Vol. 2 Ch. 1 Ep. 13: Nerds vs. Maids

Gah!

I-I am down!

Resurrection spell...please...

...

Ridiculous.

Their plan for taking on the Student Council was...a bum-rush?

So this must be Aris.

She's. So. Cute. Can I keep her? I just want to scoop her up and train her to become our sixth maid agent.

You may not.

She'll be held in the counseling room for assaulting the Student Council.

What a mess. I can't believe she tried to get past the elevator's fingerprint recognition system by blasting down the door.

The elevator's lock is beyond repair. It needs to be replaced immediately.

Hmm... Then let's order a replacement right, wait a second.

That weapon Aris had must have come from the Engineering Department...

If that's the case, then it wouldn't be wise to go to them like we usually would.

Something about this smells suspicious...

Find the strongest security system in Kivotos not designed by the Engineering Department and get that ASAP.

C-Crap! They're taking Aris away!

Calm down, Momoi. This is all part of the plan.

Stay strong, Aris... We'll save you soon.

Well... So far so good.

Right, Sensei?

The Engineering Department's message says, "Good work. The trojan horse is past the gates."

The Engineering Department's message says, "Good work. The trojan horse is past the gates."

Phew! That's a relief. If this hadn't worked out, Aris would have gotten locked up for nothing.

It's time for the next phase.

Sh-Should we get started?

*sigh* I'm so nervous.

I haven't felt like this since we invaded the Ancient History Research Society building.

What's the status of Hibiki and Utaha?

We're all set to meet our guests.

Good.

Is it really, though?

What about Maki and Kotori?

Standing by!

Don't worry, we can do this for sure! My calculations say we've got a whole two percent chance of pulling this off!

B-But that means there's a 98 percent chance of failure!

Heehee, I'm totally kidding! It's actually the other way around!

Well, if Kotori and Maki are ready...

...then phase two is a go.

Sound us off, Sensei!

Right!

Here we go!

They're here.

Camera visual on target confirmed. Target is emerging at point A1 of entrance No. 1.

Target is approaching point A2.

Which means they have no means of escape, correct? All right, then. I'm on it.

Huh? Is this really something you need to handle yourself?

But of course.

After all, welcoming guests with a smile is a maid's most basic duty.

First, let me detail our target, the Student Council's contraband storage. The current location of the Mirror.

Seminar, Millennium's Student Council, are a naturally suspicious bunch, and the topmost floor of the Millennium Tower is dedicated to their exclusive use.

The contraband storage is on the west side of that topmost floor.

Between our location and the storage room are about 400 cameras and a little more than 50 security robots. Some of said robots were confiscated from shady organizations.

442 surveillance cameras and 52 robots of three kinds to be precise.

It was the Engineering Department that helped implement their security system, you see.

Whoa...

The biggest issue is that you have to take an elevator to get to the contraband storage. And this elevator can only be accessed by personnel with fingerprint authorization.

Even if you were to bypass the elevator, you're bound to run into members of the Student Council and armed security guards. And most importantly...

...these areas exclusive to Student Council members are all sectionable.

What does that mean?

Let's say that smoke is detected in one of the rooms. That triggers a shutter that sections off the room from the rest.

Once a shutter drops, it can only be disabled by a Student Council member's fingerprint.

What happens if an unauthorized fingerprint is input? A titanium-enforced shutter also drops. Disabling both then requires a valid simultaneous Student Council fingerprint and retina scan.

Ugh. I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around all this.

Let me get this straight: The only way to move between floors is by elevator.

The area upstairs is equipped with fingerprint-based security devices, which, when triggered, activate heavy shutters that section off the area.

Furthermore, failing to get through the security triggers an even more powerful shutter.

Don't forget about the armed guards and security cameras!

Surveillance cameras can be hacked. However, these security shutters are impossible to tamper with, even for Veritas. Their only connection is to an isolated, internal network.

We've also just learned that trying to brute force the elevator will seal off the entire floor.

Arrrgh! This is nothing but terrible news! Where's the good news?!

Well, there is a weakness. We should know, we put it there.

For starters, the system is vulnerable to external power failures. When power is lost, it automatically connects to an external network, opening a short window for the system to be hacked.

Using our nano-EMP, we can send Millennium back to the Stone Age for about six seconds.

Six seconds...

It's enough time.

Um. It should be around here.

This isn't right. Doesn't it seem like we're in too deep?

Not at all. You're exactly where you're supposed to be.

Huh?!

Welcome. I've been waiting for you.

As you've no doubt already realized, your plan has failed.

I'm C&C's call sign Zero-Three. My real name is confidential, so you can just call me the Beautiful Maid of Mystery.

*gasp* It's Akane!

Isn't she the maid agent who specializes in assassination?

Phooey. What's the point of maintaining a secret agency if everyone knows about it? Does this mean I should stop playing the mysterious heroine?

Oh, right, didn't Kotama say that the last time you weighed yourself, you were...

S-S-Stop right there! The fact that you even know something like that is a huge problem!

You'd better keep that info to yourself, Momoi. You too, Midori!

...

...

Heeheehee.

You don't realize it yet, but you're the ones who have failed.

I beg your pardon?

*step step*

Hiya, Akane! We got lost on our way to the dorms. Can ya believe it?

Wh-Who are you?!

You really wanna know?! Then allow us to introduce ourselves!

Ask and ye shall receive! The walking encyclopedia of the Engineering Department, Toyomi Kotori!

Why do art and science have to be at odds? Meet Veritas' resident digital artist, Maki!

But you're not with the Game Development Department... What is...?!

Yuuka! What is the meaning of this?

I don't know! The surveillance cameras definitely show Momoi and Midori approaching point A2! But I can't see you anywhere!

Wh-What? Then...can it be?!

Reset camera settings! Block cloud access and play only the closed circuit feed!

Refreshing feed! Visual confirmed! It's Akane! She's locked in a confrontation with Kotori and Maki!

That means...

...the feed we've been watching until now was...?!

I wonder if they've figured out that the security footage is pre-recorded.

Do you think it would have been better for us to just play pre-recorded footage of an empty hallway while we grab the Mirror?

People are coming and going through there all the time. They wouldn't take the bait unless we did it just right.

Splitting up the maids and trapping them in place is our best chance.

Oh, it's the elevator. Let's go up for real this time.

Wait a second... Sensei, it's pretty dark, so grab ahold of our hands.

Okay, then... Ready!

Here we go!

Intruder detected. Commencing emergency shutdown for designated Seminar floor sector.

Hey, now! The shutters are dropping. Wait, you don't think...?!

Oh, dear...

Looks like we got locked in together!

No matter. Unlike you all, I can easily escape from here.

All I have to do is put my finger here, and I'll be free while you are trapped here... *beep*

Invalid fingerprint.

...Huh?!

Secondary shutters activated.

No, wait!

Akane's been trapped!

Send a Student Council member! Noa is nearby! She can open the door.

What are they thinking? The real Momoi and Midori should also be trapped somewhere.

Wait a second. It can't be...!

We've just received word from Noa! She's also trapped, and the door won't open!

The second shutter also dropped on her. Noa needs help!

Wh-What the...?!

But how?! This is brand new equipment, just installed today, oh, no!

This is why Aris broke those doors? This was their plan all along?!

Sensei! Momoi! We've received a communication from Hare! The plan to trap Akane worked!

The fingerprint recognition device is working just as it should be.

All of the Student Council members have been isolated! Now, we're the only ones who can move freely through the Student Council floor!

Thank goodness the Engineering Department was able to trick that manufacturer into being the go-between seller for their new security system.

It's so well-made that the council had no idea it was actually designed by the Engineering Department. Anyway, let's get going.

Hmm? Didn't something like this happen not that long ago...?

Right. Wasn't it at the ruins? How nostalgic. It already feels like a lifetime ago.

Anyway, it's good that we were able to lock up Akane, but, I wish we could have gotten Asuna too. We still don't know where she is, do we?

Hare looked all over Millennium but couldn't find her. Maybe she's outside the academy?

Probably. I heard she ditched a mission once to get a parfait. She still got back on time and finished the mission, but still... Anyway, everything's going according to plan!

Who goes there?!

Eek! Student Council members?! There are still some left?!

S-Sensei?!

I guess we have no choice.

Sensei... You're actually serious?

Nuh-uh! There's no way I'm gonna run! We gotta push through somehow!

That's right! We can't back down!

Let's do this for Aris!

That wall looks a lot more formidable than those steel shutters. We're really stuck, aren't we?

Heehee. Akane, since we just happened to be confined in here with nothing else to do, why not take this time to listen to my lecture on relativity?

Come in, command! This is call sign Zero-Three, and I'm trapped in area A-11! Requesting response from callsign Zero-One! Do you copy?

Your call has been forwarded to an automatic voice mailbox...

AHHH! Asuna! Where the hell are you?! Turn your comm on, for crying out loud!

I don't know where Asuna is, but don't worry, Akane.

I've got the Game Development Department exactly where I want them.