1.
Following the restoration of Sentum Tower, about two weeks had passed.
Thanks to the efforts of many, Kiburatos had regained its original state, and the Federal Investigative Club ‘SCALE’ had quickly risen in fame just as in the original story. The number of incidents occurring in the city had decreased, and the citizens had resumed their normal lives. With the establishment of a new authority acting as a protective barrier, the people were no longer afraid of the future.
With communication and transportation having been restored, exchanges among autonomous districts became more active. As a result, law and order and the economy recovered at a rapid pace, leading to a brighter outlook for the smaller academies that had been on the verge of collapse due to the recent crisis.
The restoration of Sentum Tower.
The resolution of various issues arising in Kiburatos.
And the existence of ‘males,’ a presence previously unseen in the city.
These reasons were likely some of the factors contributing to SCALE’s swift rise to fame. While the teacher’s popularity and ability also played a role, ultimately the teacher became a well-known figure in Kiburatos within just a few weeks for a combination of these reasons.
And.
Comparable to this teacher, or rather surpassing them in both speed and renown, was a certain person.
Silk, now hailed as a hero of Kiburatos.
What was this person doing now?
“Alright, I’ll continue the explanation.”
“Stop already…”
“Let me explain; in order to maximize performance with the original design, we used the newly developed material ‘Vibrenium’ combined with Wolfschek steel. We formed a binder film layer to enhance the adhesion between the materials by combining the physical characteristics of carbon nanotubes and graphene…”
“ARGH!”
…She was currently undergoing what could be described as academic torture, having been cornered by Kotori from the Engineering Department.
2.
Millennium Science School.
One of the three great academies, Millennium is highly advanced and boasts exceptional technical prowess, standing at the forefront of cutting-edge science.
As I mentioned before, for me, there’s no better place. It’s where I feel most comfortable and is also the most stable location in Kiburatos. However, there was one ongoing issue I noticed since starting at Millennium.
That issue being…
“Creating this shield was quite a journey! Especially this part! The smooth curve here comes from forming the steel plate into an arch using an autoclave…”
‘Shit.’
It’s tough keeping up with the scientific knowledge at Millennium, which is far beyond the level of Earth’s. Simply put, it’s way over my head.
I couldn’t understand a word Kotori was saying.
“…Hibiki, save me.”
“Alright.”
Finally unable to bear it, I leaned on Hibiki and muttered something. She gave a light laugh, then easily subdued Kotori.
Not that it was much of a subjugation; Hibiki simply tapped Kotori’s head with the edge of her hand to calm her down. Once the office had fallen silent again, I sighed in relief and turned to Utaha, who was watching the three of us with a warm smile.
Looking at the item before me…
“So, is this it? The prototype of the shield I requested?”
“Exactly. Though it’s still a trial piece.”
“Wow…”
A circular shield, with an appearance that reminded me of stainless steel but was actually iron, took shape in a familiar way that I remembered from my memories.
I nodded to Utaha, and once she nodded back, I stood up and lifted the shield.
It was surprisingly hefty but, considering its size, it was surprisingly light. When I flipped the protruding part around, I noticed a device attached inside where it could attach to my arm.
“Using this device, you can manage the shield’s storage and positioning. It can also project the shield, detect the location, and perform area scanning and more.”
Utaha continued her explanation and handed me the arm device next.
Reaching up to the forearm, it was a black glove with a connection port for the shield and a rectangular control panel.
It looked like the arm part of Ant-Man.
“Let’s run a test.”
Expressing my admiration, I immediately suggested conducting a test to Utaha. She nodded knowingly and led me to a vast warehouse.
This was practically a training ground with targets set up all over for me to test.
Shit, impressive…
I turned around, amazed, and looked at Utaha, Hibiki, and Kotori. They all smiled at my expression, motioned for me to go ahead, and waved their hands.
“Let’s begin!”
As the signal was given, beep sounds started, and the targets began moving erratically, darting up, down, left, and right.
I tightened my left hand and twisted my waist.
And I swung the shield with a spinning motion.
The shield was launched.
Whoom─!
BOOM!
The shield soared through the air, piercing through one target before debris fell. It then slammed into the wall and, with a loud bang, rebounded like a pinball, striking the right wall before passing through another target in front of it. Then—
Plop!
It returned to my arm.
“Whoa, insane.”
Exactly like the shield combat from the movies with Captain America that I’d seen: the bounce off the walls and the accurate return was perfect.
“Next!”
I proceeded with all the tests, building off of the momentum.
After analyzing the results, the prototype shield made by Millennium was roughly what I expected but had some areas needing improvement.
Specifically, durability and shock absorption.
Honestly, the latter part is hard to replicate, so I said it was fine if it wasn’t included, but the engineering crew refused to listen and insisted they’d try to recreate it.
But my honest opinion…
“Isn’t this good enough?”
“Nope. There are areas that need reinforcement, so give me some more time.”
“…I need this soon to begin operations.”
“If you want, I’ll paint the prototype and loan it to you. You can use it and we’ll make a better one next time. Please be patient.”
“Ah, okay.”
Even as I agreed, the prototype was already fine with me.
Utaha quickly painted the prototype and handed it to me without even hearing my words, and I couldn’t help but express my admiration upon receiving it.
Unlike Captain America’s Vibranium shield, this one featured white and blue stripes with a black Millennium emblem at the center, but it was still more than satisfactory.
Whoa, that’s it.
“I, shall become Captain Millennium.”
With a happy smile, I equipped the shield.
The preparations for starting serious operations were now complete.
Special Operations Department, Nanashi Hiiro.
Prepared for deployment.
3.
There are many ways to earn money as a student in Kiburatos.
You could work part-time, use your talents to start a business, accept people’s requests as a problem solver, or, if you’re affiliated with a school club, perform activities related to that club, while those not affiliated might turn to illicit activities.
The value and abilities of Kiburatos’ students surpass those of ordinary people, making it easier to earn money, which is the general conclusion.
However, I have other purposes besides earning money, and I always have to think conditionally about my direction.
My beliefs, values, and scope of activities along with establishing my alibi. It’s difficult to find work that fulfills all these conditions and still allows me to make money.
But it’s not like there’s nothing at all.
“Involved in the investigation of anomalies, correct?”
“Yes. Recently, there’s been an increase in the frequency of occurrences that defy common sense in Kiburatos, known as ‘paranormal’ or ‘anomalous phenomena.’ Investigating, analyzing, and possibly resolving these events is our objective.”
“Interesting…”
[Blue Archive], the stage of Kiburatos Academy City, is a place where the concept of ‘Mystery’ exists.
Later, even the opposing concept of ‘Terror’ emerges—a world where fantasy coexists with modern civilization.
“Robots moving inside a closed theme park, a massive mechanical snake occasionally spotted in the desert, blue automata appearing in commercial zones, and witnesses reporting people with eerily blue-tinged bodies.”
“Pretty diverse.”
“There are also phenomena that even I haven’t fully understood yet. They say there have been discoveries of objects that appear to be from another world. Some theories even suggest that the boundaries between dimensions have weakened.”
“Hmm…”
“Anyway, it’s definitely the type of work suited for our ‘Special Operations Department.’ Isn’t it?”
Other worlds?
I flinched for a moment, but since [Blue Archive] has also featured collaborations and appearances of characters from other worlds, it was probably just a phenomenon that occurred naturally within the story.
I calmed my racing heart, having convinced myself of this.
And, in conclusion, it was indeed the type of work fitting for the club I joined, as Himari had said.
Not only does it provide opportunities for effortless activities within a broader scope, but also…
“The scope of mystery is broad. Our definition of ‘paranormal’ is anything that’s ‘scientifically difficult to prove.'”
Paranormal, and anomalous phenomena.
In so far as we’re the ones interpreting them, we can exaggerate them and have free reign in our involvement in events.
That’s what Himari was explaining.
“Not bad, right?”
“It’s the best, senior.”
“Hehe, this is easy for me, Millennium’s brightest yet delicate hacker.”
With satisfaction, I replied.
Himari smiled warmly and nodded happily.
“So, what’s the first mission?”
“Here it is.”
In response to my question, Himari handed over a document.
I took it and read the title.
[D.U. Abnormal Phenomena in the Second Business Zone]
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