Epilogue 2 - Heading Out (Patreon)

The heroes gathered in the Student Council sitting room. There was no reason that they should, but with two of the prophesied Chosen on the Council, the group tended to use the room as their own personal clubhouse. At least when Yamada Shintaro didn’t throw them out.

He didn’t often need to; the most problematic one was hardly ever on the island. Aoi Himezaki’s return was truly a sign that the final battle was approaching. That, and a chance for him to deliver all the tardy slips that she had earned.

The red-headed delinquent was sitting on the sofa, scowling at him while leafing through the stack of demerits. Her weapon of choice, an ugly, hooked chain, was on her lap. It took up rather less space than it should, but Shintaro wasn’t going to complain about that.

“It looks like you won’t be graduating this year, Aoi-san,” Shintaro said.

“Like I care about that,” Himezaki said. She made as if to crumple the papers and throw them away, but then glanced warily at Claudette and tucked them away in her tokkō-fuku instead. That was, in itself, a violation of the uniform policy, but Shintaro did not intend to revisit old battles.

“After this is all done, I’m going to tour Japan properly,” she continued. “None of this dashing between trouble spots. I’ll take the coast roads and just ride.”

“Sounds like fun,” Midoriko commented. She was sitting beside Himezaki, as was her wont. The chief disciplinarian and the chief delinquent got on far too well for Shintaro’s peace of mind.

“You really ought to get something for the time you’ve spent here,” Shibasaki Asako put in. “Some kind of paper to help your future career.”

“Has she really spent that much time here, though?” Shintaro asked, glancing pointedly at the bulge in Himezaki’s coat. “It would take another year to make up for all her unexplained absences.”

Asako pouted. “It makes it more than a little difficult for me to ease Zaki into a high-paying job if she doesn’t even have a high school degree. My contacts can only go so far.”

“As if Zaki would want one of those jobs!” The final member of the team had entered the room.

“Captain!” Himezaki and Midoriko chorused. Asako was more reserved, merely nodding in welcome. Takagi Kazuyiki acknowledged the greetings with a grin.

The captain of the Kendo club was tall for a Japanese person. His posture was impeccable as he entered the room and took a seat with the others. Like the others, he was dressed for battle, in something that looked like his Kendo outfit but was anything but.

Shintaro wasn’t clear on the details of the equipment that the team had liberated from the alien invaders, but Kazuyiki’s Kendo mask had wires that were much thinner than any human-made model. They projected a barely visible feild that was airtight, among other things. His shinai appeared to be made of bamboo, but the traditional material was wrapped around another field generator, and could cut through steel.

“Zaki is already out in the world,” Kazuyiki declared. “Making friends and connections with the people she cares about. She’d jump out the window if you put her in an office.”

“Motorcycle gangs and high school delinquents are hardly worthwhile contacts.” Asako demurred. “What sort of job are they going to get her? Yakuza footsoldier?”

“Maybe, maybe,” Himizuki laughed. “I can’t see myself staying at the bottom for long, though. I’d either crash through to the top or get thrown out.”

“Or get yourself arrested,” Asako argued. “Saving the world only goes so far with the authorities.”

“Well, I’ve got you to keep them off my back!” Himizuki shot back. “Anyway, who can think about the future at a time like this?”

“This really is it, then?” Shintaro put in. “The final battle?”

Midoriko nodded. “It happened faster than I thought it would, thanks to that fox-girl sticking her nose in. With my uncle gone, the way is clear to the Empress herself.”

“Do you think you can defeat her? You said she was immortal…”

“We don’t have to kill her,” Kazuyiki said firmly. “Only convince her that Earth will not be fodder for her empire’s expansion. That will take some violence, but—”

“We have a message,” Midoriko said. “Written by her consort, from before.”

“From the first time they made contact? But that was so long ago…”

“Earth has its immortals too.” Midoriko scowled. “This was another thing that my uncle was keeping from us. But the seal was broken, and now we can hold up an old peer of hers as our defender. That should be enough to make her reconsider.”

“Well, good luck. With both you and the first years away, it should be quite quiet around here.”

“Ah!” Himezaki exclaimed, “The first years are gone? I wanted to meet them!”

“I’m afraid you’re too late. I don’t expect them back until after your team is done. One’s first extradimensional excursion is often the longest.”

“I remember the first time we were whisked into another dimension,” Midoriko reminisced.

“It was hell! They didn’t even have canned coffee!” Himezaki said with a shudder.

“Good times,” Kazuyiki agreed. “You were much mellower when you were drinking meala juice. But if we’re all ready, then we should go.”

The group looked at each other and nodded. They stood, and Midoriko drew her sword.

“You’re going to do it here?” Shintaro objected.

“Midoriko’s cuts are clean,” Kazuyiki assured him. “And it’s best to do this somewhere we aren’t going to be observed.”

“Fine, fine,” Shintaro conceded. “Just try to leave the carpet intact.”

Midoriko flashed him a smile and took two steps away from the group. She stared intently at—to all appearances, the wall, but Shintaro knew she was looking, somehow, at other dimensions.

Her face grew intent, and then she slashed through thin air. And cut it.

A gash opened up in the space that she had opened. A shimmering energy filled it, but Shintaro could make out a metal corridor on the other side.

“See you later,” Kazuyiki said and stepped through. The others followed, and the gash closed itself up behind them. Shintaro was pleased to see that the carpet was, in fact, untouched.

Claudette started clearing away the teacups.

“I wonder,” Shintaro mused aloud, “If I could get the second-years to go on a trip? Nah, their thing always seems to happen when they’re asleep.”

Still, two out of three wasn’t bad. He’d miss the assistance of Vice-President Asako, but at least that damned fox-girl wouldn’t be messing with his file.