral terms? Soon to be on bad terms since he had to stop Rio Sensei. At this point with the students he gathered and met, he was in Trinity's faction.

"This way." Serina whispered and both Xaiver and Hanae followed, maneuvering around rubble from collapsed buildings. She was solid in her stealthinessーcamouflaged in her surroundings like a snake. The tall robots guards crafted by Millennium patrolled in a rigid order. Almost like a game, this was a game. By sneaking they were able enter the factory however most of its doors and switches were opened and activated. They were late for certain, but how late was the question.

Whereas in the story Xavier knew; Momoi and Midori were able to fall right into Alice, he wouldn't have that luxury and was forced to sprint down long hollow halls so dark and illuminated by sunlight cracking through pieces of rubble and dead wiring.

"All of this technology makes me feel cramped." Serina sighed.

"It's so scary!" Hanae kept close to Xavier.

He stayed silent feeling tense and once entering the destination and trophy in sight it was already too late but not over. Rio, partnered by Yuuka and Noa, had already begun taking Alice from the machine she was born in.

"Sens-?!" Yuuka called out but bit her tongue although the other two already knew his true identity.

Xavier scratched his head. "This is awkward."

Rio glared at him. "Why are you here? I gave you Arona so you could be Sensei, not get in my way."

Yuuka did a double take at the opposing Senseis. "Huh? Don't tell me you both are gonnaー"

Noa wrapped an arm around Yuuka, cutting her off. "Sorry Yuuka, you're a bit out of the else if loop."

Hanae let her rifle hang from its strap as she waved her hands wildly. "M-Maybe we can talk this out."

Serina on the other hand trained her rifle on Noa. "We can't disobey Madam Hospitaller's orders. Sensei, we're at your command."

"There was just a treaty, we don't need another battle between schools to break out!" Yuuka exclaimed.

Both parties' protests left them divided. Xavier could see the hesitation on Rio's face and likewise he noticed Xavier's reluctance to pull his firearm from its holster. He could have saved the sabotage for later if he hadn't met Nagisa that evening. That sensei was a coward but honest. Rio was manipulative.

"Tch..!" Xavier's heart sympathizing with what a true Sensei would do made him give up on sabotage.

"Grk…" Rio gave him an out not wanting to drag any more people into his plans. Sure he may have been a schemer but the bow on top was wrapping up and it was needless to trouble any more innocents caught in his grand web.

"No." Noa shot the first bullet towards Xavier. Serina pushed him aside and took the bullet in stride. Rio and Xavier came back to their conclusions; it was all out Sensei war! Yuuka wanted to interject but Rio Sensei, once he unsheathed his weapon—a gunblade. A gun attached to a blade. Truly something only the Millennium school would try to create practical uses for.

He couldn't be reasoned with. "If you don't want to fight then take Alice back to Seminar!"

"But—"

"Listen already!"

She gathered her grief and took Alice from Noa, carrying the small girl bridal style and ran out to an exit far across the room.

Noa then began the battle firing indiscriminately at the group before her, forcing them to scatter to avoid the bullets. With the team composition Xavier had, only Serina could stand a chance and the chances of her winning were slim. Both were supports but Noa was the better fighter and it showed by the way she easily aimed around her modified pistol with one hand. Creating openings and causing Serina to trip up over her feet trying to dodge and retaliate.

In a matter of seconds she was already bruised like a group of students assaulted her. Xavier couldn't move, stricken by fear and Hanae was forced to defend him with her own counterassault blade, a chainsaw, to block Rio's advance.

"Get up! Your orders–!" Hanae screamed to him but the words wouldn't reach. Not until after.

Rio pulled the trigger on his gunblade while pulling it back, letting the recoil blast the nurse back and send him into a stylish spin. Whatever the gunblade was loaded with shattered the chainsaw's blade in half, surely something an ordinary human couldn't handle the recoil of but Rio had this superhuman like movement on par with the students.

"I have to move!" Xavier pulled himself up and took aim, firing at Rio.

Rio didn't even move, smirking in response. "What are you aiming at? The sun?" Taunting him by casually tapping the blade over his shoulder.

He then dashed forward letting the momentum carry his steel. Xavier dove out of the way to evade and landed improperly on the back of his shoulder, feeling like he hit the pavement at terminal velocity. He was slow when rolling back into a crouched position but it was far too slow to react again to Rio's second strike with the tip of the weapon that struck his uzi out of his hands, and left a deep cut across his arm.

"Rio." Noa calmly said after a high kick that launched Serina off her feet and tumbling to the ground. "They're far too weak to beat us in a state like this. Trinity isn't sending their best if this is their opposition."

Rio nodded and sheathed his sword on the scabbard tied to his waist. "I agree. Let this be a lesson to them, from Millennium as a whole."

Showing mercy and a threat before they left calmly while Xavier was left to writhe. Yeah they were years too weak compared to the teamwork they displayed. Xavier's slashed arm was stinging and he couldn't think straight until Hanae administered a pill that slightly minimized the pain.

Same couldn't be done to Serina however, wounded with bullet holes and her halo fading in and out. Her gym uniform was riddled with holes burned at the edges because Noa used explosive rounds giving her an advantage over lightly armored students.

"F… forget about me…" Serina moaned.

"No, no, no! We aren't leaving anyone behind and certainly not you Serina!" Hanae lifted Serina to carry on her back. "Sensei, please tell me you're able to move on your own!"

Xavier stood holding his hastily bandaged arm and nodded. The amount of blood loss made him feel like he was going to pass out at any moment, so he kept his words brief and together they would escape having failed.


It took a full two days for him to recover to a serviceable state, even then his arm was stuck in a sling. Serina on the other hand experienced near death. Likely to die if Noa decided to go all out. The way they fought was out of an action movie. Quick movements dynamically changed as they adjusted to each other's tactics but Serina was slow on the uptake and Noa, being on Seminar and close to Yuuka in intellect, it was obvious to anyone who was going to win.

The first thing Xavier did when Mine permitted him to leave the infirmary was visit Schale's teacher lounge when GSC were on break hours and there he found the small pink haired imp, Momoka, and the calm and collected sharp eared Rin. They were a lot more relaxed compared to the way he knew them, and relaxed for the worst.

Momoka sat up on the couch grinning towards Xavier's cast, chewing potato chips with her mouth open. "Well, well, well, what's all this then? Some girls finally gave you a lesson for thinking you could use the ladies' room? Well deserved I say."

Rin adjusted her glasses so the sunglare obscured her eyes. "Like poetry. Ironic isn't it."

Xavier hated the way they spoke since their first meeting. They already weren't exactly friends to put it lightly. They seemed to inconvenience him at every turn. But now he was desperate for their help or knowledge. "Ha-ha. I wanted to know if… you knew about what the GSC president plans were."

"Notta."

"Nope."

Xavier sighed, "Her plans about sabotaging? What about before she disappeared, before I arrived."

"Nothing."

"Never heard of it."

Both responded the same. Xavier just went out with it. "Are you aware there are senseis other than I? Have you been investigating this phenomenon at all?!"

Momoka broke out into a laugh. "Oi, Rin. Look at how red this guy's face is."

Rin covered her mouth with a fist but didn't make any attempt to hide her own laughter. "Did you come to us just to cope with getting your ass beat?"

"A stu– Serina almost died! The other Senseis are using students like pawns and changing the world far from what it's supposed to be." Xavier complained further. But they would retort; what was the world supposed to be like if not that? Constantly changing. This hit him like a brick since they weren't aware of the differences between what he experienced and what they lived. For them this was usual.

The final nail in the coffin was when Momoka mocked. "Cope alone. This isn't our problem."

Xavier couldn't take it anymore. "If you don't listen then… I'll rape you!" he then outstretched his arm grasping Momoka by her neck and holding her down on the couch. The sound of a gun cocking halted him from unzipping his pants.

"Let's not get ahead of our heads shall we?" Rin said.

Xavier glared at her for a second before releasing her from his grip. Momoka taunted "Bitch."

He stepped back and she added. "You only have one arm. You're overly optimistic if you think you can rape anyone like that. Pfft hahahah!"

Rin returned her pistol to her side. "You aren't thinking sabotage. I suggest you leave."

"..." And so he did, defeated.

Left to wander aimlessly under Kivotos' starry night. Everything he had been burdened with was at a disadvantage. Rio had the right idea giving him Arona so he could pretend everything was normal as he acted as Sensei. To turn a blind eye to the hidden goingons in the world twisted beyond what he knew it as.


A/N: im enjoying writing this more than i thought. i speedran watching videos of the eden treaty story and it was very good. i feel for the students and their story of youth. too bad this story isnt that.

in other news i really like nagisa sensei's character.

(4/16/23) update: slight editing to grammar and formatting