Kivotos thrummed with vibrant energy, a sprawling city where students with glowing halos—circles, stars, and intricate patterns—roamed streets lined with neon-lit shops and towering academies. Among them, Trinity General School stood as a beacon of elegance, one of Kivotos's three great academies. Its baroque-style campus, with chapels, ancient libraries, concert halls, and a pristine lake, resembled a palace of refinement. Yet, beneath its polished facade, Trinity harbored whispers of bullying, factional rivalries, and scheming betrayals, a stark contrast to the chaotic, free-spirited Gehenna Academy, its archrival.
At Trinity's heart was the Justice Task Force, a disciplined group tasked with maintaining order in the academy's district. Unlike Gehenna's volatile Disciplinary Committee, the Task Force operated with harmony, thanks to the strong bond between its leader and deputy. Despite Trinity's internal tensions, the Task Force maintained good relations with most factions—except a few rebellious outliers.
Mash Burnedead, Schale's enigmatic Sensei, arrived at Trinity to connect with the Justice Task Force, hoping to build bridges and share his love for cream puffs. His tracksuit clashed with the school's elegance, and his bag bulged with cream puffs, a peculiar choice for diplomacy.
"…Sensei, I'm used to this by now, but…" Arona's voice crackled through his device, her holographic face skeptical.
"Hm?" Mash replied, adjusting his bag.
"Are you really bringing all those cream puffs?" Arona asked, her tone incredulous.
"Yup. Cream puffs connect everything," Mash said solemnly, his eyes gleaming with conviction.
"What are they, some ancient superweapon?" Arona quipped, rolling her eyes.
"Arona-chan, can you guide me to Trinity?" Mash asked, unfazed.
"Sure, but listen to me, okay?" Arona pleaded, her hologram waving frantically.
"I always hear you, Arona-chan, no matter what," Mash said, his voice earnest.
"…Sensei," Arona mumbled, her cheeks flushing slightly in the hologram.
"Huh?" Mash tilted his head, clueless.
"It's that kind of thing!" she huffed, flustered.
With Arona's guidance, Mash navigated Kivotos's bustling streets, passing students with glowing halos and vendors hawking sweets. Trinity's gates loomed ahead, their golden filigree gleaming under the morning sun. Mash's heart lifted—he'd heard Trinity was refined, a place of poised young ladies, unlike Gehenna's chaos. He imagined sipping tea with the Justice Task Force, sharing cream puffs, and forging alliances.
"Well, I made it to Trinity, but…" Mash said, stepping through the gates.
BOOM! BANG! KABOOM!
"This isn't what I was told," Mash muttered, his expression deadpan.
Arona's directions had gone awry, leading Mash far from the Justice Task Force's clubroom. Instead, he stood in a chaotic street within Trinity's district, engulfed by explosions and gunfire. Smoke billowed from shattered shopfronts, and the air crackled with tension. Trinity's elegance was nowhere to be seen—this was a warzone.
"Down with the Eden Treaty! Judgment on the Tea Party for selling their souls to demons!" a voice shouted, amplified by a megaphone.
"Judgment!" others echoed, their voices fervent.
(Scary… some creepy masked people are going wild…) Mash thought, scanning the chaos.
A group in eerie white masks and hoods rampaged through the street, driving tanks and armored vehicles. Their banners denounced the Eden Treaty, a rumored alliance between Trinity and Gehenna that had sparked outrage among traditionalists. Mash spotted black-uniformed students—Justice Task Force members, including first-years and middle schoolers like his friend Toriko from the Cream Puff Club—fighting the masked mob, their halos flickering under pressure.
"What do we do!? They keep charging, even when we shoot!" a Task Force student cried, her SMG trembling in her hands.
"We're almost out of ammo… ugh, what now?" another whimpered, ducking behind a barricade.
"Listen up! I got a message—Tsurugi-senpai's on her way! Hold on a bit longer, and we'll win!" a third shouted, trying to rally her team.
"Ugh… I just wanna go home… they're terrifying…" another sobbed, her halo dimming.
"I know, but—"
KABOOM!
A cannon blast from the masked group hit a shop's signage, sending it crashing toward the Task Force students. Exhausted and shaken, they froze, unable to move.
"Dangerous," Mash said, his instincts kicking in.
Like a coiled spring, Mash leaped in a perfect arc, reaching the students as the signage collapsed. He grabbed it midair, holding it like an umbrella to shield them from the rubble, his muscles straining but steady.
"Ah… wha… who…?" a student stammered, trembling.
"You did great. You're safe now," Mash said calmly, his voice reassuring despite his stoic face.
"Uh, um…" another mumbled, tears in her eyes.
"Fall back. I'll handle this," Mash said, his tone firm.
"What!?" they gasped, wide-eyed.
Ignoring their shock, Mash swung the signage like a hammer, hurling it at the masked group. It soared through the air, smashing into a tank, flipping it over, and scattering the masked students nearby.
"Who are you!?" a masked student shouted, clutching a rifle.
"That's my line. What are you all doing?" Mash replied, unfazed.
"A halo-less outsider… This doesn't concern you! Leave now!" the masked student demanded, her voice trembling with zeal.
"No way. This place is a mess, and people are hurt. I can't just ignore that," Mash said, stepping forward.
Enraged, the masked student aimed her assault rifle. "Fine! If you interfere, you'll face judgment alongside those demonic Justice Task Force nobodies!"
The masked group unleashed a barrage of bullets at Mash, a halo-less human. But gunfire was meaningless against him. "Hmph, hmph, hmph!" Mash grunted, throwing rapid punches that shattered or deflected the bullets, sending them clattering harmlessly to the ground.
"What is he!?" a masked student screamed, recoiling.
"Don't falter! We can't yield to evil—!" another began.
(They're calling these kids demons?) Mash thought, his eyes narrowing.
CRACK!
"You're the real villains," Mash said, moving like the wind.
He wove through the masked students, disarming them and crushing their weapons with precise hand chops. "Triceps Magic: Knockdown Chop Rush Version… Nailed it," he said, surveying the unconscious foes. "Man, this place is a wreck."
He turned to the Task Force students. "You guys okay?"
"Y-Yes…" one sniffled, wiping her eyes.
"Wait, are you hurt? Don't push yourselves," Mash said, his concern genuine.
"N-No… they were so strong, so scary… but we're safe now… I'm just relieved," another said, tears welling up.
Sniffle
"Waaah!" they wailed in unison, crying like fountains.
"Uh, uh…" Mash stammered, at a loss.
The overwhelmed students sobbed uncontrollably, their halos flickering with relief. Mash, clueless about comforting crying kids, rummaged through his bag, muttering, "If Grandpa were here… um… peek-a-boo?"
Sniffle
"It's okay, right?" he said, panicking.
"Waaah…" they continued.
An idea struck. He pulled out his Shuu-kun mask and put it on. "Hey! I'm Shuu-kun, your friend!" Mash said in a high-pitched voice.
"Sh-Shuu-kun?" a student hiccuped, looking up.
"No more worries! Shuu-kun's got you!" he chirped, patting their heads.
The cream puff-themed mask and silly voice worked, calming the students. Their tears slowed, replaced by shy smiles. But the peace was short-lived.
As a new, ferocious presence approached with gunfire and destruction, Mash braced for a challenge that would test his strength and his cream puff diplomacy.
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