Apologies, but once again, another split chapter. This one will be a little more emotional for Cain.

Also, more different POV segments! Expect to see more of these in the following chapters as more people come into Blue Archive. Should provide a different experience, yeah?

I also changed Cain's excuse for hiding his hand to make it more believable. I do apologize, but it should be a minor change.

Enjoy!

*Chapter 9: The Aimless and Abandoned*

"Thanks for treating us Sensei."

"It was no problem, Shiroko."

We finished our orders eventually, and in respect for the proprietor of the restaurant and any future customers, we vacated as soon as we were ready. It was an eventuality Serika was very much looking forward to. The speed with which she brought us to the front door was less "escorting" and more "kicking us out."

"Thank you very much for your patronage!" She thanked us with the same bright smile, if marred by the very obvious twitch in her eye. "Please, come back again!'

"Oh we will, Serika!" Hoshino laughed. "We'll be back tomorrow!"

Clearly, she had enough, and walking us out the door was basically undoing her chains, the screech of rage came seconds later. "JUST GO AWAY ALREADY!"

I'd feel a bit more sorry for the girl if she wasn't on my case from the morning, but honestly, she was just too easy. Her friends chuckled at her powerless rage as they bid me goodbye, separating from us to perform their duties for the afternoon. Soon, it was just me and a panting Serika, tired from her work and her slowly waning anger.

"Ugh, I hate them so much sometimes," she groaned, a familiar adage I heard even among old friends. She was about to go back inside when she laid her eyes on me, and it seems that she forgot about my presence entirely. "What are you still doing here?"

"Our partnership isn't quite over yet," I reminded her blandly. "I got the OK from the master to get a bar seat and I'll be paying for drinks so I won't waste his time or money." Just non-alcoholic juices, but liquids like that could be refreshing. I could, of course, opt to try one of the beers, but drinking together with underage students in the middle of a desert climate would do no favors for either my body or my reputation.

"... Right," she groaned. "Ugh, just don't let people think you're a stalker, got that?"

"Those inside already know we're involved because of how loudly you informed them," I reminded her with great dignity, an undeniable fact that made her cringe. They'd have to be deaf to not hear her outbursts. "I'd have little worry on that matter, and anyone new won't really care."

"I guess you're right." Unable to find fault with my logic, she made her way back inside. I heard calls for her to take care of a few tables, and soon she was back at work.

I waited for a moment as the Master took her place, coming outside the door with his usual steely gaze. "Quite the rapport you two have."

"The ineffable bond of teacher and student," I sardonically 'agreed'. I regarded him curiously, noting that her demeanor towards the Master was quite different. "Doesn't seem to apply to you though."

"I'm familiar, you aren't," he explained bluntly. "A bit cagey on trusting more people, that one." He then diverted his gaze to the sandy wasteland around us. "Can't blame her too much."

So it seems the FTF wasn't alone in feeling a little distrust towards outsiders… Or perhaps it was specifically the other schools and the GSC. Ayane seemed naturally warmer and staked a lot on calling me here. Perhaps meeting her expectations with everything I'd done was enough for her, but Serika needed a little more than that.

I suppose it made sense. She WAS part cat after all. A stray cat you had to make an effort so they'd warm up to you. "I'll just have to take my time with that one."

"Time and action," the canine chef amended for me. "And from how it looks, you're good on that second bit. Haven't forgotten our little arrangement."

That was unexpectedly open of him. I suppose the man gave praise as bluntly as his orders if he felt the need. "Thank you. I hope we'll have enough time for the rift to fix itself."

"Let's hope." He was about to go inside when he gave me an uncomfortably inquisitive eye. "Are you SURE you want the house special? I won't say no to more money, but that seems like it'll be a little over your weight requirements."

I'm one hundred percent sure I don't. One dish was enough to convince me of the man's proficiency at his craft, but adding one of his specials to my meals for the day would leave me bloated as a particularly ravenous planetary governor. He inferred that I was a warrior as well, and advised me because such consumption would spell the death of me. His concern was noted and respected, but unneeded.

"... It's for a friend." I threw out the usual pathetic excuse for such obvious blunders, but sadly, I wasn't giving him any frak. It wasn't for me at all.

The only lie was it being for a friend. I wasn't ready for that little development in our relationship. Frankly, I wasn't even sure if I wanted the Master to buy my excuse or not.

He held my gaze a moment longer and shrugged. "I suppose I won't question that." Internally, I sighed in relief. It seemed that so long as it wouldn't affect him and his, he would be fine. He turned back to the entrance. "Now get in here instead of standing outside like a fool."

"Wow Sensei! We're friends already?" The little AI wiggled with glee in my mind as I entered.

I tried not to make my smile seem so wooden at her question. "You'll get your meal soon enough, Arona."

"Yay! Thanks Sensei!"

I wasn't going to answer that question quite yet. Perhaps Serika wasn't the only one who needed more time.

—-

"Ugh… Another job done…"

Serika wiped her face as she clocked out for the day, finally done with her shift at 5:00. With her uniform back on her and Sincerity at her side once more, she felt comfortable and complete, and with another paycheck in tow, she could feel a little satisfied too. It was just 8000 yen, a good rate for a few hours but it was money she earned, money she thanked the Master for as she left.

It was way less than what she earned this morning alongside HIM, but she'd take it.

She frowned as she remembered that, her check feeling a little lighter than it was a second ago. It only felt lighter when she left the restaurant and saw him park the car in front, ready and waiting for her to get inside.

Neither of them talked as she entered and took a seat up front without a word. The silence was broken once she closed the door, and he took that as a signal to talk.

"So where's the next job?"

Business then? Fine. She could deal with that. "Carrying and delivering stuff around the district."

"Sounds quite taxing," he said matter-of-factly. He then reached out to the back and her eyes bulged when he brought to her a steaming hot bowl that was unmistakable. How many of those had she served to other people with her very own hands today?

"Your favorite. Eat up before we get there."

He wasn't lying either. It was seafood, her absolute favorite. Prohibitively expensive in a desert, but this was the very meal that led her to become a regular at Shiba Seki because she got her first taste for free. How the Master knew she'd like it was a mystery she never figured out, but that was the first of many meals there, and why she'd always be loyal to him.

Damn Sensei. He probably asked the Master for ways to bribe her. But it was too tempting to resist, so she took it.

"... Thanks," she mumbled. She did her best to appreciate it in the middle of a car ride, one he drove notably slowly so it wouldn't be hard for her. It tasted incredible, especially after more than twelve hours without a decent bite to eat while suffering through other people getting better meals of their own. But it was marred by her own thoughts being a dizzying whirlpool centered around the frustrating teacher beside her.

Things only became more confusing as he helped her out through the job, and she was able to deliver way more than she expected because he kept several items in the trunk and even helped her carry the heavier items, allowing them to keep bringing more stuff instead of having to go back to the stall every time. Oh, it still took a HELL of a long time, but they managed to score a good 10k from driving and hauling stuff around. They even got a 5k bonus because the owners were quite happy with them fending off the Helmet Gang.

Way more money than she could have gotten on her own.

As the surprised and delighted shopkeeper gratefully handed her the paycheck, she stuffed it in her bag, completely unsure of what to think.

When she got back to the car, she found him carrying an empty bowl of ramen in hand, staring at it with dissatisfaction. He sighed and put it back in the paper bag that held it before he realized she was there.

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Did you seriously get another bowl of ramen from the Master?"

"Along with the order a while ago, yes," he explained. "First time I've had it and I quite like it. Just making up for lost time, you know?"

"Glad you're having fun on the job." She shot back at him as she got into the car.

"Thought that was more of your thing," he said as he drove back to the main road. "That was three jobs already. Are you sure you don't want to stop for the day?"

Stop now?! What was he thinking?! "How can I stop?! We still have so much to pay off, so much to do…"

"Including defending your school." His hard interruption silenced her. "Being tired will make you more vulnerable, and any of you getting taken down or kidnapped will be debilitating to all of us."

"All of us?"

Something snapped within her at his casual inclusion into the club. "You're NOT one of us."

He paused at her enraged correction, seemingly not realizing what he even said, before he sighed. "Perhaps not. But I would be affected all the same."

"Why? Because your job would be harder if I was gone?" She practically snarled. "Yeah, I guess that would affect you a bit, huh?"

"Yes it would," he answered with infinite patience, treating her like a child throwing a tantrum. "You're one of my students. Of course I would care."

"Because it's a teacher's job to care?! She threw back at him. "Yeah, that's real nice to know! You're just doing all this because you'll get paid?! Because that's what you're supposed to do?!"

Her fist echoed throughout the car as she slammed it on the dashboard. "I'll never follow an aimless adult like you!"

The car slammed to a screeching halt, and she probably would have been thrown forward if she wasn't wearing a seat belt. What, was he going to threaten her and scare her just like that? What did he think of himself?

"Nice driving." She rolled her eyes as he didn't say a word and looked outside. She was momentarily caught off-guard when she realized that this was the convenience store she took up a job in.

"This is the correct address, isn't it?"

She flinched at how utterly cold his voice was. She could practically feel her skin crawl. Lost for words, she wasn't sure what to say next when she turned back to him.

He was looking down, the shade of his peaked cap hiding his eyes, the only expression visible to her being his ever so slightly downturned lips.

She froze in fear. Suddenly, she remembered that he was bigger than her, in control of the car and also had a chainsaw on him. She could almost see his shadow ominously looming over her, his foul mood practically seizing her throat and making her unable to breathe.

Her trance was broken by a snap behind her. She whipped her head back in reflexive fear, only to see that to her surprise, the door was open.

He was… Just letting her go?

"Take care of yourself at work, Kuromi."

She stilled once again at hearing her name said with arctic frost, colder than any desert night Throughout the day, he'd always called everyone by their first names, joking around with them when they tried to have fun, and even when things were serious his voice was stern, or even angry at worst when he addressed their enemies.

Now, none of that warmth was there. It was like she was dead to him.

She couldn't bear any more. She threw open the door and practically fled from him without saying a single word.

Seeking false shelter inside the building, she panted hard, trying to calm herself down. She couldn't when she realized what she had done.

She hurt him. Whatever she said stung him deep inside. Everyone would wonder why he was acting so distant or doing worse at his job and then she'd have to tell everyone why.

No, that wasn't the worst part. That was just thinking of how it affected her, like she thought he did. Whether or not she was right, he'd done nothing but help her, all of them, while he was here and she repaid him by lashing out at him.

She was about to go back outside when she heard the engines start once more and go further away, leaving her stranded in the store.

Yeah… That sounded about right. She basically asked for this, didn't she?

"Um… Miss? Are you alright?"

She suddenly realized she wasn't alone and found several people staring at her with trepidation, wondering why she was acting like she was in the middle of a crime.

She willed herself to be calm and put on a shaky smile. "Uh, n-no, I'm here for a part-time job. Kuromi Serika?"

The proprietor definitely didn't like finding out his part-timer had just disrupted the store. "I see. Please come with me to the back?"

What a fantastic first impression to make. She nervously tried to center herself once more and get back into her groove. She had other things to think about now. The school. Her friends. Abydos itself.

Certainly not somebody who just came in out of nowhere… And started giving her friends hope.

This was going to be a terrible job.

I don't know how long I lay hunched over in the silence of our car, the sound of Serika slamming the door giving way to nothingness.

"Sensei? Are you alright?"

I really, really didn't need to hear anything from her right now.

"I'm sorry… Maybe if I hadn't asked for food…"

"Don't," I sighed in resignation, unable to ignore such needless self-blame as I leaned back on the chair and stared at the colorless roof of my transport. "She was looking for an excuse. Something would have happened sooner or later."

"OK." She didn't sound much better, but she appreciated my effort at least. "Why don't you eat then? Maybe you'll feel better once you grab a bite."

Perhaps. At the very least, the meal will give me something to mull over than this travesty of a night. Fortunately, I knew exactly where to go, and it was just nearby.

Whether consciously or not, Serika picked a place that wasn't too far from Shiba Seki Ramen. It was a shining beacon in the night streets of the desert, inviting warm shelter and food to anyone who entered. I parked the car nearby and went inside.

At first glance, the restaurant was the same as before, with wooden walls and furniture and the counter all set up. However, the simple change of the darkness outside leading to the use of the lights gave it a more intimate atmosphere. The fact that he was the lone customer made the place feel like a private bar, just for me. Music now playing through the speakers above helped set the ambiance, though I derived some small bit of amusement that instead of a lone piano or a jazz quartet, the cheesiest of pedestrian love songs seemed to be playing in the background. Really, it had its own charm.

"Didn't expect to see you back so soon."

The Master was there at the counter as he expected. "Didn't expect to be back," I said as I took a seat. The rough smile on the chef's face became a frown a second later.

"You look like crap. Tough day at work?"

"All fine until the end," I answered blankly. "Things kind of blew up."

Silence came between us, lingering uncomfortably even through the music, until he passed me the menu.

"Feel like you can make your own order now?"

Now that I had a handle on it? Honestly, I could. "Miso. With extra meat, if you please." That soup was quite invigorating to the throat, and I did feel like indulging to get things off my mind.

He nodded before handing me a glass of water to wet my whistle. "Good, good. Take your time. Anything else?"

I accepted the drink with thanks and downed the basic yet vital life-giving liquid, the dryness in my throat leaving immediately. I then gave the menu another once-over. I wasn't really in the mood for any other appetizers and nothing really caught my eye until I eyed the drinks. Why not? I was all alone and it was the end of the long day. "Your recommendation for beer." Amasec deserved to be savored. Beer was stuff you used when you didn't want to think.

"So long as I don't have to pick you up off the floor afterwards, that'll be fine." With that, he turned his back to me and began working the kitchen. After washing his hands, he heated up the pots and started working on the noodles, washing and heating them up for my consumption.

"So how was my special? Did your friend like it?"

Amazingly, he sincerely believed that I wasn't overindulging on his meals. Humility and good instinct, I suppose. "Well? The master asks how his craft was received," I asked the one who partook of it.

"Incredible! So many different flavors and I could taste all of them without any of them overpowering the other!" Arona raved in my mind with utter glee, practically salivating over the memory. "10 outta 10, would eat again!"

"The balance of flavors spoke to her very soul," I summarized with a bit of cheese. "It's making me look forward to my next taste of your cooking."

"Heh. It better have." He was preparing the meat now, and more. He was doing several things at once to swiftly prepare my meal, from making the soup to readying the meat, and the skill of a master chef continued to elude and fascinate me as it ever did, let alone one who was a dog. "And Serika?"

The man clearly knew how to segue into conversations as well as he could cook. "Loved it, as you said. Taste seemed to have been marred by the company though."

"... A shame." After a small pause, he brushed over that little glance into our rough partnership and continued on. "I suppose it didn't affect her work though."

"Indeed not. She pushed herself hard and earned her keep." Energized as she was by her favorite meal from this establishment, she was able to keep going with gusto. I felt like one of my colleagues assigned to the over-enthusiastic Kriegers, having to hold those suicidal gas-masked boys back from running themselves into the ground (said ground usually being an early grave) rather than forcing them to fight on. Not quite as morbid, of course, but I shared the sentiment.

"Good. What was the job this time?"

"Delivery of various items. We were able to push for more and heavier objects because of our car." By that I mean, she did, once we saw what could fit in our transport.

"I assume you helped her carry a few?"

"... One or two." If I was in my older body, my back would have hated me for it.

He gave a knowing chuckle, expecting my reply. "Heh. You better have. Would've given you the stink-eye if you didn't." Which was why I did it of course. Keeping my reputation spotless would only be a boon to me, and I broke my back in both this life and the last to keep it that way. "So where is she now?"

"There's a convenience store nearby where she's working. She doesn't want me around, so I'll be bothering you here until it's over and I can take her to the nearest train."

"Space can be good sometimes," he mused as he began stirring and tasting the broth. "So what's your plan for the night? Still staying back at the school?"

"I was going to ask for advice on that. The girls all want to go back home for the night." They needed to get more supplies from their homes. Maybe I'll be sleeping in a better mattress tomorrow if they bring one. As for me, I didn't want to be left alone inside a basically dead academy. Call me superstitious, but in a galaxy full of warp-spawned terrors and the fact that I basically came back from the dead, I certainly didn't feel like some loony conspiracy theorist. "I don't feel confident about my prospects though."

"Hotel and tourism industry isn't exactly well off here," he confirmed for me, though we both knew we didn't need it. He raised his thumb towards the roof without even looking at me or stopping his work. "I can put you up here for the night."

Now that was something I wasn't expecting. "Really?"

"Have a spare room in case I need part-timers to stay overnight. If it's not cold nights, it's sandstorms. They get real bad around here."

"I don't even need to see one to know that." I could just open the door and look outside to see the effects. I considered his offer and shrugged. It was a better idea than anything else I had, and I could even indulge myself in this brand new delicacy for breakfast. "I just might take you up on your offer. Do I have to pay you for that?"

He actually swatted his hand as if the very suggestion annoyed him. "Bah. After all the work you did chasing off those gangers and actually giving a damn about this place, getting all my ramen for the day? Consider it reimbursement for public service."

For once, my superior's failure to properly address the district's problems was actually to my benefit. Having to deal with all this chaos in exchange for free room and board above a restaurant? Eh, I'll take what I can get.

And that included this fresh, steaming hot bowl placed right in front of me, the scintillating aroma heightening my anticipation for the coming meal. Beef, eggs and seaweed accompanied the noodles floating within. "Lucky you, literally hot off the pot. Enjoy."

"Oh, I will." I was about to reach for my chopsticks when I thought that I might as well start integrating local customs into my behavior, if only so I wouldn't draw odd looks from others nearby. I clapped my hands together in prayer for a few seconds, enough to perform the traditional giving of thanks. "Itadakimasu."

My appreciation got an amused grunt of approval from the Master as I broke my chopsticks apart and placed them aside. I then took my spoon and tasted the soup. The warm broth flowed through my mouth and invigorated my throat as it went down, and the noodles that soaked up its flavor and heat only added to it. The toppings completed the taste with a solid finish, and just like before I quickly and gratefully partook of the meal.

After a few cycles of eating, a small can was placed beside me, a silver can emblazoned with some mythical creature, the word "Qilin Ichiban" written in plain Gothic identifying it. The number one Qilin, huh? "Your beer. Simple stuff, but it'll do."

Frankly, so long as it could get me even a little buzzed, I'd take it. I flipped open the seal, the trapped air inside escaping with a satisfying burst, and took my drink.

Ahh, my first taste of alcohol here, and it was good. Not too strong, but had enough of a hit to get you in a good mood. Best of all, it was a fine accompaniment to my meal, its dryness complementing the invigorating warmth of the ramen.

I ate a little faster at that, adding chugs of beer to my consumption of the ramen bowl, with occasional drinks of provided water to make sure my stomach and throat won't be dry. It was a great meal, and eventually, I poured all of the deliciously soothing miso straight into my mouth to finish all of it off.

"A true delicacy," I praised the Master as wiped my mouth with the provided tissue. "More refreshing than the last one, I'll say." I've really gotten a taste for this soup, a true balm to soothe the body and mind. At least it's blessedly common, unlike, say… Tanna.

Emperor, I could really do with a bowl of THAT right about now.

He crossed his arms and gave a rough grin at my praise. "If it isn't refreshing, it's not good miso." He looked at my now finished beer can, then back at me. "You've got time before the end of her shift right? You staying or paying?"

I considered the idea. Well, she probably doesn't want me there, and nearby anyway. I might as well indulge.

"Paying for more beer," I answered, the reply drawing a snicker from the good chef as he placed another can down in front of me while the music died down.

"Heh. Don't they always." As I placed my finger on the ring to open up the can, he saw fit to give me another surprise. "So what did that fiery little kit say?"

My finger slipped, pulling the ring with more force than strictly necessary. By that I mean it came clean off, the snap of aluminum and the expulsion of air going off like I'd fired my laspistol. In the silence of the bar, it only echoed even louder.

And then the ballads sounded once more, and I sighed as I felt that there was little point in hiding it.

"It started when she noticed the extra ramen bowl I had, figuring that I was taking things too easy on the job," I began recounting to him as I stared at my untouched drink. "Then when I said that it would be hard on all of us, she took exception to the idea that I was one of them. And then she thought I was just helping them so I could make my job easier." And she wasn't wrong there. She didn't actually know she was right, suspicious little thing that she was, but even a blind ork hit a bullseye with his shoota once in a while.

"That's not why you're here," the Master said, inferring correctly. If it was just those, I could easily placate her, but I was dissuaded by what followed. "What else did she say?"

I paused, wondering if I should continue on, before deciding to say frak to all of it. Nobody was here but a walking, talking, cooking dog, and in that moment, it would be inaccurate to say I was too tired to care. I was just tired of caring.

I picked up my drink and downed the entire thing in one go. I placed it down and let out a terrible sigh.

"She said she would never follow an aimless adult like me."

She said I was aimless. And she was right.

What was I doing here? I'd lived my life… Really, that was the problem. I already lived my life. In a deadly galaxy, soldiering in an army where millions died, going through disasters that should've done me in a thousand times over… I'd lived through it all. I lived to be an old man in a galaxy where many died young, with a lovely woman in my arms and an unfailingly devoted and loyal friend at my side, even when I deserved neither of them. Surviving by the skin of my teeth in order to have a taste of the easy life kept me going, but I succeeded in that until the end.

I survived my first day basically on autopilot, went through the next four just trying to comprehend the utter insanity of my situation, then went through the motions for yesterday and today. But then that little feline threw it into my face that I had no idea why I even bothered.

So really, what the hell was I doing here?

"How long have you been here again?" I looked up from my drink to find the Master looking at me without a single hint of judgment in his eyes.

"... Six days," I answered him, not sure where he was going with this.

"While I do believe all it takes to change someone is a single moment, it's significantly harder for that to happen if they keep doing the same crap over and over again." He raised a questioning eyebrow. "That apply to you?"

Let's see… Basically one and a half days of fighting in the frontlines like I always had to do in the guard, then four and a half days of sitting on my butt trying to make sense of this insane city. The only time anything changed with me was when I was introduced to the wonders of the part-time job.

So all in all, not very much.

"Not much change there," I acknowledged, still not understanding. "Why do you ask?"

"Whether or not you know why, you still saved this city, and you're helping these kids," he insisted. "You're doing a good job of it, and that only comes with purpose. So you have one, whether or not you know it."

I ruminated on that. As ever, I did my best to keep myself alive and my reputation spotless and strong. And then I took on this job here, at risk to the former and in service to the latter. So really, just business as usual for old Ciaphas Cain.

I did say I defaulted to my instincts, and Ciaphas Cain was a survivor. A fraudulent one, but I hacked it out for two centuries and I suppose my mind and body defaulted to keep on doing it here, all with the proposition of figuring out why I had to keep on doing it in the first place.

I suppose I could deal with that.

"I'll think on that," I said to the Master with a smile. "Water please. Wouldn't be good to drink too much and drive." Otherwise I'd have Jurgen's roadside manners without any of his skill, and that would just lead to me being pancaked on the road, and only me. These girls were monstrously durable like that.

And so did I choose to spend the rest of Serika's shift cooling my parched throat with water and occasional visits to the restroom. He didn't ask me anything else, content to leave me alone with my thoughts, a gesture I was grateful for.

The comfortable silence between us was absolutely destroyed by a sound I was only too familiar with.

The ear-splitting thunder crack of artillery fire.

—-

"Ugh… This sucks…"

Her last job definitely wasn't a good way to end the day. She was constantly distracted, got a few orders and calculations of change wrong, and overall just wasn't as good as she usually was. In the end, she was let go an hour early, with another staff member taking her place.

Walking the streets home was a normal thing for her. She never felt anything during those times, merely wanting to go home, though with the thought of a well-earned paycheck lightening her steps. Now, she was rather extravagantly fed and had help going around instead of doing everything all on her own, but she was listless.

If she hadn't been such an idiot, she'd be having a car ride to the nearest train station. Now, despite feeling less tired, her wallet was lighter and her steps never felt heavier.

He probably left her to find a hotel or something, somewhere he could actually sleep instead of the crappy bedroll they gave him. If he was sleeping already, she wouldn't blame him.

But maybe…

She sighed and took out her phone, thumbing over her contacts to go to the new one here, simply labeled "that new guy."

She cringed. She hadn't even really called him a Sensei at all. What was wrong with her?

She pressed the icon and then couldn't do anymore right after. Her fingers hovered over the call or message buttons, and she couldn't even bring herself to decide.

She shook her head and forced herself to press the message button. If she needed to say anything, she'd have to say it in person.

Any thought after that was gone from her mind, as a deafening explosion came from behind her, and then her world was engulfed in smoke

"What… Was…?"

She looked up to see the shadowy forms of helmets coming through the smoke. She grit her teeth and reached for her gun, only to find that it wasn't at her side.

She was riddled with bullets soon after, and she couldn't move anymore. She saw them moving for her phone, and heard sinister laughs right after.

Her last thought was bemoaning how he was going to get hurt because of her stupidity, and then her consciousness left her.

-

For a moment, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. We were being shelled now? How and why?!

It could only be the Helmet Gang. Their backer must have upped the ante and granted them a heavy artillery piece. But what the hell was worth shelling all the way out here?

When no other cracks of thunder followed, I wondered if their target was down and what it could be. The only thing important around here was the academy…

… And its students…

"What was that for?! Why are they even attacking this sandblasted place?!" the Master snarled.

"Serika," I whispered out, even though it sounded insane. Was this an assassination attempt?! Only in this Emperor-damned city could that make any sense, but that was the only possible idea I found. She'd been putting her name out online to get jobs, and they must have sniffed out her workplace and caught her unawares. If only I had been there…

… No. If I was with her, I'd be dead. Emperor, she did just save my life by telling me to frak off.

My phone vibrated, snapping me out of my reverie, and I quickly opened it to see it was from the girl herself.

"Help me Sensei! I got ambushed by the Helmet Gang in front of the convenience store on the main road! I need you!"

I stared at the message and felt my face etch itself into stone. Well. That said it all.

"You look like you're about to go to war." I turned towards the Master, his eyes returning to that piercing gaze I saw him with all day.

"You guessed right." I pushed myself off my chair. "Thank you for the meal, but I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to put it on my tab."

"Get that feisty little cat back in here by tomorrow and you won't have one."

Despite myself, I couldn't stop the sardonic grin forming on my face. "Thank you. You can be sure she'll work it off."

With that, I walked out into the night streets and reached for my phone. I opened up the group chat for the Foreclosure Task Force and rang a call. It would go out to all of them.

I was completely unsurprised that Hoshino opened up first. "Hey Sensei, you interrupted my nap… What's up?" she yawned. I didn't buy it for a second, but I had other priorities.

As the other Task Force members answered the call, I made the catastrophic announcement. "Serika's in trouble. We have to rescue her."

A flurry of shouts and cries of alarm followed, and I silenced them all as I told them to meet up in the main district as soon as they could.

It was time to get our feline spitfire back.

The wooden doors of Shiba Seki Ramen let in a small billow of the desert night air as they opened, and just as quickly as it came in it was gone as they snapped shut. He was alone once again.

The situation looked pretty awful all things considered. His part-timer was in trouble and the only one she could rely on right now was her Sensei.

Despite all that, he couldn't help but smile at the trail of the man who just left. The lost expression when he revealed his state of mind changed into alarm at finding out his student was in trouble, and then transformed into the grim determination needed to get her back.

"Aimless." He couldn't help but chuckle at the very thought. "So he says. Silly bastard doesn't even know he already has his reason to be here."

*Chapter 9: The Aimless and Abandoned, END*

A grand thank you to Doc43Souls for helping me to beta this chapter. For those of you who like Ciaphas Cain Crossovers, he also beta'ed "Jurgen Get the Melta!", a Goblin Slayer crossover by The Great Wizzard! Give it a try!

Hopefully this is the most unlikable Serika ever gets. Did I do too much? Well, at least it'll end. And she ate an artillery shell for it because yes, these students are that stupidly, ridiculously durable. It's also from a real artillery piece, just like the rest of them. You'll find out what it is next time.

As it should be obvious by now, Cain isn't in a good place mentally. Serika hasn't seen through him, but she hit on a big issue of his right now. What do you do when you've gotten everything you wanted in life, and now you have to make a new one?

I also contrasted this with the original Sensei who got the exact same insult and basically took it in a stride. Oh, and she also called him a stalker, but that's not relevant to our current interests. Serika's reason for disliking Cain-Sensei is quite different from OG Sensei, and that will be fully explained next time.

The promised action will come next chapter as we follow the FTF getting their cat back.

Should only be a few days before that happens. See you then!