Chapter 14: Trinity’s Strategic Weapon

A few days after I first met Sensei in person, posts began circulating on social media saying he had visited Millennium Science School. Some students even uploaded photos they had taken with him.

"‘Since Sensei from Schale was here, we took a commemorative selfie! #Millennium #Welcome #Sensei’, huh? Hehe."

Millennium… which means this is Pavane Chapter 1. Thanks to my knowledge from the game in my previous life, I basically know what’s going to happen…

"Still, even if I went over there myself, what could I actually do…?"

My position is nothing more than a first-year from Trinity, belonging to one of the Tea Party’s subordinate organizations. There’s nothing I could really accomplish by going to Millennium—and more importantly, the Game Development Department, the protagonists of the Pavane arc, are supposed to solve their own problems.

"Well, staying uninvolved is fine. It would be far more meaningful for me to focus on what I can do for the Eden Treaty."

I’ll trust Sensei and the Game Development Department to handle it. Even though I’ve never met them, so maybe I have no right to say that, but… whatever.

And speaking of things I can do for the Eden Treaty—

"Kihihihihihihi!!"

"Your durability isn’t normal…!?"

"I’ve never seen anyone take a direct hit from the Pop-Pop Cannon and stay completely fine…"

"I swear I’m hitting you, but it’s doing nothing~"

Yes. Training with Trinity’s strategic weapon—the Chairwoman of the Justice Task Force!

…No, that’s not how any of this should go.

Let me start from the beginning. It all happened after our usual training for the subordinate organization, during our break-time tea.

"These cookies you baked, Maiha, are simply delicious. The mild sweetness and buttery richness make them dangerously easy to keep eating."

"Ehehe, thanks~. I tend to snack a lot myself, so I kept the calories in mind, too~."

munch munch "Should I be giving my impressions too?"

"You don’t have to force yourself~, and besides, Masa-chan, you’re not great with fancy comments, right~?"

"You know me well. Even now, the only word that comes to mind is ‘delicious.’"

This peaceful moment—enjoying tea, snacks, and conversation—came to an abrupt end. The door to the rest room attached to the training field burst open with a loud BANG, startling all of us into looking that way.

"Huff huff huff… Beg your pardonnn…"

"…Excuse us."

Wearing their trademark black sailor uniforms—the Justice Task Force. The two people who need no introduction in Trinity: Tsurugi and Hasumi, the leader and the number two.

"Uh, um… what brings you here?"

Did we do something wrong…? No, we were just training here; I don’t recall doing anything that would get us involved with the Justice Task Force. And for the top two to personally come here—

"Chairwoman—Tsurugi—suggested a spar between the Tea Party officer cadets and the Justice Task Force. The Tea Party’s host has already granted approval."

What? Nobody told me that. Do they not need my permission? Don’t tell me I’m the only one who wasn’t informed. What about the other two?

"…???"

"Uuuhh~ what do we do, nobody told me this!"

Masa froze mid-reach for the last cookie, staring blankly at the two visitors with a literal question mark over her head. Apparently Maiha didn’t know either.

"Hehehehehe…"

"…Tsurugi is looking forward to sparring with the three of you."

What do we do…? It doesn’t look like we have the right to refuse, so I guess we have no choice but to go along with it. I exchanged glances with the other two, but in the end there was no alternative.

"So it’s… almost been three minutes… right!?"

Back in the training field, the match rules were:

"For the first three minutes, Tsurugi will do nothing but evade and endure the three of you attacking her. If you fail to defeat her within that time, she will begin counterattacking."

This is insane. And they clearly tailored the rules with our weapons in mind—specifically my Pop-Pop Cannon. Declaring she can dodge continuous 40mm two-pound shells for three minutes is basically an open challenge to physics. Of course, Masa and Maiha are also fighting; an ordinary person wouldn’t last even a minute.

"…Three minutes are up."

Hasumi, watching from the edge of the training field, murmured while checking the time. Tsurugi seemed aware as well; she stopped for a moment and looked at us like she was lining up her sights.

"Time’s uuuuuup…!"

She let out a low growl, then swung her two shotguns back into position and closed in on the two front-line fighters.

"Whoa?!"

Before we could even react, she closed the distance. First, Masa was hit at point-blank range with a spread of pellets and went down. While I was reloading my Pop-Pop Cannon belt after emptying it, Maiha also fell. Desperate, I fired wildly, but it was no use—I too became a target for the shotguns.

"…Huh!?"

I snapped awake. Sitting up on the bed in the rest room, I saw the two members of the Justice Task Force standing there. Maiha and Masa were lying on the adjacent beds, and they soon stirred as well.

"Hehehehehehehe…"

"…For first-years, not bad at all. Among the three of you, I’d certainly like to have at least one in the Justice Task Force."

"Ah, th-thank you…?"

I feel like I was toyed with for three minutes straight and then instantly obliterated, but… apparently, that counts as a compliment? I don’t really get it.

"Kuahahahahaha…"

"…I’d very much like another round next time. I share the same opinion."

"Y-yes… Uh, I’ll… consider it positively…"

And just like that, the training session with the Justice Task Force ended, leaving me more confused than ever. What even was that…?

"Training, is it?"

Nagisa was attending to two visitors. Even outside Trinity, their names carried weight—the leader and right-hand of the Justice Task Force. Their request: to spar with the Tea Party’s Valkyrie Police School students.

"Ah, I can’t help but be curious. And also… are they really the kind of students you’d have to be this wary of?"

"…"

Nagisa thought it over. In the personnel assignment of the Valkyrie Police School, the Justice Task Force—or more specifically, Tsurugi—owed her a major favor. Considering what she planned to do next with the Make-Up Work Club, it would be wise to return that favor, even just a little.

"…Very well, do as you wish. I’ll handle notifying them for the first session, but after that, please make sure to get their consent personally."

"Much appreciated."

…Though, in a bit of ironic timing, Nagisa’s message didn’t reach in time because she herself visited the Valkyrie Police School students the very next day, leaving them uninformed. But that’s a story for another time.