Blue Archive story · Volume 4, Chapter 1, Episode 16
Vol. 4 Ch. 1 Ep. 16: Rebate
1 scenes, 109 lines
1. Part 1
109 lines
There's an unwelcome face.
Aren't you the Feral Hound of Valkyrie Police School?
Apologies, Director. What brings you here?
That's a weird question for a band of criminals to ask a Valkyrie officer, don't you think?
We've let you vagabonds run rogue for too long now. You are under arrest for illegally occupying a public park and inciting terror in the surrounding community.
Hey, dummy. The Chief of Defense was the one who said we could live here.
You're trying to tell me, Miss Director, that you're going against your superior's directive?
How foolish.
Tell me, when did the Chief say you could stay here?
She may have suspended your punishment, but she never explicitly approved your occupation here.
She's right. The park's management falls under the purview of the Culture Office, not Defense.
We were only granted a suspension of expulsion. We aren't technically allowed to be here.
So they're just gonna kick a bunch of homeless kids out of a park?
That solves absolutely nothing! You're ignoring the real issues here.
B-But how come the P-Public Peace Bureau is arresting us?
Sh-Shouldn't the Security Bureau do that k-kinda stuff?
Yes, homeless eviction does fall under their purview. Unless we at the Public Peace Bureau determine there is a terrorist threat to Kivotos' safety.
Which would be our current circumstances.
Alright, fine! We may not have approval, but we have no intention of leaving. Are you going to drag us out by force?
Heeheehee. Maybe you've got bad memory, but I remember you all going ka-boom and running out with your tail between your legs the last time you tried.
Watch yourself, Kazekura Moe. The Valkyrie has eyes and ears everywhere.
Didn't you lose most of your equipment during the rainstorm last week?
Ugh.
I also know you sold said equipment to purchase new ones, but it's not nearly enough to adequately defend an area as large as this park.
Why don't you try us? The Public Peace Bureau's recently secured firepower beyond your wildest dreams thanks to our sponsors.
You're outnumbered and outgunned. No amount of elite combat skills is getting you out of this mess.
We've got two options here.
You can comply and handle this quietly, or you can fight your losing battle with your useless little toy guns.
What? Are you challenging SRT Academy?
Guns aren't even my weapons of choice. Maybe you'd like to meet some of my incendiary babies.
RABBIT Squad, we...
"Wait a minute."
Sensei? What are you doing here?
Ah, it slipped my mind. Chief of Staff did leave the treatment of the RABBIT Squad under Schale's discretion.
Hate to break it to you, but even you have no say here.
People way above your pay grade have already given their orders for Kousagi Town's redevelopment.
"You can't just force them to leave without any warning."
"Give them some time to think it over."
They've had more than enough time.
They've had more than enough time.
...Understood.
Consider this me paying my debts. I'll pull back for today.
But we can't afford to sit on our hands forever.
Either the RABBIT Squad vacates the premises by the end of the month, or we'll vacate them.
...Even I have to "fall in line," after all.
Pull back! Mission postponed.
The nerve! We were wiping the floor with her last time until Sensei stepped in.
It doesn't change the fact that the Public Peace Bureau's beefed up significantly since then.
Moe. Were you able to confirm if their firearms were manufactured by Kaiser Industries?
Duh. Clear as day, those are the weapons we were trying to buy from Kaiser.
How could those snot-nosed cheapskates at Valkyrie afford such expensive weapons? I'm baffled.
The chief mentioned a sponsor...
"...Maybe they got a rebate."
A rebate?
It's a sales strategy companies use. If you buy in bulk from us, we'll pay you back a percentage of it. Scratching each other's backs.
But the way I see it, only Valkyrie's getting their back scratched here. What's Kaiser getting out of it?
(I shared my theory with the RABBIT Squad.)
...I see.
Kaiser Construction is in charge of Kousagi Town's redevelopment, and is a subsidiary like Kaiser Industries. Moving funds between the two would pose no problems.
The only thing standing in between Kaiser Construction and profit is the homeless population in Kousagi. So they share weapons from Kaiser Industries with Valkyrie and in return...
That means those dirty cops are getting paid in weapons to kick out all the homeless people for Kaiser!
Isn't that illegal?
It's definitely illegal.
If Sensei's theory is correct, Valkyrie Police School, meant to be for the people, is acting as a mercenary organization for private profit.
W-We might not be great right now, but we're not that bad.
"Of course, this is just my theory."
Just a theory...
Well, as of right now we have no way to confirm nor deny how the Public Peace Bureau acquired their weapons.
Valkyrie's transaction records are all stored on a local server, so I can't even hack them. And I've absolutely tried.
If we could just get our hands on some evidence...
A-Are we doomed?
We could infiltrate Valkyrie Police School's main building and obtain their transaction records.
Are you actually stupid?
Their school is crawling with, at the VERY least, hundreds of highly-armed military forces. It's a fortress!
I hate to admit it, but all we can do is make a report and twiddle our thumbs.
"And where do you submit a report about a police school?"
...Huh. When the police cross the line, who DO you go to?
When Valkyrie Police School commits a violation, the only secondary police force that can investigate them is...
...Us. SRT Academy.
Who else but us?
Our entire purpose is to handle situations like this.
"Do you believe you're doing what's right?"
Sensei?
"Go ahead. I'll take responsibility for the blowback."
"Be careful. Come back safely."
...You really are the strangest.
Hey, Sensei. Is the word responsible even in your dictionary?
Are you stupid or something?
S-So stupid... Heehee.
But you did remind me of something.
We are the SRT. The fastest-deploying special forces unit in all of Kivotos.
We subdue any criminals in violation of public order...
Punish them with the might of all available firepower...
...A-And silently liquidate them before anyone is the wiser.
If the executives of Valkyrie are truly colluding with a corporation, uncovering evidence will be no easy matter.
This mission's purpose aligns with the objectives and justice SRT Academy has always upheld.
RABBIT Squad! Begin preparations for an infiltration mission!
As of this moment...
We are commencing Operation Clover to secure proof of the Valkyrie Public Peace Bureau's illegal rebate!