"A failure is all you'll amount to."
Hearing that, all he could do was smile, and nod in response.
There was the crinkling of paper, the brisk movements of a pen strewing across, and the weak rays of light shining across the room from a monitor.
"Hmm… So that's the tax deductibles for this month…"
The man silently muttered to himself, scratching his head. This was the 'Sensei' of Schale, Shua.
Black hair, tired brown eyes, and beyond some defined musculature, his other looks fit the term 'average' to a T. He was dressed in a white dress shirt, a dark blue tie, black pants and simple black dress shoes.
Shua was the name that came most naturally to him, and it was short and sweet, making it easy for his students to remember it. Not that any of them used his name often though, most opting for 'Sensei' instead.
It had been a while since he had been situated in Schale after getting transmigrated here. Having solved a few issues here and there, as a 'problem-solver' that had extra-judiciary privileges, he had garnered quite a bit of experience in this world he found himself in. Most recently in terms of major events, he had helped Abydos High School in solving some issues regarding a company named Kaiser Corporation, and alleviating a little bit of their debt in the process.
He couldn't help but feel as if he could've done more, though.
He always did.
In this fickle lighting amid pitch darkness, he worked. Some may call it 'bad for eyesight', but that was simply him working overtime at Schale. One could argue that he could turn on the light, but he was hesitant to do so. It wasn't because he footed the bill for electricity(the GSC handled that), he just couldn't be bothered to turn the light on, especially since he was on a roll today in terms of getting his work done. He didn't want to ruin his pace by having his eyes need to adjust to the light.
Or was it because he felt at home in the darkness?
"Arona," he sighed, shaking his head in annoyance. "How much left is there?"
"Just a little bit more, Sensei." A charming voice popped from the tablet on his desk. "Don't forget to use kanji numerals for the expense papers, otherwise Rin is going to yell at you again."
This was Arona, his lovely(self-proclaimed) AI assistant that acted as his trusty secretary. She had blue eyes, with matching short hair with pink highlights that covered her left eye, with a halo over her head that basically acted as a mood indicator, its shape and color changing with her emotions. She wore a blue and white sailor uniform, with a white headband with a bow on her head, almost like bunny ears.
She was situated in the tablet, the Shittim Chest, usually helping him work on his crafting projects, providing information to him when he needed it.
Admittedly, she did have her shortcomings, her incessant sleeping being one of them, but he was willing to work with them, especially since she had been so helpful across the entire time he had been here.
He stared at Arona's curious face depicted on the tablet silently, and then back at his papers, before grimacing.
"...I forgot."
A slight pause, before a voice rang out from the tablet once more. "...Oh dear."
"...Well, I can just ignore it for now," He stretched out his arms, yawning, "and get yelled at later. It's a treat being verbally abused by Rin, after all. Heh." He grinned perversely.
"Sensei, you're an irredeemable pervert!" Arona retorted angrily, puffing out her cheeks.
"It's one of my greatest aspects, what do you mean?" He laughed in response.
"I'll have you know, acting like that in front of your students isn't going to do you any favors, Sensei." Arona pouted in exasperation.
"Eh, it'll work out fine. You and I are the only ones here. After all, you folks all trust me, right? I'll get any job done…" He grimaced as his thoughts trailed off.
"Geez, Sensei. You'll work yourself into an early grave like this. You went out today to handle some odd jobs for Trinity as thanks for them unofficially granting help to the Abydos' girls with their artillery, didn't you?" Arona questioned, concern apparent.
"Indeed he did."
A sudden voice, akin to a wispy mist interjected from the darkness in the room.
A sharply dressed man in a black suit suddenly was found standing before his desk. The light from the monitor did no wonders in showing his face, but he knew that voice anywhere.
"Black Suit?!" Shua stood up from his chair in alarm, looking around subtly.
How did he get in? That was a great question that he'd love to know the answer to. He was certain there was at least some security to prevent outsiders beyond authorized students from getting in.
"The security here is quite shabby, Sensei… or should I just call you Shua in this casual case? You would find great benefits to supplementing it." The suited man had his thumb and index on his supposed chin, akin to a thinking pose.
"Cut the drivel." Shua gritted his teeth, glaring. "Are you here for revenge? I thought it was unbecoming as an adult to stoop to such petty emotional outbursts."
"Quite the opposite. I'm here to congratulate you, and to provide some information… perhaps, you may view this as a boon yielded from your recent actions in Abydos Autonomous District." The being smiled, or tried to. It was difficult to tell in the lackluster lighting.
A boon from another tragedy he almost couldn't prevent?
Shua twitched minutely in annoyance at the thought, before folding his arms silently. He sat back in his chair, still glaring at Black Suit.
"Alright. Congratulations accepted, and whatever," Shua shrugged nonchalantly. "So what's the deal?"
"How harsh of an attitude you display before me." The being put his hands together, as if to mock the man before him.
"I assure you, I seek not to instigate a war between us. In fact, I come to you for help. A deal, as you say."
Shua raised his eyebrow in surprise. "Interesting. You come out of the blue, infiltrate my building and say you want to ask for help? Color me interested. If you'd wanted to put an end to me I'm certain you'd have done it already."
"I understand that does make me seem quite antagonistic. But anyway…" The being reached into his suit, pulling out a small unmarked letter, before passing it on to Shua.
"What's this?" Shua's face was twisted in confusion and his brows furrowed, before he tore open the letter.
"A map depicting a location we've been looking into, within the ruins near Millennium."
And true to his words, Shua pulled out a large, detailed topographical map with several layers, showing floor plans for a building of a single level within the ruins, its coordinates, and what was in its vicinity.
But more importantly, it raised a question.
"How the hell did you fit this in that small letter?" Shua's composure was overtaken by confusion and exasperation as he stared at the map.
"This is a world of powerful, divine beings in the form of young girls wielding firearms, and you're surprised by me being capable of folding the map into that letter?"
"Absolutely." Shua nodded his head in affirmation.
"Hmph." Black Suit shook his head, disbelievingly. "Call it a trade secret."
"Right… it's totally not just witchcraft…" Shua stated monotonously, and slinked down his chair, staring at the map he was given.
"We've had our eyes on this location for a long while now, and as you are the one who holds the key to this world, I expect your presence to result in something quite special. Perhaps, it will be a breakthrough after such long ages."
The suited man spread his arms apart, as if to welcome the possibilities.
"As those who seek God and to recreate Him, Gematria seeks your cooperation on this matter."
"What's in it for me?" Shua stared at Black Suit from his lowered position in his chair.
"It pertains to your students." The being shrugged in response.
"...You bastard. What did you do?" Shua glared, sparks starting to ignite in his eyes.
"Nothing… yet," Black Suit paused, as if to ponder the connotations of the words he was to speak.
"Don't you want to know just what we're doing there? It's so close to Millennium, after all. Perhaps, it will shed light upon this world, and just what we planned for the Horus of the Sun. I'm certain you want to understand this world you've found yourself in a little more."
Black Suit turned his back to Shua, before saying: "Ah, yes. I do recommend you to go alone. There are certain things there that do not take well to students and their presence. Do bring some armor plates at least, it wouldn't do for you to meet your end this early. Goodbye, and may you heed my words well."
With those parting words, Black Suit seemed to fade from sight in the darkness as he walked away, leaving Shua to ruminate over his words.
"Sensei…" Arona's concerned voice cut through his thoughts.
"I know, this is bait. Damn him for bringing up my students." Shua cursed to himself.
He always did have a one-track mind with regards to his students' well-being, so in the end, he wasn't granted a choice by Black Suit.
He had to go. And more than that…
Him, having to go by himself, was an invitation to attain an answer.
Was he capable of leading himself, when he was always the one to lead the students in battle?
"A failure is all you'll amount to."
Hearing that, all he could do was smile, and nod in response.
It was a pervasive fantasy of his.
While he did hold the view that children, his students should never find themselves in firefights, it was something that simply could not be in this world. His logic from his own world just did not apply.
So what would occur if someone like him, a simple adult, albeit with training, from another world found himself in a fight or die situation here? It was a curious question that he almost desperately wanted a concrete, defining answer to, as stupid as he knew it was.
It was akin to an inferiority complex that underlay his every action. When his students came to him for advice and for help, he wanted to do more, but he was powerless in comparison to them.
He could most certainly train them to become better shots with their firearms with his own experience, to become better people than yesterday, but… He wanted to fight their firefights, wanted to make sure they all stayed safe and never in such danger, but it just simply could not be.
Dashed hopes, broken dreams, rotten corpses.
This world simply was not like that. It was one filled with strife, wrought from the misunderstandings of youth and uncertainty of the future. His students were much more equipped than he was to do so, in addition. He hadn't the protections that a halo gave them.
He would be gravely injured in a single shot, and his life would end shortly after, unable to help his students any longer.
Would his students care if he died?
Was he just a convenient product for them to use and toss aside when done with?
The thoughts just kept going and going.
The burning trees, the boiling fat, the atrocities wrought by man upon man.
He would like to believe they would care, but he honestly didn't know.
How did they truly feel about him?
Someone who just mucked about and put his nose into everyone's business?
There was no way, in his opinion, that anyone would respond nicely to such a thing.
Especially if it was him.
Despite being sent to this world as the sole teacher of Kivotos, he could never feel anything but useless, considering his past.
There were just bad memories all around for him, thinking about it. To an extent, he couldn't help but feel as if he'd been given another chance by being sent here, but he always feared that he would fail, fail the people he was charged to take care of.
Again. He was afraid of failing again.
To have needed to bury those that should've been the ones that buried him in time.
As part of his efforts to make himself feel better and to prove that notion wrong, he tried his heart out for his students, but would they reciprocate his actions?
Would they?
"No," Shua shook his head glumly. "But the reason why I teach isn't because of that."
Hoshino's happy, genuine smile as she walked back home with the Abydos Foreclosure Task Force came to mind. Their relieved reunion, alongside that, made it all the more obvious.
The students he helped so far most definitely felt genuinely thankful.
Even so, even if he was nothing worth noting…
Even if they don't care about me, their smiles, happiness and well-being are enough…
…So, I'm okay with being nothing more than that.
It was truly that simple, wasn't it? So there was only one thing to do.
"Arona, help me scan the maps and put it up on the Shittim Chest. We're going to head out tomorrow."
"S-Sensei, you can't possibly be t-thinking—" Arona's halo flickered to a drippy purple, and she stuttered in shock.
"I am." Shua affirmed. "Arona, you'll be my partner in crime for this."
"But don't you know how dangerous it is?! You shouldn't go in alone like this!" Arona shouted as her halo turned orange, with angered incredulity. "At least call in some help from Millennium's students, there's Yuuka, right?!"
Shua despondently shook his head.
"Can't risk it, considering Black Suit's warning. He may be sketchy, but he doesn't give warnings without good reason. He's simply not the type. Hell, he even showed some concern." Shua sighed. "You'll be my eyes and ears. I won't be going unprepared, or alone. You're with me."
"But…" Arona disappointedly shook her head, relenting. "Fine. I'll do my best."
"That's all I ask." He gave a sad smile in thanks.
This was pure selfishness, through and through. He felt horrendous, forcing this ultimatum upon Arona.
Was he really fit to be a teacher like this?
He turned his head and stared at the couch at the back of the room within the pitch darkness, upon which held a tactical vest with two armor plates, alongside 4 loaded magazines for his weapon, which was holstered in said vest, an M9A1 pistol provided to him by the General Student Council.
He never thought he'd use any of it, ever. He thought that the days where he wielded a weapon were over. They said it was for some protection, but he could never see himself pulling weapons against a child, and more than that, his student.
But in this case? He would. He very much would. To find out just what those damned bastards at Gematria were trying to achieve, endangering the students he cared about.
His students were his folly, but he would allow them to be.
It was always that way.
The smiles of those he had helped so far only pushed him forward.
But first…
"Let's get this work done."
But could a murderer, a failure like him really achieve anything good with his own two hands?
He fiddled with the new dark blue suit jacket he wore, under which had several layers of Kevlar sewn into it. Arona, in her worry, had crafted this in his sleep, before ordering him to use it, otherwise she would lock him into the Schale building for the entire day. She also had a helicopter on standby to get him out anytime, which he used to get here in the first place.
Her worry honestly was wasted on him. His life wasn't worth that much, anyway.
Now geared up fully, with an earpiece in his ear connected to the Shittim Chest, he stood before the outskirts of the ruins.
Truly, it lived up to its name. Dilapidated buildings that stood collapsed, warehouses with roofs fallen, completely rusted over, and overgrown foliage lay across his sight. The scent of iron permeated through the air, its distinct presence familiar to him.
He checked his pistol, racking back the slide to check if it was loaded.
"Click." The metallic sound of the slide being pulled back revealed a 9mm bullet ready to be fired, and he sighed to himself as he checked his other pieces of equipment.
Vest with plates, check. Loaded magazines in the vest, check. Stun grenades that he got as a gift, check. Combat bayonet in his vest, check. Some first aid supplies, check.
He didn't need more than this for this sudden solo mission.
Though, he didn't fully trust himself since he was out of practice.
"This is Arona. Do you copy, Sensei?" Arona's voice popped out of his earpiece, shifting him out of his introspection.
"Copy, Arona. Let's get started." He was somehow comforted by the all so familiar feeling of a weapon in his hands, but he shook himself out of it quickly.
"Understood. We're really doing this, huh?" Arona's dismay was apparent in her tone of voice.
"Yes, we are. Let's run it through again." Shua stared at the holographic screen in front of his hands, projected by his earpiece.
The maps that were provided to him by Black Suit were displayed in their full glory, with mock-ups of routes to move through to get to his destination, alongside projected patrol routes of the robots.
As long as he stuck to the timings stated on the maps, he would be able to get in and get out as quickly and painlessly as possible. But as they say, no plan survives first contact with the enemy, so he mentally prepared himself for the prospective arduous journey that lay ahead of him.
Arona truly was a blessing he didn't deserve, having taken the time to plot all of this out for him.
"So, we head on forward through the old apartments," The route appeared, labeled on his projected screen, "then move past the several warehouses on the right, and then we'll have to cut through a patrol route quickly past another apartment and hopefully without being spotted to reach the designated building." Arona stated matter-of-factly. "I hope you know what you're doing, Sensei."
"Who really does, anyway?" Shua sarcastically said, before grinning to placate Arona's fears. "I'll get it done, as I always do."
"Alright, Sensei." Arona took a breath. "Let the mission begin."
The map faded from his sight as the projection ceased.
"Safety off." Shua flipped the lever on his pistol in his right hand, and seriousness immediately took over his features. "Let's go."
Shua started forward and onwards, heading through the unfamiliar yet familiar roads. Seeing these areas on the map was one thing, but actually being here was another. Some things just didn't convert well into maps, like certain terrain hazards of rusty nails and steel reinforcements for concrete jutting out from fallen rubble.
The fallen apartments were a mysterious thing to behold for him. Old wooden furniture lay as glimpses strewn below rubble, worn down by rain and time. It was a strange thing to see such similarities to his own world. Though, he couldn't say it was only just rain and time. There were scars strewn across the landscape, remnants of gunfire and artillery.
To an extent, he was wondering just how his old home was doing, back in his own world. He lived in a cheap apartment that he rented, with very little amenities scattered across. He just didn't have the money to splurge or to afford luxuries. Welfare only went so far, after all. His job at Schale however, kept him well paid, so he couldn't help but splurge on toys and other knickknacks he couldn't afford back in his own world, much to the chagrin of Yuuka.
"Splendid, Sensei. We've made it past the apartments." Arona sighed, seemingly somewhat relieved, before continuing, "Now, onwards to the warehouses."
"We're only a teensy part through this. Too soon to be relieved, Arona." Shua hated to rain on her parade, but it was only the truth.
"Every moment I see you alive and unhurt in such a dangerous place is a relief. Let's get through this quickly, Sensei." Arona said. "My electronics scanning is active now since I've fully processed the enemy signals. We've got a patrol squad near the warehouses, but they shouldn't interfere with our path. The only issue is the apartment before the designated building being so open. Keep your eyes and ears peeled, Sensei."
"Understood. Heading off, then." Shua nodded.
He didn't want to waste time sightseeing on this instance, so he sped through the warehouses whilst listening to Arona calling out patrol squad positions. Was this what his students felt when he commanded them? What a strange feeling it was, no matter how familiar listening to orders was. Though, unlike the usual, he was trying to avoid gunfights in this case.
"The squad behind us is heading away, Sensei." Arona noted.
"Got it." Shua kept his eyes forward as he ran across the bridge connecting the warehouses. "I—"
He could not finish his sentence as he was rudely interrupted by his leg giving way.
The metal, already rusted beneath his feet, gave way to air with a loud crack.
"BANG!" The metal loudly bellowed, reverberating across all that he could hear.
"W-What?!" Shua gritted his teeth as the metal cut into his leg as it fell through. "Ugh…!"
Thankfully, only his leg fell through, and the rest of the patchwork bridge was still standing. His pants ripped through at the point of contact, a shame, really, since he really liked them.
Speeding through the warehouses and their interconnected bridges was an awful mistake. He nearly fell down into the concrete way down below.
At least I got my tetanus shot a while ago. No risk there…!
"That was a close one, Sensei." Arona's concerned voice grew even more desperate. "Are you sure we should continue? I can get the helicopter to exfiltrate you now!"
"We're in too deep now. Ugh." Shua sighed as he crouched down, holstered his pistol, pulled out a bandage from his vest and tied it on his wound quickly. "We've only the apartment left to the designated location, and calling the helicopter would attract all the patrol squads in the vicinity. Let's not risk it."
"I-I got it, Sensei." Arona didn't seem very optimistic at all, he noted. "W-wait, scanners say that the nearby patrol squad is heading over to check out this area! We need to head out quickly!"
"Damn, must've been the noise." Shua pulled out his pistol from his holster. "Alright, guess I have to go along with this…"
Shua gritted his teeth, lifting himself up, before making to run.
"Alright, Sensei! We can avoid them and still make it to the building if we take a run quickly through the upcoming old apartment." Arona paused, as if to process further information. "Wait, I just realized. None of the robots seem to be going into the building or its vicinity. Maybe that area is off-limits to them?"
"Huff.." Shua tried to catch his breath while he ran with the pain in his leg. "I-Interesting observation. Urgh… I think we'll be scot-free if we can make it, then. We might even be able to call in the helicopter and exfiltrate from there as well, but that'd be a last-ditch effort."
The apartments quickly came into sight as he kept going. It was reminiscent of the one he had passed before, albeit it was more ruined. It was a wonder how it was still standing. It seemed that the deeper he went, the more remnants of fighting and artillery bombardments he found.
Just what the hell happened here in the past?
"The squad is close, but we'll make it into the area that the robots don't go into in time!" Arona spoke with excitement. "Sensei, we'll make it!"
"Huff…" Shua clenched the pistol in his hand as he ran as hard as he could, biding with the pain. "T-Thank goodness."
Soon, the area denoted by Arona made into sight, as did the designated building.
It was somehow nearly completely intact. It looked like a warehouse, albeit with some signs of wear and tear here and there. Just what was it made of, considering the sorry state of everything else in the ruins? There were no signs as to what it held within either.
"We made it!" Arona cheered. "Alright, let's head into the building. There's no signals from it either, so you can catch a breather there."
"T-thank God." Shua sighed in relief, catching his breath and wiping the sweat from his brow. He paced slowly into the building, holstering his weapon as he did.
It was certainly a relief that he hadn't needed to use it yet. All ammunition unused now was ammunition he could use later. Him being mostly unhurt and having not gotten into a firefight was just a bonus.
Some part of him was disappointed, though. Part of the reason why he was here was because he wanted to prove himself, but he wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth in this case if it meant he could find out just what was going on here.
As he walked onto the metal grates, the sight of what seemed to be a security office, filled to the brim with electronics and screens greeted him. Amongst them stood a singular powered terminal fastened to the wall that awaited some form of input, with no keyboard close to type upon it.
"What the…" Shua walked over to the monitor and stared curiously at it.
"Sensei, I've updated the map to show the estimated area of the no-entry zone, based on earlier movements." Arona spoke up suddenly from his earpiece, stunning him for a brief moment. "Oh, Sensei. Is there anything of note?"
"Yeah, there's a terminal here." He poked at the screen, trying to figure if it had any touch options, to no avail. "Can't figure out just what it's for, though."
"Verifying…" A mysterious, androgynous voice suddenly spoke up from the terminal.
"What is this…?" Shua muttered to himself.
"Subject identity: 'Shua-Sensei'." The voice paused for a brief moment. "Qualified. You have permission to enter, Sensei."
"...Enter what?" Shua looked around for any door near him, which seemed to be a fruitless endeavor. The map that he was provided only showed a single level to this small warehouse, after all.
"Bottom door: Open."
"...Bottom door?" Shua looked down at the metal grates that beheld a foreboding darkness.
"CLANK." The sound of hydraulics coming alive startled him, before the metal grates that he was standing upon opened up.
"...GYAAAAAAAAAAA?!"
With nothing to stand on, he fell into the dark abyss that lay below him.
"THUD!" The sound of him landing on his back rang out, with his vision blanking for a brief moment.
"...My poor back…" Shua lay on the floor, groaning. "At least that wasn't that far of a fall…"
"Sensei, are you alright?!" Arona's concerned voice cut through the pain he felt.
"...I'm okay, Arona… I'm just gonna lie here for a while…" Shua sighed, pondering just where he went wrong.
A singular level, his ass. There was a whole basement to this warehouse. How did Black Suit miss this? The metal grates should've tipped them off!
He rolled from side to side in anguish, trying to look for any source of light that he could use to get his bearings. But however, what he saw, lit up by some form of ambient lighting, was a girl, with absurdly long flowing black hair with a side-tail sitting in what seemed reminiscent of a dental chair, with her eyes closed… and she—
"Why is she naked?" Shua closed his eyes, veering his head away.
"Huh? Wuh?" Arona's speech was muddled by her confusion.
"There's a girl here." Shua squinted his eyes. "She seems to be asleep or something."
"Why would there be anyone here? Careful, Sensei." Arona warned.
"Urk…" He seemed to have aggravated his leg wound with that fall, but he stood up and tried to walk over nonetheless.
"Hello?" Shua limped as he bent over and poked the girl's face. "You alright?"
Only silence responded to him.
Shua stared at his finger that he used to poke her, ruminating as he did.
"...Her skin doesn't feel like skin, more like some kind of synthetic material, akin to plastic." Shua muttered, adopting a thinking pose. "Is she some kind of robot?"
"I don't think robots in Kivotos have ever been made to look like girls, Sensei." Arona noted. "Do you think she's a student?"
He circled around and looked at the chair that the girl sat on from the back. It had a label: 'AL-1S'. Was this her model number?
"Perhaps." Shua sighed, before taking off his suit jacket. "I'm just gonna make her wear this for now so I don't feel like I'm committing a crime."
He put the suit jacket over her arms and body, trying his best to touch her minimally, before buttoning it up so that her front was covered up. Considering the size difference between him and her, the jacket covered her arms and body entirely, leaving a little bit at the ends, almost making her seem like a child wearing her father's clothing.
"Beep beep." As he finished up, a sound rang out from the girl's body, akin to a phone notification.
"Huh…?" Shua paced back, facing the girl, preparing to draw his weapon.
Never in his life had a noise like that been a good omen, thinking back to his days on the battlefield. He didn't want to fire at what seemed to be a spitting image of a young girl, but considering she seemed to be a robot, his qualms were not as prevalent.
"Status update. Contact with approved subject detected. Dormant state deactivated." The girl opened her blue eyes, a halo forming over her head. It seemed to be four turquoise squares interconnected, the meaning which as with any of his students, he didn't really understand.
She stared unnervingly and without emotion into Shua's eyes. He couldn't help but have his hand over his pistol as a result, ready to draw at a moment's notice.
The sound of whirring, akin to the start-up of a computer, rang out from her body as she slowly stood up from the chair.
"Circumstances unknown." The girl spoke monotonously. "Attempting conversation: Please explain."
Hearing that, Shua calmed down slightly.
"She definitely speaks like a robot, despite having a halo." Shua thought. "Might as well explain, considering she doesn't seem hostile."
"I'm not certain as to the circumstances of you or this area." Shua spoke slowly, thinking through his words carefully lest they be misconstrued. "I found you here as I was told to look through this location. Do you have any idea who you are, or what you serve?"
"Noted. Checking parameters. Sense of self, memory, and purpose not found. No data available."
Shua sighed, before making an important inquiry. "Are you hostile?"
"Negative." The girl shook her head blankly. "The offensive capabilities of this unit cannot be activated when in contact with an approved subject."
That was a relief. Shua's readiness to act shifted entirely to curiosity. With his hand fully removed from his holster, he decided to start questioning to learn more.
"What does an 'approved subject' mean?"
"Checking databases…" The girl paused, before elaborating, "An approved subject is a unit or a living being approved by my developer. This extends to the being known as 'Sensei', and their students, as per this unit's parameters."
"So she's definitely a robot… and I'm an approved subject by her developer, and in addition, any of my students would fall within this category. Just who developed her? I don't think I know anyone capable, and why would they whitelist me in such a fashion?" Shua pondered.
A thought surfaced in his mind.
"Maybe…"
"Have you heard of the name 'Black Suit' before? If not, who is your developer?"
It was worth a shot. Perhaps he was leading him to this girl.
"Negative. Databases have no entry regarding 'Black Suit'. The second question cannot be answered due to redacted information." His conjecture was quickly proved incorrect.
"I see." Shua furrowed his brows. The fact that her developer wanted to be unknown only made this more mysterious, but he'd take what he could get.
"Well, do you have any directives?"
"Directives: Follow orders of approved subject 'Sensei'." The girl immediately responded.
Shua facepalmed. Of course this was the outcome. Just his luck.
"So… Do you want a name?" Shua said, removing his palm from his face. He couldn't just keep referring to this girl as 'the girl', it would just be disingenuous, especially if she would be under his care.
The girl blankly stared at Shua before she answered briskly. "This unit will accept any name granted to it by subject 'Sensei'."
Hearing the affirmation, his mind immediately went to work.
"Her unit number is AL-1S, presumably." Shua closed his eyes, trying to come up with something in accordance. "Alis? Aris? Arisu…? Yes, that works. What about her surname? A child, created of works not fathomable by man, considering she has a halo… 'Tendou', child of heaven."
He smiled to himself self-deprecatingly. What a strange turn of events…
Him going alone on a self-assigned mission to these dangerous ruins, getting hurt, running past several hostile robots that could end him at a moment's notice…
It was a wonder how he hadn't gotten into a gunfight, especially in such a precarious situation. He had Arona to thank gratefully.
And now, with all of that out of the way, he had this girl as a charge.
…It was another life he had no right to try and take care of.
"Your name will be Arisu. Tendou Arisu."
…I hope I don't fail this one as well.
