Chapter 32: Remnants in the Ashes

“Dear viewers! I’m Kawaru Shinon from the Kronos News Department, reporting live from the venue where the Eden Treaty between Trinity and Gehenna will soon be signed!”

Phew… I followed Sensei here, but still…

On the day of the Eden Treaty signing ceremony, I sighed inwardly as I trailed Sensei to the entrance of the old cathedral.

“The representatives from both schools haven’t arrived yet, but the atmosphere is already electric! It’s the kind of tension you’d expect from two schools with such a long-standing rivalry!” Shinon’s voice blared.

“Alright, Kaoru, let’s slip inside before the cameras spot us,” Sensei urged.

“Fufu, yes, Master,” I replied.

Thankfully, the crowd buzzing around the cathedral entrance helped us blend in unnoticed.

“Breaking news! Gehenna’s Prefect Team leader’s vehicle just arrived at the venue—” Shinon announced.

Not long after we entered the cathedral, Sensei and I encountered a familiar face.

“Hey, Hina! Over here!” Sensei called.

“Hello, Sensei. And…” Hina’s gaze shifted to me.

“Fufu, good to see you again,” I said, offering a friendly greeting.

“…You’re here too,” Hina replied, her eyes widening slightly in surprise.

She’s here awfully early.

The main representatives—Makoto from Gehenna and Nagisa from Trinity—are still a ways off.

Which meant I could, for now, wait without worrying about the missile aimed at Trinity’s leadership.

“You’re…” Hina began, glancing at the girl beside her, a blue-haired student in a striking outfit with a bold chest cutout.

“Oh? Ako, I didn’t know you’d be here,” Sensei said.

“What’s that reaction, Sensei? It’s like you’re not thrilled to see me,” Amau Ako huffed, pouting.

“Haha, no way. It’s great to see you, Ako,” Sensei replied, waving off her complaint with a warm smile.

Ako cleared her throat and turned to me.

“Ahem. Pleased to meet you. I’m Amau Ako, senior administrator of Gehenna’s Prefect Team, Itokonoue Kaoru.”

She said my name with a familiarity that implied she knew more than she let on.

“Fufu… sounds like you know quite a bit about me,” I said, picking up on the subtext.

Ako nodded, unfazed.

“Of course. You’ve recently become a person of interest, Kaoru-san. I’m sure the higher-ups at Millennium and other schools are keeping tabs on your movements.”

“Oh my, is that so?” I asked, feigning surprise.

“Naturally. Someone strong enough to face Misono Mika directly is about to transfer schools. Anyone concerned with their school’s strength would be on high alert,” she said.

I didn’t exactly face Mika head-on…

I’d only stalled until Seia, my cheat code, arrived.

But Ako, lowering her voice conspiratorially, continued as if making a secret offer.

“For that reason, if you’re considering enrolling at Gehenna, our Prefect Team could offer you favorable terms.”

“Ako, that’s…” Sensei began, her expression hardening, ready to intervene.

“Ako, that’s not something our Prefect Team can decide unilaterally,” Hina cut in, her tone firm.

“Ugh, Prefect…” Ako faltered.

Thanks to Hina’s intervention, Sensei settled for a wry smile of gratitude, letting the matter drop.

Hina’s always been one to separate force from authority, even while enduring Makoto’s antics in the original story.

“Fufu, I appreciate the sentiment,” I said to Ako.

“…We’ll see you both later,” Hina said, nodding calmly before leading Ako away.

“P-Prefect, wait for me…!” Ako called, scurrying after her.

Sensei turned to me, her voice gentle.

“You don’t need to worry about that yet, Kaoru. You have plenty of time to explore schools, and the choice is yours alone.”

“Yes, Master. Fufu,” I replied.

Right now, I have bigger concerns.

Once Nagisa arrived, I planned to stay on high alert, ready to grab Sensei and bolt if needed.

I can’t stop a missile ‘logically,’ but if I’m vigilant, I can at least get Sensei out of the blast zone.

“Now, let’s head to our seats—huh?” Sensei began, then paused, tilting her head as if receiving a message.

“…?”

“Sorry, Kaoru, one moment…” she said, pulling out her tablet to check something.

I couldn’t see anything but a blank screen, but knowing the super AI girl inside that only Sensei could interact with, I waited patiently for her to finish her “conversation” with Arona.

Arona calling Sensei like this is new… huh?

“Master?” I asked, noticing Sensei’s expression shift from curiosity to alarm, then outright shock.

No way… already—?

“Kaoru, duck!” Sensei shouted, yanking me down with her full strength.

BOOOOOOM!

A deafening explosion and shockwave tore through our surroundings.

The old cathedral was reduced to ashes in an instant, struck by multiple beams of light that pierced the air defenses.

“Kyaaa! Help!”

“What’s happening?!”

Amid the chaos of an unforeseen terrorist attack, two shadowy figures emerged through the thick dust, surveying the scene.

“Well, well… using three of my ‘toys’ at once? Seems the Madam put in as much effort as you did, Maestro,” one figure remarked.

“Hmph. The chaos she’s unleashed here is nothing but meaningless scribbles, devoid of symbol or purpose,” the other retorted.

Gematria’s Black Suit and Maestro, two grotesque figures by Kivotos standards—a man in pitch-black attire with eerie eyes and a wooden puppet with two heads—continued their conversation, cloaked in the turmoil.

“Don’t compare this farce to my art,” Maestro snapped.

“My apologies. I didn’t mean to disrespect a colleague’s work,” Black Suit replied, his tone mocking.

Gazing at the cathedral’s rubble, Maestro murmured with relief, as if seeing through the debris, “As expected, Sensei is unscathed. Even if your toys missed their mark, it’s near miraculous.”

“Of course. Even missiles I brought from outside Kivotos can’t compare to the power of that ‘box’ Sensei carries. That’s why I supplied the Madam with such toys,” Black Suit said.

“Still, it’s beneath us. Was there even a need to show such crude weapons to an adult who could be our ally?” Maestro countered, irritation clear.

Black Suit chuckled, his eerie eyes glinting.

“I don’t agree with the Madam’s excessive methods either, but didn’t we get a good show? Two of Kivotos’s greatest mysteries manifesting at once.”

“…” Maestro fell silent, momentarily thrown by Black Suit’s cryptic words, before responding calmly, “So, it wasn’t the ‘box’ that diverted your toys’ paths, but the power of the ‘remnant’?”

“Exactly. Your guess is spot-on,” Black Suit confirmed, sneering at the instigator of the attack.

“Contrary to the Madam’s assumptions, the ‘remnant’ by Sensei’s side is far from mere debris, heh.”