...
I ran over to the Tea Party and gave their guards the document to give to Nagisa. Long story short, the Make-Up Work Club will officially begin in two weeks.
Though I'm still stuck in Trinity for that time. I'll have to text my 'harem' and tell them I'll be busy.
Afterwards, I ran back to the main cathedral to find Hinata waiting in the main hall, devoid of anyone else.
"I'm back." I call out.
"Great!" Hinata says, standing up from the pew she was sitting on. "I'm sorry for springing this on you in such short notice, Sensei."
"No worries, just tell me what you need help with." I say, waving her off.
"W-Well... Let me show you this first." She says, before picking something up off of the pew. A rather old, leather-bound book that was in a old wooden box. The gold detailing has faded and their are bits missing from the binding.
"Well, this thing's certainly seen better days." I comment.
"Indeed." Hinata nods. "It was discovered recently at a Trinity excavation site. It's a very important, historical scripture. It's being said that this book could allow for new interpretations of what was proclaimed at the Quinisext Council."
"Quinisext Council?" I ask, confused by the vaguely catholic word.
"Oh, I suppose you wouldn't know about it." Hinata realizes. "It was one of the many councils held long ago. The first of them, the First Council of Nicaea, was where the many branch schools gathered before they later became what is Trinity today."
Council of Nicaea? Isn't that the meeting where the bishops and stuff condemned Arianism a long time ago?
"So this is very important." I realize.
"That's an understatement." Hinata stresses. "This is a huge discovery that could change the very way the Sisterhood approaches learning the scriptures."
"Is that a good thing, though?" I ask.
"Yes! I'm sorry, maybe my explanation could have been better." The black haired girl says awkwardly. "It's great news, not only for the Sisterhood, but all of Trinity. Actually, in some ways, it feels like the entire academy is celebrating this book's discovery if anything. There are plans to hold a ceremony to celebrate the book's discovery. Sister Sakurako will be reading the first part of the scripture aloud there."
"It certainly sounds as though it's going to be big." I muse, smiling.
"Have you ever heard Sakurako speak the ancient language?" Hinata asks. Ancient language? I wonder if it's one from Earth. "She give such a soothing sermon. The event will be open to the rest of Trinity's student body as well, so we're doing everything in our power to make sure we're ready. That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I'd like for you to attend the event too."
"Are you sure?" I ask.
"I spoke to Mari after you left and she couldn't stop gushing about how nice of a person you are." Hinata says, causing me to be surprised a bit. "I know you certainly are very busy, but I wished to invite you nonetheless."
"Well, it certainly seems interesting. Plus, I've always been a sucker for history. I'll be there." I say, smiling. "Where's it gonna be at?"
"The event will take place tomorrow, at a large cathedral on the outskirts of campus." She explains. "It's large enough to hold hundreds of guests. They must have thought it would be the perfect setting for the reading of ancient scriptures. As for me, I'm in charge of looking after the book and delivering it to the cathedral before the event starts... Oh."
"Hm? What is it?" I ask.
"The book hasn't been opened in so long that it's caked in dust." She points out. The thing IS rather dusty. "Let me just brush that off..."
"Wait, you probably shouldn-"
But my warning doesn't come quick enough as Hinata brushes off a part of the leather binding, causing some pages to fall out. It's so old the stuff literally turned to dust.
"Umm..." Hinata says, dumbly.
"That... ain't good." I add.
She stares at it for a few more moments, before, "Ahhhh!" She shouts, in a panic. "Wh-What just happened?! What have I done?!"
"It's so old it practically disintegrated." I explain. "Honestly, better it did it here than during Sakurako's sermon."
"I-It's okay, then!" The sister says. "I-It should still be okay! The papers separated and fell out, but that's all, right?!"
"That's what happened, yes." I say, reacting calmly as I can to her sudden panic.
"I-I'll just pick them up and put them back together!" She declares, before bending down and picking them up. "Now they go together like this, and...!"
But as she grips the papers, it begins to crumble into ash. "Th-The paper is crumbling apart! Why?! Why are these pages crumbling apart from me simply touching them?! What's WRONG with this paper?!"
"It's old, Hinata." I say. "Like I said, better here than at the sermon."
"No, that can't be it! This can't be happening!" She shrieks. "Ah, no! They're stuck to my hand! The sweat of my palms is causing the ink to smudge! No, no... calm down. First, I need to gather the pages together."
But as she continues to attempt to put the thing back together, the worse it gets.
After a few minutes, the two of us are staring at a pile of ash with bits of leather and stuff within.
"I really feel like I shouldn't curse in a cathedral, but... Fuck." I say, succinctly.
"Um..." Hinata, unlike me, has tears in her eyes. "Sensei?"
"Yeah?" I ask.
"What should I do?" The poor sister asks.
"I haven't the foggiest." I say, before sighing. "Gather up all the remains, there's someone we might be able to ask."
Oh, who am I kidding? This is ruined.
—————
I got Hinata to lead me to the Trinity Grand Library, box of dust and leather in hand.
Upon entering, I found Shimiko at the desk.
"Sensei?" The librarian asks, surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"Long story short, Hinata here has an important book that was found in an old wood box, but it's so old it kinda broke apart. No, not broke, it pretty much turned to ash." I explain. "I don't even know if it CAN be fixed, but it figured you might be able to do somethin' or know someone who can."
"I see. No wonder you came to me." Shimiko politely says. "May I see it?"
I nod and motion of Hinata to open the box. Shimiko looks inside and stills.
"Not a pretty sight, huh?" I ask.
"Auuu..." The sister whines. "I'm so sorry! This is all my fault!"
"Easy now, Hinata. I didn't mean to make you feel even worse." The orange haired girl apologizes. "Just calm down for now. You don't need to apologize to me. Although..." Her face suddenly becomes more serious. "This is still a library, and so you need to keep it down."
"Sorry. I-I mean, okay." Hinata says, closing the box again.
"Still, this is a real problem that you've got on your hands..." Shimiko observes. "This is the book that's going to be used in that event right around the corner, yes?"
"This is it, yeah." I say simply.
"By the way, what happened to the box?" The librarian asks.
"Box?" I ask.
"You said the book was originally placed in an old wooden box. Where is it now?" She adds.
"We... left it there I guess." I say, coming to a realization. "Oh, shit."
"Actually, I placed another book inside." Hinata says. She must've done that when I wasn't looking. "It was a copy of the kamasutra."
"You what?" I ask, eyes wide.
"Wait. What did you just say?" Shimiko says, taken aback. "Why choose THAT? Where did you even get a copy of that book?"
"Actually, I believe Sakurako had confiscated it from Hanako and was planning to return it here." Hinata says, cowering from the librarian.
Hanako? The same one I have to teach soon? Okay, then...
"We really should go back and put another one there." I stress. "I just pray no one opens it."
"Still, it's only a temporary fix. The problem won't be solved until the original scripture is returned." Shimiko says with a sigh. "At least I have a grasp on the situation now. The goal is to restore the scripture and return it to the cathedral in time."
"Yup." I say, popping the p. "Worst case, Sakurako ends up reading the kamasutra in front of everyone."
"Y-You're right." Hinata adds, very nervous. "We can't let that happen."
"It certainly would make for an unforgettable story, but I don't think it would be worth all the chaos that would ensue. You came to me for advice, and I really do want to help..." The orangette says, apologetic. "...but there's one problem. I hate to disappoint you, Sensei, but I don't think there's anything someone like me can do. It's true that I repair damaged books sometimes as a librarian, but I'm not a miracle worker. I don't know where to begin with something this damaged. It would take a complete restoration. You'll need someone with expertise." She pauses, eyeing the box again. "Not only that, this book is old enough to be considered an artifact. The text will need to be correctly deciphered in order for the pages to be put back together at all."
"...Then do you know anyone like that?" I ask.
The librarian sighs. "There are very few people in Kivotos, let along Trinity, that are capable of pulling something like this off."
"Th-Then what are we supposed to do?!" Hinata shrieks. "How are we supposed to find someone like that?!"
""Shhh!"" Shimiko and I shush the panicked nun in unison.
"Sorry..." The black haired girl says in a very quite voice.
Shimiko sighs again. "I never said it was impossible. In fact, I know someone who MAY be able to help. You should meet with her and see if she can find a solution. A fair bit of warning though: She's a bit... eccentric. I promise you she's not a bad person, despite appearances."
"I'm sure she ain't that bad." I say, waving her off.
"Anyway, I promise that she's great at what she does. That's why people refer to her as the 'Magician of the Old Library'. " The orange haired girl explains. "Not that she actually knows magic or anything like that."
"Way to kill the childhood dreams in me, Shimiko." I deadpan, earning a giggle from both girls.
"Still, the only thing is..." The librarian begins. "Well, how do I put it? She's very... wary of strangers... and a bit of a recluse."
"Shut-in, huh?" I muse.
"Yes. She locks herself up in the old library and seemingly never leaves." Shimiko continues. "I've never known her to be very social or good with interpersonal relationships. Still, I don't think she's a bad person. Truth be told, she's actually the President of the Library Committee."
"Really?" Hinata asks.
"Yes, President Kozeki Ui." The librarian says.
"Well, I guess we'd better go and see her. Where's the old library?" I ask.
—————
Hinata and I walk across the Trinity campus to the large building, the old library, apparently. Apparently, people are only let inside with special permission, so the place has no visitors pretty much at all.
Hinata knocks on the door. "Hello? Is anyone there?"
After a moment, no answer.
"Shimiko said she never leaves, right?" The sister asks.
"Yeah." I say, before twisting the knob and-
click
"Oh, it's unlocked." I observe. Hinata looks a bit unsure, but follows me inside after I motion for her to follow.
After the small entryway, we enter the main area of the old building. Shelves of books lay indented into the walls with even more shelves in the middle of the floor, all the same height, all filled with an untold amount of books. Despite the darkness of the building, there are various cushioned chairs next to tables with lamps on them.
"I hope it's okay we let ourselves in." Hinata says, worried.
"Eh, probably." I say, shrugging. "Plus, Shimiko gave us these library passes." I say, referring to the lanyards around our necks, each with a library card clipped to them.
"I know that, but..." The sister says. "She had a scary look on her face and said, 'Just because she doesn't leave, it doesn't mean that president OWNS that library.' Shimiko must be frustrated that more people don't visit this place."
"Maybe." I muse.
"Anyway, do you think she's around her somewhere?" She asks.
"She has to be. Shimiko said she never leaves, after all." I point out.
But before either of us can utter another word.
"AHHHHHH!" A girl shrieks.
Both of us jolt. "That wasn't me." Hinata points out.
"Wh-Who goes there?!" A shaky voice shouts. "Are you burglars?!"
"What? N-No, of course not!" Hinata denies. "We're not here to steal anything! We even have library passes! We came here to meet with the Library Committee president!"
"Library passes...? And you're here to see the president...?" The mysterious girl asks, quietly. I'm not sure Hinata can hear her at that volume, but she continues with a raised voice. "Why? What do you want?"
"We've got a very, very old book that need to be restored. Problem is, it needs to be deciphered to be fixed first." I explain. "And... Even then, it's on the brink of death, so to speak."
"I see." The voice says, pausing. "And who might you be? I can tell that she's from the Sisterhood, but I have no idea who you are."
"Joshua Birkin, Sensei of Schale." I say.
"And I'm Wakaba Hinata. Like you said, I'm from the Sisterhood." The sister adds.
"Did you say... Sensei?" The voice asks, closer now. I can almost make her out over there. "The Sensei from Schale? Hmm... Sensei... Sensei..."
Silently, the girl steps closer to us-
click
-, and the lights come on, revealing her.
The girl, presumably Ui, has long, messy black hair filled with lots of split ends, tied in a low ponytail which splits in two. She has dark blue eyes and has on a blue headband. She wears a white, old-school Japanese schoolgirl sailor uniform that has a long skirt almost reaching her ankles. Under the uniform is a black turtleneck and over it is a grey-brown sweater worn by her shoulders with a small notebook or perhaps a phone in one of the pockets. She has on black leggings and moccasins colored like her sweater. Her halo is a muted brown, like her sweater, and is intricately shaped to resemble a clock, stuck at 3 o'clock.
She actually kinda cute, even with how nervous she looks.
"Hey." I greet.
"Um... yes. Hello." She says, in a shy and quiet voice. "I'm Kozeki Ui, the president of the Library Committee. I manage the old library..."
"So you're the 'magician'." I muse, causing Ui to groan.
"That infernal nickname... Who did you hear that from?" The magician asks.
"Shimiko." I say.
"Ah, yes. Your passes came from the Grand Library." Ui observes, before clicking her tongue and gaining an annoyed expression. "I should have known it was her. How many times have I told her not to do this? She could have come to see me herself or sent another of our members if it was so important. I'll need to have a word with her later..." She pauses to sigh. "Though, knowing her, she still won't listen."
"It's 'cause it's so important that we're here." I explain.
Ui seems to realize her words. "Er, pay no mind to what I just said. It doesn't necessarily bother me to have contact with you, Sensei. As for the sister accompanying you.."
Hinata just looks at her with a confused smile.
"She's... another matter." Ui finishes.
"Wh-What's that supposed to mean?!" Hinata shouts, clearly upset. "Are you uncomfortable with me being here...?"
"It doesn't have anything to do with you being from the Sisterhood." Ui explains. "You're an outsider, and all outsiders are basically the same. Also-" She gains an annoyed look again. "-, would you please keep your voice down? The echo in this room isn't to be trifled with."
"S-Sorry..." The nun says, quietly.
"As I was going to say... You mentioned something about an old book?" The shut-in asks.
"Let me put it this way, you are literally the only person we can come to about this, and even then, you might not be able to do anything." I stress.
"It cannot be that bad." Ui scoffs.
"It used to be scripture." I explain.
"What do you mean by that? I don't understand?" The magician asks.
"Ever seen a book so old it dissolves from mere touch?" I deadpan.
"...What?" Ui asks, showing anger for the first time.
"Just... show her." I say to Hinata.
The sister then opens the box reluctantly. Ui takes a peek inside, a confused look on her face. "What... is this?"
"The book." I say, succinctly. "It dissolved from merely touching it."
"Eh...?" Ui's eyes widen, before shrinking to pinpricks as she gains a horrified expression on her face. "Ah... Uh... Guh...?!" She lets out strangled noises,
"S-Sensei? What's happening to her?" Hinata asks, almost afraid as she sit the box down and backs away from the blue haired girl. "I-Is Ui okay? Her entire body is shaking."
And she is. It almost looks like Ui's having a seizure. Saying not a word, I cover my ears.
"Sen-"
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!"
Hinata's question is cut off by Ui's banshee-like shriek.
"Ahh!" Hinata screams in fright.
I merely pull my hands away from me ears. "Goodness... You have some strong lungs."
"WH-WH-WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Ui shouts. "HOW COULD YOU?! WHO DID THIS?! HOW COULD THIS BE POSSIBLE?!"
"P-Please calm down, Ui." Hinata says, attempting to relieve the girl of her panic. "I can explain-"
"Keep calm?! After seeing THIS?!" Ui snaps. "Don't tell me to 'calm down'! How am I supposed to 'calm down' after laying eyes on this tragedy?! I couldn't commit such an atrocity even if I tried! Not only that, but this is no ordinary old book! It's ancient text- scripture! A bona-fide artifact! The kind of text that was used by the councils of antiquity! This should be regarded as one of the school's treasures!" She pauses, inhaling, before speaking again with a quieter voice. "What have you done to this poor, innocent work...?"
"P-Please hear us out, Ui! We want it to be restored more than anything, and-"
"Restored?!" Ui snaps, causing Hinata to recoil once more. "You can only perform surgery on someone who is still alive! You're asking me to raise the dead! How could something so tragic happen...?" She pauses, before lamenting the fate of the book. "The invaluable history and records lost with each page destroyed... This can't be happening..."
"Ui. Stop for a sec and take deep breaths." I say seriously, stopping their conversation.
Ui inhales and exhales slowly a few times. "Okay... Forgive me. I'm sorry you had to see me like that, Sensei."
"It's fine." I say, waving her off. "You care a lot about books, huh?" I ask, smile on my face.
Ui averts her gaze from me, her face red. "As for..." She pauses, eyeing the remains. "...the matter at hand. This book must be restored, no matter the cost. I want you to tell me everything from the very beginning. Where was this book discovered? What happened to it after it was placed in your custody? I need to know every little detail."
—————
After we all sit down, Hinata explains where the book was found and how she accidentally broke it. Ui listens intently, not saying a word the whole time.
"So that's everything...?" Ui asks.
"Yes." The sister confirms.
The shut-in sighs. "I wish I could say I have closure... but parts of your story sound so comedically preposterous that they're hard to believe."
"Honestly, I've found lots of stuff happening in this city that are that way. I've just gotten used to it at this point." I comment, deadpan.
"I swear it's the truth... I'm sorry." Hinata apologizes.
"Fortunately, Sensei is here is corroborate your story, so I'm sure everything is as you said." Ui says, reassuring the poor sister. "The reading is scheduled for tomorrow morning, is that right?" With Hinata's nod, she groans. "I'll never understand how the outside world operates... It's only been two days since this book was discovered! Did no one consider its condition, the need for preservation, or immediate treatment right after excavation?"
"It does seem a bit stupid that they'd skip over that." I add.
"Treatment?" Hinata asks.
Ui begins to explain. "All of Trinity's scriptures, even the oldest ones, have undergone treatment to ensure their durability. Though there are exceptions. Some works may seem pristine on the outside, but their pages are worse for wear. You can never judge a book by its over, quite literally in these cases. That's why it's important to have old books evaluated as soon as they're found. This one was no exception." Ui pauses to sigh, disappointedly. "That obviously didn't happen. I'm surmising that it appeared to be in well enough condition on the outside and was in one piece upon being discovered. Therefore, those who discovered the work didn't take it's condition into account at all. Realistically, a book this old would rot and be lost to history by now, but the environment it was stored in may have been particularly void of air."
"And so, when it touched it, it became super brittle." I finish.
"Exactly." Ui says with a nod. "That leads me to believe that even if your... mishap had not happened, it was only a matter of time before it disintegrated on its own. I would have given it only a few weeks."
"Th-That's terrible..." Hinata says, sad.
"It's possible that the ones in charge thought preservation could wait until after this big event they're planning. So long as it lasted only a few days, there was nothing to worry about." Ui explains, before scoffing. "Though I doubt they even had that much foresight. This reeks of their usual complacent, ill-advised policymaking. No one likes to think of the worst possible outcome."
"Which they should, in the event it does happen." I add. "I remember a story back home about a small town that got destroyed by a tornado, despite the fact that people knew about it about a half-hour before."
"H-How could that happen?" Hinata asks.
"Because the town was near the desert, so they usually, USUALLY, didn't get tornadoes there." I explain. "Plus, it was a small town, so when they got offered a new tornado warning system, that being loud sirens, they turned it down, thinking they wouldn't need it. But a tornado happened. The only warning they could've gotten was on tv, but everyone was together at the recreational center at that time."
Don't know about it? Look up Saragosa, Texas tornado.
"People don't think of the worst-case scenario 'cause it usually makes them afraid or paranoid, so they focus on the present." I say, before scoffing. "Fat load of good that does."
"Moving on..." Ui interjects. "Regardless of where the truth lies, this book's hopes are looking bleak. There's almost no hope of restoring it now. I would call it impossible under ordinary circumstances."
"But...?" I ask, trying to get her to continue.
"Naturally, I don't plan on just letting this go." The magician says. "As I said, this text is invaluable. It's not something we can easily give up on."
"Naturally. It's scripture, after all..." The sister comments.
"That's not what I meant." Ui stresses. "Don't you think there's something strange about all of this?"
"Whaddya mean?" I ask, narrowing my eyes.
"Why schedule a public event at the ruins of some old cathedral on the outskirts when it could have just as well been held at a modern cathedral?" Ui asks. "To set the mood because the book was an artifact? Do you think Trinity's higher-ups would go out of their way just for that? It doesn't make sense to me. Something else is at play."
"That's... actually a good point." I muse.
Ui then turns to Hinata. "Also, why put a Sister incapable of reading the text in charge of transporting it? You can't deny there's something suspicious about this, can you?"
"That just means this book is even more important than we thought." I realize.
"Exactly." The librarian confirms. "This book likely contained very important information. So important that..."
"It can't be revealed to just anyone." I finish.
"Precisely!" Ui chirps. "I can't say for certain just how grand the secret may be, but it could contain part of Trinity's history long lost to time."
"That makes it even more important we fix it, then." Hinata realizes.
We sit in silence for a moment, before Ui says something strange.
"Sphagnum moss glue."
"Huh?" Hinata asks.
"I know what sphagnum moss is, but... glue?" I ask, confused.
"Yes. We need sphagnum moss glue and some holy tonic." Ui explains. "I have to follow the method that was used to produce this book in order to restore it. You should be able to procure holy tonic from a local hospital. The glue isn't something you can find readily available in this day and age, but it was commonly used in window frames of old buildings and such. Bring me some to melt down." She pauses, on thought. "Come to think of it... This very building likely used sphagnum moss glue in its construction."
"We'll have to look elsewhere, then." I say. "Trinity's old, there's bound to be lots of buildings that used it left."
Ui give me an appreciative nod and smile. It'd feel wrong asking to take away a part of her home, even if it's small. "Anyway, I'll do my best to restore the text if you bring me those two materials."
"U-Ui...!" Hinata squeals, happy.
"Don't get the wrong idea." The magician cuts the other girl off, a serious look on her face. "I couldn't care less about the Sisterhood or what Trinity's higher-ups are after. I simply don't want this text to be lost to history again." She then gains a slight blush and nervously looks at me. "And if it's a favor for you, Sensei, then... I'll do what I can."
"That means a lot. Thanks, Ui." I say, smiling, before standing up. "I'll get ya that stuff."
"O-Okay. Good luck, then." The bluenette says.
As Hinata gets up and we turn to leave, Ui calls out to us again.
"Oh, and one more thing."
"Hm?" I ask, turning back.
"What is it?" The sister asks.
"The Miracle Five Thousand limited edition cake. It's available at the Solut River. Please acquire that first." Ui says, confusing us.
"Huh?" Hinata asks.
"I require sugar to work." Ui says, succinctly, a blush on her face.
"Fair enough." I shrug. "C'mon, let's go."
"A-All right, then." Hinata says, walking alongside me out of the old building.
—————
And so, Hinata and I walk through Trinity's district to reach the place selling the fancy cakes. After simply opening social media, I found where they're being sold. The announcement post has blown up.
I have a feeling getting that cake will be a touch more difficult than expected...
"Well, at least we know where to go." Hinata, ever the optimist, says after I showed her the post online.
Anyway, eventually we reached where the Solut River food truck was supposed to be, which was funnily enough near a river. Sure enough, there was a large crowd around the place, however, they were all looking disgruntled. On top of that, something else was off...
There was no food truck in sight.
"What should we do now?" A Trinity student asks.
"What do you mean?" Another retorts. "We wait until the Justice Task Force takes care of this, of course."
"But WILL they care of it?" The first girl asks, skeptical. "This place is pretty much out of their jurisdiction."
"Good point." The other girl says, groaning. "This has been going on for days!"
"What do you think is going on, Sensei?" Hinata innocently asks. "They don't seem to be very happy campers..."
" 'Sensei'? Wait..." Another voice says, before I can respond.
Turning around, I see four girls. One of them in front is the one who spoke most likely.
"Are you the Sensei that Arona talked about?" The girl asks. She has blonde hair done up in pigtails and brown eyes. She wears a white uniform and pink skirt under an oversized red hoodie and a large, pink backpack. She has on black thigh-highs and white tennis shoes. She carries a black and white assault rifle. Her halo is made of two yellow eyes rings with two shapes above it.
"You met Arona?" I ask the blonde.
"Yeah, we met at a sweets place a while back. You ARE the Sensei she mentioned, right?" Another girl asks, one with short, black hair done in an askew bob cut with the inner part of the hair being a strikingly hot pink. On the right side of her hair has a large bang with a pink stripe, the bang on the opposite side is held back with a hair clip. She also has two lopsided 'ears' that kinda resemble a cat's. The slits in her hot pink eyes make them resemble those of a cat as well. She wears the usual white Trinity uniform with a green collar and dark pink bow tie under a large, black hoodie. She also has on a white skirt, dark leggings and green, black and white tennis shoes. She carries a large black and pink machine gun over her shoulder. Her halo is interesting, comprised of two, tin pink rings with a pink circle in the center resembling a cat's eye.
"That's me. Joshua of Schale, nice to meet y'all." I greet the girls.
"Wow! I wasn't expecting to meet you here, Sensei!" A third girl chirps. She has medium-length brown hair and bright, mint green eyes. She, too, wears a white sailor uniform and skirt with a green collar, but also has on a mint green bow and a brown underskirt. She has on white thigh-highs and dark brown school echoes. She carries a grey-blue bag and a white, black and gold SMG. Her halo is a mint green circle with two leaf branches on either side.
"It must be fate, or something like it." The fourth girl adds. She has salmon pink hair done in a side ponytail along with red-pink eyes. She wears a white sailor uniform with a dark blue collar and red tie, along with a dark blue skirt, peeking out from her long top. She has on dark blue thigh-highs and monochrome tennis shoes. On her back is a shield and a monochrome SMG. Her halo looks like a red-white crosshair.
"I remember Arona tellin' me she went to a sweets shop with some girls from Trinity and Gehenna." I reminisce.
"That's us, Trinity's After-School Sweets Club." The blonde proudly explains.
"...Interesting name, that's for sure." I muse, blinking.
"I suppose so." The black haired girl shrugs. "Anyway, I'm Kyouyama Kazusa. This here-" She points to the blonde. "-, is the head of our group."
"Ibaraki Yoshimi." The blonde, Yoshimi, introduces.
"I'm Kurimura Airi." The brown haired girl says.
"And I'm Yutori Natsu." The pinkette finishes.
"And, uh... who's this girl?" Yoshimi asks.
"She's one of the sisters from the cathedral, obviously." Kazusa deadpans.
"I know that! Do you think I don't have eyes?!" The blonde snaps in a very tsundere way.
The cat eared girl just stays silent.
"I asked you a question! Don't just stand there!" The blonde yells.
"I was contemplating." Kazusa says, succinctly.
"What's there to contemplate?!" Yoshimi shrieks.
"Um..." Hinata pipes up, awkwardly. "Hello. My name is Hinata, and I belong to the Sisterhood. Sensei and I are... in the middle of running some important errands. We came here to buy something known as a Miracle Five Thousand cake?"
"Whoa, you're here for the cake, too?" Airi asks, her green eyes wide. "That's what we came for. Not that we had any luck, unfortunately..."
"You didn't?" Hinata asks.
"They sold out already?" I ask.
"No, it's not that..." The brunette says, awkward.
"She means to say that capitalism has bared its greedy fangs yet again." Natsu interjects. "It's sunk them into the Miracle Five Thousand and us by consequence."
"Whaddya mean? What happened?" I ask, a tad confused.
"Exactly what you might expect." The pinkette says. "When something is marketed as a rare limited edition, demand goes through the roof, which raises the value, which draws people who are simply interested in the cake's value and not the cake itself. And so, a line that should never be crossed has been stepped over."
"Um... I'm not sure I understand." The sister asks, tilting her head in confusion.
Kazusa sighs. "She's always like this..."
"Scalpers are buying the cakes, then re-selling them at higher prices." I say, figuring out what Natsu is saying.
"Exactly." The black and pink haired girl nods. "They even took the food truck that sells the cake and abducted the owner. You'll have to go to where they parked it in the slums and pay a ridiculously high price if you want to try that cake now."
"Wh-Who would do such a thing?!" Hinata shouts, aghast. "Food is meant to be shared with everyone!"
"There's no sharing with 'everyone' when it comes to limited edition sweets in this town." Yoshimi scoffs. "Not that I've got any mercy for scalpers! They aren't even interested in eating that cake for themselves! That's an insult to sweets everywhere!"
"Anyway, all of the members of the Miracle Five Thousand fan club have gotten together to figure out a solution." Airi explains, gesturing to the group of girls near us.
"Fuckin' scalpers..." I scoff. "So, all of them are fans?"
"Yes. Meeting here is a start, but standing around and thinking isn't going to solve the problem." Natsu adds. "There's no reasoning with scalpers, so what are we to do?"
"What CAN we do?" Yoshimi asks. "They've got that poor food truck sealed away somewhere in the slums. We can't just go and steal it back. That place is practically a fortress. Only an army like the Justice Task Force could break into somewhere like that."
"Actually." I say, catching everyone's attention. "Don't we already have an army?" I ask, pointing at the fan club over there.
"I see..." The pinkette says, smiling. "The solution was right in front of us all along."
"Huh?" Yoshimi asks, confused.
"Expect the unexpected. The answer to our problems has come to us." Natsu continues, turning to the blonde. "You said it would take an army, yes?! Well, we have just what we need, then!"
"That's..." Kazusa says, eyes widening in realization.
"Ah..." Airi follows suit.
"But there's more!" Natsu says. "Let me ask you all this. What does every army need?"
"I hate quizzes..." Yoshimi says, clicking her tongue.
"Um... I don't know. Guns? Soldiers? And, uh..." Airi guesses.
""A commander."" Kazusa and I say in unison, causing us both to look at each other for a moment.
"A commander?" The blonde asks, before realizing. "Oh..."
I just smile, knowingly. "I guess I'll be Commander instead of Sensei for a while, huh?"
"You're quick on the uptake, Commander." Natsu comments, smiling a bit. "It's up to you to lead us to a miracle and spread sweet blessings to everyone. Are you up to the challenge, Sensei?"
"Do you even need to ask?" I ask, flashing her a grin, before turning to our resident nun. "You up for it, Hinata?"
"M-Me?" She asks, surprised. "You don't have to ask! Of course I want to help people in a tight situation! And not just because we need to get our hands on the cake too. It would be wrong to turn a blind eye to people in need of help. So count me in!"
"That's the spirit! Let's do this!" Yoshimi cheers. "You hear that? This is WAR! Let's show 'em they picked a fight with the wrong sweet-lovers! ROLL OUT!" She shouts, going to gather the other fans.
"We will never be slaves to scalpers...!" Natsu exclaims, her voice still a tad quiet.
"Why does that sound familiar...?" Kazusa asks.
"Don't ask me." I joke.
"Charge!" Natsu shouts, as we go to the other members, who seem to be readying themselves.
Hinata just stares at them in awe. "W-Wait for us!"
Soon, our army is ready, and we begin to march to the slums.
Those fucking scalpers won't know what hit them!
—————
Delinquents wearing helmets sit around a food truck, literally counting money in hand. Two are 'running' the truck, while at least two dozen are stationed around in various locations.
"Shoot. This is easy money." One helmeted girl says, chuckling. "Why didn't we think of this sooner? I can't believe we're still moving product at this price. How many have we sold today?"
Another laughs. "Not our fault that decided they couldn't live without it. They all looked like Trinity girls too. No wonder they've got loaded pockets."
"Business is booming! We're gonna be filthy rich!" The first laughs.
But the second goon notices someone approaching. "Hold up. Looks like we got another one."
Unfortunately for them, the person is a pink haired girl carrying a shield.
"Hey. You here for a Miracle Five Thousand cake, too?" The second goon asks. "You must know how this works. You got the money?"
"The money, huh...?" Natsu asks.
"Don't act stupid." The second goon scoffs, readying her rifle in case. "Yeah, the money. Cash. Moolah. And don't try to haggle.
But Natsu doesn't pull out some money.
She pulls out her gun instead, pointing it right at the helmeted girl.
"I've got your moolah right here." The pinkette says, smirking.
"GAHHH!" The goon shouts, being pelted by bullets suddenly, before collapsing.
"What the...?! You wanna fight?!" The other shouts. "You think you can take US on all by yourself?!"
"Hm? Whoever said I was alone?" Natsu asks. "Dessert-lovers! Assemble!"
As soon as she says that, a massive group of disgruntled girls appear, numbering in at around four or five dozen strong, led by a few colorful girls and one adult man.
The man picks up a pipe off of the ground, before turning around and addressing the crowd behind him.
"Today, we fight for fame, for glory, and... FOR CAKE!" He shouts, holding his pipe into the air.
""YEAAAAHHHH!"" The crowd shouts together.
"CHAAAARGE!" The man shouts, turning around and dramatically pointing his pipe at the food truck.
"Eep." The goon says, seeing a tidal wave of angry girls coming at them full-speed.
—————
"AHAHA! I have ALWAYS wanted to do that!" I shout as the cake-lovers barrel down the alley upon the poor delinquents.
The remaining Sweets Club members look at me, most of them shaking their heads at my antics.
After a few short minutes, our numbers overwhelm the enemy, beating them without a single casualty.
That is to say that all the goons got knocked out while none of ours did. Neither any of the Sweets Club, nor myself even fought. It was like Black Friday.
Hinata did, however. She was a force to be reckoned with, especially when she pulled a fucking black and gold machine gun out of that briefcase of hers, using the briefcase itself as a stand. Why is she using that as a side-arm?
"I cannot believe it was that easy!" Yoshimi says, happy we won.
"Heh, these idiots stood no chance. We had the numbers advantage." I say, proud.
"S-Seriously... We didn't even need to fight." Airi says, still surprised.
"The power of the group is one to be feared." Natsu adds.
"Anyway, the food truck and owner should be safe now. Mission accomplished." Kazusa says.
"And it's all thanks to our commander." The brunette says, happily. "Thank you, Sensei."
"Anytime, Airi." I say, smiling. "I'm just glad it went so smooth."
"Oh." The pinkette says. "There is one other matter." After saying that, she looks at Hinata strangely.
The poor sister fidgets under Natsu's gaze. "C-Can I help you? Why are you staring at me like that?"
"I've never seen anyone fight the way you do." Natsu praises the sister. "Are all Sisters like that?"
"L-Like what? What do you mean by that?" The sister asks, confused.
"She doesn't mean any offense by it." Kazusa explains. "Natsu is always inquisitive about stuff like that. Basically, she's just trying to say that you looked cool out there."
"Oh, totally!" Yoshimi chimes in. "It was awesome the way you shredded that door to bits with your machine gun!"
"You account for a large percentage of our unit's core strength. You were practically a tank..." Natsu says in awe.
"A-A tank?! Me?" Hinata asks, flustered. "No, I wouldn't go that far... I was just desperate to help because we all wanted the cake. I-Is that really how you all see me?!"
The cat-like girl sighs. "Natsu..."
"What? I meant it as a compliment." Natsu defends. "As such, I believe the spoils should go to the Seige- I mean, Sister."
Natsu then grabs something from around her back and hands it to Hinata.
"Huh? Is this...?" The sister asks.
Sure enough, it's a box that, when Hinata opens it, has a small cake inside.
"The Miracle Five Thousand." Natsu confirms. "It's the only one left. This is what we all came here for. As much as we would like it for ourselves, you seem to have a greater cause you were fighting for. I believe that's why you played such a large role in our battle." She says, before turning to the others. "Does anyone disagree?"
"I don't!" Airi says.
"Besides, now that the truck and owner have been freed-" Kazusa says, looking at the group of our 'allies' still talking to the owner over by the food truck. "-, it's only a matter of time before they get back to baking as usual. We can wait."
"Yeah, it's no big deal." Yoshimi says, smiling. "We already waited for five days, what's one more?"
"Y-You guys...!" Hinata says, taken aback.
"No need for that. It won't be necessary." A new voice says. Turning around, we see the owner, a small, pudgy dog man wearing a dull brown suit and old school paper boy's hat, approach us. "You all swung the sword of justice down on those hooligans, so now I'm champing at the bit to get back to baking. The gales of freedom have never felt so exhilarating! In fact, I'm feeling generous today." He says, smiling. "I'll bake as many as you want! For one day only, the Miracle Five Thousand is anything but limited!"
The four Sweets Club girls gasp in surprise as the crowd cheers happily.
"Fitting." Natsu says, before smiling a big, bright smile. "It truly is a miracle."
As the crowd, well... crowded around the truck, Hinata and I bid farewell to the Sweets Club girls.
"Well, I guess we oughta get goin'." I say. "It was nice meetin' y'all."
"You too, Sensei!" Airi chirps.
"Say hello to Arona for us!" Yoshimi says.
"I'll do ya one better, expect a text or something from her sometime." I say.
Kazusa and Natsu just smile and bid us goodbye.
—————
AN
Yup, we're doing this event, seeing as how it takes place in a single day. It's a good set-up for a little something I planned a while back.
After this Event, we'll get back to our regularly scheduled Volume 3. Fortunately, this will only take another two chapters. It IS an event, after all.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next!