Chapter 26: The Misunderstood Saints

“Fufufu, that was quite the spectacle,” Hanako said with a satisfied grin as we exited the panic room with the unconscious Nagisa in tow.

In the original story, it was Hanako who had delivered those biting words to Nagisa out of a mix of frustration and spite, so it seemed she had her own grudges piled up.

“Kaoru-san… you’ve got a bit of a sadistic streak, don’t you? Oh, perhaps your ‘tastes’ lean that way too…~♡” she teased, her playful smile widening.

“…Fufu, just a spur-of-the-moment venting. Don’t read too much into it, alright?” I replied, trying to keep my tone light.

“Fufu, my apologies. I suppose I can’t quite match Koharu-chan’s level with you~,” she said, tossing in another mischievous jab, forcing me to stifle a reaction.

Truth be told, when I’d spoken those words to Nagisa, a hint of sadistic satisfaction had crept in.

Her endless talk of the “greater good,” just like in the original story, had pushed me to physically silence her with a pinch to her cheeks.

“…”

Unlike Hanako and me, Azusa—now without her gas mask—seemed concerned about Nagisa, slung over her shoulder.

“Oh my, Azusa-chan, is something bothering you?” Hanako asked, noticing her expression.

“Well… is Nagisa okay? She seemed to be losing consciousness even before I knocked her out…” Azusa replied, glancing worriedly at her burden.

Despite being raised in a life of violence like other Arius students, Azusa’s lingering compassion was endearing.

I gently patted her silver hair, smiling softly.

“Fufu, you’re such a kind girl, Azusa.”

“R-Really…?”

Well… it was a bit reckless of her to unload an entire 5.56mm magazine when I asked her to knock Nagisa out, but still.

Hanako, watching us with a warm smile, suddenly pointed to a large picnic bench nearby.

“Oh, Kaoru-san, how about setting them down there~?” she suggested, gesturing to Nagisa’s guards, whom I’d carried out to avoid getting caught in the incoming Arius assassination team’s crossfire.

Hmm… it’s far enough from the panic room, and the wall should shield them from the night breeze.

Good idea.

“Fufu, nice thinking. Alright,” I agreed, carefully placing each guard on the bench, one by one, with my right hand while holding them in my left.

For the record, Azusa had handled subduing these guards entirely. I didn’t want to risk accidentally injuring anyone like last time, given my… unpredictable strength.

…Speaking of which, how is it that carrying four high school girls feels like nothing?

What kind of absurd body is this?

Maybe I should look into strength-control training once this is over.

As I grumbled internally about my still-uncertain physical limits, Azusa spoke up, scanning our surroundings.

“This is the crossroads to the operation points. I’ll hide Nagisa somewhere safe, then hit the intruders in the kill zone as planned and meet you at the rendezvous point.”

“Got it, Azusa-chan. See you soon?” Hanako replied.

“Fufu, good luck,” I added.

Tap, tap.

Nodding to us, Azusa darted off into the darkness with Nagisa over her shoulder.

Watching the angelic girl vanish, I turned to Hanako.

“Alright, Hanako. Shall we head back to Sensei?”

If the original story’s timeline held, everything was now in place.

Before we came for Nagisa, Hanako had already secured the Sisterhood’s support, as in the original.

From here, Azusa’s traps would blunt Arius’s momentum, and when Mika finally revealed herself with additional forces, the Sisterhood—under Sensei’s command—would neutralize them.

“Fufufu, before that…” Hanako said, pausing with a meaningful smile and an unexpected question.

“I confirmed a suspicion during our talk with Nagisa-san. Can you answer it, Kaoru-san?”

…Huh? What suspicion?

“Hmm, what’s that?” I asked, puzzled.

With a bright smile, Hanako dropped the bombshell.

“Misono Mika-san is the real traitor in Trinity, isn’t she?”

“…Oh my.”

If this body weren’t so naturally composed, I’d have visibly flinched at how close she was to the truth.

In the original, no one knew until Mika revealed herself…

“Fufufu, looks like I got it right,” Hanako said, nodding smugly despite my lack of confirmation, and began explaining her reasoning.

“With just one assumption—that Mika-san is Trinity’s traitor—so many pieces fall into place. Someone even Nagisa-san, with all her paranoia, overlooked. Someone tied closely to Arius, yet willing to risk dragging you and Sensei into this mess…”

Listing the conditions on her fingers like a puzzle, she concluded with a knowing smile.

“As far as I know, the only person in Trinity capable of that is Mika-san, fufufu. Of course, I could entertain the idea that Sensei orchestrated it all, but… it’s more plausible that you can see the future, isn’t it?”

“…”

“Fufu, just a silly joke. I’m not big on the occult,” she added nonchalantly, brushing off her eerily accurate comment as a jest, to my relief.

“Hmm… but you don’t suspect me? I kept Mika’s involvement from you too,” I said.

“Oh my, but the way you spoke to Nagisa-san earlier was dripping with indignation, wasn’t it?”

…Was it that obvious?

“Fufufu, at least from what I know, Kaoru-san is too good a person to scheme like that. You even hesitated to leave those guards on the ground. I bet you feel the same about Mika-san. Though I’m a tad hurt you hid it from me~,” she teased.

“…Fufu, sorry. I put up an unnecessary veil,” I apologized.

“It’s fine. But now the issue is… we might need to adjust our plan,” Hanako said, her tone turning serious.

“Why’s that?” I asked.

“Mika-san’s on the edge. Her scheme yesterday was completely derailed, likely because of you. Even if you stay silent, the captured Arius students will eventually wake up and expose the truth. She’ll throw everything she has into this—maybe even take the field herself.”

“Mika, personally?” I murmured.

“Yes. If that happens, the Sisterhood alone, even with Sensei’s leadership, might face annihilation. The only ones in Trinity who could face her are Tsurugi-san from the Justice Task Force… and,” Hanako paused, smiling at me, “probably you, Kaoru-san.”

“Wha…?”

Me? Seriously?

Startled, I met her gaze, which brimmed with confidence as she made her request.

“So, if Mika-san steps in herself, can you stop her, Kaoru-san?”

“…”

No way, that’s impossible!

Realistically, given this body’s strength, Kaoru might be on par with Mika in raw power, as the original suggested.

But I have zero combat skills.

I don’t even know how to use the sword on my back, and the surprise attacks I used on Mine and the Arius students wouldn’t work on a true human weapon like Mika.

In the original, the reason Trinity’s strategic weapon didn’t fight was… wait.

“Kaoru-san…?” Hanako called, tilting her head as I widened my eyes, recalling something from the Eden Treaty storyline.

Turning to her, I grinned, realizing a way to neutralize Hanako’s variable entirely.

“Fufu, so… we just need to neutralize Mika somehow, right?”

“Well, yes, but…”

“I just thought of a better way. Head back to Sensei first, alright? I have somewhere to go.”

“What? Where are you—kya?!” Hanako yelped, startled by the shockwave as I launched myself forward at full speed.

Leaving the pink-haired girl behind, I sprinted toward an old building I’d visited recently, its location still fresh in my mind.

Unlike the original story, there’s someone in Trinity right now who can stop Mika in her tracks just by existing.