Rustle Rustle
"Guerilla Warfare?""
"Yes. From today onwards, I'll be teaching you everything I know about guerilla warfare. Take notes or not, it doesn't matter. Just know that practicality takes priority over theory."
"Mm." Picking up the small handgun thrown on the ground, Azusa watched as Saori moved further back until she reached the front door of a building.
From afar, she could hear Saori saying, "I've equipped this place with traps and explosive, a couple of hours ago. Your goal today is to put as much as a single graze on my skin."
"..."
"Speaking of which, even a scratch on my clothes is fine. As long as you touch a single strand of my hair, I'll consider you worthy of graduation." Well, graduation on her terms, at least. Even if Saori did acknowledge Azusa's abilities, she couldn't just let her roam around with that kind of knowledge.
Instead, she'll be tested by the instructors.
Saori's goal in this is to make sure Azusa suffer the least while under the care of those monsters.
And for that... She'll be as stern as she needed to be.
"We'll begin 2 minutes after I step foot inside this building. Are you ready?"
"Yes!"
"Alright. I'm looking forward to what you have in store for me."
Having said that, Saori turned around and entered the dark door. Eventually, her back disappeared.
Azusa waited. Inside her head, she was counting the seconds down to the very last.
1, 2, 3,...
78, 79, 80,...
117, 118, 119,...
...120!
Azusa ran quickly towards the opened door. As her left foot entered the door frame...
Boom!
[Blue Archive]
"..."
"Do... do you think she's dead? What if she's dead? What do we do...?"
"Isn't it obvious that she's breathing steadily?"
"...Ah."
"..."
"...Is she dead, did she die?"
"...Whatever." Deciding that it's not worth the effort, Misaki ignored the mumbling of the teal haired girl.
It doesn't matter what she says, that girl wouldn't relax in the slightest.
...It'll probably get better in the future.
Well, that is if there is a future to look forward to.
Resting her chin on her palm, Misaki sighed quietly. Rubbing her eyes using her free hand, she turned her head from the window to a certain lavender haired child.
"Hime, don't get too close to her. She might bite."
"...Hehe, that's a nice joke. There's no way someone as pure looking as her could bite, see? Besides, she isn't even awake yet." Poking the cheek of a brown haired child, Atsuko let out a soft smile.
"...Hm." It was then that Kasuka let out a noise in her sleep.
"Kyaaaa!"
"Shush." Chopping the top of Hiyori's head, who placed both her hands on the place which was hit looking like she was about to cry, Misaki walked right besides Atsuko, whose gaze had also turned towards Kasuka.
"...She let out that sound, right?" Atsuko asked.
"Yes. Unless someone here decided to claim that noise, then it indeed came from this girl."
"I-I'll claim it..."
"I'm not talking about your shriek."
"..."
"Come on, Misaki. Be nice."
"...Sorry."
"All fine and well!" Patting Misaki's shoulder, who flinched slightly at the touch, Atsuko watched the unconscious girl, then she noticed the halo flickering above the girl's head.
'She's about to wake up!'
"Misaki, Hiyori, take care of your appearances! We need to make sure our first impression isn't bad!"
"Huh? Why would that be?"
"Come on! Isn't this girl also going to be part of our group in the future, alongside Azusa? What's wrong with showing an impactful appearance?"
"...You do you."
"I-I'm... good... I'll just hide under the blanket..."
"Don't be so down~ Come on! Imagine Saori's face when she comes back and this girl told her all about our good points!"
While quietly trying to bring her friends along in this plan, Atsuko froze.
At first, Misaki was confused.
"What's wrong, Hime?"
But even after waiting for a response for a while, Misaki tilted her head slightly at the lack of clarity.
But slowly, Atsuko's head creaked downwards, towards her own end of shirt.
Misaki followed her gaze and it landed on a small hand, frail as a stick.
Two black orbs scrutinized her appearance. Without realizing it, Misaki began to subtly adjust her bandages, dusting off her shirt and short.
Atsuko would've done the same... but her shirt was currently the object of focus inside this building.
"...Ah."
The tense atmosphere was broken up by the sound of breath being exhaled that escaped the girl's lips.
"...Good morning." Kasuka greeted them.
"...Morning." Although she wasn't certain of her own tone, Misaki responded back towards the small voice of Kasuka.
With that done, Kasuka's gaze turned towards her own hand, the one that was tightly grabbing Atsuko's already baggy shirt.
Quite unsure of what to think about, Kasuka tilted her head. And then, as if she realized the significance of her action, let go.
Nonchalantly, Kasuka looked at her palm and gripped and ungripped a couple of time, testing out the muscle in her wrist.
"...Ah, right. Leader said to immediately bring you to her when you woke up." Punching her own palm, Misaki said out loud.
Hiyori let our her head from the blanket and looked at Kasuka.
"Y-yeah, Leader requested her presence, right?"
"Why are you talking like an adult? She's as old as us, remember?" Misaki responded.
"R-Right..."
"Anyways, you don't have to introduce yourself for now. We'll wait for Leader and that white haired girl to get here first before we'll introduce ourselves."
"...Leader? White haired girl?" Kasuka tilted her head slightly, seemingly confused about the new terms.
"You forgot? The one that saved you and the one that you saved." Talking as if it was common knowledge, Misaki sat down on the empty stool, Atsuko followed suit on her own stool.
Boom!
"Speak of the devil." Hearing an explosion outside, Kasuka turned towards the open window and noticed a building with smokes coming out of the vents.
"You think she's done yet?" Atsuko said, but it seemed like she was merely musing her own whims as she probably wasn't expecting someone to answer her question.
After all, all three of them knew just how brutal their Leader could be when teaching.
Sometimes, the training made them wonder just which end was the more spartan, the instructor or their Leader.