When I awoke, the first thing I saw was Hoshino's gentle smile.
I was lying flat on soft, coarse sand, my head resting on smooth, warm skin.
"Sensei, you're awake."
Her voice was still a little hoarse, but her tone had returned to its familiar, lazy rhythm. Though something else lingered in it, faint and uncertain.
"Ahaha∼ Usually, I'm the one lying on someone's lap, you know? Which means, this is the first time this Oji-san's ever given a lap pillow! Sensei, if I'm not doing it right, please don't say it out loud, okay~?"
"Hoshino… how long was I out?"
"About a minute, maybe?"
I looked up at her face and reached into my pocket for a wet wipe, wanting to clean the dirt from her cheeks.
But before my hand could reach her, Hoshino caught it gently.
Taking the wipe from my hand, she pressed it against my face instead, her touch tender.
"Sensei, you shouldn't just do things like this to a girl, you know?"
The scolding tone in her voice made me blink in surprise.
"It's too close, it'll look like you're… um… showing affection." Her voice grew softer as she spoke, her gaze shimmering as she bit her lip and turned away, her cheeks flushed.
A strange, unreal feeling welled up inside me.
Was this really Hoshino? The same Hoshino who used to glare at me, curse me, hate me?
The contrast between then and now filled me with an indescribable sense of satisfaction.
I still held some resentment toward her, perhaps. But that didn't matter anymore... no, maybe that made it better.
The more I recalled her hostility from before, the more her shy expression now tugged at my heart.
Maybe I hadn't fallen for her yet. At least, not until she bowed her head and asked for forgiveness herself…
Well, maybe.
I had to admit I wasn't as steadfast as I liked to think.
And right now, I didn't have the energy to dwell on such things.
I'd kept my promise, overwritten Seia's prophecy, and saved Hoshino. That was enough for now. I could finally rest.
But Hoshino seemed to have other thoughts.
"Sensei…"
"Hm? What is it?"
Scratching her cheek shyly, still avoiding my eyes, she stammered, "Um… so… what exactly is our relationship now?"
"Eh?" I blinked. "What else could it be besides the usual teacher-student one?"
"Eh? Wait, what do you mean 'usual teacher-student'!?"
Ah, Kivotos logic.
Just as I was about to explain, a cheerful voice called out from nearby.
"Whoa∼ Sensei! And Hoshino-senpai! Everyone~ I found them!"
I propped myself up and looked toward the voice. Nonomi was standing atop a sand dune, waving excitedly at the others behind her.
Right on cue, I thought.
I lay back down, intending to rest my head on Hoshino's lap again, but she'd already stood, leaving my head to drop onto the warm sand.
"Heh. Ordinary teachers don't get that kind of privilege."
Hoshino smirked, shooting me a mocking glare before sticking her tongue out playfully. Then her face softened into a radiant smile as she ran toward her teammates.
"Everyone, I'm sorry! I'm back!"
Laughing and crying, Hoshino threw herself into the arms of the other girls from the Foreclosure Task Force.
They glanced my way with concern, but seeing me sitting cross-legged and waving, seemingly unharmed, they quickly returned to their joyful reunion.
Only one girl, wearing a paper bag over her head and carrying a chick-shaped backpack, walked toward me.
"Ah, ahh… Sensei, are you okay?"
"I feel like I'm very much not okay."
I sighed at my students' lack of loyalty, then turned to the one good girl who had come to check on me. "Faust! I shall dedicate my life to following you!"
"Eh? Ah!"
Hifumi pulled off the paper bag, looking flustered. "I—I'm not Faust! Um, Sensei, do you need some medicine?"
"I'll leave it to you."
So Hifumi knelt beside me, gently tending my wounds with antiseptic and bandages.
In the distance, the other girls: Shiroko, Nonomi, Serika, Ayane, and Hoshino walked toward us under the warm sunlight.
I couldn't help but squint and smile.
Maybe this was what I truly wanted, the thing worth protecting above all else.
A quiet, beautiful peace. The sight of the girls I cherished smiling from their hearts.
I lifted my gaze to the vast, clear blue sky.
The heavy story had come to its end. Tomorrow would be a new day, one worth looking forward to.
—
On the way back, I received two emails from former enemies.
The first was from Antonis (Kaiser Director).
He sincerely congratulated me on my victory and expressed regret that he was about to face punishment from the company's board. The best ending he could hope for, he said, would be to live out his days in a forgotten post after being demoted.
Though he had prepared himself for it, facing it in reality still left him melancholic.
He doubted we would ever meet again, but if fate allowed, he hoped we could one day share a drink as equals.
I sighed as I finished reading, then immediately blocked the sender.
A criminal and a government official, sharing drinks? If I had the evidence, he'd be behind bars already. And he still thinks we could be friends?
Not happening. (sweating emoji)
The second message was from Black Suit.
He invited me to meet at the same location as before, saying he had an important matter to discuss.
After some thought, I agreed.
Unlike Antonis, Black Suit still had value as someone worth keeping in contact with.
So that night, I set out again. Everyone else was exhausted from the day's ordeal, especially Hoshino, who had been imprisoned for days. So we had postponed any kind of celebration or debriefing until tomorrow.
I was tired too, but I wanted to finish the last bit of business before resting.
As soon as I entered the office, Black Suit greeted me with his usual enthusiasm.
"Sasuga Sensei-sama! Your arrangement was nothing short of magnificent! I could hardly contain my excitement!"
"Oh? What exactly did you see?"
We sat down across from each other at the desk. Black Suit took a moment to collect his thoughts before speaking slowly.
"I originally assumed you had no idea that Binah was hiding in the northern desert of Abydos."
Binah? That giant mech-serpent? Honestly, I didn't.
"You used yourself as bait to draw it out, forcing it to fight alongside the Kaiser PMC soldiers. At first, I thought your plan had gone awry, but now I realize, that was part of your strategy all along!"
What strategy? What part of me ever wanted to provoke that thing…
Black Suit smiled. "Of course, I am not so foolish as to miss the obvious. When you confronted the Kaiser PMC director, I began to understand.
"The dark serpent Apophis, god of the lower lands, commands an army, and its leader [Your opponent] could thus be seen as a subordinate of Lower Egypt's domain.
"At the same time, you carried the weapon of Takanashi Hoshino, her royal scepter.
"When I saw you, under the gaze of the god Horus, raise that scepter against the director representing Lower Egypt, I realized the full picture of your plan.
"You were reenacting the scene depicted on the Narmer Palette, were you not?
"Reproducing history's ancient legend, and through your student's divine rank, gathering divinity for yourself...
This was your grand design!"
This was… my grand design?
I nodded slowly, pretending to be profound, though my mind was completely blank.
"However, I do have one small question."
Lowering his head humbly, Black Suit asked,
"The last Student Council of Abydos, she who embodies Horus herself, and the royal scepter symbolizing that kingship in your hands…
If you had simply agreed to Kaiser Corporation's proposal, you could have achieved a similar result, could you not?
There would have been no need to lure out Binah. After joining forces with Kaiser, you could have simply waited for Takanashi Hoshino's halo to be shattered.
Then, you would have become the Last Pharaoh, Cleopatra VII.
Or perhaps you had other options in mind. I wouldn't be surprised… but tell me, why did you choose this path?"
He fell silent, watching me intently.
Even without visible eyes, I could feel his burning curiosity.
I drew in a breath and said gravely, "That, too, was part of the plan."
"But…"
He hesitated, then restrained himself, smiling faintly.
"Haha, of course. As the one who orchestrated the ritual, you must have understood everything from the start. Forgive my presumption."
Understood everything? I didn't even understand half of this! Presume all you like, please!
I wanted to shout that aloud, but instead I held my expression steady, letting a knowing smile tug at my lips.
Black Suit bowed slightly. "Then, Sensei… I shall watch as a mere observer, waiting to see..."
He wisely left the rest unsaid.
"To see how you will overturn the fate that comes with the divine name you now bear…
"The fate that must one day be delivered by the very girl you saved today…"
A quiet, delighted laugh escaped from the slit of his mouth.
Gazing at me, utterly unaware of what he meant, he buried his final words deep within his heart, filled with eager anticipation for the future.
"The fate… to be killed… by Takanashi Hoshino."