The explosion was spectacular. As Mohe desired, splendid flames erupted, coloring the desert.
“Haa… Heueng… This is the prettiest~!”
Crunching the candy in her mouth, Mohe blushed and kept giggling. Onlookers who rushed out at the sound of the explosion wiped their foreheads in disbelief.
In a situation where it wouldn’t be strange for Mika to pop out and say, “The teacher is being deceived,” the teacher realized they shouldn’t only focus on Miyu.
The RABBIT Squad was a place overflowing with energetic students, even beyond the teacher’s imagination.
“…I can’t be sure a desert monster will come, but I think it’s best to prepare for battle just in case.”
No one opposed Ayane’s opinion, silently gearing up for combat. Saki and Miyako drove vehicles forward, burying mines deep in various locations in preparation for the engagement.
Miyu set up on the rooftop of Abydos Headquarters, and without a shred of guilt, Mohe grinned as she prepared to launch the high-powered anti-tank missile she’d set up in advance.
High on the dopamine rush from the earlier “accident,” Mohe eagerly anticipated a follow-up explosion. It was clear she’d be more disappointed than anyone else if Vina didn’t show up.
Seeing the RABBIT Squad prepare for battle, the emergency committee completed their own arming and waited for the unusual occurrence.
Just as the students began to think that perhaps nothing would come, a voice echoed.
“Something’s approaching! Estimated encounter time is in about 3 minutes…!”
As Ayane warned, the ground started to tremble.
“…Current time 14:35. RABBIT Squad, starting [Broccoli] operation targeting the desert monster. The objective is to confirm the weapon’s power against the target and repel it…”
Miyako, speaking into the radio, slowly swallowed her pride and quietly added a line.
“RABBIT 1 will now follow the teacher’s orders.”
“Wha, what…?”
Saki was taken aback at Miyako handing over command, which she normally took for herself.
“Whether it’s Miyako, Saki, or the teacher… I don’t care who has command. This is RABBIT 3. If you need missile support, just say the word, teacher~ Kuhihi.”
“RABBIT 4… Can I really do well…?”
“…Tch, it can’t be helped. RABBIT 2 will also follow the teacher’s orders.”
As Mohe and Miyu complied without protest, Saki reluctantly declared she would follow the teacher’s orders too.
“That’s right! It’s only natural for students to listen to the teacher, right?”
“…Yeah. Tactical command, please, Teacher.”
“I… I don’t particularly like it, but… don’t mess up and do it right?!”
“Uhe~ Everyone’s so energetic, it looks good on you. I feel like this old man can just slip away.”
“Alright, from now on, everyone follow the instructions well.”
Suddenly thrust into the role of commander, the teacher replied with confidence instead of panic.
“30 seconds until encounter!”
As the ground trembled to the point of feeling like an earthquake, Mohe, timing it just right, activated the remote detonator.
Kwaaaaang!!!
The buried mines exploded all at once, sending smoke billowing. In that moment, the ground’s rumbling ceased.
“…It’s coming!”
Breaking a moment of silence, Vina’s head shot up high from the ground. It seemed she hadn’t taken damage from the mines, as her armor showed no signs of injury.
Miyako concluded that it must be moving from deeper underground than they expected and decided to skip future mine placements altogether.
As Vina revealed herself, a sandstorm kicked up even more. It was truly the worst battlefield, a horrifying environment indeed.
This was the teacher’s first real experience since coming to Kivotos.
*
Although she promised Hoshino help, the question was where to start.
With the addition of the RABBIT Squad and the emergency committee, could they capture Vina? It crossed her mind, but considering the story, it seemed there had never been a successful defeat of the Decagramaton’s seer.
If this were a simple game scenario, that would be one thing, but since it wasn’t, it was hard to imagine how the conflict would unfold.
Worst case, if that huge mechanical serpent disrupted their formation, it would be crushed, right?
No… thinking about it, these students might just be tough enough to endure the crush.
Anyway, when it came time to truly hunt down Vina, she was eager to dive in and help. Hoshino, who had initially been reluctant to accept help, actually contacting her and requesting assistance was a surprise.
However, the real issue dug deeper. Those currently in Abydos wouldn’t be able to find a solution to the desertification problem on their own.
Thus, the two groups closely tied to Abydos… Saint Nephthys and Kaiser Corporation. These two seemed to have the best chances, and if there was hope to cling to, it would likely be with Saint Nephthys.
Since she didn’t know the tendencies or motives of Saint Nephthys, it was essential to at least have a conversation with them. She had sent a notice to Kaiser regarding the impending deadline for their previous dealings, but honestly, she wasn’t holding her breath.
So, she reached out through Hanako to contact Saint Nephthys…
“…Were you rejected? Why?”
Seriously, why? Is there really a reason to turn down the meeting request?
“The executives who hold actual power in the company are currently not in a position to meet… This is probably just an excuse. It seems to be a case of either they simply don’t want to talk with Mika-senpai or they were turned down by lower-level staff. Either way, it’s safe to assume one of those two options.”
“So which do you think it is, Hanako-chan?”
“Neither seems particularly rational, so I’m cautious about answering, but I’d say the first option is a bit more likely…”
“…Hmm. That’s troubling. Does this mean I have to reach out to Kaiser again?”
“Do you really think Kaiser can find a solution to Abydos’s problems, Mika-senpai?”
Hesitating for a moment while pondering Hanako’s question, she realized it was indeed unlikely.
But at the moment, given that Saint Nephthys rejected dialogue, the only choice left was Kaiser.
“Hanako-chan, please contact Kaiser right away. Let’s arrange a video call… I need to discuss something briefly.”
“Sure, please wait a moment.”
While Hanako busily handled matters, she poured green tea into an empty teacup. Kaiser wouldn’t easily refuse a call now that they were so much in our… well, actually my sight.
It was inevitable that stress would creep into the situation.
Metaphorically speaking, it felt like a loan shark’s threatening phone call to a debtor. For someone managing Kaiser loans, this was likely quite familiar.
As a result, it took less than 15 minutes to set up a video call with the Kaiser President, and she silently lifted her teacup, taking a sip. It was a gesture to signal him to initiate the conversation.
With a subtle strategic edge, she wanted to remind the President who truly held the weaker position in their relationship.
[…Long time no see, T-party host.]
After savoring the tea with closed eyes, she set the cup down with a gentle smile. Though I was the one in a hurry, I shouldn’t show it.
In reality, the one truly anxious here was me, eager to help Abydos, but the President would be unaware of this. He’d likely think he had his neck on the chopping block in this situation.
I felt I understood a bit why Nagisa would pick up a teacup when she wanted to hide her tension. Simply drinking tea could calm one down significantly.
“Yeah, it’s true. It’s been quite a while since we last spoke.”
[Has it really been almost half a year since we were in touch because of that deal?]
“Haha, that’s right. Now there’s only about ten days left, so I found myself wondering if there’s been any progress? I sent a notice the other day, but that got me thinking. Why hasn’t anyone asked for an extension on the deadline?”
[…Isn’t it basic to adhere to the deadlines? T-party host.]
“No, no, that’s not it. Listen to me, President. If I guess right, it seems you had no intention of accommodating my requests. Isn’t that right? You were probably just full of plans to revitalize the company at all costs back then. So, you likely intended to receive my offer first before deciding on your course of action. Sigh, this is why dealing with conniving folks is a real hassle.”
[That’s not how it is! T-party host, please calm down and let me explain.]
“Eh? So it wasn’t? You should’ve said so earlier!”
Continuing with a beaming smile, I noticed the President’s startled reaction, perfectly aligning with what I wanted to see. As his gaze fell onto the rising corners of my mouth, he seemed flustered.
Once again, it was clear the President was hesitant, aware of my ability to topple his kingdom while also showcasing that I could utilize the “adult” strategies he often preferred.
[Honestly, to put it plainly, I haven’t found that method as of yet.]
“Then ten days would be impossible…”
[…Please just let me finish my point. While I haven’t found the solution yet, we are currently excavating two locations that have the highest potential to yield that method. The reason I didn’t ask for an extension is that if we can’t discover the solution at those sites, the chances of finding a method will be as good as non-existent. It’s not that I plan to remain uncooperative here.]
“Mmm. I hope you’re not trying to appeal to my emotions. Like ‘I’ve shown effort, and since the conditions are nearly impossible, can you cut me some slack?’ That kind of talk sounds exactly what you’re hinting at.”
[…I won’t deny that. Rather than discussing it endlessly, sending someone from our team to bring you here for a demonstration might be more effective. If you want, I can send someone tomorrow.]
Um… tomorrow is a bit tricky. But if I postpone it for personal reasons, that would also be awkward…
“So, what are the promising locations?”
[One of them is where all the glory of Abydos began.]
“Wow—oh?”
No way! This could be a significant lead!
