Chapter 2: The Galactic Educator

"So, what can you tell me about your friend?" a girl with pastel blue hair in a white uniform inquired. Although her blood sept through and stained the sanctity of the fabric, her ragged state did little to dampen the regality and dignity her very existence projected.

"Stelle's a nice enough girl," the lone other passenger on the train replied neutrally, her silver hair contrasting nicely with her black-and-purple streetwear. "A little too much of a smart-aleck, and a lot of an annoying smart-ass, but a nice girl overall."

The regal girl quietly laughed, her ragged breath betraying the strain her body was under. "You two are certainly an odd pair."

"You think so?" The girl in the purple and black streetwear, Silver Wolf, paused for a moment and pondered. "I can't deny she's not exactly the most normal person, to put it lightly. But I guarantee you, Stelle is a hero and a friend. She's saved many worlds, mastered multiple trades, and may just be the one person in this universe who can defy fate. My boss seems to think so at least. I've never met someone more reliable than her, even if she can be a real pain at times. In fact, you two are a lot alike, if I had to make an educated guess."

"Oh, really? How so?"

"Both of you seem to have a strong sense of justice, and are willing to help those in need. But, you two are both so selfless you're willing to sacrifice yourself for others, and both of you have a penchant for martyrdom. There's no one else more qualified to be your replacement than her, Miss President." Silver Wolf internally thought to herself that half the time, Stelle was unwilling but did so anyway. She wondered if it was the simulation nudging Stelle, or if she was subconsciously following Elio's script. Either way, as long as some form of trash reward was put on a stick, Stelle would always take the bait.

The blue-haired woman kept her eyes closed and and her smile unwavering, while the city around her crumbled to dust; its occupants slaughtered either by the two heralds of an unknown force of death, or one another as internal conflicts reached their breaking point. "It was all my fault. My decisions, and everything they caused." Her voice began to crack, either from the raw emotions of regret and sorrow she had burdened onto her, or her rapidly declining physical state. "It had to come to this for me to realize you were finally right all along..."

The air seemed to thicken as Silver Wolf's expression grew cold, her body seemingly radiating an aura of absolute zero. The train car grew dim and dark, as a faint shadow started to creep in from the corners and envelop the interior. They were entering the tunnel. The words Silver Wolf had been waiting to say left the faint hint of a smirk her mouth formed. "So, you accept my offer?"

The president, exerting more and more force to be able to continue the conversation. "Forgive me for being so bold, but I must ask for your help."

"You'll forget these words, so it won't matter."

"I suppose I am just going to become a footnote, a nameless and faceless character in someone else's story." The unintentional naming of Stelle's title had Silver Wolf break out in an uncharacteristic display of laughing, the tension and seriousness dissipating, as she motioned for the president to continue. "Adulthood, responsibility, obligation...and the choices you make that extend beyond those ideals. I even understand their implications. But Silver Wolf, I do not entirely believe that you do."

The girl's laughing stopped as Silver Wolf's eyes grew wide. A brief flicker of light, and the halo above the president's head was visible and clear for the first time since the start of the conversation. A sky blue, simple oval. Silver Wolf quickly regained her composure and interjected.

"Whatever your dislike for my philosophy is, Miss President, at this stage I am the only person you can trust. I am not like those Gematria losers. I will get exactly what I want, and I will give you exactly what you want."

The president's eyes remained closed but her radiant glow spread through the entire train car. It was as if a spotlight had shone down, the shadows cast by the objects surrounding it shrinking and growing shorter, as the darkness around it continued to recede; with the train exiting the tunnel at seemingly mach speed. "In that case, only she can free us from this distorted fate, and find the choices that will lead us to a new reality."

Silver Wolf remained nonplussed externally, but was internally gleeful to have secured another avenue in which to derive amusement. "Just let Stelle have a bit of fun with your world before then."

My vision returned to me as yet another odd dream about Silver Wolf and the President of some unknown organization had ended. While I was no stranger to vivid dreams, the one that had just occurred felt unusually real, and it left me with a lingering sense of melancholy and guilt. It wasn't too dissimilar to the one I had of Acheron when we first landed on Penacony, but the emotions were more akin to regret and remorse. As if they were actions I had taken, and were the ones leading me down a path towards failure, with the end result was nothing short of catastrophic.

I tried to shake the dream out of my mind, the images of a burning city and a dying woman still fresh, but the feeling lingered. I began to wonder if they were memories implanted into me, which wouldn't be too different from how the Golden Hour functioned in Penacony anyway. It wouldn't be the first time Silver Wolf messed with me; my current body was partially thanks to her as well, at least according to Herta. However, I could have sworn I recognized the woman. Something about the blue hair, and a familiar uniform...

"Oi, miss. We've arrived." A voice snapped me back into reality, my eyes shooting open as a sharp inhale followed suit. It was difficult to say it was coming from a person, as the voice it was coming from was the driver of the taxi I had apparently taken. They were sporting a black suit and tie with a matching flat cap, but their body was that not too dissimilar of a bipedal dog than a man. His gruff voice and demeanor reminded me of the borosin I saw on the Xianzhou Loufu, but they were shorter than my height rather than towering over me, and had light yellow fur instead of dark purple. Plus, he wasn't trying to kill me on sight.

"Come on, miss, hurry up," he impatiently barked. "You might be GSC royalty, but I don't have all day." Once I was out, the vehicle's engine revved as it sped off, its rear wheel kicking up a cloud of dirt and dust. I began to cough and gag, which only to worsened as I took a breath in. The air smelled terrible, a mixture of smoke, oil, and a hint of sulfur. After regaining control of my lungs, I looked up and saw the towering skyscraper in front of me, marked "General Student Council Headquarters".

It was a building I knew well...which immediately clued me in to something not quite being right. It wouldn't be the first time I fell unconscious and woke up to find I had been stuck in immersia. Taking a deep breath and inhaling the air of the city, I noted that the smell of the environment was exactly like that of actual fresh air, the kind of attention to detail I'd expect out of immersia. I then reached for my phone, which I normally wouldn't have if it really was immersia; a wave of surprise washed over me as I felt it intact in my pocket, instantly telling me all of this was real. There goes my plan to disrupt the immersia by taking all my clothes off for some full frontal assault on innocent pixels.

Refocusing on what was ahead of me, the building I had been deposited in front of was a tall and imposing structure. It was the central hub of the General Student Council, a collection of students who were tasked with enforcing the rules and maintaining order of the various schools located in Kivotos. Wait, how do I know that? I reached to grab my phone, and when I took it out, a note and earpiece had been attached to it.

"Call me. -S.W." the note read.

"You have got to be kidding me," I sighed, inserting the earpiece into my ear and activating the phone.

"Good morning, Stelle!" Silver Wolf cheerfully greeted, sending alarm bells ringing in my head that would make Clockie jealous.

"Good morning? Is it really, though?"

"Oh, I'm sure. You see, I had an interesting conversation with a certain someone, and made a little deal. So I figured why not throw you a bone, and have you fill in for her."

I reflexively used my free hand to palm my face, realizing the dreams I supposedly experienced were, in fact, very real. And not only that, Silver Wolf had messed with me yet again. As if the fact I was carrying a planet-destroying bomb in my body wasn't enough mischief for her. "Are you saying that you replaced the General Student Council president with me?"

"Not so much replace as borrow. Don't worry, you don't need to be concerned with anything, I even took the liberty to give you a pretty big advantage with your job."

"...And what would that advantage be? Considering you kidnapped me, only a lifetime supply of golden trash cans could make me forgive you."

"Oh, Stelle, you wound me. Have some faith in your old pal. If you look closely at your phone, you'll see there's an application installed."

I did as Silver Wolf said and sure enough, an app named "Blue Archive" had been added. Well, duh. Launching it was what stranded me here to begin with. Besides, didn't she say it was a game?

"That app is what you'll need to solve your problems. Think of it as a guide. You see, I didn't just kidnap you. I also gave you the tools and information necessary for you to do the job, so you're not completely clueless. Developing that app took me an entire month of my free time, you know." I wondered how complex an app could be that it would take Silver Wolf longer than a couple hours to make a rudimentary phone app despite her talents, and that wonder was then immediately quashed when I remembered she had managed to whisk me to who-knows-where through a phone app. "I even took the liberty of installing a Space Anchor at your first objective, so you can teleport in and out of this planet for ever further adventures at any time. Just try not to die until then."

I sneered, pure venom and malice brewing on my face as my eyebrows scrunched. I had been angry with Silver Wolf before, but almost always it was in the sense I couldn't believe she had beaten me in yet another video game, or that she was up to her spree of petty crimes again. Seldom was it that I was being outraged at something she did to me. I was so angry that I ignored her snatching a Space Anchor from the Express to focus my energy on my ire. "Is this your idea of exclusive access to a game? Because this isn't a game, and the Crew are probably worried sick."

"Hey, I didn't lie to you. This really is exclusive access. No one but the Path of the Trailblaze and myself can visit Kivotos. Especially not when the Express' fuel reserves are so low. That Space Anchor warp ability of yours sure comes in handy." I frowned as it meant she had somehow listened in on the conversation the Express Crew had with Black Swan. "Besides, the universe is just a giant simulation game, and I just moved you up to the next stage. If you're really bothered, you can just play a different game on your phone. You have plenty to choose from. I texted March 7th to let her know you're with me today as well, so don't worry about them."

Oh crap, March is going to be absolutely furious when I get back. As far as she's concerned, first I stand her up to play video games, and next I disappear to somewhere probably on Penacony to play even more video games with Silver Wolf; made even worse by the fact I had actually done so before. I can imagine March browsing the shops in the Golden Hour right now, thinking about the weirdest and most embarrassing outfits to photograph me in as payback. I could just imagine Dan Heng's stony stare as he takes both pity on me, and comfort in knowing he is no longer alone in dealing with March's antics. To Silver Wolf's credit, I don't think this was something she did on purpose, but if she ever hacked the chats on my phone again, she'd certainly get even more amusement out of it. I suppose I can take March here for sightseeing once I get more Anchors set up.

"Anyway, I'll guide you to your first objective, but act like you're not talking to anyone. It would be bad if the people here found out about you and me. Just walk up and introduce yourself as Stelle-sensei."

"...Sensei?" I was beyond incredulous, and only the thought of being stranded here kept me from fully rebelling against the supervillain wearing the skin of my gaming buddy. "You kidnapped me so you could give me a job as a teacher?" As I envisioned that I would be forced to instruct little kids on basic math concepts, the thought of Sampo sending me on a wild goose chase for museum artifacts seemed almost appealing. I was rather vexed when he somehow vanished into thin air before I could get him to face justice for wasting my time.

"That's a strong word, Princess Stelle. And don't worry, you'll see."

I threw a string of expletives at Silver Wolf that were too vulgar to be put in a game rated for teenagers.

"Aww, you're so sweet. Now, go up and, ring the bell as they say, Stelle-sensei."

The building's doors slid open automatically as I walked up, a faint humming sound following. I walked up to the front desk and introduced myself, wanting to get this over with. Because while Silver Wolf might not, I do care if I ever get back.

Nanagami Rin was beginning to lose hope. Her best friend, the General Student Council President, had one day vanished out of thin air, leaving nary a trace and only a note stating to expect an adult teacher to arrive in Kivotos soon. They would serve as the advisor to SCHALE, an independent and extrajudicial arm of the GSC created to serve as the extension of her power if something were to ever happen to the President.

It had been a month since then, and disturbingly while everyone remembered the president at once existed and mysteriously vanished one day, no one could remember who she was. Even in Rin's mind, the memory of the president was foggy and filled in with her own imagination, almost as if something had overwritten the memories of everyone in Kivotos. Her physical possessions either: Rin swore she had kept a framed photo of herself and the president, one of Rin's most prized possessions, on her work desk. Yet it vanished as if its existence never occured, and Rin herself couldn't visualize what the picture held frozen in time.

With the president having gone missing and the consolidation of her authority not having taken place, systems across Kivotos began failing either due to malfunctions or rights management programs kicking in; there was very little the GSC as a whole, let alone Rin, could do without even the authorization to begin working on the solution. All of this would easily be resolved if they could retake control of the Sanctum Tower, but without Sensei and therefore the president's authority, Rin would just have to keep putting out the proverbial and literal fires.

And there were many of those fires to put out. Disruption of utilities, malfunctioning GPS services, and general unrest would be bad news regardless of the time; but it happening all too close to the political powder keg that was the upcoming Eden Treaty between Trinity and Gehenna could result in a domino effect which could threaten the entirety of Kivotos.

Rin was doing her best to keep the peace, but even with the support of the rest of the Student Council, the burden was starting to get to her. There was no end in sight to the current situation, and it wasn't as if Sensei was going to materialize out of thin air then and there. She sat down wearily at her desk, looking at the unfinished pile of paperwork that she had unwittingly neglected to finish due to sleep deprivation; Ayumu had found her collapsed in the lobby today. As she rubbed her temples, her desk phone began to ring. She picked it up, trying not to let her frustration and exhaustion show.

"Rin speaking." Rin winced as she had, indeed, let her frustration and exhaustion show.

"Rin, it's Ayumu," the soft-spoken voice on the other end of the line replied. "An adult woman named Stelle is here to see you. She doesn't seem to be from Kivotos."

Rin's eyes widened, her pupils dilated, her hands shaked as she dropped the receiver. The noise it made was deafening to Rin's ears, and it was a few seconds before her mind began processing what had just happened. Ayumu called. There's an adult woman not from Kivotos outside here to see her. Could it be? After an entire month of waiting and valiantly fighting against the seemingly never-ending horde of crises that came her way, Sensei really was going to materialize out of thin air then and there to solve her woes? After the shock subsided, Rin picked up the receiver again to continue the conversation.

"Rin? Are you alright? You didn't collapse again, did you?"

"No, Ayumu, I'm fine. My hand just slipped is all." There was just one thing she had to confirm, to see if her wishes were finally granted, and the plan the President laid out had come to fruition. "Did she introduce herself with any titles?"

"Ah, yes. She called herself Stelle-sensei, The Galactic Educator."

Rin closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose with her free hand, having come to the realization that if this was indeed Sensei, then she was either immature or a smartass; Rin dreaded the possibility it would be both. She immediately thought of a mean-spirited genie character from a childhood movie of hers. The genie would take a literal interpretation of the person's wish in order to bring some form of minor or major misfortune unto them, cackling as he stated his signature line: "Your wish has been granted."

"...Very well. Send her up."

As I entered the hallway leading to the Vice President's office, a young girl with the light pink hair and mint green eyes stared at me expectantly. She was clad in a white sleeveless dress uniform adorned with bronze buttons, and a dark blue tie. Small horns striped in mint green and black stuck out from the top of her head, and a halo consisting of what looked like five pink swords floated above.

"Heeeey, Sensei," she began. "You are Sensei, right? You're huge." Her lazy demeanor and lackadaisical tone of voice was well complimented by her snacking on what looked like a bag of chips, though it smelled quite a bit more like peanuts. "I didn't think you'd ever show up. Rin's office is ahead, she's waiting for you in the back." The girl then walked by, crunching on the snacks and humming to herself as she left the room.

I walked past her, and upon opening the door, was greeted with a much different sight than the girl just moments ago. A young woman sat at her desk, her hands folded and pressed against her forehead. She wore a similar outfit to that of both Ayumu and the girl I just ran into, though the buttons on her uniform seemed a lot more polished and appeared golden in color. I suppose the girl in the hall neglected to maintain their uniform. Her blue halo with a gradient ranging from light to navy in the shape of a tiara definitely struck a bolder impression on me than the others I've seen so far, and her straight black hair matched with the glasses over her deep blue eyes gave her the air of someone you should take seriously. Introducing myself with that stupid title probably wasn't a very good idea, and the idea of adding to her obviously high stress levels by doing so definitely was not, though I may as well see it through to the end.

"My name is Stelle-sensei, the Galactic Educator." I held out my hand for a handshake, though it didn't look like Rin was going to reciprocate. She instead looked up and stared, a mix of befuddlement at my deadpan delivery and grief that the fate of her world hung on someone who was seemingly not even taking things seriously. Tension and awkward silence filled the air for a good ten seconds before Rin replied.

"Nanagami Rin, Vice President of the General Student Council," she finally stated flatly, a mixture of relief and exhaustion present in her voice. "We've been expecting you. Please, have a seat." She gestured towards the black leather chair in front of her desk.

"Thank you, Miss Nanagami," I responded, sitting down as offered. "Now, I believe the former president informed you that I would be coming."

"She did, but it's been a whole month, and we had no indication that you would actually come. That, combined with the fact no one can remember her, made me think that she had... passed away." Rin sighed. "I apologize for my rudeness, but can you please provide some sort of identification to confirm that you are the one she had spoken about?"

I nodded and reached into my pocket, pulling out my phone and handing it to her. Silver Wolf had placed a digital version of my badge on my phone, so this should be able to suffice.

"I'm sorry, I didn't specify. We don't use phones in Kivotos," Rin said, handing my phone back. Now it was my turn to emulate the stare she had just given me, especially as I just saw no less than three people use a phone, before realizing she was getting back at me for introducing myself with the title.

"Oh, I see," I responded, putting my phone away. "You've been having problems with the systems in Kivotos." I figured it would be better to play along. It was the fastest way to get the situation sorted, after all.

"That is correct," Rin affirmed, as she continued to tell what was technically the truth. "In particular, there is a crisis that is threatening the very stability of Kivotos. The President has a plan, but in order to enact it, we must take control of the Sanctum Tower." She paused, then continued. "Anyway, I apologize about the ID issue, none will be needed. The president gave descriptions that only you would be able to fit." She was clearly saving face for having failed to get one over me, but I had caused her enough stress already, albeit unintentionally. I decided not to push the issue.

"Of course. What do you need me to do?" I asked, hoping that whatever the task was, it would be done and over with quickly. The faster I was back on the Express, the faster I could explain myself to March, and in turn avoid provoking Pom-Pom's mighty wrath.

"First, I want to make sure that you are aware of the nature of the situation in Kivotos, and how important your role will be."

"Not entirely. I only know about my position as Sensei, and that I would become the Advisor for a federal club named SCHALE. I know about the importance of halos as well." Silver Wolf also briefed me on what SCHALE was while I waited for Ayumu to get off the phone with Rin, as well as giving me a rundown of halos and the properties they give their owners. It didn't seem that important honestly, as even Hook could shrug off a few bullets and stabs without anything beyond a scratch, but they did make it easier for me to identify people as each person's was unique. Silver Wolf was pretty reliable when she was pointing me in a direction where I'd just trip over things she found as entertainment.

"The situation, I'm afraid, is rather dire. It is no exaggeration to say the entire population of Kivotos is at risk. Without the President's guidance, we have been forced to make decisions without the full facts, if we were able to make decisions at all. Once you reclaim the Sanctum Tower and transfer authority of it over to the GSC, we'll be able to bring order to chaos."

If my experiences in my planetary expeditions had taught me anything, it's that giving anyone absolute power was a horrible idea, let alone a group of people you didn't know. The memories I witnessed of Tizocic II's life are not ones I will be forgetting about anytime soon. I'll want to find some way to install a backdoor for me to wrestle control back, but I can come up with that when we get there. It's probable Silver Wolf was monitoring me until I did so for that very purpose, whether or not she's willing to share that backdoor with me was another thing.

"Understood. I will do everything in my power to make that happen." I said, not really meaning a word.

"Wonderful. I will prep a chopper to escort you to the Sanctum Tower." She picked up her desk phone and began punching in numbers, with the recipient picking up almost immediately. "Momoka, it's Rin. I need aerial transport to escort Sensei to the Sanctum Tower." I couldn't make out what was being said on the other line, but when I heard the muffled crunching of crispy snacks, I figured that the girl I saw in the hallway had to be Momoka. "What do you mean, we just lost control of the Sanctum Tower? The Fox of Calamity?" Her face darkened as her fists curled in such seething fury that I could have swore Blade was her long lost relative. "Just get the transport prepped. This can't wait a second longer."

Just as Rin hung up the phone and practically jumped off the seat to her feet, a group of five barged into the office, with Ayumu hanging helplessly off the group leader's right thigh in a failed attempt to hold her back. "Please stop, Seminar-san! The Vice President is currently busy with another matter!"

"It's Yuuka, not Seminar! I will not stop until you give us the answers we deserve!" the group leader replied, her black and white blazer fluttering as she effortlessly dragged Ayumu along using the sheer weight of her thighs. On the left side of her chest was an access badge marked "Millennium". Her entourage consisted of three additional trailers. Directly behind her was a rather tall and well-endowed woman with long black hair like Rin, and blood red eyes. She was just one or two centimeters taller than me, and her halo was that of a blood red crosshair. Standing beside her was a shorter girl at around 160 centimeters with bright white hair reaching down to her waist, and a grey uniform with black thigh-high leggings, complimented by a light purple circular crosshair for a halo. Besides her was another girl of similar height sporting light brown pigtails, with a white collared shirt complemented by a black skirt and boots, and red leggings. There were complimented by a red armband on her left which the word "Discipline" written out in bold white characters. Her eyes were a shimmering amber, and she was the only person of the entourage to wear thick rectangular black glasses. Her halo was a red crosshair as well, somewhat similar to that of the tall woman's.

The group lead continued to lay it on Rin, ignoring Ayumu's desperate pleas to stop and consider proper etiquette. "It's been utter chaos! Half of Millennium no longer has functioning power! The wind generators can't operate without the authority of the GSC. And yet you're sitting here twiddling your thumbs while our lives fall apart? Where is the president? I demand to see her right this instant!"

All three trailers then stepped forward, and although they were considerably more civil than Seminar, each of their overlapping voices more or less said the same thing: some crisis has befallen their specific academies, and they demand to speak with the president in order to resolve it. I could almost see the proverbial screws on Rin's head shake and loosen as she struggled to listen to the four simultaneously lay it on her.

"Seminar, please calm down," Ayumu continued to plead. "The president has gone missing, and until Sensei is able to regain control of the Sanctum Tower and restore authority to the GSC, we can't do anything about any of the problems facing our academies."

"What?" Yuuka shrieked. "What do you mean the president's gone missing? Who is this Sensei person? What do you mean the GSC has no authority of the Sanctum Tower?" She paused her hysterics, as if she forgot something important, before a sharp gritting of her teeth signaled her realization of this high priority detail. "And for the last time, my name is Yuuka!"

Rin lowered her eyes to a slit and flashed an insincere smile. "Hello, guests that represent neighboring academies' student councils, disciplinary boards..."

Silver Wolf began speaking in my earpiece, matching word for word Rin's scathing remarks. "And those who otherwise have too much time on their hands." Satisfied with herself, Silver Wolf let out a singular chuckle.

Rin continued. "I am well aware why you irksome-I mean, important representatives have come here today. You're here to blame us for the fuss happening in the academy city, isn't that right?" I snuck a glance at the group, and while Yuuka remained laser focused on Rin, the other three shared uncomfortable glances in my direction.

"If you're well aware, then do something!" came Yuuka's reply. "You represent the General Student Council after all!"

I was about to step forward to interject when Silver Wolf's voice interrupted my move through the earpiece. "Now would be a really good time to butt in, Stelle."

Duh, came my internal reply, taking care to heed her instructions of not visibly speaking to her.

"Greetings, Miss Yuuka," I said, raising my right hand in a friendly wave, "Stelle-sensei, the Galactic Educator, at your service." I bowed, not sure what to say next, having reflexively used that title again. First impressions were everything, and while the Galactic Baseballer was popular enough to have a popular video game due to their heroic nature, the Galactic Educator so far had presumably left a deep impression on everyone they had encountered; it's just unfortunate those impressions were almost guaranteed to be negative. The negative first impression seemed to silence Yuuka though, as her previous foul mood and shark-like expression was replaced with a silent, neutral stance.

"You are?" She asked, her eyes seemingly drooping in disappointment along with the curvature of her mouth. "Sensei?"

"Uh, yes. That's me," I replied, dead air filling the room. "I, uh... look forward to working with you." I smiled and once again held my hand out for a handshake, not really sure how else to react to the current situation.

"You're really the best the GSC can do? You're not even taking this seriously!"

"Yuuka, that's enough," the tall woman said, putting her hand on Yuuka's shoulder, before turning to face me and accepting the handshake offer meant for Yuuka. "It is nice to meet you, Sensei. I am Hanekawa Hasumi, vice chairwoman of the Justice Task Force of Trinity." The other two members followed suit with similar introductions: the one with white hair was Morizuki Suzumi also of Trinity, though they belonged to the Vigilante Crew; the remaining member was Hinomiya Chinatsu of the Prefect Team, this time of Gehenna. I recognized the word also meant "hell", which was an apt description of where I currently was at the moment. When I wanted an all-day gaming session, I didn't think Silver Wolf would be the one playing me.

Yuuka discarded her hesitation, and shook my hand as well. "It is good to meet you, Sensei. I am...why am I even bothering to introduce myself to you right now?"

"Nice to meet you, everyone," I replied. "I'll try my best to fix the situation, and ensure that we will be able to meet the demands of everyone here."

Chinatsu was unable to hide her doubts. "If you're going to reclaim the Sanctum Tower, I heard rumors the Fox of Calamity has escaped and has taken the area over."

Rin sighed. "Unfortunately, those rumors are correct, and Valkyrie were unable to suppress the incursion started by the Fox and her goons." She adjusted her glasses and redirected the conversation. "Sensei, like I was stating before we were interrupted, our goal is the Sanctum Tower, specifically the SCHALE club room located within it. It is 30 kilometers from our current position. The Tower is currently empty, but at the president's request, something was placed in the basement. Our primary objective is to escort you there safely."

Rin dialed a number on her desk phone again, and the line was picked up near instantly. "Momoka, is the helicopter ready?"

"The helicopter is ready, but it's crazy out there. The delinquents are destroying everything in their path, in the name of revenge against us or something." Audible crunching was heard before Momoka continued. "They've also got a Crusader Tank and are using it to fire on anyone who gets close to the Tower. Probably trying to occupy it, loot it of something valuable. Valkyrie's struggling to contain the perimeter."

Awkward silence filled the air as the bravado I had built up in everyone ruptured like a Boss Stone balloon. Whoever or whatever this Valkyrie was, they clearly sucked at their jobs.

"We can't muster the firepower to safely escort Sensei at the moment. Ah well, this city's a dump, so a delay in retaking the Tower can't make things much worse. Oh, look, my food I ordered is here! Talk to you later, Rin!" The line went dead with a click, replaced only by the deadly silence of a problem spiraling out of control. Rin adjusted her glasses and pinched her nose again before regaining her composure.

"The situation is...not ideal," Rin said. "I'm afraid I can't send you out there alone, Sensei."

"I can handle myself, and I wouldn't want to inconvenience you," I replied, knowing full well Silver Wolf would have my head if I let the opportunity for her to witness mayhem pass, and Pom-Pom would have my rear if something kept me delayed from returning to the Express. I looked at Rin, then turned towards the four representatives. "Perhaps each of you could accompany me?"

The four of them, in unison, voiced their agreement, taking me aback by how easily they agreed. But if my experience had taught me anything, it's that appearances and age were deceiving. Hook with the help of her Diggertron could take on multiple adult IPC soldiers singlehandedly and win, while Yanqing looked about nine years old and was one of the best fighters I had ever met; he's unbeatable with his sword. I had beaten him in a one-on-one duel, but I would be lying to say it didn't take quite a bit of my effort. To say nothing of Pom-Pom, who Yanqing stated was even stronger than him.

"We seem to be of the same mind, Sensei. I was just going to suggest that." Rin voiced her approval with a noticeably friendlier affliction in her voice than any moment she spoke prior to now. "Let's make our way to the helipad. Ayumu, close the building from public access while I am gone."

"Excellent, then I believe we are all set." I turned to the four. "Please protect me while I make my way to the tower. As soon as I am able to retake it, we can begin resolving the outstanding crises."

Rin walked with me towards the helicopter pad, the representatives in tow. The sky was overcast, and a cool wind blew across the rooftop. The six of us boarded the helicopter, and the four representatives began checking their firearms. Each of them were intricately designed and the craftsmanship was on a level that matched the pair of custom submachine guns Kafka uses. Rin pulled a large handgun from her skirt and inspected the chamber before sliding it back in place.

The pilot began to speak. "I will drop you as close to the Tower as possible without risking the craft, which should be around 5 or 10 kilometers from the objective, give or take. Be prepared for the possibility of a hot landing. The Vice President will be staying on board to assist me with reconnaissance. Sensei, I noticed you don't have a firearm. We are escorting you, but it would be preferable if you had something for self defense."

I materialized my baseball bat, its black and bronze frame shimmering in the cabin, its luster accentuated by the rays of the golden sun. I proudly caressed it with both hands as I rubbed my face against the tip, before setting it down on the seat beside me.

"A baseball bat..." Yuuka remarked. "What a piece of junk! What are you, an old man?"

"I'll have you know," I replied, my face growing increasingly red with affection, "that this bat my most prized possession! It is the most powerful weapon I could ask for, and has forged many legends of heroism and valor."

Yuuka, seemingly dissatisfied with the answer, turned to face the window.

"Well, as long as it does the job," Rin replied, her voice trailing off, as she too turned to face away from me in embarrassment. Truthfully, I was a little hurt they didn't believe in the power of the Galactic Baseballer's tool of choice. I will have to correct them using my newly minted Galactic Educator title, and forge a new legend of heroism and valor.

The pilot, meanwhile, reacted professionally. Nodding and flicking several switches on the dashboard, the rotors began to spin, as Rin and I slid the doors shut. "Very well. Beginning takeoff sequence. Please strap in."

First contact was a disaster.

At around 12 kilometers to go before our target, the sky was littered with rockets haphazardly fired at the helicopter. They were handheld rockets rather than missiles, so not only were they already inaccurate without heat seeking, the hostiles firing them also sucked at aiming. Nevertheless, the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing on a road behind some tall buildings as cover, and all of us sans Rin were booted out of the helicopter with the urgency of a dog kicking up its owner. And considering my bat was not a boomerang and due to the wide open space of the area, my lack of range meant I was about as useful in this fight as March's "awesome move" of attempting to avoid drinking boba tea.

The four representatives wasted no time getting to work as all sorts of delinquents, ranging from masked up to helmeted, rushed the landing point with the chopper narrowly missing a rocket to the tailpipe as it took off, eventually elevating itself high enough that the danger of the inaccurately fired rockets was a non-factor as long as it remained in motion. Their accuracy was generally pretty poor, with Yuuka being able to hose down swaths of enemies at close range with her twin SMGs; a maneuver that reminded me quite a bit of Kafka, excluding the grace and skill that made me want to supposedly marry her according to March. Her brute force method meant although the thugs were inaccurate, they were plentiful, and through a torrent rain of fire some of them did hit their mark. Although Suzumi kept the hostiles disoriented with her seemingly and probably limitless supply of flashbangs while Hasumi and Chinatsu were able to pick off a small amount of them, after clearing the initial attack Yuuka was in no condition to keep going without some first aid. She propped herself up next to the wall I had spent the fight hiding behind while Chinatsu worked on checking my status; Hasumi and Suzumi were on overwatch in the meantime. Next to them lay about a half dozen delinquents I had gave the business end of my bat, due to them getting isolated from their friends and stumbling into the soon-to-be-legendary Galactic Educator. I had noticed all of them had visibly hesitated to shoot seeing that I didn't have a halo, but a few of them still shot at me regardless; I only took a couple hits in the leg, so I didn't even have visible injuries. After Chinatsu confirmed I did not need any form of treatment, she moved on to healing the battered Yuuka.

"Ow, ow! What the heck?! Are they using JHP rounds? That's cheating!" Yuuka expressed her outrage to the sprawl of unconscious do-no-gooders in the vicinity.

"Yuuka-san, please calm down," came Chinatsu's soft reply. "I can't treat you effectively if you keep moving."

"I should remind you JHP rounds aren't considered illegal," Hasumi stated.

"They're illegal now! Jeez, I'm covered in marks!" Yuuka flippantly replied.

Suzumi left her post and began walking back as Chinatsu was wrapping up treatment on Yuuka's wounds. "Sensei, I'm not detecting any hostiles nearby. Seems like they threw a good amount of their forces at us. The bad news is that it's most likely the Valkyrie blockade around the perimeter of the Tower was completely overrun. We're on our own."

Silver Wolf's voice came on in the earpiece. "You won't have to worry about getting into any more fights until you reach the Tower itself, that was their entire advance force. Get a move on, Stelle."

I paraphrased Silver Wolf's intel. "If they overran the Valkyrie blockade, it's safe to assume they ambushed us with everything they could spare. We shouldn't have to worry about any resistance until we reach the perimeter of the Tower."

Suzumi nodded. "It makes sense, they would want to save their forces for the Tower."

"I think we're good to go, I should be fine. Thank you, Chinatsu." Yuuka, seemingly refreshed and her bruises having disappeared, stood up spiritedly.

Silver Wolf's voice came on the earpiece again. "What a coincidence, there's an unlocked car with the ignition on. As far as they know anyway, I actually just hacked its systems. Be sure to thank me later!"

Unfortunately, the car didn't last. With about a quarter of a kilometer to go before we reached the entrance of the Tower, a tank shell flew by and only narrowly missed the car we were in by my expert harried wrangling of the steering wheel. The car skidded out next to a public park, and driver and passengers dove out as a tank shell slammed into the car, sending it pirouetting through the air in a glorious blaze. The civilians in the public park, consisting of some robots in business suits as well as several bipedal dogs, ran about in a panic screaming at the top of their lungs. Meanwhile, hordes of thugs lying in wait for the ambush charged our position.

"CHARRRRGEEEEE!"

"GSC SCUM!"

"This is for banning me from KivoTube!"

And other impressive and less than impressive battle cries of enemy soldiers were carried through the air by the wind, with burning convenience stores and wrecked bus stops serving as decorative scenery for our stand. My body shook, as I had to fight an overwhelming force of at least dozens of gun toting jerks with nothing more than melee weapons and four escorts as backup. The straps of my hoodie fluttered as the soot from the smoke began to cling to my exposed legs. Processing the situation, I muttered one singular phrase under my breath:

"Damn you, Silver Wolf."

"I can still hear you, you know," Silver Wolf replied bemusedly.