"Phew… Somehow, we made it back…!"
"Yeah…"
The Remedial Class Club, exhausted, let out heavy sighs as they returned indoors. The cart Mash had made was destroyed in the explosion, forcing them to walk back.
"Sensei, please rest here for now."
"I'm not injured, you know?"
"Just to be safe."
"…Alright."
"Azusa-chan, please keep watch."
"Got it."
Despite returning to the camp, Hanako's tension lingered as she gave the order. Azusa nodded, gripping her rifle and standing guard at the entrance.
"W-Wait, Hanako-chan, this is Trinity's training camp—"
"I'm sorry," Hanako cut off Hifumi's confusion with a firm tone.
"After they resorted to such tactics, I can't consider even this camp safe. It was arranged by the Tea Party, after all."
"That's… true, but…"
"I'm sorry, Hifumi-chan. I know it's unlikely they'd strike within Trinity, but it's not impossible."
"Hifumi, Hanako's right. This place isn't unconditionally safe anymore."
"…"
What was a warm, comforting dorm that morning now felt cold, like a prison.
"M-Maybe we should call the Rescue Knights—"
"That's…"
"Better not," Mash interjected. "I'm not really hurt, but if this incident leaks, it could spark conflict between academies. That's the last thing we want."
If word got out that "Trinity's student council tried to assassinate Shalle's Sensei!?", every student connected to Mash might turn against the Tea Party. To avoid the worst, Mash refused to call the Rescue Knights.
"Even after this treatment, you're still protecting the Tea Party, Sensei?"
"Of course. Nagisa-san is my student too."
"…"
"Besides, I don't have any serious injuries. Right now, there's something more important."
"…We need to strategize for the next exam."
"Exactly."
Koharu approached, carrying a first-aid kit and a wet towel.
"S-Sensei… here, just in case…"
"Thanks, Koharu-chan."
"Don't mention it… But, seriously—if the Tea Party bigwigs are really trying to expel us, what can we do? No matter how much we plan, it's just…"
"The third special exam in a week is our last chance, but…"
"After a stunt like that, I doubt they'll let us take it fairly."
No matter the cost, the Tea Party—Nagisa—was determined to expel the Remedial Class Club. Would they allow a fair exam? No. Absolutely not.
Unable to bear it, Koharu finally snapped.
"Why is this happening!? Why do we have to be expelled!? And why was Sensei attacked!? It's insane!"
"Koharu-chan, I'm—"
"'Trinity's traitor'? That makes no sense! We haven't done anything to deserve suspicion! And even if it was just us, fine, we'd take the pain! But Sensei could've died! Even if you're insanely strong, what about aftereffects? Aren't they supposed to be smart!?"
Screaming through tears, Koharu clenched her teeth. The injustice of their efforts being erased and her precious friends being hurt was unbearable.
"What's the point!? If we're expelled, I can't return to the Justice Task Force… We didn't do anything to deserve this… sob…!"
"…Koharu-chan."
"Given their position, protesting would be like punching a curtain."
"Exactly. They won't take us seriously."
"Then we have no choice but to pass the exam head-on…"
"But scoring over ninety with triple the material in one week—is that even possible?"
"We don't have enough time or resources…"
"It's impossible… After all our hard work…!" Koharu sobbed, overwhelmed by despair.
She'd pushed herself to live up to her admired seniors and the friends who taught her. She'd faced her weaknesses, worked tirelessly, and vowed never to give up. But the word "expulsion" broke her.
"—Koharu-chan."
"S-Sensei…?"
Mash took Koharu's trembling hand, meeting her eyes with a gentle tone.
"I won't tell you to push harder. You've already given it your all."
"…Yeah."
"But… how about just a little more? I'll support you all with everything I've got to help you pass."
"But if you push yourself too far, Sensei…"
"Forgot already, Koharu-chan?"
Mash let go of her hand, stood, and flexed in a muscle pose.
"I'm the perfect, ultimate, invincible Sensei, Mash Burnedead. A little thing like that won't kill me or make me disappear."
"…But…"
"Even if the worst happens to the Remedial Class Club, I'll make sure you're not expelled. No matter what it takes, I'll fight for it."
"Sensei…"
"That's my resolve."
Mash's powerful words spurred Hifumi and the others. Right, we have Mash. With him by our side, what's there to fear?
Mash was risking his life for them. If their friend, their family, was fighting so hard, they had to keep going too.
"Let's rest for today. You're all exhausted. Tomorrow, we'll start classes a bit later."
"Sniff… Okay."
"Good, good. I'll stay up a bit longer, so you all get some sleep." Thumbs up!
"You're the one who needs rest, Sensei. Seriously."
"…I'm fine, I'm fine. I'm the—"
Mash tried to strike another muscle pose to reassure them, but—
"Perfect and ultimate… ultimate… in… vincible…"
"Sensei?"
"The strong…est… invin…cible… huh…?"
Suddenly, Mash's vision blurred, his head grew foggy, and dizziness hit. His consciousness faded, limbs weakening. He swayed, thoughts scattering.
Don't mess with me. Not now. No way.
"Why… now… like this—!" Stumble.
"Sensei!!" Grab!
Mash collapsed, caught by Azusa. Hifumi and the others rushed over, pale, calling out to him.
"Sensei! Mash-sensei!!"
"You're not okay at all!!"
"Sensei, stay with us! Not here—huh?"
"…What's this?"
Mash wasn't unconscious…
"…Zzzzzzzzz…"
He was asleep.
"He's sleeping!?"
"He must've been exhausted… It's a miracle he didn't collapse sooner."
"Y-Yeah, that's normal… right…?"
"…I'm a little relieved, heh."
Leaning against Azusa's arm, Mash slept soundly. Hanako, thinking ahead, took charge.
"Everyone, leave Sensei to me."
"Hanako… you're not…"
"It's fine. I just want to stay by his side for a bit—"
"You're not planning to attack Sensei while he's sleeping, are you?"
"N-N-N-No way! Nothing like that!"
"Then why're you so flustered!? Are you serious!?"
"No! Totally not! I just… maybe… wanted to touch him a little…"
"Nope! Absolutely not! We can't trust you with Sensei! Hifumi!"
"W-What, me!?"
"You're the most reliable! Take care of Sensei!"
"…Koharu, am I not good enough?"
"You'd definitely sleep with him, so you're even worse!!"
"…I wouldn't do that."
"Don't go monotone!! Come on, let's get Sensei to his room!"
"Y-Yes!"
"…Heh, Koharu-chan's back to normal."
Carrying Mash to his room, the Remedial Class Club, except Hifumi, returned to their own. Feeling a bit of their usual brightness return, Hanako thought,
"…Good."
She felt a little relieved.
[…Ah, finally born… My dear, dear son.]
…What's that voice? Never heard it, yet… familiar… Creepy.
[The sixth one… Finally, the time has come. Just a bit more until I become the perfect being.]
…What? This person… scary.
[…But if there's one concern—no magic power. That alone worries me.]
—How do they know that? Ugh, don't touch my face so hard… Cold. Who is this?
[…No matter. You'll become part of me anyway.]
Part…? What are they talking about?
[In this world, a human without magic power can't survive. You have no worth, no one will rely on you, no one will thank you… In short, you have no reason to exist in this world.]
You picking a fight? I'll take it. Don't decide my worth for me. That's not your call.
[But rejoice… A worthless being like you can serve me, the one who'll become the perfect lifeform. An honor, right?]
I'll knock you out. I'm happy to help others, but working for someone as nasty as you? Even I have limits.
[Your only value is your body. Everything else is trash.]
…Getting mad now. Ugh, can't move at all.
[Your students are pitiful, forced to follow a talentless, useless fool like you.]
—Why bring up my students…?
[Because you became their Sensei, they might die. Because of you, Kivotos' future could be stolen.]
I won't let that happen. I swore to protect them, even if it kills me. And they rely on me. As long as they do—
[You really think you're relied on?]
…Huh?
[You're not relied on—you're used. They exploit your superhuman strength, your violent nature, to make their lives easier. You're just a convenient tool. The friends you imagine? They don't exist.]
What are you saying… No way—
[Listen… Hear their voices? Using you as a dutiful slave, not seeing you as a friend or ally—just a tool…]
[…We just used you. Friends? That's just you deluding yourself.]
[Being called 'Sensei' must've felt great, huh? Can't even handle paperwork properly, yet you acted so proud.]
[Don't you see you're increasing our burden? So annoying.]
[I don't trust anyone. You don't trust me either, right? Just disappear… There's no place for you in Abydos.]
[Thanks to your reckless actions, my workload's lighter. Work harder. Keep working for me… Be useful.]
[We're the protagonists. You? A side character in a game. No, a throwaway NPC for the main cast's growth. So just leave already.]
[Like Big Sis said… That's all.]
[…Yeah.]
[Mash Burnedead, you're expelled from the party!!]
[Trust us? That's just a bother.]
[Acting superior when you're dumber than me.]
[Who'd believe such shallow words?]
[Uh… haha, it was fun, right?]
[Playing at friendship with Sensei.]
—No… No way…
[See? That's the truth, Mash Burnedead. Pathetic. You thought you could get close to them in this world… You're alone. You have no friends. Even the grandfather who raised you doesn't need you.]
[Since meeting you, it's been nothing but trouble… I shouldn't have taken you in, Mash.]
[Please… just die.]
[Now, Mash Burnedead! How does it feel!? AHAHAHAHA!! Despair! Know that a lowly being like you has no purpose! You're utterly, completely alone!!]
—No. That's a misinterpretation.
[…What?]
Yeah, I heard a lot, but… it's all a misinterpretation.
[What are you saying?]
Rin-san, Shiroko-chan, Yuuka-chan, Hoshino-san, Hina-san, the Game Development Club, the Remedial Class Club… No, not just them.
Every student I've met… and my precious family, Grandpa—they'd never say that, you idiot.
[…]
They called me a dear friend, a comrade, family.
You keep saying the students are just using me to make their lives easier… Wrong.
I'm not doing it because they asked. I'm doing it because I want to.
[…]
I don't know who or what you are to me, but let me say this:
Never make my precious people say those things again.
Never insult my precious people.
Never get involved with my precious people.
If you do and cause them harm—don't expect to see the sunrise.
[…Hmph, keep struggling. You're nothing but—]
Enough—
WHOOSH!!
"…Shut up… Huh?"
"S-Sensei?"
Mash swung his arm up and woke in his room. Looking around, nothing had changed since before the exam. The only odd thing was Hifumi, frozen in shock, sitting beside him.
"…Hifumi-chan? What's wrong?"
"N-Nothing… You were sleeping, then started mumbling, and suddenly swung your arm, so… I got startled."
"…That was… a dream?"
"A dream? What kind?"
"A weird one. Some cool-voiced guy kept tearing into me, making the students and Grandpa say out-of-character lines, attacking me relentlessly."
"What!? What did they say?"
"…Not exactly pleasant. It was obvious they just wanted to tear me and everyone down. Said I'm just a convenient tool as Sensei, a useless burden to the students."
"—What!? WHAT!?"
"Whoa, calm down!"
Hifumi, enraged by Mash's words, turned red, ready to unload on the dream's offender.
"A burden!? No way!! We're in remedial classes because of our own issues. You're just helping as our advisor! If anything, we're the ones holding you back!!"
"No, that's not—"
"Useless? Just used? Who do they think they are, barging into someone's dream!?"
"Hifumi-chan, it's just a dream, don't take it so seriously."
"Even if it's a dream! I hate that you were told those things… Because you're my precious friend!"
[You have no friends.]
"…I do. Right in front of me."
"Huh?"
"Oh, sorry, talking to myself… Thanks, Hifumi-chan, for being my friend."
"W-What? I don't get it, but—you're welcome!!"
Exhaustion must've fueled that negative dream, Mash thought, deciding to forget it.
Questions lingered… but for now,
"As Sensei, entrusted with this role—I've got to give it my all."
He resolved to fight alongside the Remedial Class Club as their Sensei.
Postscript
A mysterious figure and Mash seeing a devil—what a mess! Who's this figure? A secret. And they're probably done here.
I skipped some groups like the Justice Task Force and C&C. Honestly, I couldn't write them all.
Now, the final sprint begins next time. Brace yourselves… Got it!?
--+--
T/N: Although I'm an inexperienced Editor, I do have a Patreon account! Although it seems like I don't have many supporters right now, my webnovel will be released in full every day, and the advanced chapters will be uploaded to Patreon.
It may not be worth it now, but who knows, it might be different in the future. Who knows!
patreon.com/Greyhounds
If you want to see it, then why not?