NOVEL NEXT In the game Blue Archive, if you were to pick those with the most unfortunate backgrounds, I would dare to choose the students from Arius Branch.
Arius was once one of the many branches of Trinity, but during the past council, it is said that they stubbornly opposed the decision to merge the branches into a single large academy. As a result, Arius was branded as heretical by Trinity’s T-party, and unable to resist the oppression from their minions, the Justina Temple Association, they lost everything and ended up being expelled from Trinity.
After that, whether out of regret or guilt, with the help of the Justina Temple Association, Arius hid in ruins where no one knew their location, beginning to rebuild in dire circumstances.
And then, unexpectedly, Beatrice from Gematria arrived at Arius, which had been living through a harsh internal conflict among themselves for a long time. This insane woman thoroughly remodeled Arius to fit her desired direction, driving their already severe situation into the worst possible state.
Actually, this is why I am overly cautious about Beatrice’s power. While I cannot be sure of her strength, I concluded that underestimating her would be a mistake, as she managed to completely subdue Arius at that time.
Considering they were in a civil war, Arius’s actual number of combatants, training levels, and armament status might be lower than I think, but I find it difficult to be confident about that. Without sure information on the opponent’s strength, it was only natural for me to approach carefully.
In any case, Beatrice, now the ruler of the Arius Autonomous District, instills hatred towards Trinity and Gehenna in the students, distorting the virtue of humility into a lesson that everything is in vain and they shouldn’t harbor hope.
In order to create soldiers to be thrown away at will, she engages in absurd gaslighting using the bizarre logic that “you have engraved the will to kill in your hearts, so you are no different from murderers,” while simultaneously imposing harsh military training, binding them with shackles so they can’t escape.
However, even in such cruel and barren land, flowers bloom. I can confidently state that Jomae Saori and Shirase Azusa are proof of that.
The only difference between the two is that while Jomae Saori was trampled and uprooted before her flower could fully bloom, Shirase Azusa managed to meet good connections and flourish brightly thanks to the protective fence that was Saori.
“…You’ve come.”
In a quiet playground where I previously met with the Arius students, beside the swing I intended to sit on, there stood a flower that had been hopelessly broken.
I will help this flower rise again and meet a future where it can bloom brilliantly.
Jomae Saori confesses her sins and true feelings to Misono Mika, hoping for a second chance with deep sincerity.
Misono Mika finds salvation in witnessing Jomae Saori surrender all and repent in the final moments before revenge.
But that completed narrative crumbles here today. Even if the story I want to depict is far from perfect and its coherence is lacking, I don’t want to condone a story that brings pain and trials to students since this has become the world I live in.
Ignoring Saori, who looks at me with her head turned, I leisurely walk over and settle on the swing. It might be an unexpected action, but I don’t think Saori will be flustered.
“Heh, when I met your schoolmates last time, I caught a cold, so I came wearing an extra layer today, but it turns out the weather is warmer than I thought. Is it okay if I take it off for a bit? Yeah, there’s absolutely no way I’d catch a cold.”
“…”
“Hehe, but seriously, your vibe is amazing! Standing like that, it’s like… I don’t know, you almost feel like a movie star? Super cool☆”
“Let’s cut the useless chatter and get to the point, Trinity.”
Wow, Saori doesn’t even flinch at compliments. It really feels like convincing her with just words won’t be easy.
“Well, if that’s what you want… but you know, last time you guys came in a whole crowd, but this time it’s surprisingly just you? Does that mean you’re in a higher position, or are you just a worthless pawn? Maybe it’s both! What do you think, hm?”
“…You’ve got too much to say for what you heard.”
“Hehe! Yep, people around me say that’s my charm.”
Saori came alone? Haha, that’s impossible.
Since I avoided a conflict with the Arius students the last time they visited, my strength remains an unknown to them. It makes no sense to send just Saori like this. She’s still one of Arius’s top forces; she won’t be tossed aside like trash.
Which means other squad members are likely laying in ambush nearby. The fact that they arrived earlier than scheduled suggests they were scouting the area to secure favorable terrain.
Mika, Atsuko, Hiyori, and Azusa.
Hiyori, the sniper, is likely somewhere near the church next door. I can’t pinpoint where the others are hiding, but frankly speaking, barring Azusa, the individuals themselves don’t pose a significant threat. Mika, when armed, certainly deserves vigilance, but to be honest, I don’t think I can take a missile hit with my current body specs.
However, assuming Azusa is present, I cannot exclude the possibility of booby traps being laid all around. The squad being here first means the perfect setup for Azusa to unleash her strengths. It’s possible I might struggle more than expected when facing the Arius squad due to my lack of combat experience.
If an actual battle occurs, I just hope the existence of Arius does not leak out. Even in a sparse area, too much noise at this late hour could pose a problem.
By the way, even though she must have known I was alone last time, the fact she’s prepared for combat shows just how much of a street-smart person Saori is…
“Knowing more than anyone that we hold contempt towards Trinity, are you allowed to be so defenseless in front of me? What kind of confidence do you have?”
“Hey, isn’t that too intimidating to say to someone who’s asking for reconciliation? We haven’t even exchanged a few words yet, and here you are outright threatening me… It’s a bit sad, I guess. Still, it seems you’re of higher status than the kids I saw last time, so that’s somewhat of a relief?”
“You clearly stated that you wish to seek forgiveness for the sins Trinity committed against Arius.”
What’s this? Is she just going to say what she wants? Then I’ll say what I want too.
“Hey, hey. Hearing that makes me curious! Was that conveyed by the kids who came before, or did you only hear what you wanted to hear? Um, I remember saying reconciliation, not forgiveness, back then…”
“Right, forgiveness. Do you think a sinner has the right to discuss reconciliation without being forgiven?”
“…Ah, I get it.”
I think I know what’s happening here.
Isn’t Beatrice behind this? To delve deeper into my intentions, or to steer the conversation in her desired direction. I probably let slip that I’m looking for forgiveness, hence this situation.
Perhaps something came to her mind after hearing what I said. For instance… yes, using my desire to seek forgiveness from the Arius side to turn me into a spy within Trinity.
“Hehe, you hit the nail on the head! Right, that’s only natural…”
I deliberately trailed off and subtly surveyed the surroundings. It’s quite hard to notice at night, but if someone pays keen attention, they might spot a hidden trap here or there, especially considering it’s not something I outright disregarded.
“So, what kind of apology are you looking for? Would kneeling and bowing my head in front of you suffice as proof? Or are you looking for some form of monetary compensation? You wouldn’t be satisfied with mere words, would you?”
As suspected, now that I’m searching, things indeed come to light. Things I suspect to be traps like a nearby discarded soda can rigged to trigger or an explosive buried and covered with leaves.
If it were autumn, I probably wouldn’t have even noticed the latter.
“Before that, tell me exactly what position you hold in Trinity. We need to know whether your words can hold any weight. No more vague statements like last time.”
I confirmed that there are booby traps laid out. This gave me certainty that the squad was preparing for potential combat. Including Azusa, this revealed the true strength of the Arius Squad which the original work did not showcase.
I turn to look at Saori. She’s still leaning against the pole, looking at me, but her hands have taken position on her rifle, ready for action at any moment.
Personally, I find the dagger at her thigh a little concerning.
The reason I chose to come to the swings directly without maintaining a distance for conversation was to ensure I could strike first with a clear shot at Saori. I moved to close the distance while forgetting the fact that she has armament that could pose a threat in close quarters.
Let me give some excuses—how could a person remember everything? The truth is, I can’t even perfectly remember important events in the story.
“Hehe, regarding my position in Trinity… that’s quite a pointed question. It’s something only I or someone from Trinity can pursue. What do you think that means?”
“We have an inkling from our side. We merely wish to verify that hypothesis directly from your mouth.”
To be honest, I had no intention of purely persuading the Arius squad with just my words here.
More accurately, I didn’t have the confidence to do so.
Considering that these kids have undergone brainwashing education under Beatrice for a whole decade, it’s not something that could be resolved with just a few meetings and a handful of my words. If I could enlighten them with mere words about the facts realized through plenty of incidents in the original, I’d be like Jesus.
Therefore, in terms of the Arius squad, I plan to use a little bit of a cheat. Although I have possessed Mika’s body, it’s not even the proper start point for the original timeline, and I haven’t had significant encounters to use that knowledge. All I’ve done is slightly benefit from Kaiser Corporation’s stocks or helped out other students.
“Interestingly, Trinity has three student council presidents, and one of them rotates through the most authority. If you hadn’t been expelled during the first council, it’s conceivable that you might’ve had a position. I’m one of the current T-party student council presidents and the one with the most authority, the leader of the Arius squad, Jomae Saori.”
I’m going to manipulate the squad to my liking.
“You… what did you just… Gah?!”
In this process, I certainly anticipated that there would be a forceful clash. That’s why I narrowed the distance with Saori. To occupy a position where I could incapacitate her unexpectedly through close combat.
Thud—!!!
I grabbed Saori by the collar and slammed her to the ground. Following that, I made sure to first snatch her dagger. As expected, the moment I moved, a shot rang out, shattering windows from within the church, so I stepped back a few paces to dodge the sniper fire.
“Hehe, I hope that didn’t hurt too much! If it did, I’m sorry☆”
“Cough… How did you even find out about our identities…?”
“Not just you, Saori-chan. I know all your squad members hiding in ambush nearby too: Imashino Misaki, Tsuchinaga Hiyori, Hikari Atsuko, Shirase Azusa. I know them all☆ you curious how I know about them?”
Without hesitation, I tossed the dagger towards the previously memorized position to confirm the existence of the booby traps, simultaneously intending to remove them.
Clang—
The dagger soared through the air and promptly struck the soda can, creating a sound that echoed. Then,
Boom—!!!
“Whoa—?!”
…What the hell? What kind of flashbang trap did Azusa set up? Given that this area is somewhat abandoned, if it weren’t, that sound would’ve caused a ruckus throughout the neighborhood.
Even from a distance, the excessively loud noise left me momentarily stunned. Thankfully, I wasn’t looking directly at it; it could’ve been risky if I had faced that explosion head-on at night. The durability of Kivotos students seems abnormal, as it feels like the impact is stronger than a regular flashbang.
Thanks to me blocking her view, I could confirm that Saori, while still on the ground, was taking shooting posture. But her bodily reactions are slightly delayed.
She somehow managed to react and move, but was unable to dodge a couple of bullets. Honestly, it’s nothing more than a scratch, but had I known, I shouldn’t have triggered the booby traps in the first place.
I should have just held onto Saori and subdued her right there, but my aversion to directly harming the kids made it backfire. It’s strange that I feel okay with shooting yet uneasy about punching them; I don’t even understand that duality myself.
Soon, gunfire erupted from various places. Azusa and Atsuko were hiding surprisingly close in the playground, while Mika seemed to be observing the situation from somewhere. Saori was back in position, ready to join forces.
Now that things have come to this, I have no choice. I should first subdue them and try to engage in a conversation slowly. It seems they share the same thought as I do.