Blue Archive story · Final Volume, Chapter 2, Episode 2
Vol. F Ch. 2 Ep. 2: Operational Meeting
1 scenes, 308 lines
1. Abydos School Bicycle Parking / Abydos Desert / Abandoned Amusement Park Near D.U. / Border Area Between Trinity and Gehenna / Closed Millennium Outskirts Area / New Town Near Millennium
308 lines
*pant* ... *pant*
Heh. That was a bit violent of me...
Hoshino...
But if I had held back, it would've been a resounding defeat for me.
...
Interesting, though. I didn't know there was such a skilled student still here in the district.
What's your name, petty thief?
...Shiroko. Sunaookami Shiroko.
Hmm, I see. Shiroko, what are you doing here?
...
I know this place looks to be in ruins, but it's still the Abydos Satellite...I mean, Abydos High School.
I've never seen that uniform before.
Me neither. It's way too thin to be a winter uniform, either.
Hey, what school are you from, Shiroko?
...I don't know.
...?
I just woke up here. I don't remember anything except my name...
Wh-What do you mean? Is amnesia a new thing the kids are trying these days? I've got to be missing something here...
Y-You mean to say you don't remember anything but your name? Your academy or phone number? Nothing?
*nod*
...
...
H-Hoshino... What should we do?
Hmm... What a headache.
Let's go indoors and talk, Shiroko. This isn't the best place for a long conversation.
Huh?! W-We're taking her with us?
Here, it's cold. Put this on.
A scarf...?
Hoshino...
We have to find Shiroko. Something bad must have happened.
But the situation...
I'm taking a rain check on Schale's call. Handle it please, Nonomi.
You don't even know where Shiroko is! What are you going to do alone?!
...
Shiroko isn't who she used to be! And things are different from before!
Wh-What do you mean? Nothing is different!
You were alone then, but you're not anymore!
...!
There you are! What are you guys still doing here?!
Hoshino... Let's go see Sensei, together.
...You guys.
Sensei will be able to help.
...Hoshino. Please.
...
...You're right.
I'm sure we can depend on Sensei, like we always do.
So... Everything will be okay... Right...? Right?
...
...
...Yes! I'm positive.
...
Students are coming from all over. They'll be here soon...
...
Will you be okay here at Schale instead of the General Student Council?
Sanctum Tower has been destroyed, and I'm in a state of nonconfidence as a proxy.
The General Student Council is essentially disintegrated. Even if I summon the other chiefs of staff, there's no guarantee they'll follow my instructions...
Schale is our only hope right now.
I get it, but you're gonna have hell to deal with afterwards.
...I would expect so.
We can worry about that when and if we resolve this situation.
Momoka, Ayumu, I'll be counting on you.
Y-Yes! Please let me lean on your support as well.
Ugh... Everything about this situation is so wrong.
But if Rin says so, we'll follow her to the ends of the universe.
...
Huh? Who are you?
...Onikata Kayoko.
I guess I'm first. Well, it doesn't matter.
Proxy, I'll tell you this now. I've really got no kind of experience in things like this, so don't expect anything, yeah?
It was Schale's Sensei who called you here, not the General Student Council.
...I know. That's why I'm here.
I'm here! Proxy, this is our report analyzing the phenomenon. We weren't able to get much, but...
I'm Amau Ako, the senior administrator of the Gehenna Prefect Team.
Yuuka, Ako.
The General Student Council...? Where is Sensei?
Sensei left to protect D.U. They'll be back soon.
Sensei's gonna have a lot on their plate.
E-Even Kayoko...?!
...Yup, I know.
Hmm...
What an interesting gathering of people.
U-Urawa Hanako?
Heehee. Long time no see, Yuuka.
I'm Okusora Ayane, representative of Abydos High School. I came to Schale at Sensei's request!
Ayane...
H-Hahaha... Even Hanako is here. I hope you've been well. I'm sorry to skip the pleasantries, but...
I absolutely understand. I've been briefed on your situation, Ayane.
We'll do everything in our power to find Shiroko.
Yes. Thank you...
The situation might seem desperate, but we can't wallow in it. The only thing we can do is move forward.
Wh-What? N-No, not at all?
You've been fighting for a long time to protect your school. You're a strong person.
...
Okay. Sensei is carrying out a defense operation against the unknown forces all over D.U.
They're about wrapping up, so Sensei'll be back soon.
Okay. We'll meet Sensei in the conference room.
Everyone should have received the operation plan we prepared. Please take a moment to look it over.
When did you have the time to prepare so many documents? And it's so thorough...
...Truly. Great work, Chief Officer.
Rin is fine for now, Hanako. My authority as officer has been suspended.
Oh, understood...
The proxy's authority has been suspended, the General Student Council has been disintegrated, and Sanctum Tower is in ruins... Only Schale can take action.
Well, that does simplify things at least.
The General Student Council relies on Sanctum Tower too much.
...Noa? I'm sending over the General Student Council's report. Can you take a look? And...
I'll cross-check whether there's a difference with the data obtained by the Foreclosure Task Force!
Based on analysis, the towers must be destroyed within two weeks.
...
From now on, we'll call the six unidentified towers that appeared in Kivotos False Sanctums.
So, they're like fake Sanctum Towers. That explains the red sky, storms, and the high energy.
Then the plan is to destroy them within the next two weeks.
Correct.
Seia...or rather, the Tea Party and Sisterhood, all worked together and found interesting data from the ancient texts housed in the old library.
In the past, this kind of cooperation would've been a laughable fantasy. Well, it would likely still have been without Sensei's help.
This is not prophecy, but my own experience, so I can say this with absolute certainty.
What this phenomenon means is that the Chroma is invading Academy City.
Yes. The concept of the Chroma is also recorded in ancient texts kept by the Sisterhood.
Simply put...it's the light that drives people to madness.
The Chroma...drives people to madness...?
You're correct, Yuuka.
Noa?
The Engineering Department has been analyzing the sample data of the sanctum. They've detected a signal that can actually interfere with a person's brain.
Exposure to this light seems to cause changes in a person's personality and conscious functioning. It seems to be some sort of attack on the mind...
But there are so many things that can't be explained. We need more data.
Right. With the equipment we have, reliability isn't even at ten percent. We can't move past the hypothesis stage at this point.
While Veritas is trying to get more data to us, this is technology beyond anything we've seen in Kivotos.
This is why it's necessary to interpret from different perspectives! So I brought books from the old library in Trinity! Where should I put them?
Oh! Should I cut out the pages and scan them? We can make it into an e-book so it's easier to carry with us and look through...!
If you do that, the president of the Trinity Library Committee might actually kill you...
Keep in mind it's only a hypothetical, but I believe high energy contained in the towers...
At this rate, it'll reach a critical point in about three hundred hours.
If we don't do anything, after going through a total of four mutations, the energy will eventually spread throughout all of Kivotos.
I'm going to need more caffeine...
Should I order some Frenzy MAX? Ten more boxes?
Everything about this phenomenon matches the prophetic dream we had, Sensei.
An enormous tower emerges from a blood-red sky...
It erodes the entire world, enveloping everything with its sinister power. It's accompanied by an awful screech.
You had an apocalyptic prophecy...?
...I mean, sounds like something that would happen at Trinity.
...
About three hundred hours...so in two weeks the Chroma will spread all over Kivotos...
And the fragments of our ravaged world will rage like a storm, crumbling into pieces. At last, a black light will shine down...
And Kivotos will fall.
Not a trace of us or our home will remain.
"First, we need to find a way to revert anyone exposed to it."
...
Exactly. I would agree.
I don't have many answers...but the student who saved me...
Hyakkiyako's Great Prophet, Kuzunoha. She may have the answers we need.
Nyah? Kuzunoha?
...
That's not a name I was expecting to hear here.
Hmm... Well, I get the gist of it. Kaho said the General Student Council inquired about Kuzunoha... I see...
We'll have to discuss it in further detail later, Sensei. ♪
It's a bit complicated, but...it seems like an important issue, so I'll try to do something about it.
"I'll be counting on you, Niya."
Nyahaha. Of course.
In summary, if we don't address the False Sanctums, the energy will reach a critical point in two weeks.
If that happens...
It'll be the destruction of our world as we know it.
It is...but to do it within two weeks...
There are a total of six False Sanctums.
The Abydos Desert, the amusement park near D.U., the closed area in the Millennium outskirts, the border area between Trinity and Gehenna, that new town near Millennium...and the center of D.U.
The energy of the sanctum in central D.U. is the greatest, so we should destroy the other five sanctums first and then deal with the central sanctum.
I don't think it's quite as simple as you are making it out to seem.
Himari...?!
Heeheehee. Yes. Here I am, the delicate, genius hacker of Millennium.
Genius...?
Delicate...?
We were able to approach a False Sanctum thanks to data left behind by Big Sister. Once there...
We saw enemies guarding it. Powerful ones at that. They couldn't be handled with a normal level of strength.
Toki, that's enough data. Don't push yourself too hard. Retreat.
Ugh...! But...
This is the fun part.
The being guarding Sanctum Tower encapsulates all the strange, mysterious, and incomprehensible phenomena that have occurred in Kivotos until now.
The prophets of Decagrammaton, the Mimesis phenomenon that appeared in Trinity, and the Divi:Sion observed in the ruins of Millennium not long ago...
Yes, you see...
Decagrammaton's third prophet, Binah.
The Mimesis animatronics at Slumpia, Shiro & Kuro.
Hieronymus of Communio Sanctorum.
Decagrammaton's fourth prophet, Chesed.
And the eighth prophet, Hod...
"Hmm... I see."
...Sensei seems to be catching on.
They're exactly right. Just defeating the False Sanctums won't be enough. We have to first defeat the prophets and guardians of each sanctum.
Right. The logistics will be complicated, but essentially our mission is to defeat both the guardians of the sanctums and then each of the six False Sanctums.
We'll need to begin preparations immediately. It'll require a large-scale, allied operation to attack all six targets simultaneously.
Yeah, and with two weeks to do it too.
Okay, okay. I know you go-getters are just chomping at the bit, but we have other things we need to get in order first.
What's most important is ensuring the safety of the citizens and students. We'll need to defend them from the enemies while evacuating them to a safe shelter.
Gehenna, Hyakkiyako, Red Winter, Shanhaijing, Trinity, D.U... We've received reports of attacks from all over, even districts with no False Sanctum, which means these guardians aren't our only enemies.
You need not concern yourself with Trinity.
We will be responsible for protecting our own district. That is our duty.
Right, Mika and Seia?
Hahaha. Yup, that's what the Tea Party does! ☆
And I pinky promise to do exactly as Nagi and Seia say this time, so consider Trinity safe and sound.
Although... I would like to have Sensei helping us. Heehee.
I know their responsibilities are elsewhere, though, so leave it to us, Sensei.
Yes, we will be safe. The future I have seen is bleak...
But that is no reason for us to not fight back with all we have. The only way from here on out is forward.
Naturally, Gehenna is safe under our watch.
The Prefect Team will oversee the safe evacuation and defense of our students and citizens.
We'll be there as well.
The Medical Emergency Club...!
With us supporting the Prefect Team, the head prefect can do what she does best without worrying about her back.
But in return, we want Chinatsu to come back to the Medical Emergency Club.
Wh-Wh-What? But I...
That was a joke.
Yes, understood. We'll prepare as well.
Our comrades at Red Winter will see no harm!
We will, as we always have, protect the Hyakkiyako district.
Yes. I will too, Sensei.
The Inner Discipline Club is at your service!
We'll take care of evacuation and aid!
Yes! Coincidentally, Boss recently rented out a building for a business venture, so we can use it as a shelter!
It's like a big festival!
...Oops. I guess that's a bit inappropriate.
No, you have the right idea! Our job will be supporting and managing a large crowd, just like a festival!
You can leave Shanhaijing to us!
Yes, we'll never allow the children of the Plum Blossom Garden or its citizens to come to harm...
Y-Yes...! I'll protect everyone!
The Black Tortoise Promenade will provide food and shelter.
Genryumon will do something too. Kisaki won't just sit still in a situation like this. Hahaha!
Let us take care of the D.U. evacuation!
I mean, that's kind of our job.
Yes. We've gathered all available troops.
I expect no issues with Millennium's evacuation.
Big Sister has obsessively prepared for any potential disaster at any moment.
Her obsessions are toxic to the core, but they do end up being useful at times like these.
We can take shelter in the various bunkers she's hidden all over Millennium.
...Then we have a plan.
Our goal is to destroy the six False Sanctums that appeared in Kivotos.
At the same time, we carry out evacuation and defense operations for each district.
The success of these operations are centered around Sensei of Schale.
Sensei must check every district's defense and evacuation operations while commanding the attack of the sanctums. Are you able to handle that?
"Yes. It won't be a problem."
You're sure gonna be busy, Sensei.
Th-Then, can everyone please set your watches to Kivotos standard time?
The current time left until the final critical point of the sanctums is fourteen days, twenty-three hours, fifty-nine minutes, and fifty-nine seconds...
That's all we have left.
G-Good luck to you all. We have to finish everything, from establishing strategies to preparation to the actual attack, within that time...
Excellent work everyone. Now then...
Let us begin preparations.
Sensei, Sensei! Do you have a minute?
We need to discuss your earlier request.
"Niya, Kaho."
We'll need Seia of Trinity as well.
Yes, thank you. Do you have any clues as to Kuzunoha's whereabouts?
Nyahaha! It's awkward to talk about it in front of everyone...
I suppose I'm not surprised people want to find her.
How do I say this... The student named Kuzunoha does not exist in Hyakkiyako.
"Doesn't exist...?"
I thought as much...
Essentially, there has never been an official record of her on our student registry.
Kuzunoha, the Great Prophet... I can't say for sure if she exists or not...
...What do you mean?
Well... Kuzunoha is a being that only a few Hyakkiyako students insist they've met... Her existence is something of a legend.
...!
Imagine how surreal it was for me to hear an outsider say her name! Nyahaha!
There is one known record that mentions Kuzunoha.
It's unreliable as fact as it's only briefly mentioned in an old collection of tales and legends, but...
Anything could help. What does it say?
...In the past, when Hyakkiyako wasn't yet an alliance, we were divided into many forces and war was a constant in our region.
At that time, the Great Prophet Kuzunoha organized the Hyakkaryouran and entrusted it with mediating the dispute in Hyakkiyako.
Hyakkaryouran...?
Oh... You mean the organization created to resolve alliance conflicts, the Hyakkaryouran Resolution Council. It's a sort of mediator.
Wow, of course you knew about that, Trinity lady!
You're exactly right. The Hyakkaryouran is like a group of mediators or balancers, as they say. ...Their history is rather clouded by mystery however.
Come to think of it, the students who claim to have met Kuzunoha...were all presidents of Hyakkaryouran.
Even now, the rumors say that only the Hyakkaryouran's president has the privilege to meet Kuzunoha and receive orders from her...
The Hyakkaryouran is the only one that truly believes in the existence of Kuzunoha.
Perhaps only they are privileged enough to meet her?
Either way, the whole thing is suspicious to me.
Until now, I've brushed it off as some kind of Hyakkaryouran tradition.
...She was kind of like a nice imaginary friend?
Well, there's really no way to know the truth. And it was never a problem until now.
I would like to meet with the president of Hyakkaryouran, if possible.
Not that I'm against it, but it might be a bit difficult due to...recent events.
The Hyakkaryouran is meant to be shut down soon.
...!
Huh? No, no. It's not officially decided yet... I think?
The president and vice president recently cut off all contact and disappeared into thin air.
Club activities have been suspended for some time, and rumors claim that the remaining members are losing morale and leaving.
We've done our best to investigate their disappearance, but we haven't been able to find a single lead.
The Hyakkaryouran is an incredibly secretive group, so it's difficult to gain visibility into their inner workings. My apologies.
Basically what Kaho said. The situation's been kept secret because no one knows what kind of chaos the Mouryo will cause if they discover the state the Hyakkaryouran is in.
...Been kept secret for now. There's only a matter of time before the students and the rest of the district uncover the truth, Niya.
Well, I can't say you're wrong...
So, there's no way you can think of to find Kuzunoha at this point?
Unfortunately, no...
...It's not like there's no way at all.
Niya...?
Let's see... A terrifying phenomenon known as the Chroma has appeared in Kivotos... Schale's own Sensei wants us at Hyakkiyako to find a way to revert any afflicted students.
It's a matter of utmost importance, so we need to help.
I'm not saying I wouldn't like to, but how...?
Next Episode; Planning an Operation 1