Level 6 – FALSE REPRIEVE

Millennium Tower District Outskirts, Saturday: 18:43

"We did it!" Izuna cheered as she stuffed her borrowed mask back into her bag. "We snuck into Seminar's headquarters, made a mess of it, stole the treasure, and snuck out!"

She nodded to herself, smiling widely. "I'm one step closer to being a proper ninja."

Her mission partner was much more reserved in celebrating their victory. Heck, Izuna couldn't even really call it celebrating. The black-and-white Gehenna student had hidden herself in the shadows. Even now, Nekomata was still peering out of the parkade in search of guards. That wouldn't do! They'd made their escape already.

So, Izuna cheerfully snuck over and tapped Nekomata on the shoulder. The Gehennan girl shot up nearly 30 centimeters in surprise at Izuna's touch. She wasn't quite so sure why Nekomata was so wound up. She wasn't trying to be stealthy right at the moment.

Nekomata spun around, glancing around for a moment before whispering, "What are you doing? We need to be ready in case the guards find us before our escape gets here."

"Eh?" Izuna muttered with a curious tilt of her head. "But we snuck away while Cu-Sith's Chimera was blowing up the floor. Why would they waste their time trying to find us instead of stopping it?"

Nekomata opened her mouth to argue, blinked, and slowly closed it. Then the horned girl sighed and turned her attention back to the streets as she answered. "Look, just because there's a giant android stomping in the tower doesn't mean that everyone's distracted. They probably have an alert out for us."

"But that's what the disguises were for."

Nekomata slowly turned to look at Izuna, then slowly looked down. Izuna followed the girl's gaze. That was weird. Izuna didn't see anything on her clothes, and her outfit seemed to be intact.

No, wait, there were a few holes in Izuna's clothes.

"Oh!" Izuna cried out, fist slamming into her hand as she realized what must be worrying the other girl. "Don't worry about that! It's just a bruise I got from the smiley maid." She paused and frowned. "I don't know how she noticed me in the vents though. She and Receptionist-senpai must talk; they're the only ones who saw through my Izuna Infiltration Techniques."

"Izuna Infiltration Techniques… " Nekomata muttered quietly in disbelief. Shock was a good sign; her techniques were pretty impressive after all! Izuna named it after herself, of course. That was her right as the one who rediscovered it. Stealing things and making them your own was the most ninja thing one could do.

Except there was a problem. Izuna kept running into people who could spot her through her jutsu. Izuna would need to find a way to trick them too. She was so busy thinking of improvements that she almost missed Nekomata's question. "Who's this receptionist anyways? You mentioned her in the vents."

"You don't know her?" Izuna answered, looking at Nekomata with an inquisitive stare. She gasped in surprise when the other girl shook her head. "She's the one who snuck in to set us up, and I asked if she could pick us up too!"

"And her codename was receptionist?"

"No, she's the Receptionist for Schale!" Izuna answered with a smile. "I don't know her name, but she's always there. She keeps spotting me when I try to sneak past her. I don't know how she does it. I wonder if she knows some jutsu of her own…"

Izuna paused as she looked at Nekomata. She skipped over, leaning in to look at the Gehenna student more closely. "You know, now that I think of it, you remind me of her! You both have that 'I'm tired of the world, stop bothering me' energy! She's just bored instead of annoyed, though."

Nekomata took a few steps back with a light pink flush on her cheeks before responding. "It sounds like you like her a lot."

"Of course," Izuna agreed with a vigorous nod. "No idea why they picked her to sneak in... Green hair is pretty rare."

Nekomata idly nodded before freezing and turning to Izuna with a frown on her face. "Did you just say green hair?"

"Yeah, she has this super pretty dark green hair! But it's really distinct…" Izuna muttered. "It's not a very ninja-like trait to be so obvious."

Izuna could see the wheels spinning behind Nekomata's eyes as her expression slowly shifted from surprise to dread to exhaustion. "You asked her to pick us up?"

"Yep! I want to know how she snuck in!" Izuna answered with a smile and a nod.

"Did you tell her I'd be with you too?"

Izuna blinked in confusion at the silly question. "Yes? I even told her what you look like so she doesn't shoot you."

Nekomata's expression settled on dread for some reason, just in time for the sound of squealing tires to enter the parkade. Izuna turned to the source, hand on her trusty Super Ninja Apparatus, as a Seminar labeled van slowly pulled into sight. Then Izuna smiled in relief as the van blinked the headlights four times, the turn signal three times, and the brake light three times. "That's her! Come on, let's go!"

Izuna grabbed Nekomata by the wrist and dragged her over to the van. The black-and-white girl followed, but it was like dragging a cat to a bath. Maybe Nekomata didn't want to jump into a suspicious white van?

The windows rolled down as Izuna got within earshot. The girl behind the wheel didn't look anything like Receptionist-Senpai. The girl that Izuna remembered was always bored and unflappable but extraordinarily well kept. The driver looked like any other mechanical studies student, with the greasy coveralls, full-face particulate mask, and hair carefully tucked out of the way and sight. But the dull turquoise eyes staring at the two of them were unmistakably hers!

"Ah!" Izuna cried out, her free hand coming up to cover her mouth. "You know disguise jutsu too, nin!"

Receptionist-senpai sighed a tired sigh. "No, Kuda. I'm not a ninja. I'm just someone who would really like this bit of overtime to end."

"Of course, whatever you say!" Izuna eagerly agreed with the Schale receptionist. That made sense; a ninja wouldn't admit to being a ninja. She tugged Nekomata forward, only to find the Gehennan girl frozen and glaring at Receptionist-senpai. "Don't worry, this is her! Izuna's sure of it."

"I can't believe it. You've been at Schale this entire time?" Nekomata ground out, a mixture of annoyance and frustration bleeding into her frown.

The green haired girl pulled down her protective mask, revealing a bored, bemused smile. "Better believe it, Beleth."

"Damn it, why do you all still call me that?!"

"Because you keep reacting like that," replied Receptionist-senpai without missing a beat. "But that's beside the point. Everyone, get in the van. We need to leave before Millennium's Big Sister hammers us down."

"I'm never going to hear the end of this, am I?"

"I promise I won't bring it up if you consider us even for the Highlander Incursion."

The two girls stared at each other, tired annoyed red against tired bored turquoise, before Nekomata finally sighed. "Fine, consider us even Sh-"

"You already know each other!" Izuna's surprised shout interrupted their byplay as the two turned to look at Izuna. It all made sense now; that's why the Gehenna student was able to keep up with her! "That must mean you're a ninja too, Nekomata-san!"

"No, that's no-" Nekomata was about to say something as she turned to face Izuna. However, a wry laugh from Receptionist-senpai cut her off.

"That's right," The green-haired girl said, a smile arcing up from bored to teasing. "Nekomata's my ninja rival."

Izuna wasn't sure why Nekomata whipped around to stare at Receptionist-senpai with a look that could kill, but that didn't matter! Izuna bound over to grab the other girl's hand with both her own. She beamed brightly at the other girl. "Another senpai! I have so much to learn from you!"

"And I'm sure you'll get a lot of chances later," The green haired girl added, even as Nekomata-senpai remained frozen at Izuna's cheer. "But we really need to leave. Get in."

Izuna nodded as she happily dragged her newfound ninja-in-arms into the van. The two of them were buckling up when Receptionist-senpai glanced at the two of them and then outside.

"Where's the fourth of us anyways?"

Nekomata-senpai shrugged. "Cu-Sith said she'd figure her own way out."

Former Opochtli District, Saturday: 20:31

"What did Shiroko get herself into this time?" Serika gripped, her ears twitching in annoyance as she waited on the pier. "And why does she need us to pick her up from here!"

Ayane had suddenly asked her and Hoshino to pick up their errant Field Captain. Unfortunately, the pickup point was in the old Opochtli Naval Institute harbor. That meant that the two of them spent the better part of the day driving to get here. At least the local Angel 24s and restaurants were still open.

Unfortunately, the food didn't do anything to stave off the boredom of staring into the harbor for hours. Shiroko was nowhere in sight, so Serika and Hoshino had spent the dying hours of the day sitting around the transport doing nothing.

Her headset crackled to life before Ayane's voice came through. Serika could hear the sound of typing and a hint of uncertainty underpinning the elven secretary's voice. "I… don't really know either. She just told me suddenly that she picked up a job on Thursday and would be away for a few days. Then she sent me a message over Momotalk this morning asking me to have someone pick her up from here."

"Uweh~" Hoshino murmured from where she was napping on the hood of the halftrack. "Our little Shiroko-chan is growing up to be a shady girl~ Where did lil ol' me go wrong in raising her~?"

"Maybe it was the part where you raised her instead of Nonomi?" Serika snapped, foot tapping impatiently.

Hoshino flopped over, one eye lazily opening to look at her. Her pink-haired senpai slowly blinked before breaking out in another goofy smile. "Eh, maybe you're right. Nonomi's doing pretty well with those whippersnappers right now."

Hoshino was right about that. Serika still didn't quite trust the new batch of students hanging around Abydos. Nonomi was keeping them in check and on task though, so maybe they really wanted to be better. If nothing else, they were more than willing to put in the hard work to help rebuild Abydos. Which meant a lot of civic engineering duties, along with the occasional anti-bandit and anti-gang activity.

But that also meant that the Foreclosure Task Force no longer had to deal with the day-to-day tasks. Now, they had more time to tackle the harder and higher-paying jobs. Or, if you were a certain wolfgirl, all the time needed to wander halfway across Kivotos for no good reason!

"She better have a good explanation," Serika hissed.

"Nn. I do."

The sudden answer shocked Serika, and she jumped back in surprise. Fortunately, Hoshino caught Serika by the collar before she could stumble off the pier. Serika glanced down, dangling from the edge of the concrete, to see Shiroko standing in a motor dinghy. Serika glowered at her friend. The unfazed wolfgirl just casually waved back in response.

Except Serika could see a clear, immediate problem. "Shiroko, what the heck is that?!"

Shiroko followed Serika's pointer finger to stare at the boat. The grey-haired girl turned back after a few seconds of contemplation. "This is a boat. I rented it with cash."

"Not the boat!" Serika hissed. "What do you have there on the back of the boat?!"

Shiroko glanced down at the piles upon piles of white-clad android parts, weapons, electronics, and components. Some of which were still clearly labeled with Millennium's school insignia and Seminar markings. The grey wolf girl slowly turned back to Serika, blinked, and answered, "That's the scrap I took for payment."

Millennium Tower Lobby, Saturday: 20:22

"How did a max of twelve geeks, nerds, and dweebs completely crush three Maids of C & C, a platoon of Millennium Security, and nearly five dozen defense drones, turrets, and androids? On our home turf too?"

Neru walked up and down the line of defeated and downcast Maids, officers, and staffers as she spoke. Not a single person met her gaze as she walked past them. As she reached the end of the line, she looked down at Asuna. The cheerful maid was lying on a bench with several bandages wrapping around her stomach and arms. Burns marred the front of her uniform, and it was only the bandages keeping Asuna decent. "Well? Do ya' got an answer for me?"

Asuna met her stare with a smirk before she answered, "Would you believe me if I said they had a ninja helping them?"

Neru stared at Asuna, her eyes narrowing. Asuna stared back, unrepentantly smirking back.

"So, ya' lost to a cosplayer too," Neru continued dryly. "Fan-fucking-tastic."

Akane coughed, an eyepatch covering one of her eyes. "Asuna's description is quite accurate. One of their mercenaries was… a bit eccentric, but she did have a high degree of raw aptitude for infiltration and misdirection. More than I planned for."

"Mercenaries?"

"Yes, mercenaries." Akane answered with a grim expression.

One of Neru's eyes twitched before she could control her reaction. Seminar being attacked by a bunch of Millennium students was already a slap in the face. But having outsiders involved was especially frustrating. Neru's fingers twitched before she took a breath, held it, and bled the tension through the ground.

"How did hiring some extra punks throw yer plans off?" Neru asked, struggling to keep her voice calm at the thought. "Mercenaries ain't nothin' new to us."

"These were beyond Kaiser Security Mercenaries. I recognized the one I fought as the former GID Agent Beleth."

Even Neru knew that name. That entire generation of GID agents were mavericks and aces, the last vestiges of the Thunder Emperor's regime. Hina Sorasaki was the most famous of them, but Beleth was one of those right behind her in infamy. Everyone celebrated when the GID had split apart during the Pandemonium Society's takeover of Gehenna.

But there was just one problem. "How did a bunch of no-names hire a former GID spook?"

"Schale must have set it up."

Neru cocked her head at Yuuka. The accountant was sitting glumly on a bench, arms crossed. The purple-haired treasurer noticed the attention and continued her explanation. "Nelson-Sensei was in talks with me to avoid this, so she had to have known this was one outcome. We'll never be able to prove it, but Sensei knows enough competent people. All she has to do is slip pieces of paper into the right hands. Paper that's long since burned."

The nebulous Federal Investigation Club S.C.H.A.L.E. and its equally mysterious Adult adviser, Nelson-Sensei. Most well-known in the public for her ability to go toe-to-toe with the haloed students of Kivotos. But it was Nelson's ability to rally together alliances and her strategic capacity that Rio had cautioned Neru about. Nelson-Sensei was dangerous because she was always the threat you could see, but never just the only threat in play.

Annoyingly, Akane must have misread Neru's thoughtful expression, as the ashen-haired maid's face paled. "The fault lies on me. It was I who accepted the request and made the preparations. I underestimated our opponents and their willingness to bring in outsiders." The second year bowed deeply, her grey hair cascading over her face. "My failure has tarnished the Maid Club's reputation. I'm sorry."

Neru closed her eyes and breathed in again, tamping down that itching in her hands and beating in her chest. It wasn't the time just yet. Everyone watched as she exhaled and opened her eyes.

"None of that shit matters," Neru declared to the surprised cries and shouts of everyone present.

Yuuka was the first to gather her wits. "What do you mean? Their little coalition attacked Seminar, defeated the Maid Club, and they got away with it! You'd have to respond!"

Neru sighed, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her sukajan. "Rio called me when I rolled up. We can't do anythin'. She used her override and edited the request as soon as Nelson-Sensei showed up. What happened tonight was, as far as the papers show, a 'security pentest against internal and external threats to locate exploitable gaps in Seminar security'. We lost, but the new request makes it clear she expected us to fail."

"B-but what about the Mirror?" Yuuka stuttered. "They still stole it!"

"Yeah, and she approved its release at the same time," Neru answered.

Everyone sat there in stunned silence. Finally, Akane spoke up. "But why would Rio do this?"

"Beats me," Neru answered with a shrug, her fingers creaking as she balled her hands into fists. "Best I got is that Rio or Himari wanted to test somethin' or the other."

"But why would they test us?" Asuna asked, an uncharacteristic frown clear on her face. "We've proven ourselves every time."

Neru shook her head in response. "Nah, I don't think we're the ones bein' tested. I bet they wanted to know what this Arisu girl and Schale were capable of."

Everyone was silent as they digested the info bomb Neru had dropped on them.

It sucked, but it wasn't her problem.

"All right, then," Neru declared as she pulled her hands out of her pockets and cracked her knuckles. The sharp noise caught everyone's attention. "This has nothin' to do with the request, but Akane, I need you to look into this.

Akane blinked owlishly before repeating, "This? What do you want me to look into?"

"The Game Development Department and Schale."

"Hm, why?" Akane muttered. Then a look of understanding flashed across her face. "Oh, for revenge?"

Neru answered with a sharp smile. "I'm not usually interested in dirty work like this, but we might as well. Even if Rio said we're supposed to lose, we're C & C. We have our pride to protect. Asuna, get yourself ready for a fight once we're ready. Karin, searc…"

Neru paused as she turned down the line and noticed the distinct lack of long black hair in the line of students. "Wait, where the heck is Karin?"

"I'm over here," echoed Karin's voice from a corner of the room. A corner far, far, far away from everyone else.

"Why are you hidin' over there? Did you even hear anythin' I said?"

The black-haired maid nodded with the glummest expression and reddest eyes Neru had ever seen on her face. "I can hear you. They all told me to sit over here when they lined us up."

That didn't make any damn sense. Why would they move her so far? Now Neru had to walk over to give the sniper her mission. She grumbled to herself as she made her way across the room. It was a pain in the ass having to wal-

"Holy shit!" Neru shouted as she leapt back a few paces, her apron covering her face. "What the fuck is that?!"

Karin stunk. That was the easiest way to put it. The scent had punched Neru in the face like a tank shell as soon as she had walked near. Karin smelled like a spoiled, extra spicy cheese bibimbap.

"They pepper sprayed me and then poured milk on me," Karin explained, distinctly put off and uncomfortable. She still looked like she was about to burst into tears again. Neru wasn't sure if that was because of the trauma or the pepper spray.

Neru frowned, her eyes narrowing as she tried to step closer to Karin again. The smell was worse when Neru wasn't ready for it. However, it still ranked pretty high on the list. "Forget what I was gonna say. Go get yerself cleaned up and yer shit sorted.

"We'll get 'em back for everything they've done."

Game Development Department Club Room, Sunday: 09:43

"Sorry for the wait, everyone!" Maki was all cheer as she passed the Game Girl back to Momoi. "We had to send an apology to Seminar for what we did. However, the Mirror worked perfectly!"

Momoi whooped in joy as she snatched the console out of the red-haired hacker's hands. Yuzu and Alice soon joined her, the two girls staring at the console with awe. It left Midori and me alone with Maki as the three of us watched the rest in bemusement.

"While I cannot condone such an illegal action, I certainly cannot deny the effectiveness of such a tactic." I drolled, drawing an unamused stare from Midori and an amused look from Maki.

"That's the thing," Maki said with a smile. "Himari told us she got in touch with Rio. Apparently, it wasn't that big of a deal. All we got is a warning!"

"Really?" I hummed in thought as I ran my hand through my hair. That didn't add up. For someone who was so intent on putting pressure on the GDD to fail, the President folded rather quickly over a single setback. Or, more likely, something was still afoot. The success of the operation wasn't a checkmate but a mere exchange of pieces and positions.

Midori seemed to share my worries, judging by her frown as she stared at the floor. "Are you sure we're clear?"

"I'm pretty sure," Maki answered with a shrug. "Himari even showed us the email she got. We're not really in a position to question it either. I don't want a mark on my permanent record any more than you do."

She was right. I could easily see Schale investigating this attack if the circumstances were different. The President giving them a warning was a soft move to remind everyone just how outmatched they were. Even I wouldn't be able to sort it out without some degree of diplomacy and effort.

"I believe it is for the best that we do not reject such an offer." Maki and Midori both nodded their heads in agreement. I smiled brightly and offered my hand to the red-headed hacker. "But please do extend my thanks to the rest of Veritas for your assistance in this matter."

Maki happily took my hand and shook it. "No worries, we're happy to help. But there is one thing. Momo?"

"Yeah?" Momoi asked as she suddenly sprung up between us. "What's up?"

"There's one thing you gotta know. I found a weird folder named "Key" on your Game Girl. Any clue what that's all about?"

"Key? Why would we need a second key after unlocking the ?" Momoi asked, blinking in confusion.

Alice blinked in curiosity before muttering aloud. "…Who Is Kei?"

"No, no, no," Midori muttered as her hand met her face. "Not a key for the or a person. She just found a folder labeled "Key" on your console."

Maki nodded in agreement, a grin on her face as she rubbed her chin in thought. "It's got me stumped. The encryption is an adaptive code that's even more advanced than whatever was blocking Nelson-Sensei's hacker. I can't even identify the language it was coded in."

'That's kinda weird.' Arona muttered, the computer girl's voice filled with annoyance. 'I wonder if it's what's left of the AI in the factory?'

Midori seemed to share Arona's suspicions, as I heard the green-clad girl quietly mutter. "Was it you…? The one looking for Arisu..."

"No? I was looking for all of you." Maki answered, unaware of the suspicions abounding. After a second she shrugged, and an easygoing smile slipped back onto her face. "Well, whatever, you guys found it all in a suspicious place anyways. The 's decrypted, so come by later when you've got some time! We'll look at this folder together then!"

The cheery hacker left on that note, waving heartily before she slipped through the door. The door hadn't even finished closing before Momoi dragged everyone besides myself to the coffee table.

"Come on!" She shouted cheerfully. "Gather round! Let's see what knowledge the Legendary Game Developer has to share!"

Midori sat next to her sister, a faint smile clear. "I'm a little excited. We can use their knowledge to create the ultimate game and save the Club."

"Th-thank you everyone," Yuzu muttered quietly as she took a seat. "We'll finally be able to do our best…!"

"Aris Will Do Her Best with Everyone!" Aris cheered with a bright smile.

I knelt down on the floor, a cup of coffee twisting in my hand. Everyone watched as I motioned to Aris with my free hand. "Well, Ms. Alice? Shall you enlighten us with the teachings of this legendary figure?"

"Yes!" Alice replied with a determined nod. "Activating … Now!"

"IT'S ALL OVER!" Momoi cried, falling on her knees in despair as she wept. "WE'RE DONE! FINISHED! GAME OVER! DO NOT PASS GO!"

Midori huddled in a corner of the room, staring at the walls as she whispered, "I can't believe we almost died for this. I can't believe we fought Seminar and the Maid Club for this. I can't believe they'll expel us for this."

"I-i distracted Neru... and this is what we get?" Yuzu muttered from the cleaning locker, her voice nearly hysterical. "S-she knows what I look like! She's going to kill me!"

Alice was in the center of it, trying to keep everyone calm. "E-everyone! Please! I Do Not Understand. Is This Because Of The ?"

Her pleas went ignored as Momoi scrambled back to the coffee table. The pink-haired girl grabbed the Game Girl and began to desperately inspect the device. Perhaps to find a secret switch or compartment, something to prove she was merely dreaming.

Momoi muttered as she searched, desperation clear in her eyes. "Th-this can't be happening! There's gotta be an error, a bug, or something!"

"I launched a file check three times, and everything checked out. Metadata, file size, and timestamps are all correct." Midori muttered from her corner, slumping further in despair.

Yuzu's voice became even more faint, as if she was fading into the locker. "Th-this is… for real, then?"

"Mentor?" Alice turned to me, stress and worry clear in her eyes. "What Else Can Aris Do?"

I took the final sip from my coffee before setting down the cup. Unfortunately, the paper didn't quite make the noise I was hoping for. Regardless, the dull thud did draw everyone's attention to me. I glanced down at the text, even as three pairs of eyes desperately watched my every move. Printed clearly on the screen of the console were three lines of text. It was the entirety of the mythical advice provided by the .

This isn't a bug; that was everything you needed to know.
Sorry!
Just Love Video Games

Everyone had just gone through a week of constant danger, threat, and challenges. The reward for that was some basic, simple advice that one could find anywhere. It would be a morale blow to anyone.

And now Alice wanted to know how to pull her friends back.

The idea of doing it myself was tempting. I had some ideas forming and some directions I could take the discussion. But that wasn't what Alice had requested. The Robot girl wanted to know how to rally her friends.

"Everyone," I said, forcing my voice just enough to fill the room. The entire department's eyes were on me as I gave my answer. "Perhaps we should hear what Ms. Alice has to say?"

The other three members nodded, even as I focused my attention on Alice. "Ms. Alice, perhaps you could express how you feel about the situation at hand?"

The grateful smile on Alice's face was blinding, and she nodded excitedly before turning to the rest of her friends.

"Everyone, I Think We Can Still Win," Alice said with an even and firm voice. Her smile never once slipped from her face.

The rest of the club's reactions were significantly less enthused. Momoi just looked up at the Robot girl forlornly, eyes dull and tired. "But what's the point? We wasted all that time searching for the . We should have just started working instead. There are only a few days left until the deadline, and we don't have anything. It's hopel-"

"You Are Wrong."

Alice's interruption cut through the room. Momoi pushed herself up, Midori turned to look at Alice, and the locker cracked open. The black-haired girl continued, her smile still bright and confident. "It Is Not Hopeless. We Are Merely At Our Lowest Point. Even In Tales Saga, The Hero Must Recover After His Father Was Revealed As The Undead Vampire Demon General."

"And The Is Not Wrong Either," Alice explained as she picked up the Game Girl. "I Had Fun Playing Tales Saga Chronicle Because You Loved Video Games. I Could Feel it In Every Fight, In Every Scene, and In Every Character. You All Poured Your Hearts Into This Game."

Everyone's eyes were on Alice as the girl crossed the room, one hand resting on the TV sitting at the center of the room. A fond, nostalgic air crept into her smile. "We Travelled Together To Lands Unknown, Fought Great Enemies, And Grew Together.

"I Do Not Know Many Things. But I Know This Week Was Not A Waste. I Do Not Remember Many Things, But I Will Remember These Days Forever. I Do Not Understand Why I Am Here, But I Understand We Can Do Anything Together."

Alice spun around to face the rest of the room. The morning sun peeked through the curtains behind her, casting her in a circle of light. At that moment, Alice's smile was truly radiant. "So I Will Not Let You Give Up Here, You All Who Taught Me What It Means To Dream. I Do Not Wish For This To End, So I Will See Your Hopes Through To The End."

"Arisu," Momoi muttered, tears gathering in her eyes. Midori was in a similar state, the taciturn twin also wiping away tears. Yet, they remained frozen in place, unable or unwilling to move.

So, it was the sight of Yuzu crossing the room to grab Alice's hand that snapped everyone out of their stupor. Yuzu stared at the Robot girl's hands, her eyes glowing with determination. "You're right; it's not over yet."

"Yuzu?" Midori muttered, her expression crossing into shock.

"I've only ever wanted to make fun games," Yuizu explained, her soft voice echoing in the room. "It's all I ever wanted. When I released the beta for Tales Saga Chronicles, everyone hated it. All they could say was how awful the game was. I locked myself in this building to hide from everything."

Yuzu swallowed, a bitterness bleeding into her smile. "But then you two came. You loved what I did and had fun with my game. And together, we finished Tales Saga Chronicles."

"But we still won the 'Shittiest Game Of The Year' award," Momoi pointed out glumly.

Yuzu nodded, her grip tightening in Alice's hands. "I know. But then Arisu came here and said she had fun with our game. And I realized something. With Arisu here, with everything we've done, with everything we've gone through…"

"I understand now," Yuzu said as she met Alice's eyes with a smile. It wasn't quite large enough to match Alice's, but it was equally bright. "Creating a game while surrounded by my friends and hearing that others enjoy what we made together…

"That's always been my dream. And I don't want this dream to end either."

"But we don't even have an idea for a game," Midori pointed out, the defeat in her voice quite gone.

"We Have Something Better Than An Idea," Alice answered as she slowly turned her head. Everyone's eyes followed her eyes to settle on what she was looking at. "We Have A Hero."

I blinked as four heads turned to stare at me, looking from one face to the next before settling on Alice's cheerful gaze.

"Are you referring to me?" Alice nodded in response to my question, and I blinked in confusion. "I would love to help, but I'm not su-"

"No," Momoi interrupted, her brows creased in thought as the light returned to her eyes. "Arisu's right. Sensei's the Hero of Abydos, the Sensei of Schale, and a Fleet Commander. She's gotta have plenty of stories!"

"Now, I may have done-" Midori interrupted my statement as she suddenly shot up and scrambled across the room. She leaned down to rummage through her bag for a second before dashing back. The green-clad girl gave a victorious cry as she presented a sketchbook and quickly began flipping through it.

After a moment, she slammed it shut with a subdued smile. "You're right, Onee-chan. I have a bunch of sketches of Sensei, and I even have a few sketches of Suzumi-san too. We can definitely do something with all this."

I frowned at the mention of Suzumi. The one-winged girl was absent, and using her likeness without her approval felt highly inappropriate. "Are you certain you have her consen-"

"How much time do we have left until the deadline?" Momoi asked, immediately dashing my concerns against the shores.

Alice was more than happy to supply an answer. "Eight days, six hours, and twenty-two minutes."

"Then we have just enough time," Momoi said with a smile before turning to me. "Sensei! We need your help with the story for the game!"

I looked at the four sets of expectant gazes and recalled Yuuka's offer. For once, it seemed to line up. I sighed and returned the pink-clad twin's smile with one of my own. "Well, if you really wish to hear this old bird's tales…"

"Alright, Sensei, what can you tell me of any adventures you were on?" Momoi asked as she opened the text app on her laptop. "Oh! Just the stuff you can tell me. We're trying to be for Ages 12 and up."

The Adult across from her hummed in thought, one hand idly playing with her hair while the other rapped on the table. "Well, given your decision to end the previous story with an ambiguous peace, I can perhaps begin with a suggestion on how to start the story."

"Ohhhhhh, let's hear it!"

"Very well. It has been decades since the events of the Tales Saga Chronicles. While the war with the Demon Empire led to its collapse, a new resurgent Demon Lord has started an invasion of the Kingdom's ally: the Republic. Unwilling to do nothing, the child of the previous Hero and a band of friends set off to lend their aid. However, they have set off a chain of events that will spark an old conflict anew…"

Momoi quickly began typing down what Nelson-Sensei was saying. She could definitely think of ways to make this work, but she'd just have to tweak it here and there. But it was a good start!

"Is this really necessary?" Nelson-Sensei asked Midori. The Teacher was posing with a makeshift cape made of curtains draped over her shoulders and her sword at her hips.

Midori nodded as she furiously sketched the faintest traces of the Adult's form onto the paper. "We have the plot figured out, so now we just need the character sprites for the cutscenes." She paused as she looked back up at the posing Teacher. "And since you're here, we might as well have you model for the Adult characters!"

Nelson nodded slowly in comprehension before pointing across the room. "I understand that, Ms. Midori. However, I must ask why Morizuki is present as well."

Midori followed the finger to where Suzumi-san was standing, dressed in an extremely elaborate dress. The Trinity girl seemed to notice the attention and looked away with an embarrassed flush on her face.

Slowly, Midori turned back to see Nelson-Sensei staring at her with an entirely unamused expression. She laughed helplessly as she rubbed the back of her head. "Well, we needed a princess? And Suzumi-san was the only one who fit the design?"

Well, they didn't need a princess, but how often was Midori going to get the chance to sketch a princess character? It was good practice! And Midori could add the designs to the game too!

But Midori suspected that they were doubting her explanation. Nelson's expression somehow became flatter, while Midori could swear that she could feel the warmth of the blush increasing behind her.

"Sensei!" Momoi shouted as she slid her chair across the room, pushing herself in front of her sister. She ignored Midori's annoyed grumbles because this was important!

The now suit-clad Adult glanced at her curiously but remained locked in her pose. "Yes?"

"I was writing the scenario for the midsection of the game, and I needed some inspiration!"

"Yes?"

Momoi smiled as she scrolled through the pages of the script, quickly reaching the point in question. "Well, the Hero and their party have reached the Land of Eternal Desert an-"

"Wait," Nelson-Sensei interrupted her with a frown. "Why is there a desert now?"

Momoi stared at the Adult. Nelson stared back. The two locked eyes before Nelson sighed and began to shift her head. That lasted for a second before Midori grumbled and forced Nelson to shift her head back. The Teacher spoke, still maintaining the pose her sister set out. "You have decided on an Abydos section, have you?"

"Of course!" Momoi said cheerfully. "But I don't have any ideas for the Demon General for this part."

Nelson shifted her gaze, a single eyebrow quirked upwards. "What are they like?"

"I'm thinking they're the child of one of the old Demon Generals. You know a callback to TSC! But they're here to get revenge on the Hero by finishing off the Hero's child. But I want them to be a tragic figure, somebody that wants revenge so badly that they're blind to everything else around them."

Nelson listened patiently as Momoi rattled off the requirements, nodding when she could or otherwise humming in thought. As Momoi finished, the Adult fell silent. Her eyes grew distant for a moment before she spoke. "I recall… someone with that impression from my previous service."

"Awesome! What's their name?"

"I never learned their name," Nelson admitted slowly, her eyes shifting to the side. "But she went by the title 'Prince of Wales'."

"Prince of Whales? Who would call a girl a prince?" Momoi muttered. "They could have just called her a princess. It's like calling a girl a king instead of a queen."

Nelson softly shrugged in response. "It was tradition in my service to receive the title of your predecessors without modification. Once received, it is your title and name until death. Every person strove to meet the expectations their title bestowed upon them and to hope that they can set an example for the one to come after them."

Momoi quickly scribbled that entire explanation down. That was a solid piece of worldbuilding! She just had to find a way to incorporate it into the story. Perhaps the explanation for a knightly order's titles? That sounded right.

Except…

Her typing stopped for a moment as Momoi glanced up at Nelson. Fortunately, Nelson-Sensei was distracted by Midori's attempt to sketch the Adult. It left Momoi to ponder. If this was the tradition of Nelson's home, then did that mean…

No, Momoi decided as she shook her head clear of the thought. Nelson-Sensei said it herself. Once someone received a title, it became their name. As far as anyone should be concerned, Sensei's name had always been "Nelson" and nothing else.

But Momoi couldn't help but wonder.

What was the Adult's true name?

The hiss of steel parting air filled the clubroom, enunciated by the rustling of cloth and fabric. Everyone watched in awe as Mentor Nelson sheathed her sword. A single slice was all it took for the Adult to cut the plank of wood in half. Claps filled the room at the display even as the Teacher seemed mildly amused.

"This hardly seems all that impressive compared to the other feats I have demonstrated," Nelson commented, toeing the plank with her boot. "You have seen me fight combat androids with this blade."

"Seeing You Fight Is One Thing, But Seeing You Show Off Is Another," Aris declared with a nod as she paused the recording. It would work excellently as the basis for the cutscenes. Their progress so far was going well thanks to Nelson's help. Even if the Adult wasn't capable of helping with the process itself, the inspiration and data were invaluable.

However, there was just one more point of reference they needed the movement data for. Aris walked over to one of the prop packages delivered to their room. It only took a bit of effort to tear open the cardboard and plastic, but it was absolutely necessary. She spun around and presented the latest prop to Nelson. "Mentor, Do You Have Experience With This?"

"A greatsword?" One of Nelson's eyebrows quirked up as she picked up the hand-and-a-half prop greatsword, longer than most of the Department was tall.

"Yep!" Momoi answered cheerfully, quickly typing more notes into her laptop. "The old Hero uses a greatsword! We'll need to record some of the mocap data for the cutscenes!"

The Adult hefted the weapon with two hands, humming appreciatively as she tested several swipes with it. Finally, Mentor Nelson sighed and shook her head. "I will put in an effort, but I lack the practical experience to have a fair showing. I do have some more... theoretical training, gathered from books rather than practice."

"I-is it really that different?" Yuzu muttered, watching the scene nervously. "I thought a sword would be like any sword."

"It is a common assumption, but it is not the case," answered Nelson. She pointed to a section above the crossguard, where a length of leather covered the blade.

"Take this point for example. Do you know what it is for?"

Everyone stared at the leather covering, brows furrowed in thought. However, it was Midori who spoke first. "To help you block?"

"It certainly aids in blocking," Nelson agreed before shifting her grip. Where she was holding the blade by the grip with both hands, she now had one hand firmly on the grip and another on the leather-coated section of the blade. "This is to facilitate a technique known as half-swording."

"Half-swording?" Aris repeated the unfamiliar phrase, her head tilting in curiosity as she checked her databases. There were a few entries, but they were historical records. She didn't have any videos on record either.

Nelson nodded before continuing her explanation, "With this grip, you can treat this sword like a spear. With one hand on the grip and one on the blade, you can easily put more power into the thrust."

Nelson paused her explanation as she quickly jabbed at the plank of wood. Her attacks weren't quite as accurate, but it certainly had a lot more visible force than with the Adult's one-handed sword.

"And beyond thrusting,' Nelson continued as she suddenly flipped the blade around. Now she held the sword by the blade with her right hand, while her left grasped the leather. "It also allows you to use the cross-guard and pommel as a mace."

Mentor Nelson unleashed several blows with the prop on the thoroughly savaged chunk of wood. Although it looked impressive, Aris could track the movements precisely. Like the Adult admitted, she wasn't proficient with the weapon, and Aris could see it. The blade slipped and flew a bit too uncontrollably during the demonstration. At one point it even seemed like it was going to fly out of Nelson's hands entirely, although the Adult managed to regain control.

However, the sloppiness of the attacks didn't change the outcome. Several strikes with the side of the crossguard dented the plank, followed by a final thrust that slammed the round pommel into the wooden board. The plank held for a moment before shattering, sending a spray of wood across the room.

"It is a rather versatile weapon, at the expense of not quite being as useful in enclosed space and requiring significantly more practice. Most of the media I have seen in Kivotos treat a blade of this length far too similarly to other swords. Rather, one must be willing to use the entirety of the sword as a weapon." Nelson finally concluded.

A chorus of acknowledgement met Nelson's impromptu lesson. However, there was one thing that the Teacher said that stuck with Aris. Her eyes wandered to where Supernova was currently leaning against the wall, its battery plugged into the wall to recharge. Now that she thought of it, she only used it as a gun and a shield.

But Supernova was the Sword of Light.

So, shouldn't she take Mentor Nelson's words about using the entire sword to heart?

Yuzu frowned as she stared at the stacks of things left to do on her list. The Game Development Department was going all out for Tales Saga Chronicle 2, but that meant they were trying a bunch of new things.

Momoi had created a strong central narrative, with supporting characters each having their own side stories and quests. Midori had translated those narratives and rough character ideas into character sheets and art assets. Arisu had built a brand-new engine to power the game while keeping the neo-retro aesthetic. Nelson-Sensei and Suzumi were providing what they could for motion capture and modelling.

And it was up to Yuzu to make sure everything came together. It was her job to oversee the last touches. She was responsible for making sure that the myriad streams of creativity all converged into one output. To her surprise, she was enjoying the challenge. The small room was busier than ever, with five or six people clamoring about to get things done. But it was a good busy. It motivated her to make sure nothing was in vain.

But there was just one problem, one they couldn't solve alone.

The story Momoi had written called for voiced cutscenes. Yuzu was out. She could barely talk clearly on most days. The rest of the GDD was too busy making sure the game came together to take the time to voice characters. That left just Nelson-Sensei and Suzumi as their available VAs.

That wasn't bad. She could get Suzumi to voice the Hero and the Princess, and Nelson was the obvious pick for the Adults. The rest of the GDD could voice the bit roles too when they had time. But they still needed people for the other secondary characters with voice lines...

Yuzu's eye wandered to a plain index card peeking out from under a pile of energy bar wrappers. On it was a series of nicknames and Momotalk accounts printed in clean, legible cursive. Yuzu was supposed to destroy it after the heist. But maybe this was an opportunity to solve her problem.

Yuzu picked up the card and her cellphone. She typed in the first account name into her search. A message window immediately opened. She moved to type something, only to freeze with her fingers above the keyboard. She had never tried reaching out first before. It was frightening, not knowing how the other party would react. It was nerve-wracking to consider what they might think when that ping rang out.

But she... had to do it. They needed everything to work perfectly. The Department needed to win. Everyone next to Yuzu was doing their best to make sure they won. As the Head, she needed to meet their examples too. She wasn't Sensei. She couldn't give speeches to convince other people to help.

But she could try sending a simple message, one that the reader couldn't misunderstand.

"H-hello," Yuzu muttered to herself quietly, reading the text as she wrote it in. "Are you available for one more job?"

Yuzu hit send. A zip sound effect echoed in her headset as she sent the message. Silence, painful and long seconds, as the message went from "Sent" to "Read". Then, the anxiety of seeing another bubble pop up to indicate the other person was typing.

"Nn. What do you need?"

Relief.

"Are you having fun, Sensei?"

Suzumi's question seemed to snap Nelson out of her thoughts, pulling the Adult's attention away from the notebook in her hands and towards her. Suzumi could see a curious light in Nelson's blue-speckled grey eyes. "Why do you ask, Morizuki?"

"You seem more relaxed than normal," Suzumi answered as she sat on the Department's sofa, next to Nelson's spot on the floor. That was the one thing that bothered her about this stint in Millennium. There was an annoying lack of appropriate furniture. She'd have to look about getting the Adult a throw rug. It would give Nelson a place to sit in places where the Teacher couldn't use the furniture.

Fortunately, the Teacher in question didn't seem to clue in on her plans. In fact, Nelson had a hand on her chin and another playing with strands of her hair. A habit that Suzumi had recognized as a sign of the Adult mulling over the question seriously.

Finally, after a few moments of silence, Nelson spoke. There was a hint of surprise in the normally even-keeled and unflappable Adult's voice. "I think I am, Morizuki."

"Is there a 'but' in there?"

"I do not believe so," Nelson muttered, eyes distant for a moment before refocusing as she glanced from student to student. "I am merely unsettled by how easygoing this operation has developed compared to Abydos."

Suzumi nodded in understanding. Abydos had been far messier than anyone expected. It was also just after the Adult's abrupt arrival in Kivotos and even more abrupt materialization.

"I'm sure more of Schale's jobs should be like this than Abydos, Sensei."

"I hope for much the same, Morizuki."

There it was. It had been bothering her so much throughout their time in Millennium. Suzumi idly tapped on her thigh as she thought how best to broach it. She didn't want to seem insistent, but-

"Is something the matter?"

Suzumi had waited too long and let Nelson take the choice out of her hands. The Teacher was watching her closely with an inscrutable look. But Suzumi could tell. Nelson knew something was on her mind. She briefly considered deflecting. It wouldn't be too hard; their appointment was coming up.

But did she really want to do that?

It wasn't that difficult of a choice. She started slowly, thinking of the best way to convey her feelings. "Sensei, we've been working together for a while now…"

The Teacher nodded, a soft smile visible. "We have been working together for nearly three months if we count it from the lobby."

"And this trip to Millennium made me wonder…" Suzumi continued slowly as she watched Nelson out of the corner of her eye. The Adult was watching her carefully still, but her expression was at ease. There was nothing else to do but try to force her way through. "Could you start calling me Suzumi instead of Morizuki?"

Nelson hummed appreciatively, the smile on her face turning wry. "It is rather uncomfortable for me to treat them so closely when I have yet to bridge that gap with you, is it?"

"I'm a bit upset," Suzumi admitted. It did spark something in her. It wasn't quite irritation or annoyance, but a wish.

… Was she jealous?

"Still, I must admit that it is a bit different between you and them," Nelson continued to explain. "They are the clients for this operation, while you are my trusted second." And there was that unfamiliar jump in her heartbeat as her one wing flapped instinctively. "It would be inappropriate for me to be so casual while we are working."

"Oh," Suzumi muttered quietly, staring down at her lap. It was the only thing she could think to respond with as her heart sank where it once jumped.

A cool hand resting atop hers brought her back to the present. She looked up to see Nelson smiling at her, their faces almost level thanks to the seating arrangement. "I do not wish to make you unhappy, Morizuki, but professionalism comes first while we are on duty."

Suzumi wanted to reject that. The Vigilante Crew were never a professional outfit, just a mob of students worried about the state of their school gathered under a single flag. But she knew she, herself, took it seriously. She took it as professionally as any of the security forces of the other schools. Even if few others took it seriously, she saw her volunteer activities as a duty to protect others.

It was that seriousness that led Suzumi to where she was now. She couldn't reject the very thing that led her here.

"But we are not always on duty, are we?"

Suzumi blinked at that simple question. "What?"

"If it will make you happier, then I will attempt to be more casual when we are off duty." Nelson explained, confirming what Suzumi had heard. "Though we may be Teacher and Student, I think it is an equal truth that you view me as a friend."

Suzumi nodded her head, to which Nelson's grip on her hand grew softer. "I cannot be your friend, your Teacher, and the Adviser of Schale at the same time. That is the duty and responsibility of an Adult. But I can take steps to improve my relations with you as your friend when it is appropriate. If that means using your given name, then so be it."

The unfamiliar rhythm to her heart returned, even as Suzumi forced her wing to be still. She tried to fight the blush as she nodded. "Thank you, Sensei."

"Any time, Morizuki. Now, shall we be off to our next appointment?"

AN: Writing from the PoV of the other characters is usually quite fun, but there's something unrepentantly fun about writing Izuna. Or at least, my portrayal of her. To me, Izuna's someone confidently goes about doing what she believes is required to achieve her dream. Which would normally be fine, but it's somewhat hindered by just how absolutely wacky and bizarre she comes off to everyone else.

We're reaching the end of the current arc. Just a tiny bit further and we'll actually reach the end of Volume 2. I wasn't quite expecting to reach this far when I started, so to see the end of a second major arc in sight is beyond what I thought I'd get. Thanks to everyone who's given this a read!

Thanks as always to my friend who proofreads this. They say I'm getting better at catching stuff, but the second read always helps!