Chapter 72 - Glue, Tonic and... Cake?!
...
"We managed to get our hands on the cake. We're off to a good start!" Hinata cheers. "We couldn't have done it without your leadership, Sensei."
She was a bit surprised by me shoving the cake inside my tablet, but it was the safest place to keep it. Thankfully, I didn't need to tell Arona to keep away from it, not that she could eat it inside there.
"I didn't do anything except yell 'charge', Hinata." I joke. "But thanks. You did more than me, I certainly wasn't expecting your briefcase to have a machine gun inside."
"I-I don't think I did anything special..." She lightly argues. "A-Anyway, we should make sure to get this back to Ui. Next is... either the holy tonic or the sphagnum moss glue. Which one should we get first?"
"Either or. Let's figure out where is closer, and-"
My sentence is cut off by a nearby explosion.
"Wh-What was that noise?!" Hinata shrieks.
"An explosion. Likely a fight nearby." I say, narrowing my eyes.
"I think it's close. We should go check on them!" Hinata says, determined.
"You wanna investigate?" I ask. Fights are usual in Kivotos, so this should be everyday.
"W-We have no choice!" She argues. "What if someone was in big trouble? We can't just ignore it...! Can we?"
Sighing, I smile at the sister's kindness. "I knew you'd say that, you're too kind of a girl, Hinata." As I say that, the girl blushes brightly. "C'mon, let's go check it out."
Hinata just smiles happily. "Okay, let's get going!"
At a nearby park, Hinata and I found Suzumi fighting around two dozen delinquents, all alone.
"Oh, dear." Hinata says, seeing the situation. As she goes toward them, I place my hand in front, stopping her.
"Let's observe the situation for a sec." I order.
"They're more stubborn than usual today." The white haired girl scoffs, hiding behind a bench.
One of the grey-clad delinquents in front laughs. "You're messin' with the Roly Poly Gang, girlie! No matter how many times you knock us down, we'll get back up! We always recoil, just like the mighty roly poly!" She says, flicking her side ponytail of black hair.
...What the fuck am I hearing?
"I couldn't care less what bug you model yourselves after..." Suzumi says, annoyed. "Why tell me at all? Did you come here looking for a fight?"
"Dang straight we did." The goon says. "We were lookin' for you."
"You were?" Suzumi asks, surprised. "And why would that be?"
"What do you mean 'why'?!" Another goon asks, this one with short, black hair. "Are you serious right now? Think about what you've done to us! You shoulda known that you had this comin'! You're gonna pay, Running Flash Grenade of Trinity!"
...What the FUCK am I hearing right now?
"Is that some kind of title you came up with...?" Suzumi asks, standing up from behind her cover. "And sorry to say, but I don't know what you're talking about! All of you delinquents are the same to me! Doing the right thing is all that matters to me."
I HAVE noticed an odd trend in Kivotos... Many delinquents and members of groups look and dress almost the same. Is it just a fashion thing? Like this isn't the first time I've seen these goons, but it's the first I've heard of the 'Roly Poly Gang'.
"That so, huh?!" The second goon roars. "Well this is how WE roll! And don't go thinkin' we came up with that nickname for you. What are you, stupid?"
"You got any idea how much hell you raise? Huh?" The first goon asks.
"I'm... not sure what you're referring to." The girl who always carries flash grenades says, confused for some reason.
"Ha! You really are clueless, huh?" The second goon laughs. "You've no idea what kinda reputation or influence you have. You've got FANS out there trying to imitate YOU!"
"Imitate? Me?" The whitette asks, confused. "Why would anyone want to do that?"
"The same reason every trend takes off these days: It caught on thanks to social media." The first goon explains. "Now there are a bunch of people copying you..."
"Since you're The Flash Grenade of Trinity, all these posers started calling themselves stuff like the 'The Smoke Bomb of Trinity' or 'The Net Trap of Trinity'. It's getting out of hand!" The second shouts. "That's why we're here to cut the head off of the snake and put an end to it. You're the culprit here- not us!"
"If anyone here is guilty, it is certainly not me..." Suzumi says, cringing at the girl's explanation. "Though I'm glad you explained the situation. I don't use social media often, so I was unaware of what's happening. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." She shrugs. "I don't see any problem with the public taking the initiative to uphold what's right. I'd say it's good news." The goons gnash their teeth at her words. "Though the fact of the matter is that it has nothing to do with me. I don't know any of them. However, if you insist on fighting me here..." She threatens, readying her gun. "...,then I'll accept your challenge. Let's get this over with!"
"Eep!" The second goon lets out a frightened sound.
"D-Don't let her rattle you now!" The first says. "Our gang's got thirty members! How can we lose if it's thirty versus one?! We're the Roly Poly Gang! We always recoil!"
"B-But she already beat us eighteen versus one that one time!" The second points out. "Just because the roly poly recoils, it doesn't mean it can't still be squished! The last time she knocked us out with the end of her gun and didn't even have to fire a single bullet..."
"Gaaah!" The first shouts, frustrated. "You don't have to bring up the shame of our past! That's why we recruited twelve more people, isn't it?!"
"So..." Suzumi interjects, catching their attention. "...are we going to fight or not? Should I give you some more time to get ready?"
"Cram it!" The second goon shouts. "Stop tryin' to act all considerate. This ends here, Running Flash Grenade of Trinity!"
"S-Sensei...!" Hinata shouts to me quietly.
"Yeah. Let's back her up." I say, pulling out my assault rifle from the Shittim Chest.
"O-Okay!" The sister says.
"You flank left, I'll take right." I say as we break apart.
Suzumi is being pinned down by the large number of goons, but as I reach a good vantage point, on a small hill, I fire at some of the goons.
"What the hell?!" One of them shouts, rubbing their forehead in pain from where my bullet struck. The goons realize something is wrong when she shouts in pain, before falling over after being struck by multiple bullets.
As they all look at me, I stand up from my cover and wave to Suzumi, whose red eyes widen in surprise upon recognizing me.
"Who the heck is that?!" One goon shouts, before being struck in the back by Hinata's pistol, causing them to stagger.
Suzumi, capitalizing on the distraction, tosses a flash grenade into the crowd. Various curses and shouts of pain ring out as they all take the full brunt of the blinding, concussive blast.
In mere moments, all thirty girls are taken down by the three of us. It was almost pathetic. Then again, Hinata used her machine gun on the group...
The first goon from before coughs and gags on the ground, inhaling the dust kicked up by our fight.
"Wh-What happened?!" The second goon shouts, enraged. "How did we lose again?! You said it wouldn't happen this time!"
"How was I supposed to know she would have backup?!" The first snaps back. "Seriously, who the heck was that? Those two came out of nowhere!"
Hinata, kind as ever, steps in the middle of the fight. "P-Please stop fighting, everyone! Let's talk this out peacefully!"
"You say that AFTER shootin' the place up?!" The second goon shouts.
"That machine gun..." The first says, still shaken. "Talk about shooting first and asking questions later..."
"I-I was only trying to prevent things from getting more out of hand..." Hinata says, disheartened.
"You came to my aid." Suzumi says, smiling. "I don't know who you are, but thank you. Both you and your 'companion' over there." She says, knowingly, before turning to see me walking up.
"Just lookin' out for ya." I say, shrugging. "You hurt at all?"
"N-No, not at all." Suzumi says, blushing a bit. "I'm okay thanks to the two of you. What are you doing here, Sensei?"
"We were out to get some stuff when we heard that explosion. Hinata here was worried someone might've been hurt." I say, causing Hinata to avert her gaze, embarrassed.
"It would make sense for a Sister to be concerned about others." The whitette says, causing Hinata to fidget further. "Then again, it's also something you would do, Sensei. Always looking to help someone in need. I wish more people were like you two. That would make my life much easier." She admits.
I chuckle a bit at her words, while Hinata stays silently embarrassed.
"What are you looking for, anyway?" The vigilante asks. "I'd like to help you find it since you helped me."
"You don't hafta do that, but..." I sigh, relenting. "Long story short, we've got a friend who's willing to help us repair a very important and very old book on short notice, but we need two things for it. One's easy to find, but the other?"
"What is it?" Suzumi asks.
"You know where to find sphagnum moss glue?" I ask.
Suzumi's face turns to one of pure confusion. It's almost comical. "Sphagnum moss glue...? I've never heard of it."
"It's supposed to be used in the windows of very old buildings." Hinata adds.
"Old buildings..." Suzumi muses. "I do know where can find an old abandoned building. You won't come by such places by sticking to the main streets, but there are places like that when you venture down side alleys. I've come across places like that when on my patrols. There should be one not too far from here, as a matter of fact."
We turn around when we hear one of the goons gasp. "Hey! Wait a second!" The first one, the one with the ponytail, shouts, frantic. "That old building you just mentioned..." She says, getting up.
"You're not talking about our hideout, are you?!" The other one, with the short hair, asks, also getting up.
"Hmm? Yes, I was. Is there a problem?" Suzumi asks, confused.
"Are you crazy?!" The second goon shouts. "Are you saying you're gonna tear down our hideout?! Where will we go if you kick us out?!"
"I never said that. I don't know why you're jumping to conclusions..." The vigilante says, nervous. "All Sensei needs is that glue that can apparently be found in the window frames."
"Yeah, and we don't even need that much of it." I add.
"You think we're gonna believe that?!" The short haired goon shouts. "You're tryin' to wipe us out!"
"Wipe you out?" Suzumi asks. "That's a little extreme..."
"This is messed up! We have rights!" The goon continues. "We're just tryin' to get by in this m-messed up world...!" She shouts, tears welling up in her eyes, before she wails, beginning to... cry?
"U-Um..." Suzumi says, awkwardly. "There's no need to cry. I told you that's not what I meant..."
I sigh. "Let her cry it out." I say, looking at the sobbing girl, having fallen to the ground while her friend pats her on the back.
"Well... okay. If you say so, Sensei." The whitette says, reluctant.
After a few minutes, the girl calms down. "Where will we go if we're driven out of our hideout?"
I crouch down next to the two goons, who recoil a bit from my closeness, but I ask them something in a calm voice. "What's got you so down?"
The second girl stills, deciding whether to answer, before she seems to make up her mind. "...I-It's not like we enjoy a life of crime, okay? We're just trying to get by."
"Yeah..." The first girl says. "And now we can't even get interviews for part-time jobs because of our criminal records." She says, tearing up. "We don't have money to rent a place, and the dorms won't accept us because of our bad grades."
Bad grades? Wait a sec... why is Nagisa making such a big deal about me teaching those four girls in particular of there are girls like these who might have even WORSE grades? Something about this all is bugging me, and not in a good way.
The ponytailed girl continues. "Our grades are bad because we don't have anywhere to study. It's a damned never-ending cycle!" She seems more angry than sad now. "Don't you get it? Living a normal life is a privilege we don't have! Not that normal people like you would understand..."
"No... I get it." I say, solemnly, surprising the saddened girls by my sincerity. "I won't bore you with the details, but... My best friend betrayed me a few years back, marking me as the most-wanted man in the world... Before I came to Kivotos, I was just like y'all, except I couldn't stay in one place. So, yeah... I get it."
"Sensei..." Suzumi says behind me, surprised.
"Believe me, this is nothing new, even if I didn't go through all of that." I say. "Back home, a person was more likely to allow a pedophile to rent an apartment than someone who was arrested on minor drug possession, not wanting their property to be turned into a drug den. Society's real fucked up no matter where you go. We've all gotta live in this world, people who are punished for this and that are never given a second chance... But... I got lucky. I came to Kivotos and was given that second chance. So..." I say, standing up. "I'll help ya."
"Y-You...!" The short haired girl says.
"Like I said, everyone deserves a second chance. I mean, except REALLY bad people." I say. "But, y'all aren't bad. You're just some girls who've been dealt a bad hand."
"...You really do understand... don'tcha?" The ponytail girl asks.
I nod, seriously.
"Actually..." Hinata interjects, drawing our attention. "I have an idea."
"What do you...?" The ponytailed girl asks, standing back up along with her friend.
"I believe we could help you... if you don't mind working for the cathedral, that is." The sister says.
"Cathedral?" The first girl asks, wide eyed and confused.
"That get up... You're with the Sisterhood, right?" The second asks.
"Yes, that's right. These are fashioned after our traditional garb." The sister explains.
"H-Hold up. Something doesn't make sense." The second girl says. "There's no way you could be a real Sister..."
"Of course she's a real Sister." I interject.
"Honestly, I'm glad you shared your situation with us. I had no idea you were having such a rough go of things." Hinata says. "If it's work you're looking for, the cathedral is always in search of volunteers. We're nonprofit, so we can't pay you in money, but we're more than happy to provide you room and board while you're volunteering. We can even write you both letters of recommendation after you've completed your first month of volunteering so that you can seek work for pay. It may be hard work and could take some getting used to... but we'll be with you every step of the way to help."
The two girls mull over Hinata's suggestion.
"And if that don't work out, you could always come and help out at Schale." I interject, catching everyone's attention. "Matter of fact, I'll offer y'all the same thing as Hinata here, so you won't pick one of us over the other."
Hinata smiles at me. Whether she does that from my kindness or my equal offer, I don't know.
"...Wh-Why are you being so nice to us?" The ponytailed girl asks.
"You don't mind girls like us working there. There's nothing either of you could possibly gain. I don't understand..." The short haired girl says.
"Well, you already know my reason." I say, looking at Hinata expectantly.
"Nothing to gain? That's not what we're after at all." Hinata says with a shake of the head. "We're the Sisterhood."
"What...?" The second girl asks.
"The Sisterhood's goal is for everyone at not only Trinity but all of Kivotos to find peace in life." The sister explains. "That is our mission. So long as you find peace, we're happy."
I hum. "I agree with ya. Schale's job is to help people, too."
"S-Stop fooling around..." The first girl says, denying our words. "You think we're gonna buy all that sweet talk you're selling?" She says that, but...
The other girl has already started crying and wailing again, using her hand to cover her eyes.
"Eh?!" The first girl shouts, taken aback.
Hinata just looks confused, but I walk over to the crying girl and pat her on the back while she cries. She looks up at me, hopeful, through her watery eyes. "W-We can really quit our lives of crime, right? We can work normal jobs? We won't have to fear the Justice Task Force coming to arrest us when we go to a movie theater? Or a cafe? An arcade?"
"So long as ya don't get up to any more mischief, yeah." I say, honestly "Our groups'll protect ya."
"I'll do it! I'll volunteer for whatever you need!" The short haired girl says.
"That's wonderful. Of course you're welcome to join us." Hinata says, smiling. "Our Sisterhood does everything together. We shower together, eat together... Live together! You don't have to worry about a thing!"
"I'm so happy!" The crying girl squeals, rushing at Hinata and hugging her, which Hinata happily returns.
"There, there. It's going to be okay." Hinata says, soothingly, like a mother would. "I'm glad you opened your heart to us."
I can only smile at the scene.
The ponytailed girl sighs. "You can do whatever you want with our old hideout to find that glue. It doesn't really matter anymore."
I nod in affirmation.
The short haired girl soon calms down and breaks the hug with Hinata. After, the two of them leave, but not before the ponytailed girl says something to me.
"Be expecting me sometime, Sensei!" She called out, walking away. "Just remember the name Shigaraki Mio!"
Suzumi walked up to me afterwards. "I'm speechless. I don't know how to thank you both for all your help. Things should be much more peaceful around here now."
"Just doin' my job." I smile.
"Oh, you don't have to thank me." Hinata says. "Guiding people to the right path and helping them make good choices for themselves... It's tough work, but someone has to do it. And I love what I do."
Suzumi stills before the sister's kindness. "So it is. I couldn't agree more." She says, smiling.
"All right, then." I say, turning to Hinata. "Let's go get that glue."
"Actually, allow me to help you, Sensei." The whitette says, the wing on her head fluttering slightly. "I wish to repay your kindness for helping me."
"You don't have to owe me, Suzumi." I chide. "But, if you insist."
Two hours later, as the sun fell in the sky a bit, Hinata and I went back to the old library.
As we entered, we found Ui reading a book.
"Hmmm..." She let out a noise.
"Ui." I call out to her as I walk up, but she doesn't notice.
"Ui." I say again, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"GAH?!" She shrieks, almost dropping her book in the process. "O-Oh, it's you, Sensei."
"We found the glue, Ui." Hinata happily reports, holding a jar of the stuff.
"Hm?" The shut-in asks, eyes widening a bit, before she sighs.
"What's the matter?" I ask.
"It's just..." Ui begins, standing up and sitting down her book. "I know I requested you to fetch these items for me in the first place, however... I didn't expect you to succeed. Let alone so quickly. I thought the sphagnum moss glue would take you at least a few days. Yet here you are, glue in tow, and absolutely filthy for your efforts." She says, gesturing to my sweaty state. "You clearly went through a lot of trouble."
Hinata giggles. "It's a long story."
"You don't say..." The librarian deadpans.
"The only hard part was digging that damn glue out of the window." I say, still upset. "Though I will say, they made a good decision using that stuff. It's still strong to this day."
"Well, regardless. All that matters is that you returned with something we need." Ui says. "You... exceeded expectations, so to speak. So..." She pauses, before saying something in a quiet voice, her face red. "...good job."
The sister stills in surprise.
"Oh, and one more thing." I say, discreetly taking the cake from the Shittim Chest, causing the bluette's eyes to widen.
"H-How did...?" Ui asks. "You even managed to get the cake...?"
"Yup." I say, popping the p, as usual.
Ui slowly takes the box from me. "Thank you." She says, smiling.
"U-Ui..." Hinata says, almost squealing.
"Enough of that. We don't have time to sit around and chat." Ui chides the blackette. "You're aware how pressed we are for time, aren't you?"
"Yeah, we still need that holy tonic." I point out.
"R-Right..." Hinata says, deflating.
"You've come this far, so I'm sure you'll find it." Ui says, quietly.
"Hm?" Hinata asks.
"It's nothing." The shut-in deflects, before smiling. "I'll be waiting."
"Right." I say to Ui, before walking away. "C'mon, let's go."
"R-Right." Hinata says, following me.
"So, where are we?" I ask Hinata, having followed her into another part of the school.
"This is an annex building under the Remedial Knights' control." The sister explains.
"Ui DID say we'd find the tonic in a hospital." I muse.
"Wait a second. We could have gone to the Knights' main building on campus as well." Hinata realizes.
"Eh, it's fine. We'll probably find some here, too." I reason. "I'd wager someone I know should be here, too." I say, remembering Serina mentioning something about working here back when she and Hanae helped me after Binah.
"Hm? Who?" Hinata asks, before another voice speaks.
"There you are, Sensei."
Sure enough, Serina walks up to us.
"I figured you'd be here, Serina." I say, smiling.
The pinkette lets out a cute giggle. "Good to see you again. It's surprising you came to see me first." She then turns to the sister. "And you must be Hinata. It's nice to meet you."
How did...? Okay, I get her expecting me, might've been a lucky guess. She knew I came to her first, strange, but how did she know Hinata's name?
"Oh? Um, yes... Hello." The blackette says, awkwardly. "But... how did you know my name?"
Serina just smiles innocently, causing Hinata to turn to me.
"Is this the person you were talking about, Sensei?" The sister asks.
"Yup. This is Serina, one of the Remedial Knights." I introduce.
"Wait, where are my manners? I should have explained why we were here first, I'm sorry." Hinata says, apologetic.
"Oh, that's okay. Like I said, I've been expecting you." Serina says, smiling innocently. A little TOO innocently.
"You... have?" Hinata asks, wary.
"I know you two don't have much time to spare, so follow me." Serina says, beginning to walk away.
Hinata whispers to me as we follow the pinkette. "Um, Sensei?"
"Yeah?" I whisper back.
"Did you message her in advance or something?" The sister asks.
"No." I say. "No, I didn't. She shouldn't even know what we're up to."
"That's..." Hinata trails off, unable to find the words.
"Concerning." I finish, eyeing Serina a bit more carefully.
Serina leads the two of us to a medical room, filled with various liquids, pills and bottles of all shapes and sizes.
"You're looking for holy tonic, correct?" Serina asks, not giving either of us a chance to answer. "It's a drug that has long ties with the Remedial Knights. it was used more commonly in the olden days. We normally don't keep any on hand, so it would have to be retrieved from medical storage. In fact, such old medicines have regulations and approval processes they need to go through to be withdrawn."
"And now isn't a normal case, huh?" I ask, causing Serina to smile.
"You two don't have time for all of that, so I'll get you what you need. You can leave the paperwork to me and be on your way." The pinkette says, turning and going over to a cabinet. "Will two bottles be enough, Hinata?"
"O-Oh... Um, yes, that should be plenty." The sister says. "I still don't get it, Sensei. How is she doing this?" She whispers to me.
"Dunno." I whisper back. "But it scares me a bit."
"It should be here somewhere on this wall." The nurse says, before her phone rings. "Oh. The management office is calling me. Excuse me one moment..." She says, picking up the phone. "Yes, this is Serina... Uh-huh... Right now?" She asks, before continuing in a strained voice. "...N-No, of course I can... Okay... Got it." She then hangs up, pocketing her phone, before looking at me nervously.
"Lemme guess, they need your help?" I ask.
"Sorry, Sensei." The pinkette says, apologetic.
"Eh, it's fine." I say, walking over to the cabinet, eyeing the items, before noticing a few tall, old bottles in the back. "These brown ones are the tonic, yeah?"
Serina looks over, eyes widening in recognition. "Yes, that's it." She says, smiling a relieved smile. "I was worried about not being able to help you continue looking, truthfully. Sorry about leaving so quickly, apparently there's been a rush of patients all of a sudden."
"There has? Did something bad happen?" Hinata asks, alarmed.
"Nothing major. It's just that the Justice Task Force is doing demonstrations this week." Serina explains. "They go on tours around the Trinity district and to the outskirts. Which means they sometimes encounter thugs and the like..."
"Ah." I say, realizing, as I take out two bottles of the tonic, carefully lifting them over the other containers.
"Having to treat them all must keep you very busy." Hinata realizes.
"Yeah, it's not uncommon for us to be short handed." The pinkette explains as I stick the bottles in the Shittim Chest. "This is just an annex, so it doesn't get as many patients as other locations, but I'm still the only one here who can take care of the patients in the ward."
"Wh-What?!" The sister asks, alarmed. "You have to take care of them all by yourself?!"
"That's right. I'm sometimes concerned that I don't have enough time to give them all the care that they deserve." Serina says, a bit upset. "Though I still do the best I can for them. That's my job, after all."
"And I don't think there's anyone who does as good of a job healin' people as her." I add, causing the pinkette to blush.
"A-Anyway, that's the situation." Serina says, stuttering a bit. "I'll be going now. Good luck with that tonic." She says, leaving and shutting the door behind her.
"...Sensei." Hinata says, after a moment.
"You wanna help her, huh?" I ask, already knowing.
"Go on. I'll swing over to Ui's place, meet me there when you get done." I say, smiling.
"Th-Thanks, Sensei!" Hinata chirps, a big smile on her face. "I'll meet you there!"
As she rushes out of the room, I hear her stop Serina.
"Oh, Hinata." Serina says in the hall. Hinata mumbles something in response, which I don't bother trying to hear. "You wanted to help? Thanks for offering. I know how busy you are today."
How the fuck DOES she know that?!
"Speaking of which, that's been on my mind this entire time. How did you know...?" Hinata adds, as their voices fade off. "A-Anyway, yeah... I just couldn't let you do this all by yourself."
I let out a chuckle. That Hinata is too nice.
I quickly walked over to the old library, where I found Ui in the back at her desk, hard at work, moving various items all around and doing various things with them. She's like a machine.
On thing was different. To my surprise, she was wearing large, gold glasses with thin, round rims. A similarly colored chain attached to both ends drooped down over the back of her neck.
Ui's gaze lifts for just a moment, before going back to work.
"You look nice in those glasses." I comment.
Ui pauses moving for a moment, her face becoming red.
"Here." I say, sitting the two bottles of tonic down on her desk.
"I managed to dissolve the sphagnum moss glue while you were away. Now I have the tonic I require too." The bluenette says. "Oh, and I ate the cake while you were out as well. I'm good to go."
"Was it good cake?" I ask, sitting down in a chair at a small desk next to her large desk.
Ui nods in confirmation, taking off her glasses, allowing them to rest over her chest. "Where is Hinata?"
"Helping people. She'll be back soon." I explain.
As I say that, the door to the library opens.
"Speak of the devil." I say, causing Ui to crack a small smile.
"I'm back, you two!" Hinata chirps. She also seems a lot happier than before.
"Well, I now have all of the ingredients, so I can begin." Ui tells the other girl.
"What should Sensei and I do?" The blackette asks, leaning over the librarian's desk. "I could help you tidy up. Or assist you with what you need to do..."
"You could..." Ui begins.
"I could...?" Hinata asks.
Ui sighs. "Get some sleep. I don't have anything for you to do."
"Sleep?" The sister asks.
"U-Um..." Ui stutters, catching herself. "S-Sorry. I didn't mean for it to come off so bluntly. Please don't take it the wrong way... I was able to draw some conclusions on how your day went based on the state of the materials you brought back." Ui look away from us, looking ashamed. "It must have been quite the ordeal. That is largely my fault, given how unreasonable and coercive my demands were... So... Why don't you get some sleep? I can take it from here." She turns to me. "Isn't that right, Sensei?"
"Well, we HAVE been running around all day." I point out. "Might be for the best."
"Oh. Did you want to rest, Sensei?" Hinata asks me.
"A break couldn't hurt." I say. "Besides, I kinda wanna see what books are in this place. I'm sure there's something interesting to read."
"You can make yourself at home over there." Ui says, pointing to a small couch nearby. "This isn't a luxury hotel or anything, but I sleep in that spot often. It shouldn't be too uncomfortable. B-But a fair warning..." She pauses, her face red. "I-I'll kick you out if you do anything weird or talk about how it smells! Got it?"
"How it smells?" I ask, confused. "It's an old leather couch, it's bound to have some smell. That's just normal."
The magician just averts her gaze from me as Hinata makes her way over to the couch and lays down.
"Good night." Ui says, softly. "Sleep well. Leave everything to me."
With that, the lights of the building go off as Ui and I turn on desk lamps to read.
"Say, Ui?" I ask, after a moment.
"Yes?" She asks, not looking at me, having gotten back to work.
"Got any books on Trinity's history?" I ask.
"Over there." She says, pointing.
"Thanks." I say, getting up. I've been curious about the school's history and kinda want to read up on it some.
As day turns to night, the old library darkens further. Ui moves with speed, grace and efficiency as she works on the book. I, however, focus on my book detailing the history of Trinity.
It ain't much I don't already know, unfortunately.
Many schools shared a dislike- or rather, a hatred- of Gehenna. The leaders of the three biggest schools- Pater, Filius and Sanctus- as well as the fourth biggest- Johan- came together for a Tea Party, to talk to one another peacefully. Soon, they, along with other schools, joined together to make Trinity.
However, it wasn't without it's share of problems.
Unlike what I found online, this book is unbiased, detailing all about what happened to one of the branch schools that USED to be a part of Trinity...
Arius Satellite School.
When Trinity was established, Arius was against joining and against the alliance as a whole. The Saint Justina Council were against Arius joining as well. Eventually, they came to an agreement where both the Saint Justina Council- the Sisterhood's predecessors- and Arius would protect the alliance and make sure no infighting occurred. Arius, however, was very strict and wasn't even technically a part of the alliance, they were only the peacekeepers along with the SJC.
So, the rest of the Trinity alliance (minus the Saint Justina Council, who remained neutral) decided to literally firebomb Arius' district. After all, the SJC were already guardians of the peace, why need a second group whose popularity was plummeting? Plus, Trinity had been making weapons to use on Gehenna if the need arises.
One problem: those weapons needs testing.
In what would be called the 'Day of Fire and Ash', many people died, more were injured, and all lost their homes. As for where they went, who knows?
But they still were too damn quick to turn on those they considered allies, even if there WAS some distrust.
Oh, and the meeting where Arius was condemned? It was the First Council of Nicaea. Just like back on earth where the Council of Nicaea condemned Arianism, a doctrine of Christianity made by a fella named Arius.
The parallels between the myths and religions on Earth and reality in Kivotos is too fucking concerning, especially after reading this shit.
"Are you okay?" Ui's soft voice asks. Looking at her, I see concern on her face.
"Yeah, why?" I ask.
"You have this angry look on your face..." She says. I still, confused. Do I...? "I take it you got to the part about Arius."
"Yeah." I say.
"I'm not surprised. The school did everything they could to scrub Arius' existence from the world." Ui says. "Though some of these books went unaccounted for."
"History is written by the victors, after all." I say with a sigh. "One's perception is their reality."
Ui hums in agreement at my statement. "So, do you think either side was just?"
"Of course not. Trinity was cruel to bomb their homes and Arius was cruel for being too strict with the citizens. Hell, the Saint Justina Council are the only ones who could be seen as 'good' here and they didn't do anything." I say, annoyed.
"So both were wrong?" The librarian asks.
"Of course. They found no middle ground. Trinity should've asked Arius to calm down instead of just attacking them like that." I say. "It's just like war... No matter how hard one side fights for what THEY PERCEIVE as a righteous cause, they're still committing horrible acts."
"So both sides of a conflict can be wrong?" Ui asks, continuing to work diligently.
"Lemme give you an example." I begin. "Before I came to Kivotos, there was a war that happened when I was young. This group, halfway across the world, thought our country was evil and so sent some men to hijack big passenger planes mid-fight and crash them into stuff. Two planes went for governmental buildings- one hit, the other missed due to the passengers fighting back- while the other two aimed for twin skyscrapers. By the end of the day, three thousand or so innocents were killed. This began the 'War on Terror', as it was called. They entered a conflict- our country and 'the enemy'- and I use that term intentionally. As they fought both sides killed, maimed and massacred each other, as well as committing God-knows what other obscenities.
As for how they did it without hesitation? Dehumanization."
"De... humanization?" Ui asks, perplexed.
"The soldiers of our country fought back against 'the enemy', killing left and right to righteously protect our citizens from any more terrorist attacks." I explain. "But to the other group, WE were 'the enemy'. They killed us left and right to righteously stop us from spreading our evil ways to the rest of the world. Both sides saw themselves as heroes, and the others as villains. But, at the end of the day, both did not stop to think they were killing people- humans- they just saw monsters- evil demons- who would cause more evil in this world, and that they must be killed.
The group eventually was defeated and our country celebrated defeating the evil terrorists, but... Well, don't get me wrong, they killed innocents which isn't good at all, but I certainly didn't feel like celebrating the deaths of others, at least not to the degree our country was."
"So... they stopped seeing people as human, as... just like them?" Ui asks.
"Yeah..." I say with a sigh. "Trinity likely had to see Arius as 'not human' in order to attack them like they did. But more than that, they saw them as 'others'."
"That makes sense. They already had the Justina Council as protectors." The magician muses.
"That's... not a exactly what I meant." I say, prompting Ui's curiosity. "People always engage in 'othering', even if we don't realize it. People did it a lot back home, usually discriminating the 'others', be they of a different race, gender or even sexual orientation. Trinity saw Arius as 'others', seeing as how they weren't technically part of the alliance. People do it all the time, every one of us, sometimes it's not even done consciously or maliciously."
"Even you?" She asks, before cringing at asking such a question. I speak before she can apologize.
"When we were looking for the glue, we ran into Suzumi, a member of the Vigilante Crew." I begin. "She was pinned down by delinquents, which the three of us beat quickly. Then, one of them burst into tears." Ui's intrigue is caught by my words. "They didn't want to be delinquents, but they can't get good grades which ends up spiraling into not being able to get money, a job, a home, etcetera. Suzumi- you might've heard of her, she beats ne'er-do-wells with flash grenades- is a bit overzealous about fighting against said ne'er-do-wells. She said it herself- that she never stopped to think of why those she fought were delinquents." I pause, a bit ashamed of myself. "Not like I was any better. I've fought plenty of delinquents, gangs and the like during my time here, and not once have I thought about WHY they were in those gangs in the first place.
I've been seeing them as 'others' this whole time. Never thinking of them, only myself..." I sigh a long, tired sigh. "Maybe it's just human nature to do that."
"...You're probably right." Ui admits, getting back to work. "I certainly didn't trust you..." She looks over to the snoozing sister on the couch. "...or Hinata when you first arrived."
"You saw us as 'others'." I surmise.
"Yes." She says.
"Well, so long as you're aware of it, you can rectify it. Ones perception is their reality, after all." I say.
"Yes. That is very true..."
We lapse into a silence afterwards, neither of us able to speak another word.
"I'll let ya get back to work." I say, eventually.
"A-Alright..."
"Good luck, Ui."
Still, it's interesting to read about unbiased history. Trinity dislikes Gehenna, as opposed to their past where they outright hated them. And Arius- if they're still around- hates both Trinity and Gehenna.
Hang on...
The Eden Treaty is public knowledge. If Arius still exists, then they could be trying to sabotage it.
Is that what this 'Make-Up Work Club' is for? To see if one of them are a spy? Here to thwart the Treaty? If so, would it be someone from the two school, or Arius itself- provided it still exists somewhere...?
Too many theories, not enough info.
A bit later, I get up to place the book back where it belongs. As I do, I take out the Shittim Chest. The screen lights up with the AI asleep on one of the desks.
"Ehhhh... Strawberry milk..." She mumbles in her sleep.
"Arona." I whisper, 'poking' her cheek.
"Wu-huh...? Y-Yes, Sensei?" My AI pal asks, waking up.
"I need you to do a full-on background check on the four students I'm gonna teach. I've got a theory and I need to know as much as I can about them." I say, serious as can be.
"Okay, Sensei." Arona says seriously, realizing how important this is. "I'll be as discreet as possible."
"Thanks, Arona." I say, smiling.
"Anytime."
As the screen goes dim, I place the tablet back in my jacket pocket.
Sighing, I move to go find another book to read.
...Or maybe I'll take a nap.
Deciding on the latter, I ended up falling asleep in the chair. After an unknown amount of time, I woke up to see Ui, still hard at work.
"Oh, you're awake, Sensei." Ui observes. "I hope I didn't wake you."
"Nah, it wasn't you." I reassure, rubbing my eyes a bit, waiting for them to adjust to the light.
"A certain someone is still fast asleep, however." She says, looking over at Hinata. Ui shakes her head with a small smile, "To think she even mumbles in her sleep..."
Sure enough, Hinata is letting out small, quiet giggles. "That tickles..."
Reminds me of Arona.
"She's been like that for a while now." The librarian explains. "I can only imagine what she must be dreaming of. She seems much more at peace than before she fell asleep, at least."
"She was workin' pretty hard all day." I say, smiling. "How about you? Any problems?"
"No, it's been rather tricky, but I haven't ran into any roadblocks, thankfully." Ui explains. "I told you I could take it from here. I intend to keep my word. Actually, I'm almost done. It should be another hour or so."
"Damn. I see where the 'magician' nickname came from." I compliment, causing her to blush and avert her gaze.
"P-Please. Flattering me isn't going to make me work any faster." The magician stutters as she works, before continuing in a quiet voice, "Well, it's not that I don't like compliments. In fact, I don't receive them very often..." Then, she speaks normally again, "A-Anyway, thank you."
"You're welcome." I smile.
"U-Um, so... F-Forget what I just said. I was talking to myself, that's all. It gets boring being alone with my thoughts. T-To tell you the truth, I was being unreasonable when I requested you to retrieve that cake earlier." She admits. "I thought your request was absurd, so I... made an equally demanding request as payback."
"I figured that might've been the case." I say. If she wanted sugar, I could've bought her a candy bar or somethin'.
"I did not honestly expect you to retrieve it." She admits. "Yet you both managed to return with everything- the materials and even the cake. Not that I'm going to change my opinions about some things so suddenly, but still..." She stops speaking, humming in thought.
"Take everythin' one step at a time." I advise. "I know you might still see the two of us as 'others', but hopefully you can see us- and maybe other people- as friends one day."
"Friends, huh...? Hm..." The bluenette mutters to herself. "It isn't as though she and I- or you and I- are particularly close all of a sudden. Still... the old me wouldn't have agreed to allowing the two of you to sleep here." She lets out a small huff of laughter. "It's strange for me to be so accommodating."
"Like I said, one step at a time." I reiterate.
"I also never imagined..." Ui begins, embarrassed. "...that I would be having a friendly conversation with someone at such a late hour. Maybe I've discovered a soft spot I never knew I had. And maybe..." Her face reddens. "...if we got to know each other better... we could..." She trails off, unable to continue.
Before either of us can say anything else, Hinata lets out a loud yawn, startling us both. She rises up a bit and looks around. "Wh-Where am I...?"
"The library." I say, smiling.
The sister smiles. "Oh, right. We were retrieving materials to restore the book. That's why... Wait, what time is it?"
"Late." I say. "Just before eleven."
"Oh, I've already missed lights out back at the dorm. And the roll call..." Hinata realizes. "The... roll call...? Hmm..."
"Did you sleep well, Hinata?" Ui asks.
"THE ROLL CALL?!" The sister shouts.
"Wh-What...?" Ui recoils.
"What's the matter?" I ask, concerned.
"Th-This is bad, Sensei! The roll call! I missed it!" Hinata shrieks, standing up. "How did it get so late?!"
"Um, Hinata. I'm still working. Can you keep it down?" The librarian asks, annoyed.
"B-But I must have missed it by now! They know I'm not there!" Hinata shouts.
"Seriously..." Ui groans. "Is something so trivial worth making a fuss over? I'll never understand the inner workings of the Sisterhood. Anyway, I need you to stay quiet." Ui stresses.
"B-But...! I can't afford to miss a roll call! What if the other sisters find out I was late because I fell asleep?" The blacknette asks, worried.
"Then say you were busy helping someone and fell asleep from exhaustion." I offer.
"Please be quiet..." Ui mutters.
Unfortunately, Hinata's worries have clouded her hearing.
"I-I'll have to contact the dorm superintendent, and-"
"I SAID BE QUIET!" Ui shouts, fed up, causing Hinata to recoil and shriek in fright.
"Goodness..." Ui has some lungs on her.
"How many times must I ask you to be QUIET?!" The magician shouts, pissed off. "This is STILL a library! SHHHHHHH!"
"I-I'm sorry, Ui. I didn't realize..." Hinata apologizes in a quiet voice. "I'm sorry!"
But just as she says that, her phone dings.
"And put your phone on silent!" Ui continues.
"I-I will! I'll do that right away!" Hinata says, scrambling to take out her phone.
"You get a text?" I ask, curious.
"Y-Yes, it's from... The cathedral...?" The sister says, confused. As she reads the message, she becomes more and more worried. "...Huh?"
"What is it now?" Ui asks, annoyed.
"Um..." Hinata begins, scared to answer the magician.
"What's it say?" I ask.
"This... this can't be right... Let me read." Hinata says. " 'Update on the scripture reveal and reading event that was scheduled for tomorrow... All parties have agreed to hold the event as soon as possible. The event will take place tonight at midnight.' "
"Midnight..." Ui says, stilling. "One hour from now."
With a single word, I manage to sum up our situation perfectly, all while my face finds its place in my hands.
"Fuck."
AN
I took the ponytailed girl's name from another Blue Archive fanfiction titled 'Blue Record' by Brutal Aftershock on FanFiction. I tried to think of a different name for her, but came up short. Then I remembered that story and wanted to use the name.
I do hope they don't mind.
Also, if I triggered anyone by speaking about nine-eleven, that's too bad. I won't apologize. You should probably stop reading this, too, as it's gonna get much, much worse.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next!