Sensei confronts a certain person over what happened just a few hours ago, somewhere in the Abydos district.
12 minutes past midnight.
A dark office somewhere in the Abydos district, with the only light coming from the windows.
A man - or at least, something that looks like a man - is sitting patiently in his chair. Waiting for…someone.
“…she is taking her time.”
The events of the past few days have certainly been interesting, to say the least.
Not only have the students of Abydos High School begun to successfully make actual progress towards paying off their debt and fended off an attack from Problem Solver 68, but their encounter with the Prefect Team went smoother than he thought it would have.
All thanks to the influence of one person.
Kiana Kaslana. The recently appointed Sensei of the Federal Investigation Club Schale.
She’s definitely an interesting person.
His office door opens. “So you’re here…Miss Kiana.” He glances up from the papers on his desk.
Silence fills the room.
“Who are you?” Sensei coldly asked.
“We’re outsiders to Kivotos, same as y-“ “Nonsense.” She rebutted.
The man continues. “We’ve found a suitable name for the time being. Please call us Gematria. As for myself…I’ve grown quite fond of the name Black Suit.”
She frowns.
[…]
“You’ve seen her withdrawal papers. Am I correct?”
“I never signed it. She is still part of Abydos.”
Black Suit goes silent.
“She is still part of the Foreclosure Task Force. Still one of my students.”
“I see…well, you are their teacher…”
“You deceived children and took advantage of their suffering.”
[…]
“Evil, yes…but entirely legal.”
This time, Kiana went silent.
“I will be clear, Sensei. Abydos’ disaster was not our doing. A sandstorm consuming a city is rare, not impossible. We merely took the advantage.”
[…]
“Leave Hoshino and Abydos behind, Sensei. Kaiser’s forces present no challenge to us, and your students can continue attending Abydos to the best of their abilities. It’s what Hoshino wanted. What do you-“
“I refuse.” Sensei declared, shocking Black Suit to his core and making his face crack even more.
“Why?! Why do you insist on standing in our way?! How do you plan to fight us?!”
The Honkai energy levels in the room began rising.
“The more you do that, the more the Honkai eats away at you… Stop, Sensei. You have a life to live, don’t you? You need to eat, pay rent, use public transportation, mundane matters like that… That’s what you should be focusing on. Something worthwhile. Not them.”
“This isn’t your fight, Sensei. Leave it be.”
“I refuse.” Sensei bluntly denied, shutting down his argument.
“Why? Why? Why? Why? WHY?! I don’t understand. Why would you refuse? What are you getting at?!”
“Not a single person took any responsibility for their suffering.”
He couldn’t believe what he’s hearing. Not a single word of it.
“So that responsibility falls on you? You can’t be serious. You’re not their guardian. Not their family. You’re just a stranger who received their help request by chance. Why go through all this trouble?”
“It’s what it means to be an adult…and a teacher.”
“…you believe that being an adult means taking responsibility? No, Sensei. That’s where you’re wrong. Adults are the ones who trasnform society, set rules and laws, define the norm and boundary between ordinary and extraordinary. Those who rule the aimless with authority, the ignorant with knowledge, and the weak with power. Someone like you…Miss Kiana.” Black Suit refuted.
The gritting sound of her teeth is all the response he needed.
“You could have ruled over all of Kivotos. You could have had unfathomable power and authority over this city, its Mystics…but you cast it aside without even thinking about it. Tell me, why make such a choice?”
“Even if I did tell you, you won’t understand. You never will.”
The man let out a sigh of disappointment. “…these negotiations are over. I did like you, but you have left me no choice. Do you still wish to save Hoshino, Sensei?”
Her gaze sharpened, signaling her lack of patience for his antics.
“She’s being held in the lab of the Kaiser PMC forward operating base at the center of the Abydos Desert.”
Kiana turns away and walked towards the door, having acquired what she came for.
“Gematria will be watching, Sensei.”
She glares at Black Suit one last time, then walks out.
…there’s no way back now.