Recap:
"—Haaah…"Huge sigh. Click.
"Hina-san, you're radiating a dark aura."
Now Hina's pissed.
Hot Spring Development Club
A Gehenna club, seeking and developing hot springs. Sounds quirky and outdoorsy, but their issue? They'll destroy city streets or other academies' zones for "hot spring development," causing massive damage with reckless enthusiasm and zero regard for consequences.
Frankly, they're not a club—they're terrorists.
BOOM! CRASH!
They're at it now, smashing with hammers, rampaging with bulldozers.
"Dig, dig, dig!!"
"Keep digging!!"
"Ignore the collateral damage!!"
Explosions echo, wrecking everything. No guilt, no sense of wrongdoing.
"Hahaha! Keep digging, no stopping!"
"Sacrifices are needed for hot springs~!"
Leading them:
Kasumi Kinugawa, club president, in a red-logoed shirt, black shorts, and oversized lab coat, shouting orders.
Meg Shimogura, vice president, laughing with a flamethrower.
Kasumi's not dumb, just morally bankrupt.
"This okay, President? Disciplinary Committee's coming."
"So what, Meg? Fear them? Stop now? We fight for us!"
"Cool~!"
"Heh, right? Plus, the Committee Head's busy with the Eden Treaty. She won't come… She won't…"
"It's fine, President~!"
Kasumi tears up at Hina's name; Meg consoles her. Almost wholesome, if not for the terrorism.
"President! Prep's almost done!"
"Good! Hot Spring Development Club!"
As Kasumi shouts to dig more, a terrible sound hits.
Thud-thud-thud!!
"Eek!?"
"Ngh!?"
"What's that!?"
"This… sound…"
"It's him! He's here! Everyone, arm—agh!?"
"Today's intense—ow!?"
A barrage of powerful bullets rains down, relentless. The club trembles in fear.
"Finally, a chance to talk with Sensei… Ruined. Worst day ever…"
"Hina-san, your face is scary."
"Don't worry, Sensei. I'm not mad."
"That face and killing intent say otherwise."
Hina and Mash appear. Hina's glare could kill; Mash tries calming her.
"Who are they? Terrorists?"
"Hot Spring Development Club. They destroy areas to 'make hot springs.'"
"Just terrorists."
"I kinda think so too."
"That lab coat girl's the president?"
"Yup. Don't worry, she's already done."
"How?"
"You'll see."
Hina stares at Kasumi. Their eyes meet—
"Eeeeek!!"
Kasumi collapses, crying, paralyzed by panic.
"What's that?"
"No good! President's panicking again!"
"She always does this with the Head…"
Kasumi's trauma makes her useless against Hina in combat, collapsing into tears.
"What now, Vice President!?"
"Calm down! Our president won't break this easily!"
(Terrorists talking tough… Once she's like that—)
"Haha… I won't break."
"No way?"
"She's up?"
"Never happened before."
Despite trauma flashing in her mind, Kasumi stands, sobbing but defiant.
"I'm Hot Spring Development Club… I take pride in this. I won't lose to one student!!" Crying.
"President!!"
Cool words, but she's Gehenna's top troublemaker, feared even by Trinity.
"Uh, excuse me."
Sniff. "New face… Mushroom head, no halo…!?"
"Schale's Sensei?"
"Am I famous? Embarrassing."
"Schale's Sensei" shakes the club.
"No way… The Head and the human weapon!?"
"Human weapon? That stings."
"What do we do, President!? He's as strong as the Committee!"
"Wait, don't panic!"
Kasumi shouts, stopping them. She approaches Mash, trembling at Hina's presence but enduring.
"H-Hina… Calm down… Ahem. Sensei, I'm Kasumi Kinugawa, club president."
"No chance, Kasumi. Surrender."
"I'm talking to Sensei, not you."
"Huh?" Click.
"Hina-san, stay. I'll listen."
"…Fine."
(Ordering Hina Sorasaki!? Kasumi's bold… She looks dumb, but I can outsmart her!)
Kasumi's cunning, not stupid. Her goofy act is deliberate, making her seem harmless. In truth, she manipulates with minimal info, turning situations to her advantage—a mastermind evading trouble forever.
"Sensei, let's talk. It's good for you too."
"Hm… I'll hear you out."
"Good! We're—"
Kasumi launches into a long speech: their actions' meaning, pride, and benefits for Mash if they ally. Hina realizes Kasumi's trying to manipulate him and decides to intervene.
"It's pointless, Sensei."
But—
"…Ugh…" Collapses, eyes rolled back.
"Passed out!?"
"Too much info… Poor thing. Unforgivable."
"My fault!?"
"…Oops, I panicked too."
Kasumi's speech overwhelmed Mash's brain. He barely grasped it, but got: "Let us go, and we'll make it worth your while."
"Got it… So…"
"You understand? Your answer?"
"You're enemies."
"You listened!?"
Kasumi's persuasion fails. To Mash, they're terrorists troubling Hina—unforgivable.
"Kasumi, see? Talking's useless with Sensei."
"Ugh, this stubborn… Fine! Gehenna style—fight!"
Kasumi signals; Meg nods, giving orders. The club forms ranks.
"I'm not the me who cried at Hina. As long as I'm here, we won't lose!"
"Go President!" Their morale soars. Her charisma and cunning make her a massive pain.
"Troublesome, Sensei. Be careful. Kasumi's sly, with countless tricks. They've got over 100 members and heavy machinery…"
"Exactly! Sensei, show us your rumored power! I know how you'll move! Haha!"
Kasumi planned 50+ strategies based on Mash's rumored fighting style, intending to neutralize him and use him as a hostage against Hina.
"So, Sensei, Hina, what's your move!?"
Kasumi laughs, confident of victory.
"Hina-san, know what I'll do?"
"Yup, danger doesn't faze you."
They step forward.
"Let's go, Hina-san."
"End this quick."
They ready for battle.
The duo prepares. Kasumi orders an attack; members aim—
"Here goes—Thousand Knocks!"
"Thousand Knocks?"
"Dodge or block." Step.
"Wait, what's that bat!?"
"Made from my iron staff."
"Bat!?"
"And my usual bullets."
"What're you doing!?"
"This."
Mash grips the bat, facing the club. Hina holds bullets, ready. As the club hesitates, they strike.
"First pitch."
"Hmph."
"Second."
"Hmph."
"Third, fourth, fifth."
"Hmph, hmph—hmph-hmph-hmph!" Swing-swing-swing!
"What!?"
Hina tosses bullets; Mash hits them, launching them at insane speeds, striking club members.
"Ow!?"
"Ugh!!"
"Argh!!"
The bullets, powered by Mash's strength, hit like iron balls.
"Hmph-hmph-hmph!"
"Next, next, next!"
Hina feeds bullets rapidly; Kasumi can't track their speed.
"Not machine-gun speed—it's worse!!"
"Heavy machinery, now!"
Mash's barrage downs members, leaving a few with cranes and bulldozers charging.
"They're rushing us?"
"Seems so."
"For bad kids like them?"
"You know the next word, right?"
"Yup."
Facing the machines, they ready weapons.
"Punishment."
"Charge!!"
Hina shoots at a crane's window; the driver panics, braking.
"Nice."
Mash smashes the window, drags the driver out, and punches them away.
"Now this!!"
A bulldozer swings its arm at Mash. He catches it with both hands.
"No way!?"
"Dangerous move."
"Uh-oh—ow!?"
Hina kicks the bulldozer's driver out. Mash lifts and hurls the machine, which explodes.
"Meg!! Flamethrower!!"
"Got it!"
Meg unleashes a massive flame at them.
"Hahaha! Even you can't block a phenomenon like fire!"
Inhale.
"Fuuu—" Whoosh!!
"What… The fire's gone!?"
"Open!"
"Uh-oh—"
Mash's breath extinguishes the flames. Hina strikes the stunned Meg, knocking her out.
"Impossible… All those numbers, just two people…? Hina, I get, but a halo-less Sensei!?"
"Because I'm not normal."
Mash stands before Kasumi, fist raised.
"Eek!!"
Stop.
"We win."
Thud.
"Success… This is fun."
"Stopping short of her face… Kind."
"They say a woman's face is her life… Or is it hair?"
Mash faints Kasumi, restrains her and Meg, and leaves the rest to the Committee.
"Patrol—resume!"
They continue.
"It got late."
"…Yup."
"You okay?"
"Just… a bit."
After forgetting the club, they patrolled heartily. Evening arrives, and Hina feels sad it's ending.
"Sensei, you could've let me handle them alone."
"You're tired. Had to help."
"Thinking of me again…"
"Also, I wanted to finish quick… to talk more with you."
"…!"
"Thanks for today. Talking was… really fun."
Hina sees Mash's expression—he's sad too.
"We're busy, so we might not meet for a while… That makes me… sad."
"Same… I wanted to talk more."
"We're so alike."
"Yup."
They laugh, thrilled at their connection. Time to part.
"Sensei."
"?"
"After the Eden Treaty… patrol again?"
"Of course."
"…Thanks, Sensei—see you!"
"Yup."
They wave, parting. Leaving a friend hurts, but it's not forever.
(Next time… can't wait.)
Thinking the same, they return to their places.
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