“Teacher, here’s a gas mask.”
“Ah. Thank you, Saki.”
Before the train arrived at a station near Abydos High School, the teacher and the RABBIT Squad moved from the passenger car to the cargo hold. Saki took out the gas mask she had prepared in advance and handed it to the teacher, passing out gas masks to the other squad members.
“Hehehe… I knew it would come to this, so I also brought king-sized candy for energy.”
“Mohe, having that in your mouth will hinder communication.”
“Ugh, stop nagging! Candy goes in now!”
In a hurry, Mohe stuffed a candy about four times the size of a regular piece into her mouth while putting on her gas mask. Then she mumbled.
“Uh, want me to cut it?”
“I have no idea what you’re saying. Mohe, it would help if you didn’t talk until you finish that.”
“Shut up!”
As one by one the squad members finished putting on their gas masks, Miyako looked at the teacher and asked a simple question.
“Teacher, we have two tactical vehicles, so Saki, you, and I with Mohe and Miyu will split up for boarding.”
“So, who will drive…?”
“Essentially, it has an autonomous driving system, so there’s nothing to worry about. Furthermore, at SRT, we conduct driving training for real-life situations, so if it comes to that, Saki and I will take the wheel.”
“SRT is capable…”
“Thank you for the compliment, teacher.”
Miyako, who didn’t even show a slight smile as she spoke, nodded and handed the key to Saki.
“Saki, please take care of the teacher. I trust your skills.”
“…W-What is this? Miyako, why suddenly saying such things? And that sounds kind of weird.”
“Is that so…? I’m not sure, but since gunshot wounds can lead to serious injury, in unforeseen circumstances, your combat ability could ensure the teacher’s safety.”
“U-Um, yeah, I guess so…?”
Saki looked at Miyako strangely, wondering if she had eaten something strange, then rolled the car key in her hand before turning her gaze to the teacher.
“Well then, from now on, you can just trust me, teacher!”
Confidently shouting, Saki got into the driver’s seat, while the teacher quietly approached Miyu, who had been fiddling with her gas mask.
“Miyu, is there something on your mind?”
“Oh, no… It’s just a bit, what if we lose our way in that sandstorm… I mean, wouldn’t we get abandoned… I’m just a little scared.”
“Of course, the best thing is to avoid that, but if such a thing happens, I will take responsibility and find you, so you don’t have to worry too much, Miyu.”
“Y-Yes, thank you…”
The teacher was about to lightly pat Miyu’s head, but changed direction to tap her on the headband instead. Then, smoothly, the teacher took the gas mask from Miyu’s hands and helped her put it on.
“Um, teacher, I’m not a child…”
“To me, all I see are young students that I have to protect and guide.”
“…Is that so.”
What’s the connection between guiding and helping with something they can do alone?
Miyako thought as she opened the door to the driver’s seat and climbed onto the vehicle.
The two tactical vehicles that had disembarked from the stopped train cut through the sand and drove along the urban road that was becoming a desert.
*
Currently, the buildings of Abydos High School, except for the main building, were in a state of near abandonment. Originally, only the main building was kept clean, but now, it was fortunate if they could keep the main building clean due to the sandstorm.
“W-What the?! Who didn’t close this window properly?! No, why was it open in the first place?!”
“Um… I left it open for ventilation when the storm was calm for a moment.”
“W-Well, you should have closed it properly! I really can’t take this anymore!”
Kuromi Serika, a cat beastman and a first-year student at Abydos, complained while sweeping the sand that entered through the half-closed window with a broom. Next to her, Shiroko quietly wiped the sand off the window frame with a damp tissue.
“Hoshino-senpai, could you have at least gotten enough sleep and helped out a bit?! You said work has to be done, but now you’re not doing it?!”
“Ugh… just five more minutes…”
“Ugh!”
On the day when Vina’s advance was blocked by the countermeasure committee, looking at the recorded drone footage of the engagement, Serika couldn’t help but feel agitated, thinking that this wasn’t the time for her to be working part-time.
However, Hoshino dismissed Serika’s anxiety, saying that she could just dump such annoying chores onto her upperclassman and better to quit the part-time job instead.
Because of that incident, Serika couldn’t say anything more to Hoshino. Whenever she saw Hoshino’s nails in such a messy state, her only thought was relief that her upperclassman was safe.
“Hehehe~ Mika-chan, this time it’s for real… just trust me once more…”
“…What nonsense are you muttering in your sleep?! Who’s this Mika-chan?!”
After driving off Vina, Hoshino depicted the excavation site of Kaiser, and after being chased off by Kaiser, launched an attack on the construction site of Saint Nephthys, creating a scene similar to a bomb-throwing game. However, the countermeasure committee couldn’t establish details of such situations at the moment.
It could be said they were isolated amidst the sandstorm, but everyone in the committee firmly believed that this situation would definitely improve.
Hoshino worked hard to maintain order by secretly sweeping away the delinquents who had occupied a nearby abandoned warehouse. Serika went out to earn money to help cover the interest she had to pay to Kaiser Ron.
Last year, Abydos had considerable reserve, but with the escalating sandstorm, the available funds could barely cover three months’ worth of interest. This situation would only worsen the longer the sandstorm persisted, but…
Realistically speaking, it might even be faster for Abydos High School to get completely buried in sand, losing its status as a school and nullifying the meaning of repaying debt.
Since Mika mentioned her ties with Abydos in front of the president, even Kaiser Ron couldn’t dare to mess with the interest, but they had long since realized that Abydos’s future wasn’t bright either.
To put it bluntly, Abydos was drying up and dying. It was no longer feasible for Nonomi to pay off the debt with cash on hand, and the committee itself had no proper way to break through this situation.
Yet, to them—
“Hoshino-senpai, Shiroko-chan, Serika-chan! Two unmarked tactical vehicles are approaching from the city!”
“Huh? They’re not just passing by and coming towards us…? And they’re not even Kaiser?”
“Um… I’ll prepare for engagement right away.”
[Wait, I just got communication from over there. The teacher from Shalle… the teacher is coming to help us!]
“Shalle’s teacher? Who the heck is that?!”
“…Hehe. Ayane-chan, isn’t it a bit much to arrange something this big without even consulting your just a guy?”
The first ally extended a helping hand.
*
As the people from Shalle drove the vehicle up to the front of Abydos, one by one they stepped out of the car. Thankfully, the wind had calmed down a bit, but it was uncertain when the storm would strengthen again.
Looking at Abydos High School, which could only be described as pitiful due to being covered in sand, Miyako let out a small sigh.
The teacher had clearly stated that this sandstorm didn’t seem like a natural phenomenon. That means the current situation could also be interpreted as an external attack on Abydos.
In that case, helping Abydos would be the righteous cause.
While Miyako was thinking this, a voice filled with wariness rang out, seemingly drooping yet fully cautious.
“Wow, everyone’s even wearing gas masks… so serious.”
Miyako turned her gaze towards the source of the voice and flinched.
Small. And the relaxed posture without any sense of weight should be taken as harmless.
However, the presence of the individual before her was undeniable. A different league altogether.
The other person was a monster comparable to the most powerful student Miyako knew, and she had seen this face in the database before setting out to Abydos.
“Are you… Takamachi Hoshino, the Vice Student Council President of Abydos High School?”
“Isn’t the Student Council a fascinating place? You’re gathering information diligently, even though you have no intention of helping Abydos—it’s hard to express in words.”
“…Is it annoying?”
“Hmm… maybe that’s close. Oh, and just so you know, I’m not some grand Vice Student Council President, so please don’t misunderstand.”
After hearing Saki’s words, Hoshino slightly nodded and approached a distinctive person in Miyako’s group — the only male amongst the RABBIT Squad, who was 24 cm taller than the already tallest Mohe.
Naturally, the members of the RABBIT Squad tightened at the thought of having to protect the teacher, and Saki lifted her gun, but…
“Don’t worry, Saki.”
“…Got it, teacher.”
The teacher placed a hand on Saki’s shoulder, stopping her. Observing Hoshino, the teacher judged she wouldn’t harm them at that moment.
The teacher removed the gas mask and stepped forward to face Hoshino, extending a hand.
“Nice to meet you, Hoshino. I’m the advisor teacher of the federal investigation club —”
Kugugugu—
“…Hehe?”
The faint vibrations soon quieted down. A gigantic snake raised its head in a distance barely visible to the naked eye.
The long-dormant sandstorm began to color the sky yellow once again.
“…Is that the desert monster mentioned in the letter?”
In response to the teacher’s question, Hoshino nodded and spoke.
“It seems better to discuss this later… Did you bring any cover strong enough to shield the vehicles, teacher?”
Fortunately, the preparedness of the SRT was thorough, if not nearly perfect.
