"…What's that guy doing?"
In the deserted Abydos residential district, Serika was heading to her usual part-time job when she spotted something bizarre—well, more like, "What the heck?"
"Th-This… is heavy~!" Ayane groaned.
"C'mon, you gotta be able to lift this much~!" Hoshino teased.
"Ayane-chan's at her limit with this~ I mean, I carry my beloved minigun all the time, so dumbbells are no sweat for me," Nonomy chirped.
"An old man like me can handle dumbbells just fine~," Hoshino said.
"Senpai's lifting iron ones… I'm stuck with rubber," Ayane muttered.
"Well, not many can lift iron dumbbells like that," Nonomy said.
"…Nonomy, then what about him?" Shiroko pointed.
"Hmph, hmph, hmph, hmph, hmph!"
"…Shiroko-chan? You can't compare to him," Nonomy said.
"Yeah," Shiroko agreed.
"No one moves like that normally," Hoshino said.
"I can see his arms' afterimages…" Ayane gaped.
Serika's eyes landed on the familiar Countermeasures Committee crew training with Mash, who was swinging ridiculously massive dumbbells in both hands at a frantic pace.
"…Seriously, what's he doing?" Serika muttered.
"Oh? It's Serika-chan~!" Hoshino called.
"Hoshino-senpai… what's going on?" Serika asked.
"Sensei said, 'How do you get stronger? …Training!' So we're all working out together~," Hoshino explained.
"We were gonna invite you, Serika-chan, but you said you had work today…" Ayane added.
"…I wouldn't have come anyway," Serika huffed.
"Haha, harsh as ever~," Nonomy laughed.
"I'm not trusting him yet, so… see ya."
Looking displeased, Serika stormed off. Mash, still swinging his arms, watched her go.
"Am I kinda hated?" Swing, swing, swing.
"Well, we've never had someone swoop in to 'save us' like this before~," Hoshino said.
"That's a bit harsh, Serika. Sensei's trying hard," Ayane said.
"True~ But for now, let's keep training! What's next?" Nonomy asked.
"How about a run? From here to the school," Mash suggested.
"Got it~ …Wait, from here?" Nonomy blinked.
"Yup."
"Sensei, even by road bike, it's 30 minutes to the school," Shiroko said.
"30 minutes is no big deal, right?" Mash said.
"That's just you!!" Ayane shouted.
Ayane's outburst came from knowing that Mash's training standards would probably break them all. They settled for a light jog around the area instead.
"…Sensei, running while swinging dumbbells is dangerous," Ayane warned.
Mash jogged while swinging small dumbbells (at least 30kg each), leaving the students mildly horrified.
"Welcome to Shiba Seki Ramen!"
At Shiba Seki Ramen, a famous ramen shop in the sparsely populated Abydos district, customers came from other districts just to savor its flavors.
"Serika-chan, Shiba Special Ramen's ready!" called the head chef.
"Got it! Here's your Shiba Special Ramen, folks! Enjoy it hot!" Serika chirped.
The head chef, a Shiba Inu, ran the shop, where all staff except Serika were dogs—walking on two legs and talking. A shocking sight, but perfectly normal in this world.
The shop's door slid open.
"Welcome to Shiba Seki—wah!" Serika yelped.
"Hey~ Table for five~!" Hoshino grinned, arms wide.
Behind her were the Countermeasures Committee and—
"Hey, it's Serika-chan," Mash said, shaking a protein shake. Shake, shake, shake.
"Why are you shaking that?!" Serika snapped.
"Uh, it's protein," Mash said.
"No food or drinks from outside!!"
"Is that a rule? Sorry." Gulp!
(He downed it in a second?!)
"You're working here? Impressive for someone so young," Mash said.
"You're only a year older than me!" Serika shot back.
"Oh, right," Mash said.
"What's up, Serika-chan? …Hm? New face," said the Shiba Inu chef, approaching after hearing Serika's outburst. He was Shiba, her boss and benefactor.
"I'm Mash Burnedead, SCHALE's Sensei," Mash introduced.
"So you're the guy…" Shiba said.
"You know him, Boss?" Serika asked.
"Know him? Who hasn't heard? He's famous around here. Shows up whenever students cause trouble, solving everything single-handedly. That's some Sensei."
The Abydos students nodded, certain it was Mash—crushing guns and tossing grenades back, no doubt.
"Aw, shucks," Mash said.
(His face didn't move an inch…) Serika thought.
"Meeting you here's a miracle. Eat up! There's a table open," Shiba said.
"Thanks," Mash replied.
"C'mon, Abydos kids, take a seat. Serika-chan, enough chatting—take their orders," Shiba said.
"Ugh… Yes, Boss. This way…" Serika grumbled.
The Abydos students sat at the table Serika led them to, followed by Mash, but—
"I'll sit here~♪ Mash-sensei, the spot next to me's open!" Nonomy sang.
"…My side's free too," Shiroko said.
A dire choice: Nonomy's side or Shiroko's. Any guy would weep with envy.
But it wouldn't lead to anything scandalous because—
"Nah, I'm good here," Mash said.
It was Mash.
"Huh? But there's nothing there," Nonomy said.
"It's fine. Plus, if I sit, it'll be cramped, right? So here's good."
"…What does that mean?" Shiroko asked.
"Sensei… no way…" Ayane said.
Mash stood beside the table, in the aisle, and squatted.
"Perfect."
"An air chair?!" the girls gasped.
An air chair, held perfectly steady… while elegantly sipping water.
"Doesn't that hurt?" Ayane asked.
"Not at all," Mash said.
"Uh… let's order!" Nonomy said.
"C'mon, Serika-chan, take our orders!" Hoshino teased.
"It's 'May I take your order?', right? I come here a lot, so I know the lines~ C'mon, smile and be friendly~!"
"Ugh… M-May I take your order…?" Serika forced a smile, her mouth twitching.
Mash, as usual, said one word too many: "That's stiff."
Snap!
"I'll show you!!" Serika roared.
"Wah, Serika-chan, stop!" Nonomy cried.
"Shaaa!!" Serika hissed.
"No hissing, Serika-chan!" Ayane pleaded.
Ayane and Nonomy held back a furious Serika as she lunged at Mash, who remained in his air chair.
"Sensei, you talk too much," Shiroko said.
"Sorry," Mash said.
"Hahaha! What a guy!" Shiba laughed.
Laughter filled the shop. The group ordered and ate.
"…So, who's paying? Nonomy-senpai's treat again?" Shiroko asked.
"I'm fine~ My card's got plenty of limit left~," Nonomy said.
"I'll cover it," Mash said.
"You sure?" Ayane asked.
"Can't let students pay," Mash said.
Mash reached into his wallet, pulling out an adult's card—something a minor like him shouldn't have, but SCHALE's Sensei status got him special permission.
"Haven't used it much, so there's plenty," Mash said.
"Settled then~," Hoshino said.
Paying with a card felt like a cool line to Mash, so he was pleased. But—
"Get out, don't come back, stop messing with my work, I hate you all, just die!" Serika ranted like a tantruming toddler, chasing out the Countermeasures Committee and Mash (who was too solid to push, so he walked out himself).
"Haha, good to see you're lively~ See ya, Serika-chan!" Hoshino said.
"See you tomorrow, Serika-chan," Ayane said.
"You were cute today~!" Nonomy called.
"Later," Shiroko said.
"See ya, Serika-chan… Oh, that uniform looks good on you," Mash said.
"Wha—Idiot! I hate you!!" Serika snapped.
The door slammed shut, and Mash sulked again.
"Done for the day!" Serika sighed, exhausted.
It'd been a noisy day. Hoshino was a regular, but the whole crew showing up was unexpected.
Feeling a pleasant fatigue, Serika headed home, grumbling.
"Hoshino-senpai teases me while I'm working, Shiroko-senpai and Nonomy-senpai fawn over Sensei, and Sensei keeps saying weird stuff. Ayane-chan was the only reliable one…"
Despite her complaints, a faint smile played on her lips.
"Always so loud… Sensei's kinda fitting in, though. Almost my age, yet… I won't accept him. I can't. …But still…"
Behind her—
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
A barrage of explosions rained down. Modified Kivotos weapons, amplified for destruction, targeted Serika.
"…!?"
(Anti-air cannons? No, that's… a modified Flak 41? Why here? Who's firing? The Kata-Kata Helmet Gang? But Sensei destroyed their base! Where'd it come from?)
Questions raced through her mind, unanswered.
(This is bad… I'm losing consciousness… Everyone…)
Serika collapsed. Even she couldn't withstand a carpet bombing that could shred tanks.
In the distance, multiple shadows loomed—remnants of the Kata-Kata Helmet Gang.
"Keep going?" one asked.
"No, she needs to stay alive for this to work. This is enough. Load her in the truck, head to the rendezvous point."
"…Ugh, that guy—SCHALE's Sensei—wrecked our base and supplies. What a mess."
"That's why we're doing this! Kidnap her, disappear, and that Sensei will regret it."
The disciplined remnants loaded Serika onto the truck and vanished into the dark.
At Abydos, Ayane waited for Serika's return.
"…."
She wanted to hear Serika's complaints after such a hectic day, but Serika didn't show. Shiba Seki Ramen was closed. The chef confirmed Serika left, and multiple people saw her on her route home.
She should've been back by now.
Yet, her room and the school were empty. Her phone went unanswered.
A dreaded suspicion crept into Ayane's mind.
The door opened quietly, and Shiroko entered.
"…I'm back."
"Welcome back, Shiroko-senpai. …Any sign?" Ayane asked.
"I traced her route, but she's nowhere. Witnesses saw her near an empty zone by Shiba Seki, then nothing. …There were blast marks."
"…! …I see," Ayane said, collapsing to her knees, trembling.
The worst seemed true.
"…We're waiting on Hoshino-senpai and Sensei," Shiroko said, standing silently, gripped by helplessness.
"Sorry for the wait~!" Hoshino called.
"Found Serika-chan's location!" Mash announced.
"Really, Sensei?!" Ayane gasped.
"Tracked her device~ Uhee, Sensei hacked the Federal Student Council's central network to pull the data. Total outlaw move~ If they find out, it's a mountain of paperwork~!" Hoshino said.
"As long as they don't, it's fine. Thanks, Arona-chan," Mash said.
"No prob! Easy peasy!" Arona chirped.
Mash had asked Arona to locate Serika.
"Where is she?" Shiroko asked.
"Right here~ The edge of the desertified city. Totally empty, full of ruins—perfect hiding spot," Hoshino said.
"That's where we've spotted Kata-Kata Helmet Gang activity before. It's their remnants," Ayane said.
"They attacked Serika-chan on her way home and took her," Nonomy said. "How should we clean this up~♪?"
"…But didn't Sensei wipe out most of them?" Shiroko asked.
"Probably remnants from another base. They've got a few," Hoshino said.
"Let's go get Serika-chan back!" Ayane urged.
"Of course," Mash said.
Mash and the team headed into the desert.
(Uhee… Sensei's pretty mad~) Hoshino thought, noticing Mash's quiet anger.
Rattle, rattle.
As the truck carrying Serika rolled through the desert, her consciousness slowly returned.
"…Ugh. …!? Where am I?!"
Serika's eyes snapped open.
"…Ow! That hurts! My head's pounding… Kidnapped?"
Enduring pain like her body was being torn apart, Serika scanned her surroundings. It was nearly pitch-black, but a faint light let her peek outside.
"…A desert? …Train tracks, so… the outskirts?! No, the signal won't reach here. Even if I escape, the school's too far, and I've got no food or water… My gun—empty, they took the ammo. Haha, nothing's going right…"
Serika slumped, head bowed.
They'll worry, won't they? Everyone…
Will I just get buried somewhere?
Will anyone notice?
Will they think I left Abydos?
Will they think I betrayed them?
Will I die misunderstood?
My last words were telling them to die…
I don't want that. They said "See you tomorrow"…
"Ugh… sob…" Tears spilled as Serika's voice broke.
"Help… Sensei…"
Then—
"…What's that guy?" a gang member muttered.
"Hey, we'll run him over!" another warned.
"Doesn't matter. If he dies here, the sand'll bury him. Go," the leader ordered.
"…Got it."
"…Someone?" Serika whispered.
VROOOM!!
The truck sped up to crush the figure ahead. The driver thought, This is the worst…—his first time running someone over.
But—
BANG!
SCREECH!!
"…It stopped?" Serika gasped.
The figure had stopped the truck with one hand.
"What the—?!" the leader stammered.
"Sorry…" the figure said.
"You—!" the leader shouted.
"Give our friend back." WHAM!
The figure—Mash—punched the truck, denting it and halting it completely. The gang members fled in panic.
"What the…?" Serika muttered.
"Found Serika-chan!" Nonomy called.
"Confirmed. She's half-crying… no, full-on sobbing," Shiroko said.
"Hey, Shiroko-senpai, stop!" Serika protested.
"What?! Our Serika-chan's crying?! Were you that lonely? Mama's sorry~!" Hoshino teased.
"Hoshino-senpai, I'll punch you!" Serika snapped.
"Don't cry, Serika-chan! We'll wipe those tears! Come to my arms!" Nonomy said, hugging her.
"Nonomy-senpai, stop, it hurts!" Serika yelped.
The Abydos students fussed noisily. Then Mash appeared, fresh from wrecking the truck—the Sensei Serika had scorned.
"You okay?" he asked.
"…Sensei… Why? I was so mean, avoiding you…" Serika said, crying, aware of her harshness.
Mash met her gaze. "I don't care about that."
"You… don't?"
"Nope, not at all."
Mash stood, turning away, and the others followed suit.
"I said I'd protect and save you all, no matter what."
"!"
"Wait a sec—I'll crush those guys."
"Let's do this, everyone!" Hoshino shouted.
"Yeah!!" they roared.
With Hoshino's call, they charged. Ayane stayed to guard Serika. Hearing the commotion, the Helmet Gang sent reinforcements.
"Messing with my kouhai? Think you'll get away with it~?" Hoshino said.
"Time to clean house~♪" Nonomy sang.
"…Unforgivable," Shiroko growled.
The gang fell swiftly before Mash's fists, Hoshino's shotgun, Nonomy's minigun, and Shiroko's drone strikes.
"Damn it! We shouldn't have taken this job!" a gang member cursed.
"What now, Leader?!" another asked.
"We use that," the leader said.
"Got it!"
RUMBLE RUMBLE!
"…!?"
"What's that?!" Nonomy gasped.
"A tank… Probably stolen and modified by them," Hoshino said.
"Looks tough. Our bullets won't dent it," Shiroko said.
"No choice but to fight~," Nonomy said.
The students fired, but their bullets bounced off harmlessly.
It's not working… What do we do? Ayane thought.
"Any way to turn this around, Sensei?" Hoshino asked.
"…Hm?" Mash said.
"Can you handle that?" Hoshino asked.
"Yup," Mash said.
The students gaped. Even with Mash's strength, a bulletproof tank seemed impossible.
"Sensei, that's crazy! No way you can do that!" Ayane said.
"It's fine… Trust me," Mash said.
"But—"
"You're all my precious students, my precious friends. So…"
Mash clenched his fists and charged the tank. The leader scoffed, firing a shell at him.
"Idiot! Fire!!"
BANG!!
Mash backhanded the shell, sending it flying to explode midair.
"I'll protect you, even if it kills me."
"—!"
"…Ayane's frozen with her mouth open," Shiroko said.
"Haha… What's going on?" Hoshino laughed.
"Hoshino-senpai's stunned… Same here," Nonomy said.
"Look, Sensei!" Ayane pointed.
After deflecting the shell, Mash rushed the moving tank, punching its tracks and ripping them off.
"Leader, we can't move!" a gang member cried.
"Don't panic! We retreat—" the leader started.
Mash wasn't done. He climbed atop the tank.
CRUNCH!
He grabbed the turret and tore it off. The gang members inside froze in shock.
"For Serika-chan," Mash said.
"Run!!" they screamed.
Mash jumped down, swinging the torn turret to smash the tank's base.
"I'm still alive, though…" Serika muttered.
"It's like the tank's a toy…" Nonomy said.
"I'm done being surprised~," Hoshino said.
"Enemy forces destroyed! Victory's ours! Heading your way!" Ayane radioed.
Mash approached the fleeing leader, who backed away in terror.
"Eek!"
"Don't come near Abydos again. Next time, I won't hold back," Mash said.
"Y-Yes, sir!!" the leader squealed, retreating with his men, who dropped their weapons and fled. With Mash around, they'd never return.
"All settled," Mash said.
"Uh… Sensei, I was so…" Serika started.
"Don't worry about it, Serika-chan. I'm just glad you're safe," Mash said.
"—!"
"Aww, Serika-chan's crying again~?" Hoshino teased.
"I'm not!" Serika snapped.
"So cute~," Nonomy said.
"I said I'm not!!" Serika yelled.
Later, the gang's loot was deemed illegal, and Ayane began investigating, wrapping up the incident.
Riiing…
"Hello, Problem Solver 68," a voice answered.
Another scheme was set in motion.