Time turned back to a few minutes ago.

A lot of areas in Abydos had been entirely abandoned that practically no power flowed to them. The areas behind the school, naturally, ended up as one of them due to the complete lack of traffic. The lonesome sight nagged at Vash, gnawing at his conscience for being remarkably similar to the dead satellite towns left to ruin now that the Plants the people relied on reached the end of their lifespans. The darkness encroaching from the horizon felt eerie; foreboding and nightmarish.

"Doesn't look like there's any crack on the walls…" His present companion murmured audibly, her voice clear and concise while tinged with nonchalance. Serika was definitely used to this task, but school at night was as scary as an old spaceship ruin at night. At the very least, he could trust her insight and nerves of steel. "What about the gate, Vash-sensei? Does it look alright to you?"

"Well…" Vash drawled. He held onto the gate and pushed it around horizontally. The first thing he could comment on was how heavy it was, and a coarse metallic squeak reported back to him from below. He squatted down, seeing the gate's wheels corroded by dark brown rust. Almost every part of the wheels and some sections were about crumple together due to the combined might between the gate's weight and gravity…. "It won't take much effort to smash through here, methinks."

"Dang. That doesn't sound good."

"Language, Serika." Vash grinned softly. He got back up and straightened his spine. "But while there's no problems with the padlocks and chains, sir Rear Gate here hasn't been doing very well against mistress Time."

Serika sighed as she scratched the back of her head. "School gates are typically made from reinforced materials, but high-grade steel is a rare sight out here. Our school also doesn't have much money to spend on the infrastructure… guh. But I'd hate it more if outlaws broke into the school grounds at night…"

Vash hummed in thoughts, two fingers rubbing his chin. "Well, we can always drive a stake or three into the grounds then solder them together with the gate."

"...that's going to disable the rear gates permanently, though."

"It's not the optimal solution, yeah." If they were attacked again, the only way to flee would be by breaking through the front. He could understand it being more trouble than it was worth. "Still way better than having to deal with pincer attack, right?"

The cat-eared girl grunted, but she gave a slight nod. It was a brute force approach as could be, and there were a lot of concerns which needed to be addressed in the future.

That said, safety first. Their school had a mountain of problems to begin with, numerous tasks and things they must do. To suddenly throw their money out just because they saw a new and immediate problem… Yeah, there are more important things to do.

If only they had money. If only he had riches. Vash was a former vagabond, so he was already grateful enough to have three meals a day. Heck, it was a godsend to have access to tap water at any minute, so if anything, he feared losing self-control when it came to money management above all else. However, now that he was semi-retired, he could finally understand the worries of people who decided to permanently settle down in one place and worked for a living. Sometimes, working harder wasn't the most effective solution. Planning for the next three, five, or even ten years ahead… seeing past the present problems and into the distant future—

It really is a luxurious problem to have. He had never once been able to stay around for a long time back then. Albeit a refreshing discovery, it was yet another important lesson he must learn when it came to living his own life. What's the best thing to do, what's the right choice, and what should we do from here on out?

As he looked past the rusted school gate, something glimmered in the shadowed streets from beyond. A popping sound followed by a sudden impact to the gate fences made him jump back, and he glimpsed a rectangular object sticking to the gate. Before he could recognize the beeping red dot on the plastic clay-like thing, Serika tackled him to the side with a panicked yell—

A bright red explosion swallowed his vision, together with the school gate.


A distant explosion rang out.

Ringing sounds wracked her head, blurring her focus even as her eyelids fluttered shut and open. Through the blowing winds, the constant sounds of shifting sand grated on her nerves. The day was ending, and the cooling air started to permeate through the dusk sky. And yet, it was hardly peaceful, comfortable, or even safe. It was clear that somebodies had just entered her sacred ground, the school she had been trying to protect with all of her attachments.

Out of nowhere, gunfire howled through the sky. Loud, noisy, and dreadful.

As her feet stampeded across the barren sports field, there was still halfway the distance from her and Nonomi with the rear school gates. Her heart throbbed noisily in her ears, something she had never once considered yet somehow pestering her. The intercom told of her other junior's action, apparently taking the higher ground to get a clear aim of the intruders while also serving as a spotter for Ayane's data gathering.

But that's not the important thing, a part of her chided. It didn't sit right for her to agree with that notion, but Hoshino did. What lied beneath this irritation surging from deep inside of her? What is it about this time that made it so different?

"You should be in range," Hoshino whispered. "Can you connect with Serika-chan…?!"

Muffled static answered her question. A disturbing, keening noise. The third-year's heart throbbed with unpleasant and uneven rhythm coursing through her being. As dark thoughts leaped through her mind, however, the intercom blared back to life.

[I can only hear loud yells, gunshots… and frantic footsteps.] Shiroko groaned through the intercom. That didn't… it didn't sound good, as if Serika's intercom had dropped to the grounds. And yet, it'd only make sense if that were the case. To think of this being yet another abduction case would be… no, surely not? Right?! [Nnh! The street lights aren't on… contact!]

Through her junior's frustration, Hoshino realized. A night raid… no, the assailants had picked up on the desolate state of the autonomous district, taking advantage of the environment as well as timing. There was preparedness in this attack, the likes of which unseen in typical outlaw gang attacks, and as bullets traded places between the 2nd-year in the second floor with the dozen of intruders…

What about Serika-chan, what about… What about who? Him? Hoshino ground her teeth, a kind of dizziness and agitation racing through her motions. It's all too damn slow…!

"Sorry, Nonomi-chan." Hoshino folded out the riot shield and gripped the handle with her left hand while her right hand held up the shotgun. "I'll be going ahead!"

"Ah, wait…! Hoshino-senpai…!?"

She put more strength in her feet. With a single jump, she launched herself forward and felt the winds hitting her from the front. Only three steps were enough for her to bridge the distance, and so she arrived at the combat zone. As the few light posts scattered along the inner walls of the school premise lit up, she could see smokes and shadowed figures pouring through the blasted open rear school entrance. Yellow and white helmets, work technician and laborer outfits, large caliber guns, even grenade launchers spread out in a fan formation; the intruders were establishing a frontline!

Where…!? Hoshino quickly scanned the area, her long pink hair whipping left and right as she sought the subjects to her worries. It wasn't here or there. The black hair and reddish halo wasn't there, neither was the shiny white coat. Too much shadows, smokes and chaotic movements to even see anything decent. Where are you…!

"That's one of the targets!" And then, one of the outlaw yelled out.

"Shield, shot gun, and pink hair!" Another pointed out. "Get her! There's bonuses for special priority targets!"

"We're getting extra pay today, girls…!"

Hoshino clicked her tongue. The situation was rapidly devolving. She couldn't even afford to concern herself over what these rebels just said. Though bullets occasionally rained down from the second floor, the enemy force was building up their momentum by moving as one. Their vanguard units advanced, and Hoshino quickly found herself surrounded.

[Hoshino-senpai…!] Ayane cried out.

"I'm ready…!" Hoshino put her riot shield forward. "Shiroko-chan, cover me!"

[Grenade on the right!]

At her call, an object sailed through the darkening sky, landing on the right flank of the enemy force. It blew up and took down three of them, so Hoshino pivoted to face the center and left flank. Power surged from her above the crown of her head, flowing to her right arm and into the barrel of her shotgun. The third-year student took aim—

"Oops…!?" Hoshino stalled, suddenly feeling an object hitting and failing to drill into her fanned out riot shield. Fortunately, her power had already expressed itself, so she stood her ground and pushed. "Here we go…!"

A shield in one hand, a shotgun in another. She pumped and pulled the trigger, a buckshot spreading to catch, stun, and knock back anything in sight. With each step, the gun fired again, again, and again. Her enemies scattered, a few toppling; a way forward now opened up for her to see better. About a third of the enemy's force had fallen, and she knew all too well that backups were swiftly arriving. Her thoughts spun, the next ten steps and the many ways things could go wrong considered before battle experience narrowed it all down to only the best moves she could take.

The sky darkened, the last drops of orange hues dipping into deep purple. As she looked around, some of the mobs flashed lights from— safety helmets, part-timer students?

Well, whatever. "I bet you girls aren't supposed to work past the curfews. What a demanding boss, yeah?"

"Damn it, she's strong!"

"Maintain formation! Don't let the line collapse!"

"Umm, a line already crumbled, though…"

"Well, fill that back up and resume offensive!"

Ah, that's not good. It wasn't good at all. Why didn't things go well after such a nice day spent carefreely? It didn't look like these girls were planning something nefarious, and they also didn't seem to have the minds to do abduction. Their intent to crush and demolish her school was pretty apparent. Let's just shoot first, ask questions later.

[Nn. Drone support, firing!] Right around that time, Shiroko updated with a call. [Nonomi is setting up position! Senpai, we'll handle rear support!]

Hoshino licked her lips. Her eyebrows furrowed together, but she readjusted her shield position and lowered her waist. After focusing herself, she leaped forward right as missiles buzzed above her, the latter raining down at the group of unknown assailants with terrible impunity. Small explosions cracked the earth while flames blazed forth.

Fiery red dotted the dark school grounds. Quickly reloading behind her shield, Hoshino switched to slugs and blasted every staggered opponent in her line of sight.

The sounds of gunfire. The smells of gunpowder. Golden sparks and incandescent embers danced in the darkness. Twilight came to an end, but even in the darkest shadows—

"Not bad, but too soft!" A shrill voice sang, almost sounding joyous from the thrills.

Hoshino's left hand twitched. She tightened her grip and swung her shield to the back, catching surprise of a new variable who yelped while careening back. Dark, seemingly formal uniform, and a sawed shotgun— but that weak presence doesn't match the voice!

[Senpai, to your right!] Nonomi screamed through the intercom.

Hoshino felt something striking her side. The warning, a second late, allowed for a few bullets to graze and hit her through the cover of darkness. Her long pink hair wavered, her odd-colored eyes widening as she captured the attacker who was pointing a handgun from a half-crouching position. A dark hoodie and a slender bat-like wing flapped, while her deathly pale complexion contrasted the glaring glint of her crimson eyes. Strands of white and black shone beneath the waxing moonlight—

"Oh. So it's you girls." Hoshino felt her tempers rapidly cooling down. The pain disappeared from where she got hurt, and wrath greedily welled up. The girl with a handgun pursed her lips even as she quickly retreated into relative safety; smart girl, but not that wise for following through with this entire shebang. "Here I wondered why would Gehenna girls lurk around our district, but I guess this is… ehm, looks like a big problem brewing?"

"...apologies, but we are independently operating from our school's jurisdiction." The narrow-eyed girl glanced to the side. Hoshino followed after her direction and saw the one knocked down by her shield slowly getting up, the frightened-looking messy-haired girl with a beret clutching onto her gun like a lifeline. "Haruka, get back. Leave her to me and Mutsuki. Your job is…"

"My, my. You're being extremely cautious, my dear subordinate."

Hoshino blinked. Slowly looking up, her sight landed on a dashingly dressed tall girl with a familiar, slanted halo reminiscent of a pointed flower. She held up a luxurious but elegant sniper rifle, and by her side was a white-haired girl carrying a duffel bag, all the while touting a light-machine gun larger than her own size with much ease. As the group of four from Gehenna gathered together, they stood with a line of outlaws arming themselves up right behind them.

Well, I can sorta see the imposing look, but… Yeah, these girls were bad news. In a terribly funny way that didn't feel so funny for Hoshino. Who, or rather, what exactly was she fooling around for, anyway? I don't have the time for this charade…

"Senpai… hrrm?" A quiet, cool and composed voice made Hoshino throw a glance over her shoulders, recognizing a fluttering teal green scarf. She could see the arrival of her juniors, and she heard surprised as well as shocked gasps from them. That said, only Shiroko seemed to share her suspicion and anger, what with that cocked up white assault rifle of hers. "Nn, so that's how it is, huh. You girls are just the worst."

"Oh… o-ho ho ho? Beg your pardon, but that's just how business rolls."

Right, business. Of course it was. Always with that pathetic tone and mannerism. Each and every one of them, squeezing the opportunity for everything and taking advantage of another person's sincerity as if kindness was an unlimited resource to make money from…

"So? What do you want from us?" Hoshino stood her ground. She lifted her shotgun and pulled the pump, throwing out an empty slug shell to put in a fresh batch. "Just so you know, it's way past closing time for our school. I do hope that whatever you're trying to do, it doesn't have anything to do with us… but I guess you're in cahoots?"

"Hmmh. Such a terrible accusation." The lady with a pinkish red hair snorted. "Call it a business contract. With respect, titles and everything."

Titles, contract, business… Not exactly the right string of words Hoshino wished to hear, and definitely not at this timing. She almost could imagine that creepy smile and amused laughter vibrating through the dark office, but she quickly squashed that filthy illusion as soon as it appeared. Not the time, not the time for it…

"So you're fixers?" Shiroko quipped. The ashen-haired girl glanced past Aru and lowered her eyelids into a sharpened glare. "I guess we're beating the answer out of you, then."

Oh, my. "Now that's a bold statement, Shiroko-chan. Not that I disagree with that."

"Uhm…? Uhh, senpai…?" Nonomi's green eyes fluttered and blinked. Once, twice, and then thrice as if bedazzled by floating dust. "Senpai, are you sure!?"

"Well, that's just how it is~." Hoshino grinned, even as she immediately switched off the intercom as it sparked back to life with Ayane's confused sputter. "Since you girls blasted open our school gate, we have the right for self-defense, yeah? Would you be so kind as to hand over yourselves, or…?"

"Well… seems like you're just unfriendly bunches with no taste for finer things." The so-called fixer pouted, yet the smirk she wore dripped with aggression. "Fine. Be that way and regret your conceit. Ladies, why don't we teach them a lesson?"

"Hah… here we go again." The girl in a hoodie sighed. "Alright, fine. Let's do this."

"Heh he he…! Nice, nice! It needs to be this way, after all!" The girl with a duffel bag dilated her eyes, vertically slitted pupils turning into dots while a shark-like smile showed off her canine fangs. "It wouldn't be fun, otherwise!"

Fun, huh? Hoshino wasn't having the slightest bit of fun. She was feeling antsy, she couldn't see things very well what with the low lighting, and there were so, so many questions to address with these troublesome people's presence. The clicking and whirring gun barrels seemed of no consequence in the face of her bad mood. The blood drumming in her eardrums never once bothered her.

See what happens when you're being needlessly kind to others? The boiling anger pulsed within Hoshino, a snarl forming at the tip of her tongue. It had been a while. Really, it sure had been a while since the last one. Betrayal, deception, nothing but bloody vultures rotten to the core, and it's all so… so—

"HOLD ON A MINUTE, WILL YOU!? TIME OUT…!"

Hoshino blinked.

The hooligans blinked.

Like a meteor crashing down, an adult jumped through the air, his white coat reflecting white lights and red flames. He was tall, taller than average, with broad and trained torso propped by a pair of toned and long legs. He spun in midair, somersaulting as if his intention had been to reach heights unimaginable, but when he was about to land on his feet, his balance tipped too far on one side and a dumb sound flew out of his mouth.

What happened next was likely the most painful slip-up that Hoshino had ever seen, with the adult spinning out of control to the front. He would have smashed his face against the earth if not for his upper body's lurching to curl inward, but that also ended up causing him to commit a roll and roll he went, like an armadillo going downhill in search for safety… except this was an adult and he rolled through the empty space between her group and the enemy.

"Gebuh…!?" What stopped him was a crater left behind by Shiroko's pod missiles. With his head to waist buried in the shallow hole, his legs defied the force of gravity and stood up, twitching all the while. "Goh… g-gah…"

...he's, still alive… right? Just as Hoshino thought up such a question, a silly part of her brain imagined it as something shared with everybody else currently occupying the ruined fields where flower gardens and a small courtyard park once existed in. As it so happened, however, the legs flopped into the crater and eventually a beaten up figure caked in dirt and sand crawled out. Ohh, he's still alive somehow…

" Koff. Ehh-hem! Hemm! Hak, kofh…!" The spiky-headed adult sputtered out dirt once more before he pushed up his round sunglasses like nobody's business. Even Hoshino started to find his action as too exaggerated, but he was shameless enough to not even mind his ragged appearance. "Okay, that's enough, kids! Playtime's over!"

What is this guy even doing…?

This time, Hoshino was sure everyone in this area thought the same as her. Well, not that she needed a mind reader for that. All it took was a simple glance to realize that everyone had those words written painfully clear on their faces. The third-year then chanced upon a familiar red halo shaped in crosshair, extremely long twin ponytails, and a lovable pair of cat ears.

Oh hey, there's Serika-chan—and she's covering her face with both hands…


It was awful. Terribly, terribly awful. She couldn't believe this was happening.

She tried to keep him away from dangers. She really did. Thanks to it being nighttime, they had darkness for covers and it was the darkest beneath the light post. The area next to the gates were far behind the enemy's line, but it also provided them with a blind spot to hide in; at least until her friends regrouped to confront the bunches of ne'er-do-well. And yet, contrary to all expectations, Vash miraculously slipped away from her grasp to bound over like the irreverent fool he was.

Why, oh why, is this happening… Serika believed her life was cursed. Actually, maybe it was because of her always being a stick in the mud. She never did act honestly, she rarely gave good ideas, always got scammed, and it took a while for her to even come to terms with her school's situation. Plus the incident from the other day. If not for Ayane's tireless effort, I couldn't have ever come this far with senpai, either…

Karma. Definitely karma. She ought to make amends by working at a shrine next time, and she promised that. But before all that…

"Nn. Serika, come over here."

At the not-so-hushed whisper directed to her from the side, Serika awkwardly shambled toward her friends. Even Ayane had come out from hiding, a medical drone hovering close to her in case of the unexpected. Nonomi smiled with relief loosening her cheeks, and Shiroko gave her another once-over before patting her right shoulder. The thumb up wasn't needed, though. Felt rather excessive, in all honesty.

"Anyway, please stop fighting." In the meanwhile, the teacher of Schale prattled on and on like no tomorrow. "Don't make a racket since it'll just disturb the neighbors. Also, kids need good sleep to grow up well, don't you agree?"

Yep, that's him, alright… What a mess. Why was it that he could stand in the line of fire so confidently, strutting about not thinking of his own safety? Did he even have a shred of survival instinct? No, wait, this was just him in his natural habitat. We're all doomed…

"Ah-ha ha! This guy's a riot!" From the other side, the first to give a response was the white-haired midget with a sly grin on her face. She looked like she was having fun from the moment of her entrance, but now? Now she was positively brimming with joy. "Hey hey, isn't that guy funny? Just who does he think he is, really?"

"...Schale has extralegal authority to recruit temporary helpers regardless of school affiliation, time, location, and circumstances…" The girl in a hoodie spouted something utterly absurd, but how was she so sure about that? Did she seriously believe somebody like that hedgehog could ever have the heart to give kids a harsh first errand?

"Wow! So Schale has power equal to the General Student Council? He sure doesn't look the part, though." The white-haired brat made a whistling sound. "Actually, can't we—"

"Don't. Just… just don't."

Yeah, sounds about right. Those four were still in Hoshino's range. Ignoring the teacher aside, he wasn't that much of a wall for the third-year to walk around. Senpai is super strong, so it won't even take a few minutes.

Serika wasn't the type to boast about things, get-rich-quick schemes she'd often fall for aside, but she knew how reliable Takanashi Hoshino was. Even though she was as lazy as a depraved sloth, regularly skipping classes to nap in secret, and always up for some playing around than being serious… Hoshino taught them how to use firearms, how to conserve ammo, how to use the environment to their advantage, and lectured them about the many shortcuts to quiet spots in Abydos. It might sound normal, but their school didn't have a faculty member, a student council, a disciplinary committee, a functioning audiovisual room, much less a decent training facilities.

That was why Serika respected Hoshino in her own way. She had been acting as their guardian, elder, and teacher. Not that she did much, though. But I digress…!

"You!" Serika yelled out, pointing right at the towering presence instead of the other idiots in firing range. "Could you not make more messes!? You're supposed to be our teaching advisor, which side are you even on!?"

"But I am doing my job, though!?"

How? In what way? Why couldn't he just leave the fighting to them? It wasn't like there was a need to recklessly brave dangers like that, and it was far too late for ceasefire now that the unidentified assailants were occupying their school grounds. Heck, they even intruded with guns blazing!

"Hmph. Having an adult interferes in our conflict is uncouth, but I suppose I will give you the leniency for not backing down in the face of our power…"

And you, shut up! "Where do you even get the gall to get on that high horse!? You didn't even pay for your own food, you ungrateful scammers!"

"S-scammers!? How dare you…! I tell you that we're elite-class underworld agents…!"

"Like I care about that! To begin with, no person would mismanage their spending that they can only pool up 600 yen together!" Serika's index finger moved from Vash to the stupid redhead who lacked even basic etiquette. "If you think you can get away with that bum lifestyle, part-time wage system already moved on to a new standard with at least 800 yen per hour! Overtime works mean more payment, you conniving foxes!"

"S-Serika-chan… breath, breath…!"

I am breathing just fine, Ayane-chan! Seriously, she just wanted to vent. The stuff with the school gate notwithstanding, there was something wrong about all this craziness. It hadn't even been a week and so many things happened in succession. Even someone like her would get fed up by it all, but the last straw was these four Gehenna girls. Not only did they attack their school, bringing an army of reinforcement to their doorsteps, they even squandered the big act of kindness freely given to them. Just thinking about it again makes me mad…!

They dared to waste the teacher's money for this nonsense. They dared to take advantage of the situation, walked off with full stomachs and none of the gratitude!

"Even wickedness has standard…!" Serika declared, her voice volume blowing past a whole new height. "That's how you get to work in professional gig, you two-bit hacks…!"

Her last shot seemed to have gone straight through the heart. As the leader of the enemy's troupe fell into stunned silence, her composure broke. Her jaw hung open, her eyes turned blank white while her complexion paled blue. Serika huffed and sucked in a long breath, only now starting to catch her breaths. Clearing her throat gently, silence persisted...

"...that was the most passionate I've ever seen of Serika." The 2nd-year student prattled on with a glittering shine in her eyes.

"I guess she's angry on everyone's behalf… Serika is the only one with multiple part-time works, so she must have met all sorts of people…" And the other 2nd-year scratched her cheek, a troubled smile on her face. "Life of a freeter must be tough…"

And just as murmurs began to spread, a comment came from somewhere unexpected—

"She's got a point." One of the helmeted part-timers bobbed her head.

"Yeah. Extra time means extra pays." Another agreed, two fingers on her chin.

"But didn't she say the current clients only have 600 yen?"

"How does that even work between four people…?"

"Something around 150 yen individually?"

"Sounds about right, so…"

"Yeah. We're wrongfully unpaid. This is overtime work, after all."

By that point, all attentions landed on the Gehenna quartet. Like a slowly raised guillotine blade, the atmosphere shifted and thickened; magazine clips snapping in and reloading mechanisms clicking to life.

"...ah." The impertinent brat with a suspiciously large duffel bag tilted her head. Her long ponytail swayed in the cold winds. "I guess we're getting lynched."

And the part-timer mobs did just that. With terrible shouts bordering on screaming for their lives, the four Gehenna students fled into the night, an angry mob chasing after them like a rabid pack of hyenas. Strings of curses and insults resounded. Gunfire and bombs went off in sporadic sequences. Light flashed in and out in the dark residential block beyond the gates. Surprises as well as panicked cries tore through the evening atmosphere until it all faded away.

And then, all was quiet. Serika felt something landing on her shoulder, warm but a bit like synthetic leather glove. She looked over her shoulder, seeing the thumb-up of her senior from up close.

"Really good job, Serika. You've done it. You deserve the red ski mask."

What did I do to deserve that stupid mask? Apparently a lot, according to the weirdo that was Sunaookami Shiroko.


It was getting late. Well past dinnertime, but not too deep into the night. There were unfortunately emergency works to do, but it was at least smooth-sailing.

Two spotlights running on batteries had been brought out, illuminating a roughed up entryway where a school gate once stood in. As fates would have it, the gate itself had been bent hard, just not stretched to the limits of tolerance. A windfall which allowed for it to be fixed in place—and it was thanks to the Schale teacher's assistance. He somehow excelled as a layman carpenter, though his improvised methods leaned on the cruder side.

He really has no fears or worries…

For being an adult weaker than regular citizens of Kivotos, he didn't step back even once when confronted with dangers. When people were in trouble, he decided to meddle in and mediate regardless of the rates for successes. Of course, if things could get resolved without escalating to violence, it'd be a good thing. Heck, it would really be nice if things were to happen that way all the time.

...but the world didn't work that way, reality cannot work that way.

So troublesome… Just as Hoshino groaned inwardly, footsteps neared her. Before she finished turning her head to the side, somebody glomped her from behind, throwing her head into a warm and soft and fluffy embrace of super-sized pillows… Ah, wait, these are Nonomi—

"Heh he he~. What'cha up to, senpai~?" Her junior's green eyes gazed down to her from above, a kind and warm smile plastered on her face. "Thanks for guarding the perimeter, work's almost done over here. Wanna get some rest?"

"...it's fine, nothing to worry about." Hoshino muffled out an answer. The huge fluffiness pressing her head from nearly all angle was overwhelming, but she wasn't unaccustomed to this experience. As a matter of fact, she got a buttload of experience in being pampered whether or not she wanted it. "Who knows when those rascals will swing back for round two. Until the gate is fixed up completely, I'll keep on patrolling."

"Aww, you're being a hard-worker all of a sudden. Not that I don't understand where you're coming from," Nonomi said. "The past few days have been so hectic. We're not gonna get our study for the week done with, at this rate."

"...well, safety first. As they said."

"That's true enough~." A pause. That piqued Hoshino's curiosity, but when she tried to lift her chin and look up again… "Say, are you feeling okay, Hoshino-senpai?"

"Huh…" What was that?

"I guess even you can get worried sick. I mean, it hasn't been three days ever since we managed to rescue Serika-chan." The girl with silky smooth dirty blonde hair moved her arms to further envelop Hoshino in her embrace. It lacked the power named conviction, even though Nonomi preferred throwing shot put with dumbbells in phys-ed class. Her junior lacked that firm determination to do as she wished, a quality rarely sighted for someone with her background. "But you know what, Hoshino-senpai…? Aren't you worrying too much? You're not overreacting, right…?"

...me, worrying too much? Did it show on her face? She did not feel like she had eaten something bad, and neither did she feel like there was something wrong with her. She had been acting like the usual… But have I, really?

Her gaze moved back down. As it so happened, her gaze landed on the back of a lone adult, squatting before one side of the out-of-shape gate with a hammer in hand. He bit onto several concrete nails, a flashlight tied around his temple by a piece of cloth. One thing he had shown to be capable of was his diligence and expertise in heavy labors. Not that he was a master in construction working or anything…

Disregarding the silly thought, his work was tidier than her juniors, outstripping even Serika who was touted to have worked multiple part-time jobs.

But he's whistling away, throwing small talks when somebody came over to borrow a tool, while somehow avoiding Ayane-chan's inspection. The teacher of Schale was a true oddball, but what drew Hoshino's attention was his downright unrepentant attitude. That lackadaisical smile, his sincere gaze bearing no falsehood nor doubts… How did he manage to stay that way, even after growing up?

What was even the point of it? The more she thought about it…

"Senpai? Hoshino-senpai?"

"Eh… Uhehe, sorry about that. What was that, Nonomi-chan?"

She smiled and laughed. She kept her composure and tightly put a lid on her true feelings, not letting a single slip up. Closing her eyelids, looking up and holding onto her junior's sleeves, Hoshino perfectly maintained her usual air.

"Huh… hmm, well…" Somehow, she heard Nonomi stuttering. A mild surprise. "Senpai…"

"Mhmm~?"

"Well… forget about it!" Nonomi released her, skipping backwards by one and a half step, her arms half-raised and waved. "Looks like senpai's still the same as always."

Hoshino snickered. Yeah, well, that was wisdom of experience to you. The third-year then awkwardly rubbed the back of her head.

"I suddenly remembered a small errand," Hoshino nudged with her chin. "Can I leave the patrolling to you, Nonomi-chan? Oh, stay inside the school grounds, of course. If you need to go outside, tag along in two."

"Alright, alright~… Just be quick, okay?" Nonomi bobbed her head, her flowing dirty blonde hair fluttering behind her. "Then, I'll grab some hot drinks from the clubroom."

"Ohh~. Sounds good. Can I have hot cocoa milk?"

"Well… I wonder? I sure hope there's still some supply left, but if there's nothing—"

"Anything warm and slightly sweet is fine, too." Hoshino sighed, though the smile remained stuck on her face. "Long as it's nothing too heavy for digestion."

"Okie-dokie~! Nonomi, taking off!"

Inside Hoshino's mind, relief flooded in. She watched her junior entering the dark school building, and only after the faint sounds of doors closing did she turn around. Taking a few steps, she gradually killed her presence. Whether it be scouting, espionage, or even retreating, Hoshino had practiced enough tactical skills for her to reliably use in live combat regardless of the terrain or time. Sometimes, she would pull a prank or two on her juniors, but she'd rather not stifle their growth through excessive showboating.

And there he is, so naive and unaware that he still whistled a tune. If she were an enemy, she could have easily subdued him and put a bullet in his vital. For someone rumored to have deflected a tank shell, he doesn't carry the air of an expert.

Whatever the case, Hoshino breathed in. "Sensei? Sensei~…?"

"Whoa! H-Hoshino!?" Startled like a critter, Vash's shoulders jerked and he was about to spin around, all the while the nails he had held nearly falling off his grasp. Somehow, he didn't end up alerting others. His self-control sure was something else. "Don't startle me like that… I get kids your age love pulling pranks, but that's still bad for my heart."

Hoshino crinkled her eyebrows. It seemed the adult had some firsthand experiences on dealing with rowdy kids. Then again, what kind of self-respecting adult wouldn't? Forget about Kivotos, children were born, raised, and grew up all the time. She also didn't need to know the minute details hidden behind those outdated sunglasses… though she didn't mind waiting for the other shoe to drop. As a matter of fact—

"Uhe… You sure have nifty skills at hands, there." Hoshino squatted down, hugging her knee with one arm while the other went to pat the adult's back. "Can I watch, sensei?"

"It'd have been nicer had you offered some assistance, you know?" The spiky-haired, dark-haired Vash grumbled as he chewed on the concrete nails pressed between his teeth. The way he scrunched his nose and furrowed his eyebrows made for a humorously ugly expression, and the most prominent feature in his face was the almost boundless frivolous vibe naturally exuding from the pore of his skin. "Look, Shiroko and Serika there have Ayane supervising them. I also need a helper over here."

That was true. At the other end of the school gate about to be pinned to the wall with wooden planks and boards, the work of three people was steadily developing. It probably would take another ten minutes for them to finish their part, while Vash's side was still barely halfway to completion. That said, Vash's work was a lot cleaner than theirs, sturdier and likely longer lasting. It was a classic debate of quality versus quantity. If she really had to choose, then…

"Hmm… nah, think this weary bone will just sit down and watch. I burned too much calories for nothing, today."

"What does that even mean, you rascal?" Vash shook his head, already looking like he was done with nonsensical chit-chat. His shoulders sagged dramatically, and he grumbled out sounds of discontent. Even so, his hands never stopped working. "Well, whatever. Just don't get too close, mmkay?"

"Hmmm, what does that mean?" Hoshino tilted her head. Making a sly smile creep onto her face, she lowered her eyelids halfway through. "Could it be… sensei has something he wanted to do with his student? Oh, is he just a wolf hiding in a sheep skin?"

Right as she prepared for the third question, two fingers suddenly appeared right before her forehead. The pain and force didn't even register until her vision shook from a terrific forehead flick that landed squarely at its target. Hoshino groaned.

"Don't talk like a pervy old man. You're not even twenty." Vash returned to hammering nails away to a wooden plank. Put in place by his raised knees, he also had to keep it in place with his empty hand while hammering. "Kids your age should just talk about homework being a real slog, trending seasonal goods, debating about favorite band and meal you ate last night, and where to hang out next weekend."

"Eeeh~ is it a crime for girls of impressionable age to be curious about those stuff?"

"At least don't be crass about it… gah!" Vash suddenly yelped, "I aligned it wrong. Aargh, no way you can take out this nail type… damn."

It seemed he ran into troubles. His resourcefulness was amazing enough by itself, but his persistence shone the most when the unexpected arose. It felt as if Vash didn't know what to do except for pushing forward. Well, some people did have the tempers and habits like that... most notorious example being Shiroko, but Hoshino had raised her to be better than that. Even though she had absolutely no idea on how to educate an amnesiac from scratches, she had somehow managed to turn that wild child into a civilized person.

Did that mean Vash was a knucklehead, though? He was an adult, yet his temperament was a bit off, but then again…

If only he's capable of some deceit, Hoshino lamented. That would have made her work much easier, since Schale had been portrayed to be such an enigmatic entity. However, as far as she could understand, the sort of character Vash had was, well… This is more disappointing than I thought.

"Sensei," Hoshino called out. In a low volume, close to a whisper that could have easily been mistaken as the wind's mumbling. However, the adult's chin perked up, his head tilting to the side with unconcealed confusion. "Could you stop being so kind?"

"Huh…?"

"Even though you treated those four with free meals, they turned out to be outlaws with a dirty agenda." Hoshino lowered her eyebrows, the chills in her voice reaching past the adult's stiff back. "You're going to get hurt if you keep on doing that, sensei. Blindly trusting others will only set yourself up for disappointing and painful betrayals."

It happened before. It could happen again. But if it kept on happening…

"We can't always be anywhere, setting aside our own matters. If things turn south, and we're not there, how will you get out of troubles?" Hoshino rested her cheek on her knees. She gave an upturned glance to the adult who had stopped working. A nauseating fragment of the past bubbled up for a moment, yet she stomped down on it. Out of habits, she clicked her tongue. "You need to think for yourself a bit more. There's no shame in prioritizing your own safety. It's not like they know your circumstances, and neither do we know theirs. It wouldn't hurt to be selective when thinking of helping out."

"...well, that's unexpectedly mature."

Of course I am. Hoshino was a third year. Spring was already halfway over, and when she graduated next year, she'd have to depart from Kivotos. It was all tedious stuff, and she was also worried about the juniors she would leave behind, but it wasn't like she didn't have any contingency whatsoever. If worse came to worst… No, that's like a super secret last resort measure, only for when things go horribly wrong.

In any case, she had made her point. It wasn't a command, or a scolding meant to discourage Vash at all. Even her anger had limits, petering out like falling grains of sand in the hourglass—

"Hoshino," the adult suddenly called out her name. "There are some things we can never know for sure, right?"

...what?

"It's true that we can never tell about other people's intentions. Or name. Likes and dislikes, hobbies and specialties. Dreams, hopes, desires… even troubles." The hammer started swinging and knocking down nails once again. Rhythmic, but not overly loud, there was a clear ringing sound through the quiet evening. "But exactly because of that. If we don't try to interact beforehand, always refusing to know each other's story… I think that's where we will truly lose our way."

A chuckle softly flowed. As the last nail punched in, Vash the Stampede exhaled.

"You're not wrong, Hoshino. We can't afford to always be friendly," the adult said. "Still, well, I mean… do you think those four were lying about starving?"

"...that is." They were not. The four Gehenna girls limped into the ramen store, drooled over a bowl of ramen, and even intended to share it with each other. Yes, Hoshino could see that they were hungry to the bones back then, but… "What of it? They still tried to attack us. They repaid kindness with evil."

"I know, I know. I can't deny that they did something bad." Vash picked up another wooden plank, setting it in place and then grinding a nail into a spot until it laid a slightly firm dent in it; enough depth for him to start hammering again. "But between suspecting them and not doing anything… or lending them a hand and regretting afterwards? The answer's pretty obvious."

"...is there any difference?"

For some reasons, Hoshino could picture his face. Though facing away from her, it was so easy to imagine Vash the Stampede twitching the corners of his lips upward; a soft smile that cared not for sufferings blooming under the midday sky. And that person said this:

"If I shut myself away from the world, refusing to look past prejudice and suspicion, only to arrogantly pull the trigger… I don't think I will ever be at peace with myself."

The rhythmic clink, clonk, and bang of carpentry work flowed in the background like a white noise. As night breezes blew by, frigid and dry; tomorrow's forecast was likely going to be clear with nary a cloud. The makeshift work slowly wrapped itself up, then the teacher got up and walked off, scampering away to assist her juniors. He waved off, probably thinking he was doing something cool with the gesture, but the goofy smile and casual reply he directed to Shiroko, Ayane, and Serika simply made him out like a third-rate comedian.

Hoshino watched that back go. That person—that adult who frivolously talked about people's hearts, trust and the choices which followed as if it was the easiest thing to do.

It's not something I could have meddled with. As realization came to her, the truth sank like a water droplet falling into a silent lake. Vash wasn't the type to listen, and his go-getter attitude made him a real man-of-action. It might be cliched, but he was the sort of emotional person who'd rather die believing in the goodness of people, blindly trusting them to be the better person in the room. Even though death was said to be the only cure for idiocy, looking at him go like that, Hoshino was assured that his way of life had entrenched deeply into the realm of foolhardiness. What is this…

Why did it have to hurt like this? Why must she feel this way again?

Hoshino didn't hear her voice, because remembering would not help anyone. She could no longer recall what her response would be like, yet that person's image overlapped with the adult; as if time had rewound itself. That awkward person often laughed off her own clumsiness and smiled even after making the wrong choices. That older girl kept her own insecurities and worries shut tight behind sunshine-like smiles. That girl who was no longer by her side, like fading footprints in the sand.

Hoshino couldn't bear to look any further, so she pressed her forehead against her knees, a mournful breath expelled from the top of her dry throat.

"How could this be?" She formed a question only the winds could hear. The soft moonlight illuminated her clumped regrets, yet she found no solace in that. Left to its own device, that ugly lump had hardened into a boulder too heavy to endure, too hard to chip away at. Simply reminiscing tore at her heart, but it hurt way more to receive a cruel reminder like this. "The two of you are cut from the same cloth… Yume-senpai…"

In the face of that harsh truth, just what was she supposed to do, now?


A/N: The words ran away from me, and that's how this chapter came to be. Hope it's not much of a slog to read...