Chapter 196: Mash has really turned into a JK!!!
"Everyone, please remember your identities."
Matou Sakura lightly cleared her throat.
"Ethan, class 2-A!"
"Present."
Ethan instinctively responded naturally.
After changing into the uniform of Tsukumihara Academy, Ethan's instincts immediately felt like he had returned to his high school days.
Completely different from the Mystic Code provided by Chaldea.
Somehow, when wearing this uniform, it felt like Arts performance up, critical star generation rate up, and maybe even enemy Buff Block.
"Then, Mash, class 2-A."
Matou Sakura's gaze turned to the girl standing on the other side.
"Ah… Present!!!"
After hearing Matou Sakura call her name, Mash quickly raised her hand.
On Mash's face — as she timidly raised her hand — there was a hint of excitement.
"Senpai, does me wearing this… look weird?"
Mash nervously adjusted the hem of her shirt, eagerly awaiting Ethan's judgment.
At this point, Mash had also changed into the Tsukumihara Academy uniform — a spare set that Sakura had retrieved from the infirmary.
Compared to when she wore her battle outfit or casual clothes, right now Mash completely looked like a high school girl.
The perfectly fitting uniform paired with a short skirt accentuated the graceful figure of a schoolgirl, and the playful blue ribbon further highlighted the characteristic "cuteness" of a JK.
A schoolgirl like this is… is a real JK!!!
"Thank you for the meal!!!"
Ethan pressed both palms together in front of his chest, expressing his gratitude to Mash.
"No... it's nothing. But wait, why are you saying things like that, Senpai?"
Mash blushed slightly, shyly asking.
"Wait, don't move, Senpai."
She suddenly stepped closer to Ethan, reaching out her hand toward him.
"——————?!"
Ethan looked down, and only then did he notice that a button on the collar of the Mooncell male student uniform had been left unfastened.
"All done, now it's fine."
Mash fastened that button on Ethan's collar.
"Senpai is so careless. You didn't even button this part."
Mash smiled, helping Ethan adjust his uniform again, then carefully observed him from top to bottom.
"Now there's no problem anymore."
"Aiya, this is truly youth…"
Da Vinci, who was watching the main screen at Chaldea, couldn't help but nod.
"Da Vinci, are you reminiscing about your school days?"
"My school days were completely different from this. Rather, I admire the ordinary days of youth filled with infinite possibilities for young boys and girls."
"Is this what you call art?"
"This is exactly art."
Da Vinci affirmed.
"Haa… alright. But I have other matters to deal with."
Doctor Romani once again attentively reviewed the documents that Matou Sakura had sent.
"According to the information passed on by the girl who calls herself 'Sakura', Mooncell supposedly only has the basic directive of observing Earth. So why is there activity involving turning cities from other worlds into digital territories?"
"Isn't it because a BUG appeared?"
Da Vinci answered naturally.
"Isn't our mission to locate the BUG and fix it?"
"For some reason, I just can't shake the feeling that it's not that simple…"
Doctor Romani furrowed his brow.
"But right now, all we can do is observe while proceeding. Let's hope Ethan and everyone's infiltration goes smoothly."
After that, the doctor's gaze returned to the main screen.
"Right, wasn't it that the area beneath Big Ben requires participation in a 'selection' to enter?"
Ethan recalled what Andersen had said the day before.
"That's right. BB has set up a filtration system for observed individuals. Only those who meet certain conditions can enter."
Matou Sakura quickly began explaining.
"I've also finished creating your student profiles and directly entered the information into the registration list at the infirmary. That way, you'll definitely pass the check and be able to enter the center — Tsukumihara Academy."
"Senpai, these are your student ID cards."
Matou Sakura thoughtfully handed the student ID cards to Ethan and Mash.
"Thank you!"
Mash received her student ID card with both hands, then stared intently at the printed portrait.
She showed an expression of surprised delight.
This was an experience Mash had never had before.
"Mama, mama, we want to wear clothes like that too! And have cards like those!!!"
Little girl Jack clung to Ethan, constantly raising her hands and demanding.
"Uh…"
Ethan turned to Matou Sakura with an awkward look.
"Um… does Tsukumihara Academy have an elementary school division?"
"Senpai, the academy only has a high school division…"
Matou Sakura replied apologetically.
"Then how are these two going to get in?"
Besides Little Jack, there was also Draco, who had just regained consciousness and was still suffering from a slight headache.
Not even considering mental capacity, just their physical appearance alone made them completely unfit to pass as high school students.
"They can temporarily stay here, and then use this route to enter the school."
Matou Sakura turned and pointed toward the far end of the infirmary.
A closed door came into view.
"Actually, the infirmary connects directly to the inside of the academy, but I've tried many times and still couldn't open it from this side. If you can enter from within and find this door on the academy side, I'll coordinate from here to open it."
It seemed that area had already been sealed by BB.
"The door on this side was also only opened after countless tries. Thankfully, BB hasn't noticed yet."
Matou Sakura said carefully.
"Then Mash and I will go first."
Ethan then bent down and gently patted Little Jack on the head.
"You stay here for now. I'll find a way to come back and get you later."
"Really?"
Little Jack suddenly hugged Ethan tightly, asking anxiously:
"Mama's not going to abandon us, right? You won't, will you???"
"Umu, of course not."
Ethan smiled and nodded.
"Then we'll stay here and wait for mama obediently!"
Little Jack nodded vigorously.
"Hmph, stupid… don't tell me I have to wait here like some useless freeloader?!"
Draco grumbled in frustration and began pulling off the white sheet covering her as she tried to get out of bed.
"Ugh…"
Suddenly, a sharp headache struck. Draco clutched her head, her face visibly paling.
"My head… it's going to explode…"
"No, you mustn't move yet!!!"
Matou Sakura immediately rushed over to check Draco's condition.
"Hey, Draco?!"
"Draco-san!!!"
Ethan and Mash quickly gathered around to check on her.
"Her hands and head are burning up… Even though her magic circuits have been reconnected, she still can't move freely. Otherwise, her mana will deplete even faster."
After a thorough check, Matou Sakura pulled the white sheet back over Draco's burning-hot body.
"It'll be fine. As long as she rests properly, she'll recover."
"I… I can't die yet…"
Nero Claudius's chronic headaches had flared up again.
"Just rest here without worry. Leave everything outside to us."
Ethan comforted her from the side.
"Hmph… I don't want to trust… you… urgh…!!!"
The severe headache continued to torment Draco.
"She's sweating a lot…"
Matou Sakura immediately took out a damp towel to cool her down.
"Sorry, we're counting on you to take care of her for us."
"Mm, I am the health committee officer after all. This kind of thing falls within my responsibilities."
Matou Sakura replied while helping Draco wipe off her sweat.
"Alright, we shouldn't delay any longer. We'll prepare to head out now."
London was in a dangerous state by the minute—gathering information as quickly as possible was for the best.
"Wait, Senpai!"
Matou Sakura untied the red ribbon she was wearing on her head and handed it to Ethan.
"If you find the door that leads to the infirmary on the other side, please place this on it. That way, I'll know it's you on the other side."
"Umu, got it."
Ethan accepted the red ribbon.
There seemed to still be a faint scent of Sakura's hair lingering on it.
He then carefully placed the ribbon into the pocket of his school uniform.
"Oh right, once you enter the academy, please don't use communication anymore. It'll be easy for BB to detect."
Sakura seriously warned Ethan.
"…Understood."
"Huh? Wouldn't that mean Chaldea won't be able to provide support anymore?!"
Doctor Romani's complaining voice came from the communication wristband.
"To avoid exposing your identity too soon, this level of restriction is already pretty lenient."
Da Vinci cut in, appearing in front of the camera.
"Chaldea will monitor your status in real time. If there's an emergency, we'll try to reach you through a discreet method. All you need to do is focus on completing your objective."
"Understood."
Ethan nodded.
In any case, he was already used to operating without backup.
"Fou Fou!!!"
Fou jumped onto Mash's shoulder, letting out a displeased cry at Little Jack.
"Sorry, I can't bring you with me this time. Fou, please try to get along with Jack-san and Sakura-san, alright?"
Mash seriously advised Fou.
"Fou…"
Fou looked slightly downcast.
"Senpai, I'm ready."
Wearing her school uniform, Mash gave Ethan a small nod.
"Umu, then let's head out."
Matou Sakura stood up and waved to Ethan and Mash.
"Wishing Senpai and Mash-san the best of luck!"
...
Ethan opened the door they had entered through earlier. In front of him was a pitch-black void.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward — the scene before him instantly shifted, and the familiar fountain appeared once again.
"Senpai, we're outside!"
Mash followed after him, speaking in an excited voice.
Ethan turned to look back — the place they had just stepped out of had become an ordinary wall, completely lacking any trace of a door to the infirmary.
"Hey, you two!"
Suddenly, a loud voice barked at them.
"Where'd you come from?! Where's your resident ID?!"
In front of Ethan and Mash stood a tall man in a security uniform, sternly pointing at them.
"Ah, um… this is my student ID!!!"
Mash hurriedly rummaged through her uniform pockets and pulled out her student card, about to hand it over.
But Ethan stopped her.
"Senpai?!"
Mash looked at Ethan in surprise.
"It's true we're a little late… but is there really any need to scare Mash like that?"
Ethan showed no fear as he faced the fully equipped officer in front of him.
This place clearly wasn't the main street—why would there be a police officer here?
More importantly — this city was supposedly controlled by an AI. Could police officers really still exist???
That BB surely wasn't the type to keep around organizations with authority like a police department.
"Ahahaha, sorry, sorry."
The officer burst into laughter.
"Let's just say I helped you shake off the guards. Forgive me this once, alright?"
To Mash's astonishment, the police officer's face suddenly changed — transforming into that familiar, gentlemanly man.
"Jack-san?!"
"Hello, young lady."
The man with the air of an English gentleman bowed gracefully to Mash.
"Apologies for the abruptness earlier. I thought you two had already forgotten about me. But judging by the current situation, it looks like you've already met that nurse, haven't you?"
"Oh? So you know her too?"
"I was also once chased here by those robots and was saved by her by chance. That's why I remember this place clearly."
Berserker Jack also turned his gaze toward the seemingly ordinary wall.
"This time, we plan to enter that academy. Would you like to come along too?"
Ethan asked directly, without any roundabout words.
"But I should mention — Jack won't be coming with us this time."
"With the girl's current condition, she definitely can't go inside. She probably still doesn't know how to properly use the power of an Assassin."
Berserker Jack propped a hand on his chin, analyzing calmly.
"But she'll join us eventually, right?"
"Umu... of course."
Draco and Little Jack were important assets for Ethan. There was no way he'd leave them in the infirmary forever.
"As long as we can find the infirmary door from inside the academy, they'll be able to enter directly from that side."
"I see... In that case, I'll go with you."
Berserker Jack gave a faint smile.
"After all, I want to confirm for myself whether that place truly holds the power to grant wishes."
"But with your current appearance…"
Ethan spoke with concern.
The identity of "Jekyll" had already been exposed. If he wanted to enter the academy, he'd definitely need a new, believable persona.
Maybe they could have Sakura create a fake student profile for him?
"No need to worry. I remember seeing a boy often hanging around 'Doctor Jekyll.' I just need to take on his form, right?"
Under Ethan's somewhat astonished gaze, Berserker Jack's face changed once again.
Since the true identity of Jack the Ripper had never been revealed, he could become anyone.
Come to think of it… that really was an incredibly convenient skill.
His appearance shifted rapidly — and finally, standing before Ethan and Mash was a teenage boy with blue hair and a slightly scrawny frame.
The boy wore a Tsukumihara Academy male student uniform, his face full of smug arrogance.
"What's the matter? Speechless after seeing me like this? You think I'm a genius, don't you? Of course you do… Well? Did I nail his tone or what?"
The blue-haired teen crossed his arms, speaking with an air of over-the-top self-satisfaction.
What the hell?!
Berserker Jack just turned into… Shinji???