Chapter 22: Between Bombs and Betrayals

In the secret hideout connected to the Arius Branch, where Schale’s Sensei was being held:

“…You all,” Sensei said, sitting bound to a chair but holding her head high, attempting to engage the Arius students surrounding her in the tense atmosphere.

“Why are you doing this?”

“…”

Neither the gas-masked students nor the squad leader, disguised as Mika’s driver and standing watch beside her, responded.

Yet, the young woman known for her boundless patience with students pressed on.

“I don’t know where you’re from or what your goal is. But what’s clear is you can stop this now—nobody’s been hurt yet.”

Click.

“Shut up,” the Arius squad leader growled, raising her pistol threateningly.

But Sensei didn’t flinch, standing her ground. “No, I can’t do that. As a teacher, I can’t ignore students’ misdeeds.”

“Quiet, you don’t know anything—”

BOOM!

“What?!” The squad leader, irritated and about to silence Sensei again, froze at the sound of a faint explosion.

BOOM! Tat-tat-tat!

As louder blasts and gunfire erupted closer, the squad leader grabbed her radio and shouted, “What’s happening?!”

[Static… W-We’re under attack!]

“Attack? The Justice Task Force already?! What were the patrol units doing?!”

[It’s… it’s not the Justice Task Force…]

The response from the subordinate over the radio was something even the squad leader hadn’t anticipated.

[G-Gehenna’s demon girls! Some of them stormed the front gate with explosives, and others—KABOOM!—argh, they’re already here?!]

“…What?”

Even she, hardened by a lifetime of brutal training, was stunned into a momentary daze.

“Gehenna girls here? Why…?”

Regaining her composure, the squad leader issued orders.

“Tch, whatever. The commotion means the Justice Task Force will show up soon. The plan’s failed. Open fire, turn them into Swiss cheese, and retreat! Ugh, I knew this was a pointless stunt…”

[B-But…]

“What now?”

[They… they’ve rigged explosives all over the ceiling, we can’t shoot! It’s right above you and the hostage!]

“What…?”

Furious at the panicked report, the squad leader shouted into the radio.

“You idiot! No one would plant real bombs under the hostage they’re trying to save! Ignore that bluff and fire now!”

[Oh my, calling it a bluff? That’s not something we can overlook.]

The squad leader froze, startled by a new, elegant voice addressing her over the radio.

‘That voice… Haruna?! Why is Haruna here…?’ Sensei thought, even more bewildered.

Snorting, the squad leader scoffed into the radio.

“Pfft, the Sensei you’re here to save is sitting right under those explosives. Threatening with bombs under your own hostage? That’s laughable. You don’t even know her exact location.”

[Fufu, there seems to be a misunderstanding.]

The refined voice responded without a hint of hesitation.

[These explosives are the key to our Gourmet Research Society’s creed—the pursuit of the ultimate flavor. They’re no mere bluff.]

“Gourmet…? What nonsense are you spouting?!”

[One mustn’t hesitate to forge a path forward just because the way ahead is unclear. That’s our belief: Eat or Die, the true pursuit of gourmet excellence… Are you ready?]

[Squad leader! That crazy girl’s reaching for the detonator—]

“W-Wait—”

[Click.]

Before the frantic squad leader could react, a crisp switch sound came through the radio.

KABOOM! CRASH!

A deafening explosion tore through the room, and the floor, including where Sensei’s chair sat, collapsed in unison.

“Argh…!”

“Eek?!”

The squad leader and Sensei, plummeting through the shattered floor, let out sharp screams.

But fortunately, Sensei’s fragile body didn’t hit the ground.

“Fufu.”

“Ugh…?”

A figure darted in, swiftly catching her mid-air.

“Ka… Kaoru…?”

Recognizing her rescuer while being held in a princess carry, Sensei murmured in a daze.

The lavender-haired girl smiled her usual enigmatic smile.

“Yes, Master, it’s me.”

Haruna’s plan—Akari, Izumi, and Junko creating chaos to clear a path, allowing Haruna, Fuuka, and me to breach the area beneath Sensei and detonate the floor to rescue her—worked remarkably well.

As I swiftly caught the falling Sensei and landed safely, Fuuka, trembling, pointed at Haruna and shouted, “Haruna, are you insane?! What if Sensei got hurt?!”

…Honestly, I had my doubts too.

But unlike Fuuka’s and my concerns, Haruna smiled serenely, as if the possibility never crossed her mind.

“Fufufu, do you remember, Fuuka-san? Back when our Gourmet Research Society was less experienced, we miscalculated the explosives in your kitchen, causing you to faint and ruining the cooking.”

“…That’s a memory I’d rather forget,” Fuuka said, glaring with a mix of disbelief and disdain.

Unfazed, Haruna continued proudly.

“Since then, we’ve refined our craft. Even if we use enough explosives to demolish the entire catering department, we’ve mastered the ultimate precision to ensure not a speck of dust touches you or essential cooking tools…!”

“…Hmm.”

…These people are absolute lunatics.

As I stood dumbfounded by Haruna’s explanation, Sensei, regaining her composure, looked around worriedly and asked, “Kaoru! Where’s Mika? Did you escape with her?”

“…Oh my, Mika is…”

…Somewhere around here, probably?

My plan is to get Sensei out before the Justice Task Force arrives and avoid running into her.

But contrary to my hopes, Mika clearly had no intention of letting us leave so easily.

Tat-tat-tat! BOOM!

“Who’s there?”

“Oh my.”

Before we could escape, hurried footsteps and a door bursting open announced her arrival—alone, clutching her signature submachine gun.

“Huh…?”

Seeing us, Mika’s eyes widened in a blank, clearly startled expression.

“Mika! Thank goodness, you’re safe! Did you escape with Kaoru?” Sensei said, relieved.

From Sensei’s reaction, it seemed she believed Mika had been held captive like me, per Mika’s original plan.

Meaning, even if Sensei escaped with us, Mika’s ties to Arius wouldn’t be exposed immediately.

…Unless I, who knew the full story, spoke up.

“Hmm…”

Unfortunately, after a brief pause, Mika seemed to conclude I wouldn’t stay silent.

Shift.

Though Sensei and the others didn’t notice, I clearly saw Mika’s eyes change subtly, her finger inching toward the trigger.

…What do I do? Should I evacuate Sensei, even if it means abandoning the others? But then…

As I scrambled for a plan in my confusion, another sound interrupted.

CRASH!

“…?!”

“What?! Haruna, you had more bombs?!” Fuuka exclaimed.

“No, Fuuka-san. That didn’t sound like an explosion,” Haruna replied.

Another wall in the room collapsed with a thunderous noise, forcing us to turn toward it.

“…Oh my.”

Seeing the black-uniformed girl emerging through the debris, I inwardly gasped.

…No way.

“Khehe…”

A distinctive halo resembling dripping blood, a black Justice Task Force uniform stained red, a menacing sawed-off shotgun in each hand, and an appearance far more demonic than the elegant Gehenna girls beside me—like something out of a horror movie.

“Kihehehehe!”

With her eerie laugh, Kenzaki Tsurugi, the Justice Task Force leader and ultimate weapon, appeared.

Mika and I, as if synchronized, let out dumbfounded gasps.

“…Oh my.”

“…Huh.”

…This is insane.