"Wow…! This is—"
"The sea… YEAH!"
Hifumi and the others arrived at a beach near Trinity's central district. Unusually quiet, it was perfect for their fun. Blue sea, clear sky, hot sand—and a tank.
Yes, a tank.
The Trinity Crusader tank rumbled to a stop on the beach. Hifumi, Azusa, Tsurugi, Koharu, Hanako, and Mashiro disembarked, shouting, "The sea!"
Tsurugi and Azusa's energy hit fortissimo, ready to dive in, but held back, still in their cover-ups.
"Where's Sensei?" Mashiro asked.
"He said he'd handle something first but should be here soon," Hanako replied. "Let's prep to play! ♡"
"…" Koharu sulked.
"Not feeling it, Koharu-chan? Are you sick?" Hanako teased.
"Sick? Yeah, because of you!"
"What?"
"Don't 'what' me!"
Watering down revealing swimsuits was normal, but Hanako's outfit—a large shirt over a swimsuit—was arrest-worthy off the beach.
"Isn't this weird? I'm not wrong, right!?" Hifumi asked.
"You're right, Hifumi. Hanako's the weird one!" Koharu snapped.
"Is it that odd?" Hanako tilted her head.
"Compared to us… yeah," Mashiro said.
"Is that even a swimsuit?" Azusa questioned.
"It's a swimsuit, I swear! ♡" Hanako giggled.
While everyone reacted to Hanako's "swimsuit," Tsurugi looked dejected. Koharu noticed.
"Tsurugi-senpai, what's wrong?"
"…Don't worry about it."
"You can't just say that…"
"Fufu, I get it, Tsurugi-san! ♡" Hanako chimed in.
"Huh!?"
"What's that mean?" Koharu demanded.
"Don't just nod knowingly! Explain!" Azusa added.
"Simple. Tsurugi saw my bold swimsuit and lost confidence in hers! ♡"
"KEE!" Tsurugi leapt back, her face a mix of shock and embarrassment.
"Did you buy that swimsuit to catch Sensei's eye, Tsurugi-senpai?" Koharu asked.
"And then saw Hanako's even wilder one…" Azusa continued.
"And lost confidence! ♡" Hanako finished.
"She's kinda cute for the Task Force leader," Mashiro mused.
"UOOOOH!?" Tsurugi wailed, mortified.
"Don't tease her! It's fine, Tsurugi-senpai! Even dense, choux-cream-brained Sensei will notice your swimsuit!" Koharu encouraged.
But Koharu's own bold swimsuit only deepened Tsurugi's despair.
"Sorry I'm late!" Mash called, arriving.
"Sensei! ♡" Hanako waved.
"I got held up on a call… whoa…"
Everyone froze. Mash gaped at the girls' daring swimsuits, while they stared at his skin-tight fitness swimsuit, showcasing every muscle.
"You're all… bold," Mash said.
"You're one to talk!" Koharu retorted.
"I heard it'd be trunks and an aloha shirt!" Tsurugi stammered.
"That was the plan, but a friend insisted—"
"That's dangerous! The sun, the risks… and you might get targeted! Please wear this!"
"They were adamant, so I gave in," Mash explained.
"Even so, the size!" Koharu protested.
"They said Kivotos barely has men's swimwear, so this was it."
"True, men are rare here," Mashiro noted.
"Your muscles pop more than in your training gear!" Azusa exclaimed.
"Ughhh…" Tsurugi crouched, hiding behind her wings.
"If Sensei's this bold, I must shed my shirt too!" Hanako declared.
"What!? No lewd stuff! Death penalty! I'll douse you!" Koharu shouted.
"Calm down, Koharu-chan," Mash said.
"You're getting the death penalty too!"
"Why…?"
The group grew lively. Mash crouched to Tsurugi. "Looks great, Tsurugi-san. The colors suit you."
"EHEHE!" Tsurugi squealed, delighted.
"That's happy?" Koharu asked.
Hanako, confident her swimsuit would fluster Mash, stepped forward. "Sensei, what do you think?"
Mash grabbed her shoulders. "Hanako-chan!"
"Eek!?"
Tsurugi instinctively covered the younger girls' eyes, though she peeked eagerly.
"Did you not have money for a proper swimsuit?" Mash asked.
"…What?"
"Saying that's a swimsuit is a stretch."
"N-No, I…"
"Did someone rip yours? Who? I'll lecture them."
"No! This is… my choice…"
"Oh, is this a new swimsuit style? Sorry, I'm new to beach stuff—WHOA!"
"Sensei, come here!" Hifumi yanked him away.
"Let's take a break!" Koharu declared.
"Roger!" Mashiro agreed.
"Fufu…" Hanako muttered, crouching, trembling, and red-faced.
"Bad matchup, Hanako," Tsurugi teased.
"I'm fine!"
"No one's convinced when you're shaking like that," Tsurugi said.
Hanako's plan failed. Mash, desensitized by bunny girls and officials' wild swimsuits, was unfazed.
"No strategy left…" Hanako sighed.
Hang in there, Hanako.
With everyone gathered, they dove into beach fun.
"Too many things to do… I can't decide," Hifumi said.
"How about sandcastles?" Hanako suggested, recovering.
"Sand… castle?" Tsurugi tilted her head.
"Have you made one, Sensei?" Hifumi asked.
"Nope, never," Mash admitted.
"Seriously!?" Koharu gasped.
"Yup. Koharu-chan, you know how?"
"Of course! I'm an elite! Watch, I'll make something amazing! Hifumi, help!"
"Okay!"
Tsurugi, Azusa, and Mash, clueless about sandcastles, watched Koharu and Hifumi work eagerly, if clumsily.
"Love," Mash said.
"Love, indeed," Mashiro agreed.
"Ehehe, love!" Tsurugi giggled.
"Cute, right?" Hifumi smiled.
"Done!" Koharu announced.
"Our castle—" Hifumi started.
BRRRRRT!
Bullets shattered the sandcastle. Two delinquent students approached, laughing.
"Who said you could play here!?"
Tsurugi's eyes burned with killing intent.
"Bold move," Mashiro said, raising her sniper.
"Fufu! ♡" Hanako clutched a pink clay figure.
"You ruined their castle!" Azusa snapped, wings flaring, gun ready.
Mash snapped his fingers silently.
"Uh…" The delinquents faltered.
"W-Wait…"
"Sorry!" they shouted, fleeing.
"Where do you think you're going?" Tsurugi growled.
"No escape," Mashiro added.
The delinquents were buried neck-deep in sand, defeated.
"Our actions… could this beach turn from Blue Archive to Red Archive?" Hifumi wondered.
"Can't rule it out," Koharu replied.
Their youthful adventure continued.
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