Chapter 56

1.

BOOM─!!

An explosion echoed as a sandstorm surged upward.

The air was filled with the polluting roar of engines and the sound of shrapnel scattering everywhere.

Screams rose from those caught in the storm of sand and dust being flung in all directions. Mixed in with the cries were the laughter of the helmeted figures, and the ceaseless gunfire that followed.

“Ugh, here we go again.”

“Well, you best get outta this neighborhood soon.”

To the citizens who observed this scene, endless complaints flowed from their lips.

Of course, not a single soul seemed inclined to get involved, instead standing at a distance and shaking their heads in disapproval.

In a situation like this, no one would step in heroically or offer rewards, and all they’d be doing is inviting more trouble into their lives.

“…the hearts of people have become like deserts.”

While watching the scene, Master Shiba remarked soberly.

With the city’s collapse, so too fell the daily lives of its people. As the daily grind worsened, disaster swept into the hearts of the populace.

Human warmth disappeared, and within them brewed selfishness, simply to survive. Struggling to stay alive, they floundered. The collapse of Abidos transformed the personalities of its citizens.

And when exactly did it start unraveling like this?

A question no one could answer. Master Shiba’s mind revolved only around such thoughts.

“A cause for lament.”

“Certainly, it is indeed a serious problem.”

The one responding to Master Shiba’s muttering was the girl slurping ramen in front of him.

She observed the chaos unfolding outside the shop, let out a hollow laugh, cupped her chin, and muttered:

“And no clear solution comes to mind either.”

“…so you seem to have quite the interest in our Abidos, don’t you?”

“Of course. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have come back here.”

“Indeed, that much is certain.”

The girl’s spirited response prompted Master Shiba to nod his head.

For him, it was always a delight the way she enjoyed every meal, but today, another reason to feel grateful appeared.

A student from another academy showing concern for where he lived—it struck him as quite a positive occurrence.

“So, as a student from another academy, what do you think of Abidos’ future?”

“Future, you say?”

“Hmm. Well, you, who learns much more than someone like me, who just cooks ramen, probably have a different perspective that I’m curious about.”

“Though considering that, sir, you seem to possess impressive insight yourself.”

“Hmm, but that’s from accumulated wisdom over time.”

Master Shiba shrugged his shoulders while explaining.

Ah, the girl concurred with a sound, momentarily pondered something, then continued with a bittersweet smile.

“It’s impossible to resolve every problem. It would take a god to achieve something like that. But still…”

“But?”

The girl paused for a moment in thought.

What was Abidos like?

Unlike Gehenna, which was labeled as a lawless area due to the impulsive nature of its students who sought freedom, Abidos had become a lawless wasteland because the law simply stopped functioning. Incidents of all kinds continually plagued it.

Its proximity to the Black Market, the academy serving as the governmental authority being practically defunct, and the presence of Kaiser, which had wiped out ‘normal’ individuals, were all factors.

The fundamental cause was the collapse from natural disasters, but the situation had deteriorated beyond restoration thanks to humanity.

All these elements combined turned Abidos into a place that, despite the restoration of Sentum Tower, never managed to escape its state of anarchy. It had reached a point so serious that even the Student Council turned a blind eye.

Certainly, in this situation, most would reach a pessimistic conclusion.

Who could possibly turn this around?

However,

The girl provided a different answer.

With a confident expression, smiling boldly,

“It won’t fall any further than this.”

“…hmm?”

Master Shiba found this opinion somewhat foreign.

It was difficult for someone not associated with Abidos and its students or citizens to remain hopeful in light of its circumstances.

Let alone that this came from a Millennium student, widely regarded as scientific and rational—Master Shiba began to wonder if the girl was just offering pleasantries.

Still, her next words made him let out a hollow laugh.

“Because I’ll make sure it doesn’t.”

“…a student?”

It was an absurd statement, more like bravado or a pipe dream.

But why was her gaze so filled with conviction, with resolve?

It struck Master Shiba as an undeniably curious response.

However, the girl simply replied:

“That’s why I’m here.”

BOOM─!!

The moment after this declaration, a thunderous roar signaled a dramatic change in the situation outside the shop.

Master Shiba peered outside in surprise, and there—

A girl with black hair wearing a “Black Fox Mask” was on a rampage,

punishing evildoers.

The relentless hammer of justice swung again and again.

Punishment for evil, rescue for citizens, and establishment of righteousness unfolded there.

The image of “justice” popularized by someone famous from Kiburatos was manifested once more.

Master Shiba momentarily wondered if it was Silk herself merely in a different outfit—until—

“More accurately, ‘we’ will ensure that.”

A voice that resembled Silk’s but had a different tone caught his attention from nearby.

Turning toward it, shock and amazement gripped Master Shiba’s face.

Because there, in front of him,

“Si.. Silk?”

The hero remembered by all in Kiburatos was looking straight at him.

“Thank you for the delicious ramen, sir. I’ll drop by again sometime.”

“Ah, but what is this—?”

“Please watch over me from here on. Take care of yourself, sir.”

Covered by a white mask, the hero stepped outside.

Watching this, Master Shiba could only gape in astonishment.

“Haha…”

And somehow,

As his heart swelled with hope while gazing at the hero’s departing back, he chuckled to himself.

“Huh. Guess even I still carry a childlike heart.”

2.

“…sigh, even though I don’t agree with it, your point about needing more manpower is well-taken.”

“Thanks, Himari-senpai.”

With a sigh, accepting Wakamo’s alliance was hard for Himari, but I thanked her sincerely. For some reason, every time Himari seemed to disapprove of something, she expected a hug.

‘…Do I need to tell her about the cohabitation arrangements?’

Himari showed an intense dislike, almost hatred, for Wakamo. Should I tell her that Wakamo will be living with me for the time being?

‘Hmm. Let’s do it later, after this mission.’

It was unnecessary to complicate an already busy situation.

By creating another secret with Himari, Hiro hadn’t realized it was a misstep.

He would face the consequences of this later.

“From now on, both me and Veritas will strive to support Hiro with everything we’ve got, whether in combat or other areas. We’ll give you our best assistance.”

With the skill of Veritas’ hackers and Himari’s talent, my means of power extended beyond the physical realm into cyberspace.

Having the best hackers from Millennium meant I was practically allied with an unparalleled force.

“Thanks, senpai. It feels like I’m always on the receiving end.”

“Hmpf. If you’re grateful, you should repay me later. Not everyone has the privilege of my help, you know?”

“I’ll definitely do so. Please let me know whenever you want.”

I grinned at Himari, responding lightly.

Since she had helped me countless times despite her frail health, I intended to return the favor, whatever it may be.

“…anything, you say?”

“Yes, anything within the realm of possibility.”

“Anything, huh… interesting…”

For some reason, Himari’s eyes glinted menacingly when I said that.

Maybe she was thinking of something unconventional.

“Senpai?”

“Ah! Hmm! It’s nothing. Let’s focus on reviewing our plans.”

“Rog.”

Our plan was straightforward.

Kaiser, as expected, intended to seize the opportunity when I’d left Abidos to enact his ambitions.

From here on, my plan was to infiltrate this opportunity, pressure Kaiser, and liberate Abidos from his grasp.

Of course, fully wiping out debt would be impossible, but I intended to prevent any further forced acquisitions of the academy or autonomous region.

In conclusion, aiming for the original happy ending.

That was my first goal, and my second goal was—

“To defeat Decagrammaton Binah, right?”

“Yes.”

According to data observed during my preliminary visit to Abidos, there was movement detected beneath the Abidos desert where Binah’s presence existed.

Moreover, we discovered that Kaiser PMC’s Decagrammaton battalion had initiated operations.

“We don’t know the exact start time, but they will soon make their full appearance.”

This conclusion was based on analysis of Binah’s behavior patterns and data hacked from Kaiser’s systems.

Binah always acted with a consistent pattern, making her behaviors somewhat predictable.

“Be careful. Though we understand Binah’s pattern, her strength is something no one can fully grasp.”

“I’ll always be mindful.”

“Good. Now, let’s go.”

“Take care—”

With Himari and Amy’s farewells behind me, I left the clubroom. It was time to head to Abidos.

“Let’s go.”

This was the beginning of the first main story.

3.

Silk had returned to Abidos.

This news soon spread across all of Abidos and even reached various parts of Kiburatos.

All representative factions from each academy, including the Student Council and numerous smaller organizations, took notice of Silk’s return to Abidos.

Some anticipated what new actions Silk might take,

while others feared if Silk’s actions might affect them,

and yet others merely cheered Silk on.

The people of Kiburatos responded in varying ways.

“Silk! Silk is here, everyone!”

“I knew she’d come back!”

This was no different in the Abidos High School, where Ayane and Serika cheered Silk’s return.

“…yeah. As expected, someone I’d like to meet.”

“That person sounds fascinating! They must be amazing, right?”

Shiroko and Nonomi expressed their intrigue.

And among those watching the news in the same room, Hoshino and the teacher reacted in contrasting ways.

The teacher, much like the other students, showed intrigue, but unlike the students who admired or expected heroic deeds, his primary curiosity lay in finding out who this student really was.

“Remarkable courage, she’s got.”

Though such dangerous actions would typically warrant reprimand from a teacher’s perspective, the teacher found himself in awe of Silk’s justice-bringing actions.

… definitely not because of any web-swinging heroics that caught the hearts of men, for he assured himself of that.

As for Hoshino,

“Uh….”

While taking her usual relaxed stance, her gaze was unmistakably fixed on the Silk in the news.

Her odd eyes gleamed calmly as she observed Silk.

“Such a fascinating junior. What’s her true identity?”

Why had she known about him/them?

Why had she warned him?

Why did she try to help him/us?

Hoshino pondered these questions, but no satisfactory answer came to mind. In her thoughts, one word continually surfaced:

Sacrifice (犧牲).

The same term Silk had mentioned.

“What could she have meant by it?”

One day, answers would come, she thought, and with that, dismissed her speculations.

Then, as usual, she lazily laid her head on the desk.

Thus ended another ordinary day in Abidos.

---