Basketball Remains

Nice sakura... So this is Sakura Academy?

Captain? Haven't seen you for a while.

Nice to see you, Sova! Actually... I'm the new teaching assistant at the school.

Awakener, does that mean you're our teacher now?

Hello, teacher!

Haha, that's kinda awkward!

By the way, the person who invited me was Niz, the Leader of the Student Union. Would you tell me where the Office of the Student Union is?

Sure. Please follow me!

Leader! Here I would like to present to you Awakener!

General Niz, Teslovik's Squad Captain Awakener reporting in!

Ahem, it's been a long time since someone called me that way... I'm just an ordinary student at Sakura Academy. So you can just call me by my name.

(But even as Leader of the Student Union, she looks nobler than everyone else...)

Awakener, you are now officially appointed as a teacher of the academy, mainly responsible for the teaching of geography and the guidance of students' clubs.

Hello, teacher!

Copy, General! Ah, sorry...

Seems you need some time to get used to your new role. Sova, have you introduced yourself properly to the teacher?

Hello, teacher! I'm Sova from Class One, Grade One, and also a member of the Go-Home Club!

Go-Home Club?

It's the Cultural Festival of the academy today. Every club will present what they have achieved so far.

And your mission for today is to evaluate and instruct on their performance!

Sounds like a mission that may offend a lot of people...

Well, without further ado, would you mind sparing some time to show me the way to each club, Sova?

No problem! Please follow me.

This is the gymnasium of the academy. The students who have joined sports clubs will show themselves after school!

(Sova seems to have become much more outgoing since she came to school.)

Watch out!

What... Ouch!

How could you stand on the runway? It's reserved for the activities of the Track and Field Club!

Ouch...

Awakener? Why are you here?

Please allow me to introduce Awakener, our new teacher! Awakener is here to instruct you about club activities.

Alas, I'm sorry... I'm Gryph, Head of the Track and Field Club!

Ahem, Gryph, would you mind showing me what your club has achieved?

Sure! Do you see the military-level obstacles at the corner? They're for everyday training!

You are pretty demanding indeed...

Thanks to the intensive training, our members can run 100 laps on the obstacle track! We're pushing the limits of the human body here!

Is this what you call a ''club activity''?

Gryph, were you just training when you rushed over?

Ah... I almost forgot. I was about to find a helping hand!

Helping hand? What happened?

Students of the Kendo Club and the Basketball Club are quarreling as if they are on the verge of a big fight! I was about to find a teacher for mediation!

Teacher... Eh, I happen to be one!

Show me the way!

Yes, ma'am!

As the head of the Kendo Club, I won't allow you to smear any one of our members!

Hmph, even if it's not your fault, how can you be sure it's not done by anyone else in your club?

Insolent Nebu people who know only to talk nonsense...

What is it that you just said? Don't think I dare to punch you on campus!

Stop it, you guys!

Everybody, just calm down and let's have a discussion!

Ah, are you here to stop us from fighting?

Hello, may I ask what is all this about?

Hmm... it's kinda complicated...

Are you a member of the sports clubs as well, Akira?

Akira is said to be assigned by the Student Union.

Yes, I am...

Well, great! I'm an instructor new to the school. Would you mind telling me what has happened?

Seems I'm the first! Our club is so going to make a difference at this Cultural Festival.

What happened? It's all messed up here!

Who ruined our basketballs?

Damn! I've got to revenge for the basketballs!

Chiraha! Hello?

I'm here. What's up?

Chiraha, I was the first to arrive at the sports warehouse this morning to fetch some materials, just to find that the basketballs had been cut open!

So?

According to the sign-in form, you are the last visitor to the warehouse yesterday, right?

Are you suspecting that I destroyed the basketballs of your club?

Would you tell us where you and other members of the Kendo Club went last night?

No one in our club would do anything as despicable as that. Besides, I'm not obliged to tell you where I went.

We don't buy it!

That's... basically what happened.

I see. I think I've got a way to resolve the misunderstanding here.

Calm down, everyone! I'm a teacher at the school. Would you tell me everything that has happened?

Someone from the Kendo Club ruined our basketballs!

That's definitely slander!

I believe in evidence. Why don't we go check out the sports warehouse?

Could it be... we're playing detective?

How I wish Eriri were here too! She loves to play games like this.

If Eriri were here, she might believe it was a conspiracy.

A wandering monster in the school or something like that...

(The cuts in the basketballs are so neat... can wooden swords from the Kendo Club create such cuts?)

How about we reconstruct the crime scene? Sova, would you prepare a basketball?

Sure!

Chiraha, split the ball with a wooden sword!

Okay... I'll do it!

See? A wooden knife suffices to cut the ball open!

Taweret, please take a closer look at the cut.

A wooden sword is not sharp enough to leave a neat cut, because the air inside would burst out as the sword slashes.

Oh yeah...

But the basketballs Taweret talks about have much neater cuts.

As far as I know, the wooden swords of the school can't be enforced with the power of crystal. So our conclusion is that the basketballs were not cut with a wooden sword!

But no one else borrowed the key to the warehouse yesterday night...

There may be other ways to enter the warehouse, such as from the window. So we may need to probe into more details.

Makes sense. All right then. I shouldn't have rushed to a conclusion.

I'm sorry, Chiraha!

Doesn't matter. I wasn't being nice either.

Thank you, guys! Please allow me to join the investigation as well!

But don't you have something more important to do?

What's up?

The mission entrusted by Niz...

Right! I'm tasked to check the achievements of each club.

You mean you would like to see our show? We're ready at any time.

Why don't you come to the Kendo Club first?

Would you come over...

What is it, Akira? I'm about to check the achievements of the sports clubs.

Actually, they will present what they have achieved in a pretty straightforward way... That is, you've got to participate in their club activities.

Wouldn't that be nice? I wish I could have a chance to experience the vibe of the clubs.

For instance, you will have to practice shooting with Taweret, and swing a sword with Chiraha.

Wait a minute. I see what you mean... How many sports clubs are planning to do it in this way?

There are a total of over 20 clubs. Every one of them has applied to use this approach...

... I won't die of overwork here, will I?

As a member of the Go-Home Club, I'm afraid I cannot do this with you. I've got to go.

Hey! Don't leave me alone!

If you are into running, come to visit our Track and Field Club!