Chapter 21: "His" Story

For the past three years, I’ve been—well, technically—serious. Playing the part of a proper squad leader and carrying out the missions Beatrice assigned me.

My main duties were gathering intel, securing supplies, and training the younger ones.

That last part—training—was honestly a blessing. I think I managed to ease their mental burdens quite a bit. Even the accomplices were less inclined to cause trouble when they knew I was around.

As for the supply runs, I may have… “diverted” some food here and there. To be precise, I’d collect more than what was requested—or sometimes even grow crops myself outside Arius’s autonomous zone, out in the wastelands where no one lived anymore.

With some ready-made soil in pots, I could raise vegetables until they were strong enough to replant and harvest them later. As long as I had fertilizer, it wasn’t much of a problem.

Maybe it only went so smoothly because the fertilizer came from Kivotos’s absurdly advanced science…?

What really gave me trouble was the ecosystem—or rather, the climate differences and the limits of my own knowledge. I’d heard, “A field with earthworms is a good field,” so I tossed a few in there and—yeah. Let’s not talk about that. The soil dried out, every bug except the worms died, something came to eat the vegetables and the worms, and then even the worms themselves died in the end. It was a complete disaster.

So much for that. Guess fertilizer alone is enough.
…But seriously, why the hell am I farming in Kivotos?

“Securing supplies,” huh? Let’s be honest—it’s just robbery and theft. I tell myself it couldn’t be helped, but no matter how you look at it, there were still victims. Saying “it couldn’t be helped” always leaves a bitter taste.

Well, this world’s got decent insurance, at least.

That’s exactly why I wanted to reduce those victims—by creating something sustainable, something self-sufficient.

In the end, I’d say the results were decent. Between the stolen goods and the harvest, we managed to improve everyone’s meals a little.

And now, as for the present—

“Squad Leader?”

“Hm? Ah—sorry, got lost in thought.”

“Please focus! We’re on a mission, remember?”

Yes. I’m out gathering intel with my little sisters from the 5th and 6th Squads.

The one speaking to me right now is Takato Yako, leader of the 5th Squad.

She was one of the girls I didn’t know before—one of those, like Azusa, who were beyond my reach back then.

When we first met three years ago… she was in a horrible state. Her body was covered in wounds and bruises, clearly inflicted by people. And in her eyes—resignation, suspicion, distrust, hatred… probably close to what Saori and the others from the original Arius Squad must’ve felt.

“Nice to meet you. You’ve done so well until now. It’s all right. From today on, I’ll protect you—I’m your big sister.”

“…I see. That’s… good to hear.”

She didn’t refuse to become my little sister. But it wasn’t because she accepted it—it was because she no longer had the strength to resist.

That’s why what she needed most was the strength to resist.

“Come on, Yako! Don’t you want to hit your big sister with those gloves of yours!? It’s your choice—decide for yourself!”

“…You’re disgusting.”

…Yeah. The method was borderline perverse, but I didn’t have the luxury to be picky back then.

“Yako. Is there something you want to do?”

“No, Squad Leader. Everything is meaningless, so—”

“That’s wrong.”

“…Huh?”

“Your future holds infinite possibilities. Nothing you do is meaningless. Every little action shapes who you are—it connects you to your future self. So no, nothing is meaningless.”

“……”

“So you see, saying ‘it’s meaningless’ isn’t a reason to do nothing. Now, is there something you’d like to do?”

“…I don’t know…”

“…That’s a fine answer. Let’s figure it out little by little.”

Not knowing—that was the biggest problem. Of course it was. She’d been forced to live by suppressing herself. How could she suddenly know what she wanted?

So I kept asking. Day after day, again and again.

Then one day, softly—

“…This…”

“Yes?”

“This… the thing from that manga you gave me, Squad Leader… I want to try eating it.”

That was her first wish. The first thing she’d ever wanted, from her own heart.

I still remember cooking that dish, using every vegetable I could find from the field.

And there were many girls like her. Not one or two—many.

…What wells up inside me now is hatred.

The fact that these children were made to suffer only fuels my rage—my resentment—toward Beatrice, and turns it into strength.

Not everyone has learned to fight back yet, like Yako has… but still.

“Squad Leader!?”

“Ah—sorry, again. And also, not ‘Squad Leader.’ It’s ‘Big Sister.’ Got it?”

“Understood, Squad Leader-chan.”

“Are you mocking me!?”

She’s gotten so bright lately… bright enough to joke like that. At least, I hope that was a joke.

“Well, you are tiny, Squad Leader.”

“Ghh—!”

Yeah. My height’s about the same as Hiyori’s—or actually, a little shorter. There goes my big-sister dignity… my dignity…!

“Yup! Squad Leader is pretty small!”

That cheerful voice belonged to Fushinuki Yose, leader of the 6th Squad—wait, hold on.

“…6th Squad Leader? You’re not supposed to be here, are you?”

Yako’s tone turned ice-cold as she glared at Yose.

“I was bored!!!”

…Hold on. The 6th Squad was supposed to stay on standby until we moved, right?

“Yose, listen carefully. That’s not called being bored—it’s called standby time.”

“Hey, Yose! Do you have any idea how many people could’ve been in danger because of your reckless stunt!? Huh!? I couldn’t care less about that old hag’s plan, but as the 6th Squad Leader, you should—”

“I dunnoooo!!!”

“…I’LL KILL YOU!!!”

…Really, Yako’s gotten so lively these days.

…Better make sure I never get on her bad side.

“Y-Yako? That’s enough.”

“Huh? What’s your problem—oh, Squad Leader. Sorry, yeah, you’re right.”

“Yako-chan’s always soft on the Squad Leader, huh!!”

“It’s only natural that there’s a difference between the Squad Leader and someone like the 6th Squad Captain, who’s frivolous, thoughtless, and inconsiderate of others on a daily basis.”

“Kei…? Sorry, I don’t get hard words like that!”

“…Hhhhhhhuuuuuuuhhh!!”

“Y-Yako? Calm down, deep breaths, deep breaths…”

…Yose hasn’t changed either.

She also became my “little sister” through the chain of command after I became Squad Leader—but honestly, she’s not the brightest.

As for why she’s the 6th Squad Captain? Simply because she’s ridiculously strong. She could probably even give Saori a decent fight.

…At first, I thought her mind was on the verge of breaking, but apparently, this is just how she is sober. A tough girl. She hardly ever needed my support.

“Uh, um, Yose? Do you remember the details of today’s mission?”

“Yup!! Recon for the General Student Council, right!! They said Kivotos has been acting weird lately!”

“Correct. You remembered well—good girl, good girl.”

“Ehehe~”

“…!”

Lately, Kivotos has been thrown into chaos. Power outages, skyrocketing crime rates…

It’s as if the one maintaining order has vanished.

Arius Branch isn’t exempt from the chaos either. That’s why even Beatrice couldn’t just sit back—and why we were sent to handle it.

“So, the most important thing is not getting spotted. We’ll be in trouble if our identities are exposed, right?”

“Right!”

“So, no acting on your own, okay? Always report to your big sister first! Got it?”

“Okaaay!”

Good, good. She’s a good kid.
If you explain things properly, she actually listens.

“All right then, back to your post.”

“Squad Leader.”

“Yes?”

“I understand the orders and am acting in accordance with them.”

“Uh… right, yes, that’s good…?”

“…Which means I’m carrying out my duties far better than this girl.”

“Ah—so that’s what you meant…”

In other words, she’s as stubborn as ever. She just can’t bring herself to admit she likes being treated as my little sister.

…But then again, it’s not like she’s ever had someone she could rely on before.
If this helps her feel even a little warmth—like family—then that’s fine by me.

“Good girl, good girl.”

“Hehe~”

“Yako-chan, you kinda like the little-sister role after all, don’t you?”

“That’s not true. The Squad Leader is the Squad Leader.”

“You’re not very honest, huh? Anyway, Yose, go back to your post already.”

“Okaaay!”

And with that lazy back-and-forth, we were about to start the mission—

『Suou-san!!』

Suddenly, a voice burst through the comms.

“Mai? What’s wrong?”

『Um, a fight just broke out nearby, and the squad captain ran off somewhere, and—kyaaa!!』

“...6th Squad Captain. You…”

“Eh? Wasn’t me?”

“…Expect a lecture from the Squad Leader later.”

“Ehh!? That’s the scary one, I don’t want that!!”

A battle, huh… so it’s come to this.

“Identify the main hostile forces.”

『Uh, one of the Seven Prisoners—Kosaka Wakamo!!! And the Helmet Gang!! The rest are nobodies I don’t recognize!』

“──Understood. I’m heading there now.”

『Eh…?』

“Yako, Yose. I’m leaving this area to you two.”

“Huh?”

Without waiting for a reply, I kicked off the ground—and accelerated.

“Th-the wind pressure—waaah!?”

“Y-Yako-chan!!!”

Run. Run. Run. Run.

Don’t think.

The reason my breathing’s heavy right now—
isn’t because I’m running.

Hurry.

Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry!!!

“The transmission suddenly cut off… wait, what is that—Suou-san!?”

“…Haa… sorry to keep you waiting, Mai. Where is Wakamo?”

“That was fast!? Do you even realize how many kilometers that was!? …Anyway, calm down! Over there!”

“Good. Everyone, stay put. I’ll handle this.”

“O-okay, but…”

I slipped into the battlefield, keeping low and scanning the surroundings.

A tank—Crusader Mk.I.

A tall student in a black sailor uniform—Hanekawa Hasumi.
A blue-haired student with curled half-twin tails—Hayase Yuuka.
A glasses-wearing student with a Discipline Committee armband—Hinomiya Chinatsu.
A white-haired student with a side ponytail—Morizuki Suzumi.

All of them… familiar faces from Kivotos.

And ahead of them—Kosaka Wakamo, quietly moving toward a nearby building.
Most likely, the SCHALE office.

“…!!! Found you…!!”

And then—following after her into the office—
was an adult man.

“Se…nsei…!!”

SCHALE’s Sensei.
The Sensei.

The one I’d been searching for all this time.

I’d started to believe there was no Sensei in this world—
that they would never come.
That fear had been gnawing at me for so long.

I’d been so scared. So helpless.

And now, that very Sensei—
was standing right before my eyes.

If it’s the Sensei… then surely—

“No… that’s not it…!!”

That’s not how it’s supposed to be.

I’m the one who’s supposed to act.
The one who’s supposed to save everyone.
That’s how it has to be.

Sensei… is only one part of that plan.
A supporting piece.

Because I—
I’m still okay, aren’t I?

“…Yeah… not yet…”

Meeting the Sensei here would be too dangerous.

At the very least, I can save the 5th and 6th Squads.
But after that?
What about everyone else?

Besides, to maintain appearances, I need to keep gathering intel.
And from what I’ve already seen, I understand what’s happening.

The General Student Council President has gone missing.
Kivotos’s central control system—the Sanctum Tower—has become unusable.

To fix it, Sensei plans to use the OOPArt known as Code: BOX to restore the Council’s full authority.
In time, the chaos consuming Kivotos will settle.

But that’s knowledge from the original story.

I can’t let Beatrice find out I already know any of this.
I have to keep gathering intel with the others… and then return.

“………See you soon, Sensei.”

Swallowing the ache that rose in my chest,
I turned away—and left the scene.

With Kirihana Suou gone and the battle finally over,
thanks to Sensei’s efforts, the great chaos that had engulfed Kivotos began to subside.

"Good work, everyone."

From there, events unfolded just as Suou had foreseen.

Kosaka Wakamo, smitten at first sight by Sensei, left the scene.
The remaining rioters were swiftly subdued, thanks to the five students under Sensei’s command.

"This is farewell for now, but please do visit Trinity General Academy sometime, Sensei."

Following Hasumi’s lead, Suzumi bowed politely.

"I’ll be returning to report today’s events to the Discipline Committee Chair. If you ever visit Gehenna Academy, please come see us."

"If you stop by Millennium Science School, we might meet again, Sensei! Until then!"

Like a bidding war at an auction, each of them tried to claim Sensei’s attention—
their words a mix of schemes, admiration, and pure affection.

───Up to this point, the story matched exactly what she remembered.

"That’s right, Sensei! Come to Millennium Science School! It’s amazing! I’ll make anything for you—how about some hacking?"

"...Haa… and why exactly are you here?"

"Of course! I’m the head of the Student Life Support Department! If anyone’s in trouble, I won’t hesitate to storm the General Student Council myself!"

"Please don’t. You do help sometimes, but you’re reckless every single time..."

"Yes, reckless! I am freedom itself!"

"...Sensei, please don’t pay attention to this one."

"Haha…"

Sensei let out a dry, tired laugh.

"Come on, let’s go."

"Eh—w-wait, wait! I still have something to tell you, Sensei—waaah!? Don’t pull my ear!"

"Are you planning to drag Millennium’s name through the mud again!? Do you have any idea how much trouble your antics cause—"

And with that, Sensei’s prologue finally came to an end.

What Suou did not yet know was that among the students present
was one who did not exist in her memories.