Late at night, most of the shops on Trinity's shopping street were closed, yet, naturally, a few still glowed with light.
As I walked through the quiet streets, I rubbed my stomach, feeling a pang of hunger, and wondered whether I should grab a late-night snack before returning to the annex.
My reason for venturing out at this hour, of course, was to search for Azusa, who never seemed to sleep at night.
Unfortunately, Azusa didn't appear anywhere near the annex. Even after using my abilities several times, I couldn't detect anything of note.
So, I widened my search, making my way to the shopping street closer to the annex.
It seemed that, aside from asking Azusa directly, tracking her nightly outings required some prior preparation…
Thinking about it, the idea felt kind of gross. Thankfully, the one carrying out this "mission" was none other than me! Charming, trustworthy, and the advisor of the Make-Up Work Club. Otherwise, I might have ended up in the police station, eating a pork cutlet cooked by Kanna herself.
In any case, without a lead, it was probably best to head back and get some rest.
After picking up some heated convenience food at the nearby 24-hour Angel 24 branch and finishing it, I stepped outside and paused, taking in the air of the nearly deserted early summer night. For me, it was a rare moment of genuine respite.
The hidden dangers at Trinity had been the most puzzling challenge I'd faced since arriving in Kivotos.
Even now, the true identities of the real enemies hadn't surfaced.
Nagisa, using the Make-Up Work Club as a chessboard to push the Eden Treaty, and Mika, hoping to delay the treaty and reconcile with Arius, were engaged in a struggle of light and shadow, but that wasn't the most pressing headache.
The real problem was that the mastermind behind the attack on Seia remained completely unknown.
Unlike the kind hearted Mika, those people and Trinity insiders connected to them were the true "traitors" Nagisa sought.
And I couldn't easily share this information with anyone else. Either they weren't trustworthy enough, or knowing would have the opposite effect.
Even as the Schale Sensei with powers exceeding Kivotos law, I often felt constrained.
If only I had the power and wisdom to eliminate these troubles at the root…
For now, all I could do was take things step by step, doing my best in what I could, and hoping to reach the perfect ending Seia had foreseen…
Shaking my head, I exhaled and turned to head back, only to collide with a pair of crimson eyes several paces ahead.
"Gyaaaaa-woooo!!!"
Startled by the sudden scream and her appearance, I shivered violently, my previous worries instantly vanishing.
Calming myself, I put on my usual smile and greeted her:
"Good evening, Tsurugi. What brings you here?"
The President of the Justice Task Force, the highest-ranked fighter of Trinity: Kenzaki Tsurugi.
I hadn't expected to encounter her on a random late-night outing.
Her appearance was bizarre... Twisted posture, blood-stained dress, pale skin, messy black hair… Honestly, aside from her strikingly beautiful face, she looked like a character straight out of a horror movie.
At this hour, it was enough to make anyone's skin crawl.
But remembering that she had always been friendly to me and might secretly have feelings for me, I felt slightly more confident speaking to her normally.
After all, even Tsurugi, one day, if she could admire, trust, and love me without reservation, would still be an important student.
Was it fair to treat her differently just because she looked a little scary at first glance? Obviously not.
After another strange sound, Tsurugi, cheeks flushed, finally managed to say, almost too quietly to hear if one wasn't paying attention:
"…I'm on patrol."
"I see. Thank you for your hard work."
I assumed she had noticed me spacing out during her patrol and stopped to greet me.
"Hehe… no, nothing like that…" She chuckled awkwardly before asking, "Sensei…?"
"I couldn't sleep, so I just stepped out for a bit."
I paused, then added casually: "You probably know about the Make-Up Work Club, right…?"
To my surprise, upon hearing "Make-Up Work Club," Tsurugi immediately dropped the dramatic act, adopting an unusually serious expression and calm tone:
"…Yes. Koharu is indebted to you, Sensei. If there's been any offense, please forgive me for the sake of courtesy."
Watching her bow formally, poised and elegant, I realized I'd underestimated Tsurugi, there was far more depth to her than I'd previously thought.
…Of course, while the Justice Task Force's routine affairs were usually handled by Hasumi, anything as significant as the Make-Up Work Club (affecting the whole committee, even Trinity) would naturally involve the JTF President.
Perhaps this was why she had such an uncharacteristic reaction.
When I cautiously asked a subtle question, Tsurugi hesitated briefly before leading me into a nearby alley.
Then she got straight to the point:
"Sensei, you wouldn't be asking me this… unless Nagisa asked you to, right?"
Guess confirmed. I was startled but nodded at her, now calm enough to speak properly:
"Yes, that's correct. I wanted to know your thoughts, Tsurugi."
"I see… I'm glad you chose to consult me…" She fidgeted slightly. "But given my position, I can't judge whether Nagisa's intentions are right or wrong… The Justice Task Force strictly follows the host's orders until the Tea Party deviates from justice." (TL/N: Host - they effectively become the singular leader of the school, meaning like head or president.)
Though she didn't state it outright, I understood her meaning:
The Justice Task Force supported Nagisa and still does.
I hadn't expected to see this side of Tsurugi.
"Are you sure this matter really doesn't concern me?"
Tsurugi tensed slightly: "Ah… Se-Sensei… it's just… my position… and this is a topic everyone already knows about…"
It was difficult to say anything. Anyone who knew Koharu had been taken hostage might suspect friction between the Justice Task Force and the Tea Party…
…But it seemed that she didn't think that way.
I reflected: could it be that all of Tsurugi's previous out-of-control moments were just a façade, and the real her was far more calm, intelligent, and willing to be honest with me?
Feeling her trust, I couldn't help but grow slightly more fond of her.
"Thanks, Tsurugi," I said with a smile. "You're very reliable."
But even this simple praise made Tsurugi revert to her old behavior: face bright red, laughing awkwardly, and sprinting down the alley at inhuman speed, impossible to catch.
I lowered my raised hand, blinked, and couldn't help but chuckle.
Perhaps she was just Tsurugi, through and through.
For some reason… she seemed kind of cute.
"…Ah, right."
Suddenly, a head popped out from the alley, grinning wildly:
"Sensei, you really shouldn't be walking alone at night recently! Hehehe!"
Then Tsurugi quickly ducked her head back, and when I glanced around after stepping out, all I could see was the tiny dot of her retreating figure.
After saying that, couldn't she at least have accompanied me back!?
Still a bit shaken, I patted my chest and thought: I suppose I'll just have to get used to Tsurugi's eccentric ways…
…Hopefully, I can adapt successfully.
Stepping through the night, I returned to the annex.