"Checkmate, Sensei!" Yuuka declares.
"Wow," Mash replies.
Asuna's stall worked—Mash's team is cornered by reinforcements. Robots stand ready to fire.
"Yuuka!" Momo cries.
"Gotta hand it to you, causing this much chaos. I'm impressed," Yuuka says.
"Heh, right?" Momo smirks.
"Thanks to Sensei," Midori adds.
"Ow," Momo winces.
"You too, Sensei. Quite the show," Yuuka says.
"Not really," Mash shrugs.
"Not a compliment! This raid went too far. I was too lenient," Yuuka says, disabling her gun's safety, aiming at them.
"No more pranks. One-week suspension or detention," Yuuka warns.
"Suspension!? Detention!?" Momo gasps.
"A week… we'll miss Millennium Prize!" Midori panics.
"Alice is in the reflection room. She'd love your company," Yuuka says.
"Ugh!" Momo groans.
The punishment hits harder than expected. Yuuka eyes Mash gravely.
"You too, Sensei. Detention or pay cut," she says.
"I can handle that," Mash says, smug.
"No… two months, no training or cream puffs," Yuuka counters.
"What," Mash freezes.
"And no help from me, Noah, or the Federal Council's chief admin," Yuuka adds.
"No way," Mash despairs.
"Taking his cream puffs and training? Cruel!" Momo cries.
More important than detention or pay cuts? And just no help with work? Akane thinks, staying silent.
Momo rallies, "Even with Mirror, we can't make the game in time. We have to break through!"
"Break through? Us?" Yuuka scoffs.
Yuuka and the robots aim; the sisters flinch, raising their guns, but they're outnumbered.
"Won't I get hit?" Asuna asks.
"Crawl away," Akane teases.
"No way!" Asuna whines.
"Sensei, hand over your weapon. I'll cut the ban to one week and help with work," Yuuka offers.
"Really?" Mash asks.
"Yes. The paperwork alone is brutal," Yuuka says.
"True," Mash nods.
"Drop your weapon and surrender. Karin's coming," Yuuka urges.
Robots, Yuuka, and Akane close in. Mash ponders, then—
"Fine… I'll toss it," he says.
"Sensei!?" Momo shrieks.
"It's over!" Midori wails.
"Good choice. Hurry," Yuuka says.
"One sec… okay," Mash says.
He pulls two iron staffs, pointing at Yuuka. She smirks, thinking she's won by exploiting his honesty.
"Here it goes," Mash says.
"Ha, I win—wait, toss?" Yuuka blinks.
"Yup—" WHOOSH!
Mash hurls the staffs, piercing robots, causing explosions and smoke.
"Tossed it," Mash says.
"Sure, but—can't see!" Yuuka coughs.
"Plenty of robots left. We know your position—" Akane starts.
WHOOSH!
"What now!?" Yuuka yelps.
"Another staff!?" Akane gasps.
"Something's coming—behind!?" Yuuka turns.
Robots behind them are wrecked. An object flies back to Mash.
Catch!
"Lucky shot," Mash says.
He holds an iron boomerang, perfectly shaped. Midori, grasping what happened, explains.
"I saw… impossible," she stammers.
"What!?" Momo demands.
"Sensei threw the staffs, wrecked robots, made smoke. Then—" Midori says.
Crank!
"He crafted that boomerang instantly and threw it," Midori continues.
WHOOSH!
"It arced, smashed robots, and returned… that staff's a ton, right?" Midori finishes.
"Haha, Sensei's hilarious!" Momo laughs.
"Not funny! Robots down so easily—" Akane growls.
As Yuuka and Akane stand, two voices strike.
"Sorry, Yuuka!"
"Sorry, kid!"
"Wha—" THWACK!
Yuuka and Akane take chops to the neck, collapsing. Yuuka foams at the mouth.
"Super Alice Chop!" Alice declares.
"Nice, Alice!" Momo cheers.
"Alice!? Why here?" Midori asks.
"I pretended to be caught to grab Mirror… but worried about you," Alice admits.
"Alice!" Momo hugs her.
The plan's second layer: while Momo's team distracted, Alice would sneak to Mirror.
"Meant to join Alice if we weren't caught," Mash says.
"But you saved us! Thanks, Alice!" Midori says.
"Solid chop. Training paid off," Mash nods.
"You taught her that?" Momo blinks.
"Am I… a hero?" Alice asks.
"Super cool hero!" Momo beams.
"Hehe, I'm happy," Alice smiles.
They prop Yuuka, Akane, and Asuna against a wall. Asuna waves, "Bye-bye!"
Fearing more reinforcements, they rush to the vault and arrive.
"Here!" Momo shouts.
WHAM! "Locked," Mash grunts.
"Leave it to me. I break doors all the time," Mash says.
"Don't make that a habit!" Midori snaps.
"Push door…" CRUNCH! "Pull door, Sensei!" Momo corrects.
Mash forces it open, and they enter, unfazed.
"Not this, not that… where's Mirror!?" Momo searches.
"USB with Mirror…" Midori mutters.
"Not this big, right?" Mash holds a massive drive.
"No way!" Midori groans.
As they search, Alice halts.
"Quiet, mute mode," she whispers.
"Footsteps—new ones!" Mash tenses, clutching his chest.
"Sensei, what's wrong?" Momo asks.
"Mike says danger," Mash says.
"Mike?" Midori blinks.
"Mike's his chest muscle," Alice explains.
"Named muscles!?" Momo gasps.
"Quiet, sis! Hare's message—'Escape, no, hide! Now! Whatever it takes $!#^&!'—what!?" Midori panics.
Alice scans the entrance, murmuring, "Target approaching. Millennium roster search… hit. 146cm, dual SMGs, dragon-patterned jacket over maid outfit…"
"No way…" Momo whispers.
"Could it be…!?" Midori gasps.
"Grab onto me," Mash orders.
"Yes!" they comply.
They hide as the footsteps near.
"What's this? Door's trashed… no bullet marks. Bare hands?" a voice growls.
It's Neru Mikamo, Maid Club's leader and Millennium's strongest agent, Call Sign: 00.
"Place is wrecked. Someone was here… but gone. What's this huge weapon?" Neru scans the room, gripping her dual SMGs, Twin Dragons.
"There," she aims at a likely spot.
"Yo, hiding there? Come out!" she barks.
Eek! the sisters flinch silently.
Quiet! Scary… Momo thinks.
She's a yankee, Alice thinks.
Or worse, a Yakuza, Midori fears.
No way! Momo retorts.
"Not under desks… where?" Neru mutters.
They're not under desks or in corners… they're on the ceiling.
Mash jumped, embedding fingers and toes into the ceiling, sticking perfectly with the others clinging to him.
How's he sticking? Momo wonders.
Grip strength, Mash thinks.
He's insane, Midori sighs.
"Tch, I sense them but can't pinpoint," Neru grumbles.
No one guesses the ceiling! Pavane arc, done! Momo thinks.
That's a flag, Momo, Alice warns.
Oops, Momo grimaces.
"Maybe underground… or up?" Neru muses.
Crap, Mash thinks.
No talking, sis! Midori hisses.
Not my fault! Momo protests.
As Neru looks up—
"Um!" a voice interrupts.
"Huh?" Neru turns.
"Neru-senpai! Emergency!" It's Yuzu, Game Dev's leader.
"Who're you?" Neru asks.
"Yuzuki, Seminar. Combat robots are rampaging, wrecking everything! Akane, Karin, and Asuna are trying to stop them," Yuzu lies.
"Rampaging? Those were confiscated ages ago, still not fixed?" Neru grumbles.
"We need help. Heard you were here," Yuzu says.
It's a bluff—robots are mostly destroyed. Neru, just arrived, doesn't know. Yuzu bets on courage.
"Fine. Where?" Neru asks.
"Thank you! 2F, B Block," Yuzu says.
"Big area… whatever. You coming?" Neru asks.
"I'll clean up here. I'm… scared of fighting. No experience," Yuzu stammers.
Neru nods, heading to the doorless entrance, then turns.
"Listen, kid. In a fight, it's not weapons or experience. It's guts," Neru says.
"Guts…" Yuzu echoes.
"You're a scaredy-cat, I can tell. But talking to me, a stranger? That takes guts," Neru says.
"Yes! Thank you!" Yuzu beams.
"See ya," Neru leaves.
Her footsteps fade. Yuzu collapses.
"Phew…" she sighs.
"Yuzu, clutch!" Momo cheers.
"Thanks, Yuzu!" Midori adds.
"No, I… where are you?" Yuzu looks around.
"Look up," Mash says flatly.
"Wah!?" Yuzu jumps.
Mash lands, lowering the others.
"Now we can search freely!" Momo says.
"One last push, team!" Midori rallies.
"Yeah!" they shout.
They find Mirror, escape, and clear the dungeon, securing their prize.
Mash's team wins.
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