Super short, I know! I got a bit stuck, so this is like a little bridge to the next chapter. Onto the main story!
Mash Burnedead and the Star of the Show
"…So, you're saying you can't find Sensei?"
"Yes! He's not answering any calls… I've looked everywhere, and he's nowhere to be found!!"
"Did he go to another academy?"
"I contacted every academy he's connected to—Abydos, Millennium, Trinity, Hyakkiyako… I even asked Valkyrie and Highlander just in case, but there's no trace of him. Nowhere! Oh, what do I do?!"
"Calm down, Administrator Nanagami. If you lose your cool now, what good will that do? I get how you feel, but for Sensei's sake… stay calm."
"…Sorry, I lost it there for a second…"
While Mash was off rescuing Arius and preparing to face Beatrice, Makoto, back at Pandemonium, received a call from Rin, the acting Federal Student Council President. She reported that Mash was missing from Schale.
"Sensei… where are you…?"
"He's probably fine—Sensei's tough. The question is, where did he go?"
"Did he get lost somewhere? Or maybe he's dawdling… but it's too late for that. Is he hungry? Or—oh no, what if someone kidnapped him?!"
"No way. That guy's a walking human weapon."
"What if some creep's after his body?!"
"Sensei would turn the tables on them. It's not even that late—he could still be out."
"He's only 16! Out this late… what if he's tangled up with some delinquent students?!"
"You've got the Calamity Fox at Schale, and you're worried about delinquents? Are you his mom or something?"
"I'm ready to be his mom if I have to!!!"
"She's finally cracked under the workload… Federal Student Council President, huh?"
Rin's overprotective streak for Mash was evident, her panic clear even over the phone. Makoto, sensing this, focused on calming her down to discuss next steps.
"…Pandemonium and the Disciplinary Committee will mobilize everyone we can to find him."
"Thank you… If anything happens to Sensei…"
"Nanagami Rin, do you love Schale's Sensei?"
"Wha—?! Why would you ask that out of nowhere?! N-No, ahem… I just care for him as a friend, that's all…"
"If you care for him, trust him."
"...!"
"Believe he's safe and wait for him. That's your duty as his friend—and as the acting Federal Student Council President."
"…You're right. Sorry, I got carried away. I'll contact you again."
"Yeah." click
After the call, Makoto stood, pacing the room as she mulled over Mash's absence. Where was he? Why hadn't he returned? What was his goal?
(Not in Gehenna, not in Trinity, not at any academy he's tied to… That leaves one place—Arius Autonomous District.)
Makoto concluded Mash was headed to Arius. Muttering, "That idiot went off alone again, didn't he?" she reached for her phone to contact him. Just then—
"—From Sensei…?"
A message from Mash popped up on MomoTalk. Reading it, Makoto let out a small sigh of relief and a faint smile before replying.
"—Heh, trusting me of all people, huh? Don't regret it, pal… Alright."
Adjusting her hat and clothes, Makoto grabbed a prop and left the room, heading for Hina's quarters. Hina was fast asleep, exhausted. Setting up a paper cone outside her door, Makoto steeled herself, grabbed the string, and—
"Time for the usual prank, Sorasaki Hina… Here we go!!"
BOOM!!
"Waaah!! What!?"
"Wake up, Sorasaki Hina!!!"
Makoto set off a massive party popper, startling Hina awake.
Meanwhile, after a brief rest before heading to Arius, Mash and the group were approaching the catacombs leading to the Arius Autonomous District. Along the way—
"I'm walking~♪ Oh, walking~♪ I'm full of energy~♪" deadpan
"I'm full of energy~♪"
"Love to walk~♪ Keep on going~♪"
"Uphill paths~♪ Tunnels~♪ Grassy fields~♪" deadpan
"Over bridges~♪ Bumpy gravel roads~♪"
"Through spider webs~♪"
"Downhill paths~♪" deadpan "…It's fun singing together, huh?"
"Uh, you realize the situation we're in?"
Mash sang earnestly but flatly, Hiyori shyly but with enthusiasm, Saori in a serious alto, and Misaki with weary reluctance—until she finally snapped.
"We're being chased, you know? Why are we casually singing?!"
"Maybe it'll lure the enemies out so we can take them all down at once."
"Peak musclehead logic. Are you for real?"
"Huh… So that was the plan. Impressive, Sensei," Saori said.
"Leader?"
"Sneaking around takes too long, right? So we gather them up and wipe them out quick."
"We're almost at the catacombs. If they spot us, they'll call their allies and swarm us!"
"Even then, I can just knock them all out."
"Think about the what-ifs!! Ugh, why am I dealing with this right after waking up? My worrying feels so stupid now…"
Misaki, thrust into the role of the group's tsukkomi, found complaining far better than wallowing in despair.
"What should we sing next? 'The Bear in the Forest'?"
"I barely knew that last song… Why are we even singing?"
"That creepy shotacon Beatrice banned singing in Arius, so it ticks me off."
"Shotacon—okay, let's drop that… You don't have to worry about me. I wasn't that into singing anyway."
"C'mon, there's tons to learn from now on! Next up, my solo version of 'The Bear in the Forest'!"
"Who are you talking to?"
Mash cleared his throat and began singing in his usual deadpan tone. Hiyori, getting into it, swayed to the rhythm. Saori started pondering the song's meaning seriously, while Misaki gave up, ignoring it all.
In the concrete-walled passage, Mash belted out—
"One day~♪ In the forest~♪"
BOOM!!
"Yahoo~ Sensei! ⭐︎ Let's have a little chat!"
"…I met Mika-san~♪"
"At least call me a princess~"
"—Misono… Mika!?"
"No way, why's she here…?"
"If I said 'just a hunch,' that'd be a lie… but it's kinda like that."
Crashing through the wall was—Misono Mika. How she escaped her cell, whether she even had escaped, or why she was here wasn't clear. But—
"…The star of the show, huh? ⭐︎ I'm here to help, Sensei… or rather, Mash-kun."
Mash figured she was probably an ally.
Sorry for the short chapter! Got a bit stuck, so this is a little segue to the next part. Also, congrats on the side story—can't wait to check it out! Let me know if you want help analyzing or summarizing it. For now, Mika's entrance is stealing the show! 😄
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[patreon.com/Greyhounds]