Chapter 64: And thus, the stories intertwine.

"One hundred and sixty-seven members of the Justice Realization Committee are incapacitated—thirty-two in serious condition. There were no civilian casualties, but part of the Tea Party’s building foundation was destroyed. Repairs will take some time."

"…I see."

Nagisa listened to her subordinate’s report while holding a cup of tea that somehow tasted a little different from usual.

It was the aftermath of that day—the destruction left behind by the wounded monster.

"And… about the prisoner?"

"Still the same, I assume? Good grief, what a nuisance—no, forgive me. Please continue."

"That concludes the damage report. Ah, one more thing—Lady Mika’s injuries have completely healed."

"…Understood."

She slowly set the teacup down on its saucer and exhaled softly. She tried to appear calm, but inwardly, her mind was anything but still.

Two nights ago—Shirasu Azusa’s betrayal, Misono Mika’s injury, and the appearance of the “White Devil of Arius.”

Too many incidents, all at once.

If Mika were in her place, she might have thrown everything aside by now, Nagisa thought—then sighed.

"…Haa."

No, perhaps not. Even that thought earned a quiet sigh.

Mika’s change… it must have begun around a year ago, when Seia—the girl she constantly butted heads with—passed away.

Little by little, Mika had grown. She had become mature enough to represent the Tea Party publicly. That was a good thing—yet at the same time, she was no longer the same person Nagisa once knew.

Misono Mika wasn’t the kind of person to take on someone else’s role just because they’d died. She understood her own place. But lately, that balance had started to waver.

To be frank, Nagisa didn’t understand her anymore. She couldn’t say she still knew Mika. That uncertainty quietly gnawed at her.

And that wasn’t all.

Hifumi, Hanako, and Koharu—people she had wrongfully accused and dragged into the Supplementary Lessons Department affair. The others involved, too. She would have to apologize to them properly someday.

But not now. That much was certain.

Learning that a close friend—someone who had shared both joy and hardship—had secretly wished for Trinity’s downfall was too much to accept. No one could sort out their feelings so easily.

Especially not toward the one who had revealed that truth—herself.

"Ah… yes."

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.

Who could it be? she wondered—only for the question to vanish when she saw the white long coat and black hair beyond the doorway.

"…Good evening, Nagisa."

"Sensei…"

Ah, right—she had called for Sensei.

"It’s been some time since that night. I apologize for the delay—I’ve been busy handling various matters…"

"It’s alright."

Sensei’s face looked somewhat dark, but his tone soon softened.

"Thank you. So… how are they? The Supplementary Lessons Department—or rather, the former members?"

"…"

That was the reason Nagisa had called him—to provide mental care for the former members.

Azusa’s betrayal and expulsion… though technically, the paperwork hadn’t been processed yet, so it wasn’t official.

Even so, given what they’d been through, Nagisa believed they needed help to ease their pain and burden.

Normally, this would fall under the Sisterhood’s or the Volunteer Activities Club’s responsibilities. But the Sisterhood was busy preparing for the signing ceremony, and the Volunteer Activities Club had confirmed ties to Azusa.

It would be cruel to ask that of them. So she had entrusted the matter to Sensei instead.

"…Judging by your expression, things aren’t going well, are they?"

She had known it would turn out like this. Still—

"I won’t make excuses. But if we hadn’t taken action, the damage from Arius’s branch school would have been far worse. I only hope you can understand that much."

"Nagisa…"

"…I did what was right. Or at least, I believe I did."

"…Do you really?"

"…"

"Can you truly say that, from your heart?"

That look—that voice—it felt as if Sensei could see straight through her, and the sensation was deeply unpleasant.

"In any case, I’d like to leave their care in your hands. If I were to do it myself… it would only make them uncomfortable."

She changed the subject.

She didn’t want her true feelings—her fear, her regret—to be known.

She probably wouldn’t see Hifumi again. She had done too much to deserve that. They had every right to hate her—and if they didn’t, that would be strange.

Even so, she told herself it had been necessary—the best and only way to protect Mika, Trinity, and everything else.

And yet, she couldn’t help but wonder: if she hadn’t shown such pathetic weakness that night, would she still be met with these looks—this pity? The thought made her want to strike herself.

"…I’d like your help too, Nagisa. There’s only so much I can do alone."

"…I’ll think about it."

She turned away, hiding behind vague words, and shifted to the main topic.

"Now then. The reason I asked you here today is because there’s a matter I’d like to consult you about."

"A consultation?"

"Yes."

"Whether you accept or not is entirely up to you," she added, taking out a photograph.

A girl dressed in plain white clothing, with equally white hair. A mugshot.

"This girl is…"

"The ‘White Devil of Arius’ we captured the other day."

The girl in the photo smiled faintly, almost fragilely. The area around her eyes was swollen, as if she’d been crying.

Her wounds had healed completely, leaving no scars. Seen another way, she could have been any ordinary child.

"Her name is Kirihana Suou. She’s a squad leader from Arius’s branch school—likely their de facto commander."

To Nagisa, it was welcome news. It meant Arius probably had no monsters stronger than this one left.

She had fought Mika head-on while already injured, holding off an entire squad of Justice Realization Committee members for ten straight minutes—never fleeing, just fighting relentlessly.

The thought that there might be others like her was unthinkable.

"She’s being held under strict confinement in the underground cell. For now, her existence remains classified to prevent unnecessary confusion."

"I see…"

"Yes. And…"

Nagisa hesitated before continuing.

"This is all we’ve managed to learn."

"…Huh?"

Sensei’s voice faltered, confused.

"She’s being interrogated for information about Arius’s branch school. Don’t worry—we’re adhering to proper ethics and morality. Nothing resembling torture has been done."

"…"

The word basic lingered in Sensei’s mind, but he chose to let it pass and listened on.

"However, she refuses to say anything. Not a word. It’s possible she’s undergone specialized training for such situations."

"Training… come to think of it, Azusa once said—"

‘I used to be trained to endure torture.’

Remembering those words from when he first met Azusa, Sensei realized—it must have been part of Arius’s education.

But if she’d said used to be, that meant such training had ceased in recent years.

"…If that’s all, it was within my expectations."

"…Something… happened?"

A flicker of unease crossed his mind, but reality quickly brought him back.

"She… hasn’t eaten or drunk anything. Nothing necessary to sustain life."

"…!!"

"We don’t know if that’s part of the ‘training’ she received, but… at this rate, she…"

"…No…"

She will die. Nagisa avoided saying it outright, but the implication was clear.

"However…"

Her voice softened, emphasizing the next words.

"…She did make a few demands."

"Demands…?"

"Yes."

Even as a prisoner, she made demands—perhaps aware of how valuable her position as an information source was.

Nagisa couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Even wounded, her mind remained sharp.

"One: revoke Shirasu Azusa’s expulsion. Two: allow her to meet with Sensei. If either condition is met, she says she’ll at least eat and drink. She’ll stay alive as a source of information under those circumstances."

"…!"

Stay alive as a source of information.
In other words, if those demands weren’t met, she could die at any moment. That seemed to be her mindset—a girl capable of disregarding her own life.

"Nagisa. Where’s the underground cell?"

"Haa… I expected you to ask that. I’ve arranged a guide. Please follow her."

"Thank you. I appreciate it."

The student introduced as his guide gave a small bow and headed toward the underground cell.

"Ah, and…"

"…?"

"Do not let your guard down. Under any circumstances."

"…Understood."

After Nagisa’s warning, they proceeded toward the underground cell.

Tap, tap.
Footsteps echoed beyond the iron bars.

“…ha… de…”

Two sets of footsteps. A conversation.

One voice belonged to a young student—a child. The other, to a man—an adult.

"Then, I’ll leave it at that… Please take care. She may look like a young girl, but she’s a dangerous terrorist."

"Yes, I understand. Thank you."

Soft. Gentle. The warmth in that voice hinted at the speaker’s kind nature.

One set of footsteps gradually faded away.

"…"

The heavy iron door creaked open, letting light spill inside. The brightness stung her eyes.

"…"

As they slowly adjusted, the figure before her came into focus.

A white coat, similar to the General Student Council’s uniform, draped over a black shirt. A blue tie hung loosely around his neck, and an ID badge rested on his chest.

His tired, slightly narrowed eyes suggested sleeplessness, yet the face beneath remained calm and well-formed.

I know him. I saw him a year ago.

Finally. Finally, I’ve found him again.

"Good evening… or rather, um, nice to meet you? Shale’s… Sensei."

"Good evening, Suou."

…Hmph. So he already knows my name. Did Nagisa tell him?

"You know my name. Well, of course. I’m apparently famous—called the White Devil and all."

"…"

He looks a little surprised. Maybe it’s just the tension.
If a dangerous Arius Branch School operative suddenly spoke so casually, confusion would be natural.

"…I’m sorry, but please show me the evidence. Specifically, the ‘Shittim Chest’ and the ‘Adult Card.’"

"…Yeah."

It was a blunt request, but he didn’t seem offended—only a bit startled. At least he was willing to comply.

"…Is this enough?"

Still… isn’t it careless to hand those over so easily? Perhaps. But even aside from that—

"…I’d like to confirm them personally, but… I can’t move from here. Just showing them to me is fine."

Sensei’s expression shifted slightly, as if caught off guard.
Perhaps he’d noticed the chains—the restraints were thorough.

"…I see. Sorry."

"No, it’s alright… hahah."

Nagisa checked the items while running her hands along the shackles binding his limbs.

A tablet-like device and a black card.

The latter was unfamiliar, but the former—the “notebook”—had been drawn in past reports, though this one was riddled with bullet holes.

No doubt about it. This was the real thing—the Shittim Chest.

"Thank you. Indeed."

Now… where should I begin?

"First, allow me to offer my highest gratitude for agreeing to this arrangement."

"…Suou. More importantly, right now—"

"We can deal with that later. What matters most to me is this conversation with Sensei."

She was used to hunger and thirst. Difficult, but tolerable.

"So, um… Sensei?"

"…"

"…Ah, fine. I get it."

He looked utterly unmoved—nothing could sway him. Well, fine. I’ll eat later, but I should at least have some water. There’s a faucet here, after all.

"Mm… yes, I drank. I’m fine. I’m sturdy enough that going without food or water for a couple of days won’t kill me."

"…I see."

"…Hmm."

I didn’t mean to make him look like that… but oh well.

"That… isn’t something you should direct at me, Sensei."

"…That’s—"

"Shall we get to the main topic?"

"…Yeah. That’s fine."

Time was limited. There was no room for back-and-forth arguments.

"Before we start, one thing. Whatever we discuss here—do not tell anyone. Understood?"

"…Understood."

No guarantees, of course. But if this Sensei is the same person I know, he wouldn’t recklessly break a promise made to a student.

"Well then… let’s begin with Yurizono Seia."

"…!"

First, I need to improve his impression of Arius—even a little. He probably believes Seia is dead.

"Do you know anything about her?"

"…Last year, I heard Arius Branch School attacked… and the Halo was destroyed."

"Hmm…"

As expected.

"As for Seia—she’s alive. In critical condition, but alive. Unconscious."

"…Eh…?"

"Hard to believe, I know. Take it as just one reference."

Still, I can’t have him dismiss it entirely. At the very least, I need him to tell Saori, Misaki, and the others that Arius bears no hostility toward Trinity.

"Destroying a ‘Halo’ isn’t easy. It requires excessive firepower—or overwhelming force capable of obliterating the student’s body completely."

"…"

"That’s why I was given a special weapon back then—a halo-destroying bomb."

Normally, I’d hide the existence of that bomb from Sensei, but… there’s no choice.

"A bomb…?"

"Yes. Literally, anyone struck by it would have their ‘Halo destroyed’ unconditionally."

"Something like that… ah…"

…? Did he just realize something? At this point, the only thing Sensei might suspect is the Seia incident.

"Do you have any idea who it might be? …Never mind. Anyway, regarding the weapon—I didn’t use it during last year’s attack."

"…Why not?"

"Simple. I didn’t want to kill anyone. I didn’t want them to die."

"…!"

Sensei’s expression darkened, yet his gaze never left me. Could he already be realizing it?

"Suou. You said you were given the halo-destroying bomb, right?"

"Yes."

"…By whom?"

From here on, what I say will likely mislead him—not a lie, but not the full truth either.

If he knew the truth… he’d surely try to stop me.

"Sensei… this may be selfish, but I’m asking you."

Even so, I must do it. For that… even Sensei—

"Please… protect Arius. My precious little sister."

…Use him, I will.