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If you wish to draw fanart for the sake of art, that is fine. I have no issues with people who draw simply to enjoy creating.

Important: It says Chapter 10, but in reality, this is Chapter 9.5.

You'll notice that this chapter is shorter then the other ones. There were specific important loose ends to tie up that I didn't like the thought of leaving hanging, but I also didn't want to write a full conventional chapter. This is because I want to get to the MomoTalks, and in general, bring the Volume 1 Chapter 1/2 content to a close.

This chapter is the epilogue for Abydos Arc 1 and properly clears the stage for what's to come.

Speaking of the MomoTalk chapters, which are guaranteed to happen, they will not be published on this site. A new Call of the Void story will be published on AO3 instead, which will be dedicated to covering MomoTalks. These will not be their own sandboxed thing in regards to the overall story, and will reference/be referenced in main chapter content where applicable.

Why make this choice? Because of two reasons. One: I don't want two Call of the Void instances on this site, as the MomoTalks are a supplement to the main story. Two: AO3 has the feature to place multiple stories in a combined series, which this site lacks.

Let it also be known that I suffered from massive writer's block in writing this chapter for reasons mentioned in the first paragraph, and I can't mark off the possibility that it might continue for the foreseeable future. There was more planned for this chapter, but I cut it out to avoid overextending myself.

Because of this, it can be expected that chapters from here on will either release more slowly, or be smaller to compensate. Be prepared for that possibility.

Oh, and this is not a two-part chapter. Cooldown II will be the epilogue to Volume 2 content, and Cooldown III to Volume 3, and so on.

Emotions are a powerful thing, you know. They're the most important building block to make a human, human. And I bet most people don't even realize it. Without them, we would all live life like we're just going through the motions. I've seen it happen before in the worst-off of Origin System colonies, or the people we brought to the Höllvania Central Mall.

Or... in me.

On the complete opposite hand, we have a place like Duviri. A world ruled by a child-king who quite literally can't control his emotions, even if he tries his absolute hardest to. Below him, each of his five royal courtiers—Mathila, Lodus, Bombastine, Luscinia and Sythel—are living cautionary tales. They're what happens when you can't regulate your emotions.

...

I used to pride myself on my level of self-control before I came here. I was pretty good at it. Not anymore.

Today, I've let myself sink too deep into my Anger. I used brutality against the Kaiser combatants, knowing damn well that precision was the better way to kill them. I executed many of them with Origin System hospitality, even the ones surrendering, all while a student was fighting right alongside me.

And I don't regret any of it. I didn't once try to take back control because it benefited me in the moment.

And yet, as I sit in this helicopter, where I can look down below at what happened from a bird's eye view... I'm reminded of the cost that is always due when you don't regulate yourself. The consequences of when you don't care about your regrets or feelings.

"The land remembers what the people forget", as the Tenno saying goes. Just like the Plains of Eidolon, the sands of Abydos will carry the scars of this great battle.

...

When I get back, I need to balance myself.

≪ ...Sensei? ≫

"Huh?"

Snapping back to reality, I turned my head towards Miyako, who was tapping my left wrist. On the same row were Saki and Miyu, who were similarly staring at me with some concern. Hoshino, sitting on the seat opposite of me, was also staring out of the window, completely lost in thought.

≪ I was asking you a question, but you weren't answering me. ≫ She says over the radio with some worry.

"Ah, sorry. Go ahead and ask again."

≪ Right. ≫ Miyako looks at me seriously. ≪ ...Are you sure it was a good idea to execute the Kaiser executive? ≫

"Yes." I answered without hesitation. "He never once showed remorse for what he did. He was a lost cause."

≪ Oh... ≫ Miyako stares at me like that was an uncomfortable truth. ≪ ...Is that standard doctrine in your home country? ≫

"Not always." I replied. "Most of the time, that's not the first option. We usually just imprison them. Or, we interrogate them and then do some... creative things."

≪ What kind of— ≫

"I'm not answering that." I preemptively cut off Saki's question. "It's better you don't know."

Yeah, I'm not talking about that. I've seen too much since I allied with the Tenno. They might be the 'good guys', but they aren't exactly altruistic, either. These kids might be special forces, but they aren't built to handle Origin System truth. Not like Hoshino.

Maybe Hina could handle it, though.

≪ Alright, fine. ≫ Saki crosses her arms. ≪ But you do realize you might've gone too far, right? Overall, I mean. ≫

"What do you mean?"

≪ Kaiser Group might've been the one who instigated this... ≫ Miyako continues what Saki was saying. ≪ ...But they're de-facto essential to Kivotos' economy. All of these troops and vehicles we've destroyed will leave a substantial dent in Kaiser Group's finances. ≫

"...A dent, you say?" I ask a little curiously.

Miyako stares out the window past me. ≪ Now that the battle is over, I feel there could've been better choices made. I understand this level of destruction was inevitable, as was Kaiser PMC's downfall in some way... but the Kivotos economy will suffer from this. Perhaps we could have driven them off instead? ≫

"Maybe. Maybe." I lean forward in my seat slightly, and start speaking with more conviction. "I'll admit that you've got a point. The thing is, though... I know how these types of conglomerates operate. They'll grab every little scrap of power they can, because they're bent on ruling everything and everyone. And once they've got a collar on this city, they'll tighten the noose. And then they'll keep pulling, until the world itself goes blue in the face and suffocates to death."

My passionate speech causes Miyako to pause, who's at a loss for words. She closes her open mouth, evidently choosing to hold her tongue.

"It happened to my home country. I don't want to see that happen to this city, too. If Kivotos has to go through a rough patch now, it'll be better in the long term. Other companies—other entities—will step in and fill the void Kaiser leaves behind, and the market will correct itself back into natural harmony. Trust me when I say this: You don't want one entity with all the power making everything you use, providing every service for your society to keep on running."

≪ You sound like you're speaking from experience, Sensei. ≫ Moe interjects, sounding more nonchalant then her squadmates. ≪ I see what you mean, though. Kaiser's had a lot of power and influence for ages now, pretty much pushing out everyone else and leaving them to dry in the sun. Since everything they sent here got destroyed, I'm kind of anxious to see what the next few days are gonna look like. ≫

"Why?" I inquire, genuinely curious.

≪ Well, most of their value is... was in Kaiser PMC's military assets. ≫ Moe responds with a serious tone. ≪ They're the leader in military tech, second only to Millenium Science School, which means that their equipment is pretty expensive on an individual basis. You basically just halved Kaiser Group's value by destroying their invasion force, instead of forcing them to only retreat. That's set the stage for a market crash ≫

"...I see."

≪ All the companies owned by Kaiser is gonna suffer. ≫ Saki cuts in abruptly. ≪ Even though they were the ones in the wrong for trying to take Abydos by force... Every one of them is gonna feel the effects. ≫

"...Fuck. What kind of damage can I expect to see?"

Instead of Saki or Moe responding, Miyako also cuts in and starts explaining.

≪ The firearm market will likely suffer, as Kaiser Industries manufactures at least half of all weapons in Kivotos – including aftermarket parts, customization and non-portable weaponry. Their banks will be forced to cover the damages caused by today's battle, which may lead to a recession or financial crisis. And existing companies may become wary of doing business with Kaiser as a whole, fearing the negative stigma that will inevitably rise around them. ≫

≪ Overall, they're not gonna be able to guard their property since Kaiser PMC's been neutralized, ≫ Moe takes over again, sounding just as dispassionate as before. ≪ Which is eventually gonna lead to a whole nightmare 'em. The smaller companies, though? They might weather the storm, since Kaiser lets them do their own thing. It all depends on what you do, big guy. ≫

Left at a loss for words, I slowly lean forward, processing the implications. Now I understand why Arona warned me.

They really are the Corpus of this world. And what sucks even more is that they've already got too much of a grip around Kivotos. That only makes the events of today more tragic.

They should've been smart enough to leave well enough alone.

As I look out the window back down towards the destruction, I feel less joyous at my handiwork than before. Knowing that the cost of each of these dead robots and destroyed vehicles will be paid by Kaiser's other subsidiaries feels depressing.

But then, I look to Hoshino, who is observing the sights down below as well.

She has a warm smile on her face, like a kid who has finally been given hope who lost it ages ago. And in my mind, I compare it to the first impression she made on me with that distrusting gaze of hers, devoid of hope completely. Seeing her genuine smile in this moment makes me feel like I've done good. Like I've actually made a positive impact in someone's life, instead of keeping the inevitable tide at bay.

That made this feel like it was all worth it.

≪ Kaiser's troubles aside... Sen~ sei~ ≫ Moe speaks up again, sounding unusually gleeful. ≪ I've never seen so much delightful destruction! All those craters, the destroyed vehicles, the oil in the sand just waiting to be sparked into an all-consuming blaze... Heeheehee!~ ≫

"Well, that's one hell of a topic change." I respond with some amusement. "...Wait, how did you even see that? I thought you left the combat zone?"

≪ This helicopter can do more than you think. ≫ She responds confidently. ≪ It can move people around and provide direct fire support, yeah. But I'm the electronic warfare specialist, remember? Even when I'm far away from the AO, I can still slice into things from the comfort of my precious bird. You see those cameras in my squadmates' rigs? ≫

I turn my head towards the other three RABBITs. They indeed did have body cameras on them, including Miyu.

"...So that's how you saw things?"

≪ Bullseye! Heeheehee~ ≫ Moe laughs unsettlingly. ≪ That mech of yours is the perfect harbinger of chaos! It put my opening barrage to shame! Watching those shoulder-mounted cannons turn those enemies into shrapnel made me shiver, let me tell you. That was euphoric! ≫

"I hate to break it to you, but you can't use it."

≪ ...Yeah, I figured. ≫ Moe replies after a couple seconds, failing to hide her obvious disappointed. ≪ I'll find a way to reach your level one day. I must play a symphony of destruction like that, no matter what it takes. ≫

"Uh..."

≪ S-Sensei... ≫ Miyu shyly speaks up.

"Yes?"

≪ W-What are you going to do now? ≫

"That remains to be seen." I answer straightforwardly. "I want to check in with those wounded Kaiser kids. I have business with them."

≪ W-What about us? ≫

"What do you mean?"

≪ W-Well... ≫ Miyu trails off for a moment. ≪ You're going to m-meet with other former SRT students, right? ≫

"Not today, no." I answer. "I've already got plans with some other kids, and I'll have to deal with the fallout from this battle. I scheduled that out for a few days ahead so I could take care of all the menial stuff that's probably been collecting... I'm gonna need a day to myself after all of this."

≪ Understandable. ≫ Miyako says, pulling out her phone and unlocking it. ≪ Would it be okay if we used Schale's facilities? The park doesn't exactly have bathing options and whatnot. ≫

"...Schale's facilities? What do you mean?"

≪ You didn't know Schale had its own facilities? ≫ Moe retorts in surprise. ≪ Wow. I'm actually at a loss for words. ≫

"I was in Abydos day after day." I respond, feeling a little slighted. "Plus, I don't stay in the tower for anything other than work. My actual home is somewhere else."

≪ Oh. Fair, I guess. ≫ Moe replies similarly to Miyako. ≪ Well, uh, I guess I'll be the one to tell you. The Schale Tower's got its own living quarters for you on the same level as the office. There's also some public access stuff a couple levels below that, like bathhouses and a firing range. Also a few guest rooms for students, if they need to stay the night or whatever. ≫

"...Sol's radiant light, how much shit does that tower have!?" I voice in genuine disbelief. "I mean, I already knew about the firing range, but still. How did you know about that?"

≪ Well, the public access stuff is public knowledge. ≫ Moe responds. ≪ It's all on Schale's official website. I'm even more surprised you haven't visited it. ≫

"Now that you mention that, I probably should." I relent a little wryly. "Yeah, you kids can use it. Just keep a public log of who uses it and when."

≪ Thank you, Sensei. ≫ Miyako replies with gratitude, a warm smile on her face.

≪ We're about to reach the school. ≫ Moe says immediately after Miyako's gratitude. ≪ Sit tight and secure your stuff. ≫

With Moe's callout, I lean back in my seat, as much as I could while having knives in my back. Down below, the area around the school looks a lot better off then the desert sands littered with damage. Prefects are running around, checking the state of everything they brought, or helping clean up some of the damage.

The helicopter slows down right above the school roof, before slowly descending like it did some time ago. As I feel the sudden jolt from it landing, I reach over to the side door and slide it open. Hoshino is the first one out, followed by the RABBIT Squad, including Moe herself after she shuts off the helicopter's engines.

...You know what, I really don't feel like going through the whole "this warframe is fine" talk again. I'm just gonna walk around until it's time to leave.

As I transfer into my true body and grab the weapons off Kullervo, I send him back to the Orbiter instead of leaving the warframe be like I usually would. It disappears in the blink of an eye, leaving behind short-lived Void particles. At the same time, I feel the lingering, still festering rage dissipate from me as I return to my normal body.

Right... I keep forgetting.

Warframes can influence their operator.

Some Tenno believe warframes are just metal puppets. The truth is, the Transference link is actually two-way, which allows some of the warframe's original personality to seep back into us while we pilot them. For example, Gauss makes me feel cocky and want to test my limits, while Mirage makes me want to play tricks on everyone just because. And when I use Lavos, I have the desire to experiment and break the laws of nature for my own amusement.

It's possible that some of Kullervo's rage wasn't my own. The difference doesn't matter now; what's done is done.

"Ah, Sensei! "

The moment I exit the helicopter, Nonomi walks over and greets me with that kind smile of hers.

"Good to see you." I return her smile.

"Oh?" Nonomi tilts her head. "You're not in your suit of armor?"

"Don't need it for now."

"Huh..." Hoshino stares at me for a few seconds. "...I forgot to say this earlier; your clothes look weird."

"What's wrong with my clothes?" I say in confusion, looking down at my outfit for the day. I was wearing my Goth outfit, with a necklace depicting the Sol/Lua scale that I sometimes saw in Hollvania. I lost the one with a cross on it.

"It looks like nothing from Kivotos." Saki speaks up. "I mean, you're not from Kivotos, but you know what I mean."

"This is a completely normal outfit, though..." I respond with some soreness. "Whatever. Hoshino, could you bring me to the infirmary? Or wherever the wounded are getting treated."

"Sure." Hoshino responds. "Nonomi, I want you to go fetch Serika and the others for me. We're gonna hold a meeting in the club room after I show him where the infirmary is."

"Aye-aye! " Nonomi responds cheerfully.

"We'll be staying behind, Sensei." Miyako states matter-of-factly. "We have various things to take care of."

"...Wait, where did his armor go?" Saki asks aloud. "It was just in the helicopter a moment ago. Am I crazy, or did it disappear into thin air while we weren't looking?"

"Uh, let's just say I teleported it somewhere." I answer vaguely. "I'll see you kids when I'm done taking care of business here. I'm taking you back to the Schale tower with me when I'm done."

"Acknowledged." Miyako answers with a dutiful nod. "We will remain on standby until your return."

"Aw, sweet!" Moe does a fist pump. "I'm definitely gonna try out those bathhouses. That sounds so nice right about now."

I leave the SRT kids to their own devices, and turn to walk towards the rooftop door Hoshino and Nonomi were standing next to. Hoshino opens the door as I approach.

"Right this way."

Hoshino, Nonomi and I walk through the hallways of the school building, where I feel the occasional wind breeze on my skin, which feels pleasant. Despite the Prefect Team activity that was still going on outside, there wasn't a single soul walking through this hallway. An unfortunate reminder of how few Abydos students there actually are.

Halfway through the walk, Nonomi split off and took a different hallway, likelt heading to the FTF's club room. Only Hoshino and I remained. Neither of us spoke up—I was clearing my mind and enjoying the wind coming through the windows on my skin, and Hoshino was back to being lost in thought.

...

"We're here, Sensei." Hoshino finally broke the silence, dragging me back to reality.

We came to a stop in front of the school's infirmary. In contrast to our walk, there were two Prefect Team members standing guard in front of it. Both of them regarded Hoshino with respect, and me with curiosity at hearing Hoshino call me Sensei. Their stares were boring a hole in me.

"Well, Sensei..." Hoshino crosses her arms, giving me a smile. "It's been fun. I'm gonna go have a meeting with my juniors. I'll see you later."

"Wait." I stop her from walking off by putting a hand on her shoulder. "You're forgetting something."

"Huh~?" Hoshino responds with an airy tone. "And what's that?"

I reach down and grab the Shittim Chest off my hip. "My MomoTalk details. Should've done this from the start."

"...Oh." Hoshino stares at it for a few moments, but stops doing so to grab her phone out of that bag around her waist. "Yeah, I'm with you on that.

After adding her contact info to my MomoTalk account, I return the tablet to its rightful place. "Do me a favor and pass that onto the others during the meeting."

"Will do." Hoshino says with a smile. "I'll see you later. For real this time."

Hoshino turns around and walks the way we just came, with a bit more haste in her step than before. I watch her walking off for only a few moments, before turning my attention to the Prefects standing guard.

"Is Hina in there?"

I get a nod from both of them in response.

"Are those injured Kaiser kids in there too?"

"Affirmative." One of them responds. "Chinatsu is currently tending to the wounded with Sena's help."

"Who's Sena?" I ask, looking at the one who answered my question.

"The head of Gehenna's Emergency Medical Club." The other one responds. "You haven't met her?"

"I wasn't here for the start." I answer. "Plus, I didn't cross paths with her when I was visiting Gehenna earlier."

"I see." The first one says. "We were under the impression you did. The nurses will be pleased to meet you."

The two Gehena kids step away from the door, allowing me entry into the room. I slide open the door and step inside, and get hit with that familiar, sterile smell of medicine. The scent makes me mentally flashback to Lettie's medical station in Höllvania Central Mall for the briefest of moments.

There are various students on beds being tended to by nurses, who are all wearing long skirts and had handbags slung around their shoulders. Looking around, I could recognize two of the students; Chinatsu was currently inspecting Iori in the corner, who appeared to be pretty banged-up.

One of the other nurses, who had a slightly shorter skirt and a unique halo, was going from bed to bed, specifically checking up on the ones that were occupied by the injured Kaiser kids.

"She's stable." One of the nurses says aloud, inspecting one of the wounded Kaiser conscripts.

"Good." The nurse with a unique halo responds. "That was the last one. Now we may finally examine the Head Prefect."

As the nurse with a unique halo turns around, she is about to walk to a different bed – until she spots me.

"...Drifter-sensei?" The nurse says quizzically.

"In the flesh."

"It is a pleasure to meet you." The nurse does a curtsey. "Himuro Sena, president of the Emergency Medical Club. It is surreal to see your true appearance, sans armor."

"Likewise." I reply simply, but respectfully.

"I hear you saved the corpses— I mean, wounded Kaiser students from perishing to friendly fire, including one that was in the process of truly dying." Sena says in a monotone voice. "The Head Prefect described it as 'magic'. If I may ask, how did you perform such a feat?"

...Did she just describe these kids as 'corpses'?

"Pretty much exactly how Hina described it." I answer. "I only wish I could do more with that 'magic'."

"...Understood." Sena replies after a slight delay. "These students were dangerously close to expiring. We are currently administering emergency aid to ensure their stability, and we do not intend to leave here until further notice. Their tenuous states are too risky to allow safe transport."

"Are they okay?" I ask out of concern for their well being.

Sena shakes her head. "Not necessarily. However, they are stable."

They're stable. Stable enough. Good... That's a pretty big weight off my shoulders.

It will hurt me on a deep level if they still succumb to their injuries. The last thing I want to see is a kid's life, full of experiences yet to come, cut short because of a freak accident.

I walk past Sena, and up to one of the wounded Kaiser kids. I stand next to their bed, watching one of the nurses filling out some paperwork on a clipboard. This was the kid that I directly saved from imminent death; I could recognize her from the way her clothes were damaged, and her short, darkish grey hair.

The nurse on duty had partially removed the student's upper clothing, leaving only their lower layers. Attached to the kid were various wireless devices, and a few mobile monitoring devices were placed next to her bed.

"This one has remained unconscious." Sena says behind me, hands clasped together in a professional posture. "Her physical injuries are great, necessitating a medically induced coma to ensure her safety. Before her consciousness was neutralized, her halo showed signs of fracture stress."

"...Cracked, huh..." I say quietly in a grave tone. "...When I saved her, her halo was extremely dim, and dissolving like salt in water."

The words hit the two nurses next to me hard, who stop what they're doing to stare right at me in great alarm. Although I was going to stop there, I felt compelled to continue speaking.

"I stopped it with that 'magic'... Or I thought I did. It reformed itself and started glowing like normal again. I... couldn't do anything to heal her body. I... guess it wasn't enough to completely fix it."

Sena muses seriously, hand to her chin. She then looks at me seriously. "Sensei, are you aware of what haloes represent?"

"A nice extra layer of durability, which is what I was told when I first got here." I answer truthfully. "And later on, I found they're the way to tell if you kids are conscious or not."

"That is partially correct." Sena responds. "However, it seems you lack the full knowledge required. Please allow me to instill said knowledge. I believe you may have developed a misunderstanding."

Sena then walks over to the side of the bed, looking down at her patient with an analytical gaze.

"Our haloes exhibit one very important aspect: They are the physical manifestation of our souls themselves. By mending this student's halo over her body, you saved her soul, and thus her life itself—had you chosen vice versa, you would have failed. However, the soul is a very malleable thing, shaped by our life experiences. This can be reflected in our haloes, and its condition."

She then reaches down to the wounded student with a gloved hand. She moves that same hand onto the forehead of the unconscious kid, before placing the back of her exposed arm against it. As she does so, she continues speaking, multitasking in the process.

"As I've just stated, this student's halo is partially fractured. Visible damage to a halo can communicate more than physical damage, which may be naturally or artificially mended: A fractured halo can mean her mental state has been wounded. A halo that shows signs of physical damage appears dimmer, and when near death, begins to fracture and dissolve. I must admit, I have never seen a student so close to death before, so the sight of this patient's damage saddened me greatly."

Sena pauses for a moment, and brushes the Kaiser student's hair gently.

"...I have not been trained in the art of psychology. But if I had to surmise an educated guess, I theorize that the state of her halo represents her trust in something being completely shattered. This is not helped by the state of her physical health, which may also be communicated by additional cracks. It is hard to tell what the extent of the psychological damage is."

Well now... that was a lot of information to process. I affixed my gaze on the Kaiser student, who Sena was still showing gentleness to.

So, these haloes are more than just a mystical type of protection. They're the very souls of these kids – or rather, their physical form, as she described. That explains why some of these kids' haloes have unique designs to them... but not why some of them don't.

Could that mean that the kids with generic white torus haloes haven't lived enough of their life yet? No... that feels like the wrong answer. But it also feels like I'm still missing the whole picture.

"What about the other wounded kids?" I ask Sena, looking at her instead. "Do theirs look similar?"

"Partially." She states with cool composure. "Theirs only showed signs of residual damage, the type that is to be expected from enduring a full fire mission of artillery. This one was likely traumatized by what she endured."

"Poor kid..." I say in a somber tone, as I move to the side of the bed as well. "What do you think—"

"Head Nurse, she's coming to!" The assigned nurse interrupts me, grabbing a needle from a set of medical equipment on a nearby cart.

"Administer the anasthe—"

"No." I cut off Sena, grabbing the arm of the other nurse that had the needle in hand. "I wanna talk to her."

"It is too risky." Sena replies seriously. "She is stable, but is anything except recovered."

"If anything happens, I can heal her some more." I respond with equal seriousness. "This is important to me."

Sena stares at me for a couple seconds, but relents with a deep sigh. "...Understood. You are responsible if her condition worsens."

She then turns to the other nurse, nodding her head. I let go of the arm, allowing the other nurse to slowly, warily return the needle to the cart. The injured Kaiser kid slowly stirs on the bed, with her halo slowly flickering back into existence in an unsteady way, like a fluorescent tube that badly needed replacing.

...

Sena was right. Her halo was cracked all over like broken glass, and appeared to be in very fragile condition. It's like all it'll take is a strong breeze to make it fall apart...

I feel uneasy just looking at it, and I'm not even native to this world.

"...Hu... h?..."

The girl looks up from where she's laid down, evidently dazed and not fully awake yet. Her half-open brown eyes look at me with a thousand-yard stare, reflecting little light. But as the seconds go by, I can see life slowly returning to them. After a couple seconds of staring, her eyes snap wide open.

"S-... Sensei...!"

"Whoa!"

All of a sudden, the girl shoots up to a sitting position, wrapping both of her arms around my lower torso. She hugs me tightly with surprising strength, despite her injuries, burying her face in my shirt like her life depended on it. The girl was also shaking like a scared animal.

I looked down at her, trying to get a closer look at her halo, but it went invisible the moment it got close to my head.

"T-Thank you...!" The girl utters with a shaking voice, and she sniffles a few times before continues. "T-thank you s-so m-much... Thank y-you thank you t-thank you tha-ank you...! I...! I was gonna... I was gonna... die...!"

"You're okay now, kid." I respond, not making any moves to get her off me. "It's alright now. You're safe."

"I... I...!" The girl struggles to speak, stammering and tripping on her words. She ultimately breaks down crying, her coherence being washed away with her sobbing.

I return her hug with a slight one of my own, attempting to furhter reassure her a little. All around me, the nurses and other awake patients were staring at me with smiles on their faces at the sight. About a minute later, the girl still hasn't let go of me. So I opt to speak up and say something.

"Alright, you can let go of me now."

"Oh...! S-Sorry!" the girl stammers out, quickly freeing me from her hug. The other nurses promptly resume their normal duties now that the fun's over.

Her halo also becomes visible again, which allows me to take a second look at its condition. It was still flickering unsteadily, using that same fluorescent tube example from before. And this is in spite of her now being wide awake.

"I, um... I..." the girl then gives me a heartfelt smile. "Thank you, Sensei. Thank you so much for sparing me... saving me and my peers... Even though we're supposed to be your enemies."

"Of course, kid." I respond warmly as I look at her in her hazel eyes. "And you're not my enemy anymore. The battle's over. What's your name?"

The girl rubs her eyes, and then leans back on the bed. "A-Ayumi. Ayumi Fujimoto."

"So, Ayumi..." I take a nearby office chair, sitting in it. "Who was the leader of your squad?"

"A-Are you gonna interrogate me?" The girl asks uneasily.

"No." I shake my head. "I just said you're not my enemy, kid. I just want to understand how the hell that mess even happened."

"Um... I am the squad leader..." Ayumi answers hesitantly, but trails off. She takes a deep breath before continuing. "...Was. We were told to help cover the retreat. It was just us, no-one else. I told them it was a bad idea... They said we would get extra credit for succeeding."'

"Extra credit..." that specific term catches my attention. "How does that work? Kaiser isn't an academy, they're a company."

"..." The girl stares at me for a couple of moments. Her eyes become a little wet again, but she holds the tears back. "...They were my only choice."

"Your only choice?" I responded. "You didn't need to..."

An uncomfortable realization dawns on me, causing me to trail off. I just mentally recalled some of the Kaiser PMC Director's final words... and the implication makes my blood run a little colder. Realizing the gravity of Ayumi's words, I lean forward slightly.

"...You're a suspended student." I state, which earns me a slow, reluctant nod. "Don't worry, I won't punish you. I don't do things like normal people around here do."

"...Really?" Ayumi responds, sniffling. "You're not gonna arrest me? That's what they said you'd do."

"Who's 'they?'" I lean forward slightly more. "You mean Kaiser, right?"

The Kaiser student nods. "Kaiser said we'd be sent to the Federal Corrections Bureau if we got captured. T-They said that Schale's head Sensei wouldn't tolerate unaffiliated students like us, and that you'd t-turn us over to the General Student Council. And then they also said they wouldn't give us our jobs back if we were released..."

I notice the two silent nurses next to me shift their gaze from Ayumi to me. The other one quietly takes her leave, evidently uncomfortable from the conversation. Sena makes no move to stop her from leaving.

"Whatever Kaiser said about me is a lie." I assert, as I then stared at Ayumi seriously. "If I cared about doing things their way, I would've never went out of my way to help Abydos. That put me at odds with Kaiser, who wanted to turn this place into their own personal playground. Now? Well, Kaiser PMC is definitely no more."

"Really?" Ayumi looks at me with a hopeful stare, but it quickly turns to worry. "Wait... what do you mean Kaiser PMC is 'no more'?"

"Look outside."

Ayumi looks outside of the window, taking in the sights of the destructive aftermath from the battle for Abydos. What she sees makes her freeze on the spot.

"...It's all gone..." she says in a quiet tone. She looks down at her legs, eyes losing their luster. "I... I never thought they'd be destroyed. Kaiser was the only place that would hire me. What do I—... What do I do now...?"

The look in this kid's eyes was wrenching my heart. She looked like she just got the rug pulled from under her, and the hopes for her future with it. Immediately afterwards, the color of her halo loses some of its color, becoming more monochromatic... and cracks a little more.

Sol-damnit. I need to do something about this.

"Let me help you, kid." I say with conviction, giving her as warm of a smile as I could. "Your future isn't over. You just need the right push in the right direction."

"...R-Really?" she stammers out, some hope returning to her eyes. "Y-You'll help me?"

"That's what a Sensei is for." I responded. "But I need you to tell me a few things before I can do anything. I don't know how things work with unaffiliated students."

"I-I'll tell you anything!" she says with desperation. "Please help me!"

I lean back in my chair, getting a little more comfortable. "First off; where did you come from?"

"...Red Winter Academy." Ayumi replies after a delay. "I was a first-year, and a part of the Publishing Department. I hated it there. I desperately wanted to transfer to a different school, so I threw myself into my studies to get the best grades I could, hoping I could transfer somewhere better like Trinity or Millenium. How naive I was."

"What happened?" I ask with some concern. Whenever someone uses 'how naive I was', it never ends well.

"President Cherino happened." Ayumi answers. "I was the first student ever to get higher grades than her. She suspended me for that, then upgraded it to an expulsion."

I feel a strange mix of anger and disbelief, but not enough to elicit a reaction yet. "She's the leader of Red Winter, right?"

"Yes." She answers, contempt laced in her voice. "She's a spoiled, power hungry brat who chooses cruel punishment for petty things. Because of her, my life spiraled out of control. It's just like what happened with my squadmates."

I furrow my brow. "Do they have similar stories?"

"Oh, um... K-Kind of." Ayumi answers with palpable anxiety. "One was expelled from Trinity because she was framed by Gehenna-hating extremists. Another was banished from Shanhaijing for 'leaking state secrets to foreign academies'. The third was from Highlander, booted because she fell just short of her passing grades. The fourth was from the GSC, 'fired' for disobeying her superior."

So... bullshit like this can happen here, too. People who happen to be in the wrong place, at the wrong time, being punished by the universe for existing.

I've seen it happen too many times; Tenno getting banished for the slightest violation of their code, or some syndicate members getting assassinated because they happened to come across the wrong settlement. And way back in the day, before the Zariman madness, I saw a man get his mouth permanently sealed for accidentally cursing in public.

Different part of the universe, same type of people. Somewhat similar type of people.

"...Is it okay to be telling me this? I mean, I haven't even met them yet."

"They won't mind." Ayumi said with a warm smile. "If it were anyone else, I would've kept quiet. But you saved me— us from dying. But please... help them too."

"Oh, I will." I answered without hesitation. "But again, I still need to know more. What is it like for unaffiliated students like you? Is there any way to reintegrate?"

"...I don't know." Ayumi answers. "Trinity's Sisterhood offers rehabilitation, where you do community service in order to get a letter of recommendation—but then they want you to enroll in Trinity afterwards, which puts off students who have eyes on other schools. SRT had an unconditional application process, until they were shut down some days ago. Everything else is case-by-case, and you have to know the right people."

"Fuck, man..." I unintentionally curse aloud, putting a hand to my forehead. "What about places that can hire you?"

"None..." Ayumi responds with a somber tone. "All companies refuse you if you aren't enrolled in a school. The only places that would take students like us are Kaiser... or the shady places like the Black Market."

"...And the GSC allowed this?" I ask with rising anger.

"What do you mean?" Ayumi asks, made anxious again because of the emotion in my voice.

"You mean to tell me that the General Student Council, the government of the Academy City of Kivotos, doesn't have a rehabilitation & reintegration program?"

"...N-No?" Ayumi stammers out.

"They do not." Sena finally breaks her silence after a prolonged period of monitoring Ayumi's vitals. "Those that are expelled are considered unfortunate losses, but not worth the trouble to reintegrate."

"'Not worth the trouble to reintegrate..." I feel a quiet rage simmering in my soul at these words.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Hina watching us from her bed, who also slightly flinches from my words, brow furrowing. Either she was guilty of that line of thinking, too, or she also took as much issue with it as I am right now.

I turn back towards Ayumi, unconsciously tensing up a little. "Ayumi."

"Y-Yes?" She recoils, fearful for some reason.

"The Highlander kid you mentioned was expelled because of bad grades, right?"

"Yes." Ayumi nods. "She wasn't deliberately ignoring her studies. She just found it hard to learn using Blu-Ray discs."

"So even if you're on your best behavior... if you flunk hard enough, you're just thrown to the streets with no mercy like some garbage?"

Sena goes quiet, averting the gaze I was giving her. This allows Ayumi to answer instead.

"Yes. I've met other Kaiser students who had learning disabilities, and weren't able to catch up despite how much they tried. The result ends up being the same anyways; you have nowhere left to go except Kaiser... or worse. I— we had no option."

...That's the biggest reality check so far. There's no path of redemption here. You become a pariah the moment you're not enrolled in a school.

Even if you don't want to be a gang member or a no-rights corporate slave, you have no choice. Because the schools won't let you back in.

It's either the Sisterhood, or you're on your own. And if you don't want to enroll in Trinity? Bad luck, bitch.

...

That's unacceptable. This has to change.

"Thank you, Ayumi." I express my genuine heartfelt gratitude. "I've just had a paradigm shift thanks to you. I'll think of a way to handle this problem in the future so I can put a stop to this shit. Sena, did her phone survive?"

"...Um, yes." Sena responds after a delay, as she finishes recording some info to that clipboard I saw earlier. "It should still be within her uniform's pocket."

"Oh, it survived?" Ayumi reaches into her discarded, bloodied uniform on the foot of the bed, and grabs a phone from one of its pockets. Miraculously, it turns on. "...Oh my god. It still works?"

"Good." I smile, reaching down to my hip again. "I want your MomoTalk details."

"Eh!?" Ayumi's eyes widened.

"You heard me." I respond with no humor. "I can't get you transport or anything right now... but if, once you recover, you can make your way to the Schale tower? I will let you and your squadmates stay there until I can think of a way to re-integrate you. In exchange, you'll help me with things around the tower."

"HUH!?" Ayumi's eyes widened even more. Her outburst causes everyone else in the infirmary to stare. "Are you serious!? Y-You're not trying to—"

"No, I'm not trying to fool you or take advantage of you." I cut her off prematurely. "It just wouldn't sit right with me to let you keep floundering after dooming Kaiser PMC. I had a hand in ruining your future prospects, so it's my responsibility to fix them. And your friends, too."

"Rea-... You're serious. You're actually serious." Her eyes widened, sparkling and wet with genuine hope.

At the same time, her halo restores its color over a few seconds, while something very peculiar happens soon after: the cracks start to be filled in with some sort of tar-like substance. It doesn't completely mend the halo, looking as if it 'needed to cure'... but the sight of her halo healing itself probably represents an internal change.

Sena does a quiet amused laugh next to me. "Well accomplished, Sensei. This will assist in her physical healing."

"Good." I respond simply. "Now before you put her under again... Ayumi, give me your MomoTalk details."

"Y-Yes, sir!" Ayumi nods enthusiastically, as we proceed to exchange details. When it's all said and done, Ayumi clutches the phone to her chest. "I... I'm truly honored by your kindness..."

"And you can honor me by getting better." I retort. "Sena, you can put her under again. I'll see you later, Ayumi."

"O-Okay, Sensei."

I get up from my chair, allowing Sena to work her nurse magic. I don't see what she does with Ayumi, since my back is turned and I'm already walking away soon after.

But as I'm walking away towards the exit, something blocks my path; a familiar-looking wing.

"Could I have a moment, Sensei?"

I redirect my attention to my side, seeing Hina without her big coat on. Despite the damage she sustained, she is not dressed with any bandages or other types of treatment. It's now that I realize just how much presence that coat gives her, because she looks like any other kid on the smaller side without it on.

"Yes?" I replied.

"I wished to thank you." Hina responds. "Our prospects were looking increasingly unfavorable until you arrived. Most of the vehicles we have allocated to this defense have been destroyed."

"Oh..."

"Don't feel guilty." Hina responds, closing one eye. "The vehicles we sent to the defense of Abydos High School were reserve equipment, retired before my time. It won't impact our day-to-day operations at Gehenna. My matter of concern is something else."

"And what is that?" I cross my arms.

"The action you took against the Prefect Team members earlier." She replies in a serious tone. "I witnessed a large number of them being sent flying towards Abydos High School, with a great many chains flailing through the air. According to many sources, the cause was you. Am I correct in this assessment?"

"Yes." I responded with no hesitation. "They were in my way."

"In your way?" Hina tilts her head, wings extending slightly. "Explain your actions."

"I will not lie to you, Hina; I was furious." I answered honestly. "I wanted to deal with what remained myself. Hoshino joined me. Together, we dealt with the remnants with no mercy."

"...Please elaborate." Hina replies, sounding more intrigued than aggravated. "Does it have to do with the red clouds you cast upon the sky?"

"Yes. The clouds were my suit of armor's doing." I answered honestly. "Under the darker sky, I butchered the artillery crew. And then, I went to their base. The Kaiser PMC Director was there... It was the old Abydos school campus. The original one."

"The old Abydos school campus..." Hina puts a hand to her chin, wings slowly retracting. "Did you take him into custody?"

"No. I killed him."

"...What?" Hina's eyes widened. "You killed him?"

"I did." I respond with no hesitation. "The snake felt no remorse for almost killing students. He told me they were considered expendable. He was never going to change."

"You could have merely stripped him of his position." Hina states, sounding rather perturbed. "Or you could have chosen to imprison him."

"No, Hina." I shake my head. "Snakes like him always slither back into high places. I've seen it before too many times. If it wasn't me, Kaiser would've done it in my place anyways; he was the one who ordered the attack and doomed their entire military branch."

"I... see." Hina slowly crosses her arms. "I do not agree with your actions. However, I recognize your logic, and understand that it was for the benefit of students. What's done is done... and what's more important is the immediate future."

"...Yeah." I responded gravely. "The economies of scale. I was already told about that by the SRT students."

"Good." Hina retorts. "I will submit a debriefing report to Schale when we have concluded operations here. That is what I wished to speak about. However, I have one more matter I wish to discuss."

"What is it?"

"Well, it concerns Gehenna, but..." Hina glances over her shoulder. "It requires absolute privacy. When would you be next available to initiate a dialogue? I can infer you will be quite occupied with the aftermath of today's tumultuous battle."

"I... don't actually know." I answer straightforwardly. "I'll take a look at my schedule and see when I can talk to you. It might not be for quite a few days though—I'm pretty booked out for the week."

"I understand." Hina places a hand on her opposite arm. "Whenever you are next freely available at nighttime is when I wish to speak. Please reach out to me in advance so we could coordinate our schedules... I happen to also have little free time outside of day-to-day work."

"Alright then. I'll let you know when I can talk."

"Thank you." Hina smiles. "I shall not keep you any longer."

Hina steps to the side, allowing me to pass. I give her a respectful nod, and make my exit from the infirmary. I look up at the outside sky through the opposite window, catching a glimpse at all the stars that have come out to play. As I start walking down the hallways themselves, I mentally set course for the roof again.

The Abydos kids and Prefect Team can handle the immediate aftermath. I have an appointment with the Hot Springs Department to attend to.

...

Kaiser PMC has been de-fanged.

Uncountable numbers of destroyed automatons, Kaiser PMC vehicles and bipedal units have been destroyed in the wake of a rapid-fire artillery barrage. Their corpses posthumously leak oil, staining the sands immediately around Abydos High School a dark brown.

While it is unknown if the entirety of their forces were allocated for the operation, what is known is this;

Kaiser Group's overall value has notably plummeted, and several bases and other strongholds are abandoned to reinforce more critical ones with what military assets they have left.

/break/

Abydos's perception has completely changed in the eyes of the public, thanks in part due to what has come to be known as the 'Battle for Abydos'. Amateur clips of the start and end of the battle surface, but none of the moments where Drifter-sensei utilized the Voidrig's Arquebex cannons—only its deployment from the sky. Along with a hauntingly beautiful picture of the red clouds hanging above a field of destroyed Kaiser PMC assets, discussion of the event has maintained trending on all social media sites.

Although Abydos High School itself receives no new student applicants, tourism unexpectedly skyrockets following the battle, centered around the site itself.

Gehenna's Prefect Team has achieved a new level of notoriety after the Battle for Abydos, causing Gehenna to experience its first-ever crimeless day in time unrecorded. Their popularity surpasses the Pandemonium Society, who is unable to directly counter due to Schale's close involvement in the affair. Thus, Sorasaki Hina takes her first day off in months; no-one dares exploit her absence.

Upon learning of the Prefect Team's actions, Trinity's Tea Party begins advocating more heavily for the Eden Treaty, expertly capitalizing on the Prefect Team's popularity to outline the potential benefits. Concurrently, the Justice Task Force is soon informed of Drifter-sensei's deal with the Tea Party, and hastily accepts it.

The Sisterhood, despite their "hands-off" nature affiliation with geopolitics, expresses an interest in assisting with the Abydos restoration effort. Behind closed doors, they begin the initial stages of an inquiry with the Tea Party concerning this topic, and reach out to the Prefect Team for additional information.

Shanhaijing's Genryumon, in light of recent events, delayed a planned event by a week for security reasons. In addition, raids are carried out on suspected Kaiser PMC affiliated businesses, and ones confirmed to be as such are forcibly closed by the student council. Those that comply with the investigation are permitted to reopen if favorable results are found.

Other academies begin increasing security measures due to civil unrest. Notably, Red Winter Academy cancels school for two days, placing blame on the Labor Party as the reason for their unrest. This subsequently incites mass protests from the Labor Party itself, augmented by students who view the increased security as overstepping their station.

Universally, Valkyrie Police School begins augmenting several districts with their equipment and manpower. Normally refused jurisdiction, they are temporarily allowed to patrol in locations they are normally unable to, such as Gehenna and Shanhaijing. Notably, they also begin assisting in Abydos' relief efforts, with permission being required (and provided) by Schale instead of the General Student Council.

Upon investigation into the Battle for Abydos, The General Student Council takes an unprecedented drastic action: They announce a state of emergency for all of Kivotos, citing an imminent economic depression. However, no concrete action is taken, with most decisions related to the newly-declared state of emergency being relevant to business interests, and mitigation of financial institution collapse. Additionally, the state of emergency has a fixed lifespan of thirty (30) days, subject to extension.

—

At 18:28PM DU-ST, the Head of Schale announces several things in sequence.

Firstly, permission is granted to the protesting RABBIT Squad to occupy Kousagi Park indefinitely, previously a fixed duration of thirty (30) days. This prompts the protesting students to partially release some of their hold on the park, re-enabling visitation in most areas except their primary camp, which remains defended.

Secondly, he officially pardons all Kaiser students who participated in the Battle for Abydos, allowing those already detained by the Prefect Team or handed off to Valkyrie for imprisonment to go free. This move is praised by other students from all over Kivotos, notably the heads of Genryumon, the Pandemonium Society and the collective of several minor gangs.

Thirdly, he announces his request to Abydos has been fulfilled, and places a moratorium on major requests for seven (7) days. He also announces that any students that have risky grades or difficulty learning are free to visit Schale for tutoring, encouraging those that struggle with Blu-Ray based learning—or those who require extra guidance—to place appointments.

Fourthly, he reiterates his interest in interviewing former SRT students, providing a more concrete schedule for visitation. He additionally extends the available time period by several days, citing the ongoing involvement of Valkyrie Police School in patrols restricting available free time.

Privately, he visits several students who reach out through MomoTalk, and begins appearing more regularly in other school districts. Because of his unmistakable golden armor and infamous deeds so far, he is frequently photographed. #SenseiSpotting becomes trending on Z, surpassing the Battle of Abydos.

—Abydos Arc 1: Story Complete—

-Postscript-

This is a small postscript to say two more things.

You might expect this story to continue being action oriented like Abydos Arc 1 was. That probably won't be the case.

In reality, I want to explore the downtime just as much as the action. I really enjoyed writing Chapter 7, and I find sentimental value in Blue Archive's telling of the characters' daily lives more then the main story content. The Drifter's power and arsenal notwithstanding, I want to explore how he and the Hex can help guide the students in a way that canon Sensei can't. The action is a bonus in my mind.

Next up, the 'OC'. It was not initially planned to actually flesh her out; I just felt like she should be named and given a little backstory love, and that lead to me wanting to make a little her more then a one-time throwaway NPC. While it is not in my existing plans to really do much with Ayumi and her squadmates (thus them not being named so far), that could change. Let me know what you think, and I'll consider if I want to do more with them or not.

No ETA for the next main chapter, either. Keep what I've said in mind.

-llJaysimll