Nanagami Rin heaved a sigh. Out of relief, mind you. The General Student Council's work was critical, but she had given herself a temporary pass to welcome the enigmatic guest from the Outside World. She of all people knew how strange that might seem, but beggars could never be choosers.
"...haah," the girl once again let out a sigh. She didn't want to stay in the police box since it was too narrow, though staying outside and leaning her back against the wall of tiles warmed by the sunshine allowed her to collect her thoughts together. "Should I be glad that there hasn't been much issues around here?"
Perhaps she ought to. After all, the Shiratori Ward was a strategic point directly overseen by a branch school of Valkyrie. Not only it sat close to a Sanctum Tower, the rail station controlled by this ward was a hop, skip, and step away from the city center, at which point one could find any train route to reach the entirety of the city.
There was also a pier, a business tower, and other economy sectors abound. The Shiratori Ward in truth held quite an importance.
Rin paused her thoughts, wondering if she could make use of the Valkyrie to safeguard this ward rather than letting them scramble in response to emergencies. Certainly, it would be better than letting precious manpower and resources blown away by the armed delinquents upgraded with tactical equipment from the black market, but on the other hand… the Valkyrie was limited in more than a few things. As if they could handle the many chaos bringers rampaging through the city; not with their level of training, armament, and pretty much everything else that they had.
Ugh, there's no end to the problems. "Without the President's approval, the alternative is hardly useful, either."
Just as Rin was about to let out a sigh for the umpteenth time, a cold cylinder suddenly pressed itself against her cheek. The Acting President squeaked, quickly glaring at the red-clothed interloper—wait, since when was he there?
"I've been calling out to you, but it does seem like you're a deep-thinker." The black-haired man who stood tall like a tree smiled. It was an easy, almost carefree smile. In his right hand was a canned coffee while his other hand held a worn out rope tied to a large luggage slung over his shoulder. "Here you go, a freebie from those kind girls."
Those kind girls… oh, the Valkyrie students. Rin wasn't quite sure what to make of them, but judging by their white jackets, those two must be with the Public Safety Bureau.
"Friendly, aren't they?" The mysterious adult crinkled his eyebrows. His earrings glinted from the late morning sunlight, but the way his orange shades drooped allowed her full view of his face. His blue-green eyes exposed much humanity, almost to the point of reflecting only the transparency of his intentions. It was a very comfortable stare, but it wasn't exactly the kind of thing people would often direct to her, whether it be in official or off-the-clock capacity. "You do look like you've got a lot of things going on. If you can't have a lunch break, at least have a cold refreshment."
"Well…" Rin glanced at the chilled canned drink. Pushing the rims of her glasses up, she held her thoughts from overflowing and accepted the gift. She had been offered, so there was no reason to reject it. It wasn't like there was any harm in accepting a gesture of kindness, even if it came from underpaid civil officers that would have needed a dose of caffeine more than her. "I understand. Thank you, erm…"
"Vash," the man introduced himself. "Just Vash. I get called a lot of things, though I guess the name Vash the Stampede means nothing around here, huh?"
Rin hummed and shook her head. She certainly had never heard of him. Setting aside the actual name, which sounded normal enough, Stampede sounded more like a moniker than a proper last name. The naming convention the adult used clearly differed to this city's system, but that at least confirmed his origin as an Outsider. The content of the letter was genuinely written without any falsehood or cryptic koan, as it turned out. Rin pursed her lips a little. Even though she hadn't been around, somehow, she could easily feel her voice reverberating at the forefront of her mind.
Oh, this is almond coffee… no, wait, that doesn't matter. "Well met. My name is Nanagami Rin. Please just call me which way you are comfortable with, as we will no doubt be in each other's care for the foreseeable future."
"Rin, then? Got it. Nice to meet you!"
"Well..." That is unexpectedly direct. Was this man just that naturally spirited, or was he simply the type to go buddy-buddy with others? "Shall we go, then?"
"Right… you do look like you know where we're going." The black-haired adult rolled his shoulders, quickly following after her trails. As they left the train station behind them, she kept on hearing sputtering and odd sounds from him. "Whoa… now this looks different, alright."
What did he mean by this? Rin frowned and threw a look over her shoulder. The adult was now swiveling his head around. It felt rather immature, as if he was touring a new place rather than moving out of a sense of duty. The fact that he frequently stopped by a storefront and gazing bewilderingly at the numerous trinkets, goods and clothing brands had quite simply ruined her initial impression of him. Was this really the reliable help the president believed in?
Rin breathed out, "there will be time for sightseeing later, sensei."
"Hm? Ah, eh. You mean me?"
What…? "What is with that response? You are the teacher vouched by the General Student Council's President, no? Did you not receive any word from her?"
The older man adopted a thoughtful pose. As he rubbed his chin, he looked sideway and hemmed and hawed. Out of irritation, Rin sharpened her glare. The man called Vash shrunk away by half-a-step with a troubled smile.
"Well, uh. Excuse me. I guess I'm in a bit of culture shock." Vash lifted his chin, staring past her and towards the distant scenery ahead. "These all just don't seem real to me."
"Huh…? What do you mean by…"
"This city," Vash elaborated. As the adult put a hand on his waist, light reflected on the lens of his dark orange shade. There she noticed the visible scratch lines on the accessory, seemingly indicating a journey of poor maintenance if not hardships. "It looks prosperous, and really well-designed. It's a total change of pace compared to where I came from. I'm honestly shocked, envious even."
Envious…? The Shiratori Ward certainly had its own attractions, but it wasn't like it could be said as the city's pride. Many School Districts other than those in this place had facilities that far exceeded this ward; some even boasted to be completely unique to the point that no other districts could hope to mimic them. Although, thinking in reverse, would that mean that the esteemed guest came from a remote place?
"Is your homeland that far out there?"
"Yep! Full of sand and sun-scorched all year round. Not much entertainment when you go away from the big cities, there." Vash emphasized with a strong p to the yep. The way he barely changed his expression felt a little unnerving. Did he not catch her sarcasm? "It has a lot of downsides, but the few upsides there are actually make them stand out like no other. As a well-storied traveler, I can guarantee you this city makes everything back home pale in comparison."
"I… see? Well, if that's so, I suppose there's no helping it…" Rin wasn't quite sure what to make of that confidence. He made it sound like he hailed from Abydos, but even in its twilight years, that school district still had enough modern facilities to accommodate their citizens with the necessity needed for its district to operate safely. "The many Schools occupying this city contributed to the city's current state. Although, we of the General Student Council command express authority when it came to managing public facilities as well as services."
"...oh? Is there no government body ruling this place?"
Rin sucked in air. Slowly, slowly… she needed to be a bit more patient. They were about to reach the nearest Sanctum Tower, soon. This slight detour was going to end and they could finally get down to the real business. Plus, it did seem like the president hardly gave the adult a primer even before sending him here. He was also being extremely cooperative and civil so far. Thus, the blame lied not in him.
Should I say I'm surprised, or not… If she could see her again, she'd make sure to give an especially thorough sermon. Being cryptic was her forte, but in other times she'd just play by her own rule and ignored everything she had to say. A burning question over how could this city still remain intact under her reign remained a mystery Rin would likely never know the answer of, but anyway! That is for after we stopped Kivotos from imploding on itself—
"Right. Apologies, it seems that I misunderstood a few things." Clearing her throat, Rin straightened her back. "I shall start over from the very beginning then. This is on behalf of the executive office's responsibility for having failed to inform you beforehand, and it should hopefully aid your effort to stabilize the city's public order."
Let's see… yes, should we begin with the city itself?
"As I have introduced myself before. My name is Nanagami Rin, a General Student Council officer of this academy city, Kivotos." Rin closed her eyes briefly. The streets from here on out were extremely familiar to her. Even if the unexpected happened, she could pretty much deal with with it. "This mega-city is comprised of hundreds… thousands of academies privileged with self-autonomy rights. You could even say that this city is built from the grounds up as a living palace of learning."
"A palace of learning… a city so large it can house thousands of academies…?"
"Indeed. Kivotos is mainly inhabited by students and managed by students, with the General Student Council holding the supreme authority on behalf of the non-academy members and the general well-being of all students." Rin paused, once again looking back to see if the guest was following her. "The rest of the details can come later. You may simply recognize that you have been employed here at the president's request to act as a bridge connecting the city, the student council, and all those schools."
"...huh." Vash looked like he wanted to say something but refrained from doing so. "The more things change, I guess…"
...did he truly understand? Rin was a fair bit skeptical. Sure, the adult was conspicuous like no other with that flashy-looking trench coat and large-caliber gun, but the little things she had been seeing did not impress her much of reliability. Should I… try to indulge my curiosity just a bit more than usual, then?
"Do you have any question, sensei?"
"Well. I get the gist of it, at the very least." The older man rubbed the bridge of his nose. Oddly, his left hand looked to be covered in dark iron plates. "I've been living quite a long life, so that makes me a teacher by default. But are you doing okay, Rin?"
"Ah, well… I'd be lying if I said that I am not doubtful, but…" Rin exhaled. Right, he was a helper delivered by the President. A teacher and an adult… The thought of it made her have fuzzy feelings. School curriculum had entirely moved away from the outdated teaching curriculum into one which placed much responsibilities and respect onto the students' own initiatives. Whether they passed or failed tests were all up to each student's capability in following the classes provided in the format of recorded audiovisual discs and textbooks. As a result, adults and lecturers from the Outside only appeared under special circumstances such exotic research presentation. "We don't exactly have the privilege to look at a gift horse in the mouth. You are, after all, vouched by the president…"
"No, not that. Not at all like that." Vash chuckled. "You're an upright kid, aren't you? I get the importance of my job here, but what I want to know more isn't that."
Then what is…?
"I'll help out as much as I can, but are you doing okay, Rin?"
It was only for the briefest moment. Perhaps it was nothing more than a tiny chink in her armor, but it was still a thing.
Vash softly smiled. So many things had been launched at him from the get-go that he was still feeling disoriented, but the helpful person before him was at least clear as day.
Nanagami Rin's lips shivered. Casting her gaze downward, it took her a few more seconds until she could recollect herself. He patiently waited, as he sensed gears turning inside of her mind, and before long, tensions evaporated from her shoulders with a slow droop, a tired sigh leaking out from her lungs while the glasses she wore tried their best to hide away the instability of her psyche.
"...though you may be an adult, a teacher with whom I have barely interacted, you are holding me quite at disadvantages." Rin's gaze fell and turned forlorn. Bitterness seeped out from her words, yet there was resignation, vexation, and quite possibly acceptance deep within her eyes. "In truth, I am not doing okay. Some times have passed ever since the president's disappearance. As vital functions of the city ceased to work, public order naturally worsened with each passing day. However, in such a short timespan, the city is now on the brink of total anarchy, while the symbol of authority we once held all but crumble away like a sand castle swept by the ocean waves."
Ah, there you go. It was quite something to witness dark clouds gathering up above somebody's head… especially with consideration to the dimly glowing patterns hovering above her crown. The way she shifted from exhaustion to impotent rage, to the way she ground her teeth and clenching her fists told him the amount of stresses she had been powering through. And yet, contrary to most kids her age, Rin complained in a clear and concise manner; delivering proper complaints directed to things that troubled not just her, but also others. Man, she really is a serious, no-nonsense person.
It was almost precious how she expressed herself. Still, there came a point where one should just forget about all the bad things. As it was, Vash had one ultimate weapon he could use to coax children, and so he approached Rin who had remained still as she threw expletives over one thing after another. He raised his right hand, casting a long shadow over the girl's face. When she snapped out of her reverie, he had already rested his hand atop her head.
"S...sensei…?" Rin hung her mouth open, seemingly taken aback.
Ignoring her, Vash proceeded to rub his hand horizontally, combing the nice and smooth bundle of black hair as lustrous as it was neatly done up. He also had black hair now, but that hardly mattered right now. There was a child who had shaved off her free time and privileges for an obligation fit only for old people like him. With that in mind, how could he possibly tell her off simply for not acting the way she ought to be?
"Good work, Rin." Vash beamed a smile. "You've done well holding out for so long."
The girl shook. Well, more like a tremor running over her whole body. That little lapse of control over her own composure, however, told him more about the girl called Nanagami Rin, and being honest? He felt a bit more than justified for giving her a genuine praise for job well-done. If nobody acknowledged, much less praised a child for doing the right thing, that'd be such a sorrowful thing to remember as they grew up. Vash could vouch for that, and he'd say many people could have turned out for the better had they been in the right company, but that sort of thing sometimes could feel like a miracle in the distant end of a dark, narrow tunnel.
"...Sensei," Rin eventually called out. A short time had passed, not enough to make one feel sore on their feet, but still long enough that Vash had started to wonder why was there no reaction coming up. "This is not the time nor the place for that."
O-ooh, looks like this girl's got a stick right up her… no, wait, that's sexual harassment, and against minors at that.
As Vash drew back his hand, however… he saw the glasses-wearing girl sighing. The tension riddling her face and shoulders were nowhere to be seen, now. Well, Vash didn't have the heart nor mind to point that out.
"...nevertheless, I appreciate your care. It seems that the President did not choose you out of mere whims." Rin glanced down, specifically staring at his… oh. "And I suppose you are armed for the occasion."
"Uuuh…? That sounds like you are alright with carrying firearms?" The police officer duo from earlier are also armed, but they are cops, so that checks.
"Yes. One other thing about Kivotos is that all students employ firearms of their own choice, many among them tailor-made to best suit their individual abilities." Rin turned back to walk away, giving Vash no time to process the shocking statement. "The physical durability we Students innately possess led to the usage of firearms to be the best way in sorting out our… let's just say combative nature."
That's extremely concerning—
"The problem children of Kivotos tend to go overboard, so I suggest you to not count on your lucky stars too much." Rin glanced back, a solemn gaze directed at him in such an unfamiliar way. The more rational side to him berated him for his lifestyle being at fault, but well… genuine concern for his personal well-being was not something Vash the Stampede had often received, especially from a total stranger. "If you ever feel yourself to be in danger, just stay in the back, sensei."
Haheeh… who'd have imagined a youngster to worry about my safety…?
Vash scratched his cheek, troubled by the very bold statement. He wasn't even sure he could believe what Rin was saying. He still trusted her, she was the one who helped him from getting arrested as a vagrant and squatter. Still, seeing was believing. Well, the girl did have those glowing patterns atop of her head, and the two girls in the police box shared the same feature, though not the design. On top of that, Rin was part of the city's higher-ups, the closest thing he could call as the ruling governing body of the wondrous place that was Kivotos. He supposed he could heed her advice and only move when things went dire.
Although… surely there was nothing else that could surprise him, by this point?
The girl had been counting the clock ever since she had heard of the Acting President's signs of appearance in the Shiratori Ward. Of course, other renowned neighboring Schools had happened to catch winds of that. United by a common goal, she and the other school representatives reached the Sanctum Tower post-haste… only to find themselves unable to catch the tail of any higher-ranked staff of the city's supreme authority.
The first floor, the reception lobby, seemed to be deserted. Not as many students affiliated to the General Student Council were in sight, while what few there were didn't have the clearance to summon their superiors.
So one of the rumors is true, then. Hayase Yuuka of the Millennium School had tried to reach out to the GSC since several nights ago. Of course, her call rarely connected, and even in the off-chance it did connect, she was greeted by the haggard response of disposable peons unfortunate enough to be slotted for HR department. It was suspicious. Way too suspicious that she had a hard time convincing herself that it was just the Acting President being the same, unfriendly and terrible person who only cared about the truly important things. But if GSC truly has lost control over Sanctum Tower functions, that's an entirely different matter.
Yuuka could sort of sympathize, sort of.
Her own school, Millennium, had its own shares of problems, after all. Nevertheless, she also had the duty to protect her fellow schoolmates' daily lives. The wind generators loaned by the GSC were by no means insignificant, as they provided power to many vital sectors needed for the school to run itself. Once again, the treasurer of Seminar felt the realization that backups were always required, but a replacement power grid would far exceed the school's current budget. Seminar also had to gather more funds to continue the construction project for the long-awaited new multi-purpose transmission array tower…
"Oh, is that…" and then, somebody raised her voice.
Yuuka immediately zeroed in her gaze to the entrance. As a tall figure clad in white walked into the reception lobby, there was no mistaking her sharp gaze, the long black hair with night blue undertone, the pair of pointed ears, and the Halo made out in an elegant ring vertically crossed with three four-pointed stars. Indeed, that was the Acting President of the General Student Council, Nanagami Rin. Her actual role was the Vice-President, but her involvement and declaration to serve as Acting President, even temporarily, could only mean that the great President of the General Student Council was…
"Huh? Who's that behind her?"
"An… adult man? Oh, he's taller than even Hasumi-san…"
"Seems like a friendly fellow to me."
Well, there's certainly a lot of first impressions thrown out. Even Yuuka was surprised by the older man who was smiling with the carefree attitude of one perfectly content with the world and everything. He was a total stranger, a person she had never seen across Kivotos, and yet he followed behind the terrifying Acting President as if it was the most natural thing. That said something as Seminar had a good track records of having invited lecturers from the Outside for collaboration projects or workshops, but this person standing behind Rin was… more than just unique-looking. A red trench coat, walking with a slight hunch and slinging a huge luggage over his shoulder… and what's with the old-fashioned sunglasses?
"Urgh." Nanagami Rin squinted her eyes upon landing her sight ahead of her. Her glasses glinted under the artificial lights, while her lips twisted as if in displeasure. "This timing is rather inconvenient, much to our displeasure, I do believe…"
Et tu!? The way the GSC vice-president dropped her polite facade was as lightning fast as it was frustrating. Even Yuuka herself had no desire to meet the Acting President if not for the nature of her current issues. Fine, be that way, then!
"Your acquaintances?" The adult chimed in. His timing was impeccable, as it drew away the ire from the Acting President who glanced sideways. His voice was rather frivolous.
"...yes. Well, they are guests—if you could even call them that—who represent neighboring academies' student councils, disciplinary committees, and those with too much times on their hands."
Yuuka growled and gnashed her teeth. As unfriendly and intimidating as always. It also felt a little bit more clipping than the usual. Who was really at fault, here?
"That so…" The man with hair so spiky it all stood on end pressed two fingers on his chin, his gaze sweeping over her and the other representatives. "Well, why not hear them out first?"
"Sensei, that's—"
"Finally, someone who gets it!" Yuuka immediately jumped on the opportunity. Ignoring the withering look she had garnered from the Acting President, the member of Seminar stepped up to the front, placing a hand on her chest. "Thousands of academies are all in panic right now! Heck, even our school's wind generators have shut down since a few days ago! I demand a meeting with the president of General Student Council!"
While the Acting President clicked her tongue, the adult in red muttered in a thoughtful sound… except then he tilted his head.
"Wind generator? Does it produce a lot of power?"
Nha…!
"There's a lot of types when it comes to power generators across Kivotos." The vice-president of General Student Council bobbed her head down. "That said, Millennium which that noisy girl belongs to consumes extraneous power at the daily compared to the rest of the schools out there."
"Hoh… so you girls don't use just one thing to supply the grids, huh."
"...I think there's a morbidly fascinating topic to discuss here. The implication of your words means a lot of things, and none of them seems to be good, sensei."
Hey! Don't just advance the talk on your own pace like that, agh!
Rin pushed up her glasses and unilaterally looked past Yuuka. That irked her greatly, but her next words coaxed her somewhat as it seemed the adult's words had managed to convince the infamous vice-president of GSC to not kick any of them out from the Sanctum Tower for righteously exercising their rights and obligations to their respective schools.
"As for you, representative of Gehenna's Prefect Team…?"
"Yes, well. We have received rumors that notorious repeat offenders meant to be held under the Federal Correction Bureau's strict confinement have all but escaped."
"Outlaw students…?" The older man looked bewildered. What, was that look? It was like he had never heard of the concept of juvenile detention before…
"Notoriously so." The yellow-eyed girl with red glasses and dirty blonde hair sighed. "Culprits to massive collateral damage, terrorism, and downright unrepentant."
"...hopefully none of the victims are injured too badly."
"Hm? Well, they are ruthless in their own right. It took the mobilization of SRT's ace squad to even put them behind the bars, after all… but the victims are at least never in any state so severely debilitating it'd extend their hospitalization period to months."
At that, the adult suddenly patted his chest a few times, letting out a relieved sigh all the while. What the heck? What was up with him, anyway? He somehow managed to casually interrupting times and again, interjecting with random questions, too…
"Good to hear! Then, you two are…" The black-haired man crinkled his eyebrows. An odd glint in his eyes, yet his everlasting soft smile remained etched on his face. "Oh, those are nifty, almost nostalgic even, but never mind that. Since the logo on your uniforms match, guessing you two hail from the same school?"
The pair of black and silver students glanced at each other. That was before the latter closed her eyes and the former nodded in suite as if in acceptance.
"A pleasure to meet you. I am Hanekawa Hasumi, of the Trinity's General School." The red-eyed and black-haired girl with dark wings politely bowed. "I serve the Justice Committee of our school and act as its vice-president. This girl here is Morizuki Suzumi, a member of the Vigilante Corps."
"Quite peculiar titles…" The adult mused.
"The Justice Committee functions as Trinity's Disciplinary Board." Hanekawa Hasumi smiled, a tiny bit of expression gracing her delicate frame. "It might be a tad bit pretentious of a name, but upholding ourselves to a higher ethical standard and conduct will hopefully lead others to better behave themselves. Alas, incidents kept on occurring, with general estimation of nearly two-thousand percents of increase to the smuggling activities in the black markets."
"Likewise, the Vigilante Corps exists through volunteer system." The gray-haired Suzumi placed a hand on her waist, staring up at the older man. "Though in our case, there's been a radical increase of thugs who attacked students on the way to and from school."
"Yessh… that's certainly about right when everyone's losing their marbles."
Okay, that's enough. Yuuka huffed and crossed her arms. "You are certainly trying to be relevant in the conversation, but this is our city's issues. Or rather, who are you? Why is an adult here?"
The smiling man blinked twice. He pointed at himself and chuckled.
"Right, guess introducing myself is right for the occasion." The man extended his right hand forward, his face lighting up like a midsummer sunflower in full bloom. "The name's Vash the Stampede. From today onward, I will be working here as a teacher! Nice to meet'cha!"
...huh!?
