Chapter 3: The Story Begins to Move

We were heading into the heart of the Trinity Autonomous Region, and ever since we’d left home by car, my heart had been pounding nonstop.

"This is… the center of Trinity…!"

With middle school graduation just around the corner, we had come here to pick up my uniform and finish the remaining preparations for my admission to Trinity General Academy—where I’d passed the entrance exam just the other day.

For the record, my measurements were taken at a clothing shop near home and sent directly to Trinity. My height back then was 161 cm, and as for my bust… well, it’s pretty big for my age.

Oh, right. My hair has grown even longer since then—now it reaches all the way down to my waist. Long straight hair feels perfectly “girly,” and I can’t help loving it.

We entered Trinity General Academy and headed straight for the student store.

"Goodness, Aika’s absolutely bursting with excitement."

"Yeah. She’s been looking forward to joining Trinity for ages."

"Father, Mother—this way, please."

I still slip into my dialect at home, but ever since entering middle school, I’ve been able to speak proper standard Japanese outside. And since I’m officially a young lady now, I decided to use a refined, elegant register when I’m out. Surprisingly, it suits this body perfectly.

"Welcome. Are you here to pick up a new student uniform?"

"Yes, I am. I’ve come to collect mine."

"Understood. Please fill out your name and details on this receipt."

Following the signs, I reached the distribution window, filled out the form, and handed it back to the staff.

"Let’s see… you’re Miss Gion Aika, correct?"

"Yes."

"All right. Please wait just a moment."

The clerk disappeared into the back and returned a few minutes later holding a neatly packaged uniform: a sailor outfit with a white base, a turquoise-blue collar and skirt, a red ribbon, and Trinity Academy’s crest—symbolic of the Holy Trinity—on the chest.

"Here you are—Miss Gion Aika’s uniform."

"Wow…!"

A Trinity sailor uniform, the symbol of its students. Soon, I’ll be the one wearing it.

"Thank you very much, and congratulations on your admission."

"Thank you so much!"

After paying for the uniform, we left the distribution area. There were still bags, stationery, and various other necessities to buy, so we couldn’t linger.

"Well… this is it."

"Indeed… the moment has come…!"

Once we finished shopping—stationery, everyday goods, and everything I needed for dorm life—we headed toward an area lined with weapon shops.

This is Kivotos, after all. Gunfights between students are completely ordinary. Back in the countryside, the only reason to own a gun was to deal with bears or boars, but here in the central district, a self-defense weapon is basically essential. Trinity may be an elite girls’ school with fewer conflicts than other academies, but precisely because its students are wealthy young ladies, shady types try to mug or abduct them for ransom. So yes—a weapon is necessary.

"…Aika. Are you really sure about that one?"

Mom looked at the object I was pointing to, her voice practically saying Are you absolutely certain? But I was serious.

"Yes! If I’m getting one, I want something truly one-of-a-kind."

"I understand the feeling, but… even with your strength, I don’t think you can carry that."

"Of course I can’t carry it. That’s why I’ll be putting it on the truck."

"The truck… Wait. You don’t mean the one we bought earlier? That was supposed to be a spare vehicle for farm work… wasn’t it?"

"But of course, Father. Please feel free to use it as a spare whenever I visit home."

"Uh-huh… right… well, I suppose that’s fine. Once you’ve set your mind on something, you never budge, Aika…"

After getting my parents’ approval, I waved over the shop clerk to start the purchase.

"S-So, to confirm… you wish to purchase this Vickers QF 2-pounder cannon for personal carry?"

"Yes!"

What I chose was the twin-mounted Vickers QF 2-pounder gun. Commonly known as the Pom-Pom Gun, it’s essentially a 40mm autocannon—more specifically, an anti-aircraft autocannon. No matter how tough Kivotos students are, taking a direct hit from this would knock almost anyone out cold in one shot.

With firepower that borders on absurd and a main unit weighing well over 100 kilograms, no sane person would ever try to carry one. Apparently, the shop manager had ordered it on a whim ages ago, and it had been gathering dust ever since. But I wanted a unique weapon, and the moment I saw it, I genuinely felt—it was fate.

"Whew… when you said you wanted an anti-aircraft gun, I had no idea how that was going to turn out, but it ended up cheaper than expected."

We had finished mounting the newly purchased Pom-Pom Gun onto Truck No. 4, completed all our errands, and were now heading home.

"The manager came out and gave us a discount, remember?"

‘I’m just happy there’s a girl out there who understands the romance of this thing!! And besides, it’ll never sell at this rate anyway!’

…And with that declaration, the price was slashed dramatically. In the end, it cost only slightly more than a normal firearm.

As the AI-driven truck rumbled along, I overheard voices nearby—Trinity girls in sailor uniforms.

"Still… I wonder how long Lady Seia will remain hospitalized."

"It’s been months without a single update… I’m worried."

Lady Seia—Yurizono Seia. A member of the Tea Party, Trinity’s version of a student council, and the head of one of its major factions: the Sanctus Faith. She was attacked by an unknown assailant, injured, and publicly said to be recovering… but in reality, her halo was destroyed, and she died.

…Or rather, that’s the official story. She’s actually alive, but to prevent a second attack, her death was faked with the cooperation of Shirasu Azusa—the assailant herself, who refused to finish her off—and Aomori Mine, the leader of the Rescue Knights, Trinity’s health committee.

A normal person—someone not yet enrolled at Trinity—would have no way of knowing any of this. The only reason I do is because I remember everything from my previous life.

(…Right. The story of Blue Archive has already begun.)

From here on, Kivotos will face crisis after crisis, each threatening to push it to the brink of destruction. Including Trinity—the very school I’m about to attend. Maybe things would be easier if I knew nothing. But even then… what should I do?

(Sensei… yes, Sensei.)

The teacher who serves as the player’s stand-in. He—or she—is the key to everything in this world, and ultimately the one who decides Kivotos’s fate.

(I want to enjoy my youth. I want three years—no, far more—to live safely. For that to happen, Kivotos has to survive. And for Kivotos to survive, Sensei needs to do their best…)

If Sensei ever arrives in Kivotos, I’ll support them however I can. Carefully, of course—because even the smallest push could upset the delicate balance of this world.

With that resolve firm in my heart, I rode home, letting memories from my previous life drift to the surface one by one.