Chapter 20: Stagecraft and Sabotage
“Get out now, and don’t try anything funny.”
“…”
Following the driver’s coercive command, Sensei stepped out of the vehicle and immediately glanced at her companions.
‘Kaoru and Mika…’
Even with a gun to her head, her primary concern was their safety.
“Fufu… this is quite the surprise,” I said.
“Hmm… who are you people?” Mika asked.
What Sensei saw were two girls maintaining their usual composure despite the numerous guns pointed at them.
“No need to know. But comply quietly, and no one gets hurt,” one of the gas-masked intruders replied threateningly.
“Haha, with just this many? Looks like I’m being underestimated,” Mika retorted confidently, casually flexing her gun-wielding hand.
The masked students raised their weapons tensely, but the disguised driver responded calmly, as if expecting this.
“We know you possess unexpected strength, Misono Mika.”
Press.
‘Ugh…’
The driver pressed the pistol closer to Sensei’s back. Feeling the cold metal through her clothes, Sensei couldn’t help but clench her teeth.
“…But if you act recklessly, this woman’s safety can’t be guaranteed.”
“…”
Mika’s face hardened, and she fell silent, the threat proving effective.
‘Mika…’
Sensei wasn’t afraid of the gun itself. Her concern was for the two girls’ safety, and she also trusted the loyal AI in her tablet, visible only to her, to protect her.
‘But Arona said the heavy signal jamming here makes it impossible to send a distress call…’
In that fleeting moment, when she’d reached for her tablet, the AI had already given a grim response.
“Good, looks like you understand. You two, come this way,” the driver said.
With no immediate options, Sensei could only watch helplessly as several masked students led Mika and me elsewhere.
…To think Mika would go this far.
“Phew, that was tough! I was so nervous Sensei would catch on,” Mika said, stretching casually as soon as we were away from Sensei, speaking to the Arius students she’d clearly summoned.
Her eyes flicked to me, as if saying, ‘You figured it out, didn’t you?’
“Just to be clear, don’t touch Sensei. If anything happens to her, we’ll all be in deep trouble,” she added.
“We’ve instructed the team not to harm her, so there’s no issue,” the disguised driver replied curtly, adding with a hint of dissatisfaction, “But this operation, as you requested, feels like a waste of resources.”
Her words confirmed who orchestrated this outrage. Ignoring her, Mika turned to me with a cheerful grin.
“So, Outsider-chan, what’d you think? Pretty convincing, right? I’m not great at acting, so I was worried!”
Her playful question came with an obviously provocative smile.
“…Fufu, it was a bit unexpected,” I replied.
“Hmm… I thought I could wipe that creepy smile off your face this time, but guess not. Oh well,” Mika said, dropping her playful demeanor when I responded with my usual calm.
Maintaining my composure, I spoke again.
“I thought I told you we should get along, Mika, fufu.”
“Oh, right, you did! But since you’ve been showing off your strength, aren’t we even?” she shot back.
…What strength have I shown off?
Her cryptic accusation stirred a mix of irritation and injustice, but I focused on finding a way out of this situation.
What do I do? How do I save Sensei…?
Thanks to my encounter with Mine and other experiences, I knew my physical strength was considerable—possibly enough to overpower the roughly twenty Arius students here.
But against Mika, who in the original story was a near-monstrous strategic weapon… escape might be my only option.
And with Sensei effectively a hostage, I couldn’t think of any solid plan.
“Hmm… you look deep in thought, Outsider-chan. But don’t worry, I only have one favor to ask,” Mika said, her tone softening oddly.
“A favor?” I asked.
“Yup! Just escape from here, report to the Justice Task Force that we were kidnapped by mysterious attackers, and bring reinforcements to rescue me and Sensei. Easy, right?”
“…?”
…What?
“Hehe, you look confused. Let me explain,” Mika said, nodding as if expecting my bewilderment.
“I don’t know the details, but this place is connected to a secret passage to the Arius Branch. If the Justice Task Force comes here after your report, these girls will pretend to resist, then abandon Sensei and escape.”
Mika spread her arms dramatically, as if revealing a grand secret.
“…Leaving behind evidence pointing to Gehenna!”
“…Oh my.”
Realizing her scheme, I narrowed my eyes slightly. Mika, excited, continued with a grin.
“Haha! Don’t you think it’s super suspicious, Outsider-chan? Right before the Eden Treaty, the Tea Party host calls Schale’s advisor to a shady place at midnight, only for students presumed to be from Gehenna to attempt kidnapping both her and another Tea Party representative.”
…That’s her plan.
“Thanks to those horned jerks’ dirty tricks, the Eden Treaty naturally falls apart. And, of course, Nagisa would have to step down as host, taking responsibility. Unlike my original plan, this way Nagisa won’t get hurt, so it’s probably better!”
“But why have me call the Justice Task Force?” I asked, still puzzled by this detail.
Mika smiled brightly, as if she’d been waiting for the question.
“That’s my little gift to you, Outsider-chan.”
“Gift…?”
“Yup! While I distract the Gehenna students, you bravely escape and call for the Justice Task Force—a heroic tale of saving the day. Eee, it’s like a prince rescuing a princess, so exciting~☆”
Despite her playful tone, Mika’s eyes gleamed with a lifeless—or perhaps manic—intensity as she laid out her proposal.
“That way, you’ll earn credit for helping save me and Sensei, smoothly completing your enrollment process. Oh, and if I become host, I’ll make sure you’re treated way better than Nagisa ever did. You’ll be more than compensated for your troubles. So, what do you say? Pretty good deal, right?”
“…”
…So, a recruitment pitch.
Faced with the pink-haired girl’s beaming smile, I paused briefly before giving my honest response.
“Fufufu… Mika,” I said.
You’re insane, aren’t you?
“Poor thing, you seem blinded by your delusions.”
“…”
Though I phrased it diplomatically, the way Mika’s fake smile froze suggested my intent hit home.
“…Itokonoue Kaoru, I’m giving you a chance. A mere outsider like you, working with me, could gain everyone’s recognition,” she said, stepping closer, looking up at me with a chilling whisper, reminiscent of our first meeting.
“Of course, you could just run off. I’d stage my own ‘escape.’ But then, the culprit would likely be… you, mysteriously freed for unknown reasons. Maybe even the Supplementary Lessons Department kids you’re with would be implicated as accomplices. So choose carefully… That’s my offer.”
Ending with what was essentially a threat, Mika stepped back, her usual grin returning.
“The escape route’s that way, Outsider-chan. No one will stop you. I’ll be waiting for my ‘prince’ to come rescue me~” she said, emphasizing the last word mockingly.
As Mika promised, no one interfered as I walked out of the dark area where Sensei was being held.
“Signal jamming is effective up to about 100 meters, so make contact after that. Don’t get any funny ideas.”
“Hmm…”
…You pointed a gun at Sensei. I’ve memorized your face.
Vowing silent retribution toward the Arius student disguised as the driver, I paused to reassess the situation.
Mika’s plan: stage a kidnapping, frame Gehenna to stoke distrust and hatred, derail the Eden Treaty, and seize the host position from Nagisa, who’d be cornered politically.
A classic false flag operation, simple but effective given the tense Trinity-Gehenna relations and Nagisa’s paranoia.
“Fufu… Guess I’ll give you an answer, Mika.”
As if I’d go along with that.
In short, Mika’s plan hinged on pinning the crime on Gehenna.
So… disrupting it should be simple.
With my thoughts clear, I pulled out the phone Sensei had given me—not to call the Justice Task Force as Mika wanted, but to find a recently acquired contact.
“…Here it is, fufu.”
With only a few numbers saved, it didn’t take long to find the one I needed.
Unlike the original story, the Supplementary Lessons Department had already left, so… this person should be near Trinity. For some reason, despite my refusing their request, they seemed quite fond of me.
Ring.
“Fufu, hello?”
[Oh my, greetings! I didn’t expect a call from you so soon, Kaoru-san. What’s the matter?]
As expected, the voice on the other end greeted me with evident delight.
“I’m in a bit of… trouble. Could I possibly borrow your help?”
[Fufufu, of course! We just escaped the Disciplinary Committee’s lockup, so the timing’s perfect.]
Relieved by the positive response, I explained, and the other party—Kivotos’ foremost expert in terrorism, particularly kidnapping—agreed without hesitation.
[How can the Gourmet Research Society assist you, Kaoru-san?]