Vol. 4 Ch. 2 Ep. 16: Sensei's Predicament

Interrogation Log: 001-S-1

Interrogator: Tsukiyuki Miyako, SRT Academy 1st Year

Suspect for Investigation: Sensei, Schale

Please help me understand.

How and why are you here?

...I find that hard to believe.

This is a military facility completely removed from any city or town.

Even if I were to be generous and assume happenstance, you can't just happen upon this compound. And you surely understand the inherent risks of coming to a military site completely unarmed and alone.

You came all this way, avoiding detection and risking your safety. So, yes, I find it hard to believe your reason is that mundane.

So, I'll ask you again, Sensei.

Why are you here?

...Did you come to change my mind?

I thought I made it clear in my letter. I've made my decision.

Once Chief Kaya assured SRT's revival, our stint at Kousagi Park was over.

A fully-equipped base like this, providing all essentials, is optimal for my squad, or rather, my entire unit.

I weighed the factors and made the best decision for my squad.

And now, I no longer make decisions. I am a weapon meant to carry out orders.

So there's nothing you can say, Sensei.

"I'm really not here with an agenda."

"I just wanted to know if you're having fun."

"Are you enjoying yourself here, Miyako?"

...What bearing does that have on this situation?

I'm an operative of SRT, maintaining justice and safeguarding the public.

Pleasure is a luxury meant for those who haven't assumed these duties.

My duty...? How?

Isn't duty about fulfilling a responsibility?

"Fulfilling a duty should never include suffering or pain."

"Your real duty will never contradict your ideals."

"Duty and responsibilities are a gift, not a punishment."

"You have a responsibility to yourself, Miyako."

"You have a duty to enjoy being alive, Miyako."

"So? Are you having fun?"

...This is why I knew I couldn't see you before I left.

I always thought growing up was about enduring hardship.

I thought that the only way I could grow was if I let go of all my naivete and trust and compassion.

Sensei, I... I had managed to convince myself that it was okay to reject my ideals, my justice. This is what it was to be a part of the real world.

It felt like my impending adulthood was chastising my younger self. Be stronger, be harder, be smarter.

I didn't want to believe that the justice I love didn't have a place in this adult world. But what did I know about growing up? That must be how it is...

If I believed that, if my squad members could benefit, I thought I could be at peace.

So why are you coming and telling me that I shouldn't throw away who I am to follow the higher order? Why would you tell me this, when I'd finally resigned myself to being Yukino's weapon?

Will you please stop telling a bunch of clueless children to make their own decisions?!

"Sorry, but your justice has a place in my adult world, at least."

You... You... You weirdo. You're making me sound like Saki, now.

Okay, Sensei. You win. I understand now.

Follow me, this way.

The exit is down this hall.

It won't last forever, but I've disabled the alarm system for now.

Exit through here, and promise me you'll go straight to the bus stop without anyone noticing you.

Yes. Right now, I'm in charge of security.

...And if they find out that you were here, Sensei, that won't be easy to smooth over.

I'm a member of SRT, remember? Protecting civilians like you is a part of my job.

I... I am going to do my duty.

I don't really know how to do something like this, so I might mess it up...

"It's okay either way. You'll be fine."

"I'll take responsibility for any blowback."

Understood!

Late.

Anything unusual during your watch?

No. Nothing at all.

...Is that so?

We received new orders. RABBIT Squad will be joining us.

...Isn't this map?

I thought you might recognize it. These are the blueprints to the Kousagi Station platform.

Tomorrow at 0900, a Kaiser Construction cargo train will pull into platform 2 of Kousagi Station and will unload the A.N.T.I.O.C.H. thermobaric warhead.

The station will be closed till midday for offloading. To counter potential threats, RABBIT Squad will assist Kaiser Security in locking down the perimeter.

The A.N.T.I.O.C.H. warhead? That's the bomb you retrieved and disabled on the FOX Squad's first public operation!

Correct.

The entire point of relocating it outside of D.U. was to ensure the people's safety. Now we're bringing it back into the heavily populated city?

What is the Council... No, actually. What are you planning, Yukino?

Once unloaded, the warhead will be placed in the station's underground silo and detonated. All personnel will evacuate first, and then our squads.

...You're setting it off underground, inside a subway station in the heart of the city?

There couldn't be a worse-case scenario to detonate it. The confined quarters will amplify–

You needn't remind me. I'm more versed in the A.N.T.I.O.C.H.'s power than most.

If that's true, then even more reason you should see the insanity in this! What could your rationale possibly be to continue supporting this?

I am executing orders. The General Student Council will take responsibility with the public.

Then forget the responsibility. You're asking us to stake our lives on a dangerous and immoral operation. At the least we deserve an explanation as to why you're doing this.

Everything I've done...

I've done for the revival of SRT Academy.

Do you hear yourself, Yukino?

You're trying to use the fear and terror of the very people our academy was established to protect to...rebuild SRT?

A version of SRT that jeopardizes public safety and leans on other peoples' authority has no right to claim the name.

Rights aren't handed out. They're taken.

If this is what it takes to come out of this situation, we will be justified to the future students of SRT.

Will we though? I remember hearing you say on the TV, all those years ago...

"That no matter the obstacle, SRT's justice never wavers."

I fight for my principles and justice I've learned over the years. You can tarnish the SRT name all you want, but those values will never change.

This is a direct order.

Can I take this as insubordination?

No. You can't actually.

You aren't my superior. In fact, I would say you're the one who's insubordinate, Shichido Yukino.

Because the General Student Council President is the only one authorized to give us orders.

M-Miyako...

*sigh*

I mean, I guess we all knew deep down this was gonna be the end result.

...Excuse me.