The negative consequences of letting Problem Solver 68 stay at Schale showed themselves the very next day.
Sora, who works part-time at the Schale convenience store on the first floor, saw me come in early in the morning with several students to buy supplies. Her eyes toward me had already changed.
Especially because a certain idiot, while chatting with her teammates, had casually remarked that only a big, soft bed like the ones in Schale was worthy of her status as president.
It was only then that I realized the price of easily agreeing to let students stay over might be my social death.
Anyway, after replenishing their ammo at the convenience store, I set out with Problem Solver 68 for Abydos.
To prepare for Kaiser's counterattack, everyone spent the entire morning setting up defenses, only pausing at lunchtime.
Since no one had brought lunch, Problem Solver 68 took the meal allowance from me and went off to eat on their own.
But no one expected Kaiser's counterattack to come so quickly...
"Explosion detected within a ten-kilometer radius ahead! Based on the shockwave, it's artillery fire, very close! The epicenter is… Shiba Seki Ramen?!"
Ayane urgently gathered the entire Foreclosure Task Force. Everyone except Hoshino arrived.
Serika was stunned. "Why Shiba Seki Ramen?!"
"Could it be Problem Solver went there for lunch and got caught in the blast?"
"Where's Hoshino-senpai?"
"No idea, we can't reach her…"
She had been around in the morning, half-asleep and slacking off from her night patrol, but now she was nowhere to be seen.
"There's no time to waste, let's move out!"
When we rushed to the site by helicopter, the streets bore signs of battle, but there was no trace of the enemy.
Clearly, the attackers had been driven off in a short time.
And on top of the ramen shop's ruins, Problem Solver 68 was desperately moving debris that might once have been walls.
Covered in dust, Aru looked back when she heard us, visibly relieved for a moment, before urgently calling out.
"Hurry and help! The shop owner's trapped under here!"
Serika rushed forward first, the others right behind her. After much effort, they finally dragged out the unconscious but otherwise unharmed General Shiba.
Only then did we begin piecing together what had happened.
"What's going on here?"
Aru sounded aggrieved. "We were just eating ramen, chatting, halfway through… and suddenly it was artillery fire."
To prove it, she pointed at the obvious soup stains splattered across her white shirt.
And just then, with a shrill whistle, a shell landed only dozens of meters away, exploding with a deafening roar and leaving a crater.
"Yeah, exactly like that… eh?"
Nobody needed a reminder. With basic tactical sense, everyone immediately dove behind cover, peeking out cautiously to assess the situation.
Another shell landed in the exact same spot as before.
Then, as if to drive the point home, a voice shouted across the street.
"Civilians over there, leave immediately! Otherwise, you will be treated as enemies and attacked as well!"
"Heh, so the enemy's back already? Too bad, we're not civilians! Everyone, prepare to fight!"
Aru sneered, flinging her coat aside, face brimming with pride.
At moments like this, when she wasn't acting like a fool, Aru could almost look dashing.
But Kayoko frowned, sensing something was off.
Just then, another message came from Ayane.
"Enemy forces confirmed! It's Gehenna's Prefect Team! About a full company!"
Aru's eyes widened. "The Prefect Team from our own academy?!"
The warning rang out again. "Last chance! Prefect Team is here to capture the primary target! Anyone not with Problem Solver 68, leave now!"
So Problem Solver 68 wasn't considered unrelated, but Abydos and I were?
Aru instantly wilted like a frostbitten eggplant, her earlier presence gone. She stammered in panic.
"W-wait, they're after us? Don't tell me… it's Hina?! No no no no, this is bad! Find cover, no, run away now!"
"…President, calm down. Something doesn't add up."
Kayoko reasoned aloud. "It's not the Chairwoman's style to chase us into another district just for our sake. And the amount of force here is way too much, considering we're only five people in Abydos…
"I'd say the Prefect Team is here for Sensei."
"Me?"
So I was the unrelated party after all.
My lips curled into a wry smile. Thanks to Kayoko's reminder, I could guess the real reason.
Looking back on my movements in Kivotos so far: visited Trinity's Tea Party, visited Millennium's Seminar. Among the three major academies, which one had I yet to visit?
Filthy politics.
But precisely because it was filthy, it left more room to maneuver.
By now, infantry had arrived, laying down fire as they advanced. Our side returned fire.
"Everyone, cover me for a moment."
Behind cover, I pulled a tablet from my bag and had Arona dig up the Prefect Team's latest message, then I drafted a reply.
"Uh, can we talk this out?"
Not long after sending, the enemy's gunfire ceased.
Good. Negotiation was still possible.
Ignoring the protests of the students, I stepped out into the open street. Ahead stood two girls with red armbands marked with the kanji for "Prefect Team."
One of them, a blonde haired, amber-eyed girl in black-rimmed glasses and rare red tights, I had met once before.
Hiromi Chinatsu. When I had first awakened in this world, we'd crossed paths briefly.
She looked surprised to see me. "Sensei? Why are you here?"
I judged quickly, Chinatsu really hadn't been informed.
Because beside her, another girl with dark skin and twin silver ponytails was on the phone.
"Ako? Why are we suddenly halting the mission? Yeah, sure, some adult we don't recognize just walked out, but..."
Crackling static filled the air, and not far ahead, a projected image appeared.
It was a very… unsavory-looking girl.
That was the only word I could think of.
The blue-haired girl in the image smiled at me. "Sensei, nice to meet you. I'm Ako, Administrative Officer of the Gehenna Prefect Team. You said you wanted reconciliation. What exactly did you mean?"
"Tenma Ako. Don't play dumb."
Kayoko stepped up beside me, her eyes cold as she stared at Ako.
"…Ah, right. I forgot Problem Solver still had Kayoko. No wonder Sensei caught on."
Then Ako went straight to business. "Sensei, if you want reconciliation, could you come stay with the Gehenna for a while? If you agree, I don't mind sparing the others here."
"Stay? For how long?"
"At least until the Eden Treaty is signed~"
That would take months at minimum. By then, Abydos would already be finished.
I shook my head firmly. "Change the terms. Show me some sincerity."
"…I see. Then negotiations failed. Prefect Team, commence the assault. Eliminate the Foreclosure Task Force and Problem Solver 68, and ensure Sensei's safety."
Ako's stubbornness was greater than I expected, and her willingness to turn instantly to violence left me seething.
As fighting resumed, I quickly retreated to a secluded spot and began remotely instructing the students.
While I was focused on the screen, I heard footsteps approach.
The sharp sound of high-heeled boots striking pavement drew my eyes.
My heart skipped a beat. I sighed.
"So it's you. Tell me, isn't it a little unfair of the Prefect Team to split forces just to capture me?"
"…What are you talking about?"
The newcomer, whom I had once encountered briefly, looked at me with those deep violet eyes full of confusion.
"What exactly happened here?"
- - -
The necessary buildup is finally ending. The story is about to leap into the wild second half of this volume.