Ch. 716 Kuro No Maou – Chapter 716

Yesterday’s continuation.

Episode 2

With a loud bang of an explosion, the school building trembled. Female students screamed, and male students were hurriedly shouting, “What was that?” and “What’s going on?”

Students heading out to play passed through the main gate, and club activities were supposed to begin. The usual peaceful after-school life at the academy was shattered by the sound of the explosion. If it had been a disaster like an earthquake, fire, or a malfunction of the all-weather equipment, the students might have been able to respond.

However, with the piercing sound of a huge explosion, it was impossible to remain sane. Even deciding whether to evacuate was not something they could quickly assess, as everyone was running around in confusion.

“Hmph, I don’t know who did it, but—”

Yet, amidst the chaos inside the school building caused by the explosion, there was one person who moved without hesitation.

“—to dare attack my academy, you’ve got guts. I’ll make you pay for this!”

With a fiery spirit, the girl kicked open the door to the training simulator and leaped outside. Her sharp crimson eyes and luxurious golden curls identified her as Edel Balt Dreadnought.

She was convinced that the earlier explosion was not just an accident caused by ignited gas or chemicals, but a terrorist attack by a military organization.

The sound of that explosion was eerily familiar. While all explosions should sound the same, she could distinctly differentiate the sound of a bomb, a military weapon. It must be a result of the elite education she had received since she was a child.

Thankful for her beloved grandfather, Edel ran with unwavering determination.

Her destination was another storage facility located one block away from the hangar, where the TF training simulator was set up.

However, there was one problem that needed to be addressed to reach her goal. As she thought about it, it became clear that Edel wasn’t very skilled at contemplation, and thus she simply dashed forward, her short skirt fluttering.

“Ugh.”

With her exceptional physical abilities, she zoomed down the hallway at high speed, when suddenly, she spotted a figure stumbling out from around the corner unguarded.

It was a precarious timing, but she wasn’t dull enough to collide with the figure head-on.

However, suddenly stopping was also difficult, so she decided to leap over. Luckily, the person who had just appeared was a petite girl.

“KYAA!?”

The small girl let out a cute scream of fear and surprise at the sight of Edel soaring over her head. Luckily, Edel successfully leaped over without any collisions.

“W-Wait, Dreadnought-san! You shouldn’t run in the hallway!”

“Oh, Hime-sensei.”

It seemed the figure that had stumbled out was not a female student, but a teacher.

With tear-filled eyes, the teacher, known for her traditional admonitions carried from the old generation, was none other than Himeko Shirayuri, a somewhat famous teacher in the academy.

“You’ve come at a perfect moment. We have an emergency; come with me.”

“W-What!? Wait, what!?”

Ignoring Himeko-sensei, who was wide-eyed in shock, Edel firmly seized her arm and forcibly began to run.

“W-Wait, where are we going? We need to evacuate quickly!”

“The enemy is attacking; there’s nowhere to escape to.”

“Wha—what do you mean, ‘enemy’!?”

While a futile conversation that couldn’t properly connect went back and forth, Edel safely arrived at her destination.

“Hime-sensei, keys!”

“W-Wait, this is—”

“Just hurry up!”

“Ahh-!”

With intimidation emanating from the beautiful Edel, Himeko-sensei had no choice but to touch the fingerprint authentication touch panel.

“Authentication confirmed. Lock released.”

With the mechanical voice stating so, a high-pitched sound of the lock disengaging echoed. The thick steel door, different from other classrooms, automatically opened.

“H-Hold on… Dreadnought-san, what exactly are we—”

“Hehe, I’m here to shop!”

With a triumphant expression, Edel seized a nearby rifle.

This was a storage building containing weapons and ammunition for live-fire exercises that were allowed once students reached their third year. There were handguns, submachine guns, assault rifles, shotguns, and sniper rifles, equipped fully.

Naturally, strict management was in place since dangerous weapons were stored there. A teacher needed to unlock the door for entry.

Hence, Edel needed a teacher with the authority to unlock the armory door. Meeting Himeko-sensei, who would become tearful and compliant with a single shout, was an incredible stroke of luck for Edel.

Successfully entering the armory, Edel immediately donned a bulletproof jacket and began tossing weaponry and ammunition onto a transport cart one after the other. It resembled a robbery at a gun shop, and Himeko-sensei could only watch in astonishment.

“What are you doing? Himeko-sensei, help me out!”

“H-Help me!?”

With their roles completely reversed, the two were busily emptying the armory of its weapons.

Just when Edel thought it had been long enough, she sensed a presence.

“Stop!”

With a rifle already loaded, she aimed it towards the person detected at the door with a bold stance.

“I didn’t expect to find someone here… But good thing the door is open. It saves me the trouble of calling for a teacher.”

“Oh, it’s you, Rudolf-senpai.”

Confirming the familiar face, Edel lowered her gun swiftly.

In front of her stood Rudolf Elias, a male student who showed no signs of fear despite having a loaded rifle pointed at him.

A third-year student in Class A, Rudolf had light blue hair and clear ice-blue eyes, a finely-featured handsome boy. The glasses he wore gave him an intellectual look, and Edel had never witnessed him in a flustered state.

He was a beautiful young man from the Eurasian Federation, equally famous in the academy alongside Edel. However, unlike infamous Edel, who was known for her reckless behavior, Rudolf was an unblemished genius, consistently ranking first in academic exams as well as all practical skills, including TF piloting.

“Could you lend me a gun as well?”

“Of course, I welcome skilled hands.”

Edel grinned with a predatory smile and tossed the rifle she had been holding over to Rudolf.

“Wait, w-wait! Unauthorized removal of firearms violates school rules, and you need proper permission to use them!”

“It seems the teacher’s lounge got blown up. Given that it was during a staff meeting, all our teachers have probably already perished.”

“What!? …So it was a planned attack?”

“Y-You must be kidding… no way…”

While Rudolf spoke devastating information casually, only Himeko-sensei trembled in shock.

“I may have disliked some of them, but there were many who helped me…”

“Yes, I feel the same way.”

“I won’t forgive them. I don’t know who they are, but I’ll make them pay for what they’ve done!”

With an angry Edel leading the way, the trio consisting of a prepared Rudolf and a completely bewildered Himeko-sensei burst forth from the armory.

“First, we need to secure the hangar.”

Naturally, their objective was the Tactical Frame ‘Harrier’. Since TF exercises were involved, with Himeko-sensei’s presence, granting access to the TF equipment storage would be easy.

Ideally, Edel wanted to get into the TF first and crush the terrorists, but considering that an explosion had occurred within the school building, it was clear that soldiers had already infiltrated. Dealing with the soldiers indoors would be difficult with a gigantic weapon like the TF.

To ensure the safety of the school building, guns were first required.

Edel successfully acquired firearms, but she also wanted to avoid a shootout indoors if possible. However, her luck would only take her so far.

“…They’re here.”

“Yep.”

With an instinctive feeling akin to an animal, Edel sensed the enemy’s presence advancing down the hallway. Rudolf gestured for Himeko-sensei, who was right behind him, to stop.

The hand sign was a common one that even students would know, but Himeko-sensei, who was in charge of general education subjects, seemed to take about five seconds to catch on. If this had been a test, she would definitely have failed.

“They’re attempting to enter the hangar.”

“Closing the door was a wise decision… But they are professionals on the other side. They’ll unlock it quickly.”

The enemy had already taken positions in front of the hangar, seemingly making steady preparations to breach. A fight was unavoidable, and there was no time to waste.

Moreover, the enemy soldiers were fully armed with body armor and helmets. Gunfire could be blocked unless struck in limited areas like the face.

It was clear that the enemy was superior in terms of strength. Nevertheless, Edel had no intention of retreating.

“Are you ready?”

“Anytime.”

“Hieee…!”

Against the two students who had resolved themselves, Himeko-sensei trembled with tears as she gripped a submachine gun. Everyone was perfectly prepared.

“I’ll charge in; provide cover.”

“There are over ten of them. Even for you, that might be impossible, right?”

“Not really. We have the home advantage here.”

Edel’s fingers danced over the touch panel on the wall.

It was a fire hydrant, installed at equal intervals on every floor of the school building. Opening the attached box revealed fire extinguishers, hoses for firefighting purposes, and even fire axes. However, the primary function of fire hydrants in case of a fire was to quickly spray fire-retardant liquid only in areas where flames were present.

Once this was triggered, a white fire retardant would quickly spread like a smoke screen, extinguishing the raging flames.

Although there were no bright red flames consuming the building at present, the area directly underneath the sprinkler dedicated to spraying fire-retardant liquid happened to be where the academy’s invaders had gathered.

“3, 2, 1—Go!”

With a loud whoosh, fire retardant liquid violently burst forth in the corridor before the hangar. The soldiers initially deployed could only be taken aback by the sudden turn of events.

The smoke screen of fire-retardant liquid quickly obscured their vision. In the midst of this, Edel hurled a hand grenade whose safety pin she had already removed.

The explosion overshadowed Himeko-sensei’s scream. Once she confirmed that the blast had swept through the corridor, Edel finally launched herself into the fray.

With sudden visibility loss and the detonation of the grenade, it was practically a total rout for the soldiers, but considering their heavy armor, it was unlikely that they had been completely wiped out. Therefore, while their focus was in disarray and their formations disrupted, she would finish them off.

Charging forward, Edel fired at the soldiers who were groaning on the floor. Without hesitation, she pulled the trigger, hitting her target squarely in the face.

They were wearing thick helmets, so she had to aim for the face.

Immediately, she searched for her next target amidst the haze of fire retardant still lingering in the air.

It seemed there were still survivors among the enemy forces. Moans and signs of movement were sensed from various places.

“There!”

Firing chaotically into the obscured vicinity, she engaged multiple moving presences. The enemies were several, but she was all alone in this fray. Rudolf was stationed on the opposite side to provide cover, so there was no concern for stray bullets.

She felt the satisfying ‘thud’ of a few soldiers being taken down. But as she continued to prioritize hitting her targets over clear sight, her magazine quickly ran dry.

Instead of reloading her empty rifle, she discarded it and switched her armament to the shotgun she had carried along.

“Damn it, enemies!”

“W-Where are they—”

“Right here!”

In the gradually clearing smoke screen due to superior ventilation, Edel fired the shotgun at the soldier trying to stand up and ready his weapon.

No amount of body armor could withstand the force of a shotgun at such close range. Though he was a well-built man in heavy gear, he was easily blown back by the shotgun blast.

“Spread out!”

“Don’t fire yet, we’ll hit each other!”

“Hmph, it’s too late for that.”

As the soldiers began moving, Edel systematically picked them off with her shotgun.

For those standing slightly away, Edel’s shots were efficiently dealt with by Rudolf’s accurate covering fire.

Leaving her back to her dependable ally, Edel thoroughly took down the nearest enemies one by one.

As the last of her shotgun rounds were depleting, only one enemy remained alive.

“Could it be that a student—”

“An Arcadian student—”

The soldier, having drawn his handgun, was finally able to glimpse the identity of his assailant with wide eyes of shock. Was he astonished that they had been killed by such a female student, or that the girl was already poised to swing a red fire axe above her head in front of him?

He had no time to aim with his handgun.

“—Don’t underestimate me!!”

With a CRACK, the swing of Edel’s axe sent the soldier’s head flying.

She had grabbed it from the fire hydrant as an improvised close-combat weapon. Edel found satisfaction in how well the axe fit in her hand, and she felt neither guilt nor disgust for decapitating a human being.

She only believed in her actions as she fought against the enemies she should defeat at times like this. There was nothing to feel ashamed about; it was something to be proud of.

“Now, open the door! I, Edel Balt Dreadnought, have taken down every enemy here!”

With the confidence of a fairy tale hero, Edel declared her name.

As if her intention had been conveyed, the hangar doors opened.

“Whoa, no way… Did you kill them all…?”

The first face to cautiously peek through the open door was that of a large man with a shaved head and round glasses. Dressed in a dirty work outfit, he could only be thought of as the academy’s mechanic, though he was a bona fide student.

Third-year student, Takeru Kaito. The top student in the mechanical department and the head of the Tactical Frame Research Club, he was the master of that hangar.

“Kaito, can you deploy the Harrier right away?”

“Hey, hey! Don’t be unreasonable, lady… You’re asking me to deploy it in this mess?”

“Kaito, please do it for my sake.”

“Ugh, even you, Rudolf… Are you guys out of your minds?”

Kaito frowned openly, showing no enthusiasm, but with the gruesome scene before him, he had no choice but to comply.

“The enemy is closing in. We have no choice but to deploy the TF.”

“Considering the equipment, our opponents must be from the Ares Kingdom. I refuse to believe they suddenly broke the treaty and initiated war, but the fact remains that our academy is under siege. If they have launched such an ambush, there’s a very high possibility they’ll kill us all if we stay quiet.”

“Fine! Fine! Just give me five minutes to prepare and I’ll get it ready.”

“Thank you. I’ll leave the armory key here, take this.”

“Ugh, why me again!?”

“Hey, Hime-sensei…”

In front of Himeko-sensei, who was treated like an object, Kaito quickly understood the circumstances but couldn’t find the words to say before getting to work.

“Alright, everyone, we’re launching the Harrier fully equipped! My team will handle the preparations, everyone else grab weapons and stand guard! We never know when enemy soldiers might return!”

“Understood, boss!”

“Stop calling me that! I’m not that old!!”

After the usual banter among the mechanical department students, the hangar buzzed with preparations for launch.

Leading the charge, several third-year students quickly moved to get the Tactical Frame ‘Harrier’ ready for launch. The cables attached for maintenance were removed one by one, the openings and armor were tightly sealed, and the orange-colored aircraft was rapidly being completed.

Meanwhile, Edel distributed the firearms she had carried from the armory among the students present in the hangar, instructing them to take watch.

Students from Arcadia were trained for self-defense, including firearms usage. Even first-years could handle a gun if given one suddenly. However, only third-years had ever fired live ammunition, and even for them, it was uncertain whether they could pull the trigger on a living person.

After all, they were pioneers, not soldiers.

“Kaito, what’s taking so long?!”

“Don’t rush me! Give me thirty more seconds!!”

Impatient, Edel had already hopped into the cockpit, still in her uniform, and had finished the neural connection. Below her, she could see Kaito and the other mechanics moving about busily.

“Alright, we’re finished! We can take off!!”

Finally, the go-ahead was given, and the launch doors of the hangar opened with a loud rumble.

Edel and Rudolf, standing side by side with their standard equipment of rifles and shields, awaited their moment to sortie.

Just as the doors fully opened and she glimpsed the familiar ground before her…

“Shut up, you bastards! Get the hell out of our academy!!”

A vivid blue light surged into Edel’s vision.

It was a glow she had seen countless times before—a target she had chased after many, many times. However, it was a light that should never appear in reality, something that didn’t exist.

The very moment it flashed before her eyes, she completely missed the green lamp signaling launch.

“Kaguya…”

The name slipped from her lips naturally.

There was Seika Kaguya. With a trail of blue light behind him, he expertly piloted his TF as he always did.

It was the first time she had seen the craft. However, the fearsome black frame adorned with blue armor seemed perfectly suited for him.

The blue demon, Kaguya’s machine, was now facing the ‘Gaul’, the main TF of the Ares kingdom, which was characterized by its white and red coloring.

Edel knew that such a piece of machinery would never stand a chance against Kaguya.

And just as expected, the Gaul failed to mount any decent retaliation and was subsequently sliced down by the radiant blade wielded by Kaguya’s machine.

Watching the dazzling display of skill, Edel’s heart took a leap. That was a familiar movement she had witnessed numerous times, a motion she had experienced countless times before. Yet, the shock of seeing it in reality was tremendous.

In her half-dazed state, another Gaul suddenly appeared, this time two of them at once. Moreover, cunningly enough, they seemed to be taking students in the ground as hostages.

It was a perilous situation that could cost the lives of the students. Even knowing so, Edel felt no inclination to move.

All she wanted was to watch Kaguya.

“How dare you! But to drop your only weapon, how foolish!”

“Who said my weapon was just this sword?!”

As anticipated, Kaguya overwhelmed the two Gaul machines. The battle was decided in an instant.

“1, 0, too bad, fire—”

“Activating anti-personnel photon laser; eliminate them all.”

After witnessing the soldiers with hostages being eliminated by the TF’s anti-personnel attack functions, Edel finally exhaled deeply.

She had forgotten even to breathe, entranced by the scene. Her chest was pounding uncontrollably, and she was overwhelmed with the impulse to unleash her fury.

“Kukuku…”

A laugh that couldn’t be suppressed.

Feeling embarrassed by the silly grin spread across her face but filled with joy, she couldn’t hold back her happiness.

“Hehe, just as expected of Kaguya… as my fiancé, he truly is remarkable.”

With a flushed face from the excitement, Edel murmured with deep satisfaction.

“Kaguya! Hey, Kaguya, are you okay!?”

“Yeah, Leon. I’m fine; I’m not injured, just a bit… tired.”

“That’s good to hear. Thanks to you, everyone was saved. You’re a hero.”

A hero, huh. It seems I’m not bold enough to rejoice in being called a hero after killing so many people.

Yet, Leon’s words of encouragement firmly supported my still-fraying mindset.

I somehow lifted my fatigued body from the seat and dismounted from Excellion.

After the battle on the ground ended, I momentarily returned to the mysterious underground hangar. On the way back, I simply rode the lift quietly. While the slow descent of the lift creaked down, I was left in a half-dazed state, unable to think clearly even after arriving at the hangar.

Time passed idly, and I felt as if I finally woke up when Leon came to greet me.

“Did Yuuka and the others take refuge here?”

“No, they’ve gone to the school building since the enemies have been wiped out.”

“Are they okay? After such a ruckus, I would expect reinforcements to arrive soon.”

“The academy’s complete isolation barrier has activated. Nobody can get in any longer.”

“Oh, no way… That’s the first time I’ve seen that thing work.”

“Same here.”

In the hangar, huge holo-monitors were implanting the exterior conditions.

The complete isolation barrier function was the final defense mechanism that blocked the colony’s units with massive partitions. In the event of insurmountable issues within the colony, the barrier would be deployed to protect the unaffected areas.

Well, considering that the Gaul was mercilessly blasting away at the university and city, it was only natural for this to activate.

For now, it seemed safe enough as long as the complete isolation barrier was active.

“We should return to the academy for now.”

“Hey, Leon, wait a minute… I have something I want to ask.”

“What is it?”

“Did… did Yuuka say anything about me?”

Leon immediately changed his expression upon hearing my pitiful question. After a brief silence, he readjusted his expression and answered.

“Yuuka seemed to blame Kaguya for killing people.”

“Ah, I see… But there was no other way.”

“I know, Kaguya, what you did was right. Yuuka was just panicked. Being held hostage with guns pointed at them, there was no way she could think clearly.”

“That’s true, but…”

“Yuuka needs some time to calm down. Regardless of who came to help, there was no method to save everyone besides killing the soldiers.”

I understood that myself. In situations where the assailants pointed guns at hostages, even a police SWAT team would have to take lethal action in a rescue operation. No one in the civilian population would blame that behavior.

However, the one who killed those people was not an officer or a soldier trained for combat; it was simply a student like me. No matter how I looked at it, that’s too heavy of a burden for me to shoulder.

“Don’t worry, Kaguya. I won’t let anyone blame you. The thing that should have been done… you did it in my place.”

“Thanks, Leon. Honestly, I’m still shaken and in shock… Haha, I didn’t think about it much while fighting, but now I can’t stop trembling.”

“Once we return to the academy, it’d be best for Kaguya to keep a low profile for a while. For now, you should rest in the student council room until you calm down.”

“Sorry, I’ll do that.”

By now, word would have spread about me taking the new type TF ‘Excellion’ and repelling the Ares soldiers, probably beginning with Yuuka. I had yelled it over the open channel. To onlookers, it would have looked like heroic behavior rescuing students from the enemy. If it were someone like Dreadnought-san or Rudolf-senpai who had done it, everyone would surely have been convinced. However, it being me, a gloomy gamer, who accomplished it would undoubtedly draw unwanted attention.

It was easy to imagine that I’d be subjected to endless questioning, whether for better or worse. While I didn’t exactly have a hero’s aspirations, in my current mental state, I didn’t want to deal with the incoming flood of students either. Right now, I just wanted to be left alone.

Feeling gratitude for Leon’s consideration, who seemed to understand without me saying a word, I returned from the hangar to the academy. Looking back just once, I gazed up at Excellion.

Would I ever ride it again?

I had only borrowed it due to the emergency; this superb machine was undoubtedly a new type TF built in secret. I had no idea which faction it belonged to, but a civilian like me would likely never have another opportunity to board it again.

“Sigh… I wish I could ride it one more time.”

With a lingering whisper, I stepped away from Excellion.

“Emergency situation. All students are to evacuate to the school building immediately. I repeat, emergency situation; all students—”

Once I entered the academy from the hangar, the internal announcement echoed wide and clear.

The fact that the enemy soldiers who had appeared within the academy had been cleared indicated that they could finally conduct proper evacuation guidance. However, their response felt too fast.

“This efficiency must be due to President Francine,” I said.

“Yeah, from the previous president.”

“If we leave it to her, the confusion among the students should settle down for now.”

“But this isn’t just a disaster; we’re being attacked by the Ares army. It doesn’t mean we can just wait around for rescue, right?”

“That’s likely what they’ll be discussing going forward.”

That makes sense. No one truly understands what’s happening right now.

For us, the Arcadia students, it’s suddenly an invasion by the Ares army, and for the Ares army, due to Excellion being an irregular factor, their tactical goal of subjugating the academy is a failure.

I only hoped they would retreat quietly without further incident. But as for me, I wanted information about what was happening in the academy, how everyone was doing, and the movements of the Ares army.

I’d figure that if I stayed with Leon, I’d be able to find out most of what I wanted to know. It’s good to have dependable friends.

“Currently, emergency response is being handled by the student council. Student council members must gather in the student council room immediately.”

“Hey, student council president, they’re calling for you.”

“I know.”

“Isn’t Leon the only one not here?”

“That’s why I’m hurrying!”

Sorry, but if I don’t tease you a bit, I’m not sure my own peace of mind would hold.

Thanks to that, in a rush that probably would earn us a warning from Shirayuri-sensei about running in the halls, Leon and I sprinted towards the student council room.

“Students are advised to wait in classrooms and await contact. Please follow the instructions of the class representatives, avoid causing panic, and strive to behave calmly.”

An announcement was made towards the students who had taken refuge in the academy. For the moment, they seemed to be working to keep everyone settled and avoid chaos.

I didn’t feel it much myself, but the former president, Francine-senpai, certainly seemed a capable person, worthy of the vast support she had.

As I pondered over these thoughts, we finally arrived, breathless, at the student council room.

“Sorry, everyone, did I keep you waiting?”

“We’ve been waiting for you, Leon-kun.”

Upon entering, I sensed the room was filled with a tense atmosphere. The assembled student council members were all staring intently at us.

Among them, seated in the student council president’s chair and the first to speak, was the strikingly beautiful girl with wavy silver hair—Rumored Francine-senpai, glaring pointedly at Leon.

“So it was President Francine taking charge.”

“No, I haven’t done much. More importantly, I hear you rescued students who were being held hostage on the ground, Leon-kun.”

“Uh, yes. I did something reckless, but it turned out alright.”

“Yes, it was a brazen act, and not exactly something to be praised… But I sincerely thank you for your courageous actions in saving the students and… my sister, Filia. Thank you very much.”

“If you want to thank someone, you should do it to Kaguya. It was all Kaguya who defeated the Ares army.”

“W-What? Why revealing that so casually…?”

“It’s necessary to explain to the student council members. I’ll keep it hidden from the other students as much as possible.”

Honestly, I felt out of place in this student council room atmosphere; it was oppressive. I didn’t recognize the faces.

However, it was also true we needed to properly explain the circumstances to those currently in the position to lead the academy’s students.

“May I ask what your name is?”

“Uh, I’m Seika Kaguya from Class 2-C.”

As I awkwardly introduced myself while stealing glances at the strikingly beautiful Francine-senpai, she stared at me with keen interest, and I shifted my gaze slightly.

“Is it really you? Did you pilot that blue TF and fight the Ares army?”

“Hmph, of course, it’s Kaguya!”

A bold voice interrupted on my behalf.

I turned to find it was none other than Dreadnought-san, leaning back against the wall with her arms crossed. I questioned why she would interject here and why she referred to me by name, feeling quite confused.

“I’m not suggesting that I doubt you. If both Leon and you say so, it must be true. Nonetheless, Seika-kun, I want to thank you for aiding the students. I would like to express my gratitude on behalf of the students… However, it’s more important to sort out the current situation first.”

“So, now that we’ve arrived, what do we need to discuss?”

“Precisely. First, we need to properly comprehend the current conditions, share information, and then deliberate on future strategies. Seika-kun, please take a seat. Leon-kun, you might want to offer your seat to him.”

“That’s a harsh joke, Francine-senpai.”

After the jesting remark exchanged between the former student council president and the current one, discussions began to form.

“We have several guests in attendance today, so let’s start with a simple self-introduction. I am Francine von Betelgeuse, a third-year student. I served as the student council president last year.”

“Well, that’s something everyone knows.”

“The formalities are essential, Leon-kun.”

Yet to be fair, I too knew about her, so there was no need for the introduction at all.

“I’m Leon Springfield, a second-year and the current student council president. I doubt there’s anyone who doesn’t know me.”

That’s incredible that Leon could say this without flinching. Here I was, completely intimidated. Well, the student council is Leon’s home turf, so there shouldn’t be any need for nerves.

“I’m the vice president, a second-year—”

“I’m the secretary—”

“I’m the treasurer—”

Following Leon, several other officers introduced themselves, but I could not remember their faces or names at all. Moreover, there were third-year students that used to be officers during Francine-senpai’s tenure. Simply put, the number of staff doubled.

However, just because they weren’t bland individuals didn’t mean I could remember. The problem lay within my own mental state. My body still felt fatigued as well.

Thus, only those I had known before stood out to me.

“I’m Edel.”

Sitting comfortably but still keeping her arms crossed was Edel Balt Dreadnought. She wasn’t a member of the student council but easily carried herself as if she was more important than anyone else there.

“I’m Rudolf Elias.”

The one seated next to Dreadnought-san was someone I was familiar with, although we had yet to speak. He was a handsome student renowned as the top student in the academy, a third-year male student.

With Dreadnought-san’s beautiful golden curls and Elias-senpai’s cool-eyed glasses, they made quite a picture.

The only one sitting among them that looked entirely out of place was me in terms of appearances.

“I’m Takeru Kaito, third-year, majoring in mechanics. Nice to meet you.”

Sitting next to Elias-senpai was the tallest and most well-built student among them—no, he was a bona fide third-year male student, not an older man. I had conversed with him occasionally.

Given that I was often beaten by Dreadnought-san in the hangar and enjoyed using the TF training simulator nearly every day, I frequently ran into Kaito-senpai; thus, it was natural for us to meet. Moreover, he was Japanese like me.

He was one of the few people who took pity on me when I was exposed to Dreadnought-san’s tyranny.

“Uh, as I mentioned earlier, I’m Seika Kaguya, in Class 2-C.”

Finally introducing myself in a somewhat awkward manner, the self-introduction concluded.

“Then, I’ll begin with the information I’ve managed to gather.”

It seemed that Francine-senpai had been rapidly gathering information from students using her academic connections within the academy.

The Ares army’s attack occurred after school, and not all students were present at the academy.

“While I cannot provide an exact number, approximately two-thirds of the total student body has been able to seek refuge in the academy. The remaining students are in areas of the school district, and now that the complete isolation barrier is down, we have no means to reunite with them.”

“What about the students outside? Any communication?”

The inquiries fell primarily on Leon’s shoulders.

The assembled crowd had probable heard from the previous discussions.

“Since the attack, a large-scale radio disturbance has occurred, preventing communication via mobile devices. I attempted to reach out via wired terminals, but it seems that Ares has likely taken control of the core block. Just a moment ago, all communications except the internal local network were shut down.”

So, it’s not even possible to confirm their safety.

Speaking of which, Tommy and Julie had said they were going to the Central Tower. I hope they’re okay…

“It seems that universities and urban areas have been subjected to quite intense assaults, leading to likely numerous casualties. However, what we can do now is wish for as many people as possible to be safe in the shelter.”

With the barrier down and communication systems under enemy control, we likely wouldn’t be able to do anything productive at this point.

“So, we should focus on our own situation rather than worrying about the outside?”

“Yes, that’s correct. As for the situation within the academy… Rudolf-kun, could you take over?”

“Understood.”

With Francine-senpai finishing her turn, it was now time for Elias-senpai to speak. However, a mild curiosity flew through my mind regarding why he was chosen to explain the academy conditions.

“During the attack, Ares soldiers infiltrated the academy and blew up the staff room. While the staff meeting was ongoing, all except one of the teachers likely perished. I just returned from checking the scene, but no survivors were found.”

“What!? All the teachers are dead…!?”

“Unfortunately, that’s why we need to take action ourselves.”

“How could they all be dead? With no adults left… Wait, does that mean Shirayuri-sensei too—?”

“The only surviving teacher is Shirayuri-sensei. She’s still a newcomer and is in charge of general education subjects; she probably isn’t someone we can rely on much in this situation.”

Thank goodness Shirayuri-sensei is alive!

What incredible luck she has. She probably just happened to be late for the staff meeting and thus escaped the disaster.

“When the explosion occurred within the academy, I was the first to rush to the armory. It was there that I encountered Dreadnought-san, who had taken Himeko-sensei hostage. It appeared we were thinking along the same lines.”

“It was lucky; I just picked Hime-sensei up along the way.”

Hey, stop treating Himeko-sensei like an object. She’s my mentor.

“Ah, it was truly fortunate that she brought Himeko-sensei with her. Thanks to that, we were spared the trouble of hacking the armory door.”

Elias-senpai intended to actually hack the armory, huh?

Moreover, it’s quite alarming that both Dreadnought-san and Elias-senpai would rush to arm themselves the moment an explosion occurred; it reeks too much of battle readiness and situational awareness.

“After getting the guns from the armory, we headed to the hangar where the Harrier was. We encountered enemy forces at the hangar door and engaged in combat.”

What?! They fought with Ares soldiers in hand-to-hand combat!?

“Honestly, I was really relieved. If you two hadn’t shown up, we would probably have been wiped out in the hangar.”

“We simply did what we had to do.”

“You took it too far, lady. I didn’t think you’d kill all of them.”

“Rudolf-senpai was no less active.”

“No, I barely took down about three or four. I can’t compete with Dreadnought-san, who took out over ten.”

“Hmph.”

O-Oh wow… Dreadnought killing over ten enemies in close combat… Phew! I had thought it was intense, but she really is a hardcore warrior—!

But then I thought it over, and based purely on the number of enemies killed, I was actually the highest, thanks to Excellion’s handy lock-on system’s ability to wipe out countless foes with relative ease.

“Having succeeded in eliminating the enemy units, we then regrouped with Kaito and the mechanical department students, as well as other members of the TF research club. Suspecting that Ares TFs were deployed outside, we planned to sortie in Harrier, led by myself and Dreadnought-san, but by then the fighting had already ended.”

“Thanks to Kaguya.”

Dreadnought-san, for some reason, appeared to enjoy herself while saying it, and I couldn’t comprehend her intentions. Her personality led me to believe she would have gotten annoyed at my stealing away her target.

“That brings us to the point of greatest curiosity concerning that mysterious blue TF. Please enlighten us, Leon-kun.”

“I will, of course. But to be honest, we also don’t know much about it—”

And thus, Leon began to recount the details of our rescue mission with Excellion.

Now, we had gotten a rough understanding of the academy’s current state.

With the successful efforts of Excellion and Dreadnought & Elias-senpai, we had managed to eliminate the Ares soldiers within the academy. For now, the academy itself remained a safe zone, but how long that would last was anyone’s guess.

“What about reinforcements from the COLONY armed forces?”

Leon’s inquiry was undoubtedly the first realistic option for a breakthrough out of this situation.

Including the seventh academic city colony “Arcadia”, the colonies were bound by military alliances, with the COLONY armed forces established in accordance with that.

Whenever military aggressions occur, the first responders should be the COLONY armed forces.

“We’ve issued an SOS from the academy… but… it likely hasn’t reached them.”

Since communications were already in the enemy’s hands, the only remaining way to call for help would be to send out a classic SOS signal.

However, in the modern era where TF machines were main weapons and powerful photon jamming technology has been developed, it was standard procedure to disable all communication in the vicinity of combat areas. If Ares had planned on ambushing this colony from the start, they had most likely already encapsulated this area in a photon jamming field.

Once that happens, all forms of communication will be cut off, except for short-distance photon communication. The SOS signal would reach nowhere.

“If the colony is being photon jammed, they should detect the abnormality right away. They should dispatch a reconnaissance squad from the neighboring ‘Grand 6’ immediately.”

“Hmph, by the time the armed forces lead their main forces here, Arcadia will be in ruin, and they’ll celebrate their victory on Mars.”

Dreadnought-san easily dismissed Leon’s proposal.

Indeed, even if the closest nearby colony “Grand 6” acted to investigate the communication breakdown with Arcadia, to bring sufficient forces capable of dealing with the Ares Army that attacked here would certainly take time. It wouldn’t be something that could be resolved in just a day or two.

For the Ares army, today alone would provide more than enough time to completely subjugate or destroy Arcadia.

Waiting idly for help would be akin to relying on the enemy’s goodwill. Of course, those who had launched a heinous surprise attack, without even a declaration of war, wouldn’t show mercy. If I were in Ares’ command, I would definitely destroy Arcadia.

“That’s why we have to fight! We need to prepare for a defense battle immediately, or we won’t be able to cope!”

With clenched fists, Dreadnought-san shouted for complete resistance, which felt just like her.

“Wait, Dreadnought-san, we can’t do that.”

“Francine, this is wartime. Bleak pacifism won’t work here.”

“Your opinions are far too simplistic. I cannot endorse dragging all the students into danger for combat.”

“The battle has already begun. They’ve already killed many. The Ares Army will definitely come to annihilate us. I refuse to sit and wait for death while praying for peace!!”

“If we fight next time, there will definitely be casualties. I don’t want anyone else to die anymore!”

“Do you want the battle to stop so badly that you’re a spy for Ares!?”

“How dare you!? Such an insult, I won’t forgive—”

“Recognized as acting captain. Awaiting further instructions.”

“Eh!? W-Wait! I-I don’t have any authority to command!”

Shirayuri-sensei’s panicked protest echoed. Still, the display on the monitor showed no sign of stopping.

“Appointing as captain. Accepting commands from all personnel aboard. Granting system administrative rights as necessary.”

“Wa-wait, that’s impossible! There’s no way I can do that!”

As the teacher shouted, I couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement. The space in front of me was the bridge of a next-generation immigration ship. If Shirayuri-sensei had been appointed as captain, then something big must be about to happen.

“Shirayuri-sensei is the captain? Is this for real?”

“I-I think the setup earlier might’ve been wrong or something…”

“But if she’s been given command authority, there must be something she can do. Like countermeasures against the Ares army, or using the ship’s functions!”

Shirayuri-sensei stared at the monitor again. Even in fear, now possessing the authority of a captain, she was surely starting to think about what she could do next.

“U-Um, what should I do?”

“Well, maybe start by checking the ship’s status? Like seeing if there are other crew members, what equipment or weapons we have…”

“Right! I’ll do my best! Watch me!”

“O-Okay…”

Seeing her flustered but determined gave her a different charm than usual, capturing my heart. I noticed it for a second, but now wasn’t the time for that.

“Shirayuri-sensei, try giving some kind of command using your authority!”

“R-Right… Um, check the ship’s status!”

The monitor lit up again, and in response to Shirayuri-sensei’s voice, the ship’s information was displayed instantly. Surprisingly, the facilities of this immigration ship were more advanced than expected.

“Amazing! There’s a lot of weapons and equipment. It even has fighter jets and transport crafts!”

“With this, we might be able to stand against the Ares army…!”

As Shirayuri-sensei’s voice rose with excitement, my own heart began to race. Together with her, we might just be able to face this unprecedented situation. A new hope began to grow.

“It looks like… there’s still something we can do!”

“Let’s overcome the situation in front of us, together!”

By fulfilling our roles, we would become the strength that protects this academy. Though uncertain about the future, I thought it was time to take one step forward. The time had come to step into the future with courage.

Confirming the subject. From now on, our ship will comply with the command authority――Welcome to “Arcadia,” Captain Shirayuri.”

“…I see, that’s how it is.”

“W-wait, does that mean I’ve become the captain!?”

Mars. The fourth planet of the solar system and historically known as the closest planet to Earth. In the early 21st century, when humanity’s expansion into space had reached a standstill, Mars remained an untouched land.

However, the discovery of the miraculous new energy “Photon” allowed humanity to reach Mars surprisingly easily.

At that time, the terraforming system utilizing the Photon Field was still only in the prototype stage, but it demonstrated effects beyond expectations and quickly transformed Mars’ surface into a human-friendly environment.

The red land of rocks and sand turned into lush forests, and the cracks and valleys of the land filled with clear water, with half of the planet covered by a deep blue sea. An atmosphere composed of the same components as Earth enveloped the planet, and a blue sky became the norm.

Unlike the Moon, Mars achieved full terraforming, and large-scale immigration plans were promoted. Both official and illegal, hundreds of millions of humans settled on Mars, resulting in――the outbreak of large-scale wars.

The First Martian War was an independence war to break free from the ruling structures of the Earth sphere.

The Second Martian War was a conflict between the nations of the now-independent Mars.

Through these two great wars, the Ares Kingdom established itself as the largest nation on Mars with absolute power.

And now, in the 195th year of the New World calendar, the Ares Kingdom contributed to the peace and stability of the world as a great power of Mars, through a formal monarchy and practical democracy… or so it was thought.

“This call sign belongs to the Ares Army’s Second Fleet, flagship ‘Nemea.'”

Franchine, the former student council president who set off in a small escape spacecraft to negotiate with the Ares military, finally confirmed with her own eyes that the enemy was indeed from her homeland.

Honestly, she wanted to believe that the enemy attacking the colony was nothing but terrorists or space pirates, merely posing as the Ares military for disguise.

However, now the call sign of the enemy ship responding to her communication was undoubtedly that of a battleship of the Ares military, and more than anything, the overwhelming crimson giant ship floating in space was undeniably real.

The most advanced and one of the largest battleships in history. The appearance of the Hercules-class battleship, second ship “Nemea,” was well-known globally, even to those who were not native Ares.

Characterized by its red coloration, which symbolizes the Ares Kingdom, the massive box-shaped hull was equipped with TF catapults that protruded like long arms. While Franchine wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about military weapons, the sheer size and shape of the Hercules-class battleship were immediately recognizable.

“However, this may increase the chances of successful negotiations.”

While it was confirmed that the mastermind behind the colony’s attack was indeed the Ares Kingdom, that was also why the name of the Betelgeuse Duke’s family carried some weight. If the enemy had truly been merely terrorists, they would likely have been shot down without negotiation.

“President, we have received a halt order from Nemea.”

The ship was piloted by the former vice president, an exceptional male student who had worked alongside Franchine in last year’s student council.

Along with him, most of the former student council officers had boarded the spacecraft with Franchine. Their bond was strong, more than just as crew members to operate the ship; it was a responsibility to carry the fate of the academy and to ensure that she wouldn’t have to face danger alone. Everyone present trusted Franchine and wished to be with her.

Thanks to their presence, Franchine was able to suppress the fear of being just a girl and boldly challenge the Ares military for negotiation as the representative of Arcadia Academy.

“Very well, stop. If they have even the slightest willingness to talk, it’s about time…”

In the midpoint where the colony and battleship Nemea anchored, Franchine’s spacecraft came to a halt.

After a moment of silence, the enemy did not respond to their calls after the halt order.

“President.”

“Calm down. This is the time to wait.”

In a heart filled with anxiety and tension, movement finally occurred on the enemy’s side.

“Ah!? TF is launching from Nemea!”

“What?! Are they planning to shoot us down?!”

“Quick, escape—”

“No, that’s a messenger. Only one is coming toward us.”

From Nemea’s long catapult, a single red TF flew toward them, trailing a bright tail of boosters like a shooting star.

If they intended to shoot them down, a single secondary cannon would suffice. There was no need to dispatch a TF at all.

“But they should be communicating if they only wanted to talk?”

“There may be a reason on their side for wanting to come here.”

If one started doubting, it would never end.

But right now, developments were moving faster than contemplation. The red TF coming from Nemea was approaching at an incredible speed, reaching before the spaceship in less than thirty seconds.

The appeared TF was white. Its skeletal structure and exoskeleton were pure white, with decorations and partial additional armor highlighted in crimson.

It featured a distinctive backpack with two large cylindrical booster pods, releasing particles of photons that glimmered vividly.

“That machine is ‘Regios’… why is it here?”

Franchine gasped at the sight of the crimson and white TF named “Regios.”

Because this machine was a special TF that only a limited few could pilot in Ares.

“You are a messenger from Arcadia Academy, I see. State your name.”

As the voice came from the Ares military TF Regios, real-time visual communication began. On the main monitor appeared the TF pilot, who was not even wearing a pilot suit but was aboard in military attire.

His military uniform was a pure white coat adorned with extravagant decorations, signifying a high-ranking military officer. However, what drew everyone’s attention was not the medals or rank insignia on his breast, but the mask covering his face.

If this were a ballroom, that appearance might be excusable. However, it was undeniable that this masked figure was sitting in the cockpit of the TF in front of them, and moreover, this suspicious person was to be their negotiation counterpart.

Even Franchine took a while to respond to his call.

“…That’s right. My name is Franchine von Betelgeuse. I have come as a representative of Arcadia Academy to negotiate a ceasefire with the Ares military.”

“I am Ares Kingdom Army, Special Operations Major ‘White Holy Knight’ Sirius. I am the highest authority commanding the assault on the Seventh Academy City Colony ‘Arcadia.'”

“What!?”

Franchine was shocked, unable to hide her astonishment at the audacity with which he announced himself as the mastermind behind the colony’s assault and at his title.

“No, that’s impossible! The title of ‘White Holy Knight’ belongs to my father!”

“In place of Lord Betelgeuse, I am the Holy Knight now. More importantly, don’t you have other matters to address? I am busy executing my mission, and my time to lend an ear to your words is limited.”

With Sirius’s provocative remarks, Franchine grit her teeth, yet… right now, she was responsible for the lives of her students. Progressing the ceasefire negotiation was the top priority.

“Ugh… w-we have no intention to resist. All that remain at the academy are underage students. We request that all further attacks cease and that you guarantee the lives of all the students.”

“Hmm, a very reasonable demand. For you students, this assault was nothing but an unwarranted military action you were caught up in.”

“Yes, we do not know what your operational goals are, but at least we, the students, will not interfere nor resist. Therefore, please, the lives of the students…”

“Ah, I understand your demands well. Now, I wish to enter negotiations, but first, I want both you and the students of Arcadia to understand the current situation. Ignoring the present state would not be fair when negotiating and you wouldn’t be able to comprehend our position.”

From Sirius’s unit, more visual information was transmitted.

“What shall we do, President?”

“This negotiation is being broadcast back to the academy. We cannot discern this information alone.”

Right now, the anxiety and tension among the students at Arcadia Academy was reaching a peak. Thanks to the student council’s efforts, they managed to maintain calmness, each waiting in their classrooms, but they were not required to exhibit patience for the results of Franchine’s negotiation.

Thus, Franchine boldly decided to publicly broadcast the negotiation to the academy. At this very moment, the students should be watching the outcome of the negotiation in their classrooms.

In this situation, openly trying to hide things could lead to resentment, even for trivial matters. If student dissatisfaction erupted and they stormed into the student council room, there would be no way to handle it.

Feeling no good omens, Franchine steeled herself and began to play the visual information transmitted by Sirius.

“—The time has come! Now we must create a world as it should be!!”

The first image displayed was of a gruff-looking elderly man. A muscular giant draped in a pure white military uniform and cape, he exuded the presence of a monarch.

His booming voice brimmed with authority, and his piercing gaze seemed to threaten anyone who might oppose him.

“This is General Aldebaran.”

Eldridge Stark Aldebaran.

He was the highest-ranking officer of the Ares Kingdom military, a hero of the kingdom who fought through both the First and Second Martian Wars.

“Even now, the world is still under the dominance of a privileged elite. Humanity has achieved space expansion, with human activities stretching to the Moon, Mars, and even further, yet the power structure remains utterly unchanged from the old era!”

The general shouted. Despite the appearances of independence from the Moon and Mars, the reality was that they were still unable to escape the rulers from the old era living on Earth.

“Stand up, comrades! We of the Ares Kingdom shall forever sever ties with the decayed old rulers. Yes, through their death, we will forge the true world order of the new era!”

Discontent, conflict, and the gap between the rich and poor certainly exist even in today’s age. Yet, for over fifty years, humanity has continued to advance relatively free of major wars, and places like Arcadia Academy, where background and social standing do not influence the environment, have formed.

For Franchine, or rather, for all students of Arcadia Academy, there may be no one who truly felt the unjust domination that the general claimed.

“Listen, world. We will annihilate all who are under the old rule from the farthest colonies to Earth! We will crush any and all obstacles in our path with no mercy! However, to those who will accept us, we shall promise prosperity and glory of the new era! Here and now, Ares declares—the commencement of the interstellar war!!”

The declaration of war had already been issued.

“Interstellar war… No way! Are you out of your mind, planning to turn the entirety of the world against you and engage in war!?”

“Is it us who are mad, or the world? That shall soon become clear.”

“Impossible! This must be fake! What do you plan to gain by deceiving us?!”

“The proof that war has begun is that you are experiencing it firsthand right now.”

Sirius’s words pierced through as an undeniable truth.

If they had suddenly been shown this footage, the people of the world, including Ares citizens, would have laughed in disbelief and dismissed it.

However, the Seventh Academy City Colony “Arcadia” was already being devastated by the Ares military. With such atrocious military actions manifesting in reality, it could not merely be glossed over as fake or a joke.

At this stage, how many people had already died? The heavy reality that Franchine had deliberately avoided thinking about now bore down on her heart with the nightmarish words “interstellar war.”

“The battles are not just happening here—”

New visual information was continuously relayed from Sirius.

Alongside the general’s declaration of war speech, several screens displayed footage of the Ares military assaulting various locations around the world.

The mighty Gaul army pushed forward against neighboring states on Mars. Already, the royal castles, parliamentary buildings, prime ministerial residences, and presidential palaces of several small countries were soaring red flames and the emblem of Ares were waving boldly.

In space, military colonies belonging to the Earth sphere were under assault, with some entirely destroyed.

On the lunar surface, fierce close-quarters fighting between the armies of the Moon and Mars was raging.

And on Earth, scenes of the first orbital elevator “Heaven’s Gate,” built on the man-made island over the Pacific Ocean, being blown up were captured.

Franchine wished desperately that these were all fake.

However, she knew deep down that they were not just targeting them.

“—These are only a small part of the battles. After all, we are carrying out an interstellar war now. The flames of war will spread, enveloping the entirety of the world.”

Finally, the last footage sent by Sirius was displayed on the largest scale.

“I-I can’t believe it! The Seventh Academy City Colony ‘Arcadia’ has been completely destroyed! Look, it’s nothing but debris, there’s nothing left here!”

It was live footage from the television broadcast. In the footage, Arcadia had turned into nothing more than cosmic debris.

Without thinking, she confirmed with the spaceship’s rear camera. There was some damage but still remained intact, the colony “Arcadia” was still there.

“This is a fake news broadcast…”

“But it will become the truth from now on.”

As if responding to Sirius’s voice, the fake news footage of Arcadia’s destruction switched.

In what appeared to be an interior space of a warship, a sharp-looking Ares army officer was being interviewed by a reporter with a microphone.

“When we arrived to protect Ares students, the situation was already like this. It is extremely regrettable.”

“Why did the coalition forces destroy Arcadia? Did they have to take all the colony residents, including students, down with them?”

“They have already extracted important research information, new models, and new weapons, while the upper management and necessary researchers have secretly evacuated. They likely prioritized erasing this Arcadia, filled with cutting-edge technology and classified information, to prevent it from falling into our hands.”

“If that is true, it would mean that the coalition forces conducted an exceptionally inhumane operation.”

“The coalition forces only bear that name; in reality, they are mere puppets of the Earth sphere. It is always, the innocent civilians who become the casualties of war… It is to eliminate such injustice that we fight.”

“There are reports that among the Ares students enrolled in Arcadia Academy, there is a daughter of the Betelgeuse dukedom.”

“Regrettably, including Lady Betelgeuse herself, hundreds of young Ares students have lost their lives… The reprisal for this, the Ares military will surely deliver.”

This was the expression of disbelief.

Franchine found herself watching her own death being broadcast without any preamble, becoming utterly confused.

“W-what in the world is this… Why is there a need to do such a thing?”

“This is simply a form of propaganda. The more noble the sacrifice, the higher the morale. Especially in your case, Franchine, as a young and beautiful person of noble blood.”

“N-no way…”

“Ah, this is our answer. We will not accept any of your demands. Because every single student of Arcadia Academy must die here as a noble sacrifice.”

With that cruel proclamation, Regios began to emit a bright red aura. A powerful photon field was formed, making its power visibly radiant.

In other words, combat readiness.

“N-no… this can’t be true, no—”

“Franchine, you will die for Ares. Such a great role is not one that even soldiers often see… You may boast of your accomplishments in heaven to your father.”

With those words, Franchine’s consciousness was swallowed by darkness.

The last thing she saw was Regios drawing its swords from its hips at unimaginable speed, ready to strike down—pity the small spacecraft was helplessly shot down. No crew members, including Franchine, could recognize this reality.

However, that merciless act would be witnessed by all the students remaining at Arcadia Academy.

The collapse of the negotiations was made clear for everyone to see.

The Ares military’s declaration of war, the fake news of Arcadia’s destruction, and the public execution of President Franchine had plunged the academy into the depths of despair.

“Hey, this can’t be true… what is this…”

“N-no! President! Franchine President!!”

“What are we going to do? Are we all going to die!?”

Fear and confusion no longer allowed the students to remain quietly bound to their classroom chairs. Faced with a death sentence. The outcome of the negotiations had proven that the Ares military was approaching with absolute murderous intent, and even if they were not children but full-grown people, it was more than enough to plunge them into panic.

“…”

Even Leon found himself unable to move immediately.

Even if he called for them to calm down right away, it would likely have been meaningless.

None of them had expected such a disastrous outcome. Everyone had taken into consideration that if there was danger, the spaceship could be shot down, and Franchine could die.

However, there was likely no one who could truly regard that as a plausible reality. In witnessing the murders of Franchine and her companions under clear murderous intent, how could anyone avoid being shocked and saying, “I saw that coming”?

“This is not good. First, we need to calm the students down.”

Breaking the silence in the student council room was still Leon. With President Franchine and the three-year senatorial members dead, he was the only one in a position to lead the academy.

“But how…?”

“What do we say in a situation like this…?”

Leon couldn’t blame the council members’ anxious expressions. They were right. In this situation, faced with such a desperate declaration, how could one possibly soothe them?

There were no magical words to do so.

“—Everyone, listen up! My name is Kaguya Hoshiumi, and I’m the pilot of ‘Excellion!'”

The school broadcast speaker reverberated loudly.

“I was the one who defeated the ‘Gaul’ on the ground! I will protect this academy! With the power of Excellion, we won’t lose to the Ares military!”

“Kaguya!? What is he doing!?”

Suddenly, Kaguya began a school broadcast. Why was he in the broadcast room at this timing, saying such reckless things? Leon, who should know him well as his childhood friend, understood immediately what was happening.

“So, please don’t give up, help me out! We are the students of Arcadia Academy, pioneers who will explore the unknown planet. If we all combine our power, we can definitely overcome this crisis!”

Those words were likely just superficial encouragement. If anyone else had said them, even Leon, the student council president, they would not have served as any comfort.

However, the existence of “Excellion” ignited hope in that statement.

“Believe in me, no, believe in the power of Excellion!”

Already, that blue-horned tactical frame had demonstrated its power. Students who had been taken hostage in the ground and Gaul, who had landed on the academy.

Excellion had defeated them head-on.

It was hard to believe, but a powerful new model TF was present in this academy. And there was a pilot who could handle it.

In this desperate situation, that was more than enough potential to cling to.

Naturally, the students, who had been panicking, began to focus on the school broadcast.

“Uh, um, I am Himeko Shirayuri, responsible for general studies! I-I am… the only teacher still alive in the academy!”

“What? Now it’s Lady Teacher?”

Following Kaguya’s fervent appeal came the somewhat flaccid, unreliable words of Lady Shirayuri. Leon had no idea what kind of combination that was.

“I am currently in a secret facility underground at the academy. The secret hangar where Excellion was! From there, Hiroshi-kun and I reached the secret command center!”

No one bothered to make a quip about all the secrets.

It was easy to predict that, given the mysterious new model TF Excellion, there was a secret facility that developed it. And it seemed that this facility was right beneath the academy, as those listening to the broadcast began to sense.

“In that underground facility, we discovered that there is a secret spaceship! Uh, it’s a next-generation immigration ship… it’s really big and has incredible functions, it’s an amazing spaceship! We want to escape on this ship now!!”

“N-no way!?”

Incredible astonishment spilled from everyone present. However, that shock was undeniably due to the bright light of hope appearing before them.

“With this immigration ship and Excellion, we can surely escape from the Ares military! So please cooperate! Don’t panic, follow the instructions, and let’s successfully carry out the escape operation together!!”

For the time being, I confirmed with the monitoring cameras in the academy that the panic that the students were on the verge of experiencing due to the brutal murder of President Franchine and others had been quelled, thanks to my and the teacher’s call.

“Ahh… that was so tense…”

“I-I felt the same way…”

Deep sighs escaped from the two slackers as they leaned exhausted against their chairs.

Honestly, I shouldn’t be doing things that don’t suit my character. I feel like I was spouting the kind of stuff a hot-blooded protagonist would say. Honestly, I don’t even remember exactly what I was saying.

But it was true that at this timing, I was the only one here who could say such things.

“But you were amazing, Hoshiumi-kun… If it were just me, I couldn’t have said anything like that, and I probably wouldn’t even have thought to.”

“Well, um, what can I say… I think it’s probably because I know best the power of Excellion that I was able to say something like that.”

After discovering the bridge of this immigration ship “Arcadia” and automatically securing Lady Shirayuri as the captain, I had just a little time to investigate the place before President Franchine’s negotiation had begun.

Even here, which was connected to the internal local net, or rather, had actually become part of the academy, I could see all the footage. And I happened to witness that tragedy.

I turned blank when I was forced to see that scene. It was frightening, and I felt a sense of despair.

However, when I saw Lady Shirayuri, whose eyes were nearly rolling back in fear beside me, it made me more, well, strangely calm.

Is it just human psychology that when you see someone more scared than yourself, it brings you some comfort? Setting aside such analyses, I began to think.

The Ares military’s claims were unbelievably clear. They must do whatever it takes to erase us along with the colony. It was like a declaration of total annihilation for every last one of us.

I don’t want to die.

So what to do?

As Edel had said, we can only fight.

The enemy had come with an enormous fleet led by that massive Hercules-class battleship. Even if we were not students but regular soldiers of the coalition, we wouldn’t stand a chance against such overwhelming enemy forces. Even if we were to challenge them, how much longer could we prolong our lives?

Understanding the absolute disparity in strength, I knew I alone understood the power of Excellion. Perhaps with this, that thought chased away fear and rearranged my thoughts.

“Besides, this immigration ship is packed with over-technologies comparable to Excellion. This ship actually has enough performance to escape the Ares fleet!”

After Lady Shirayuri was appointed captain, I was fortunate to have had a bit of time to look into this immigration ship. Given that, I learned just how amazing it was.

“I’m sorry, I’m so unreliable… as a teacher, I should be the one standing firm.”

“No, I’m glad you’re with me, teacher. If I were alone, I might have just tried fleeing alone on Excellion.”

“N-no way would you do that!”

Who knows, perhaps because I knew the power of Excellion, I could have taken the option to survive alone. If Lady Shirayuri had not been there, I might have been so gripped by fear that I would have run away.

Right now, the safest place was undeniably in the cockpit of Excellion.

“Either way, since I made such a bold statement, we have to take action.”

“Y-yeah, you’re right!”

Let’s make a decision again.

And it’s not something I need to carry by myself. While I initiated it, that was merely because I happened to know about Excellion and the immigration ship.

In executing this operation, I should involve Leon and the student council. Furthermore, since I would probably ask all the other regular students for their help, there was no one at the academy who could remain uninvolved.

As we calmed our restless hearts, Lady Shirayuri and I waited for Leon and the others to arrive.

To explain about the immigration ship, calling them to this place would be the quickest way. Moreover, since Lady Shirayuri had become the captain, all locks had been released, allowing access through the corridors, and I could even guide them if I wanted to.

I had already called Leon and the others to this place through the earlier school broadcast, and to save some explanation time, I was publicly sharing a brief overview of the immigration ship to the students who would remain in their classrooms. If they read it, they would likely stay quiet for a while and their anxieties would be placated.

“—Kaguya!”

“They’re here, Leon. I’ve been waiting.”

In less than five minutes, Leon and the student council members arrived. Eldel and senior Eiryas must have joined up in the hangar, and they were with him.

Oh, Yuka was discreetly part of the group too.

I guess the girl who is President Franchine’s sister is probably either sleeping from shock or crying.

“What on Earth is going on? What is this place?!”

“Just calm down for now, and please listen to the explanation.”

With the group gathered in the bridge, we can begin to talk.

Though I wouldn’t be the one doing the explaining.

“—Welcome aboard the next-generation immigration ship ‘Arcadia.’ I welcome all crew members.”

The familiar mechanical voice began to speak as if it had been observing the scene here. In fact, it was indeed observing and accurately grasping the state of the room.

“I am the interstellar navigation support AI navigator entrusted with managing the immigration ship ‘Arcadia.’ Please feel free to call me ‘Navi.'”

When Lady Shirayuri unexpectedly became the captain, it was at that moment that it introduced itself.

Even in this ship, a significant portion of it had progressed towards automation, and since an AI was onboard to assist in navigation, it was not too unusual. More importantly, though, it seemed that this was far more advanced than typical AI found in ordinary spacecraft.

“Please, Navi, start with a brief explanation about this ship.”

Having already learned how to use Navi, I entrusted the explanation to it. As an excellent AI, Navi was capable of inferring my intent from fairly vague instructions and providing appropriate answers.

“Yes. This vessel is a prototype of a next-generation immigration ship secretly constructed in the Seventh Academy City Colony ‘Arcadia.'”

“Secretly constructed? By which country? No, the Coalition, right?”

“It is a classified matter. I cannot answer.”

“What Navi can respond to is limited to what the captain, Shirayuri-sensei, has the authority to access. It won’t answer questions that push into too many secrets.”

Just like that, I too asked Navi the same thing at first—who created the immigrant ship, the Excelsion, and this product of overtechnology.

No matter how I phrased it, Navi would only respond with “That’s classified” and never revealed anything.

“Understood. I’ll postpone investigating the mastermind. So, what can this immigrant ship actually do?”

“This vessel possesses the functionality for humanity’s first-ever manned exploration beyond the solar system and the capability for terraforming and colonization. It includes multiple cutting-edge photon technologies not found on existing spacecraft.”

“Specifically?”

“Powered by a Yousei Ore Reactor, it features an Oracle-type Photon Field, New-Terra Formation System, Dimension Leap Navigation, and an all-weather embedded residential area. Would you like to know more?”

“…No, that’s enough.”

Hmm, Leon frowned deeply, and I completely understood his reaction.

The functions Navi just listed are all futuristic technologies not yet realized. Although their theoretical feasibility has been demonstrated, it’s said that it would take another fifty or a hundred years to actually build them.

Yet Navi insists that they’re all already implemented. Well, that’s expected of something claiming to be next-generation. If it’s true, that is.

“Fine. I’ll believe it. If the Excelsion exists, I’ll believe in an immigrant ship loaded with future tech.”

“Glad you’re quick to understand.”

“Either way, depending on this thing is our only chance of survival, right?”

Our enemy is the Ares fleet. We’re just students. It’s an utterly hopeless situation. It’ll take a miracle to overcome—and that miracle might be here.

“So, what now? Sure, this ship has amazing capabilities… but if it’s just an immigrant ship, it’s unarmed, right?”

“Correct. This vessel is not equipped with any military weapons. The only exception is the tactical frame ‘Excelsion,’ which just happened to be temporarily stored onboard.”

So the immigrant ship “Arcadia” and the new-type TF “Excelsion” were built under separate projects. The fact that only one Excelsion was in the hangar matches Navi’s explanation that it was only here temporarily.

Well, since both are classified, Navi refuses to say more. We have no idea what’s being hidden from us. Maybe the ship is secretly armed with superweapons, but if Navi insists “there are no weapons,” then we probably won’t be allowed to use them.

If this were a next-gen space battleship, we could just charge in and crush the Ares fleet. But wishing for what we don’t have is pointless.

“Sure, this ship has no offensive power. But it does have defense. If the Oracle-type Photon Field is real, it should be at least ten times stronger than a standard battleship’s.”

There are two types of the all-purpose Photon Field that blocks any attack.

One is the high-output dispersal-type Photon Field.

This deploys a massive and sturdy field powered by a core reactor. It’s installed only on large weapons like battleships, mainly used to protect bases or regions. Some can even cover entire colonies or continents.

The other is the humanoid Photon Field.

Photon Fields require massive amounts of energy, so normally they can only be generated by something as large as a battleship’s core reactor.

But TFs in humanoid form are different. For some reason, humanoids can generate Photon Fields even with substandard output. Using this trait, all TFs are equipped with humanoid Photon Field generators.

Now, the Oracle-type used by the immigrant ship “Arcadia” is an enhanced hybrid of both humanoid and dispersal-type Photon Fields. By leveraging some unknown properties of photon energy found in humanoid fields, it supposedly creates a field more than ten times stronger at the same output level. Don’t ask me how that works.

But most likely, Excelsion also uses the Oracle type. Even when hit directly by a bazooka, the field’s strength only dropped by about one-tenth. That lines up exactly with the claim of tenfold durability.

“But no matter how tough the defense, if they keep firing, we’ll be taken down eventually. Being slightly faster won’t be enough—we’ll sink before we can escape.”

True. Even with ten times the defense, taking ten times the damage would still destroy us. The Ares fleet came prepared to obliterate a whole colony. They’re well-equipped, fully loaded with ammo. One lone immigrant ship charging in would be a perfect target. Not tenfold—more like a hundredfold firepower would shred us instantly.

“That’s why we’ll use the Dimension Leap Navigation.”

“Wait—are you saying we’re gonna warp right in the middle of the enemy!?”

It requires even more energy than the high-output Photon Field used for continent-scale defense, but warp devices already exist and have long been used for space development. Warp gates are installed on Earth, Mars, Colony 1, and Colony 4.

When I first came to Arcadia Academy, I warped from Earth to Colony 4 and then transferred to a spaceship.

Warp gates are commonplace now and considered indispensable infrastructure for humanity. Among photon technologies, this is likely the most advanced—even more so than TFs or terraforming.

The basic theory of warp is to use massive, dense photon energy to twist space and connect two points. Without needing mysterious glowing realms, 4D spaces, or imaginary realms, you can directly link 3D space. Once a gate is open, entry and exit are free, because the spaces are already connected.

Still, although photon-based warp technology is real, it hasn’t advanced further. For decades, it’s only been used with warp gates. No mass production of gates, and little progress on reducing energy costs.

Even in a hundred years, people said spaceships would never have built-in warp capability. But this one does.

A dream system that miniaturizes the warp mechanism for spacecraft and allows freely set destinations—that’s “Dimension Leap.” And the implemented system based on it is called “Dimension Leap Navigation.”

“We’ve only run light checks, but even if we can’t warp all the way to Earth, we should be able to do a short-range jump far enough to lose the Ares fleet.”

“Hey, are you sure about this?”

“Well, Leon—Student Council President—will you bet on it or not?”

“Damn it, you only call me that when it suits you.”

Even Leon couldn’t easily decide to follow my shady escape plan relying entirely on barely believable future tech.

Honestly, since mass slaughter by the Ares army seems inevitable, even getting flung into deep space by a failed warp sounds better to me. Call it resolve.

It’s not that I have courage.

I just want to escape, no matter what.

I fought Gauls in Excelsion, killed tons of Ares soldiers… I won, but it was brutal. I could only fight with the strong will to save Yuuka and meet Leon’s expectations.

So I can’t bear the idea of a suicide mission against the Ares army.

But if there’s a sliver of hope to escape, then I can fight by believing in it. I’ll ride Excelsion again and shoot down as many Gauls as it takes.

Since I’ve already made up my mind, I’ll be the one to push Leon forward this time.

“You can do this, Leon. You and me, together.”

“Kaguya… Damn it, when you say that, how can I refuse?”

That’s the spirit, Leon. Damn, you really are a good-looking guy.

“Everyone, listen up! From here on out, we’re going to shake off the Ares army using this immigrant ship, Arcadia!”

Making the decision is the leader’s duty.

The moment Leon made that strong declaration, the student council members standing behind him, previously filled with unease, now had resolve glowing in their eyes.

Alright—they’re in. They’ve joined us.

With just me and the teacher on the school broadcast, we could never get cooperation from all the students. But now that the student council, led by President Leon, is moving with purpose, everyone will surely follow.

“We’re not just going to stand here and let them kill us! We will survive—every last one of us!”

Leon’s shout echoed, and the gathered students responded in unison.

A series of developments that seem familiar somewhere… But personally, I wanted to portray classic tropes if I’m going to do a mecha story! That’s how this narrative came about.

The initial trigger for this story was a conversation with a friend on the theme “my original Gundam.” Just after the second season of “Iron-Blooded Orphans” had ended, we were lamenting what a disappointing conclusion it was.

Anyway, this frustration led us to discuss our ideal Gundam works, expressing what kind of Gundam we wanted to see! The ideas conceived spontaneously during that conversation became the foundation for Excellion.

I believe my first conceived theme was that the protagonist would use a Gundam to dominate and become a dictator at the academy.

As for Excellion, I have not given up on serializing that work, so I’ll avoid spoilers… the flow is that Kaguya will become a celebrated savior for her actions, rather than just a pilot, leading to a concentration of power that forces her into the role of a dictator. I also plan to explore the ensuing student conflicts within the academy, using tensions developed through the story, which I desire to fine-tune.

In the first demo work, “Madness Island,” I mentioned that it drew inspiration from the game Dying Light. However, in “Excellion,” there was another game that greatly influenced me.

That would be “Gundam Breaker 3.”

While I wouldn’t call it a godly game like Dying Light, for anyone who has the desire to assemble their original mobile suit, it’s a fantastic game; it’s also a good game in its own right.

In Gundam Breaker 3, I simply used the imaginative ideas of the mechs I envisioned for Excellion, creating various models. Of course, the protagonist mech Excellion, but also the training mech Harrier, mass-production mech Gaul, rival mech Regios, and the TFs that appeared in this demo were all crafted within the game. There are also various other mechs scheduled to appear in the story, such as Edel’s exclusive machine and other mass-production models and boss units. Gundam Breaker 3 has immensely satisfied my creative desires.

If you’re interested, definitely check out Gundam Breaker 3. It’s the third installment, not the latest version—get the third!

Additionally, another work that inspired this project was the anime “Valvrave the Liberator.” Abbreviated as “VvvV,” it was the most anticipated of the trio of mecha anime aired during the same period as “Majestic Prince” and “Gargantia,” and ultimately, the most disappointingly executed.

With thrilling settings leading to various shocking developments, the disappointments were all the greater for the expectations placed upon them. At least, I can say I was not satisfied with Valvrave at all.

However, it certainly had exciting premises. The situation of independence within a school setting was a prime example.

Thus, I absorbed the aspects that appealed to me, restructuring them into my own work. The concept of a dictator stemming from an original Gundam narrative also arose from my frustrations with Valvrave.

As I’ve mentioned, since I still hold onto hope for Excellion’s serialization, I’ll refrain from discussing it further. Personally, I believe this could be the most interesting work, but how do you feel about it? I would be thrilled to receive evaluations.

Tomorrow marks the conclusion of the demo, returning to classic themes with an isekai summoning story. So, please look forward to it!