It was unbelievable.
She told herself it couldn't be true, over and over… but it was.
"Hey! Did someone just shoot down our shells with cars!?" a Disciplinary Committee member screamed.
"They're still coming—kya!" another yelped.
"What!? What's happening!? What's out there!?" a third wailed.
"Iori-senpai! Chinatsu-senpai! Orders—argh!" another cried, cut off by chaos.
"Why… why is this happening!?" Ako Amau groaned, clutching her head.
"I told you we should retreat!" Chinatsu snapped. "Abydos has that guy! Ugh, I'm done!"
Her fellow Disciplinary Committee member, who'd been urging a quick capture-and-retreat plan, was now on the verge of tears, whimpering, "Forget Problem Solver 68! I'm not fighting that guy! It's impossible!"
"What the hell is going on!?" Ako shouted.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOOOOOM!
Cars and trucks rained down on their position. What in Kivotos was lurking in Abydos!?
"Hmph! Hmph! Hmph! Hmph!" Mash grunted, hurling vehicles like dodgeballs.
"Sensei, stop!" Aru pleaded.
"Hmph? What's up?" Mash paused, mid-throw.
"Just… stop for a sec!" Aru said.
"Why?" Mash asked.
"'Cause it's pitiful!" Aru cried.
"Looks like hell over there," Kayoko noted, eyeing the wreckage.
"Burning cars and trucks everywhere," Mutsuki added, whistling.
"Um, is it okay for Sensei to fight like this…?" Haruka asked nervously.
"Probably fine. He's Shale's Sensei," Hoshino said.
"Let's just stop, okay?" Aru insisted.
"If Aru-chan says so," Mash shrugged, halting his barrage.
The Disciplinary Committee had fired shells at them, and Mash responded by chucking cars and trucks relentlessly. Feeling sorry for them, Aru stopped him, and Mash complied.
"Who are those guys? Gehenna students?" Mash asked. "Why're they in Abydos?"
"Chasing us, probably," Kayoko said. "Wonder if they got permission."
"If not, that's a huge issue," Mutsuki said. "Their chairwoman wouldn't let it slide."
"Look, someone's running from the back!" Haruka pointed.
"That's… the Disciplinary Committee's vanguard captain!" Aru exclaimed.
From the chaos of the bombarded area, one figure sprinted toward them.
"You bastards!" she roared.
It was Iori Shiromi, Gehenna Disciplinary Committee's vanguard captain, charging with her trusty Crackshot rifle blazing.
"They're coming!" Haruka squeaked.
"She's the captain… so she ordered the attack," Kayoko said.
"Wait, Sensei, no!" Aru cried. "She attacked, sure, but—"
"Time for punishment," Mash said, dashing forward.
"Sensei!?" Aru yelped.
Iori fired, but Mash dodged effortlessly, closing the gap.
"Who're you!?" Iori demanded.
"Mash Burnedead. The guy throwing cars and trucks," Mash replied.
"That was you!?" Iori shrieked. "Everyone's terrified over there! Bullets don't hurt us much, but scary's scary!"
"You shot first," Mash pointed out.
Iori aimed her rifle, but Mash grabbed it. He considered snapping it but remembered guns were a pain to fix.
"Confiscated," Mash said, yanking it away.
"Hey!?" Iori gasped.
He held it high, out of reach.
"Give it back!" Iori demanded, jumping.
"Nope," Mash said.
"Give it baaack!" Iori whined, hopping like a kid after a stolen toy.
"The vanguard captain's being toyed with…" Kayoko muttered.
"Not toyed with!" Iori snapped, aiming a kick at Mash's abs.
CRACK!
"OWWWW!" Iori screamed, clutching her foot and rolling on the ground.
(That was a bone-breaking sound!) Aru thought.
*(Did she break her foot!?) Mutsuki gaped.
*(From kicking his abs!?) Haruka blinked.
"My abs are super hard," Mash said.
"There's a limit to hardness!" Iori wailed, writhing.
Soon, the battered Disciplinary Committee and Abydos students arrived.
"Sensei, what—what's this mess!?" Serika exclaimed.
"Why's Gehenna's Disciplinary Committee here?" Ayane asked.
"Um… they're…" Shiroko started.
"Crying?" they all chorused.
The Committee aimed their guns at Mash, half-sobbing.
"You did that!?" one cried, teary-eyed.
"It was scarier than bullets!" another whimpered.
"You shot first," Mash said, unfazed.
"Iori… let me see," Chinatsu said, tending to Iori's foot. "There, there. We'll complain to Ako-chan later."
"Chinatsu-chan?" Mash recognized her.
"Sensei… been a while," Chinatsu said.
"Why's Gehenna fighting here!?" Serika demanded.
"Just hand over Problem Solver 68, and we'll leave," Chinatsu said.
"This is our autonomous zone," Ayane countered. "Combat here is illegal by autonomy laws. Every academy follows that. Even if Problem Solver broke rules, that's our job to handle. They're our… guests, sort of. You can't just do this."
"…Right," Chinatsu sighed. "Also, Sensei caused that damage."
"Sensei did?" Hoshino asked.
"Kinda sorry," Mash admitted.
He apologized smoothly, defusing tension.
"If you resist, we'll treat you as enemies!" a Committee member threatened.
"You think that small group can beat a company?" Serika scoffed.
"One, two, three, five-six, seven-eight," Mash counted, stretching.
"Wait, Sensei, no warm-ups!" Chinatsu pleaded. "I really don't want to fight you… You won't hand over Problem Solver, right?"
A hologram flickered from Chinatsu's communicator.
"Chinatsu, what's the situation?" a voice asked.
"Ako Administrative Officer! Thank goodness!" Chinatsu exclaimed.
"What happened? I step away, and—oh, you," the hologram said, spotting Mash.
It was Ako Amau, Gehenna's third-year Disciplinary Committee No. 2, the administrative officer.
"Ako-chan!" Iori wailed.
"Who're you calling Ako-chan?" Ako snapped. "Why're you about to cry? Did something happen while I was gone?"
"Big time!" Iori sobbed. "You said attack, so we did, and some monster shot down our shells with cars and trucks!"
"…What? That's impossible," Ako said.
"It happened! Believe it or not!" Iori insisted.
Ako had ordered Gehenna's forces to march on Abydos to capture Problem Solver 68, with ulterior motives. But she'd lost track of the situation briefly and had no idea what hit her team.
"Anyway," Ako said, regaining composure, "are you Abydos' student council?"
"Not a council. We're the Countermeasures Committee," Ayane corrected.
"No student council, then… Okuzora-san, right? I wanted to discuss with your council, but can you arrange a meeting?" Ako asked.
"The council's disbanded," Ayane said. "We act in its place. State your business."
"Very well," Ako said. "First, I apologize for our actions. Gehenna's Disciplinary Committee only aimed to arrest Problem Solver 68, rule-breakers who've been a headache. We had no choice. Can you cooperate with our duties?"
"Combat in another academy's zone is clearly illegal," Ayane replied. "Every academy respects autonomy. Even if Problem Solver broke rules, that's our call. They're our guests, more or less. You can't act unilaterally."
"I see," Ako said, scanning the group. "You all agree?"
Mash stared at Ako, puzzled. She smirked.
"Sensei, my real target's you," Ako declared.
"Me?" Mash blinked.
"Shale's Sensei… You're suspicious," Ako said. "A kid with no history appears during treaty negotiations, leading an extralegal organization and backing one academy. You've already connected with Trinity's Justice Task Force and, recently, the Tea Party."
"The Tea Party… Hifumi's info," Mash muttered.
"Shale's an unpredictable variable in treaty talks," Ako continued. "We're too busy to monitor your movements. So, before Shale grows with Trinity or others' support, we'll secure you. It's easier if you're under our watch."
"What!?" Aru snapped. "We're just a side note? Then why attack us!?"
"Hoping to neutralize you quickly," Ako said. "Logical, right?"
"We didn't know that!" Aru protested.
"Sorry, you'd have objected," Ako smirked.
Ako had abused her authority, deploying Gehenna's forces to clash with Abydos and capture Mash, sidelining Problem Solver 68 as a bonus.
"Now, Sensei, about my offer…" Ako began.
"…" Mash stared blankly.
"He's… passed out?" Ako gaped.
"There's the usual," Hoshino sighed. "Sensei!"
"Huh!?" Mash jolted awake. "Sorry, too much info. Brain short-circuited."
(Could've just kidnapped him… Is this guy really Sensei?) Ako thought.
"Um, one thing's been bugging me," Mash said.
"What?" Ako asked.
"Your boobs are showing from the side," Mash said bluntly.
"…!" Ako froze.
(He said it! He just called out the thing we were all thinking!) the group thought, stunned.
Ako's outfit was wild—sideboob fully exposed, adorned with handcuffs and a cowbell. Downright scandalous.
"Did someone rip it or prank you?" Mash asked.
"What are you talking about!?" Ako stammered.
"That's Ako's fashion!" a Committee member shouted.
"Yeah, her style!" another added.
The half-crying Committee members rallied, but Mash trembled.
"So… you chose that? Thinking it's fashionable? That's… perverted. Gotta call the cops," Mash said.
The Abydos crew burst out laughing, and even Problem Solver 68 cracked up.
"N-No!" Ako sputtered through the hologram. "I don't think it's cute or mature or anything! I don't like this bold outfit! I hate it!" She scrambled to cover herself, throwing on a jacket.
"Pain in the…" Kayoko muttered.
"Kayoko-chan's so honest," Mutsuki giggled.
"Anyway!" Ako snapped, regaining composure. "Sensei, you're coming with us quietly. Resist, and we'll use force."
Ako smirked confidently, but Iori, Chinatsu, and the others protested.
"No way! I'm not fighting him!" Iori cried.
"Never again!" Chinatsu added.
"Against it!" the mob chorused.
"What's wrong with you!?" Ako barked. "It's an order! Why're you scared of one guy with no halo!?"
"You don't know how terrifying he is!" Iori wailed.
Ako scoffed, but she'd soon understand. Nonomi approached Mash.
"Sensei, this is going nowhere," she said. "Can you do something… big?"
"Big?" Mash asked.
"Like… a tornado?" Nonomi suggested.
"No way," Serika said. "Even Sensei can't control weather… right?"
"I can probably make a tornado," Mash said.
"What!?" the group gasped.
"Stay back," Mash said. "Kinda annoyed at Ako-chan."
Mash stripped off his shirt, neatly handing it to Shiroko, and kicked off his shoes.
"Those… muscles," Kayoko gaped.
"So ripped! And perfect!" Mutsuki marveled.
"Hawawa…" Haruka blushed.
"That's Sensei's body," Hoshino said. "What trials did he endure… Wait, what's he doing?"
Spin… spin, spin!
"What's that?" Aru asked. "What's he doing?"
Mash started spinning rhythmically. Those who knew him thought, No way…
Whirl, whirl, whirl!
"No way…" Aru whispered.
"No way, no way…" Kayoko echoed.
"No way, no way, no way… That's…!" Iori gasped.
Mash struck a pose, hands supporting his body—a breakdance stance. He'd read a breakdance book and memorized it.
Spin, spin, spin!
"What!?" a Committee member yelled. "A gust's kicking up!"
"No way—" another started.
WHOOOOOSH!
Mash spun faster, head as the axis, whipping up a tornado. It grew into a hurricane, sucking in scattered debris.
"What the hell!?" Ako shrieked.
"I told you he's not normal!" Chinatsu cried.
"A breakdance tornado!?" Iori wailed. "Why's it even happening!?"
ROOOOAR!
The tornado raged, weather turning stormy. Debris swirled wildly.
"My skirt's flipping!" Aru yelped.
"Forget that!" Kayoko shouted. "Haruka, don't let go!"
"Y-Yes!" Haruka clung tightly.
Mash stopped spinning. The debris crashed toward him. He leaped, channeling strength into his legs.
"Hmph!" KICK!
He obliterated the debris with a single kick, scattering it like dust.
"…!" Ako's hologram froze, eyes wide, mouth agape, knees buckling.
"Ako's out cold!" Chinatsu cried.
"No way… He's a human weapon!" Iori gasped.
"Gotta write my will…" a Committee member muttered.
The Disciplinary Committee dropped their weapons, morale shattered. Even Abydos and Problem Solver 68's faces shrank in awe.
"You said you'd secure me, keep me close," Mash said, approaching the hologram. "Can you really do that?"
"A… Awa… Awawa…" Ako stammered, face pale.
"You ordered the attack, right? I'll come to you. Wait up," Mash said.
"Eek!" Ako's hologram flickered, terrified.
As Ako scrambled for excuses, a new voice cut through.
"What… What's this? Why's everyone down? Why's there no debris left?" a small figure asked.
"No way… The Disciplinary Chairwoman!?" Chinatsu gasped.
"The top dog?" Hoshino asked.
"Ako, explain," the figure demanded.
"H-Hina Chairwoman…" Ako whimpered.
Petite, with long, fluffy white hair and a massive halo—the largest Mash had seen—Gehenna's strongest student, Hina Sorasaki, stood before them.
Afterword
Hina-chan's here!! By the way, isn't Ako's outfit insane? First time I saw it, I was an astronaut cat. Hanako's swimsuit might be even crazier, though. Please rate, comment, and share activity report ideas! Typo reports are super appreciated!