While Wakamo was in the shower, I took the time to sort through my flooded Momotalk inbox. My original plan was to request a meeting with the General Student Council President immediately, as the matter was urgent. However, the words I had just heard directly contradicted that plan, forcing me into a state of unnecessary deliberation.
Don't trust Gematria? That, I could understand. Perhaps the original Mika wanted me to avoid a situation where I had to give them something in exchange for information about herself. But the warning to not trust the General Student Council President and to doubt everything—that, I couldn't comprehend. Mika's words were clearly laced with wariness towards the GSC President. My mind couldn't make sense of it, and so I hesitated, even though I knew the meeting was necessary.
In the end, I sent a message to Yukino, asking her to check if we could have a meeting with the GSC President sometime this morning. If that wasn't possible, I asked her to schedule it for the earliest available time. Considering the importance of the matter, the GSC President should make time for us, even if it means postponing other things. Kaiser Corporation causing a massive incident would likely conflict with her own plans, so she must feel the need to impose some kind of sanctions on them. As for Odyssey, I had the Aegis's captain relay a message that they should participate in the meeting, even if by video call. Having lost an entire school ship, they were in a desperate situation and would surely make time.
I sent a Momotalk to Seia, telling her it might be difficult for us to enjoy the festival together today. I said I would try to join her in the afternoon if I had time, and asked her to hang out with Nagisa until then.
Next, I braced myself and checked the results of yesterday's match. Rather than checking the overall tournament score, I decided to just get the gist of the battle by watching highlights on the video streaming app I usually avoid.
The battle had been a fierce, back-and-forth struggle, with a few key moments.
First, Trinity's tanks being smaller than Gehenna's didn't seem to matter much. This was especially clear when Tsurugi single-handedly disabled a Tiger tank in an instant. Amidst the chaos, one Tiger tank, presumably piloted by Iroha, impressively held the center line until Arius's rocket launcher support arrived, at which point it was left half-destroyed. I don't know if that particular tank was just tougher than the others, but in terms of achievements, Iroha's tank was probably one of the most distinguished in that mock battle.
"...I could just die."
As I watched the match with Nagisa's gentle commentary in the background, I was filled with regret that I hadn't been there to see it with my own two eyes. I suddenly felt the urge to hit Wakamo again. Or maybe, since Kaiser was the mastermind, I should go raise some hell at their headquarters instead.
I mean, seriously. Did I really have to watch the replay of Tsurugi and Hina clashing head-on? It's so unfair…
Even worse, today's matches were only being broadcast on screen, so even if I made time, it would be no different from this, aside from being live.
Seriously, the world is out to get me. This suffocating bad luck is just too much. To think I could have seen it in person—Hina leaping into the air to dodge Tsurugi's charge, using Tsurugi's shoulder as a springboard to launch herself, then spreading her wings mid-air to unleash 'Isbosheth'…!
Oh, heavens above!!! Why can't I ever catch a break!!!
Even as I cried out internally, I was completely captivated by their battle, so focused on the video I forgot to breathe. Hina, somehow managing to evade attacks with fluid grace while wielding a machine gun, and Tsurugi, shrugging off every hit and charging forward like a zombie. Their fight was essentially a battle of attrition.
However, it was hard to shake the feeling that Hina was at a disadvantage in this matchup. Tsurugi was like a shield with self-repairing capabilities that you had to break through with overwhelming, concentrated firepower. Hina, on the other hand, was more like an artillery battery. She was strongest when she could set up and unleash a one-sided barrage, but in a pressure situation like this, it was difficult for her to inflict the required amount of damage on Tsurugi.
And yet, that shield named Tsurugi had sharp thorns. Two of them, in fact.
Despite the unfavorable matchup, Hina proved why she was Gehenna's strongest. She toughly absorbed a shotgun blast to the body, then swung her machine gun to smash Tsurugi in the jaw. A volley of fire followed. Tsurugi took the close-range machine gun fire until about half the ammo belt was empty. She stared at Hina with a dazed expression for a moment, then her face contorted, and she charged again, like something out of a horror movie.
This is why I never want to fight Tsurugi. I have no confidence I could perform at my best against Tsurugi once her madness switch has been flipped.
While Hina was locked in her difficult fight, Gehenna's opposite flank collapsed. Arius's full power had been unleashed, tearing one of Gehenna's wings apart. Ako and Iori fought valiantly, but Hiyori, seemingly seeking revenge for the sniping competition, took down Haruna, and that proved decisive. Like falling dominoes, their forces pushed to the center, and the balance of the battle shattered in an instant. The central front, which had been maintained by Makoto's unexpectedly good performance, crumbled, leaving only the last wing, held in a tense stalemate by Hina and Tsurugi.
Ignoring the changing tides of the battle, Hina and Tsurugi continued their fierce clash to the very end, neither giving an inch. Forty minutes in, the match was effectively decided, but those two fought on, protecting their pride as students at the pinnacle of their respective academies' military might, enduring and accumulating damage.
Just as Hina's ammo belt ran out and the tide seemed to turn in Tsurugi's favor…
"Wa-oh."
An ad started playing, breaking the flow. It was a 15-second ad, so I couldn't even skip it. After it finished, another one started immediately. And it was for Kaiser Travel, a subsidiary of the Kaiser Corporation.
My precious 30 seconds were gone. And I'd been forced to watch an ad for damned Kaiser… I'm sure if I subscribed to premium I wouldn't have to see any ads… I rarely use this site, so the blatant commercialism was irritating.
Anyway, as soon as the ad ended, the scene returned to Hina headbutting Tsurugi, who had closed the distance. Was I the only one who was relieved Tsurugi hadn't been gored by those dangerous horns?
Tsurugi shrugged it off and began firing her akimbo-style shotguns. Hina did her best to dodge, but it was clear the momentum had shifted to Tsurugi. Staggering but refusing to give up, Hina's heel shot toward Tsurugi's face. Tsurugi caught it with one hand, and at that exact moment, the signal sounded, declaring the end of the one-hour match.
It was, for all intents and purposes, a decision victory for Tsurugi, which left me with mixed feelings. The score was now an 8-point lead for Trinity. A win in just one of the two matches today would secure Trinity's overall victory. I was also pleased that Nagisa had finished the commentary without any mistakes after I had to leave her with it. These things certainly made me happy… but I couldn't help but feel disappointed that Hina had lost to Tsurugi. Tsurugi is my friend from the same school, but Hina is the lover I stubbornly won over.
So, I cautiously sent Hina a Momotalk, asking if she was okay. For busy people like us, the day starts ridiculously early. By now, Hina would have finished her morning routine, gone to school, and be handling her work before her afternoon match.
Sure enough, Hina's reply came back, asking what this was all of a sudden. Instead of answering, I asked if it was okay to call. I remembered what Ako had blurted out a few days ago, about sending Hina Momotalks every morning and calling her often. We already messaged consistently, but we rarely called, since we were both so busy. She was a girl I had pursued out of my own selfish desires, so I resolved to be more considerate in these matters.
"Hina-chan, good morning!"
[Good morning, Mika. But why the sudden call?]
"Umm, well."
Now that the call had started, I found it difficult to choose my words. What if I said something thoughtless and touched a sore spot? She was a proud girl; what if my attempt to console her on her loss backfired… No. It's better to just talk to her than to waste time worrying. This is all part of getting to know each other. It's better to face it head-on than to make assumptions.
"I just watched the replay of yesterday's match."
[…Ah.]
"You were amazing, Hina-chan. Though, we still won the match☆"
[Pfft… yeah. Thanks, Mika.]
For some reason, Hina's laugh made me happy, as if I could picture her small smile from all the way over in Gehenna. Thankfully, she didn't seem upset.
[You had a rough day yesterday, too. I'm sure you have a headache from dealing with the aftermath, so I'm glad you're still thinking of me. And… even though you guys won yesterday, today will be different. I can't even imagine how much Chairman Makoto would mock me if I lost to the Justice Task Force's president twice.]
"Ahaha! In that case, Tsurugi-chan should be careful. That sounds like a declaration of victory, you know?"
[It won't just end with a declaration. So… what was it you said before? Ah, right. Gehenna will win anyway. You can look forward to today's match, Mika. I'll do my best for you, the one who gave her heart to someone as unlovable as me.]
"…Hey, Hina-chan. Doing your best is definitely great to see. But, I don't think the opposing team doing their best is really for me, is it?"
[But Mika, you love seeing others shine more than anything, right?]
Hearing Hina's words, I found myself nodding unconsciously. It's true. The way she expressed it was a little different, but the essence was the same. I had done so many things, and would do so many more, out of a desire to see these kids happy. The reason I could never rest was because of my efforts for them. I had chosen this path myself, all to see everyone smiling happily at the end.
[I don't know any other way to shine except when I'm holding a gun…]
"Yeah, you're right. If that's the reason, then I guess it can't be helped. I'll be looking forward to seeing you look cool today, Hina-chan☆"
I had called Hina to comfort her, but in the end, I was the one who was helped. My heart, weary from the struggles of my own making, felt a new sense of vitality.
I decided to stop the unnecessary sulking.
The happiness of everyone who deserves to be happy. I etched that into my heart once more.
Everything is for my sake, and for all of yours.
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