Fifth Remedial Class Mock Exam Results
Hanako: 100 – Pass Azusa: 94 – Pass Koharu: 90 – Pass Hifumi: 93 – Pass
Sixth Remedial Class Mock Exam Results
Hanako: 100 – Pass Azusa: 91 – Pass Koharu: 83 – Fail Hifumi: 89 – Fail
Day after day passed, and the Remedial Class Club reached the night before the third special exam, six days after the second.
"…Tomorrow's the day."
"Yes…"
"…"
Since the incident at the second exam, they'd poured every moment into studying, barely eating, sleeping, or even using the bathroom. They'd given their all.
"Everyone, the cream puffs are ready!"
"Gimme!!" "Please!" "Want one!" "I'll take one! ♡"
"Here you go."
"YUM!!" "Delicious…!" "Bliss…" "Pure joy, hehe."
The cream puffs were a heavenly gift, their happiest moments.
"No sudden changes this time, right?"
"So far, probably not."
"The exam scope's the same, passing line's still 90, location's Trinity's 19th Annex, Classroom 32. It's a bit far from the main building but not too bad. Starts at 9 a.m. The odd thing is… the main building's been eerily quiet since yesterday, like everyone vanished."
"Creepy."
Hifumi lowered her eyes. Isolated in this dorm, they couldn't grasp Trinity's movements.
"I'll keep checking the bulletin board tonight, just in case."
"Hanako-chan, you should sleep…"
"Hehe, I'm fine. This is all I can do."
"No way! Your amazing teaching helped me, Azusa-chan, and Koharu-chan improve so much!"
"You all worked hard for that. Compared to Sensei's all-nighters, mine are nothing."
Hanako downplayed her sleepless nights compared to Mash, who barely slept yet kept at it.
"He hasn't slept properly in days, studying so hard… He's incredible."
"You're no different, Hanako-chan. Everyone's giving their all."
"Sensei!"
"Sorry I'm late… Here, fresh cream pu—"
Chomp!
"Whoa!"
"Azusa-chan!?"
"Like a hawk snatching prey… Hehe, Azusa-chan's a beast."
"What kind of beast!? Shut up!!"
Nom nom nom.
"But you eat like a hamster… So cute! ♡"
Gulp. "…Not cute."
"Oh, you're adorable."
Azusa blushed at Hanako's praise. They ate Mash's cream puffs, carrying on as usual.
"Tomorrow's the exam… 90's a tough bar, but if the questions are easy, maybe…!"
"No way it'll be that convenient! I'm studying till midnight!"
"Confiscated."
"What!?"
"Koharu-chan, I get it, but you should rest for tomorrow."
"Everyone knows how hard you've worked. You'll pass."
"Ugh…!"
"Resting's part of the strategy, Koharu."
"Even you, Azusa-chan?"
"I'll rest tonight too."
"If you stay up, I'll make you sleep."
"That's kinda scary coming from you, Sensei."
Tomorrow would decide everything. Koharu's anxiety was overwhelming, but staying up and risking the exam would end it all.
"Tomorrow… our fate's decided."
"No bad omens. We'll pass."
"Sniff… I won't lose! I won't give up!"
"That's the spirit, Koharu-chan. One last push—let's give it everything."
"You've got this. Whatever happens, I'll protect you."
Mash ate a cream puff, reassuring them.
They'd done all they could. Now, they just had to trust themselves and their friends.
But one person…
"…"
(…Something's off.)
Azusa's clouded expression didn't escape Mash.
"Azusa, the schedule's changed."
"…?"
"Tomorrow morning. Wait for orders at the designated spot."
"—Understood."
Night Before the Third Special Exam
After confirming everyone was asleep, Azusa met Saori Jomae, her old Arius comrade.
"Wait, Saori, tomorrow's—"
"Problem?"
"I'm not ready. Moving the plan up is too risky."
"You're not wrong. Advancing the plan carries risks."
"Then…!"
"But tomorrow's confirmed. Missing this chance outweighs the risks. Prepare what you can."
"…!"
Saori's decision was final. Azusa could only accept it.
"Tomorrow, everything changes—for Arius, for Trinity. An irreversible shift."
Toppling Trinity, Kivotos' largest academy, would shatter the power balance, letting Arius rise. Revolution… or invasion.
"Destroy Nagisa Kirifuji's halo, the Tea Party's host. That's why you're here."
"…!"
That was Azusa's mission at Trinity.
Betraying friends, efforts, and the Sensei who showed her light.
Could she stay in that light, that happiness? No way.
"…Understood."
"I trust your skills. Do it well, like Seia Yurizono."
"—Roger."
Azusa turned to leave, walking down the dim corridor. Saori called out.
"Azusa."
"…?"
"Don't forget: Vanitas Vanitatum."
"…All is vanity."
"Effort, success, failure… all meaningless. Never forget."
"Right."
Saori nodded. Hope and happiness were harmful, unnecessary.
"That Sensei, Mash Burnedead…"
"…"
"Don't listen to him. His words are hypocritical lies from someone who's never known pain, raised in comfort."
"…Yeah."
"Prepare for tomorrow."
Saori left. Azusa watched her go, then turned away.
(…Comfort? Never known pain? That's not true… Sensei has pain, not physical, but inside…)
Could the invincible Sensei have such pain? Azusa pondered as she returned to her room.
"…"
Hanako watched their retreating figures from the shadows.
Night Before the Third Special Exam
"Can't sleep!" Eyes wide open!
Mash's eyes were wide, sleepless. Tension, yes, but yesterday's nightmare lingered.
(Parts, perfection… weird guy. Maybe he's just… going through that phase? I'll leave him be.)
Assuming it was just teenage angst, Mash dove under the covers. Then, he sensed someone outside.
"Good evening, Sensei… Still awake?"
"Hifumi-chan, Hanako-chan, Koharu-chan? What's up?"
"Hehe, I came too! ♡"
"Hifumi, what are you doing…?"
"Both of you…"
Despite the late hour, they visited Mash's room. Worried, he listened.
"Something wrong?"
"I-I'm just… nervous…"
"No one was in my room, so I tagged along."
"I met with the Sisterhood earlier to investigate something…"
"Investigate?"
"Yes, about the 19th Annex, where we're taking the exam…"
"Another change?"
"No, the location's the same, but—"
Hanako hesitated, then continued.
"The Justice Task Force is deploying heavily to the 19th Annex tonight, isolating the entire building."
"Isolation!?"
"The Justice Task Force…?"
"Yes, under the pretext of protecting documents for the Eden Treaty, at the Tea Party's request. The building's under lockdown."
"What…"
"There's also a martial law order at the main building. That's why it's been so quiet."
"Martial law…? Never heard of that…"
"Probably no one's allowed in or out until the Eden Treaty's signed."
"Seriously…?"
Mash rubbed his head, sighing. This meant: Take the exam, and you'll face the Justice Task Force.
"S-Such…! I'll explain to Hasumi-senpai…!"
"No, that's risky. Nagisa likely didn't tell Hasumi the real reason. If Hasumi helps us, it could be seen as defying the Tea Party, risking her expulsion from the Justice Task Force."
"N-No…!"
"As I thought during the second exam, Nagisa's serious about expelling us."
"Why go this far…?"
"…"
For peace, her dream, her cause, Nagisa wouldn't stop. Even if her methods strayed from that peace… it didn't matter. All for Eden.
"It's my fault."
A voice rang out.
The Remedial Class Club and Mash turned. Azusa had entered the room unnoticed.
"Azusa-chan! Where were you…!?"
"…!"
"Azusa-chan, what's—"
As Mash reached for her, Hanako grabbed his hand, stopping him.
"Hanako-chan…?"
"Azusa-chan, don't you have something to tell us?"
"…?"
"Hanako's right. Everyone, Sensei, I need to talk."
"Azusa-chan…?"
"Azusa, what's wrong…? Are you sick?"
"You don't seem yourself… What's going on?"
Azusa's hand trembled on her rifle, her face pale. Mash, concerned, shook off Hanako's grip, knelt to her level, and met her eyes.
"Azusa-chan, what happened? Talk to me."
"…"
"I've… been hiding something," Azusa said, as if echoing Mash's words.
She stepped back, away from him.
If I say this… what will they say?
Sensei said he believed in her. But revealing the truth would betray that trust.
"I… I…"
Memories flooded back—cleaning the dorm, eating by the pool, training with Mash, chatting, eating cream puffs. The first time she felt true joy.
But…
"The traitor Nagisa and the Tea Party are searching for in Trinity…"
This one sentence would end it all.
(…Sensei… I'm sorry…)
"…It's me, Sensei."
"—What… are you saying?"
…Yes… everything… is meaningless.
Postscript
So intense!! Painful!!
Next is that "ahaha" scene. But don't worry!! Justice will be served, and it'll end happily!
Hanako's probably gonna lose it, so keep that in mind!
--+--
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?