The sun was beginning to set.
Under Student Council President Skadi's leadership, the city's defense system had been fully deployed.
Numerous Mechanics manned by Disciplinary Committee members were guarding the main gate, while regular students, including outsiders, had evacuated to their assigned dormitories.
We tried to find a way to contact the United Student Council again but failed.
After the meeting, we gathered at the garrison and tried calling nearby shopping districts and schools, but it was futile. The Eastern Alliance's encirclement in the wilderness had completely cut us off.
More precisely... it was because of hundreds of threatening armor puppets.
*What the... Svart Industrial High School's final tech is already completed?*
In the original story, these were summons that appeared near the time of the Priest of Corrosion... essentially the final named boss excluding the dragon.
According to the Disciplinary Committee students who returned from reconnaissance, a threatening firing line had formed in the wilderness, featuring those magical armor weapons and other intimidating armaments.
*Those second-year furries... their combat skills were sloppy, but they're eerily good at blocking communications and forming firing lines... So they can't do things themselves, but they're good at making others do it, huh?*
I sighed, remembering those pathetic noble girls who had become completely bald. I heard they had been handed over to the Disciplinary Committee and locked up in detention.
Click—
"Sigh..."
Bell, who had been trying to make contact until the end.
She put down the phone and sighed.
Then she crossed out the name of the last school remaining on the list.
"Ah... this won't work. Even if we find something out, it's useless if we can't relay it to the boss quickly... This is serious... We can't even set the mood this way... Being desperate isn't like me..."
Bell muttered for a while.
Flop—
Finally knocked down.
Bell buried her face on the office desk.
Like a wilted plant, her black side-tail hung limply.
"..."
"..."
Silence returned to the garrison office. Through the open window, we could hear the worried voices of outsiders and regular students who had come to Mimir Technical High School.
It was like the sound of people groaning under the Yellow Turban Rebellion.
*If this is like the Yellow Turban Rebellion... then I guess Zhang Jiao would be that money-grubbing student council president from Svart Industrial High School.*
Svart Industrial High School's Student Council President Andrea.
Due to her materialistic and selfish nature, she was an early boss along with the furry leader Frau.
Originally, she wasn't such a threatening enemy, but somehow these pointy-ears had obtained a cheat key to upgrade their final tech, becoming a Yellow Turban-level threat.
*Could it be... because of Ratatoskr? But they shouldn't have that kind of power...*
Well, I need to be right about something to guess correctly...
This original story knowledge hasn't been helpful since first year.
I thought about this while looking around.
All I could see were exhausted high school girls.
"..."
Our attempts to restore communications, which had started at lunch, had failed by the time evening approached. We had searched through hundreds of numbers trying to find a detour through numerous schools and shopping districts, and now we were all sprawled out exhausted.
The investigation team members were also lying face down on the floor, resting.
"..."
"..."
Rota and I were sitting on the floor, leaning against each other's shoulders. Kara and Alvitr were hanging their heads in front of their assigned phones, along with Greta, the youngest investigation team member.
*Since it's simple repetitive work... everyone seems mentally exhausted.*
I understand.
When I worked at a company, the most difficult thing was repetitive labor. Moreover, "Clara's" body hadn't fully recovered its Aether, so fatigue came quickly.
"Mmm..."
Sleep-talking from beside me.
Rota seemed to have fallen asleep, nodding off from exhaustion.
"..."
Twitch
Twitch
Orange color passing by with quiet breathing.
Cat ears twitching, tempting me.
"Nom—âª"
I bit the cat ear that brushed past my mouth. A pleasant savory scent and a nice rumbling sound came from beneath her head.
"Mmmph..."
"Purrrr..."
I savored the plain taste of Rota's cat ear while thinking.
*We need to know what's happening with the furries' main force and contact Hilde in Golden Street before we can do anything...*
Even if we broke through with a small squad including high-level Aether users, if the furries were lying in ambush in large numbers contrary to our expectations, it would be game over.
And then there's the potential threat of Ratatoskr...
*I or Freyja could easily defeat 100 weaklings at full recovery, but 1,000 prepared weaklings would be hard to ignore...*
If only communications could be restored so we could understand the situation.
With such impatience, I gently pressed Rota's ear with my teeth.
"Mmm... unnie... stop it~"
"Mmmph..."
This bewitching chef cat.
Finally hearing her cute nasal voice.
I achieved another item on my bucket list as "Clara."
*Someday I'll pamper you until you come into my arms first, rubbing your head and asking to be petted.*
I planned to cherish her until she became a plump house cat. With that resolution, I stroked Rota's chin and head with my free hands.
"Purrrr..."
"Mmmph..."
Alvitr, despite being tired, looked at me with disbelief and said:
"Senior, doing that to someone who's sleeping is a bit..."
"Mmmph..."
"Purrrr..."
"Sigh."
Alvitr gave me a rude look, but I ignored it.
While everyone was exhausted,
Freyja, lying on the office sofa, suddenly muttered:
"...should we?"
"Huh? What did you say?"
Bell, who had been slumped over the desk, rubbed her tired eyes and got up again. Then Freyja spoke with a clearer voice, as if making a resolution:
"F-forced breakthrough... should we just... g-go all out... sweeping through everything in our path... with the people gathered here... I think we c-could do it."
Freyja's amethyst-like eyes swept through the darkness.
Of course, I was included in that gaze. And students who responded to that gaze and words began to open their eyes and get up.
"...!"
"...!"
"...!"
I felt goosebumps hearing those words. So I stopped petting Rota and looked toward Freyja.
Rustle...
Combat students getting up one after another.
Rota, who had been sleeping beside me, startled awake at the sound.
"Hmm. My head knows it won't work..."
"A forced breakthrough for justice...!"
"Isn't that a bit dangerous?"
In response to Alvitr's worried murmur, Bell replied incredulously:
"Alvitr, even as you say that, you're already being convinced."
"That's right, just looking at your eyes, you seem ready to rush out."
"..."
Light began to return to the eyes of students confident in their combat abilities, like Bell, Sigrun, and Alvitr. Even Greta, the youngest investigation team member, swallowed hard with her red eyes gleaming.
*Right... they all prefer attacking to defending their home.*
The best defense is offense.
That's ultimately what Freyja wanted to say.
Freyja looked around at the strange enthusiasm of the combat students focusing on her and said:
"R-right now... when they've completed their front line and are feeling secure... the pointy-ears' magical weapon units scattered in the wilderness will all be focusing their attention on their main force..."
"Because this isn't the main battlefield...?"
"Th-that, and... ultimately the Eastern Alliance is... j-just called an alliance... they're really just servants bought with aristocratic faction leader Frau's money... They p-probably won't risk a reckless siege while facing threats..."
Freyja had now completely risen from the sofa. The setting sun reflected off her curly purple hair, giving it a transparent, diamond-like shine.
"N-no matter how well they form their front line... wh-what they really care about is..."
"The western front, breaking through Aesir Girls' High School to take over the United Student Council..."
At Alvitr's answer, Freyja nodded and continued:
"If the reason they believe they can even defeat The Azure Lightning... is r-related to how quickly they formed this front line..."
"They can't turn their backs on us because of time constraints... is that it?"
"So the plan is to attack the Eastern Alliance from behind as they turn away, and then join up with the center... is that it?"
Bell and Alvitr's guesses.
Freyja nodded.
"..."
Bell crossed her legs in the corner of the office, which was growing dark as the sunset faded. Despite her childlike figure and young face, the posture somehow suited her.
"Speculation upon speculation... truly a luck-based strategy."
"In a s-situation like this... expecting 100% certainty would be... t-too stupid."
"Is that something a rational mage should say—â"
"Hehe..."
Freyja showed a smile at my words for the first time and replied. There was no hesitation in her words:
"M-magic is originally a luck-based stupid discipline. Wh-what kind of discipline can only be used if you have skills?"
"Ah...!"
Rota, now fully awake, let out a short exclamation upon hearing those words.
[It would be nice if everyone could share the same magic and skills.]
Rota's fairy tale-like dream.
Perhaps the first question most closely connected to that thought.
[Is magical theory truly an unchangeable universal truth?]
It was said by the student with the most excellent magical skills in Academy City. This was also something that wasn't in the original story... the changed original sometimes turned out better than the original.
*That's good for you, Rota.*
I smiled contentedly watching her.
Clank!
Bell, thinking all discussions were finished, stood up and declared:
"Then everyone gather your equipment! We'll divide the infiltration routes and attack groups, so hurry up and get ready!"
"Yes!"
"Understood!"
"...Okay."
Students quickly left the office.
Freyja and the juniors had also left their equipment in the guest room.
They quickly exited the office, saying they would go ahead.
"..."
The suddenly empty office.
I also got up to follow them.
At that moment, the Aether telephone on Bell's desk rang.
Ring ring—
"...?!"
What, now?!
I hurriedly tried to call Bell, but everyone had already left.
If I didn't answer now, who knew when the phone would ring again.
With no choice,
I picked up the phone before it stopped ringing.
Click—
"H-hello—â"
"Bell, it's an emergency. Report the garrison situation... Lara...?"
That voice was Hilde's.