Though I might have to reel in that last thought, as I have next to no information on Kaiser and whatever forces they might have. Given what I've faced so far, direct approaches towards Kaiser and of the like aren't in my best interests.

Keeping in mind that this is not the Zone, my current weaponry and equipment is likely to fall short should I have any large scale or protracted engagements.

I shook my head, the realization that my ballistic vest rated for intermediate cartridges, had failed last night. Ammunition also may work differently here.

Higher pressures? Differences in cartridge material? More Kivotos bullshit?

Might have to get a bit crafty in my approaches...

Then there's the problem of the exoskeleton. I do remember that it has stopped multiple rounds from rifles, even up to 7.62x54R, but I doubt they were armor piercing. Though...

The suit was more or less handmade from spare exoskeleton frames I "repurposed" from wrecked Monolithian suits following joint raids on remaining outposts or bases, or following successful defenses of the Barrier up in the Army Warehouses. After Strelok and some unknown Stalker that goes by... "Stalker", went on that mission to fight their way into the heart of the Zone that is the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, Monolith forces had scattered from their normal positions and made their way towards the lesser areas of the Zone.

Anyhow, scrapping and recycling whatever parts usable from the multitude of frames I've gathered netted me an almost perfect exoskeleton frame. After calling in a few favors from Duty, I was able to get my hands on a PSZ-10d Battlesuit, or more colloquially known as the Radsuit, although its original designation is as an exosuit.

With the assistance, though with reluctance after calling in a few more favors, of Xenotech, we were able to handcraft our version of a PSZ-10d Exoskeleton, combining the Radsuit and the recycled and refurbished exoskeleton frame.

Though it had much semblance to the ones in the hands of Duty, I circumvented the fact with my own creativity.

By ripping off the Duty patch and sewing in a Loner patch. Therein also laid the problem of the color scheme of black and red, but nothing a few strips of carbon fiber reinforced polyester couldn't fix. Suit's certainly nothing on the level of a "Nosorog", but it can most definitely stand up to the harshest of punishments.

If an exoskeleton can make you feel like an IFV, a Nosorog makes you a main battle tank.

The main selling points of using an exoskeleton is its unparalleled ballistic protection, amongst its fairly competitive levels of elemental protection. The Radsuit itself was already in a league of its own, with lightweight polyethene armor plates coupled with thinner, carbon fiber-kevlar composite sheets to protect the vital areas. That, and its onboard medical suite, able to monitor biometrics, and if need be, quickly administer all sorts of medicine and stimulants utilizing the terminal fitted to the left wrist.

With the strength afforded by the exoskeleton frame, more protection was able to be piled on top of the already impressive armor. This came in the form of Kevlar-119 plates, reinforced with polycarbonate inserts. A more lightweight alternative to steel, it provided similar degrees of protection.

Replacing the built-in power plant with an upgraded mil-spec version, mounted on the back of the frame in a steel-titanium alloy case, it became a force multiplier for its wearer.

All this makes the wearer nigh invincible in the face of most rounds, only defeated by high power armor piercing ammunition.

Why am I bringing up all of this information?

Because if I remember correctly, the same carbon fiber-kevlar composite that made up the vest of the suit was easily torn by Wakamo, and again, if I remember correctly, I... we, sorely lack the material to make repairs.

All of which does not come cheap.

Power supply issues also come to mind. I've always had a somewhat steady supply of batteries made specifically for exoskeletons from the various traders, Sidorovich, for one. I've never gotten around to taking one apart to see what makes them work, mostly due to the fact that a lot of its make comes from Zone research, something way out of my league.

But, I do know that voltage or current isn't a problem, it's the amount of electricity on tap. See, these batteries were dense in the most literal sense, despite their seemingly small stature, allowing them to hold hours of charge, especially if it were to be coupled with a more efficient power plant.

Though I could simply charge the already built-in power plant in place of the upgraded one, I could theoretically use it no problem. But that comes at the cost of efficiency and reduced run-time.

Didn't Rin say that there was an Engineering Club or something?

Maybe I could trouble them with replicating the materials, should I have the money...

Once more I'm grimly reminded of my dire financial straits. I could call Rin, but I'm sure I'm the last person she wants to see at all.

Well, barring that, ammo problems are much higher on the list. I thought I had plenty on hand, 5.45x39 that is. Once more Kivotos is proving me wrong, with the denizen's bullet resistance being a lot tougher than I had initially expected. I was able to load up a few magazines with what spare casings, gun powder and bullet tips I had laying around in my pack, but three and a half magazines are far from enough, doubly so in this land.

Coming across ammo isn't a problem, as seemingly every other shop has a selection of ammo on hand. Coming across the correct ammo is the problem. So far, only "Angel 24" has 5.45 in stock from what I've seen. Though 5.56x45 is beyond common, to the point where sales on the intermediate cartridge are found basically all over. And to a lesser extent, armor piercing and hollow points.

I've stuck to my RPK-16 for this long due to the widespread availability of 5.45x39 in the Zone, on top of the fact that nearly every nook and cranny and person had a variant of the AK platform, meaning that, again, ammunition, as well as parts, were extremely common.

Can't say the same here in Kivotos, maybe a change in armaments was in order. Picking out an AR platform might be the best move given the aforementioned, but stopping power is another concern.

I give a shrug, better to have a well-stocked gun.

Then another thought struck me, my glaring lack of medical supplies. Digging around my pack, I produced a white polymer case, a red cross emblazoned on top. Unlatching the locks, I ensured the fragile tools were still intact. Exhaling in relief, I closed the case. I had the tools, but no materials, and without a cent to my name, all my problems were immediately exacerbated.

Heh, life here is more like the Zone that I would like to admit. On the side of being woefully broke and under-equipped, that is. Nothing new, at least.

"You sure about this? I don't know about you guys, but I'm as broke as they come." I say, browsing the menu.

"Like I said, Sensei, I have us covered!"

I look up from the menu to eye the blonde, who has a beaming smile on her face.

Following our meeting back at the clubhouse, we came to the conclusion that some lunch was in order. Drumming up a vote, we decided to hit up Shiba Seki Ramen, much to Serika's dismay. Shiina, on the other hand, decided to hold off on joining us, instead wanting to spend her time getting together her belongings before moving into the building. Didn't tell us how long that'll take, so she just told us to head out without her.

So here we are, sitting at a booth with Serika standing at the side, dressed in her uniform and with a notepad and pen at the ready.

"You guys gonna order or what?"

"That's not how you're supposed to treat your paying customers, Serika-chan." Hoshino teased.

"Uh huh, out of all the places you could've went, you picked out the place I work at, at the times I'm on the clock no less!"

"Don't tell me you're embarrassed! We also want to see what kind of place your work at, and maybe we could meet your boss!" Nonomi chimed in.

I nod along. "I've already met they guy, he's pretty nice too."

Hoshino and Nonomi turn to me, with Hoshino opening up first. "You've met him?"

"Yup, I had a bowl of... chashu?" I look up at Serika who nods in affirmation. "Chashu ramen, and when I couldn't pay-" She snorts. "He offered to give it up for free. In return, I asked him to let me know if he needs something fixed up."

"Already making connections, that's why you're the Sensei!" Nonomi says.

I shrug. "I just hope you don't need me to help you with any math, last I did any of that, you all were still an idea."

Serika clears her throat loudly. "Anyhow, can you guys please order something, or y'know, leave?"

After poking fun at Serika a few more times, we finally got around to ordering. Courtesy of Nonomi, this round of ramen was on her. Off to the side, I asked Arona to make a note to repay her someday.

On a large platter, Serika began setting down bowls in front of us, steam coming off the freshly made food. Finally, she set down a large glass pitcher of water, alongside four glass cups.

With a huff, she set off towards the back, leaving us to enjoy our meal.

I eyed my chashu ramen before nodding in approval. Moving to remove my gasmask, I loosened the straps before setting it off to the side. Grabbing a pair of chopsticks, it took me way too long to get them seated properly in my hand. I'm about to dig in before realizing that the table went quiet.

...And all eyes were on me.

I set down the sticks, annoyed by the realization that I'm going to have to re-seat them again. "C'mon, surely seeing my face isn't that much of a shock."

Ayane scratches her cheek, a faint flush finding its way onto her face. "Oh, sorry Sensei, it's just...

"This is the first we've seen you without the mask!" Nonomi finishes her sentence for her.

I roll my eyes. "Uh huh." I then smirk before placing my hand on my chin, thumb and index finger extended. "I know, a lot more handsome than you thought."

I notice Hoshino's been staring a lot more intently at me, specifically, the scar across my left cheek. Placing a hand on it, I turn to her. "Curious?"

She recoils a little before returning to her normal state. "Ah ha~, sorry for staring Sensei, but yeah, where'd that come from?"

I trace the scar. "This here was from back when I still worked in the Zone, my team and I was tasked with taking out a Bandit camp not too far from where our rookies stayed. Long story short, a grenade exploded a bit too close for my liking and I took some shrapnel to the face. Got real lucky that this is the only thing I got."

They all look solemnly at me, saddened almost, especially Hoshino.

Well shit, looks like I have a thing for shitting on the mood.

I cough into my arm. "Anyways, after we kicked their asses, I got patched up, paid, and a little smarter."

"Smarter?" Shiroko asks.

I nod. "Yup, got myself a ballistic helmet fitted with a respiratory system to protect my head and face. Expensive, but it did a real good job at keeping me safe.

Ayane nods along before raising a brow. "But all you wear now is a gas mask, what happened to the helmet?"

"As much good as the helmet did, it's a hefty piece of gear, after all, it has to stop intermediate cartridges."

"Intermediate... cartridges?" Shiroko pondered over the words.

I raise a brow in her direction. "Yes, 5.56 and rounds of the like." Collectively, the table nodded as if I had just taught them something.

"Anyhow, those a lot more experienced in the Zone, and likely anyone in general, know that it is a lot better to not get shot rather than anticipate getting shot. So after a few not so close calls and a lot more visits to the infirmary than I would like to admit, I got myself some lighter equipment." I gestured to what I'm currently wearing.

"But, that doesn't mean that I didn't have any equipment to anticipate getting shot in."

That gained their attention.

"Behold, the exoskeleton." I stated grandly as I pulled out my PDA, traversing over towards the 'Guide' tab and pulling up a compendium of body armors.

Gathering around the PDA, they stared in wonder at the various suits, armored and otherwise. Selecting the heavy armor section, it revealed a few scary looking suits. But to the girls, they were another wonder I bestowed upon them.

"You're telling me you have one of these?" Ayane asks, her eyes still glued to the screen.

"Yup, it's currently stuck in a workshop back at the GSC, otherwise you all would be seeing me in one of these." I point to one of the exoskeleton's labeled-

"The... PSZ-10d... Exoskeleton." Hoshino whispers as she ponders over the last word.

"That right there has saved me more times that I can count, and that's excluding getting shot."

They all look at me in various degrees of horror.

I raise my hands in defense. "Hey, I'm still alive, aren't I?"

"What kind of things do you encounter in the... uh, Zone?" Ayane asks.

I leaned back into my seat and stared at my bowl. Shame, I was looking forward to that. Impromptu story time it is.

"Well, you name it." I say with a shrug. "Whatever hazard you can think up, I probably had an all too close encounter with it."

Ayane raised a brow. "Like... fire? For one?"

I shook my head. "Way too many times than I would like to admit. But hey, I wouldn't have dove into a Burner if it didn't mean getting paid."

"You got paid... to get burnt?" Hoshino popped in.

"Burnt, slashed, electrocuted, irradiated, nearly crushed, mind-controlled, mind-exploded." I listed off my hands. "Yup."

They all glanced at each other before looking back at me in a mixture of wonder and, well, calling bullshit.

"Something tells me you guys don't believe me." I cross my arms.

Ayane shrugs. "Well, the first five are somewhat believable, but seriously Sensei? Mind-controlled? Mind-exploded?" Her eyes narrowed as she spat at the last two.

I sighed as I leaned over and grabbed my PDA, this time using it to traverse over to the 'Anomalies' section of the compendium. Selecting probably the most common anomaly, I open up a picture and set it down onto the table.

Once more, they surrounded the screen.

"Vortex...?" Shiroko started.

"What's a Whirligig?" Nonomi asked.

"And what am I looking at?" Hoshino follows up.

"This." I point at the picture. "Is an anomaly, one of many."

They all stare at me to continue.

"These are just some of the hazards I encountered back in the Zone." I pick up the PDA and pointed at the anomaly on screen.

"This one here is a Vortex, as the locals call it. This one here is notorious for crushing its victims using forces unknown."

They all shudder at that.

Ayane, however, isn't so easily convinced. "The picture doesn't really give us a whole lot to go off of, it's more like a distorted picture."

"That is unfortunately the nature of these anomalies. As the name implies, these anomalies are... anomalous." She rolls her eyes. "Meaning, that they straight up just violate all laws of nature, laws of physics as well."

"How though?"

"Well, they wouldn't be called anomalies if we knew."

She groaned loudly.

"Hey." I raised my hands defensively. "It's not like I made 'em. Hell, I've lived around them for years and I still don't know all too much about them either."

"Then, what are anomalies?"

"That... I don't exactly know. After a catastrophic disaster struck the city of Chernobyl, which in turn created the Exclusion Zone, anomalies started showing up. We can trace the disaster to the creation of anomalies, but just exactly how anomalies are made?" I shrug. "I don't know."

Hoshino leans onto the table. "So, even if these things do exist, you're telling me this... distortion, in the picture is capable of crushing stuff?"

I nod. "With visceral results at that."

"Visceral?" Shiroko asks.

My face scrunches up. "Not pretty, and especially inappropriate to be talking about during lunch." I point at our now cold bowls.

Everyone looks at their bowl with disappointed faces as the broth had long since cooled, and the noodles now soggy.

I pick up my chopsticks. "Well, no sense in wasting it."

Begrudgingly, the girls tended to their lukewarm and soggy noodles. Hey, if you ask me, they still beat whatever we got at the Zone.

Finishing up, I notice Shiroko still casting curious glances my way.

I leaned onto the table. "Something tells me you've some burning questions."

She nods vigorously.

"Welp, hit me."

"Those hazards you talked about, are they all anomalies?"

I shrug. "Mostly, you still have most hazards in their man-made forms, but yes, a lot of these hazards do come in the form of an anomaly, a lot of the time literally violating the laws of physics."

"How so?"

"Well, like with the Vortex, it applies an ungodly amount of force onto whatever it sucks in and crushes it, sort of like it had its own gravity. That's why we usually refer to them and its sisters as gravitational anomalies."

The table nods along.

"Then there's the more elemental anomalies, which also violate the laws of physics, more so along the lines of going against the laws of the conservation of energy. Which is...?" I point at Ayane.

"Er, energy cannot be created or destroyed?"

"Bingo, so this anomaly..." I trail off as I select a Burner anomaly on my PDA. "Is called a Burner, as the name might imply, it burns things with fire."

"...Is that a pillar of flame?" Hoshino asks.

"That it is, usually in its dormant state, it's more like a campfire that's just been put out, with some ash and a spark here and there, but otherwise inconspicuous if you're not paying attention."

"But once you get too close..." I point at the activated Burner. "Up in flames you go."

Ayane shakes her head. "So you just have these anomalies sitting around? And if you don't see them, you get hurt?"

"More or less. But thankfully, there's a lot of ways to find out if you've got an anomaly on your hands."

"Such as?"

"For one, you throw something into what you suspect might be an anomaly."

She casts a sideways glance.

"If it works, it works. Better to toss a piece of metal or a rock than yourself, those things don't discriminate."

"Wait, so you're saying that these things just erupt into flames, with no fuel?"

I scratch the back of my head. "Well, yeah, I'm not too sure on the details, but as long as there's oxygen around, it'll burn no problem."

"A lot of these anomalies will react with most things thrown into it, as if it's some sort of weird landmine."

"Can they be moved?"

"It's a bit of a yes and no. Some anomalies are capable of movement, so less of us moving them and more of them just doing their thing."

"Those things can move?"

"Only a select handful of them, here, I should have one saved..." Going through the glossary, I find the Ghost anomaly before setting the PDA back onto the table.

"These green things move?" Nonomi says as she points at the screen.

"Somehow they're capable of movement. Some scientists have noted that they follow a fixed path, but they move, and they move pretty fast. Also, they are somehow both electrical and chemical in nature."

"You talk as if these... Ghosts, are sentient." Hoshino notes.

"With how crazy things can get, damned things might as well be."

Nonomi leans onto the table. "So, how crazy can things get?"

"Pretty damn crazy."

She tilts her head towards me, gesturing for me to go on.

Grabbing my PDA again, I select one of the more, harsh, anomalies one can encounter. Setting it back down onto the table, they looked at the image with raised brows.

"That's... a giant bubble." Shiroko points out.

I laugh. "I think you're the first to refer to one of these as such. If you knew what this thing could do..." I trail off.

"Could do?"

"Well, this anomaly here is simply called a Space Anomaly." I turn my head towards Shiroko. "No, it does not have anything to do with space."

"What it does do though, is possibly one of the worst things that could happen to any explorer."

I watch as they shifted in their seats as my tone changed.

"If you aren't paying attention and step foot into one of these, it sends you into... well, God knows where. From what little accounts I could gather from Stalkers that did survive the encounter, it brings you into a forest."

"And that's bad?" Shiroko interrupts.

"That." I bite back, chastising the white wolf. "Never ends." I sigh. "Thing is, the forest never ends, because no matter where you go, no matter how far you went, you always seemed to end up where you began."

"Those unlucky or of weak will... well, they never make it out."

Shiroko's ears droop down. "...Sorry Sensei, that was insensitive of me."

I pat her head. "It's alright, you didn't know."

"So how do you get out?" Ayane asks.

I shrug. "They said they got lucky, and those that got real lucky, they found a Compass to guide them out."

"A compass? Then why doesn't everyone have one? You all are explorers like you said, right?" Hoshino understandably questions.

"Not a compass in the most literal sense." I answer. "We call it so because it's an artefact, this particular one only found within the Space Anomaly. It's called a Compass because one of the few people to make it out found one of them to guide them out. He dubbed it as such, and if you ask me, it's quite fitting."

"Not a compass but called Compass, wait a minute... artefacts? We're doing treasure hunting now?"

"Long story short, artefacts are byproducts of these anomalies, and depending on the type of anomaly, be it gravitational or chemical, it'll create an artefact based on that."

"As for how the Space Anomaly created the Compass, it probably has to do with navigating your way out of the damn thing."

Ayane raises a brow. "Do you have any of these... artefacts on you?"

I shake my head. "Nope, a lot of the time they emit all sorts of radiation."

They all look at me in disbelief.

"Yup, the things are radioactive, and the more "powerful" they are, or more potent, the deadlier the radiation they emit."

Hoshino raises a brow. "Radiation, like nuclear stuff?"

"You're thinking of gamma radiation, but yes, plenty of artefacts emit the stuff. On the lower scale, weaker artefacts emit weaker radiation or none at all. Weaker types of radiation being alpha and beta. And on the higher side, gamma radiation, and even neutron radiation."

"...Radiation?" Nonomi asks.

I throw a glance her way. "Yes... you all do know what radiation is, right?"

"Heard of 'em." Hoshino answers.

"Our science only covers general topics." Ayane adds.

Shiroko shakes her head.

I raise a brow. "Really? What do you all know about radiation then?"

Ayane looks up as if thinking. "Well... we know about radiation in the sense of energy being let off through heat."

"Infrared radiation!" Nonomi pops in.

Hoshino nods. "I've read a few books that might've brought up stuff like gamma radiation."

Really? This is a first, seeing a crowd that is unaware of radiation. Zone logic aside, most people are at least somewhat aware of the dangers of radiation, in the nuclear sense anyways.

"I suppose this is my time to teach you all a little something about radiation."

They all shuffle in their seats, getting comfortable to pay attention.

"Well, we know radiation is simply the way atoms shed off energy as they decay, right?"

They nod, though somewhat hesitantly.

"Depending on the atom that's decaying, they may emit lesser particles or even pure energy. This is either particle radiation or electromagnetic radiation."

I watch as Ayane produced a small tablet, presumably to be taking notes. Never had I thought I'd be teaching anyone, much less students. I snort at the fact before continuing.

"Particle radiation, as the name might imply, radiates particles."

Shiroko raises her hand. "What does this have to do with your... artefacts?"

"I'm getting there." I wave a finger in her direction.

"Anyhow, these particles are known as alpha or beta particles. They aren't particularly dangerous, as the size of them are too big to pass through most objects, such as paper or your skin."

I turn my head towards Shiroko. "A lot of the lesser artefacts emit alpha and beta particles. Although I do say they aren't too dangerous, that doesn't mean that you can ignore them. At high enough doses, or doses taken over a long period of time, they can cause irreversible cell damage.

They look at me in confusion.

"Cancer, is what I'm getting at."

They recoil in surprise.

I nod along before smirking. "Don't worry, you rarely if ever come into contact with objects that emit any radiation, so don't worry."

"What about electromagnetic radiation?" Nonomi asks, her curiosity piqued.

"Well, you all have head of the electromagnetic spectrum, right?"

Shiroko nods. "Like with visible light, radio waves and x-rays?"

"Bingo, so I'm sure you've all heard of gamma rays then, as it's basically at the farthest end of the spectrum."

They all mouth out a variation of 'oooooooh' while nodding.

"The kicker is that all of these rays, waves, energy, however you want to call it, is that they are all pure energy, meaning there's no particle to worry about."

"What you do have to worry about, is the energy itself."

"How so?" Hoshino asks, her head buried into her arms.

"I'm sure you all have had sunburns?"

They all nod. "Summers are particularly harsh about that." Shiroko adds.

"That is because of the ultraviolet rays hitting your skin, ultraviolet radiation, if you will."

"The farther down you go on the spectrum, the higher energy and the shorter the wavelength of the ray. Meaning the more damage they can cause."

"So, that takes us to gamma radiation?" Ayane questions, tablet still in hand.

I nod. "This one's extremely dangerous, as it rips through everything that isn't as dense or denser than lead."

"Should I go into the details of exactly how dangerous gamma radiation is?"

They glance at each other then back to me, their eyes brimming with curiosity.

"Heh, you all would've made great explorers back in the Zone." I clear my throat. "But gamma radiation isn't something to take lightly. We can't see it, well, we can't see any of them, but that makes it all the more dangerous. Since it's basically pure energy that travels so fast and with an extremely small wavelength, it allows it to pass through the gaps of your very atomic structure."

I catch in the corner of my eye Nonomi looking down at herself with a frown.

"At certain levels, it rewrites DNA and kills cells."

They all go wide-eyed at the fact.

"But, luckily it's only found in select rare elements and in outer space."

"Outer... space?" Ayane asked, tapping away at her tablet.

I laugh. "If you want, it can be a story for another day. For now-" I look at Shiroko. "Back to the artefacts."

"Now that you all have gotten a little lesson on radiation, I can think you can kind of see why I try to not carry around artefacts."

They nod in understanding.

"What I can't tell you though, is how they emit radiation." I shrug. "Again, that's unknown, maybe if you ask Professor Sakharov, he'd glady explain everything behind artefacts."

"Professor who?"

Right, not in the Zone. "One of the egghead scientists I worked with back in the Zone. I got him artefacts, he paid me well."

"Ahem!"

Cutting our, admittedly, long winded conversation short, we all turn towards the perpetrator.

"I'd hate to cut story time and the lesson short, but you guys have been here too long." Serika says, planting the check onto the table.

"Story for another day, I guess." I shrug.

The black cat nods. "Yes, and as far away as possible from here."

I watch in the corner of my eye as Nonomi picked up the check before moving a hand towards her pocket. Producing a brightly patterned and decorated wallet, this notably caused everyone to recoil in shock.

"Close your eyes Sensei!" Hoshino cried out.

I raise a brow at the student before having my peripherals filled with a blinding light. Instinctively, I raised my hand to block my eyes, the flash lasting a few seconds before dimming.

"Okay, what the hell was that." I ask, blinking the spots out of my vision.

Ayane rubbed her eyes before speaking up. "Nonomi! Warn us before taking that thing out!"

The blonde in question giggled before placing the object that flashbanged us all onto the check. "Whoops, I keep forgetting."

I point at what I can finally identify to be a golden credit card. "You're telling me that, caused that blinding light?"

They all nod.

"Okay, now it's my turn to ask how."

Hoshino grins. "I guess you could say that card is its own anomaly."

Collectively, the table groans, with me joining in subconsciously.

After paying, we all got up to leave. Save for Serika, the rest of the girl's still had some school-related tasks to finish up. I waited till the others left before moving to get up, that is, till I felt a tug on my sleeve.

Craning my head around, I find Serika to be this time's culprit.

"Need something?"

She nods. "Yup, remember when you told Master Shiba that you'd fix something up for him if the need arose?"

"That I do."

"Well, we need to cash that in, our mixer that makes the noodle dough just croaked the other day, so if you could work your magic, that'd be great."

I nod. "I'll see what I can do."

Guiding me to the kitchen, she picked up a stand mixer before setting it down in front of me on a steel table, Master Shiba stood to the side as he eyed the appliance.

He crossed his arms. "It served us well for a few years, so I thought it should have a few more in it."

Inspecting the housing, it's as he says, reflected in the worn-down paint and the subtle, but present indentation in the steel casing.

"When's the last time you opened it up for maintenance?" I ask, searching through my pack for my tool kit.

He shakes his head. "Can't say I remember."

I'll take that as a no.

After taking the time to diagnose the issue, the motor was the main problem. Years of running a motor without proper maintenance would eventually kill it, more so since the dough making process required a whole lot of work.

With a little elbow grease and gutting a few hand mixers, the stand mixer was just about good as new. With a flick of its switch, it hummed to life as it began mixing the air.

"Well I'll be, you are a handyman of sorts." Master Shiba praised.

"Never thought I'd use my skills to fix kitchen appliances, but nothing out of my league."

Packing up my tools, I replace them into my pack before hooking it back on.

"If nothing else, I'll see myself out."

He nods. "Thanks again Sensei!"

"See you around."

Finding myself back on Abydos grounds, I wandered the perimeter of the school grounds, a little ways away from our main building, the sunset on my back. I was never really one to take in the atmosphere, but sometimes you can't help it, when the time of day and the vibes are just right, sometimes you just gotta take it in.

Is what I would do if I wasn't currently under attack.

Following the ambush Serika and I unfortunately got caught in, and the timely rescue on the Task Force's part, we had thought we bought ourselves at least a week before they could muster enough forces for another attack. Little did we expect another party to interfere.

Problem Solver 68 they call themselves, a rag-tag group of outlaws merely fulfilling a contract. Though as rag-tag as they are, they are a force to be reckoned with once they got serious.

Unfortunately, I got caught on the receiving end of that seriousness.

"Give it up Sensei, we have you surrounded and outnumbered!"

What I wouldn't give to have all my equipment right now. Ducked under a counter, I stayed stock still as a few of the girls pushed up to search for me. They have around a couple dozen girls, so I'm woefully outmatched.

"Eyes up, this is Sensei we're dealing with. Just try to keep the damage to a minimum."

A wave of yes's pass as they pushed into the abandoned diner, flashlights at the ready. Only thing I got on my side is the cover of darkness, so I'll have to play this smart.

Unfortunately for them, I'm not in a position to return the sentiment. Carefully pulling the pin on an M67 I got from Shiroko, I got as close to them as possible, weaving between booths as I approached. Letting loose the spoon, I rolled the grenade in between their ranks before slipping outside.

An explosion reported a few seconds later as I high tailed it in the direction of the school building.

Then about a half dozen flashlights lit up, casting my shadow ahead of me.

"There he is! Get 'em!"

"Hold your fire! Just grab him, as long as we have him, we have a bargaining chip to use on those Abydos girls!"

"Kayoko!" The same girl yelled out. "Do it."

Within that instant, a single gunshot rang out, then an indescribable sense of dread and fear washed over me. My heartrate skyrocketing, and my breathing unstable. I damn near doubled over before I stabbed myself in the arm, the pain overwriting whatever the fuck just happened.

It was akin to having a Controller and its bullshit psychic power grip over you, minus a lot of the brain rupturing trauma.

Noticing the chase ended a few dozen meters back, I still keep pace as I wrap a tourniquet above my self-inflicted wound. They're likely another group aiming for the school.

"It... didn't work?" A red-haired student asked, watching as their quarry melded into the darkness.

A white-haired student shook their head, a grimace displayed on her face. "It did, he just... overwrote the fear."

She shot her a concerned look. "Overwrote... how!? Your fear shouldn't be able to be resisted that easily!"

"He stabbed himself."

"...What?"

"He used the pain to overwrite the fear."

"He..." She trailed off as she turned towards her team. "The plan will continue as is."

A black-purple haired student saluted. "A-anything for you, Aru-sama!"

Barging into the classroom, the students inside jumped as the doors flew open.

"What the he-! Sensei!? W-what's wrong?" Ayane asks as she readjusted her glasses back in place.

I look in her direction before shaking my head. "No time, I need you all geared up and ready, we have visitors, and by the looks of things, they aren't here to play nice."

Shiroko stood up before locking onto my arm. "Y-you're bleeding."

I wave her off. "Again, no time, I'll patch this up later. Right now, I need you ready for a fight."

She nods before kicking into gear, with the rest of the girls following suit. I watch as Ayane got her drones ready to get airborne, sliding open a window before returning to her laptop.

The rest got ready packing magazines into their pockets and grenades into their schoolbags, with Nonomi loading a very long belt of 7.62 into her ammo box. With the resupply we received from the GSC, we had quite the stock of equipment ready for use.

No sense saving them for later. I helped myself to the multitude of M67's sticking out of their crates, packing them into whatever free slots I had in my rig. Unable to use any of the ammunition piled high, I resign myself to keeping my rifle in single fire.

Fully kitted, I nodded towards the girls as they filed out of the room.

Then the front gate exploded.

"Looks like you're right Sensei!" Ayane yelled over her shoulder. "I count around two dozen hostiles, and their storming the front gate fast!"

I nod towards her before heading towards the door. "Keep us updated Ayane, this won't be like the other day under all this darkness."

"Yes, Sensei!"

In the courtyard, muzzle flashes could be seen lighting up areas where the lamp posts couldn't. Under the cover of darkness, it's very easy to lose track of both friendlies and hostiles. Noting the fact, the Task Force opted to stick together and move as one.

"Hold fire till you think you can hit them! Follow their muzzle flashes!" I yell, putting a few rounds at said muzzle flashes.

Dropping my rifle, the sling catches it as I prep an M67. Pulling the pin, I let it loose in the general direction of the enemy, the explosion reported a few seconds later.

"Hurry up and get those flood lights up!" Someone commands, rushing the other girls to hook up the lights to their portable generator.

'It's only a few students, so why're we having so much trouble!?' Aru internally panicked.

She had spent a pretty penny on hiring mercenaries, doubly so with the number she picked up. With her team and the mercs, she'd believed that this would've been an easy job, just rush the main gate and take them all out.

So why wasn't it working!?

An explosion reported a few meters away, scattering a group of mercenaries and routing those not incapacitated from the blast.

Flood lights now on, the courtyard lit up to reveal a startling number of unconscious mercenaries strewn about, and not a single target in sight.

"Anyone have eyes on the targets!?" One of the mercs yelled.

"No visuals! Vanguard's been wiped out completely!" Another answers.

"Front door! Contact front door!"

Guns raised, their muzzles flashed alive as rounds flew through the air. Instead of hitting a target, they bounced ineffectively off of a tall shield. From behind it, a boxy white drone took to the air, its missile pods aiming menacingly in their direction.

"Oh crap- everyone scatter!"

The missiles flew through the air, exploding on impact and throwing those caught in their blast radius into the air. Collectively, those still up returned fire at the drone, Aru and her companions included.

The drone doing its job, the shield pushed up, a shotgun and minigun blind firing behind it.

"They're pushing us back! Don't let 'em! Move up!"

Following the order, the mercs regrouped and staged a counterattack, pinning down the shield in a hail of gunfire.

"W-wait! Pull b-back!" Aru stuttered as she watched the fight unfold from behind her scope.

Too late to register her orders, five frag grenades landed at the mercenaries' feet, resulting in an earth-shaking explosion.

Mutsuki giggled. "Well, you gotta hand it to them, they know their ordnance."

Kayoko groaned as she facepalmed, the operation was going extremely poorly.

"A-Aru-sama, what n-now?" Haruka asked her dear leader as she clutched her shotgun close.

Steeling herself, she turned towards her companions. "If you want a job done right, you'll have to do it yourself."

"Waow~! Boss's so serious!"

Jumping into the fray, Haruka took the front, her shotgun blasting shells into the opposing vanguard. Pellets impacting the shield, the pink-haired student replied with her own shells, alongside a blonde with a scary looking minigun spooling up.

Seeing the barrels peeking past the shield, Aru lined up her scope to at least decommission that shotgun. Letting loose a few rounds, one hits their mark, knocking the shotgun to the side, allowing Haruka to move up.

With a little breathing room afforded by the action, Mutsuki was able to ready her M249, the light machine gun serving its purpose of laying down suppressive fire. With one hand holding down the trigger, she used the other to prep her 'gift'. 'LOVE & VIOLENCE' emblazoned on the side of the large black bag, she let off the trigger for a few seconds to spin herself around, gaining momentum before letting go of the bag.

Landing off to the side of the shield, the occupants gave each other a confused look. Next thing they knew, an explosion had swept them off their feet, sending the shield off to the side and the girls injured on the ground.

With their shield and fire support down, there was only two riflewomen to worry about.

Aru nodded to herself, maybe things were starting to take a turn for the better.

That feeling was soon cut short as several more grenades took to the air. Knowing better, the trio of girls backed off quickly and out of the blast radius.

"Nice grenades!" Mutsuki taunted before digging into her pockets, producing her own. "Here, why don't you have a few of mine!"

As they landed, a tall figure could be seen running away from the explosives before sliding into cover.

Kayoko raised a brow before turning towards her white-silver haired companion. "Was that who I think it was?"

Before she could get an answer, more grenades flew towards their position, this time rolling behind them, forcing them towards their target.

The tall figure then stood up, catching them in the middle of their escape. A few rounds impacted Haruka, causing her to stumble before tripping, only to be caught by Kayoko who had a hand on her collar as she raised her handgun to return fire.

Startlingly, the tall figure stood resolute, even shrugging off two rounds as they impacted their chest. She watched in some shock as they let their rifle hang off a sling before tossing even more grenades their way.

This time landing in between them, the girls were forced to scatter. Without cover, they heard a booming male voice ordering whoever to push up. That's when the two more girls rallied to his side, rifles in hand and aiming at them.

Taking more rounds than she'd like, Kayoko grabbed Haruka by the collar before hightailing it back to their leader's position, who's positively shaking in her heels.

"Boss!" She yelled as she essentially tossed Haruka in front of her. "We need to go, and fast." Casting a glance over her shoulder, she could see their targets regrouping, with the pink and blonde-haired students up and ready.

"B-but...!" Aru stammered out.

"They have Sensei on their side Boss! This job was bust from the start, now let's go! I'll try and cover our escape."

Her leader stared wide-eyed before blinking a few times, regaining what was left of her composure. "O-okay, Haruka! Mutsuki!"

"Y-yes, Aru-sama!"

"Yes Boss~!

She shook her head. "We're leaving."

Exhaling in relief, Kayoko watched as the three ran off before steeling herself and raising her gun into the air, letting off a single shot.

I watched as the girls hightailed off into the distance, but threw a confused looked at the white-haired one standing alone and facing us.

With a raised brow, I continued to observe as she raised her gun into the air, a single shot was let off before a swirling purple energy coalesced around her before following after the shot round.

Then the same dread and fear washed over me. Gritting my teeth, I looked to my side to see the girls not fairing any better, with Shiroko and Serika on their knees, their ears flat on their head. Hoshino has her teeth gritted hard as well, with Nonomi hugging herself as fear gripped her.

I shake my head as I raised my rifle towards the white-haired girl. Whatever psychic bullshit she was doing was potent, but nothing on the level I've experienced.

Steadying my breathing, I leveled my rifle before letting loose a few rounds, putting two into her chest before missing the rest. She doubled over in pain before finally making her escape, causing me to click my tongue in response.

Letting my rifle hang, I tended to the Task Force as I got them to their feet after ensuring nothing was wrong.

Whatever the hell that was, looks like psy-block wasn't off the table.

After patching ourselves up, we gathered what was left of the attacking force, namely, their valuables. Facing the same problem as with the Helmet Gang, we didn't have any facilities to lock them up, so we made do with "repurposing" their equipment before kicking them to the dirt... sand.

"Something tells me this won't be the last we'll see them." I mutter as I slumped back into my seat.

Following the failed raid, we sat once more in the clubroom to debrief on the sudden attack.

Ayane had a hand on her chin as she stood in front of the whiteboard. "They call themselves Problem Solver 68, they're a sort of guns-for-hire from Gehenna."

'Gehenna'. I mouthed out, that reminds me, I need to visit the academies when I get the chance.

"So, Kaiser started buying out mercs to handle us?" Serika spouted.

"That means we're enough of a pain in the ass for them to call in bigger guns." I answer.

She snorts. "Good, anything to have them annoyed."

Hoshino shook her head. "That means things're gonna get a whole lot worse from now on."

I shook my head, unfortunately she was all too right. Any nails that stuck out too far would eventually be hammered out soon enough, and we're only seeing a fraction of whatever influence they might have.

Shiroko nodded. "That means we need to go on the offensive."

Ayane raised a brow. "We don't even know where to start, and with Kaiser fronting the costs on these attacks, we won't stand a chance should they get serious."

"That means we need to get out hands on some info... and thankfully, I know just the place to start."

They all turned to me, with Ayane opening up first.

"And that would be?" She gestured for me to continue.

"I did a little snooping around and caught wind of a black market."

They groaned.

"Sensei..." Ayane trailed off.

I raised my hands defensively. "Hey, I never said it was going to be in good taste. Fact of the matter is, unless we do want to stand a chance against Kaiser, we're going to have to get dirty."

It was plain on their faces that they've never gotten mixed up in anything illegal, shady even.

I sigh. "Hey, none of you have to get involved, if it's anything like back home, I know the ins and outs of dealing with shady business."

I receive stares in varying degrees of incredulousness.

Ignoring them, I continue. "I'll see about heading out tomorrow."

Hoshino shakes her head. "Just... be careful Sensei. Those thugs caught you off guard once already."

"You know me, careful is my forte."

I could've sworn I heard a groan sound out from my vest, but I ignore it.

I get to my feet, stretching out my arms. "So that's the plan, I'll see about gathering any info on how we can best hurt Kaiser, you all keep an eye out for anything out of place. Namely any gang activity."

A wave of yes's pass, though with some hesitation, understandably.

I turn towards Ayane. "Meeting's adjourned?"

She nods. "Meeting's adjourned."

With everyone filing out of the clubroom, assumingly to head home, I retire to my room. Setting down my gear, I slump back into the office chair as I took out the Shittim Chest.

"Arona, what can you bring up about the black market around these parts?"

Popping into view as the screen turned on, she placed on a hand on her chin as if thinking.

"Hmm, I can't say much, given that most dealings are already very discreet." She rubbed her index and thumb together. "Paper transactions only."

I grimaced. "Probably have to go there physically. But I'm flat broke, so no buying my way into any info." I rubbed my chin. "Maybe a bit of barter then." Digging around my pack, I searched for anything that might pique the interest of the brokers.

Tool kits, weapon repair and cleaning kits, armor repair kits...

None of which particularly valuable.

Though...

I hate to say it, but I do have a few... unsavory items on me. Thought I left all of it back at the GSC, but looks like I slipped up on that. Opening up a small pouch conveniently hidden under all my repair kits, it unzipped to reveal a few of these said... items.

Small baggies of marijuana, cocaine, yadulin, each packed away in sufficient doses should the need arise.

In an even smaller, glass bottle, is an insurance of mine, should I ever have been caught in a middle of blowout. Anabiotics, synthesized from some sort of potent toxin, it works to completely shut down the body's nervous system.

If not the first three, then I'm sure a few brokers might be a little interested in this one.

I sigh, didn't have to think I'd have to resort to this in a place like this, but times are desperate, and that calls for desperate measures.

Heh, guess this place is a little more like the Zone than I'd like to admit.