Sensei casually strolled through the abandoned streets of Abydos, the scorching sun beating down on him. As he walked along the path toward the district, he couldn't help but reminisce about his first day in Abydos. A nostalgic smile tugged at his lips, even though those memories weren't from too long ago.

Turning a corner, his eyes finally landed on what he was looking for, the Abydos School. Ayane had called him to the school, though she hadn't specified why they needed his presence. Still, Sensei had a feeling it had something to do with the new students.

He knew firsthand how strange Kivotos could be, especially for someone who had lived their whole life outside its peculiar world. The new students were likely struggling to adapt, and as the responsible adult, it was up to him to help guide them through the transition.

As he moved closer to the school, he was startled by a voice that clearly didn't belong to one of the students. "When will I finally finish cleaning this?" It was the voice of an adult, something unusual in the Abydos School as most of the district was abandoned. Sensei tried to recall if he had heard that voice before, but he couldn't place it.

Sensei deduced that something was out of the ordinary, as adults rarely entered the school. He quickened his pace to investigate what was happening.

Kazuma stood alone in the courtyard of Abydos School, sweeping away the sand brought in by the relentless wind coming from the desert. He felt like he was stuck in an endless cycle, just as he finished cleaning one area, another he had already swept would be covered in sand again.

Exhausted by the routine that had consumed him for days, he considered lying down and letting the sun cook him down. But he knew he couldn't do that to the people who had given him a place to stay, a shelter from the cold nights.

"The shed isn't exactly a mansion, but it's still a lot better than sleeping in a stall," Kazuma thought to himself, glancing at the small wooden shed used to store cleaning supplies. It wasn't luxurious, but he knew he wasn't in a position to be picky.

"Hello, is anyone here?" a voice called from the school gate. Kazuma turned and saw something he hadn't expected, a human man, a sight he hadn't ever seen in this new world.

Kazuma's eyes widened in shock. He quickly wiped his face with his forearm and took another long look at the man standing before him to be sure he wasn't seeing a delusion caused by the heat of working under the hot sun of Abydos. 'What kind of bullshit is this? Why does he get to be a normal dude while I'm stuck as a raccoon?' Kazuma fumed silently, a bitter taste rising in his mouth. 'I thought all men in this world were demihumans, like me and Master Shiba. Why is this guy walking around as a regular human, while I'm forced to be a goddamn raccoon?' His face twisted in frustration, though with his raccoon-like features, it appeared more like he was squinting rather than showing any sort of anger.

"Mister, are you alright? I'm looking for the students of this school," the man asked worriedly as he looked at Kazuma's strange expression.

Kazuma shook his head, snapping himself back to focus. "Oh, sorry about that. I was just lost in thought. You said you're looking for the girls? They're inside, studying, as far as I know. But if you don't mind me asking, who are you?" Kazuma asked, his curiosity piqued by the man he now envied.

"I'm Sensei, from Schale. Ayane called me to lend a hand to the school," the man explained, showing his Schale ID around his neck.

"I see you are the famous Sensei the students talked so much about. My name is Satou Kazuma. Judging by the timing, it's probably because of the new students." Kazuma forced himself to remain calm, though he was stewing over what he saw as an enormous injustice.

"Well, Ayane didn't tell me the exact reason for calling me, but that seems likely. Do you know the new students?" Sensei asked, intrigued by Kazuma's involvement.

"I came with them. I'm kind of their legal guardian," Kazuma said, doing his best to keep his envy under control. "But if you're the famous Sensei I've heard so much about, feel free to head inside. I'll stay here and keep cleaning this mess."

"You're offering help to my students," Sensei remarked, noticing Kazuma's tired expression as he faced the piles of sand once more.

"It's a bit more complicated than that, but yeah… something like that," Kazuma replied with a half-hearted laugh, trying and failing to lift his mood.

Sensei smiled warmly at Kazuma's response and bowed his head slightly. "Thank you for helping them," he said with genuine kindness as he bowed towards the raccoon. "I'll stop interrupting your work now." With that, Sensei headed into the mostly abandoned school.

Kazuma stood there, slightly taken aback by Sensei's kind action. "That was nice of him… But it doesn't change the fact that he's a goddamn lucky bastard. Definitely even luckier than Ainz or Subaru. Meanwhile, I'm just stuck here with my bad luck. Well, I doubt it could get any worse."

The Foreclosure Task Force sat quietly, each member deep in thought, the atmosphere thick with contemplation.

"So, did you find anything in the old archives that matches the readings I got? Or maybe something that could explain it?" Ayane broke the silence, her sharp gaze moving from one team member to the next.

"Nothing," Shiroko replied, her voice flat, as she glanced emotionlessly at Ayane, showing no surprise or concern.

"I, um, found a propaganda ad online," Serika admitted awkwardly, scratching the back of her head. "It was for an app that claimed it could find an answer to anything for 1000 yen… but, uh, it didn't work." Her face flushed with embarrassment as she confessed to falling for yet another scam.

"I went through all the books we have about the desert," Nonomi said with a sigh, slumping in her chair. "None of them mentioned anything about something that big moving through it."

Hoshino, meanwhile, remained silent, pretending to sleep with her head on the table.

Before Ayane could respond, a sudden knock echoed through the room. All eyes turned toward the door. As it creaked open, a familiar figure stepped inside, and the team immediately recognized him.

"Hello, sorry for being late," Sensei greeted them with a bright, cheerful smile. A wave of nostalgia swept over him as he saw the girls he had shared so many adventures with during his early days in Kivotos.

"Sensei, you made it!" Ayane exclaimed, quickly standing and walking toward him. Nonomi, Serika, and Shiroko followed her, gathering around their teacher with relieved expressions. Hoshino, still in her seat, opened her eyes but didn't move.

"How are all of you?" Sensei asked warmly, looking around at his students.

"We're fine. We mostly had to deal with the usual PMC attacks here and there," Ayane answered with a smile.

"Yes, the school's been okay," Shiroko added with her stoic demeanor unchanged.

"We're just dealing with some trouble elsewhere," Serika chimed in, her face falling into a look of defeat.

Sensei's brows furrowed in concern. "Does it have something to do with the new students?" he asked, already trying to piece the situation together with the information he had available.

"No," the girls replied in perfect unison, surprising Sensei.

"Huh? Really? Did something happen around here, or…?" Sensei trailed off, confused by their synchronized answer.

"No, nothing like that," Ayane cut in quickly, clearing up any misunderstanding. "Well kinda, it's just that our sensors have been picking up strange readings in the desert. We tried looking into it, but we've come up empty so far."

"Yawn! We considered heading into the desert ourselves," Hoshino added while faking drowsiness, finally lifting her head from the table, "but with the new students here, we're worried something could go wrong if we leave them alone at the school."

"You think Kaiser might attack?" Sensei asked, his tone growing serious. He knew all too well how ruthless the corporation could be in pursuing its goals, and how low they were willing to go to achieve them.

"Well, it's a bit more complicated than that," Serika sighed. "The new students… let's just say their 'quirks' make things difficult without supervision," she explained, recalling the chaos they had dealt with. Darkness diving headfirst into gunfire be it of the enemy or allies, Megumin constantly experimenting with explosives, and Aqua being Aqua.

The task force now understood why Kazuma was so relieved when they had agreed to take responsibility for the trio.

Sensei nodded, thoughtful. "I see. I'll do everything I can to help. But before we head to the desert, I'd like to meet these new students."

"No problem," Ayane replied, her tone lightening. "We'll take you to them."

With that, Ayane and the rest of the team guided Sensei through the quiet, mostly empty halls of Abydos School. Their footsteps echoed through the abandoned building.

"Wait for me," Hoshino mumbled sleepily, yawning as she stretched and slowly got to her feet. "These old bones can't keep up with you all…" she added, rubbing her eyes as she followed the group.

Back of the Abydos School

"Well, reloading a weapon isn't that hard once you understand how it's done," Darkness muttered to herself as she fumbled with her revolver, carefully slotting in the bullets. She raised the gun, aimed at the training dummy, and squeezed the trigger six times in quick succession. The shots rang out sharply, but as always, every bullet missed its mark hitting the wall behind it.

"Hey! At least warn me before you start shooting!" Aqua snapped, peeking her head out from behind the cover with wide eyes. "I thought we were under attack again!"

"Being attacked again would be so good…" Darkness murmured under her breath, her face flushing red as she covered her cheeks with both hands, trying to hide her excitement at the thought.

"No, it wouldn't!" Aqua shot back, glaring at her companion.

"I wouldn't mind another attack," Megumin chimed in, her voice calm as she flipped through her Tech Notes, searching for ways to upgrade her already potent magic. "Just… not now. I still need more time to perfect a more powerful explosive."

"Not you too, Megumin!" Aqua groaned in disbelief.

"Are you still scared of another confrontation?" Megumin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Me? Scared? Nonsense…" Aqua puffed up her chest in indignation at Megumin's words. "A Goddess would never fear such a pitiful and weak group like those small fries."

"Yeah?" Megumin smirked. "So when they come next time, you'll shoot them down yourself, right?" With one hand she started to poke Aqua's leg trying to get a reaction out of her.

"I… I will…" Aqua hesitated, her confident facade cracking slightly, but before she could respond further, they all heard footsteps approaching. The trio turned their attention to the new arrivals, the members of the Foreclosure Task Force, accompanied by an unfamiliar figure.

"Who's that?" Aqua asked, seizing the opportunity to dodge Megumin's teasing. She squinted at the man walking beside the task force, curious.

"Wait," Megumin's eyes widened in surprise. "There are actual human men in this world too? I thought it was all golem like the PMCs and the demihumans!"

Aqua snickered, eyes twinkling with mischief. "Oh, I can't wait to see Kazuma's face after this. Hehehe!"

The man greeted them as he approached, a warm smile on his face. "Hello," he said politely. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Sensei."

Megumin stood up from the ground, quickly setting her Tech Notes aside. Striking a dramatic pose, she placed one hand over her eyepatch. "My name is Megumin," she announced proudly. "I am a Crimson Demon, and with my skills, I will bring forth the greatest weapon of destruction known to mankind!"

"A pleasure, huh… I… I mean, my name is Darkness," Darkness stammered as she spoke her mind out without paying herself.

"My name is Aqua!" she declared, placing one hand on her hip while the other she used to sweep her hair aside with an exaggerated grandeur. "I am a Goddess, so feel free to worship my greatness."

Sensei chuckled, already sensing the quirks of this peculiar group. "It's nice to meet all of you," he said, nodding. "I see you've all got quite the unique personalities."

"And why are you here?" Megumin asked, her curiosity piqued. She studied Sensei with a sharp gaze, wondering what such an important figure whom Ayane talked so much about before was doing in Abydos.

"Well," Sensei began, "Ayane called me to help investigate some strange occurrences in the desert. But honestly, I don't know much yet. I wanted to meet you all before getting into that. Speaking of which," he glanced at Ayane, "could you explain what you've discovered so far?"

"Are you sure?" Serika interjected, her expression cautious. "In front of the new students?"

"They're students of Abydos too," Sensei reasoned, his tone reassuring. "I think they should know about something that could be problematic for all of us."

"Oh no… not another attack," Aqua groaned, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

"Ok, Sensei," Ayane began, her eyes fixed on her tablet. "Basically, my sensors have detected two new sources of tremors out in the desert. At first, I thought it was Kaiser PMC, but their movements don't match. These signals dwarf Kaiser by several magnitudes. The two readings are very distinct from each other. One seems to slither through the sand, while the other marches steadily across it." As she spoke, Ayane displayed a series of graphs and systemic signals on her tablet, lines fluctuating and data points moving rapidly across the screen.

Many of the students exchanged puzzled glances, the complex readings going over their heads. But they understood the main point well enough not to ask too many questions.

"If that's the case," Sensei said, leaning forward thoughtfully, "it might be a good idea to get some drones out into the desert. That way, we can see exactly what we're dealing with and prepare accordingly. If you need more drones, I can talk to the engineering club and see if they can help supply them."

Ayane's face lit up with a small, appreciative smile. "If it's not too much trouble, I'd appreciate it. Our drone stocks have been running low for a while."

"Not a problem. I'll speak with them," Sensei assured her.

"May I ask a question?" Megumin suddenly stepped forward, her eyes gleaming with interest.

"Of course, feel free," Sensei replied, turning toward her.

"When I was studying, I read a lot about engineering. So, the engineering club makes weapons, right?" she asked, her curiosity clear.

"Yes, you're right, Megumin," Sensei confirmed with a nod not understanding where she was going with her question.

"I want to meet them!" Megumin declared, eyes sparkling with excitement. "I have so many ideas for my weapon!" She struck a dramatic pose, already imagining the possibilities.

"Megumin! This isn't the time for that!" Aqua scolded, marching over and pulling her away from Sensei. "One thing though," Aqua said, shifting her focus back to Sensei with a worried expression. "I won't be in danger, right?"

Sensei smiled gently, reassuring her. "The work we're doing is precisely to ensure that no harm ever comes near any of my students. And if the worst does happen, I'll give everything I have to protect you."

"I see… thank goodn—" Before Aqua could finish her sentence, a sharp alert blared from Ayane's tablet, followed by another, and then another. The room fell silent as all eyes turned toward Ayane.

Her expression grew tense as she stared at the screen, her fingers tapping rapidly. "One of the unknown signals. It's moving in our direction," she said, her voice tight with urgency.

"Oh c'mon! That's so unfair!" Aqua groaned in frustration, throwing her hands up and stomping her feet on the ground.

"Everyone," Ayane commanded, her voice steady despite the tension, "we need to get ready to intercept the target."

"All right," Sensei said, his tone firm as he prepared to lead them.

"Yes," Shiroko nodded, her hand already gripping her weapon. "Let's get ready in front of the school."

"I'm going to find Mr. Kazuma," Ayane said, turning on her heel. "It's too dangerous for him to stay here." She started to run through the school to inform the adult of the imminent threat.

Megumin grinned as she picked up her launcher, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Oh, we're going to have some fun with this."

Darkness chuckled, hefting her revolver and checking her ammunition. "I just wish they'd bring more bullets this time… Hehe."

"Can you two not take this situation so lightly please?" Aqua said as she looked angrily at her two comrades who smiled at the situation in front of them while ignoring her words. "Huh, I'm going to talk with Kazuma at least he will agree with me."

"All right everybody. Prepare for battle," Sensei said as all of the remaining girls dispersed to ready themselves for the incoming threat.

Kazuma continued cleaning the entrance of the school, growing more frustrated by the minute as the same problem as before persisted. No matter how much he swept, the floor kept getting covered in sand again. His irritation mounted, but then, a strange feeling crept up his spine. A sense of imminent danger.

"What's going on?" Kazuma muttered, reluctantly heading toward the entrance to investigate.

Stepping outside, Kazuma squinted into the distance, focusing on the desert horizon. What he initially thought was a sandstorm now appeared to be something different. "It's not a storm," he murmured. "It looks like something massive is kicking up all that dust and sand as it moves."

"Kazuma," a voice called from behind. Ayane approached, her expression filled with concern.

"Oh, Ayane. Good to see you," Kazuma said, though his voice was tinged with unease. "Do you have any idea what's going on over there?" he asked, pointing at the rapidly approaching dust cloud.

"It's getting here faster than we anticipated," Ayane replied, her tone clearly tinged with worry. "Kazuma, you need to leave the school for now. We'll handle whatever's coming."

Kazuma frowned upon hearing Ayane's words. "Are you sure? What about the three? I can't just leave them behind."

"They'll be fine," Ayane assured him, though her determined expression faltered as a loud, ominous sound echoed in the distance. At first, it sounded like an explosion, but Ayane, with her vast experience, knew it wasn't.

Together, they watched as the dust cloud swallowed several abandoned houses in the distance. Just as quickly as it consumed them, it moved on, leaving nothing but rubble in its wake.

Kazuma wiped the sweat from his brow, his face paling. "Right, well, uh, please take good care of them. I'm leaving." He gave Ayane a nervous smile, bowed, and then turned on his heel, sprinting down the street as fast as his short legs could carry him.

"Kazuma! Where are you going?" Aqua's voice called out as she approached the school gate, noticing his hasty retreat.

"Aqua, good luck! I'm out of here!" Kazuma shouted back over his shoulder, not breaking his stride as he fled through the streets of Abydos.

Ayane turned to Aqua with a small, reassuring smile, though she couldn't completely hide the worry in her eyes. "Don't worry, Aqua. Kazuma is searching for a good place to hide."

'Kazuma abandoned me at a time like this? That coward! When he gets back, I'll give him a divine punishment when he comes back,' Aqua fumed silently, clenching her fists in irritation.

"Aqua," Ayane said gently, standing at the front gate. "I know this is frightening. It's only your first week here, and things haven't been easy. So if you'd like, you're more than welcome to follow Kazuma and get to safety."

Aqua hesitated as she stared at Ayane, surprised by the girl's offer. 'Maybe I should leave…

If I hurry, I could easily catch up to Kazuma with those tiny legs of his,' she thought. But then, she remembered her earlier words to Megumin. 'What am I thinking? I'm a Goddess! I won't run away. I'll face my fears head-on! And when Kazuma returns, I'll show him that my pride as a Goddess is as strong as ever, even without my powers!'

"There's no need to worry," Aqua declared, puffing out her chest confidently. "I'll stay here and protect the school with everyone."

"Are you sure?" Ayane asked, surprised by Aqua's sudden display of resolve.

"I'm sure. There's nothing I can't handle," Aqua replied firmly.

"All right, then. We're counting on you," Ayane said with a nod, though her eyes still held a trace of concern as they turned back to the rapidly approaching storm.

PMC Desert Base

"The mission is a success!" one of the automatons shouted through the radio. "The giant machine has been successfully baited toward the Abydos School and is now advancing in that direction."

The General of the PMC forces leaned back in his chair, watching the scene unfold on his tablet. "Two birds with one stone," he mused. "With that monstrosity out of my desert, things can finally return to normal. And given its size and power, I highly doubt those puny brats and their beloved Sensei will be able to stop it."

"Sir," the General's assistant interrupted, "our cameras show the students setting up a defensive line to try and stop the War Machine." The assistant glanced at footage from the drones monitoring the area.

"They're welcome to try," the General replied with a smirk. "A few sandbags and old cars will be crushed under that thing in no time. But…" His voice trailed off as his grin widened. "I'll thoroughly enjoy watching them finally fall." He settled in, eagerly anticipating the battle that was about to unfold.

Author's Notes

Hello again! This marks the beginning of the introductory arc of my story. It will likely span just 2 or 3 chapters, serving as a brief setup for what I want to explore in the future arcs.

Feel free to share your thoughts on how it reads. Tell me if you think the pacing is too rushed or too slow, if it feels disjointed, or if anything important seems to be missing.