Another beautiful day dawned in the desolate district of Abydos. Once a thriving part of Kivotos, home to one of the most powerful and influential academies rivaling Gehenna and Trinity, it had now been reduced to a wasteland. Desertification had buried vast regions under the sand, leading to the abandonment of the district by its citizens and the General Student Council.
As time went on, the school fell into desperation. Their cries for assistance were met with deaf ears, forcing them to seek help from the Kaiser Corporation, unaware of the corporation's devious plot.
Kaiser utilized its vast wealth to buy more and more land from the Abydos School, burying it under massive loan interest to slowly squeeze their life away.
Exploiting the school's weakness, Kaiser pursued its objectives to gain more political power within Kivotos. They nearly succeeded, but the combined efforts of the Foreclosure Task Force, Problem Solver 68, and Sensei managed to put a stop on Kaiser Corporation's plans.
Despite their victory, the Abydos students knew they still had much work to do to resolve their school's problems as desertification, Kaiser and Binah were still at their door steps.
"Ayane, is it true what I've heard? Will we be receiving new students?" a student asked in a calm and gentle voice. She had pale blonde hair, emerald eyes, and a green halo hovering over her head.
"Indeed, Nonomi. I've reviewed the information sent to Hoshino by the General Student Council. It seems they will be arriving today," Ayane replied as she adjusted her glasses. The black-haired student held a stack of paperwork stamped by the city government in her hand.
"Wow. Even with our victory, I didn't expect anyone to decide to join our school. The conditions here are still pretty rough, not to mention our debt," Nonomi said, tilting her head slightly in thought.
"From what I've read on their IDs, they aren't from Kivotos. Perhaps they don't know about our situation. We shouldn't let them find out," a grey-haired student with wolf ears interjected, cleaning sand off her weapon as she sat on a chair.
"No way, Shiroko! They need to know about it. If they don't, it might cause even more problems," the student with cat ears and navy blue hair shouted, aware that keeping secrets would only lead to more issues at the end of the day.
"Yawn!" The smallest member of the group struggled to stay awake, slowly laying her head on the table. "Maybe we should keep the loan a secret for a bit, then later we can threaten them to stay with us." She concluded, her pink hair hiding her face as she laid back down.
"That seems to be a very good plan, Hoshino." Shiroko said, raising her assault rifle, with a rope ready on her shoulder.
"Not this again," Ayane facepalmed, familiar with her comrade's usual antics. "No, we will not do that. You can't threaten students who just arrived." She glanced at their now sleeping leader.
"HELLO!" A masculine voice called from outside the school grounds, drawing the group's attention to the window. "IS THERE SOMEONE HERE? Aqua, are you sure this is the place?"
"I'm sure this is the place," a second voice confirmed. Ayane looked out and saw a group of four. Three were girls with halos, and the fourth was an adult.
"HI! WAIT A SECOND, I'M GOING TO OPEN THE GATE," Ayane shouted from the Foreclosure Task Force Room window. "They're already here. Alright everybody, let's give our all. This is a rare opportunity and we can't throw it away." Ayane sprang into action, running through the room towards the door to head to the gate. "Nonomi and Serika, come with me. Shiroko, please wake up Hoshino," she commanded rapidly as she zoomed out of the room, leaving the group little time to react.
Meanwhile somewhere else
A large man in a trench coat stared down from his platform at the sprawling military encampment below. There were automaton soldiers, gang members, war machines, and anything else the Kayser PMC could muster. Kayser had invested heavily in this base for their research and plans to control the region.
He calmly adjusted his cap and descended the stairs from the platform. As he reached the ground, a squad approached him with weapons in hand.
"General, do you have any orders?" one of the automatons asked as they neared the General of the PMC forces. Despite their recent defeat, they still had a stronghold in the desert area, and their operations couldn't cease due to minor setbacks. Their efforts to reorganize were paying off, albeit slowed by the students' attacks.
The general, like many of the forces, was an automaton himself, though his appearance and equipment were vastly different from the standard troops. "Keep the desert searches going. The higher-ups don't care how long it takes, they want what's in there. Keep the gangs on high alert for any attacks from the Abydos forces. They're getting new students, which may boost their spirits and push them to go on the offensive again. We can't afford to divert many resources for that."
"Sir, speaking of which, our scouts have confirmed that the new students arrived in the district today," another squad member reported, handing a tablet to the general. On it was an image of four individuals, three of them halo students and one an adult.
"They've come quicker than expected. This is rather troublesome." The general rested his metallic head on one hand, deep in thought. "But we have an opportunity. According to our collaborator, they seem to be outsiders. They might know very little about the difficulties of this region, making them easy to scare." He pointed to the soldiers as an idea formed in his mind.
"Get a vehicle and a small mercenary gang and attack the Abydos school. Don't put yourselves in danger, just cause enough damage to scare the new students. Once they understand the situation they've walked into, they'll likely seek to transfer to another district. Only someone crazy would stay here." As the general concluded, the squadron saluted and quickly dispersed to prepare for their mission. 'With the loss of their new compatriots so soon, the Abydos students will surely lose morale. This will be the perfect moment for Kayser to strike and take down the school. Perfect.'
At the Entrance of The School
"Kfu~!" Aqua, Megumin, and Darkness held their hands in front of their mouths, stifling their laughter as they stood behind Kazuma.
'Why does this kind of thing always happen to me?' Kazuma lamented silently. 'I'm in a city that doesn't make any sense, nobody can use magic, I don't know if anybody else is here, and worst of all. WHY AM I A RACCOON?' He examined his own body, which was now a shorter, hairy, fluffy version of his former human self.
He wasn't the only one who had changed. Aqua, Megumin, and Darkness each had radiant halos floating above their heads, and their clothes had transformed as well. Megumin wore the Red Prison uniform she had to use back in her old village, while Darkness and Aqua wore more typical school uniforms, yellow and blue respectively.
The girls continued to giggle, their eyes fixed on the now-transformed Kazuma. He grew increasingly fed up with their constant teasing since they found themselves in this new world. "You know, all of this is your fault," he pointed bitterly at Aqua.
"I'm sorry. Hahaha! I just can't hold back my laughter when I look at you, Little Fluffy Kazuma. Hahaha!" Aqua unabled to stop herself she started laughing out loud as she stared at the now dwarf sized Kazuma. She reached out to pet Kazuma's head mockingly, but he quickly stepped back.
"Just don't," Kazuma said, glaring at Aqua with eyes full of contempt. 'Is this how Ainz felt when he changed bodies? No. He was a lucky bastard. At least he looked cool. Not like me, a goddamn raccoon.'
"What if I don't? What are you going to do, punch me with your tiny little paws? Haha." Aqua slowly started to poke Kazuma's forehead, abandoning any effort to hold back her laughter.
Kazuma didn't take her teasing lightly. He desperately wanted to punch her, but his eyes were always drawn to the small submachine gun she now carried. She wasn't the only one armed. Since arriving in this city, all the girls had firearms: Darkness with a revolver, and Megumin with a rocket launcher.
"Hello!" The four adventurers turned to the source of the voice. It was a girl, the same one who had called to them from the school window. Two other students followed her, each with strange-looking halos floating above their heads, each design unique.
'I guess only the girls get those halos,' Kazuma thought, glancing at his companions.
Kazuma was pulled from his thoughts when he noticed one of the girls' appearances. One of them had a characteristic he rarely saw but knew well. "Oh, a cat girl?"
"No way, Kazuma, she looks just like the statue from my village's shrine," Megumin said, pointing excitedly at the girl with cat ears.
"Shut up, Megumin," Kazuma whispered to the red mage before turning back to the student group.
"Hello. It's a pleasure to meet you." The black-haired girl with elf ears bowed her head before opening the gate. "My name is Ayane."
"Hi. I'm Nonomi." The pale blonde girl with a green halo waved at the team.
A black-haired catgirl with a fuchsia-colored halo followed. Her ears twitched slightly, and she crossed her arms, looking away with a hint of defiance. "My name is Serika," she said tersely.
"Oh! She's a tsundere too?" Kazuma said aloud, but no one seemed to understand or care enough about his comment.
"Welcome to Abydos Academy!" Ayane said again, bowing her head. When she raised it, a polite smile graced her face.
"We've heard that you aren't from the city, so don't worry. We'll do our best to help you get used to living here in Kivotos." Nonomi stepped forward with a warm smile, much like her friend.
"May I ask your names, please?" Ayane asked, her voice gentle and welcoming.
"Oh, yes. I'm Kazuma," he introduced himself, stepping closer to Ayane. "I'm their… guardian, I guess," he added, gesturing to his three companions behind him.
Ayane looked momentarily confused, her glasses glinting as she tilted her head. Understanding dawned on her countenance. "I see. It's a pleasure to meet you. It's very rare to have an adult accompany and take care of students in Kivotos outside of Sensei." She extended her hand and grasped his, lifting them together, which startled Kazuma from the sudden action.
"Well, let's start. The blue-haired one is Aqua," Kazuma continued, trying to focus on something else. He pointed to Aqua, whose usual confident smirk was broken. "The blonde is Lalatina, but she prefers to go by 'Darkness,'" he said, pointing to Darkness, who turned to him, irritated that he used her real name. "And the brunette is Megumin," he finished, pointing to Megumin, who was adjusting her oversized hat.
"KAZUMA! Let me introduce myself!" Aqua shouted, her previous smugness evaporating. She stepped forward, her eyes flashing with indignation.
"Yes, Kazuma, I had prepared an entire speech for me to announce," Megumin followed suit, showing her disapproval with a pout.
"Kazuma, there is no need for you to do that. I'm a mature lady, I can present myself," Darkness agreed with her compatriot's point. However, unlike her teammates, she didn't show the same level of aggression.
"It is a pleasure to meet everyone, but Mr. Kazuma, I have a question. You said you are their guardian. You mean you were sent to take care of them?" Ayane asked the raccoon, still holding his hand. 'I need to show him that Abydos is a great place for them. If he approves, their family will too.' Ayane thought to herself as her spirit shined with determination.
"Yes, if I leave those three alone, they will cause a lot of trouble or even bankrupt this school," Kazuma explained, as Serika felt sweat trickle down her forehead.
"Kazuma, what do you mean by this? I can take care of myself!" Aqua shouted, almost in tears as embarrassment from his words consumed away her dignity.
"Yes, Kazuma, we can take care of ourselves!" Megumin echoed, trying her best to defend her pride.
"If we go bankrupt, I might need to find ways to make money for everyone. Even if it means using my body, yes hehe~" Darkness, unlike the other two, didn't contradict Kazuma's words, as she was deeply entrenched in her fantasies.
Kazuma turned to face Aqua, pointing a finger directly at her. "You always say something like that before we get in trouble, and I need to deal with all the problems you cause."
"I don't think this will work well," Serika whispered to Nonomi as she watched the students in front of her with a disapproving stare.
"What do you mean? This entire thing just seems to be getting more interesting by the second," the student with the green halo whispered back, unable to hide her smile.
Before the conflict could escalate further, Ayane jumped into action and knelt to stay on the same level as Kazuma. Her expression changed from her usual peaceful demeanor to a serious face with very sharp, confident eyes. "Mr. Kazuma, I completely understand your situation. Their families might be apprehensive about them being far away, so they send someone they can trust to take care of them. But you have nothing to fear. The Abydos Academy will do everything in its power to keep them safe and out of trouble," she spoke with conviction, trying her best to assure Kazuma of their skills.
"You want to take the misery that is taking care of them?" he asked, surprised and impressed. Not by the girl's confidence, but by the proposal to relieve him of his responsibility. "I would do anything in return." He bowed deeply, almost falling over due to the imbalance of his new body.
"Kazuma, do you really think so little of us?" Megumin said as she looked down at the raccoon she called a companion, bowing to the students. She couldn't see his face, but she knew for certain he was smiling. 'I will make you pay for that!'
"Yes, you don't need to stress yourself about it. The Foreclosure Task Force will protect them! There is nothing to be concerned about. After all, this is our job!" Ayane answered Kazuma, grinning brightly and with confidence in her voice.
"Also, extra hands are always welcome in Abydos," Serika said, looking around at the mountains of sand accumulated on the school grounds and the region around it.
"Yes. You could help us with the maintenance of the school if it isn't a problem for you," Nonomi followed suit with her classmate's words, giving a kind expression.
"Serika, Nonomi, we can't just ask him to work for us like this," Ayane darted back at her two friends, embarrassed. 'You two can't say that. It sounds like we are pressuring him to work for us. We can't stoop to the same level as Kaiser!' She thought to herself, unable to voice her concerns without making the conversation awkward for the new students.
"I will do it," Kazuma said very nonchalantly as he lifted his head.
"What do you mean you will?" Ayane once more turned her gaze upon the adult with confusion. It didn't make sense to her, as he probably had important work to do.
"I don't have money, and I don't have a place to stay," Kazuma said, glancing down. He slowly moved his tiny hands to his pocket and pulled them out to show they were empty.
"Their families sent you without any money? Do you at least have anything saved to pay for your food?" Nonomi asked, a little flabbergasted. Kivotos wasn't a cheap city to live in.
"Hahaha, that is a rather complicated story," Kazuma let out a tired laugh.
"Well, at least you seem to have your guns. This is better than nothing, I guess," Serika noted as she examined the weapons the newcomers held.
"Hahaha, well, about that," Kazuma continued to laugh, knowing all too well that the firearms his friends held were more likely than not a danger to everyone, not just possible enemies.
"Hello! Yawn! Oji-san really needs more sleep." Hoshino went past the school doors with closed eyes, still half-asleep, carried in Shiroko's arms.
"Oh, Hoshino, Shiroko, you've finally arrived," Ayane looked back as her two compatriots calmly approached the group. "I haven't mentioned Hoshino to you, but she is our president," Ayane said, still darting away from the new students as she pointed towards the pink-haired girl sleeping in another student's arms.
"Hahaha, Ayane is exaggerating a bit. I'm only the leader of the Foreclosure Task Force," Hoshino said as she finally opened her eyes while Shiroko let her go.
"Well, you're the one with the highest authority in the school right now," Ayane replied, quickly adjusting her glasses.
"You aren't wrong, but admitting that would mean I'd have to do paperwork and diplomatic work." Hoshino slowly shook her head from side to side. "And I don't want to deal with all that trouble." She took a step forward and carefully examined the new students.
"Hoshino, this isn't why we came here," Shiroko said, walking past Hoshino with an emotionless tone that made Kazuma feel a chill run down his back. 'Damn, even Ainz had more emotion in his voice, even with that eternal poker face of his,' Kazuma thought, feeling the pressure as he watched the girl approach.
"Yes, you're right." Hoshino followed up, getting her shotgun ready. "Foreclosure Task Force, get ready. One of Ayane's alarms was activated. It seems we have four PMC cars making their way here."
"Kaiser is coming? Why? They always show up at the most inconvenient times," Serika said, irritated by the company's continual aggression against their school.
"I have an idea why. Serika, Nonomi, Ayane, with me." The students formed a circle and started whispering to each other.
"Huh, this looks bad, Kazuma. What do we do?" Aqua asked as she approached Kazuma from behind.
"I don't know. I don't know what that Kaiser thing is," Kazuma answered as his anxiety began to creep in. The thought that it hadn't been a day since they ended up in this world and they were already in trouble was more than enough to make him feel an approaching migraine.
"Oh, is there a chance we'll have some action? I might be able to see what this 'rocket launcher' is capable of. Hehehe," Megumin said, tapping the rocket launcher on her back with a grin.
"Oh, perhaps we will deal with bandits trying to attack the school. And they will use their weapons against us. And… and…" Before Darkness could continue, she was cut short by another student.
"All right," Ayane said as she stepped out of the circle formed by the Foreclosure Task Force and once more turned her attention to the transfer students. "I'm sorry to leave you for so long."
"Mr. Kazuma, please find cover within the Academy grounds. Things here will not be safe for a civilian," she continued, pointing at the school's front door and the various objects and sandbags scattered around the perimeter.
"What about us?" Aqua asked, a bit nervous.
"I'm so sorry to put you in this situation. If you want to take cover alongside Mr. Kazuma, feel free to do so. The combat team and I will take care of the invaders." Ayane held her hands together and bowed down.
The adventurer group looked troubled, glancing at each other as they tried to come up with a plan. But before they could decide, a loud sound came from the distance.
Kazuma was too slow to see what had happened. The small girl with pink hair jumped forward in front of him with a shield on her arm. Once again, a deafening sound echoed as the projectile impacted the shield.
"Everyone, take cover. And you, follow me. Things will get dangerous now," Hoshino said as she calmly escorted Kazuma to a pile of sandbags while the other students dispersed under the hail of bullets.
As he settled behind the pile of bags, Hoshino sprinted with her shield in front of her. "What was…?" Kazuma gazed around, confused, still trying to come to terms with what was happening.
Aqua came running to where Kazuma was hiding, her weapon in hand. "KAZUMA, HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO USE THIS?" she shouted from the bottom of her lungs, desperation mixing with the overwhelming sound of gunfire.
"You point the gun and pull the trigger," Kazuma instructed, covering his sensitive ears with both hands.
"WHAT?" Aqua asked, unable to hear him.
"I said you point the gun and pull the trigger," Kazuma repeated, trying to control his breathing to collect himself.
"WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" Aqua asked again, darting around in desperation, trying and failing to understand how the weapon worked.
"PULL THE TRIGGER!" Kazuma, already irritated, stood up, grabbed the weapon from Aqua's hands, and showed her the trigger.
"Oh, I get it now," Aqua said, following Kazuma's instructions as she pointed her weapon at the ground. When she pulled the trigger, a burst of bullets hit the soil. She was taken aback by the recoil but managed to control it after the initial burst.
"I see, this is what they call a firearm. When I worked with the reincarnation system back on Earth, I talked to many people who died because of these." A smug expression replaced the surprise on Aqua's face, reflecting her newfound confidence.
"AQUA, STOP TALKING TO YOURSELF AND DO SOMETHING!" Kazuma shouted as the gunfire around them intensified.
"NOW YOU SEEK HELP FROM ME, KAZUMA? AFTER BELITTLING ME IN FRONT OF MY NEW CLASSMATES? FEAR NOT, FOR I, AQUA, WILL DEAL WITH OUR ENEMIES. AND LATER, I WILL EXPECT A GREAT APOLOGY FROM YOU." Aqua raised her weapon once more and gradually made her way to the edge of the cover. As she peeked out, a bullet flew right past her, almost hitting her head. "KYAAAH!"
She drew back, falling to the ground with tears in her eyes. "It almost hit me," she whimpered, shaking on the floor as fear crippled her mind. Slowly, she crawled to Kazuma's side and sat beside him, looking down.
'Tanya, when I need you to boss us around, you just leave me alone,' Kazuma thought, the thundering sound of gunfire intensifying his headache tenfold.
"Kyah!~" Darkness shouted in pleasure as several bullets hit her body. None penetrated her, but she felt their impact. And she liked it.
"Is she going to be alright?" Serika asked, watching the transfer student getting shot repeatedly.
"I think she's doing fine," She answered with her usual smile, holding her trusty minigun. "But that doesn't mean we shouldn't help her, right Serika?" Nonomi smiled as she stepped out from cover, her weapon ready, with Serika following suit. They took their chance and started to fire at the PMC forces.
At the frontline stood both Hoshino and the blonde transfer student, Darkness. While Hoshino protected herself from the bullets with her shield, the new student ran through the gunfire, getting hit several times but never slowing down.
"What is wrong with this girl? No way would a new student take it and just ignore it," one of the PMC automatons said, taking cover as Nonomi's minigun pressured his position.
"No, it's worse. She's enjoying it. Her eyes remind me of that crazy girl from the Justice Task Force," the oldest of the mercenaries said, watching Darkness run directly through the gunfire, even walking in front of her allies' fire.
"She… she's a freak?" another mercenary beside her asked.
"Yes. We couldn't fight a worse enemy," the oldest member sighed.
The mission commander advanced, his heavy shield blocking incoming bullets. "Keep shooting while she stands her ground. Her two little friends are running around like headless chickens. We don't need to win; we just need to make them leave this school for good. Two out of three will be good enough for the higher-ups." The heavy automaton drew his SMG and started firing back.
""""Yes, sir!"""" the mercenaries and other automatons shouted, following their leader's command, and started to withdraw while shooting in the school's direction.
"Watch out, she's going to fire at you!" one of the mercenary students shouted to her ally as she jumped out of cover. Darkness stood in front of her with a revolver in her hand.
"Aaaaah!" The mercenary closed her eyes in anticipation as Darkness raised her weapon and fired six times. But no pain came.
"Huh?" She gradually opened her eyes, looking around in confusion. She carefully inspected her body for bullet holes but found none. "She missed all the shots?" she asked herself, glancing at her attacker, who was struggling to reload her revolver.
"You'll pay for scaring me!" She lifted her weapon to Darkness, but before she could shoot, a shield blocked her view. "Shit." From the shield's side, a shotgun barrel extended, getting very close to her belly. She had no time to react before Hoshino fired, knocking the mercenary out.
Ayane and Shiroko took cover in an alley, protecting themselves from the incoming gunfire. Ayane sat on the ground with a tablet in hand. The tablet provided a detailed view of the battlefield, thanks to her drones.
The fight was fierce. Hoshino charged forward against the invaders with her shield and shotgun, but Ayane sensed something was wrong. "It looks like they are leaving already."
"We just broke their lines," Shiroko said, shooting a burst from her weapon and taking down an automaton soldier.
"I guess they're trying to avoid a confrontation, minimizing their losses," Ayane replied, standing up and readying her handgun to follow her companion.
"Well, it makes sense. But it would be better for us to cut off their way to retreat. Let's go, Ayane," Shiroko sprang into action, dashing out of cover and running through the battlefield while shooting to suppress the PMC forces. Ayane followed behind her. While not as fast, she made it to another cover without a problem because of the continuous pressure their enemies found themselves.
"HAHAHA! I, Megumin, will take care of this. This machine of war isn't as great as my magic, but it will be more than enough to take them down," The mage struggled to raise her missile launcher until she managed to rest it on her shoulder. She pulled its visor up and aimed at the PMC's vehicles.
"Oh, mighty engine of war! Weapon of mass destruction! AWAKEN! I, Megumin, hereby summon you to unleash your metal and fire upon this land!" Megumin chanted to herself, her words drowned out by the relentless storm of gunfire. "EXPLOSION!" As she pulled the trigger, the force of the launcher caused her to fall on her back, pinned down by its weight.
The missile flew in an arc, heading directly to the marked location.
"Is this weapon even approved by the Council?" Ayane watched, perplexed by the missile's speed.
"It doesn't matter. Megumin, your shot was pretty good." Shiroko looked back and gave Megumin a quick thumbs-up before turning her attention back at the enemy.
Megumin struggled to move the launcher, but her efforts were futile. "Kazuma! They will not be firing anymore for a good time after "that". Come here and help me, I'm stuck."
"You sure? I don't feel like getting shot." Kazuma peeked from behind his cover with Aqua by his side.
"Yeah, they will stop in any second now." As she finished speaking, a large explosion erupted as the missile hit its target. The shockwave pushed debris and sand all over the place.
"Huh, it seems the mercenaries weren't caught in the explosion, but their cars are all destroyed," Ayane said, watching the remaining PMC members fall into despair and scatter through the deserted streets of the Abydos district.
Shiroko stopped shooting and lowered her weapon as the PMC forces moved beyond her range. "Yeah, they're in full retreat on foot now. This will make them think twice before trying this again," she said, satisfied with their performance.
"Fine, I'm going there now." Kazuma cautiously left his cover, taking careful steps and using any available cover as he approached Megumin, with Aqua silently following behind.
"Mr. Kazuma, don't you want me to help her?" Ayane asked, now able to focus on the transfer students and their guardians.
"There's no need. I'm more used to this than you could believe." Kazuma waved his hand dismissively and rushed to Megumin's side. Despite his small frame, he tried to push the weapon away. When it didn't budge, he tried different positions to find a better leverage point.
"Does this happen often?" Ayane asked, both confused and worried about the kind of past the two of them had to treat this situation as normal.
"Kazuma used to assist me in "Explosion" practice," Megumin answered nonchalantly as she continued her struggle to free herself from the weapon.
Something clicked in Ayane's mind and her eyes lit up with realization. There was a profession within Kivotos where such practices were common and could explain their experience. "Oh, I see, Mr. Kazuma probably used to work in demolition." She had heard many stories about the use of explosives in demolition by various organizations in Kivotos.
Kazuma felt a pang of anxiety upon hearing the enthusiastic explanation from the student. There seemed to be a growing misunderstanding between the two parties that he would eventually have to clear up. But that was a problem for his future self to deal with.
"Megumin, Aqua, Kazuma!" Darkness ran towards the group, waving her hand. Her clothes were riddled with bullet holes from top to bottom, with some bullets still embedded in the fabric. Despite her tattered clothes, she didn't have a single bruise on her body.
"Darkness, you're baaaackk." Kazuma finally managed to push the weapon off Megumin, struggling due to his new form. "My God, this is heavier than I expected." He took the opportunity to wipe the accumulated sweat off his forehead.
"Thanks." Megumin stood up and brushed off the sand that had stuck to her back.
"Yawn~! You've done well, Darkness. I don't know what kind of training you had before coming here, but your endurance is truly something else." Hoshino approached the group, accompanied by Shiroko and Nonomi.
"Ah, that was nothing. I kinda wished they'd shot at me more." Darkness hugged herself and swayed her body from side to side in a slow, peculiar dance.
"We just need to train your aim and reload. You missed every single shot and failed to reload the revolver eight times in a row." Hoshino smiled as she gave Darkness a soft slap on the back.
"Aqua, are you alright? You seem a bit too quiet." Nonomi asked as she approached Aqua, checking for any possible wounds.
"T-that was scary…" Aqua replied, her body shaking. Tears started to form in her eyes.
"You'll get used to it. Here in Kivotos, this is hardly unusual," Shiroko said in her usual casual, emotionless tone. Her words didn't go unnoticed by the two groups. Most of the transfer students reacted with worry, except for Darkness, whose eyes sparkled with happiness. Her friends, on the other hand, looked annoyed, knowing it wouldn't be encouraging for the new students.
Aqua raised her hand, feeling sweat run down her face. "What do you mean by 'hardly unusual'?" She tried to control her emotions and calm herself, but the fear of possibly getting into another gunfight was evident in her voice.
"What she means is things like this happen all the time here in Kivotos. It doesn't matter which district you're in. Gunfights are one of the most common and casual things in this city." Serika cuts off Shiroko, trying her best to salvage the situation while still telling the truth.
"Wait, you're saying things like this will happen again?" Aqua's fears were confirmed. She wanted to lay down and cry her heart out but knew the mess she and her team were in had no easy escape.
"Next time, there's a chance it will last even longer? Great~!" Darkness's smile continued to grow with each mention of the constant battles in Kivotos.
"Oy, Darkness, control yourself a bit," Kazuma said, poking Darkness to snap her out of her fantasies.
"There's a chance I might get shot again? Why do things always go so bad?" Aqua's voice broke as reality sank in. This was different from their usual adventures. Even without much of her goddess authority, she still had power, but now she only had a small weapon to protect herself.
"Well, at least there's a chance I can use this again. Kazuma, where do I get another one but bigger?" Megumin's eyes were filled with excitement as she turned to the small raccoon, almost like a child eager to play with a new toy again.
Kazuma ignored Megumin's question and turned to the veteran students. "Now that I think about it, who were the ones attacking us?" He asked, pointing at some remaining weapons and armor left by the attackers. Each piece bore the same symbol.
"They're a military force working under the control of a corporation known as Kaiser," Ayane explained as she slowly opened her tablet and displayed the corporation's emblem to the new students.
"Oh, a corporation. It's been a while since I last heard of one," Kazuma remarked, recollecting the companies from Earth, though he couldn't remember any with their military branches.
"There are a lot of corporations here in Kivotos, but Kaiser is easily the most influential," Hoshino said in an unusually serious tone as she walked past the group, gazing at the desert on the horizon.
"But is there any reason for them to target this school? It seems a little wasteful," Megumin pondered, resting her chin on one hand.
"They want to take over the district. They own most of the region, with some exceptions. We are their only opposition," Nonomi explained, pointing to the many empty houses and buildings around the city. "After the desertification, property prices fell rapidly, and they seized the opportunity to buy most of the district."
"I see, so they seek territory," Darkness said, recalling many territorial disputes within nobility where one would drive the other away through various means.
"Not exactly. What they want is political power... and whatever they're searching for in the desert," Shiroko said, closing her eyes in annoyance as she remembered each attempt by Kaiser to destroy Abydos.
"That doesn't sound good," Kazuma noted, worried by the idea of a megacorporation gaining political power, something he remembered from Earth and the little information Ainz had shared about his world.
"It isn't, but we can handle whatever they try to do," Nonomi said passionately, bringing some levity to the conversation.
"Yes, Nonomi. And with today's victory, they will think twice before trying to attack the students of Abydos again," Ayane added, following Nonomi's lead to reassure the new students of their victory.
"With the correct training and your skills, you three will be a great boon to the Academy. I will look forward to working with you," Shiroko said, her voice as emotionless as ever.
"Now that our immediate problems are resolved, we'll give you a tour around the campus," Ayane said, adjusting her glasses and smiling warmly.
"I was thinking, how about instead we visit Master Shiba and get ramen to celebrate?" Nonomi suggested.
"That sounds great." Serika turned to Nonomi, agreeing with the proposition.
"Ramen? It's been so long since I last had any," Kazuma reminisced, recalling the food he enjoyed back on Earth. He occasionally wished he had searched for a place to enjoy it at his old school.
"Yawn. This seems like an excellent reason to skip my afternoon nap," Hoshino said, smacking her face to keep herself awake.
In the Abydos Desert
The General of the Kayser PMC forces sat silently, watching a video of the failed assault against the Abydos students.
"Who would have guessed the newcomers have such a fighting spirit and top-grade equipment?" he mused, letting out a sigh as he rested his head on one hand before shutting down the video. "Now I will have to come up with a very good explanation for the total destruction of four military vehicles to the higher-ups."
"I need some air." The General stood up from his chair, intending to take a walk to calm his nerves. However, before he could leave, his door was abruptly opened.
"General." An automaton entered and saluted the General, holding a tablet in hand.
"Sergeant, you startled me. Please knock next time," the General said, looking at the sergeant with irritation.
"I'm sorry, sir, but I have a very urgent message for you. You need to see this." The sergeant turned on the tablet and placed it on the General's desk.
"What is this thing?"
Author's notes
Hello again. This chapter is more or less the setup for some of the changes some of the members of the Quartet will be having when transferred to Kivotos. Some to a lesser while others to a greater extent. Also, please feel free to tell me if the line break was confusing or good. I decided not to describe the location because it was in the same place just a different "pov". Meanwhile, those who have are completely different locations, but while it is easy for me to know, I don't know if it might confuse the readers.