The morning sun spilled golden light across Trinity General Academy, glinting off the polished stone paths and ivy-draped walls. It was the kind of serene scene that made you think Kivotos might actually be peaceful for once. But peace in this city was like a rare collectible—here one moment, gone the next. Mash Burnedead, the new sensei with no halo, had barely set foot in Trinity when trouble came knocking. A group of white-masked weirdos, part of some cult dead-set on wrecking the Eden Treaty, slunk onto campus, stirring up chaos. Mash didn't even blink. His fists, harder than a tank's armor, flew like comets, sending the goons sprawling in a heap of groans and broken masks.
Students gathered, whispering in awe.
"Did you see that? He took out, like, twenty guys without a scratch!"
"No halo, no gun, just… pure muscle!"
The commotion drew Tsurugi Kenzaki, the Justice Taskforce's wild leader. A distress call crackled through her radio, painting Mash as the bad guy. Her eyes gleamed with a manic grin as she charged, shotguns roaring.
"Time to crush a villain!"
Bullets tore through the air, each shot a deadly promise, but Mash moved like he was dodging raindrops. He closed the gap in a heartbeat, pinning Tsurugi with a grip like steel.
"Easy, I'm not the enemy!"
Tsurugi froze, her mistake dawning on her—until a grenade arced from the shadows. Mash shoved her aside, taking the blast's brunt. Smoke cleared, and he stood, dusting off his jacket, only to eat a vicious uppercut from a red-faced Tsurugi.
"Guh!"
He stumbled, rubbing his jaw, but grinned.
"Nice punch."
The Justice Taskforce, realizing their error, went into panic mode.
"Sensei, that hit could've scrambled your brain!"
Ichika Nakamasa, a second-year drowning in paperwork, led the charge to St. Theresa's Hospital, Trinity's top medical hub run by the Rescue Knights. The place was a whirlwind of activity, patching up Justice Taskforce hotshots, Vigilante Corps daredevils, and even reforming delinquents under their leader's stern eye. Serina Wasumi, a Rescue Knight with droopy wings and a sharper tongue, eyed Mash's bruised jaw skeptically.
"All patched up, Sensei."
"Thanks… Serika-chan?"
"It's Serina. Wasumi Serina."
She glared, adjusting her glasses.
"My bad."
Mash chuckled, scratching his neck.
Serina crossed her arms, sizing him up.
"You fought Tsurugi-san and got just a bruise? That's nuts. Her opponents end up like crushed soda cans. Some get nightmares from her… enthusiasm. And you? No halo, nothing. How are you even standing?"
"Guess I'm just sturdy. Hurts less than it looks."
Mash shrugged, then pulled cream puffs from his pocket—his pocket—to thank the team.
"Sensei, those are from your clothes!? Hygiene!"
Serina's shout echoed, but Mash was already strolling out, waving.
"Catch you later!"
He headed for the Justice Taskforce's clubroom, where the air buzzed with gossip. Ichika was hunched over a desk, her pen scratching furiously as she tried to summarize Mash's feats.
"So, Sensei caught a falling sign, yeeted it to smash a tank, deflected bullets with his fists, and crushed guns barehanded? Seriously?"
"I saw it all!"
Mashiro Shizuyama, a first-year sniper, bounced in her seat.
"He's like… a walking tank!"
"Sensei makes it look like a morning jog."
Ichika sighed, her pen nearly snapping.
Tsurugi, tucked in a corner, wings twitching, mumbled to herself.
"I… I grabbed Sensei's hand, saw his… muscles, then punched him…"
Her face was redder than a warning flare.
"Wow, still pure as ever, huh, Senpai?"
Mashiro teased, smirking.
The door rattled—BAM! Mash strode in, holding the broken handle.
"Finally got it open."
"You broke the door!?"
Ichika leapt to her feet.
"Why!?"
Mashiro squeaked, eyes wide.
"Couldn't tell if it was push or pull."
Mash admitted, shrugging like it was nothing. In a minute, he'd fixed the door, earning baffled stares. He plopped down, opening his bag.
"Tsurugi-san, you were protecting your juniors, right? No need to apologize."
"Y-Yes…"
Tsurugi stammered, avoiding his gaze.
Mash held out a cream puff.
"Here, eat one. It's good."
"I-I…"
Tsurugi's hands shook, her wings fluttering.
"I'm over it. My grandpa always said, 'Don't sweat the past.' You're not scary—just a strong, kind senpai who's got her team's back."
Tsurugi took the puff, her fingers brushing his. She bit into it, and her wild, manic grin melted into a soft, genuine smile—one that warmed the room.
"You've got a nice smile, Tsurugi-san."
Mash's sincerity hit like a gentle breeze. Hasumi, the vice-leader, watched with a knowing look.
"Sensei's got a knack for this."
Mashiro giggled, and Ichika muttered about paperwork. But the mood shifted as they tackled a darker topic: the white-masked cult threatening the Eden Treaty. The room grew heavy, the students' faces set with determination.
But Mash was about to take the fight to the cult's doorstep, and Kivotos was in for a wild rid.
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