Vol. 3 Ch. 4 Ep. 13: Old Story

"(Seia...)"

"(Mika...)"

S-Sensei?

Sorry to wake you.

Did you have a bad dream? We're used to it, but it's not easy to sleep in an environment like this.

I-I've been keeping a close eye on Leader's condition. Her fever's gone down, but she's still resting...

We can't dawdle much longer. It's still quiet, but we should leave in the next thirty minutes.

Yes. Is something wrong?

Huh? Th-That's...

Huh? Th-That's...

Why so much interest? We were Schale's enemy. It's not a pleasant story.

...Fine, I guess. We have time anyways.

...

My first memory is Madame declaring that the civil war was finally over.

We were too young to understand. We didn't know about a civil war or even who Madame was.

She declared herself the new Student Council president, as well as owner and ruler of Arius. She wasted no time imparting her teachings on the Arius Academy.

Her philosophies...combat skills...anger and hatred... She taught us all of it to mold us into a perfect army.

She also taught us that the source of our suffering was Trinity...that Gehenna would never deign to coexist with us.

"..."

Madame drilled the hate into us, teaching us what it was to kill. Turning us into murderers.

And she made us believe murderers like us would never be accepted at another school.

She was our master. She told us she was a grown-up who taught the truth of the world. That we must follow and respect her.

She was an adult. We didn't know anything but to accept her teachings.

Anyone who rebelled was punished ruthlessly, like Azusa and Hime.

S-Sensei?! Why do you look so scary? Did we do something wrong?

I never promised a pleasant story.

Y-Your story made Sensei mad, Misaki...

Wh-Why we call her Hime?

Wh-Why we call her Hime...?

Well... Um... B-Because she's Hime, I guess?

Hime...has always been Hime to us.

A direct descendant of the previous Arius Student Council president... She has royal blood.

The presidency was once passed down through families, so under normal circumstances, she would have been the Student Council president of Arius Satellite School.

On the other hand, Leader, Hiyori, and I were petty thieves living in the slums since childhood. Although it was always Leader dragging us around.

I can remember Hime's pretty dresses... she looked so graceful compared to us.. Heehee.

Leader and I always admired her... Misaki didn't seem to care either way though.

...It wasn't that exactly. I just saw no reason to express it.

R-Really? All this time?!

Hime is kind, before all else. She held out her hand to a gloomy child like me.

When she took off her mask, her smile warmed me. Atsuko is...precious to me, too.

...

When the civil war ended, I learned that Madame planned on sacrificing Hime.

We didn't really understand. We only knew how to blindly accept what was handed to us.

It seemed natural the person we admired the most would be given such an honor.

...

But Leader... Leader didn't accept it. She stole Hime away and brought her back to us.

I didn't even know something like that could be done.

I think Leader must have made a deal with her. Madame would never have handed Hime over.

I could change Hime's fate...if I just faithfully carried out her orders.

She said I could...save not only Hime...but the others too.

So Hime hid her face and voice and started to undergo rigorous training with us.

Leader taught all of us: me, Hiyori, Hime, and Azusa, who joined us later. Looking back, those were hard times.

I still have nightmares about it... Leader was very scary back then.

Then, we were named Squad and utilized to carry out many missions for Arius.

But we couldn't complete this final mission, and Hime was taken.

...

We became traitors, joined forces with Sensei, who was our target in the first place, and then returned to Arius. It's a ludicrous situation.

I enjoyed your story.

L-Leader?!

...You're up. Can you keep going?

I can. I'm sorry to have inconvenienced all of you.

I-I'm so relieved...! I might cry... I didn't know what to do...!

At least your fever's gone down.

Remember you're not fully recovered. Don't get frustrated you're not at 100%.

So, what's the plan, Leader?

Go save Hime...?

No matter what.

Our goal remains the same. We'll go to the Arius basilica and rescue Hime.

...

...

How will we infiltrate the basilica? She knows we're here.

I've considered that. So, we're going through Arius Satellite School's Former Institute.

F-Former institute? It's in ruins! It's been falling apart for decades now!

Why there?

Hime once told me that when the Council built the original Arius Academy building, they made an underground corridor between the basilica and the academy.

Ah. Do you not know? It was the Saint Justina Council who supported Arius' exit from the Trinity alliance.

Those who denounced Arius most strongly spearheaded our exodus and reconstruction.

The corridor is ancient history, so I doubt even she knows of it.

We'll slip into the basilica unnoticed if all goes well.

Have you been there? Are you sure?

I've only heard of it from Hime. We'll have to find it somehow.

I don't like so many uncertainties in a plan.

B-But what other choice do we have? There're too many students to try to bulldoze our way through.

Right. I wouldn't normally agree to this, but we have Sensei as backup if things take a turn for the worse.

Oh geez, life really is suffering.

The Former Institute isn't far from here, but don't blow our cover. Or we'll miss our chance to save Hime.

Affirmative.

Let's go, Squad!

*cough* *cough*

Ugh... I've been cooped up eating roll cakes for too long. I'm already tired.

At least I got to the Arius district. Step one, complete!

Wh-Who goes there?

Aren't you Misono Mika?

I'm like a celebrity! Hi, great timing!

Which way to the basilica, please? You can just point me in the right direction.

I-Intruder! I'll contact the main force!

How rude of you! If you yell like that in the middle of the night, you might disturb someone's beauty sleep!

F-Fire! Attack!

It hurts...

Darn. I knew it was gonna come to this.