"Don't let her get away!"
"She's too fast!"
Izuna weaved past the bullets shot towards her with the intent to kill. Trinity Campus was on high alert after she stealthily infiltrated to take a book from their grand library, and was here making a wild escape with plenty of faceless students far behind. Two students thought they were smart trying to cut off her escape route on a bridge over the moat surrounding the school but the ninja was always full of tricks. She'd throw down a smoke bomb covering her disappearance then reappear behind the two students, landing on one and blowing explosive bubbles out of her mouth which caused the other to stumble back and fall into the water.
Sure she was off campus now but Trinity never gave up so easily when it came to delivering justice in their words. She sprinted down a dirt trail under the rainfall only for lightning to roar in the clouds, and she could feel from the wind shifting directions, a formidable obstacle was coming her way, and fast!
A loud boom! Synchronized with the flashing thunder dropped and nearly killed Izuna in one decisive smash that would've turned her into a puddle in the rain had she not prepared then evaded Mine's deathly shield smash. Izuna sent returning fire which the nurse effortlessly blocked with her riot shield, then crouched and spread her wings once more. This time, Izuna had a counter prepared with her last smoke bomb. As soon as Mine took flight, Izuna dropped the bomb and reappeared in the air with her but specifically behind her. She wrapped her arms around Mine's waist and flipped upside down in midairー
"Take this, the powerful izuna drop!" Izuna celebrated her perceived victory too early. Mine flapped her wings and randomly shot her gun, managing to shake off Izuna but both still fell to the ground hard. Mine was a big girl and one of the few Izuna couldn't get a tight hold on with her secret ninja techniques. Still, Izuna flipped to her feet faster than Mine and aimed her rifle only for stray bullets to strike her hand and send the weapon flying out of her one handed grasp. Curses, she thought as her eyes caught a glimpse of Airi and Natsu swiftly approaching from her rear. Wasting no time creating a combined attack, Natsu crouched to one knee and raised her shield over her head allowing Airi to step and jump high off it.
"I'm sorry my sweet but you have to gooo!" Airi raised her double scoop mint chocolate ice cream and hurled it at the ninja who was more surprised by the fact she legitimately used her delicacy as a weapon. Izuna raised her kimono half sleeve, getting thick slimy mint chocolate cream all over the half of her uniform which was dry wash only, and in fact slowed her albeit slightly. She threw the kimono off and flew into a backflip, landing on a nearby tree branch then jumped to another when Airi shot at her with a submachine gun. And like the wind, she escaped into a forest of trees.
"Mine, we can still go after her!" Airi shouted to her grounded senior. The lead hospitaller was covered in dirt and mud dirtying her uniform that wouldn't wipe off no matter how much she tried to brush it. She exhaled a depressive sigh and shook her head.
Natsu lowered her riot shield. "I agree. Izuna was once sweet and now sour. And sour candies aren't sweets, they're a form of torture."
"Izuna is a dangerous fighter. From the day I met her she had the same taste as sour skittles. I'm sure you girls understand the circumstances of our situation."
"I shudder to think about it." Natsu frowned.
"Thank you for helping me, girls."
Two members of After School Sweets only had a vague understanding of the rumors told throughout the school. Keeping themselves out of massive incidents like the Eden Treaty, but a new one was about to arise. A new incident involving not just Trinity but all the schools given how sprawling the hidden plots every Sensei had. Sariel found out half of the plot after Rio Sensei's death but most of the data was being deleted in real time and he was left with shreds of information detailing 'Alter Code: F', a plan to… Fight against something threatening using all the students in Millennium. Rio and Yuuka's death spiraled Sariel into a deep depression that medicine couldn't cure. Sabotage Club activities halted indefinitely and every visit to Sensei's office turned up empty.
Where could he be and where did he go? A question left unresolved every other day as he would show up to teach and make lessons but nothing more. Replacing Yuuka as Vice Saboteur in the club was Serina who tried following the trail herself to uncover Rio's secrets but every investigation led to dead ends and tight lips. Millennium as a whole pretended not to know a thing and Veritas was the most aggressive whenever a member of sabotage showed their face on their school grounds. With Yuuka and Rio gone, Noa was the last in Seminar and burdened with a duty too big for one girl to carry. A duty well deserved, the Millennium students often said, turning a blind eye to her stresses.
Alone and behind the curtains, Sariel was making his own plans to uncover the truth and it involved Nagisa Sensei. Whether he liked it or not, he had to play Hifumi whenever they talked and spoke underhandedly to pry information out of the coward and like a coward he spilled like spilled milk. But spoiled milk wasn't what Sariel was looking for.
Again he took to the wide hallway; another day another Nagisa who had a debt to pay. But a stern voice would stop him. "Where are you going?"
Stopping in his tracks, he turned around toward not one but two pink haired students. One small with black wings adorned on her hair like a crown. Koharu, he thought. Her overgrown hair bangs covered her eyes and her twintails were longer too. Like Hifumi, she wore a black version of the Tea Party uniform. Beside her, Hanako, was once a relaxed and aloof student fond of stripping at the most inconvenient times, but now she changed into a bitter girl mad at Nagisa Sensei and furthermore the world. Wearing the Tea Party uniform as well, but her hair was cut to shoulder length as an act of rebellionーthe results of Rio's scheming.
"I'm going to Nagisa." Sariel responded dryly.
"No you're not. What you're looking for you'll never find with him. He's trash. He's lower than a worm tunneling through mud. Come with me. I'll show you what you need." Hanako gave her hand reluctantly.
"This is… This is an adult only matter. I can only speak to Nagisa Sensei about this." Sariel said.
Hanako stomped her foot. "An adult only matter? I sweat, I bled, all so that little mouse could sip tea and weep! I faced all the same stresses he did and I'm not an adult for that? As if that adult knows any better than I. Adults are all just children on the inside!"
Yeah, Sariel agreed in his head. Feeling like he wanted to cry when he lost Yuuka. Wanting to curl up into a ball and give up just like Nagisa, wanting to lay in GSC president's lap and listen to her soft voice and reassurance again. His other half wanted to lash out at this world and circumstance, throwing all his responsibilities away to indulge in scheming or worse. Yes adults were nothing more than children in older bodies. Blue archive, a game played by people around their 20s like himself who loved its cute and childlike atmosphere. That was the main draw, and Sariel never imagined an actual child playing this game let alone being interested in it.
He looked into Hanako's eyes and behind her glare he saw a glimmer of hope that was stressed for him, Sensei, to not be like the others. She was looking to complete the prophecy. She was looking at the key that could lead to salvation. Every student seemed to look at him that way. So he took a step forward, "Where are we going to go?"
"The library."
The library?
He was taken to the grand library Nagisa once spoke about. A library truly like something out of a fantasy and once again showing Sariel that there was so much grandiosity in Kivotosーas Rio Sensei once said but why did it have to be destroyed and rebuilt? The first thing he did upon finding the meek chairman of the library committee was throw himself on the couch Hinata slept on. Ignoring the startled girl who's desk was in front of said couch, he could see how Hinata fell asleep like a rock on the couch's marshmallow-like cushions. It perfectly accommodated his rear, that is, he sank in well.
Ui removed her glasses and turned her body in seat to ask Hanako by her side, whispering, "Ww-who the heck is this?! I have never seen this student before—isn't that Serina's dress?"
"She's a new student well acquainted with Nagisa. Not that you would know since you never go outside." Hanako said.
Ui returned to facing her books. "I know enough to not get involved like you have. You're a mess and most of all you stink just like Mika."
Sariel made himself comfortable on the couch before he interrupted their bickering. "You're wasting my time if you're going to argue all day like children."
'Like children' got under Hanako's skin and she showed through her hand and eye twitching but she calmed herself taking a step back then paced left and right in slow steps. "You were visiting Nagisa for a reason, tell us what you wanted to get from him and in return we will tell you our demands."
"I want to know about Gehenna Sensei." He said, causing the room to pause in silence for a brief time. Hanako eyes trailed the floor. "So we are after similar things."
"What do you mean?"
"Izuna infiltrated and stole his research book. That book has countless 'truths' he found when thoroughly searching Kivotos." Hanako said in a softer tone.
Sariel clearly looked confused. "Can you start from the beginning? Who is Gehenna Sensei? What research was he conducting?"
"Gehenna Sensei. I didn't know him well in person since he rarely showed himself, not like Nagisa but rather he was always busy." Hanako began the story of a man who was the first sensei. By the way students talked about him, it sounded like he was the true sensei. His appearance was that of a pink haired horned woman with large breasts in a military uniform accommodating his huge cleavage. In fact he might've been a female sensei. Either way the Pandemonium Society all looked up to him for his radiant aura that compelled Gehenna to act peacefully. He was a smoker and did other drugs too, maybe that was why the members around him were so passive in a sense, but above all he always encouraged students to be themselves and true to themselves so that they would achieve a higher sense of self, something odd coming from the demonic-like school with chaotic rules. He got along well with Rio but the Eden Treaty caused their relation to sour, but it was from the research Gehenna Sensei found that made him want to distant away from the schemer.
Though an aristocratic figure, he wasn't without his faults. Following Saori's defeat by the make up work club, he was assassinated and his death started the school's contingency plan. As a result, Shanhaijing was blown up completely though the true culprit of his assassination was Hyakkiyako which came to light after the Eden Treaty's completion.
Sariel grew more depressed hearing that the other senseis before him were all similar in their scheming and ruining the world. The GSC president was firm when she gave him the role to be the sensei of all senseis. Rio was easy, already knowing his fate from when they crossed paths and when he was cornered with his back to the air. But it didn't have to be this way! Continually Sariel told himself. The next sensei, likely Hyakkiyako sensei, was going to be a more difficult challenge given the school's track record for assassinations.
As for Gehenna Sensei's research, "You'll have to ask the Pandemonium Society. Only they know and they forbid anyone else from reading or knowing about it. We were given the research, all of it, after his assassination and honored the wishes of Gehenna to await someone who could pick up from where he left off. Unfortunately Izuna snuck in and took the last of what we had. That information in the wrong hands could spell doom." Hanako stopped pacing and faced Sariel.
Sariel understood the story well and picked himself up off the soft couch. "Yeah… thank you for telling me this story."
"What? Where are you going?!" Hanako stopped him in his tracks. Without turning to look at her he responded sorrowfully, "I was only curious about the other sensei. He's dead though and has been since before I arrived. Take care..."
Hanako's arm reached out wanting to stop him but he was too far. Again she was let down by another pitiful adult. They were all the same.
A/N: thank you to the people interested and reading.
