Road to Paradise (7) - 50

Arius Autonomous District.

A land hidden for hundreds of years, accessible only through the ancient catacombs located beneath the Old Cathedral of Communion.

The catacombs, an ancient mystical product of Trinity, are made up of a labyrinth.

The paths change periodically, so it is necessary to create a map that identifies the route from within the Arius District. Otherwise, one might get lost in the labyrinth and die.

The Arius students captured in the last attempted coup in Trinity had left around the time the labyrinth changed, so the way back required an escort from Arius.

And currently, the Arius students are well aware of the labyrinth's path.

Therefore, they could enter the labyrinth without any problems.

Sensei immediately takes the students, including SRT, to the catacombs to head to the Arius District.

However, upon entering the underground catacombs, they saw something huge.

"What is in the world that......"

A gigantic being. The halo above its head and its massive body made it look like an angel.

And in front of that gigantic being stood a puppet-like entity.

"Ah, you've come, Sensei."

He turned to face Sensei, and the SRT students immediately aimed their guns at him, his body illuminated by numerous laser pointers.

"Wait...... Who are you?"

"You're willing to talk. I appreciate your dignity. I am Maestro. An explorer, an artist...... and a member of Gematria, like the nameless one...... Black Suit, whom you've met."

"Gematria...!"

Upon hearing that he was a member of Gematria like Black Suit, Hoshino stood next to Sensei and aimed her gun at Maestro. Sensei raised his hand to stop Hoshino, and she clicked her tongue and lowered her gun.

"As you know, I'm the Sensei of Schale. Then is that your work?"

Sensei asked, referring to it as a work because he called himself an artist. He laughed and spread his arms.

"Hahaha, that's right, Sensei. An artificial angel. A monster of divinity. Let me introduce you. This is the doctrine that leads the Communio Sanctorum (Communion of Saints). Borrowing the name of that ancient doctrine, I call it Hieronymus."

"Hieronymus is a saint of the ancient Justina Council that existed in the distant past. How blasphemous......"

Hinata, who had come to the scene as a member of the Sisterhood, was uncomfortable with the fact that the huge monster was named after an ancient saint.

"Intelligence, dignity, manners, and faith...... Accumulated experience and wisdom... Everything about you is worthy of admiration...... I thought. If it's you... If it's you, maybe... you can answer my <Sublime>......!"

Kugugugugu!

The huge Hieronymus rose with an intense halo.

"Sensei, I will declare it like this. It's quite avant-garde, but as an artist, I enjoy this kind of thing. Oh, holiness, those blessed ones have been appointed and finally attained sainthood, and as proof of this, they will perform miracles. Ah, so please give them applause. Sensei. Respond to my work with all your might......!!"

Sensei thought that it was a waste of time to be delayed here, but he couldn't just leave it to the students. Therefore, Sensei decided to defeat Hieronymus here and activated the communicator.

Instructions were transmitted to the students at the scene through the communicator. Hoshino was the first to run out, and all the students moved according to Sensei's instructions.

Bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang!!!

The fierce battle continued despite Hieronymus' attacks. In less than five minutes, Hieronymus was easily defeated.

"Hmm, it's a shame I couldn't see the adult's card. But it's an unfinished work for now. Thank you. Sensei. Although I showed you an unfinished work now, I will come back with a finished work soon. Black Suit was right. I didn't have much in common with him, but I have to thank him for this. See you again, Sensei."

"Where do you think you're going!"

Neru threw the chain connected to her gun to catch Maestro, but the moment he pressed a small device in his hand, he disappeared with black smoke.

"Teleportation... He's not important right now. Let's go to Arius first."

The important thing wasn't Maestro. The important thing is to capture the student council president of Arius, the mastermind behind this whole incident.

Sensei quickly broke through the labyrinth, following the guidance of the Arius students he had brought with him.

"There are booby traps around here, so be careful!"

"Mine detected over there!"

And the Arius students who had already been captured and converted faithfully followed Sensei's instructions, cooperating by sharing the traps they knew and how to get through them. The Arius students who were forcibly dragged along this time were despised as traitors, but the Arius students who had already tasted capitalism didn't even look at them.

The group took breaks from time to time to manage their stamina. Sensei was also mindful of the students' condition as he aimed to enter Arius. After entering, they wouldn't be able to rest.

"Are you okay, Sensei?"

"What do you mean? Mika."

Mika approached Sensei, who was sitting down and drinking water during a break, and worried about his well-being.

"You're weak compared to us, Sensei. Your body got pierced by a bullet, and you're doing this the next day?"

"Hehe, are you worried about me? Kyaa~ This Sensei is happy~"

Sensei laughs, holding her cheeks with both hands and wiggling her body. She looked like the Student Council President from back in the day, which momentarily grossed Mika out, but she chuckled, remembering that she was Sensei.

"Yeah, I'm worried. I heard that you overdo it too often, Sensei. You fight directly... even though you can get pierced by bullets so easily."

"...Hehe, I have Super Arona, so I'm fine."

"But you got hit yesterday?"

"......People get hurt in life. Sometimes you have to be willing to risk your life for something worthwhile."

"Is this worth it?"

"Value is relative...... but to me, it's more than worth it."

Even if he gets hurt, even if he might die... Sensei says with a smile that he's always willing to push himself for the sake of the children.

"I wish you wouldn't, though."

And Wakamo, who was hugging Sensei from behind, whispered sadly. Sensei got goosebumps all over his body at that moment.

"Ahem, you're a bit too close...?"

"Wo...w. It's the Hyakkiyako fox who went on that walk called a date last time?"

"It's the ignorant coup girl who doesn't know the ways of the world, I see."

"Please don't fight......"

Sensei broke out in a cold sweat, seeing the two of them glaring at each other. Then, Hoshino came to Sensei's side.

"Sensei, is your stomach okay? Your expression looks like you're about to start bleeding again..."

"No, I'm fine, Hoshino."

"No, if you're hugged like that, it'll put a strain on your stomach~"

Hoshino smiled and pulled Sensei's arm, and Wakamo hugged Sensei even tighter.

"Um, I think my body is going to break......?!"

"What are they doing?"

"Should we, save him...?"

Seeing Sensei struggling in the middle, Neru pointed her finger in disbelief, and Hina was contemplating.

After the break, the group resumed their entry into the Arius District.

The labyrinthine catacombs were vast, and there were many people, so it was already late at night, past dawn, when they entered. Entering, resting, and even having meals for the children in between... It took quite some time.

It was dawn when they finally reached the outside of the catacombs, the Arius District. But...... what greeted them were neither Arius students... nor the Justina Saints.

It was a lot of robots. Robots with the Kaiser emblem.

"There are a lot of them...... At this rate, we'll be delayed."

Sensei became a little anxious, thinking that Beatrice might escape or that the remaining Arius students in the Arius District might be in danger.

"Go ahead."

The C&C members stepped forward in front of such a Sensei. Neru smirked and told Sensei to go ahead.

"I can tell just by looking at them. These guys always follow the pattern of buying time. Since it's a request to help Sensei, we'll do that part."

"Can I leave it to you?"

"Yeah, we're enough."

"I see...... Then, as a Sensei, I'll intervene a little."

"Huh?"

"Tsurugi, I'm counting on you."

"Kihik...!"

It wasn't just leaving it to C&C, but also asking the Justice Task Force to stay for their safety.

"Tsk, you worry too much..."

"Khehehe."

"You, you fought well earlier... Wanna make a bet?"

"?"

"Who can catch the most? How about it? So, should we make it a ramen bet?"

"Kihik, hehehehehe!"

"Wow~ The boss looks excited!"

"It's been a while, hasn't it? It's been a while since Tsurugi-buchou got this excited."

Tsurugi and Neru took the lead, and Akane and Ichika smiled, seeing their bosses excited for the first time in a while.

Leaving the scene to C&C and the Justice Task Force, they quickly head to the cathedral, the headquarters of Arius.

Boom! Bang-bang-bang!!!

Then, artillery shells came flying from afar. Arius students appeared and attacked the group.

"Perfect Team! Hold your ground!"

""Yes!""

"Hina?"

"Go ahead, Sensei. Go and teach that Arius student council president a lesson."

Thinking that it was the same time-wasting tactic as before, Hina immediately led the Prefect Team and engaged in battle with the Arius students. Sensei thanked Hina and quickly entered the Arius headquarters.

However, upon entering the headquarters, Sensei felt something strange.

"Something's coming."

He saw many Justina Saints walking down the cathedral's hallway. The Justina Saints were supposed to have been neutralized along with Sensei's declaration.

They were Justina Saints and yet not Justina Saints. They were not guardians of the commandments, but another group of Justina Saints who were manipulated to be mere weapons of war, existing only as the embodiment of power.

The failed artificial angel Ambrosius and the still incomplete Saint Barbara.

Thousands of Justina Saints were approaching.

"It seems like this is their real force."

Sensei thought. Did Beatrice send troops here to wipe them out?

No.

Even if it was threatening, it wasn't a sure thing. There's something else.

Thinking that, Sensei immediately came up with a plan.

"Half of SRT and... Mika. Can I leave it to you, Mika?"

"You're leaving it to me? I'm happy~ Yeah, leave it to me. I'm really angry, you know...... They're opponents worth fighting, after all."

Leaving it to Mika and the SRT students, Sensei reached the innermost part of the Arius headquarters.

"This is... what?"

As a cathedral, the room had many colorful stained glass windows. In front of the stained glass windows where the light was coming in, there was something that looked like an altar.

"You've come, Sensei of Schale."

"You are Madame Beatrice."

Beatrice was waiting for Sensei in front of that altar. The one who claimed to be the student council president of Arius and the mastermind who caused Arius' suffering. An adult who brainwashed them as mere pawns.

"First of all──"

"I don't want to hear it, so I'll get straight to the point."

Sensei interrupted Beatrice and frowned.

"Why did you do it?"

"......You're a rude one. Well, fine. What does that 'why did you do it' refer to? Is it about the Eden Treaty? Or is it about Arius?"

"Everything."

"You're the type to ask the obvious...... Well, it's for my sake. To get my hands on this huge mystery called Kivotos. The discord through the Eden Treaty, turning Arius into pawns, it was all for that. You're asking the obvious."

"I see... Then there's no need for further discussion. I knew it as soon as I saw you. You're an evil person with whom communication is impossible."

Beatrice scoffed at Sensei's attitude and words.

"I can't understand. I could understand if it were other members of Gematria, but I acknowledge you as an adversary, Sensei. But... I can never understand that attitude of yours. What about the students? Those brats are nothing more than tools. Weak children are nothing but tools for superior adults."

At Beatrice's answer, Sensei frowned and clenched his fist tightly. Beatrice just sneered at Sensei's appearance.

The time of dawn arrived, and the sun was slowly starting to appear. Sensei's body began to glow, and everyone's eyes widened in surprise. Beatrice is also surprised, momentarily lowering her fan.

"The fact that you can't recognize their true value just shows that you're third-rate, Beatrice."

Sensei's light subsided, revealing his form. Beatrice laughed, seeing that it isn't anything special.

"Ha... saying that while wearing a ridiculous bread bag upside down...... is that nonsense?"

"I'll show you today. Who the truly weak one is, Beatrice."

This is an adult's fight. Sensei took a step forward and took out the adult's card.

Despite the students' voices of dissuasion, he didn't care.

Beatrice's eyes widened at the adult's card he took out, and then...... that sublime power emitted light.

Paaaaaat!!!

The card glowed, and students appeared beside Sensei.

Igusa Haruka, Mikamo Neru, Kuchinashi Yume, Kenzaki Tsurugi, Konoe Mina, Takanashi Hoshino (1st year) appeared. Everyone, including Beatrice, was surprised......

""......?""

Then they looked at each other in confusion...

"Why is there more of me (us)......"

They weren't students. They were Senseis in the form of students. They looked at each other in confusion, then seemed to understand and picked up their guns.

"Well, let's do this......"

"We're protected too, right? I don't want to be a donut..."

"Ahaha, I think it'll be okay? If anything happens, I have my shield!"

"Kihehehe......"

"Well, this is also a possibility."

"Haa... Let's do it, for now. For the sake of our students."

Sensei (Faust) in the center pointed at Beatrice and shouted.

"Bad adult catching, start."