Vol. 4 Ch. 1 Ep. 20: Fox in the Hole

Welcome! As you can see behind me, I'm currently at Valkyrie Police School. The once well-respected school has seen better days as recent claims accuse them of illegal collusion with the Kaiser Group!

According to an anonymous tip sent to the Kronos School...

The students of the Public Peace Bureau have been wielding governmental power on behalf of the Kaiser Group in exchange for money and goods!

The world was shocked to hear that a police school entrusted with protecting the public would debase themselves to a petty mercenary group for their own private interests!

I'm still reeling in shock! To make matters worse, eyewitness accounts say the Valkyrie School was recently defeated by a group of robbers who destroyed the facilities!

This organization, supposed to keep the citizens safe, couldn't even protect their own home base!

Now the real question remains: is Kivotos still safe in the hands of Valkyrie Police School?

As more doubts pile up, apprehension is thick amongst the citizens!

What the hell do you think you're doing here?

Incredible! It's the director of the Public Peace Bureau herself, a key suspect in the investigation!

Director Kanna, please tell us! Why did you enter into an illegal contract with the Kaiser Group?

What? Where did you hear that from?

No, wait! This is a secure area! You have no authorization to film here!

The Feral Hound of Valkyrie is now threatening the media in a rage!

GET OUT! I'll break your cameras in half!

...The situation is spiraling very quickly.

I-It's all they've been t-talking about on the news...

Wh-What if the Public Peace Bureau tries to get r-r-revenge?

You worry too much, Miyu. We did what was right and that's what matters.

Anyways, who has time for revenge when they're fighting off a crowd of rabid reporters?

I can't put my finger on something...

What is it?

How do I say it... Everything moved so quickly. Corporate scandals normally move slowly and much more quietly.

All parties were so...agreeable? The General Student Council hopped to their investigation like eager little bunnies, and even the Kaiser Group bowed their heads on the Kousagi Town redevelopment as if they hadn't poured millions into the project already.

If I had to point to something... Sensei, did you threaten the General Student Council?

Well, either way, I'm relieved it's over.

With the development project scrapped, they gain nothing spending time and money to evict the homeless population here.

And we get to keep our home.

Hm... A-Ahem!

Ah. An intruder.

Oh dear, oh dear. My fingers have been itching to blow something up.

Saki, be a pal and throw me one of my little babies.

S-Stop it! I'm not an intruder! I'm saluting you!

...Salute?

Now you're speaking my language. It's when you greet someone with gunpowder and lead.

You...You unintelligent hooligans!

No matter how I twist it, and trust me, I tried, a monk in pursuit of enlightenment such as myself has to pay my debts where they're due.

...So... Well... You've done me a great service. More or less.

I know the RABBIT Squad risked life and limb raiding Valkyrie to get evidence of their evil crimes and expose them.

We've been able to reclaim our sanctuary in Kousagi Town and Pursuers have been trickling back to the fold one by one. Thanks to you... I guess.

I know it wasn't for us, but we can't deny you've helped us.

So I've brought you some of our most revered food. To repay our debt.

Revered food? What? Tell me, now!

If it's a mung bean sprout bento I'll really let Moe blow you to the heavens.

Please! We're city-dwelling seekers enlightened in the ways of non-possession. Naturally, I've most generously brought you the absolute best of what we have.

Drumroll, please!

Voila! A chicken bone karaage!

Karaage...?

Correct! And it's no ordinary karaage! This luxury item is made from deep-fried bones! I mean... You can't eat it, but...

If you chew and suck on the bones, it's almost the same thing as eating a fried chicken! Without the calories!

To sweeten the deal, you can enjoy a fresh can of beer while sucking on the bone to pretend you're actually eating!

Please, don't all rush to thank me at once.

Th-This isn't karaage...

This is an insult to food everywhere. It's worse than a mung bean sprout bento.

N-N-No way! It's fried chicken! Can't you unenlightened idiots see that?!

You dare insult this masterpiece I've so generously offered you?!

Don't be mean. It's not food waste at all.

According to Kivotos' garbage disposal regulations, chicken bones are classified as combustible waste. So, it's worse.

Food waste this, combustible waste that...

You clearly have learned nothing about non-possessiveness! You...You gluttonous pigs don't understand the value of this delectable dish!

I should've known better! The Pursuers can never coexist with the greed that reeks from your soul!

You think we want to coexist with you hypocritical pieces of junk?

Moe, we still have the armor piercing explosives, right?

Let's wage war against these jerk turkeys!

...They never change, do they?

And we've come full circle.

This incident has left Valkyrie on a very, very short chain. And I can't turn anywhere without those Kronos gnats buzzing in my face...

I really must have done something horrible in a past life to deserve to work with such incompetence.

...That again?

Oh, you know I'm just complaining. Luckily, the rebate Kaiser Corporation kindly granted directly to us has flown under the radar.

Director Kanna can handle the fallout while our plan continues in the background.

Do you have time for your petty games? You should be trying to recruit more trustworthy colleagues.

Trustworthy colleagues, you say...

...What about those underclassmen of yours? They're quite formidable.

You can take the fighter out of the school, but not the fight out of the fighter. I realize they're still new, but they're still elite individuals who passed the SRT entrance exams.

They have a very long way to go before they'll be fit to uphold the SRT banner.

Oh Yukino, always so strict.

No. You're soft, Niko.

Thirty minutes? And all that commotion? Under my command, we would have been in and out under a minute with no one the wiser.

Can you really compare a ragtag group of freshmen against veterans such as yourselves, Niko?

Which brings me back to my point.

I'd like to invite the RABBIT Squad to join our coup d'etat.

What say you, SRT Academy's infamous FOX Squad?

Fine by me.

Even if it wasn't their intention, I'd like to crush them with my own hands for foiling the career paths of their upperclassmen.

Oh, my. I hate to dirty the hands of such adorable little underclassmen.

Even children like them understand that dirtying ourselves is the price we pay for enrolling at SRT. For our justice.

This plan...

...No, everything we do is for the SRT's resurrection and Schale's demise.