Chapter 25: The Tea Party’s Last Toast

Late at night, in a Tea Party panic room hidden somewhere within Trinity’s campus:

“…Haa.”

In a deeply concealed attic, meticulously camouflaged against external threats, Nagisa sat alone with a teacup, trying to soothe her troubled mind.

“…I’m doing something terrible,” she murmured to the empty room in a subdued voice.

Despite her recent ruthless sanctions against various individuals, Nagisa was all too aware of the pain her actions caused.

“But for the greater good…”

She had justified it to herself this way, but her inherently gentle nature couldn’t fully suppress the guilt.

Knock, knock.

“…No, I’ve had enough tea,” Nagisa replied weakly, assuming it was an attendant refilling her cup, as usual.

BOOM!

“Wha…?”

But when the door was violently flung open despite her refusal, Nagisa whipped her head around in shock.

“Right where we thought you’d be~♡”

“Target confirmed. Securing the subject.”

“You… you two?!”

Seeing two unexpected intruders—Hanako and Azusa—enter the panic room, Nagisa’s jaw dropped in disbelief.

“H-Here…!”

Quickly realizing the situation, she tried to call for help, but Hanako cut her off with a mocking chuckle.

“Fufufu, no use, Nagisa-san. We’ve already neutralized your guards.”

“Don’t bother with pointless attempts,” Azusa added coldly.

“Urawa Hanako-san… Shirasu Azusa-san…? Were there two traitors all along…?” Nagisa stammered, staring at Azusa’s gas-masked figure and the gun aimed at her.

“Oh my, ‘all along’? That’s a bit hurtful,” Hanako said, feigning offense with an exaggerated expression.

“Wasn’t it the Tea Party’s host who first imposed harsh measures on us, ordinary Trinity students?”

“…Are you saying your betrayal is my fault?” Nagisa retorted, incredulous.

“Fufufu, think what you like. But someone who came from outside is leading us now,” Hanako replied.

“From outside…? You don’t mean…?” Nagisa’s voice trailed off.

“Fufu, looks like you’ve figured it out,” came a voice from the doorway.

“…”

Nagisa’s face crumpled as she saw the third intruder step into view.

“Been well, Nagisa? I’m glad we could meet face-to-face this time, fufu,” I said, offering a bewitching smile.

“So this was your goal all along, Itokonoue Kaoru… If you’re the mastermind, does that mean the entire Supplementary Lessons Department is under your sway…? Even yesterday’s kidnapping…?”

Of all the Supplementary Lessons Department members, I was the one Nagisa had suspected most, and now I stood before her, sword slung across my back, smiling enigmatically.

“Assigning you to the Supplementary Lessons Department was a mistake. Were you planning this from the start…? Building a faction within to… Then the kidnapping yesterday…”

“Hmm… Still lost in your fog of suspicion, letting it bloom unchecked,” I said, shaking my head with a pitying smile as I stepped into the panic room.

Drag, drag.

Nagisa’s eyes widened, barely stifling a gasp as she saw what I was dragging behind me—her guards, dangling limply from my hand like uniforms on a hanger.

“What… what did you do to them…?” she whispered, trembling at the surreal sight of a slender high school girl dragging four students like oversized teddy bears.

“Oh my, sorry for startling you,” I said, casually setting the guards down with a serene smile.

“Don’t worry, Azusa just put them to sleep with gas. But leaving them on the cold floor isn’t healthy, so I was looking for a place to lay them down.”

‘Another threat… or in this situation, just mockery?’ Nagisa thought.

Having heard reports of my actions against the Arius suspects yesterday, Nagisa naturally assumed malice in my words.

In truth, I hadn’t touched the guards—Azusa’s gas was the culprit, and my words were genuine—but Nagisa had no reason to believe me now.

‘With martial law, most Justice Task Force members are far off. This must be the end for me,’ she concluded.

As the head of a school, Nagisa quickly assessed her situation and chose to face her intruders with dignity, her last act of defiance as Tea Party host.

Clink.

“Oh my?” I said.

“Don’t move,” Azusa warned.

Nagisa set down her teacup and rose from her cherished chair, prompting surprised reactions from Hanako and Azusa.

Turning to face me, she spoke with resolute determination.

“You may eliminate me as you did Seia-san, Kaoru-san, but you won’t bring Trinity down.”

With no escape or rescue, and lacking personal combat ability, her only resistance was to uphold her pride as host.

“Hmm…?” I tilted my head, curious.

Standing tall, Nagisa declared, “Mika-san will take my place as host, as I’ve arranged. With her strength, your schemes won’t succeed.”

She was likely thinking of her dear childhood friend, presumably in another panic room.

“Fufufu, passing the host role to Misono Mika-san? That’s your plan? How intriguing~” Hanako said, chuckling as if a puzzle piece had clicked.

“…” Azusa remained silent, her face hidden behind the gas mask.

I, however, gave Nagisa a cryptic look and asked, “Hmm… you trust Mika quite a bit, don’t you?”

“Yes, Mika-san is a trusted colleague and friend,” Nagisa replied firmly, sensing my wariness of Mika’s strength.

“Fufu, but…” I said, my smile deepening, posing a question she hadn’t anticipated.

“Why didn’t you trust Hifumi?”

“Th-That’s…” Nagisa faltered, stunned by the question that pierced her guilt.

“Since we last met, I’ve been wanting to ask you something,” I continued, smiling at the speechless angel.

“I and these girls might seem suspicious for good reason. But Hifumi and Koharu? Why go so far against them?”

Unlike our earlier verbal sparring, this question carried weight.

After a brief pause, Nagisa managed to respond.

“…I won’t deny my actions were wrong. I know how pure Koharu-san is, and I wanted to preserve my friendship with Hifumi-san.”

Her voice grew heavy with guilt, unable to meet our eyes as she continued.

“But to protect Trinity… to root out someone like you for the greater good, sacrifices were necessary. Even if she was my dear friend… ngh?!”

Her anguished confession was cut short.

“Fufu, is that so?”

Pinch.

I reached out, gently holding her cheeks between my thumb and forefinger.

“L-Let go…!” Nagisa protested, struggling futilely against the sensation of my soft yet unyielding grip, like steel shackles.

The vast difference in our strength kept my hand steady.

“Fufufu, Nagisa,” I said, leaning in so close our noses nearly touched.

“It sounds like you’re under a bit of a… misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding? What mockery is this now…?” Nagisa retorted, barely holding herself together under my ashen gaze.

“Oh my, nothing like that. I just think you’re suffering from your own misconceptions,” I said softly.

“You never betrayed your friendship. I, Hifumi’s ‘friend,’ can vouch for that.”

“You…! You merely manipulated her to bring down Trinity, and now you call yourself her friend?!” Nagisa shouted, her voice trembling with anger at my words.

“But at least I never threatened to expel Hifumi. Doesn’t that make me a truer friend?” I replied, tilting my head with a teasing smile.

“Th-That’s…!” Nagisa stammered, speechless again.

“Fufu, I suppose I have no choice but to tell our poor Nagisa the truth,” I whispered, my face so close she could hear my breath.

“My friend asked me to pass a message to a toy she no longer needs. Will you hear it?”

“T-Toy…?” Nagisa repeated, dazed by the word’s implication.

With a faint, malicious smile, I delivered the final message.

“‘Hahaha… it was fun playing friends with you, Kirifuji-san.’”

“!!!”

That was the last thing Nagisa heard before Azusa, at my signal, emptied an entire rifle magazine from behind her.