"Stop it!!"
"...Step aside, Eighth Squad Leader."
"If you do anything more, her halo will break!?"
"Hmph..."
I rushed over to Azusa, who had been punched and lay rolling on the ground. Before a trembling Azusa, bleeding from bruises and wounds all over her body, stood a mysterious adult in a black suit... No, a rock monster—a golem under Beatrice's command. That thing inflicted brutal violence on many Arius students, not just Azusa, under the guise of "discipline" and "education"... Ah, this dream again... How many times has it been now?
"This one defied us. It's only natural to punish her according to the rules. I'll say it again. Step aside, Eighth Squad Leader. If you don't, your squad will also be subject to punishment—do you want to suffer the same fate?"
"Ugh...!"
"Cough, cough... Don't make me... laugh... Who—"
"Oh, still able to make such flippant remarks, your body seems sturdy... In that case—"
"Wait! Wait!"
"What? So, you intend to defy us too—"
"—I will! I... will discipline her!"
"What?"
The executive narrowed his eyes at my words. I raised my downcast face, clenching my teeth. The rocky fist in my vision was jagged, stained dark red and black from previous "punishments." No one else would be hurt, not anymore.
"...Another useless act."
"Hiyori and Misaki are students I disciplined! Even Hime is! They all achieved excellent results, didn't they!? If you entrust Azusa to me, I'll raise her into a full-fledged soldier too!"
"...Hmm."
"So, let me handle it! I... I will take responsibility and discipline her... so...!!"
"No. Our command is to educate those who defy Madame... Your opinion is rejected."
"...S-Such a thing...!"
"So, step aside... or else—"
The monster raised its arm again. My body wouldn't move... because if I did, Azusa would be hit again... my family would cry.
...I hate this already. ...Anyone, anyone at all... My family, my comrades... me—save me.
At that moment, I wished for it.
"—...Sen, sei...?"
"—Ma...sh...?"
"What are you doing to my princesses?"
Always, he appeared—
"Ugh...!!!!!"
The dream ended.
(...I had that dream again. Sensei always conveniently appears at the best moment to save us... Such a dream—such an overly convenient dream, makes me... truly sick to my stomach.)
"Saorin~? Your hands have stopped~?"
"—Ah... My apologies. I was deep in thought... And stop calling me that."
"But it's cute~!... So, are you okay? Don't overdo it."
"Don't worry about it... back to work."
"Work, you mean? It's just weeding, but... why do weeds grow so fast, I wonder?"
Inside Trinity General School. Saori's Team Custard was performing chores alongside Mika. The tasks ranged from weeding to maintaining and cleaning courtyards and hedges, and since the designated area was large, it was quite physically demanding work. Whether one saw this as good physical training, a rewarding volunteer effort, or simply a tedious chore likely depended on the situation. In fact, the Arius students like Saori were actively engaged, but Mika didn't seem particularly enthusiastic.
"..."
"...Hey, are you really okay? When you make such a troubled, burdened face, all I can do is worry."
"...Did it really show that much on my face... My apolog—" "No apologies allowed."
"I don't like being apologized to when nothing's happened. I'm just worried about you, Saori."
"...I see."
"So, what's troubling you?... Is it something you can't tell me?"
"...This, in particular, is something I... can't discuss with anyone."
"I don't want to discuss it" was her true feeling. A dream that was too convenient, too good to be true—there was no way she could tell anyone about such a dream... Moreover, Saori had convinced herself that this dream was a reflection of her own desires, an arrogant wish from her past self, who had caused so much trouble, yearning for "what she had wanted then."
"...Is it something you can't even tell Mash-kun?"
"It's something I especially can't discuss with Sensei."
"I know it's rich coming from me, but you shouldn't try to bear everything alone. Even Sensei ended up in a terrible situation because he tried to shoulder everything himself."
"...That's also my fault; it makes it even more impossible."
"Mmm~ Saorin, you're so stubborn~"
"...I'm going to clear my head for a bit."
"Ah, wait a second...!... Honestly..."
Carrying a bag of weeds, Saori walked a little distance away. To Mika, the current Saori was a dear friend, and to see her friend looking so down... the Mika of today wasn't cold enough to simply watch in silence.
"Even if I keep nagging her, the outcome won't change... Yeah, I guess I'll just have to rely on Mash-kun after all." BEEP
The closest and most likely person to solve the problem was Mash. Feeling there was no other option, Mika called Mash.
"Oh, Mash-kun? —Saorin looks pale and down~"
"Please tell me more."
"Wow, you took the bait fast... So, um?"
Mika told Mash everything she knew. Saori rarely showed a cheerful expression on a daily basis, but this time, her grave and somber expression was too prominent, making Mika feel as if Saori's vitality was somehow fading.
"...Thank you for letting me know. I'll get right on it."
"Yeah. ...If possible, please act as Saori's close friend, the usual Mash-kun, not as Sensei in 'Sensei mode,' okay?"
"Of course."
"Then, that's that—please take care of Saorin."
"Understood." BEEP
Confirming the call had ended, Mika returned to her work. From this point on, it was Mash and Saori's problem; there was no room for her to intervene, nor any meaning to it. So, she would simply watch over them like an adult.
"—Well, it's not like I'm one to tell anyone not to carry burdens alone, though~"
"—And so, permission has been granted from the Tea Party as well. Shall we play, Saori-san?"
"How in the world was that approved!? And why was I suddenly kidnapped!?"
The day after receiving Mika's call, Mash abducted Saori from her work and brought her to the multi-sport facility where he had previously accompanied Rin for stress relief.
"Saori-san, you're troubled by something, aren't you?"
"Ugh...! How do you know that... No... it was Mika, wasn't it...!"
"I'd like you to talk about it right away, but I think it's quite difficult to talk about problems while feeling down—so let's just play and clear your head first, then solve it."
"N-No, but... I still have work to do... And, everyone from Custard is there..."
"Oh, that's fine; look."
"...?"
Mash took out his terminal and showed it to Saori. What was displayed was a group shot of Team Custard members and Mika—plus even the Remedial Knights—all with dazzling smiles and thumbs up. In the corner, the words "Leader, have fun! ✨" were written.
"...S-Such a thing..."
"That's why, let's play to our heart's content today. Everyone wants that, after all."
"...If you insist, then I suppose so. I cannot disregard everyone's concern."
"It's settled then. So, let's start playing right away. What do you want to do first?"
"—Forgive me, Sensei."
"?"
"I don't even know what any of these things here... are. During my Arius days, there was no entertainment whatsoever."
"Change of plans. We'll play all night. With my authority, I can even extend our outing hours for 'student mental health recovery.' Without worrying about fees or anything, let's empty our minds and play to the fullest."
"Is that really necessary!?!?"
And so, Saori, guided by Mash, was introduced to (forced into) numerous sports.
The first place they visited was a bowling alley. By chance, there were few people, creating a perfect situation to enjoy bowling with full throws without worrying about the surroundings.
"Do I just throw this at those white targets called pins?"
"Yes. If you knock them all down in one shot, it's a strike. If you knock them all down in two shots, it's a spare, which gets you high scores."
"...I see... One shot, to finish them off, then."
"You don't need to be so aggressive; it's not a battle."
Saori took a breath, slowly lifted the ball, and then—
"...Hmph!!" SMASSSHHHHHH!!!! CRASSSHHH!!!
She threw it with full force, not with the usual underhand toss, but an overhand throw like in baseball. The pins exploded, scattering beyond the lane, and the pinsetter at the very end of the lane, where the ball had crashed, seemed to scream in shock.
"I apologize for the insufficient explanation; I forgot to mention the underhand throw."
"I-Is that so... My apologies."
"No, no, everyone makes mistakes. Oh, even destroying all the pins counts as a high score... Well, I'll do my best not to lose to you, Saori-san."
(...Why? I have a terrible premonition.)
Mash, not wanting to lose to Saori, lightly lifted a bowling ball, took his stance... and took a deep breath. He ran lightly forward and threw the ball underhand with good posture.
DOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!
As a result, the ball, sliding at tremendous speed, gouged out the lane and destroyed the entire lane along with the pinsetter. This was due not only to Mash's poor control of his strength but also to the fact that his excitement had made him even less able to control himself. In any case, bowling is not supposed to be this kind of game, and destroying the lane is a foul and a breach of etiquette, so it should not happen.
"...I've done it."
"To think you'd destroy the entire wall—as expected of Sensei, I've lost."
"No, this isn't about winning or losing anymore... Ha."
"This is... play...✨"
"...—Let's go to the next one, then. This time, it's something called darts."
Mash apologized to the staff for destroying the lane and agreed to compensate them later. He then introduced Saori to all sorts of games to entertain her. From darts and soccer to basketball, volleyball, karaoke, and even tennis, the two played to their hearts' content.
—In the process, the dartboard's bullseye, struck by a thrown dart, shattered; a whirlwind created by dribbling tore up the artificial turf of the court; a basketball hoop bolted to the wall detached from a dunk shot; and powerful spikes left the court riddled with shell craters. We shall refrain from delving into these incidents here.
Forgetting the time, they eagerly jumped from one attraction to the next, just like children.
"Sensei, next, let's go to that one!✨"
(...I had a sense of déjà vu, then realized it was Azusa-chan... I see.)
Mash used every ounce of his energy, continuing to play with Saori.
Before long, it was already 6 PM. Apparently exhausted from playing, Saori decided to rest on a park bench near the facility. Mash, by the way, was still full of energy.
"I wonder why... I feel good, a refreshing feeling."
"This is the power of entertainment, you know. Amazing, right?"
"...Now I understand why he forbade entertainment... In a way, it's a type of drug."
"Well, once you get hooked on playing, it's hard to stop. It's important to have a good balance."
"Still... it was a good experience. Thank you, Sensei."
"You're welcome."
Mash sat next to Saori and looked up at the sky. He deliberately waited for Saori to confide in him, without rushing her.
—And then, the moment came.
"...Lately, I keep having the same dream."
"A dream."
"...It's a memory from my childhood. When that golem created by him was about to inflict violence, I always... cried out for help. In the dream, Azusa was being hit, and I was shielding Azusa. The weak me from back then couldn't protect Azusa, or the squad members, or Nina, or anyone else."
"..."
"No one came to help me then—but in the dreams I've been having lately, Sensei always comes."
"Oh? That sounds a little embarrassing."
"...I can't forgive myself for having such dreams. I detest and despise myself."
"Detest? Why is that?"
"Don't you think it's presumptuous? I'm repeatedly saved by the very person I hurt, having received an immeasurable debt of gratitude... Yet, I still wish to be saved again. I hate my own selfish self."
Guilt, or the curse of a guilty conscience. It was an emotion that had always stirred within Saori. Even long after Mash had forgiven Saori and Arius, it continued to relentlessly torment her.
"I know I'm being stubborn. Even Regro-san acknowledged me... But it's still no good. I can't forgive myself... I cornered Sensei, caused him pain... I, who can't protect anyone without Sensei's strength."
"..."
"The dream isn't just about this... My past self, who seriously tried to kill Sensei, and my self harboring murderous intent and hostility, are recalled again and again and again, appearing before me and blaming me—I cannot forgive myself... So, so..."
"Continuing to suffer... is not okay, Saori-san."
"Ugh...!"
"Not being able to forgive yourself... I can understand that a little. I haven't completely forgiven myself for making everyone cry, either."
Forgiving oneself is easier said than done. Mash, too, had not forgiven himself for his past mistakes.
"If you can't forgive yourself now... then I think it's a good idea to put in effort until you can, going forward."
"Until I can forgive myself...?"
"To put it another way, it's about liking yourself more. Finding and developing things you're proud of, your strengths and talents that you can proudly tell others about."
"...That is..."
"I'm not saying do it immediately. I think it's fine to act slowly and carefully."
"...Don't you find it disgusting? Me, who has such dreams?"
"Not at all. In fact, hearing that I'm helping everyone even in dreams made me a little happy."
She should act from now on so that she could forgive herself. It might be an extreme view or even hypocrisy, but Mash recommended it to Saori. If you can't forgive yourself, then work towards forgiving yourself... or being forgiven. He believed that would make things work out.
"Whatever dreams you have are your own business... And calling that disgusting is, well, I don't think that's right."
"...Why are you... so able to... empathize with people...?"
"They say you should always empathize with people in need. And when I see unhappy people, I just want to make them happy, even if it's by force. Lately, I've felt that even more strongly."
"That's too muscle-brained."
"That's my strong suit, so... Anyway, Saori-san."
Mash leaned his face closer to Saori's and answered forcefully.
"Please don't dislike the Saori-san that I like. Besides, whether in dreams or reality, I will help you... Because, you see, Saori-san is also a princess."
"—Ha... Hahaha...!... Truly... you are... a strange... person."
"That's why I'm me."
"...Mash."
"Yes, yes."
"...Thank you. I don't know how many times it's been now."
"Not at all, you're welcome. Next, let's head to karaoke for an encore. I know a recommended place where I went singing with everyone from Abydos."
From now on, no matter what dreams she had, no matter if she hated herself due to self-loathing—Saori felt that there was someone in this world who loved her, who would stand by her. And so, she was no longer afraid to dream.
"What are you doing to my princesses?"
(...Princess———Will I, one day, be able to become one?)
You can become one? No... you WILL! (tears of blood) That's the feeling, yes.
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Next time is Atsuko-chan's turn, look forward to it.
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