With the help of the Odyssey students, the situation on the deck and the upper levels of the ship was quickly being brought under control. The crew was working on the issues with the second bridge, so even if it took some time, that problem would be resolved as well.
And then, there was one piece of good news.
[This is FOX 4. We've received a transmission from the Aegis. Three of the four surface-to-ship missiles were successfully intercepted. The last one landed in the ocean a considerable distance away, so they apparently didn't bother shooting it down.]
The festival grounds were safe. Odyssey had handled it perfectly, which meant it was time for me and FOX Platoon to do our part.
[Also, the Fox of Calamity has started destroying the CCTVs on the lower levels. She's trying to blind us. Her escape route is blocked, so don't worry about her fleeing, but be wary of ambushes when you enter.]
"...Understood. FOX 4, confirm with the captain if there are enough lifeboats and vests for everyone on board."
"...Huh? Yukino-chan, didn't you say our only option was negotiation?"
"Unless we can neutralize the Fox of Calamity in a single blow and seize the detonator, we will eventually have to negotiate. However, now that we have regained control of the ship, it's wise to solidify a plan to protect the crew as a precaution for the worst-case scenario."
No matter how you looked at it, Wakamo still had the upper hand. If she managed to defeat us, everything would go her way. And even if we cornered her, she could threaten us with the detonator. As long as everyone's safety wasn't guaranteed, the advantage was still hers.
I wondered if things would be different if I were here alone, but the sheer arrogance of that thought filled me with a strange sense of self-loathing. Just because things had gone well with Arius, I was starting to overestimate my own abilities.
Unlike Arius Squad, who I could persuade using my knowledge of the game, I knew very little about Wakamo. In the first place, Wakamo was the type of person who was uncontrollable unless Sensei himself was present. And that damned Sensei wasn't due to arrive in Kivotos for another six months.
Wait. Six months?
"Wa-oh…?"
I was going to die of stress before then.
I have no idea which part of this god-forsaken Kivotos is supposed to be "bright and wholesome." Or maybe the problem is me, for having come to love even a Kivotos like this.
[This is FOX 4. They say they have enough life vests and boats. The only thing they need is time to prepare…]
"Exactly how much time is needed?"
[Fifteen minutes to evacuate everyone on the upper levels… No, ten minutes should be enough.]
"Understood. Instruct the captain to begin preparations immediately. We will enter the lower levels in five minutes and resume the operation."
Just as Yukino finished giving her final orders, she turned to say something.
BOOM!!!
An explosion roared from the lower hull.
"...That was probably a grenade. A provocation, meant to tell us to hurry up and come get her."
I flinched for a moment, but Niko's words made sense. The lack of any follow-up explosions was proof that the planted bombs hadn't been detonated. Besides, what would Wakamo gain from setting off the bombs while she was on the lower levels and we were up here? It wasn't like she had a death wish.
Yukino scowled at Wakamo's antics and turned to me.
"FOX 5… No, Mika-san. Please leave the rest to us."
"Hmm? That's a little sudden, Yukino-chan."
"This is not a game. Considering the number of bombs likely plastering the lower levels, if they are detonated while we are inside… Do you truly not understand that we cannot guarantee your safety?"
"So, you want me to stay back because of a potential risk? You guys are prepared to die, so it's fine for you, but not for me. Is that it? Hmm?"
"This is the justice we have sworn to protect. As a leader of your academy, Mika-san, you have other things to protect. You are different from us, who resolved to do anything for the sake of justice when we enrolled in SRT!"
""
Is she wrong? I asked myself.
No, she wasn't. That was my answer. Yukino's words were perfectly logical. If the lower hull was half-plastered with plastic explosives, I couldn't guarantee I wouldn't end up at the bottom of the ocean if, by some small chance, they were detonated. I had no desire to die, and I had my own things to protect. The risk of charging in there on the simple belief that Wakamo wouldn't use the detonator was far too great.
But I couldn't bring myself to send these kids in alone, their faces set with the resolve of those prepared to die.
"Come to think of it, Yukino-chan, you once said that justice is the right path that aligns with the truth…"
"...Reciting my own words back to me will not change my position. Just because I called you FOX 5 for a day doesn't mean you are truly a member of our squad!"
"No, that's not what I was getting at. Mmm, it's just… I was thinking about how hard it is to become an adult."
What choice would Sensei have made in this situation? A Sensei who knew nothing of Wakamo's personality or anything else—if he were here, I couldn't easily imagine him choosing to stay behind and send in the FOX Platoon alone.
But I'm not Sensei. I can never be Sensei. We're fundamentally different vessels.
"...But then again, maybe I don't have to be an adult just yet."
I picked up my gun. I glanced at the fox-ear headband I'd taken off earlier, let out a small laugh, and put it on.
That's right. A student has a student's mindset. And a child who has not yet become an adult has her own way of thinking. All it took was a small shift in perspective. Besides, I hadn't hesitated for a second until Yukino started getting all serious.
"What if I send you guys in alone and you all come back defeated? Hmm? I mean, someone here already has a track record of being taken down once."
"Th-that was unavoidable!"
"Of course, of course it was!"
I gently patted Kurumi's head as she growled at me.
…What's with her? How does her expression soften in just three seconds? What a strange kid.
"Let's get going, FOX 1. You said negotiation was our final option anyway, right? I hate all this heavy talk about life and death."
"...I simply do not understand. Mika-san, why must you insist on taking the lead in matters that do not require your presence?"
"Because… what was it called? Pointman? That's my position for today. It's only natural for me to take the lead, right?"
Besides, I was sure my frustration wouldn't subside unless I got to personally land a few hits on Wakamo. I absolutely had to punish her for all the grief she'd caused me today.
"If you're not coming, I'll go by myself."
"No, I… sigh…"
"Aren't you being a little too selfish…?"
I gave the sighing Yukino and the bewildered Kurumi a slight smile.
"Sorry for being so selfish☆"
"Hehe. You're the first person I've met whose apology sounds so cheerful."
As the rest of FOX Platoon reluctantly followed behind me, a thought suddenly occurred to me.
"By the way, weren't we supposed to split into teams to go in?"
""
Seeing the look on Yukino's face that clearly said she wanted to punch me, I quietly shut my mouth.
The moment I stepped into the lower levels.
Thwack!
"..."
"Hello? I didn't get a chance to greet you properly earlier, but it seems fate has given us another chance. Of course, that's only if you're in any condition to accept my greeting…"
"Wa-oh."
I rubbed my throbbing forehead and stared at Wakamo. She flinched.
"...I suppose?"
"Ahaha, my luck is just the worst."
"Um, Miss Fox…?"
"Mhm. Any last words? I'll be sure to remember them for you."
"...I have the bombs."
How pathetic, trying to start negotiations by immediately bringing up the bombs. Not a chance, you wretched fox.
"Ah, I don't care about that anymore. But that tail of yours… that fur looks so fluffy. I love it!"
"Ah, yes. Thank… you…?"
"I think I'll pluck it all out and make a nice little ornament for my gun. It might hurt a bit, but the famous Fox of Calamity should be able to handle it, right?"
"..."
A bullet hitting a plastic explosive wouldn't cause any problems, but I couldn't be sure what would happen with a meteor forged from my own Mystics, so I couldn't use it. What a shame.
Without even aiming my gun, I charged straight at her. Startled, she hastily tried to pull the trigger, only to realize she hadn't chambered a new round. She turned and fled.
"...Wait, didn't you say Kurumi-chan got knocked out by one shot?"
As the question echoed from behind me, the curtain rose on a hellish chase where, if caught, a fox would lose all her pride.
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