V8 Chapter 128: Could I Just Stand By and Watch You Get Hurt?

After entering the building, the RABBIT Squad quickly arrived at a secluded area where they would not have to worry about Valkyrie students passing by for the time being, following Moe's directions.

Saki, who had been silently keeping an eye on her companions from the entrance, finally could not hold back her question.

"Miyako, are you okay? You've looked absent-minded ever since earlier."

The white-haired girl, who had been slightly furrowing her brows as if troubled by something, came back to her senses and shook her head.

"...No, I was just thinking about the operation."

Such an explanation was obviously too perfunctory, and only invited more confusion.

Realizing this as well, Miyako thought for a moment before speaking again.

"Even the deputy director of the Public Security Bureau can casually violate school regulations just because of a reason like 'it's a hassle'..."

"What, is that all you're worried about?"

Saki could not help but laugh.

"Being able to easily slip through without any trouble is a good thing for us, right? Well, I was a little shocked too. I didn't expect it to be this simple, and the internal security is way too lax... That's why I never wanted to attend a school like this in the first place."

Thinking about how she had originally been assigned to this academy, she began to complain as well.

From beside her came a timid voice.

"A-Although, I don't think we really have the right to say that about them either..."

Hearing this, Saki pouted.

"Miyu, not this again... Listen, now that we've already come inside, there's no turning back."

"Uu..."

The black-haired girl shuddered and let out a quiet whimper.

"All right, all right. Don't scare her like that."

Moe advised them over communications before speaking seriously.

"Everyone, the real test begins now. Let me go over the plan for the next stage again."

First, they would head to an empty restroom and change back into their usual clothes. The clothes they had changed out of would be placed in takeout bags and temporarily hidden above the ceiling. After completing the operation, they would retrieve them depending on the circumstances.

Next, while avoiding detection by Valkyrie students as much as possible, they would take the western staircase, which had a low usage rate, to reach Point S on the third basement level and seize the target of this operation, codenamed "Operation Clover", the Public Security Bureau's transaction ledger, from the vault.

Finally, they would evacuate with the ledger, at which point the operation could be declared a success.

"...Although we've received outside support, don't let your guard down."

Moe reminded them, "We don't know what kind of unexpected situations might occur, so please make sure to finish this as quickly as possible."

Miyako took a deep breath and replied solemnly.

"RABBIT 1, understood."

However, Miyu still looked somewhat uneasy.

"Speaking of which, we haven't been able to contact Sensei since he reported that he was safe. Could it be that..."

"It's fine."

Miyako seemed to know what she was about to ask and interrupted her.

"Nothing will happen to Sensei. He's working hard for our sake. The only thing we need to do now is complete every part of the mission perfectly, so that we don't let his feelings go to waste."

"Well, not knowing what's happening on Sensei's side is certainly worrying."

Saki said, "But Miyako's right. It's just us as usual. Everything will definitely be fine."

"Yes. Even if it's only us..."

After unconsciously saying those words, Miyako quickly concealed the strange expression on her face before the others could look at her again and calmly said:

"That's enough idle chatter. RABBIT Squad, begin the operation!"

...

Inside the cramped shower room, steam filled the air.

I kept my eyes closed, letting the warm water pour down over my head from the showerhead. I could only feel the exhaustion from the long run being washed away along with the sweat that had gathered on my body.

My ears were filled with the fine sound of running water, yet my heart grew increasingly calm, and my thoughts became clearer and clearer.

Come to think of it, the RABBIT Squad should have already begun their operation by now.

Meanwhile, the Public Security Bureau's elite forces, led by Kanna, had gone to attack the vagrants and should now be on their way back.

Which brought me to the question: Would Konoka take advantage of this opening to attack me? And should I put up some token resistance?

Having lowered almost all my defenses in an unfamiliar place and being in my most vulnerable state, just imagining that possibility made me tremble with fear.

"...Tsk, Sensei, you're so perverted..."

At that moment, a girl's voice filled with disgust rang out, making me feel deeply aggrieved.

"Arona, shut up!"

I opened my eyes and scolded the blue-haired girl inside the tablet beside me in a low voice. Her cheeks were puffed up and slightly flushed.

"I'm enduring all this humiliation for the sake of my adorable little rabbits, and for the future of Kivotos. What do you know?!"

"Is that so? Your body doesn't seem to agree."

Even through the screen, I could still feel where this girl's gaze had fallen, which only made me more embarrassed and annoyed.

"What do you know? It's perfectly normal for your muscles to get pumped up a little after exercising!"

Arona angrily retorted.

"Then why don't you go find some other OS that's willing to understand this kind of knowledge?! You can't do anything without me, you know!"

I had no interest in arguing with her. No matter how much she threw a little tantrum, could she really just stand by and watch me get hurt?

Just as I seemed to hear a mocking laugh and a sigh, a much more tangible voice came through the thin door of the shower room.

"Sensei, are you almost done?"

So it's finally happening!

She had said she was going to use another bathroom, but she had secretly come back here anyway.

My heart tightened. I turned off the shower faucet and replied ambiguously.

"Mm. Is something wrong?"

Next, Konoka would probably make up some excuse to trick me into opening the door, and then try to do it right here in this public bath belonging to the law enforcement department...!

But instead, she said somewhat apologetically:

"Um, I forgot to tell you. Actually, it's almost time for the cleaning staff to come over here..."

Hearing that, I quickly calmed down.

"I'll be out in a moment."

"Okay, then I'll wait for you outside."

I dried myself as quickly as possible, put on my clothes, and walked out of the stall. Whether I should feel disappointed or not, I really did not see Konoka until I reached the exit of the bathroom, where I caught sight of her back.

There was also a white-haired girl in a swimsuit holding cleaning tools, standing outside and talking to her with a puzzled expression. Her voice sounded rather familiar to me.

"Deputy Director Konoka, the usage hours for this bathroom should have ended an hour ago... Could it be that some kind of incident happened inside!?"

"No, no, it's just a somewhat special situation... It's not exactly a secret that needs to be kept from the Life Safety Bureau, either."

Hearing my footsteps, Konoka turned around. She let out a sigh of relief and smiled casually.

"All right, now you can come in..."

However, the white-haired girl holding the cleaning tools and wearing a swimsuit simply stared blankly at me.

"...Sensei?"

Another blue-haired girl, who had likewise changed into a swimsuit, rubbed her eyes in surprise.

"Eh, seriously?"

"Uh..."

I blinked and hesitantly raised a hand.

"Good evening, Kirino, Fubuki."

This really was an unexpected encounter that was not unexpected at all.

V8 Chapter 129: The Laughter Hasn't Disappeared, It Has Just Been Transferred

Outside Valkyrie's public bath, the atmosphere was extremely awkward for a while.

Kirino stammered out a response to my greeting, then flushed bright red, looking as though she wanted to say something but could not bring herself to. Ever since I confessed to her, she had always become similarly flustered whenever she saw me.

Come to think of it, she had promised back then that she would give me an answer as soon as possible, yet somehow more than a month had passed without her giving me a definite response.

Even though I knew perfectly well that she was simply shy, and had probably been shocked by how openly I was two-timing multiple girls at once and needed time to adjust, this was still taking rather too long.

The good fortune that had descended upon the countless students of Kivotos, yet she did not know how to cherish it. If I were not a broad-minded person, Kirino's indecisiveness would probably have left her regretting it for the rest of her life.

Perhaps she had already begun regretting it by now.

Fubuki, who was also part of the Community Safety Bureau, was rubbing the perfectly tied-up bun of her hair as she secretly sized up me, Konoka, and Kirino. Her face was filled with the troubled expression of someone who had been dragged into a troublesome situation.

Was she perhaps lacking a little self-awareness about the possibility that, if this really was some sort of complicated relationship, she might also be one of the people involved?

Admit it! Deep down, Fubuki, you've already been completely captivated by my charm, to the point where even the card has been forced to face the truth!

I would never allow her to use laziness as an excuse to avoid her true feelings.

As for Konoka, perhaps she had also noticed the subtle atmosphere. Although curiosity showed on her face, she did not say anything for the moment, merely looking at me.

Why are you looking at me? Do you think I was the one who dragged you out for a run lasting more than two hours, then made my heart race with your strange choice of words, and, considering that you were the one who deliberately extended the shower time, did all of this?

At this point, I could only be the one to break the stalemate that had not even lasted very long. I would start by roughly explaining why I had appeared here!

Snap.

The elastic band contracted. The purple fabric pinched between slender fingers struck skin that was equally full of elasticity, producing a crisp sound. The slight ripple seemed to echo in my heart.

Seeing the white-haired girl awkwardly adjusting herself on instinct, the words at the tip of my tongue somehow changed into something else.

"So why are you wearing swimsuits?"

"Isn't it obvious? It's easy to get wet when cleaning the bath, so of course we have to wear swimsuits."

Fubuki complained, "Sigh, why do we have to do such exhausting work this late at night?"

As soon as her colleague voiced her negativity, Kirino immediately corrected her.

"The hygiene of public facilities is the responsibility of all the students in the academy. It's just that tonight happened to be our turn."

"In theory, that's what we're supposed to say. In practice, the Community Safety Bureau still gets assigned the most shifts, right... Well, maybe this is the price we pay for having it easy on ordinary days."

After a pause, Fubuki asked, "Sensei must have just finished some work with Deputy Director Konoka, right? It's really tough having to work overtime this late."

Clearly, she was trying to help me out of the awkward situation, and the effect was immediate.

Simple-minded Kirino's expression instantly turned to admiration.

"So that's how it is! No wonder... As expected of the deputy director of the Public Security Bureau and Sensei. I have to learn from you too!"

My expression eased somewhat. If Kirino really thought that way, I would be more than willing to impart my knowledge to her in every possible area.

But at that moment, Konoka hesitantly said, "Actually, should I call it work or a personal matter...? Well, I can't really reveal the details, but I do have something important to ask Sensei to help with next! Right?"

At the end, she flashed me a cheerful smile. At the same time, however, the smiles of the other three people present disappeared from their faces, as though they had simply been transferred elsewhere.

The white-haired girl looked as though she had been struck by lightning. The blue-haired girl covered her forehead and sighed. I was filled with suspicion, wondering whether this seemingly guileless girl had done it intentionally or not.

After thinking it over, I reached the conclusion that, regardless of which it was, she was probably equally worthy of caution.

I was just about to say something to repair my reputation after being wrongfully persecuted, mainly to reassure Kirino, who looked as though she was about to cry.

However, the vibration coming from my pocket the next moment forced me to abandon that thought.

I took out my phone and glanced at it, then calmly said to the police students:

"Sorry, give me a moment. It's something work-related."

After they all indicated that they understood, I hurried down the corridor until I reached a place where the girls could no longer hear clearly. Only then did I accept the communication initiated by the RABBIT Squad and get straight to the point.

"What happened?"

Although my tone remained calm, I was actually somewhat nervous.

There were only two possibilities for the RABBIT Squad to contact me at a time like this.

The first was good news, that they had successfully achieved their objective and evacuated Valkyrie. The second was that they had encountered a problem they could not resolve and had no choice but to contact me for help.

"This is RABBIT 1... Sensei, we've successfully obtained evidence of the illegal bribery between Kaiser Corporation and the Public Security Bureau. As expected, it's related to that 'Kousagi Town Redevelopment' incident."

Hearing Miyako's report, I smiled faintly.

"Mm. That's good. You girls have worked hard."

The fact that this unknown battle could come to an end with the RABBIT Squad's victory filled me with genuine relief.

Although both Valkyrie and the General Student Council had circumstances that I was willing to understand to some extent... I really did have a side I favored more.

I did not think I had done anything wrong, nor did I feel that there was anything I needed to make up for. Still, I really should look for a way to make things easier for those students who had been forced into circumstances beyond their control.

For example, perhaps I, having been entrusted with an important task by the president of the General Student Council, could truly take responsibility for everything myself?

The access privileges to the Sanctum Tower had originally been stored within the Shittim Chest, after all.

And there was one more thing worth mentioning. With this, the trial for the RABBIT Squad should have come to a successful conclusion as well...

As these thoughts flashed through my mind, the other end of the call suddenly produced a word that made me realize she had been silent for several seconds, and that perhaps I had celebrated too soon.

"But..."

In the background, Saki was urgently shouting something, while I could vaguely hear Miyu quietly sobbing.

"I'm sorry, Sensei... It's all because of my mistake that things ended up like this, neither here nor there."

Only then did I realize the disappointment and bewilderment contained in Miyako's voice.

"We're trapped inside the vault. We can't get out..."

I was stunned for a long moment before finally reacting.

"...Huh?"

What kind of situation was this?

I calmed my jumbled thoughts, took a deep breath, and said in a low voice:

"Don't panic yet. First, tell me exactly what happened."

V8 Chapter 130: What's So Bad About Being Toyed With by Sensei!

After getting a clear understanding of the RABBIT Squad's situation, I fell into deep silence.

Although they had successfully obtained the documents they needed without being discovered by a single Valkyrie student, they had somehow managed to drop the ball on one crucial little detail.

In short, Miyu had closed the vault door out of anxiety. Since the inside was completely smooth and did not even have a handle, the three of them were all trapped inside.

I don't know why, but every time I tried to give the RABBIT Squad's abilities some recognition, they always managed to come up with some new trick.

Was it because their usual rabbit-ear headpieces all had pink on them?

Suppressing my urge to make a snarky remark, the most urgent matter before me now was figuring out how to deal with the students' crisis.

Listening to the faint commotion coming from the other end, I asked thoughtfully, "So, Miyako, what exactly do you want me to do?"

There were basically only two options right now.

Either I found an opportunity to help them open the door, or they took responsibility for their mistake themselves and prepared for a direct confrontation with Valkyrie.

Whichever option they chose, I would probably provide assistance. It was just that my final evaluation of the rabbit-eared girls would be very different depending on their choice.

However, contrary to my expectations, the captain of the RABBIT Squad did not give me an answer until quite some time later, and what she finally said could not be called an answer at all.

"...I don't know."

"Hm?"

I asked in surprise, "Wait, what did you say?"

"I said, I don't know what to do... Right now, I don't understand anything anymore..."

As Miyako's voice faded, the arguing that had continued inside the vault where she was also quietly ceased.

Back at the base, Moe asked with concern, "Miyako-chan, have you just not thought of a good solution yet? That's okay, we still have plenty of time."

Saki followed up, "Yeah, there'll always be a way. If you really can't think of anything, just blow the door open like I suggested. You're the squad leader, after all. It's not time to lose heart yet."

"Weren't you the one who was most enthusiastic about that just now?"

"W-What? I didn't say anything wrong... Moe, do you really have the nerve to say that to me?"

As usual, the two began trading jabs, but there was very little bite to their words, especially compared with earlier.

Meanwhile, Miyu, who had caused the problem, apologized guiltily.

"Miyako-chan, I'm sorry. It's all because of me... B-But, if it were Sensei..."

However, rather than calming Miyako down, her teammates' attempts at reassurance only deepened her despair.

"Yeah. If it were Sensei, he could definitely think of some solution... But I don't have that kind of strength."

"Hey, Miyako, what are you talking about?"

"Ever since we left SRT Special Academy, haven't all the operations I've commanded ended in failure?"

Miyako asked Saki in return, then muttered as though speaking to herself.

"It was the same at the park, and the same when the base was flooded... I don't have Sensei's strategic insight or leadership ability... I'm just a rabbit who runs away from cruel reality, keeps putting on a brave front, and yet is powerless to do anything..."

Although I was glad that she thought so highly of me, when had her sense of self-worth fallen this low?

In my impression, Miyako was the most composed member of the RABBIT Squad, and the one with the firmest convictions. Hearing her say something like this genuinely surprised me, and I began thinking about the reason behind it.

Was it the repeated setbacks, the pressure coming from all sides, including her teammates, the gap between her unreachable dreams and bleak reality, or perhaps even the increasingly intense and unresolvable admiration she had for someone as outstanding as me...

According to her, there might even have been something else I did not know about before I arrived when their base was flooded some time ago.

Thinking about it, these things were probably all burdens that Miyako had taken upon herself, whether willingly or unwillingly.

Miyako's will was indeed firmer than that of most people in Kivotos. Or rather, the fact that the RABBIT Squad had fought for so long to have their school reopened and had carried out this operation today showed that, deep down, they all possessed a precious perseverance.

But when all was said and done, the SRT students who had been feared by the General Student Council and had once possessed firepower far beyond the norm were still just young girls. They too had limits to what they could endure.

Even Yukino, who was acknowledged as SRT's undisputed model student and ace, had experienced moments of confusion and helplessness, let alone a first-year like Miyako.

For her to have only now reached the point of despair was already quite remarkable. What she needed most right now was merely a little insignificant help.

Or perhaps, deep down, she already understood this herself.

"On my own, I can't accomplish anything."

The girl's quiet confession sounded almost as though she were asking someone for help.

"I can't trust myself anymore..."

And so, I had to be the one to give them hope... even salvation.

Just as this thought arose in my mind, a muttering voice carrying a hint of mockery clearly entered my ears.

[What authority are you relying on to do these things? And who gave you that authority?]

Why should I even answer a question whose answer was so obvious?

The position of Schale Sensei had indeed originally been appointed to me by the president of the General Student Council. But by this point, becoming Sensei had long since become a choice I had made of my own accord.

Even if I were to lose this identity for some reason in the future, that would not stop me from continuing to help the students I wanted to help, whether it was the FOX Squad far away at the base or the RABBIT Squad trapped inside the vault, nor would it diminish my resolve to win them over one by one.

If I had to say what authority I was relying on, then it was the authority to follow my own heart. That authority had been with me from birth. It came from no one.

[Look, look! The day is almost here. The staff has blossomed, and arrogance has begun to sprout!]

The delighted tone combined with those particular words gave me a feeling of mockery, especially the laughter that overlapped afterward and the sigh that was concealed beneath it. It was even more irritating.

"Miyako."

At this moment, my emotions seemed to have been infected by that enigmatic muttering, and I unexpectedly spoke with a similar attitude.

"You understand this very well too, don't you?"

Before Miyako herself could respond, the other three erupted into suppressed commotion and called out to me in disbelief.

"Sen-Sensei!?"

As for Miyako, she seemed to realize what I meant only then and gave a self-mocking laugh.

"...Heh. Sensei, you also think what I said was right, don't you..."

I did not answer her directly.

"I did think of a solution. But if you're the Miyako I believe in, then you should definitely be able to think of an even better one."

I paused slightly before emphasizing my next words.

"If you don't just believe in yourself, but also believe in your teammates, and believe in me."

"...Sensei?"

"Isn't it perfectly normal that you can't accomplish anything by yourself? Even I might indeed be able to come up with an effective plan, but I'm not you. I only have a rough understanding of each of your individual traits. With that level of understanding, I can't make perfect use of them, unless I'm someone who spends every day with everyone, fights alongside them, and possesses keen tactical thinking. That's you."

I spoke earnestly.

"That's why you're the RABBIT Squad, rather than simply four SRT students."

There was never any truly omnipotent person in this world. It was precisely because everyone had their own strengths and weaknesses that only by complementing one another could they accomplish things that no individual could achieve alone.

"Miyako, this is something only you can do."

I changed to a gentler tone as I encouraged the girl who remained silent.

At this, she finally hesitantly spoke.

"But I..."

"But what?"

I changed the person I was addressing to the other three, who were also listening to my conversation with Miyako.

"Everyone thinks the same way too, right?"

"That's right."

Saki answered immediately.

"Miyako, the textbook doesn't say anything about a situation like this. There's no way I can handle it."

Though, despite that, it was impressive how she could say that with such confidence when all she knew how to do was follow the textbook. Still, being able to openly face one's own shortcomings was also an admirable quality.

Miyu then spoke somewhat hesitantly as well, but I could sense the sincerity in her words.

"Although I'm always afraid of this and that during missions... B-But, if Miyako-chan is there..."

Even now, when she had just made a serious mistake, Miyako was still the kind of person who would gently take all the blame upon herself for commanding the operation.

Moe followed along.

"I can't help anymore. Navigation and infiltration already take everything I've got. Guhehe, but just like Sensei said, that's something only I can do too, right? Miyako-chan must have something like that as well."

"Everyone, Sensei..."

Miyako's tone was extraordinarily complicated, as though she had been moved by their words, but that alone was not enough.

So I raised the stakes.

"Besides, it's not like every operation you've commanded has failed, right?"

"Eh?"

She froze for a moment. Perhaps in her current confused state, she could not react quickly enough, so I had to remind her.

"Operation Carrot."

Every time I mentioned that name, and remembered the stereotype that rabbits loved carrots more than anything, I found myself wondering what exactly Miyako had been thinking when she came up with it.

At least, when the subject came up now, Miyako's reaction was decidedly strange.

"Eh? W-Why are you suddenly bringing that up...? It wasn't really any different from a failure in the first place..."

I took a deep breath and fired off a series of questions.

"My adorable little rabbit, didn't you go through all that trouble just to obtain the right to investigate me freely? You're saying this before you've even uncovered my true identity. Are you trying to run away from the battlefield? What if I'm actually a villain who uses this identity to toy with the feelings of cute girls like you?"

"Wait... you!?"

Miyako immediately became flustered.

As an SRT elite, I certainly would not miss such a good opportunity to take advantage of her wavering.

Saki said, "Well, it still feels a little strange, but you were the one who said back then that there was nothing wrong with treating this as an order from Sensei. Giving up halfway isn't the SRT way. Whatever the operation, as long as it's for justice, we should give it our all and see it through, right?"

"Hehe, isn't that pretty good?"

Whether she was joking or serious, Moe said, "Not only can you legitimately stay by Sensei's side, you might even have a chance to be toyed with by Sensei and then abandoned... Haa, haa...!"

I could not help interrupting her.

"That isn't going to happen, okay!?"

How could I possibly abandon them? This girl was actually getting excited about it. Her tastes were honestly a little frightening.

Miyu spoke up at this point as well.

"Miyako-chan, I really think it's an amazing thing that you had the courage to make such a request to Sensei."

However, in Miyako's current state of mind, this sincere praise may have actually dealt an even greater blow.

"St-Stop... I understand completely now..."

The captain of the RABBIT Squad spoke with slight embarrassment.

"That's how it is."

Seeing that things were going well, I summarized.

"Rather than continuing to belittle yourself like you were just now, why not pull yourself together and think carefully about how you're going to complete the operation?"

Miyako took a deep breath, her voice once again becoming calm.

"Yes. Thank you, Sensei, and everyone. And I'm sorry for causing trouble for you all."

"It's fine. Just like Sensei said, we're a team."

After saying that, Saki paused before awkwardly adding, "Um, I might have been a little too impatient just now..."

It was not difficult to imagine her stating facts in a stiff tone that sounded almost like she was scolding someone, then repeatedly urging Miyako to hurry up and think of a solution.

She had no malicious intent, but Saki really was an idiot.

Moe was even so shocked that she cried out.

"What!? That rigid and inflexible Saki actually apologized!?"

"Are you picking a fight!?"

As the atmosphere returned to normal, Miyako's tone also became lively yet solemn.

"Hehe, I know what to do now. Let's stop chatting for the moment. Now, we'll begin the operation again."

See? As long as Miyako could keep her thoughts calm and collected, she could come up with a solution in the blink of an eye, although there was no guarantee it would necessarily be a good one.

But even if everything was nothing more than emptiness, one should still struggle until the very end... Somehow, that sounded like it belonged to a different story.

Having solved this difficult problem, I was in a much better mood and took the initiative to say, "If there's anything you need me to help with, just give me the order."

Hearing this, the girl pondered for another moment.

"...Sensei, since you put it that way, is it okay if I take all of your strength into consideration as well?"

"Of course, my adorable little rabbit."

With the situation at hand, I did not mind helping them all the way to the end. I smiled lightly.

"Come on, give me your orders."

"Okay, Sensei."

Miyako spoke softly.

"Then I'll be counting on you from here on."