Vol. 3 Ch. 3 Ep. 9: Bearing Witness to Hatred

*pant* *pant*...

Hang on just a little longer, Sensei. There should be a car we can use just past here.

Th-There she is! It's Hina!

Don't you know when to give up...?

*pant* *pant*...

Ugh...

The Gehenna head prefect...has fallen.

Finally... I'm surprised she made it so far with those kinds of wounds.

...

All key figures of Trinity and Gehenna have been dealt with. You're the only one that remains, Sensei of Schale.

...

Hmm.

Heehee...

...

Correct, we are Squad. It's good to finally meet you, and thank you for taking such good care of Azusa.

She seems to be doing well. We'll have plenty of time to catch up with her soon enough.

We signed the treaty on Trinity's behalf at the Cathedral of Communion.

...

Because in the name of paradise, we, Arius' Squad, have become the Eden Treaty Organization: a new armed force that will guard the treaty's sanctity.

It was always meant to be our duty. That was the right to be given to us at the First Council.

But Trinity saw fit to trample on that duty. We were persecuted and blamed for every conflict of the age, suppressed and made to be scapegoats.

However, with the ETO's authority, we now have the power to designate who will be suppressed.

Gehenna and Trinity are both threats to the treaty. They're targets which must be eliminated.

Trinity and Gehenna will be erased from Kivotos.

They will meet their ends at the hands of the commandments' guardians standing before you now.

And everyone will bear witness to the hatred we've harbored for the centuries after the First Council.

But before that, there's one last element to take care of.

"(So this is what it's like to have a gun pointed at you...)"

She said you would be the largest obstacle to our plan.

Aaaaaaaargh!

Sorasaki Hina! How can you still move?!

Sena! Over here!

A-An ambulance?!

This way, Sensei! Take my hand!

Don't think it'll be that easy!

H-How can she still have this much strength?

We lost them.

That's fine. Hina may have tried her best to shield Sensei, but I can confirm Sensei was hit.

They're not a denizen of Kivotos. Without a halo, it's only a matter of time before Sensei falls to death's embrace.

Still... Why would she go so far to protect Sensei? Are they truly that important?

...

Hime's signing something... Everything would have gone according to plan without Sensei? And Azusa wouldn't have betrayed us?

...

"(My stomach... It's so hot.)"

Listen closely, Sensei. You've been shot.

Count yourself lucky that none of your vitals were hit, but you'll bleed out if we don't treat you.

I'm going to start administering first aid. Don't be afraid to cry out if it hurts.

I won't let you die. This is what the Medical Emergency Club is trained for.

"(I'm going to pass out...)"

...

Hmm. Nice of you to join us.

I didn't expect you to actually show yourself. You could have just run away.

H-Heehee. I guess it's been a while...

*pant*... *pant*...

How have you been, Azusa?

Why? How dare you...?

You already know the answer to that. There's no place for you, neither with Trinity nor Schale.

There's no place in the world that accepts murderers like us.

How DARE you harm Sensei?!

Even if such a place existed, it would be fleeting and vanish in the blink of an eye...just as your Sensei has now.

Everything is in vain, so why try to fight it, Shirasu Azusa?

SAORIII!!!

Even now, you're dozing away in a sweet dream. I have no choice but to wake you from it, then.

I'll wake you from those dreams again and again, as many times as it takes.

Now, come.

"Isn't this...?"

Nice to meet you, Sensei.

I'm Yurizono Seia.

We're in your dream...or maybe this is my dream.

Ah. So maybe this isn't is our first meeting.

That could be the case. The flow of time has become rather convoluted for me.

Regardless, I'm glad to have this opportunity to speak with you.

So, shall we begin unraveling this story?