The coastal area bordering Gehenna and Trinity was essentially a semi-abandoned zone. Remnants of battles long past still lingered, with traces of anti-tank mines yet to be cleared. It had been a small battlefield at best, not even a strategic point, so the aftermath was left unaddressed.
If there was any value in this region, it would be that the sandy beach stretched long, making it a decent spot for relaxation. But the fact that it was on the border of two autonomous districts diminished that value to near-zero.
If someone wanted leisure, there was no reason to seek out this border area, which was more inconvenient than a thorn in the foot, resulting in both academies steering clear of it.
[The student council, exploiting the labor of workers in this sweltering weather, needs to wake up!]
[Wake up! Wake up!]
A loud voice echoed over the long-neglected coast through a megaphone. It was a girl, overly engrossed in the proletariat movement, clamoring for the rights of workers like a spoiled child.
“Ugh… so annoying. Why can’t the Student Council President, who insisted on taking this job, handle it properly instead of dumping it on us?”
Though she casually complained, Hina’s eyes shone with an almost obsessive determination, suggesting she was more than just dedicated—maybe she was workaholic level dedicated. It seemed that if anyone crossed her path incorrectly, they might end up in deep trouble.
“Oh, but I’m actually glad to spend this time alone with Hina-chan after so long. Especially since there’s no need to worry about anyone else’s gaze☆ It feels a bit lonely to think I’m the only one feeling this way…”
“Mika, keep personal and professional matters separate. We’re here to work, not to play.”
“Aha! As much as I look like this, I can certainly distinguish between the two. But it is true that being at the beach with Hina-chan is making me feel a bit elated!”
“Ugh…”
Suddenly, Hina yanked her hand away from mine and stomped ahead. However, her small strides meant that we weren’t really far apart.
“You are an enigma. Seeing how you’re unaware of things, your attitude probably isn’t special just for me…”
“Well, if Hina-chan isn’t special, then who on Earth would be special?”
“Ugh… that’s what makes it both appealing and frustrating. It’s obvious everyone around you feels the same way.”
Hina kicked at the sand with the toes of her boots, clearly displeased. I thought it was cute, resembling a sulky child, but I couldn’t help but wonder if I had done something wrong.
Hmm.
Hmm…
I still had no idea.
“Hina-chan, I don’t know what I did wrong, but I’m sorry☆ So please forgive me, okay?”
I crept up behind Hina, hugged her, and hung on her slightly. Hina went rigid for a moment but then relaxed, taking a deep breath.
“I’m not really angry. It’s just…”
Hina pulled away from my grasp, showing off her gloves as she removed my arm wrapped around her neck. If she had used strength, she could’ve easily held it, but still, we needed to keep work and play distinct. Hina putting on gloves symbolized it was time to focus on work, which meant I had to stop joking around.
“I don’t dislike spending time alone with you… I just wanted to say that, Mika.”
“…Huh?”
My mind went blank for a second. I never imagined Hina would say something like that. I thought we were just good friends, but I never had certainty that she felt the same way.
“Hehe. You get flustered sometimes too… Let’s get to work, Mika. After that, if you’re okay with it, we can go eat some shaved ice…”
“Huh? Shaved ice…?”
“Well, Aco suggested we should eat together—ugh?!”
“Oh my gosh, for the second time, Hina-chan is the one suggesting we should go somewhere… I’m totally moved! I must thank Aco-chan too!”
“Let go, Mika… I can’t breathe… Ugh…!”
“Oh, sorry!”
In my mind, I thanked Aco and Minori. Thanks to them, I realized there was still hope for our Student Council President.
Living a life chained to work is just too tiring and sad, isn’t it, Hina?
*
[The Student Council is strongly demanding that our laborers, who suffer day and night, receive overtime pay for holidays! Additionally, if we don’t get a pudding every day, our protests and demonstrations will continue without end!]
The presence of Minori Yamamori, the ‘Demon of Protests’ hailing from Red Winter Academy, loomed over the entire beach.
According to the Student Council President, the reason they couldn’t mobilize the SRT special academy to suppress this situation was that the demonstrators were the very core personnel of the scene. The Red Winter Academy’s labor division was notorious for their unrivaled skills in Kivotos. To finish preparations for the festival in a short time, they had no choice but to rely on the Red Winter labor division.
In reality, it seemed Minori’s infamous mindset was still not rooted in her. Yet, it was hard to believe the President wouldn’t be aware of the reputation Minori would eventually establish.
Still, it stood to reason that hiring the Red Winter labor division would provide her with some confidence in controlling them. Yet standing here and witnessing the situation, it appeared that was not the case.
Hmm, did I perhaps overestimate the Student Council President? If you asked whether Minori’s tendencies mattered, the President might answer, “No.”
I also figured this was information that someone of her status wouldn’t necessarily need to remember. I merely thought maybe she would remember such details.
“With the budget allocated for this scene, there should have been enough to compensate them… Could someone be embezzling in the middle?”
While I couldn’t hide my disbelief at the sight of dozens of students protesting, inexplicably, something inside me bubbled up. Wasn’t it perhaps necessary to ignite the revolution in front of the Student Council President before coming here…?
Anyway, we needed to suppress this unrest quickly to keep the festival on track. So it might be best to take this situation a little more seriously.
“Haha, that’s probably not the case. Would there be someone so bold as to embezzle money when the Student Council President has stepped up to manage it directly? It might be more credible if the President herself pocketed the cash.”
“…!”
After a brief moment of silence, Hina and I exchanged glances.
“…Nah, that can’t be right.”
“Hmm…”
Nah, certainly not. There’s no way the Student Council President would risk getting caught stealing funds. Surely someone of her caliber wouldn’t embezzle the budgets of two academies solely in the pretext of looking after teachers.
“Let’s put that aside for now… Hina-chan, shouldn’t we calm those kids down first?”
“…Yeah, let’s do that.”
Clack.
…Huh?
In the blink of an eye, Hina strapped on her multi-purpose machine gun and boldly stepped forward. Her concealed wings behind her spread wide open, and her student council coat billowed in the sea breeze.
[Workers’ rights! More compensation! Our struggle—wait? Is that the Gehenna Student Council… and even a student from Trinity? So, the Student Council is finally responding to our negotiations!]
Uh no, that’s a machine gun… Gehenna’s relentless chainsaw is now locking onto you with the intent to slice you up!
“Hina-chan… calming down and suppression are completely different concepts! And if those kids get hurt, the project will be completely halted?!”
“Muru-kun, instead of worrying, it’s better to give them a nice half-day break. Honestly, if they’re working without holidays, they’d probably appreciate just being able to rest like this. Besides, it’s quicker to put down a protest rather than let it drag on.”
“But those kids aren’t from Gehenna… Ah, I don’t know anymore! Just let Hina-chan do what she wants!”
I had to try to stop her. But maybe, just like Hina said, it might be better to subdue the protest before attempting to have a dialogue. In the heat of protest, even the last shred of reason tends to fly away with the winds of incitement.
[Wait?! Why are you pulling out that menacing gun! You think you can stamp down on our proletariat like this?! But don’t underestimate our united will, comrades—]
Pewwwww—tattatatatatat!!!
Hina’s machine gun roared to life. The bullets, wrapped in an overwhelming aura, mercilessly doused the demonstrators.
But Kivotos could shake off something like this in half a day even after taking shots straight on. It looked extreme, yet it wasn’t really all that extreme when you broke it down.
Anyway, it was incredible that Hina could maintain stance while wielding a multi-purpose machine gun meant to be fired from a mounted position despite her small stature. I noticed that others shooting felt similarly unrealistic.
It might not be my place to comment since I could empty a cartridge of an SMG without recoil, but…
To be able to discharge a magazine while standing when your height barely exceeds 140 cm was something even I, who knew nothing of firearms before coming to Kivotos, could recognize as absurd.
[Whooooah——krrrr.]*
Amidst Hina’s relentless shooting, Minori’s megaphone grew quiet. Hina, having finished shooting without giving them a chance for any proper counterattack, ferociously opened the cover of her machine gun.
Clack. Rattle. Clack.
“Hmm…? Hina-chan, that’s a bit of an overdo—”
Pewww—tatatata!!!
“But it’s suppression…”
In a moment, Hina had reloaded and moved to unleash another round of fire. With nearly 250 rounds in a magazine, I felt a wave of guilt wash over me for the Red Winter labor division and the workers hired from everywhere else.
Hina, mercilessly raining down a hail of bullets upon the innocent workers who merely wished for some pudding… no guarantees, but they might have been benign souls, and yet she crushed their resolve violently.
Watching the scene unfold, a flame kindled within me. It was a feeling that could only be described as pride.
But now wasn’t the time. I kept reminding myself that my burning competitive spirit against that demon had to be subdued. We had already agreed that our rivalry would be settled during the summer festival.
“…It’s a bit disappointing that there wasn’t even a semblance of a proper rebellion. Was it predictable, though?”
“Ahaha… Those kids probably didn’t expect to be crushed so mercilessly… Hina-chan is just so—”
Tatadadadadang!!!
“My heart… is too soft…”
…What was that?
My forehead felt slightly prickly. My neck was turning a bit as well.
[You evil bourgeois! You think you can suppress our proletariat like this?!]
…Aha. They just shot me, huh? With a 7.62 mm round.
[And give back my megaphone! If I hadn’t been using a spare megaphone, our protest would have been—]
Bang! Split! Boom!
“Wha—?! My spare megaphone!”
One bullet turned Minori’s megaphone into ‘once a megaphone.’ I thought it was a practically artistic shot. If I could put a hole in the front of her helmet, it’d be a masterpiece.
“Wait, Mika, just calm down for a second—”
“Hina-chan? Shh.”
“…”
I understand that the envious feelings towards the sibling trying to stop me make sense, but getting yourself into trouble is ultimately self-inflicted.
Right, Minori?
