Blue Archive story · Volume 5, Chapter 1, Episode 15
Vol. 5 Ch. 1 Ep. 15: An Encounter
1 scenes, 148 lines
1. Part 1
148 lines"...Have we met?"
Heeheehee. That's the expression!
The little furrow in your brow says: "Who is this intimidating stranger?"
You see, I heard all these stories, but I never had a face to put to the name.
Oh boy, do you live up to expectations! The confusion, the fear! It's irresistible, really. Makes me want more.
I just had to see for myself! And the rumors really don't do you justice, Sensei!
"(Rumors...?)"
Oh me, oh my. You don't trust me one little bit, do you?
Yes, yes. That's exactly what I'd expect from you.
That being said, Sensei.
Or perhaps more importantly, what wasn't said...
Did you get my letter?
"You don't mean..."
"Let all lost souls heed our words."
"Our fine leisure shall soon end, for some feelings mean the most when enjoyed together."
When the time of joy begins and your eyes sparkle with flowers blossoming in the sky,
Nature's Beauty shall reveal itself again.
"That's the letter from Nature's Beauty..."
Look forward to our coming.
When you hear us knocking on your front door...
Hyakkiyako will burn.
"...?!"
What's this? Your face... Such confusion, such concern.
That conniving little lady omitted some lines, didn't she?
She really decided to edit out the most important part of the message!
That moron.
"...You're from Nature's Beauty?"
Ding, ding, ding. You've outdone yourself.
Are you happy now? You solved the riddle!
Hahaha! Just kidding. You haven't solved anything.
Look at that dopey little face. "I'm Sensei, and I don't know anything!"
Let's start with your very first question! Who am I?
If you knew anything at all, you wouldn't have asked such a dumb, useless question to begin with!
Okay, I answered! My turn to ask.
You're a responsible, hard-working teacher, so you have to answer your student's question. Okay.
You, Schale's Sensei.
Do you like cats?
"...I don't understand the intention behind that question."
Hahaha. You can't be serious.
You can't understand, because there's nothing to understand.
Here's the one thing I need you to get through your thick skull.
You're here as a witness to the events about to unfold.
The Hundred Ghost Stories will bring about our new elegance.
After twenty long, long years...! The cast is gathered, and the stage is set.
Be sure to stick around until the last page.
Otherwise, this nightmare will never end.
"W-Wait...!"
"What ghost stories...?"
"Her voice sounded vaguely familiar..."
Finally! Are you okay, Sensei?!
You weren't picking up your phone! I was seriously worried something happened to you.
"Everything's okay. Something...unexpected came up."
"The craziness of the festival must've gotten to me."
"Great job, Shizuko!"
Thank you, but there's a bit of a problem.
I guess calling it a problem is a bit of an exaggeration...
I think it'd be better to talk about this in person!
Where are you, Sensei?
I found myself fighting the crowd as I arrived at our agreed upon meeting spot.
Sensei! There you are!
This crowd is insane. I'm so glad I found you!
I'm sorry it took so long to get here. I didn't realize how busy it had gotten.
"What did you want to talk about?"
"Why are you alone? What happened to Yukari?"
So, I did meet up with Yukari, but things didn't exactly go as planned.
Augh, it's a bit complicated. Where do I even start?
...I guess from the beginning.
What? You mean you'll hold the ritual...as the Kadenokouji miko?
Yes.
Let's talk about this first! No need to make any rash decisions.
I hope I didn't influence you in any way... I didn't fully understand the situation, and I didn't mean to push you in one direction or another.
I must admit, I'm confused. You were in need of a miko, correct?
M-More than anything! The ritual was a long-held tradition of the Lantern Festival, and I think the Kadenokouji miko's presence will mean a lot to everyone!
But...I didn't want it like this...
You can rest easy, Shizuko. This is my decision.
I've been reflecting upon the past...thinking of the future.
It seems the memory I'm chasing is naught but an empty shell.
I won't burden others with such selfish dreams.
There are expectations I must fulfill.
After all, I am a Kadenokouji.
Th-That's not fair!
I simply... Could you relay my apologies to Sensei for me, Shizuko?
Kikyou was correct. It was dishonorable of me to plead for Sensei's help without telling them the whole truth.
I was so focused on saving the Hyakkaryouran, on my own desires.
It's no excuse, but I thought lying to Sensei was the sole path to achieving my goals.
You should tell Sensei yourself. They wouldn't blame you.
I...do believe that.
But I can't continue leaning on Sensei. They've already done so much in supporting my succession contest.
Playtime is over, so I'm returning to my duties now.
Please communicate my overwhelming gratitude to Sensei, and...that I'll be okay.
She couldn't bring herself to tell you how sorry she is in person, so she went ahead.
"So she went to go fulfill her role as the Kadenokouji miko..."
Sensei...
Is this my fault?
Did I push Yukari into a corner?
If you think about it, if I hadn't tried to revive the Lantern Festival...
None of this would've happened, right?
"That was beyond your control, Shizuko."
"If it weren't the festival, it would've been something else."
"You had good intentions behind your actions, right?"
"I'm grateful you took the time to help, Shizuko."
"You took responsibility and stepped up."
Y-You're giving me too much credit! This is all part of the job as the Festival Department president.
"Then I'll leave Yukari to you, President."
"I don't care about a succession contest or whatnot."
"But I'd like to hear out the Hyakkaryouran members."
"I can at the very least lend them an ear for their problems."
"You said it yourself, Shizuko."
I want to hear everyone's laughter.
I want this festival to bring a smile to everyone's face... That's my goal.
"So it's my job to make that happen."
Sensei...
"To start, there's something bothering me."
"Kikyou, Renge, and Yukari's fight..."
"There's one person at the center of all of this."
The vice president, Nagusa?
You're right. This all started when she renounced her position as acting president and disappeared.
"Which is why I need to talk to Nagusa."
I understand.
While you do that, please rest assured Yukari will be under my care.
As the CEO of Momoyodou, perfection is the only option!
There's no turning back now, so I'll take care of every detail.
Every single onlooker will be in awe of Yukari the miko as she performs the ritual!
"I'm counting on you, Shizuko."
"(...So I said. But how do I find Nagusa?)"
"(Ah! Hm... It's worth a shot.)"
You want us to find...Nagusa? Of all people?
"I thought you might know how to find her, since you've done it before."
Yes, there is no other club at Hyakkiyako with the select skills we at the Ninjutsu Research Club possess to track down someone as elusive as Nagusa...
And...you're right... We did do it once before...
Yup! You've come to the right place, my lord!
That's all true, but...why are you looking for Nagusa?
"It's for another student."
"I need Nagusa's help."
"That's why I need you guys."
"...So, will you lend me a hand?"
That's just like Sensei! Well, if it's to help a student in need...
A ninja would never leave an ally behind!
Right, Tsukuyo? Izuna?
That's the ninja way!
P-Proceed to...
Move out! Nin nin!