Chapter 7: Problem Solving, Dragon Rising

It had been about twenty hours since Dan Heng had become the interim captain of the Radiant Feldspar, and he was, to put it plainly, quite bored. As captain, the most important duty was the maintenance of the ship, which was rather dull due to the fact the ship maintained itself on all fronts. The cockpit of the ship was mostly just for show, as the ship's navigational systems and autopilot rendered the rudder and other manual instruments not just redundant, but non-functional. The crew of the ship more or less didn't acknowledge his existence, as they simply carried on about their daily routine upon seeing him, with only a few remembering to greet him as "Captain" instead of "Guest". The guests were mostly well behaved and there were no major incidents aboard the ship that required attention, the only event of note was Sparkle had placed whoopee cushions on the seats of every attendee of a birthday party before giving an obviously insincere apology. While they were both part of the Nameless who, officially, saved Penacony from a Stellaron incursion, Stelle's popularity within Penacony was and would likely forever be at a fever pitch due to her being the director who shot the Clockie series back into popularity and saved Clock Studios from potential insolvency through the Dreamjoy Memoirs film series. Thus, her celebrity status made her revered amongst almost all passengers, and the crew worshipped their captain on an almost deity-like level. Employees and guests alike welcomed the gaudy decor of paintings and statues that stroke the ego of their beloved captain.

Thus, Dan Heng found himself sitting idly at a table with an unopened newspaper in the midship lounge, trying his best to remain awake and look alert in case a passenger came up and wanted to complain. No such thing occured, as the adults continued to loiter around and take in the scenic cityscapes, while children ran around the lounge chasing one another, attempting to pop their rivals' Boss Stone balloons. The interim captain was bored out of his mind, and his mind was slowly beginning to wander. Long-life species such as himself naturally led slower lives and were much more patient than their short life counterparts but spending his time around a manic March and a spontaneous Stelle had the impatience of his fellow crew members rub off on him. As the Astral Express' guard and archivist, the intended sabbatical to take his mind off his inevitable return to the Luofu only made him restless. There was nobody to guard, and nothing to archive.

His mind started to drift, and he found himself wondering how his former homeworld was doing. He imagined the massive tree that was the Ambrosial Arbor, the centerpiece of which much of his life had revolved around, causing untold suffering to both himself and the Luofu as a whole. He remembered that after many years of running from Blade, Blade had finally caught up to him and trounced him in their duel, with only Yanqing and Kafka's interventions as well as his own transformation into his true form saving him from certain death. He reminisced on the massive amounts of affection March 7th showered him with, as well as his need to constantly bail the girl out of whatever trouble she got herself into. And finally, he reflected on how just one short year after Stelle had joined the Nameless, her actions and influence have already changed the galaxy forever.

Perhaps Mr. Yang was right, and going to Kivotos would be a good idea. According to Stelle, Kivotos was a cultural crossroads of many different species and worlds, and the variety of sights and tastes would serve to occupy his mind and allow him to take a mental break, and possibly gain new insights both spiritually and philosophically that would better prepare him for his return to the Luofu. And as much as he would never admit it externally, the Vidyaharan had simply grew accustomed to accompanying his crewmates, and after 20 short hours, had already missed their company. As the Radiant Feldspar prepared to land, Dan Heng informed the first mate his time as interim captain would come to an end, and swiftly teleported to Kivotos after informing the rest of the Crew of his decision.

The hum of the various LED lights on the office's light grey tiled ceiling created a ramshackle atmosphere that seemed to echo off the matching floor and white drywall. The room itself had a cheap apperance despite the tenant's best efforts to adorn it with respectable business-like furniture; as two black sofas with solid mahogany armrests and an untreated cypress work desk surround a modest wooden table, which had been piled up with various literature and a handgun. Mostly empty filing cabinets and a completely barren safe are lined up next to the windows behind the desk, while various framed photos as well as a bulletin board adorn the walls. On the sofas sat three girls, with the first sporting pure white hair with black bangs and a ponytail completing her monochromatic color scheme, her black horns in a position where one could mistake it as a simple clipping. Her hoodie, skirt, and shoes all consisted of a mostly black color scheme with dark red highlights accentuating their styling, while the hoodie had "BORN TO KILL" written on as its logo. She looked around the room, the gaze of her red eyes seemingly piercing the walls, her pale skin absorbing the light the ceiling shot at her. Beside her was an impish girl with a dark red frilly dress underneath a blazer that sported a similar color scheme to Kayoko's outfit, as well as matching combat boots. Her purple eyes narrowed in glee and a seemingly permanent grin was drawn on her face as she scrolled through various news topics on her phone, mostly involving the misfortune of others. Across from them sat a girl seemingly clad entirely all in dark purple, from her long scruffy hair and eyes to her admiral coat and cap, as well as her laced boots. Her eyes darted around nervously as she brought her knees towards her chin.

At the work desk sat the fourth member in the group, her shoulder-length pink hair and matching eyes contrasting with her red coat over her white long-sleeved collared shirt and red neck ribbon, her heels and office skirt sporting a black color scheme with gold adornments. The horns growing out of her head's rear had similar blinding accents that masked its wine red hues. She put her feet up on the desk while closing her eyes and sporting a relaxed grin, basking in the satisfaction of a job well done and an inevitable payday. Her feet knocked over the nameplate on the desk, sending it clattering to the floor. The nameplate read: "Rikuhachima Aru, CEO". The phone rang, and she picked it up, the smile not fading.

"Problem Solver 68," Aru's singsong, ladylike voice echoed through the room. "We'll do the crime if you got the dime."

"This is the Director," a deep, gruff voice that could belong to a stereotypical superhero movie villain replied. "Looks like the Abydos job went as planned."

Aru's haughty laughter filled the room as she failed to contain her glee. "All according to plan, Director. The Abydos students were strong, but without ammo, they stood no chance against our siege with those Helmet Gangsters in tow. Their escape was a minor setback, but I was expecting it. Those kids are too soft-hearted to let themselves be captured by such low-class thugs."

"Excellent," the Director responded. "Now, as per our agreement, I will wire half of the amount that you had proposed as your rate. Consider it as a token of the generosity that our good company is known for."

Aru's expression instantly changed from that of simpering, self-satisfied elation to an amusing image of sheer panic. Her mouth went agape in an exaggerated frown and her eyes seemed to have blanked out from shock. "H-Half? Is this some sort of betrayal, Director? We took over the school and neutralized the Abydos students! That was the agreement!"

The Director laughed, and even though the tinny speakers of the ancient relic of a desk phone, the sinister howling would send shivers down anyone's spine. "That's funny. You seem to forget who has the upper hand here. It is us, not you. And if you remember, our agreement was for you to take over the school and DETAIN the Abydos students. You only accomplished one of those tasks, so you should be grateful I'm giving you half."

Aru blubbered and stammered as she struggled to regain the facade of a hard-boiled outlaw. As this was going on, the girl with the headphones looked on in stoic neutrality, the expression of someone who had already predicted this result. Meanwhile, the impish girl had doubled over in laughter as she rolled on the floor, and the one clad in purple was shaking her fist in seething rage.

"This is a-an outrage!" Aru screeched. "We did what you asked! If you think you can get away with this, then you have another thing coming!"

"Please, Rikuhachima. Even if your outfit are the expert 'problem solvers' you claim yourselves to be, you are but simple children in the eyes of Kaiser PMC. I've already wired the money, so I'll leave you with a little bit of advice. If you're going to extort someone, don't wait until after you've given them what they want. Learn from me, and you might just be able to play ball with the adults."

Aru balled her free hand into a fist and slammed it on the table, her panic now mixed in with indignant anger. "I never should have trusted you! You, you... you clanker!"

The Director erupted into ear-splitting laughter at Aru's response. It was laughter that seemed to be louder than any laugh Aru had heard before. It echoed in the thin walls of the office and lingered in her ears for what seemed to be an eternity, before the line was finally cut dead. Aru slammed the phone onto its resting cradle, causing it to jump from its spot before clattering back onto the desk.

"This is unacceptable," The girl in purple spoke, her voice a mixture of fear and rage. "Unacceptable, unacceptable, UNACCEPTABLE! I-It's an insult! How dare they treat us like this!"

The one with monochromatic hair took off her headphones and sighed. "I hate to say this Haruka, but we should have seen this coming. It's not like we can call the police on Kaiser. Maybe it's what we deserve for kicking those girls out of their school." She turned at the girl on the floor, who was still sporting a watermelon-sized smile. "Could you at least show some consideration, Mutsuki? This was supposed to be our big break."

"Oh, come on, Kayoko," the floor hugger replied. Mutsuki moved herself back onto the couch, sitting upright and placing a finger on her chin, the smile not having faded. "We're no angels, not even if we become Trinity students. I'd say it's just retribution for us acting like real outlaws for once."

"That's not the point, Mutsuki. We both knew this was a bad idea, but you kept quiet about it. The others never listen to me, unless you agree with me on something."

"What would be the fun in that?" Mutsuki's giggling seemed to only register to Kayoko, as Aru was slouched back on the office chair in paralyzed shock, while Haruka was busy being depressed. "Besides, what's the point of being in this group if we don't do things the way we want? I mean, why did we make Problem Solver 68 in the first place?"

Kayoko had to concede that Mutsuki had a point, as her memories flashed back to her previous employer and the unpleasant memories it continued to bring. Kayoko couldn't remember the specific incident that caused her to leave, as the work was simply so unpleasant it caused the current PS68 Chief of Staff to have a crisis of identity. For all of Aru's faults, she was a good person, and did her best to help those around her, unlike Kayoko's former superior. But the CEO of PS68 didn't know the meaning of restraint or humility, and Aru's unhealthy obsession with becoming her ideal image of a rebel meant Kayoko found herself often forced to bail Aru out of trouble.

Kayoko sighed, as she was certain the image of an ideal outlaw in Aru's mind was not one in which Valkyrie would shoo them away from public parks for vagrancy.

Haruka began droning, snapping everyone's attention to her. "We don't have enough to pay for rent, much less buy food. We're gonna lose the office again. I guess this is what I get for being such a worthless failure. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sor-"

"Quit your whining, Haruka," Aru cut off, regaining her composure and returning to her normal, arrogant persona. "I'm sure we can figure something out. Adversity is just another trial in a true outlaw's story! We're only going to become stronger from this!"

"That's right, Aru!" Haruka's mood shifted a full 180 degrees as her usual pessimism was replaced by the one permanent counterbalance against it in her personality: blind worship of her friend. "There's no obstacle we can't overcome, not even Kaiser!"

Kayoko's eyes rolled, but she knew better than to question the loyalty Haruka had for her friends. She had done this song and dance of being stifled by an employer and losing their avenue of staying off the streets countless times. This was nothing new, and it wasn't anything new to their landlord either. In fact, they had been evicted so many times the landlord had elected to keep the furniture Aru had bought around, as it was inevitable Problem Solver 68 would reoccupy the office in short order. "What do we have now, Aru? Do we have enough to at least afford a hotel for the night?"

"About that..." Aru replied, her gaze drifting towards the door. "You see, we spent most of our funds on paying off the part-time mercs. They uh, don't come cheap." And as Kayoko could attest, their work ethic didn't match their hourly rate either. Their apathetic offense had led to the Helmet Gangsters which now occupied the school taking an unnecessarily number of casualties; the Abydos students put dozens of them unconscious before running out of ammo and being forced to flee. And their haphazard perimeter setup meant the Abydos students escaped long before Kayoko could come up with a plan to trap them inside the school. It was probable the Abydos students would counterattack and retake the school before the Director could capitalize off it for whatever his larger plan may be, which Kayoko suspected to be nothing more than a brute force land grab. It was hardly her concern at any rate, since working with Kaiser again was well and truly off the table now. Either way, it meant that with only half the promised payment received, PS68 at best broke even on the job, and more than likely took a loss instead.

"That's why we have to find another job, and fast!" Mutsuki's smile was gone, replaced with a look of determination. "I'm not going back to sharing one cup noodle between the four of us so soon!"

"Then there's only one option, isn't there?" Aru stood up and turned around, pointing at a map on the bulletin board that had numerous sticky notes adorned on its surface. She pointed towards the center, which showed a picture of the newly opened SCHALE Tower, and a sticky note in Aru's handwriting attached to it which read: "Rules are made to be BROKEN", with the word "BROKEN" underlined three times.

Aru puffed her chest out in pride with a smug smile that radiated self-assuredness. "Sensei understands the outlaw creed and knows that the rules of this society are merely there to prevent the strong from doing whatever they please. With a woman like that in charge, there is no limit to how high we can climb! We just need to get hired at SCHALE, and then we can see the credits roll in!" Aru had been idolizing Sensei ever since her "interview" with Kronos, deeming it proof of Sensei's outlaw credibility. Kayoko, unfortunately for the Galactic Educator's underground cred, saw it as just a simple impulsive act.

"You're amazing, Aru!" Haruka continued to enable her friend's harebrained schemes as always. "Just what I expected from you!"

Kayoko rolled her eyes once more, an action that was masked by the lights flickering out for a second before powering back on. She suspected another reason why the office seemed to always be available for PS68 to reoccupy every time they got evicted was due to the building not quite being up to code. Nevertheless, Kayoko knew better than to try to talk her boss out of this situation, and it wasn't like she or Mutsuki had any better ideas. "I guess we're doing this then."

"That's the spirit, Kayoko!" Aru shouted as she threw a fist into the air. "We're not just gonna walk up to Sensei and ask to be hired. No, we're going to BREAK into SCHALE, and show her the strength of Problem Solver 68! See the rules, break the rules! That's what real outlaws do, and that's how we're gonna get the money we deserve!"

Kayoko facepalmed while Mutsuki snickered beside her, as Aru's plan was simply a more roundabout way of asking to be hired.

"Spam," I droned, sifting through just one stack of what seemed to be hundreds in the mail that had been delivered to SCHALE in my several days of absence. "Spam, love letter, mega spam. There's gotta be a better way of doing this."

March was sitting not far from me, feeding a large commercial shredder the stacks I tossed at her, as well as cooling down the motor with her Six-Phased Ice Powers to ensure a continuous runtime. The two of us had been going at it for about an hour now, and March had at one point left to empty the shredder's bin in the dumpsters outside before coming back to continue our work. We had made somewhat considerable progress on the pile, but it would be at the very least a few more hours before we could call our work done. I coped with this by reminding myself the volume of mail would die down as SCHALE becomes an accepted part of daily life in Kivotos, and that March and Arona, but mostly Arona pretending to be March, could field online inquiries without my input.

I looked over the next piece of mail in the pile, which was a handwritten letter sealed in an envelope. The envelope was worn and yellowed, and what appeared to be sand grains were stuck on the outside. "From: Okusaora Ayane, Abydos High School" was written on the outside. I tossed it aside into a considerably smaller pile, which consisted of other handwritten letters from various students and citizens across the thousands of academies within Kivotos. I didn't like the idea of leaving people to wait on my help, but if I couldn't make sure SCHALE was self-sufficient before embarking on anything major, then my capacity of helping was rather limited. I could only pray to the Aeons that whatever was currently going on wouldn't result in consequences that could implode on the entirety of Kivotos as a whole.

"Look at it this way, Sensei!" Arona's optimism was always refreshing, but today it was also a bit grating, as even if she could scan and sort the contents from within my phone, it wouldn't save myself or March any time when it came to disposing of the massive amounts of unneeded mail. Seeing that mail truck come and dump the entirety of its contents onto our front door was not the best start to my day. "It's a great sign that SCHALE is being relied upon, and that means a lot of work for us to do!"

"We're still on the hot seat, and that's a fact," I replied. "I wouldn't be surprised if the academies and organizations are already thinking of ways to take advantage of us." In the year since I had joined the Nameless, we had been used as political pawns by just about everyone, but it was a necessary evil in our mission. As a result, I wasn't all that surprised that a number of the students and residents of Kivotos would want a piece of SCHALE. While Miss Himeko and Mr. Yang shielded the other Nameless from a lot of the politics, those luxuries couldn't be afforded when I was explicitly the sole Advisor of SCHALE. I could already see several requests that would be nothing more than thinly veiled attempts to leverage the power and influence of SCHALE for their own ends, and there was little I could do but accept the reality. I shook the thoughts from my mind, as while they were valid and most likely correct, they were also a product of my despair that was the result of drowned in a sludge of congealed boredom.

"Ugh, give me a break!" March loudly complained. "Why does every single one of these have to be so boring?! Can't someone send us a bomb or something?!"

"I thought you weren't supposed to wish for things like that?" Arona asked.

"A bomb would make a lot of the spam mail go away..." I slowly began to ponder the idea. Anything to speedrun this process.

"Hey! Get your own opinion!" March shouted.

"Please don't even think about it, you two. Even if a bomb would barely scratch any of us." Arona was now playing the straight man to the two of us in the absence of Dan Heng, as well as other external third parties for me to annoy. It was somewhat embarrassing considering Arona was around a month old, babysitting the terrible ideas of two adult women. Usually, that was Dan Heng's job, and he has at least several decades on us in terms of age.

March, having become just as much of a victim of the tediousness of our endeavor as I was, began jamming more mail at a faster pace into the shredder's steel jaws. "If only you could get those maids to clean up this mess. Or is that Cleaning & Clearing name just for show?"

"And risk them reading confidential information? No thanks," I snorted. "Yuuka said she'll get a meeting with them and the rest of Seminar lined up, but it won't be for a few days."

March began to reminisce. "Walking straight into the dragon's den as usual. It's like you're magnetically attracted to two-faced hags. And I thought Dan Heng was bad!"

"Speaking of whom, Stelle," Arona interrupted. "You have a new message from Dan Heng."

"Is it a bomb threat?" I asked Arona.

"No." Arona flattened my expectations with a singular word. "Says here he left the Radiant Feldspar and is in Kivotos now. He'll meet you in SCHALE Tower some time later. He'll wander around on his own for the moment."

"Oh, that's nice." It was certainly a surprise to hear he would visit Kivotos after all. I thought the Radiant Feldspar would keep him busy, but I should have known March and I rubbed off our combined impatience on him as well. Not that I didn't welcome having the three of us together once more when Penacony kept us separated for so long; Dan Heng's hydrokinesis lets him control both water and wind, his elemental powers and spear being a good compliment to March's long ranged ice attacks and my own close range physical prowess. He also keeps his true form hidden unless absolutely necessary, much like how I dislike using my other tools unless the situation called for them, so I can't really count on him using the water portion of his powers. His logic was also stronger than March's, but that was the equivalent of saying a rock was harder than a marshmallow, Still, I could rely on him for sound judgment if my own was failing me. "Maybe he could soften all these papers up with water, and then scatter them away from us with the wind."

It was March's turn to roll her eyes at me. "You're upgrading from fare dodging to criminal pollution now?"

It had been an hour since Dan Heng had arrived on Kivotos and left the Sanctum Tower's basement. While he could have teleported directly to Stelle's personal quarters, the archivist wished to take in the sights of the newly discovered planet on a scenic walk for a few hours before meeting up with the girls. The gentle breeze and mild temperature were a perfect combination with the clear, blue sky, as he navigated the crowds of the diverse populace. The wide range of species he observed was almost on the level of Penacony, which was a galactic tourist hub. The buildings were modern but not too dense, and there was an aura of tranquility that permeated throughout the streets. Dan Heng saw the occasional gunfight every now and then, but both himself and the native populace treated it as merely part of the background scenery. He even saw a silver-haired cyclist casually pedal right through a barrage of explosions and bullets being fired by both sides, which had him wondering how a society like this could remain relatively peaceful despite having accepted violence as a fact of daily life.

The Vidyaharan male typed in some shorthand notes on his phone as he slowly took in the environment around him, and the various activities and behaviors he could observe of the residents. He himself also drew quite a bit of attention, especially from the haloed female students that Stelle had previously noted as the dominant force in Kivotos' society. Quite a few of them swooned over his appearance, as an adult human male was a rare sight. Some of the more prideful students also showed jealousy, mostly towards his tall height. Dan Heng could overhear them saying he was even taller than Stelle-sensei. The archivist could easily sense that most were not a significant threat to him, at least not individually, especially as many of them were cowed by the same features that drew their attention to him. As such, none made any move against him, instead opting to stare daggers at him until Dan Heng had walked past them, not even giving them the acknowledgement of eye contact.

After about two hours of walking, the train guard came across a food stall on the sidewalk where a gruff, bipedal dog wearing a chef's uniform had set up shop. He seemed to specialize in ramen, but Dan Heng simply needed a rest and some water. He walked up in front of the stall window and took a seat before the chef turned around and greeted him.

"Now, that's a face you don't see every day," the stall owner began. "What can I get you?"

"Sorry, but I don't appear to have any valid currency on me. Do you have any water?"

The owner showed a slight, weary smile. "Not from here, are you? I've got no tap and only bottled water, and I give that away for nothing. Tell you what, I haven't used the bathroom all day. You man the stall and take orders until I get back from the convenience store across from here, and I'll let you have some water on the house."

"Thank you," Dan Heng bowed politely. "I appreciate your generosity."

The old man waddled across the street and disappeared inside the store, leaving Dan Heng alone. He looked out at the street in front of the stall. Several students walked past, either not noticing him or simply ignoring him. There was no one in line, so Dan Heng assumed he would have little trouble dealing with customers, as long as the owner of the stall returned from nature's calling within due time.

Dan Heng was looking back and forth between the ramen ingredients and the cookware behind the window, and the few customers that came and went from the stall, when he heard a metal blade unsheathing, and then felt the edge against the back of his neck. His pupils contorted, his palms drenched in sweat and adrenaline, and his heartbeat quickened, but his mind and body were not reacting the way his instincts screamed they should. A cold wave of dread washed over his entire body, and his hands, still resting on the countertop, began to tremble. He knew this particular bite of steel better than anybody, as it had belonged to Blade, who seemed to have returned for yet another shot at collecting Dan Heng's debt. How or why Blade had come to Kivotos was unknown to Dan Heng, and hardly important at the moment. The predator seemed content to watch his prey freeze up and panic. Eventually, his fear paralysis disappeared, and Dan Heng quickly materialized his spear and swung it in a slicing maneuver behind him, only for it to pass through thin air and strike the wall behind it, leaving a crack in the brickwork and the tip of the spear undented.

"That wasn't funny, Mutsuki," a soft-spoken voice slowly faded in from some distance away. "You could have gotten someone else hurt."

"Oh, come on, Kayoko!" the voice seemingly belonging to the one named Mutsuki replied. "It's not like there's anyone around. There's no one here but a ramen cart... oh."

The soft voice sighed. "We should apologize to the stall owner. Hopefully they weren't too freaked out."

A third timid, stuttering voice made its presence known. "S-Should we blow up the cart and the owner? Leave no witnesses?"

"No, Haruka! That would only create more witnesses!" yelled out a fourth, elegant sounding girl, her panicked words betraying her graceful tone. "We should go check on them."

Dan Heng's entire body continued to tremble uncontrollably, and his breath was short and quick as he remained on alert for the cold bite of Blade's steel. But it never came, and Dan Heng concluded it was simply an illusion he had experienced. Was it just his past trauma and memories playing tricks on him, or was it something else altogether?

The four voices he heard eventually made their way into his view as they stopped by the stall, and the pink-haired, golden-horned one amongst them began to make awkward conversation in a manner which was the opposite of stoicism. "Oh, uh, hi, Mr. Chef. Everything alright today? Sure is... nice weather, huh?"

The short girl did not even bother to hide her hysterics as she laughed at her friend. "Aru, please! Is that your best outlaw etiquette?"

Aru's face changed into that which was reminiscent of a depressed seal as her friend instantly blew her thin cover, as she waved her arms up and down while spouting a fountain of incoherent blubbering. "M-M-Mutsuki just likes to joke around! We're not outlaws! We're actually-"

The rest of Aru's rambling was drowned out of Dan Heng's comprehension while he crossed his arms, his piercing eyes towering over the group of four, as the archivist attempted to regain his composure. "Would the four of you like to order something?"

"Oh, um..." Aru simmered back down. "We'll just get one order of your standard ramen."

"One for each of you?" Dan Heng inquired.

"No, just one between the four of us. We, uh..."

The timid girl in purple burst out into rapid bowing and blustering. "I'm so sorry. We're completely broke! If only I wasn't so useless, useless, use-"

"Haruka!" Aru panicked once more as the image of elegance she tried to maintain was shattered.

Eventually, the stall owner returned from the convenience store bathroom, a look of satisfied elation apparent on him as he approached the group. "I'm back! And look at all the customers I've got now! You're a lifesaver, kid. Sorry for taking so long. I'll throw in a bowl for you on the house."

Dan Heng smiled and returned to the customer side of the stall as the owner retook his original position. "No need, the water will be fine. Please give my bowl to the girls here."

"And they say chivalry is dead! Alright, sit tight everyone."

After receiving their bowls, three of the four girls sat down on the stools and took their first sip of their two shared bowls of ramen, each making an individual sound of delight, and then turning to face each other in an attempt to match the other's enthusiasm.

"Mmm, so good!" the impish girl reveled in delight. "Haven't had real ramen in ages! This is amazing! You want a taste, Kayoko?"

Kayoko, who was currently seated next to Dan Heng as the latter was going through his bottle of water, shook her head. "I'm still pretty full from that CalorieBlock I had earlier. You can finish the bowl."

As Mutsuki hoovered the bowl up for herself and Aru and Haruka got into a politeness contest over who should have the majority of the portions, Kayoko began a conversation with the mysterious stranger that bore more than a bit of a resemblance to the human-dragon hybrid race of a popular game she once played.

"I want to apologize for scaring you earlier if I did. Mutsuki played a prank on us, and I thought we were in danger. She didn't mean anything malicious by it."

"It's fine," Dan Heng replied as he sipped his drink. "It was probably my own fault anyway. I still have regrets I haven't been able to let go of, and a past I'm struggling to move on from. Is that one of your abilities, to play on people's fears?"

Kayoko nodded. "My ability makes people panic. That can include illusions of whatever they fear most."

"Ah," Dan Heng said as he finished the bottle. "It was foolish of me to let myself fall victim to it. I suppose we were both at fault. I'll try not to let it happen again."

"I see. You're not from Kivotos, are you?"

"No. You could say I'm visiting. Where I'm from, I'm an archivist and train guard. Learning about different places and recording my observations isn't just one of my duties, it's something I take joy in."

"Is that what brought you here, then? To study a new place?"

"Well, I was initially just going to take a vacation elsewhere, but it seems fate has decided to bring me here instead. What about you? What's your role in life?"

"Well, officially, I'm Problem Solver 68's Chief of Staff. But in reality..." Her eyes looked downcast, as she tried to find the right words to say. "I don't think I really have a place in society."

"Oh, is that all? Well, perhaps you can tell me more about the society of Kivotos. Why don't you think you have a place in it?"

"I'm not sure. I guess the reason I'm so unsure about what I want to do in life is because I've went through a lot of paths already. Beforehand, I was someone rather high-ranking and respected in an organization with authority. But I got frustrated with our lack of progress and the hypocrisy of my superiors. One thing led to another, and realizing I would make no difference in the world where I was, I left."

"I see," Dan Heng mused. "And what about now? Do you have a place within Problem Solver 68?" He gestured towards the other three, who were happily eating and discussing amongst each other. "What do you think about them?"

"Oh, well, that's a little harder to explain." Kayoko pondered a bit more. "They're my friends. We've stuck through thick and thin, and I'm grateful for that. But... we're not really making any progress. We've been homeless more times than I can count, and they often don't listen to me. But if nothing else, Aru might be bad at leading a company, but she's a good person. It's more than I could say about where I was before."

A slight smile cracked on Dan Heng's face, as he found himself and Kayoko as kindred spirits. "I could say the same about my friends. They're impulsive, impatient, and often get me in trouble. But if there's one thing I've learned from them, it's that life isn't perfect. We have our flaws, but that doesn't mean we can't try and change things for the better. And together, we have. Many a time. They can get on my nerves, and I do often clean up after them. One in particular, I might add. But I'd also be lost without them. I'm still not quite over something that happened in the past... but they helped get me through the worst of it. I can finally see my home again because of them, even if I can't stay. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that living for its own sake is priceless in and of itself."

Kayoko smiled back. "I think I get it. You're right. Even though they don't listen to me, the others have shown me how wonderful life can be. They're not perfect, but neither am I." She paused for a moment. "Still though, Aru has another badly thought-out scheme on getting money to pay rent after the last job stiffed us on our compensation."

"I've probably heard worse. What's the plan?"

"We go to the SCHALE Tower, break in, and impress Sensei with our skills, who will then hire us on the spot. I don't even think SCHALE is recruiting at the moment, but..." She looked at the other three, still enjoying their rare square meal. "It's not like I have any better ideas."

"You're in luck," Dan Heng replied. "If my friends had come up with that plan, I'd say it's one of their better ones. I just happen to be headed there now, and I have an access key. No need for a messy break-in if the door opens for you, right? Could I have the honor of accompanying you?"

Kayoko's eyes widened. "You have an access key? So, your friend is-" She looked around, in an uncommon moment of the Chief of Staff losing her cool.

"Let's not let them know about that part. I'm a fellow outlaw who also wants to get into the SCHALE Tower. How does that sound?"

Kayoko agreed and nodded. "Yeah, let's do it. We can sneak in easily, show Sensei our skills, and then have her hire us. As far as they know, anyway."

"That sounds like a fine plan to me. As soon as they're done enjoying their meal."

Five hours of monotony and tree killing had passed, and the massive pile of mail was finally beginning to look less like a volcano and more like an ant hill. We had gone through what I estimated to be around 2,500 individual pieces of mail and had managed to organize them all into neat piles based on their contents. There were some greeting letters from the student councils of the academies in Kivotos, some spam, business letters, as well as a few more handwritten letters from students and residents. Despite March's usual klutziness, she did her job of shoving letters into the shredder's steel jaws and keeping the motor cool quite well, as well as making a few runs to the dumpsters outside to empty the contents of our hard labor. According to her, we had completely filled three of the ones placed outside, with only the fourth dumpster located on the Tower's south side not having been taken over by the literal truckload of mail. Luckily, since we were billed at the end of the month, I was able to call for an early trash pickup despite SCHALE having absolutely zero capital until our split of the calendar orders could be claimed. SCHALE's dumpsters shall be plagued by valueless confetti nevermore!

"Well, that was a walk in the park," March sardonically remarked as she sat down, exhausted, her arms dangling to the floor and micro cut paper confetti somehow ending up in her hair. "What are you smiling about, Stelle? You're not the one who had to keep this thing from exploding all day."

I took out a small handheld fan from one of the desks, blowing the paper shards off March and causing her to hold her hand up to the side of her eye to stop them from protruding on her oculars. For a second, I could have sworn I was staring at the splitting image of Firefly based on March's pose.

"At least we're finally done," I sighed in relief. "Though I'm not looking forward to the recruiting we'll have to do the rest of the day. Actually, it's strange, why didn't anyone show up?"

"Oh, uh..." March scratched her head as she smiled awkwardly. "I kind of forgot to put the post out that we were recruiting. It's no big deal, right?"

Normally, I'd be pretty upset and flabbergasted at how March had forgot such a basic and crucial thing, but I decided to let it slide today. It would have taken even longer if people did show up, and I'd probably have yet another scandal on my hands if I interviewed people in the wasteland that was my office just hours ago. "Nah, just leave it for now. Don't really feel like doing anything else today. Might head back to the Express in a bit."

"Don't you think that's a bit lazy?" March retorted. "There's a lot of work that has to be done, and we need every single person we can get. What if I just called up some people and told them to come right now?"

"Do you know anyone in Kivotos, March?" I asked.

Silence filled the air for a few seconds before she sighed in defeat. "No."

"Then don't sweat it. It's not like there's a Stellaron here. We'll be fine."

March huffed as she leaned back on the chair. "I guess we should have some fun, since it's not like we can go anywhere." She stood up and stretched, her back cracking with each twist and turn. "I'm going to the gym here. If you're bored, you can watch me. It takes a lot of exercise to be this cute, Stelle! Anyway, see ya!"

"Uh, okay. Have fun, I guess."

March made her way out, and as soon as the door shut, a barrage of shotgun from just outside and the explosion of a grenade rocked the room.

"YOU MUST DIE, SENSEI! DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE-" shrieked a high-pitched banshee as more shells fired at machine gun esque speeds echoed.

"Ow, hey! You're annoying!" March yelled at the unseen assailants who ambushed her.

"Haruka, wait!" screeched one of the unknown hostiles. "We're trying to IMPRESS Sensei!"

More gunfire and explosions rang out as March presumably began her counterattack. Haughty laugher belonging to another began echoing through the hall, before it was quickly silenced as the telltale crackle of March's ice bombs stole the soundscape. There seemed to be one last hostile though, as March's yelps of surprise quickly followed.

"Ah! Wait, what?"

I casually opened the door as if nothing had happened and saw a scene where two students I hadn't met before were frozen in ice. The expressions of shock and horror on the pink haired and purple clad popsicles were rather exaggerated and comical, and immediately left a deep impression on me. A shorter third student nonchalantly began planting bombs on the ice, presumably to blast her friends free, and a fourth stood some distance away from March and the fifth person, hands in her pockets and a look of exasperated resignation. As for March, she was currently being held at spearpoint by...

"Dan Heng?" March was utterly confused by the events that had transpired. "Who are these people with you? And you could stop holding your spear at my neck?"

"Always so reckless, March." Dan Heng lowered his spear before dematerializing it, before March did the same with her bow. "You should be mindful of your surroundings."

As March and Dan Heng continued their impromptu interrogation, I walked over to the ice, brushed aside the third student, and started smashing it with my bat, its head shattering the immediate area of impact and making deep cracks in the crystal carapace. Realizing I hadn't had anything to drink during those five hours of mail sorting, I thought about eating some of March's ice before I remembered there were operating and stocked vending machines littered throughout the entire Tower. And if I was desperate, I could always menace a bathroom sink.

"What's the big idea, Dan Heng?" March asked. "Are these kids yours or something?"

March must have missed the memo about Vidyaharans being unable to have offspring. "...No," Dan Heng finally replied, rolling his eyes as he did so. "They're a group called Problem Solver 68. They wish to meet with the Sensei of SCHALE." Dan Heng turned to give me a side glance, one that betrayed a slight smugness very much unlike his Cold Dragon Young moniker.

"Is their idea of meeting with us jumping me?" March snapped back.

"Hey, it's not our fault you're stupidly loud and easy to ambush." The pink-haired one, who I just finished breaking out of her arctic prison, was now puffing her chest out in pride and attempting to exert an air of superiority over the stupidly loud girl she had failed to ambush. "A true outlaw is always on alert for enemies. I thought you'd know that by now, Sensei." Impressively, the look of abject horror frozen on the purple one's face had somehow contorted to be even more wide-eyed despite her glacial stasis, and my smug knowing grin was matched by the impish short girl on the other side of the liquid glass. A back and forth of March trying to convince the pink haired apparent leader that she wasn't myself and the other insisting that March indeed was myself ensued as I eventually succeeded in breaking the last frozen Problem Solver out of her cage.

"Hey, get it through your head!" March's look of indignant outrage was only accentuated by her arms wildly flailing around as her voice became higher and more frantic. "I'm not Sensei!"

"I think this is the time you present your irrefutable evidence, Aru," chortled the impish girl as she failed to stifle a laugh. "Kufufu~"

"Thank you, Field Captain. Not that I forgot, of course!" Aru pulled out her phone which was the profile of SCHALE's official social media page, pointing to its icon, which was a close-up selfie of March with "SCHALE" written in futuristic font on the bottom black border. While I was rather sure stroking her ego was the major factor in the decision-making process, March's choice of branding for SCHALE was regardless rather clever as it kept her the face of the organization's online presence. It was a rather simple way of keeping Arona's existence hidden from Kivotos through a bit of misdirection, even if it may be unintended. Though even if it was discovered March was using an AI assistant, it should be easy to make up the excuse that it was simply one of many other AI programs that seemed to exist in Kivotos regardless. "Take this, Sensei! My decisive evidence! You can't hide from the truth!"

The deafening drone of noiselessness filled the void as every person in the room stared at Aru, sans one certain student rolling on the floor cackling like an IPC executive.

"Uh," Aru awkwardly began, pointing at March. "Isn't that you?"

"And that proves I'm Sensei...how?" March narrowed her eyes to a slit as her mouth formed a flat expression.

"Well, you have the same face as this picture."

"Because it IS my face, moron!"

The two fools continued to argue as Dan Heng put a hand on my shoulder and motioned for the rest of us to come inside the office. The laughing joker appeared to have become numb and unresponsive with amusement, while the purple haired girl simply shook her head in embarrassment. The one in the black hoodie followed the remaining two Nameless inside as March's and Aru's debate was slowly drowned out by the closing office door.

If Kayoko had one word to describe Stelle-sensei before they met, it would have been "strange." Her mannerisms, her voice, her behavior, everything about her screamed an enigmatic difference from the usual. Despite the fact that her physical body was likely her actual age, the way she acted was closer to a child. In spite of this, she was certainly not naive. There was a maturity and knowledge about the world behind her eyes, as Kayoko had seen when Sensei had refrained herself from correcting Aru about her identity. Dan Heng obviously had a high degree of respect for Sensei, as he described her rather highly despite voicing his frustrations with her impulsiveness and oddities. Kayoko was beginning to see why Dan Heng held this respect for Sensei while the argument between her erstwhile friend and SCHALE's social media manager raged on, as she quickly rescued Aru after the latter had attacked her friend without hesitation, and did not stop to correct Aru's misassumptions when assisting Haruka. Kayoko was starting to build a similar respect for Sensei, and as she entered SCHALE's office, said respect for Sensei and perhaps Kivotos' society as a whole were dashed, and replaced by disappointment. Her keen eye immediately caught the framed painting of Sensei hung on the wall, a commanding gaze that spoke volumes of her authority. In addition, there was a much sillier plush of on one of the desks that had SCHALE's erstwhile Advisor wearing an improvised armor set made entirely of trashcans. Kayoko had assumed Stelle-sensei had a bit of an ego, but the blatant display of narcissism before her was far too much. It immediately brought back unpleasant memories of when she used to personally deal with Gehenna's Pandemonium Society, particularly Chairman Hamuna Makoto. Makoto would repeatedly commission massive statues of herself that would get rather swiftly destroyed when erected, a deed that was often done from the direction of "Hina's Pet" whom Kayoko often had disagreements with.

Dan Heng had pulled up a seat besides Kayoko after he had a private conversation with Stelle-sensei, and Sensei quickly sat across the other side of the desk in a relaxed and casual position, one foot up on the wooden surface as she slouched.

"Dan Heng filled me in on your and Problem Solver 68's situation as a whole, Kayoko," the GSC president's chosen successor began, a hint of playfulness and excitement in her voice. Kayoko could reasonably conclude she had given Sensei a positive first impression. "We're not officially recruiting at the moment, but I'd be willing to hear you out as Problem Solver 68's representative."

"Thank you, Sensei," Kayoko responded, bowing her head slightly while seated.

"I have a few questions I'd like you to answer. First off, your name. What should we call you?"

Kayoko resisted the urge to roll her eyes, as Stelle-sensei was likely testing her with such a redundant question. "My name is Onikata Kayoko."

"Alright then, Kayoko. Do you have an occupation, and if you do, why are you currently looking to be recruited by SCHALE?"

"I am currently Problem Solver 68's Chief of Staff. Mutsuki is our Field Captain, Aru is the CEO, and Haruka is a Part-Time Employee." An amused slight smile crept onto Sensei's face, signaling she had immediately realized it for the farce that it was. Obvious as it was, it was apparent Stelle-sensei was much sharper than what her reputation would imply. Kayoko sighed as she began telling the unfiltered truth. "The reality is that, when it comes to logistics, I do pretty much everything. I review our accounting records, manage the assets and funds of our group, and take care of administrative work. I also come up with our battle plans, even if they fall apart pretty fast because only Mutsuki is really capable of following them precisely. My experience with intelligence means I handle the recon on a mission, as well as some of the information gathering when off them. Mutsuki is smart, but thinks things going wrong for Aru is funny, so she doesn't bother to correct her. Haruka is loyal, but she isn't entirely stable mentally. Aru is... she doesn't have a bad bone in her body, but too obsessed with her dream and ideals to see the bigger picture sometimes. I've gotten pretty good at managing the three of them, and we are friends to the end, but PS68 as a company is pretty much a disaster. That's why we're here. If we can't get more money, we'll get evicted and end up homeless again. That, and Aru idolizes you as an ideal outlaw." March and Aru's contest of words had a new challenger, as Haruka had apparently joined in on the side of Aru, their voices seemingly amplified rather than obfuscated through the walls. "Even if she can't actually recognize you."

Sensei nodded in approval. "That's an honest answer. Thank you, Kayoko." She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, typing something with a single hand under the desk before putting it away once again. She paused for a few seconds, as if she was listening to someone speak to her through her earpiece. Satisfied, she began to ask another question. "Dan Heng had also told me you used to belong to another group, one with political power in Gehenna. Why did you leave?"

Kayoko chewed on her lip a bit before repeating a variation of what she had told Dan Heng. "I wasn't making a difference, and the people I were around... they were rowdy and noisy. Sure, you could say the same about Problem Solver 68, but they're rowdy and noisy in pleasant ways. The people I dealt with; they were not pleasant whatsoever. I did more work cleaning up our internal affairs than I did cleaning up Gehenna, and the reason I listen to music was because I had to drown them out. I apologize, Sensei, but it's not a comfortable topic for me to get into."

"In that case," Stelle-sensei replied. "How about a position in SCHALE where you can make a difference?"

"Pardon?"

"I'd like to hire you as my personal secretary. Truthfully, there will be times where I'm not in Kivotos for days or potentially even weeks at a time. You're already experienced with logistics, staff management, and being an organization's second-in-command. And I know you're trustworthy."

"Wait, wait, wait, hold on." Kayoko could barely breathe. She couldn't have possibly envisioned Aru's plan would work out this well, especially as SCHALE wasn't even officially recruiting. In Kayoko's mind, the best-case scenario would be that Sensei would take pity on the four of them and offer each of them low ranking positions. This would give them access to SCHALE's dorms so they would have a place to stay each time their office's landlord evicted them, as the act of the landlord doing so had become routine for both tenants and landowner. The dorms were most likely something Aru hadn't even thought about when concocting this plan, but Kayoko had done her research and concluded she herself did not have any better ideas. But here she was, without warning, being put into a position of power that could rival the GSC's Vice President, at least when the regular GSC president wasn't missing. All because Sensei on a whim decided Kayoko was trustworthy? Kayoko took a deep breath, before slowing down her thoughts and letting her usual calculated logic take over once again. "Are you serious, Sensei? You want me to be your secretary?"

"Absolutely. Like I said, there will be times where I'm out. I need someone to fill the gap and help me out with daily administrative work. SCHALE is at the moment quite a bit disorganized, and I've been spending the last few days trying to get everything sorted before we can be in a position to change the city for the better."

"But why me?"

"You're an incredibly skilled person, and your experience with management and politics will make your transition into your new role fairly smooth. It will also give me some peace of mind knowing someone reliable and trustworthy is handling my affairs when I'm not around."

"I see," Kayoko pondered, before moving on with negotiations. "I have two conditions, however."

"Name them," Stelle-sensei snapped somewhat impatiently.

"First, agree to hire the other members of Problem Solver 68. They can be a bit rowdy and odd, but they are skilled, and I will be able to place them into roles they can do the best work possible."

As if on cue, the argument outside between the remaining members of Problem Solver 68 and March 7th boiled into a critical overlord, as an enraged Haruka could be heard screaming at March. "Y-Y-You dare. Bring shame and dishonor. To Aru's name!? YOU MUST DIE!" A barrage of shotgun blasts followed which kicked off an indescribable barrage of noise and explosions from the ensuing fight.

"Done," replied Stelle-sensei, ignoring the commotion just beyond the office walls, which was all the better for Kayoko. The commotion was a massive contradiction to her glowing review of her friends' work ability.

"Second, I doubt Aru will give up on her outlaw dream so easily. I'd like a guarantee that you won't interfere with Problem Solver 68 as an entity in any way. If I'm your secretary, I can't be around them as often anymore, and that means I won't be able to keep them out of trouble like I used to. So, if it's not an issue for you, please look the other way about the whole... outlaw thing. I'll make sure they do their... extracurriculars off the clock."

"Alright," Stelle-sensei replied. "You'd be surprised how many criminals I'm friends with."

Kayoko ignored the last statement. "And one more condition, if you're okay with it."

"You're pushing it a little bit, Kayoko," Sensei remarked, a wry smirk growing on her face.

"Get rid of that painting. It's hideous."

"No deal," Stelle instantly rejected Kayoko's proposition, before extending her arm out for a handshake, which the new hire accepted with a smile. "Welcome to the team, Secretary Onikata Kayoko."

Just then, Haruka's body flew through the door as she landed flat on her back in the office walls. As she sprung back up for another go, a hail of ice bombs froze PS68's part time employee in place, with a look of raw anger plastered on her frozen visage. The battle continued outside, as the sound of bullets and explosions contrasted with the crackling and whispering of March's ice arrows.

"Sensei, just how tough are you?!" Aru screamed. "I can't believe you're not even scratched after so many explosions!"

"What's wrong?" March smugly replied. "Afraid of what I might do?"

Dan Heng materialized his spear before striding confidently to the office door. "I'll handle this. We can't have a culture of brawling amongst SCHALE's staff."

Kayoko and Stelle-sensei began reading over the pile of handwritten letters placed on the desk, before a particular one caught Kayoko's eye. It was marked: "From Okusora Ayane, Abydos High School".

"Oh, oh no," Kayoko said out loud, before scrambling to open the letter and read its contents. Curious, Stelle-sensei came from behind the desk and took a seat besides Kayoko to read the letter. What was inside confirmed the worst of Kayoko's fears.

"To the advisor of the Federal Investigation Club,

Hello. My name is Okusora Ayane, and I'm a first-year student at Abydos High School. I'm writing this letter because I want to ask for your help. Our academy is being harassed. One of the local gangs is tormenting us. It's a long story, but we think the gang is after the school building itself. The students are doing their best to stop them. It's only a matter of time until we run out of ammunition and supplies though. At this rate, the school will fall to them for sure. That's why I'm writing to ask for your help. Can you please help us, Sensei?"

Kayoko shut her eyes for a second before opening them back up to calm herself.

"What's the problem, Kayoko?" Sensei asked.

"The Abydos students have already lost the school. Because of me."

Author's Notes:

A bit of an experimental chapter as it's mostly in third person and focuses on Kayoko with some screentime for Dan Heng and Stelle. I didn't intend for it to be the longest one, but I got carried away; Kayoko is one of my favorite characters in Blue Archive, and I always did wonder what she'd be able to accomplish if she had a position of power. We're also finally moving into Volume 1 proper. The Abydos students having already lost their school is a bit of a twist, isn't it? The plan I have for Volume 1 will drastically alter the course of the story compared to canon, and it's something I'm excited to share with the readers. I think the slower schedule is working quite well, but I'm always up for hearing constructive feedback. As always, please stay tuned for the next chapter.