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V2 Chapter 16: Double the Ingratitude
🕑 Added 2025-09-29 14:41:31 +0000 UTCAside from me, who stayed behind in the activity room to command, and Ayane, who provided remote support, the entire Abydos squad went out to intercept the enemy.
"We've confirmed a squad leading mercenaries ahead!"
No sooner had Ayane's warning reached everyone's ears than the enemy figures appeared at the far end of the street.
Through the surveillance feed, I saw them clearly, four Gehenna students whose faces looked extremely familiar.
The girls of the Foreclosure Task Force seemed to recognize them too, surprise flashing across their expressions.
Nonomi muttered, "Wait… aren't those the ones we saw at the ramen shop…"
[OST: Blue Archive OST 7. Unwelcome School]
The girl standing at the front had wine-red, shoulder-length hair and narrow eyes. She wore a long coat with black fur trim at the collar and cuffs.
Meeting the angry and bewildered stares of the Task Force, her expression faltered slightly, and she mumbled awkwardly.
Serika shouted furiously,
"So it's you! We just gave you an extra-large ramen for free, and now you show up to attack us?! That's pure ingratitude!"
So they had run into them at Shiba Seki Ramen before.
I also recognized them, and couldn't help but marvel at how small Kivotos could feel at times.
The ones leading mercenaries to assault Abydos were none other than the group I'd met twice before, the same four who last time had been huddled together in the park, sharing a single bean sprout bento.
Out of pity, I had even gone to a convenience store to buy them a pricier bento.
Judging from Serika's words, had they fallen so far again that four of them were splitting the cheapest ramen bowl?
That would be truly pitiful.
And yet, instead of fighting, both sides were still exchanging words.
"Honestly! You're students, there are healthier ways to make money! And you ended up as errand girls?!"
Nonomi scolded.
The red-haired girl flinched and tried to argue back. "I-it's not part-time work! This is a legitimate business! We are Problem Solver 68! We have job titles."
Then, puffing up with pride, she introduced herself. "I'm Aru, the President !"
Aru pulled over her small-statured companion, who wore a teasing grin. With pale gray hair tied in a side ponytail and a gothic-style skirt, she announced,
"And this is Mutsuki, the Captain!"
Then she leaned toward another girl, a white-haired student with black streaks in her ponytail, dressed in a band-like outfit with a cold, frosty expression.
"And this is Kayoko, the Section Chief!"
"And… Haruka, come here…" Aru tried to tug over the shy girl hiding behind them.
Before she could finish, Shiroko cut in impatiently. "Who hired you? …Forget it, you wouldn't answer anyway."
Aru smirked. "Heh, that's classified business information. Squad, attack!"
Without warning, the verbal exchange ended, and battle was about to begin.
That was when I made my move.
I had already rushed downstairs, holding a megaphone. Planting my feet, I shouted,
"Testing, testing! Can you hear me over there? Look this way, look at me!"
The girls who were just about to open fire froze, startled by my sudden voice. All eyes turned toward me.
I took a deep breath. "You over there, Gehenna students! Don't think you can stay anonymous! I've already contacted your school's Disciplinary Committee! I suggest you drop your weapons and surrender right now! Don't say I didn't warn you!"
"Eek!"
Aru blanched. "Who's that adult over there?! How does he know we're Gehenna students?!"
Kayoko sighed. "That's obvious from our uniforms… no, wait… that person is…"
"Ahaha~ Aru, you're so forgetful. That's the kind man who treated us to bento last week!" Mutsuki chimed in with a mischievous grin.
She added, "Didn't you cry back then, saying that once you became a great outlaw, you'd definitely repay his kindness? And now you don't even remember what your benefactor looks like~"
"I didn't forget! I-I just couldn't see clearly from this distance, that's all!"
Mutsuki chuckled. "Well then, Aru-chan, if we fight him now, that'll make it double the ingratitude, won't it?"
"U-uhhh…"
Kayoko sighed. "President, we're still on the job."
Mutsuki teased, "Yeah, don't forget our motto at Problem Solver 68~"
"I'd never forget!" Aru forced a laugh. "No mercy, and we'll do anything for money! As outlaws, we can't be shackled by little favors!"
Haruka's eyes sparkled with feverish admiration. "As expected of Aru-sama! Then let me finish them all off…"
"But…!"
Aru suddenly hesitated. "If the Prefect Team(Disciplinary Committee) really gets involved… the others don't matter, but that Head Prefect…"
Kayoko pressed a hand to her forehead. "You're overthinking. He's obviously bluffing. The Prefect Teamwouldn't easily step into another academy's district. Especially not near an academy's core zone. They'd need formal documents first…"
Aru froze. "Wait, so that's… ahaha! Of course, I knew that already! I was just… yes, a pop quiz! I was testing everyone's knowledge!"
The excuse was painfully obvious.
And yet, someone took it seriously.
Haruka trembled, clutching her gun, tears at the corners of her eyes. "I-I didn't know anything… I'm sorry, sorry, sorry for failing Aru-sama's test… I'm useless, I should just die…"
"W-wait! Haruka, listen, that's not what I meant!"
Aru scrambled to console her, while Haruka kept apologizing, and Mutsuki enjoyed the spectacle.
"Sigh…"
Kayoko could only stare at the sky, too exhausted to deal with their antics.
But Problem Solver 68 weren't the only ones here.
Others had run out of patience.
"Hey! Are you fighting us or not?!" Serika snapped.
"Of course we are!" Aru shot back reflexively.
"You've kept us waiting all this time. That's kind of rude." Nonomi pouted.
"I know, I know! We're coming now!" Aru finally calmed Haruka down.
"You'd better hurry. We're off shift in one minute," the mercenary leader reminded cheerfully.
"We're coming, we're co—huh?"
Aru froze mid-sentence, stiffly turning toward the speaker. "…What?"
The mercenary leader checked his watch.
"Not our problem. We're mercenaries, not babysitters. You only paid us for this long. Time's up, shift over!"
The mercenaries casually slung their guns away and strolled off in groups, laughing and chatting about how easy today's job had been without firing a single shot.
Aru clutched her head and screamed. "Why is this happening?!"
Mutsuki cackled mercilessly. "Ahaha~ All that money spent hiring mercenaries, and it just went down the drain."
"I-I… this must be that adult's scheme!"
After stammering for a while, Aru suddenly lit up, regaining her composure with a smug grin. "Heh… what a cunning plan. Even I was nearly fooled. Nearly!"
Making excuses now. "It's not that I was stupid, it's that the enemy was too sly."
And what did she mean by nearly?!
"As expected of Aru-sama! You saw through it right away!" Haruka praised.
Kayoko opened her mouth as if to retort, but gave up, too tired to bother.
Hoshino tilted her head lazily. "Well, that was unexpected. They all just left. Sensei, you're pretty impressive. So… are you still going to fight?"
Aru's laughter faltered.
Turning around, she realized only her three Problem Solver colleagues remained. She swallowed hard, but kept her bravado.
"Curse you… we'll settle this later! Everyone, tactical retreat!"
The members of Problem Solver 68 started to leave.
But by now, I had fully grasped Aru's special aura.
That familiar brilliance, a kind of outrageous cleverness.
So I took another deep breath, raised my megaphone, and shouted,
"Aru, wait! Do you even have money for dinner tonight?!"
Aru froze. Uneasy, she whispered to Kayoko, "He knows my name?!"
"…You just introduced yourself earlier. And Abydos isn't so broke we can't afford basic tactical gear."
Realization dawned on Aru, and she puffed up proudly again.
"What, did you stop us just to mock us? Don't tell me that's all the magnanimity an adult has?"
Her voice carried through Shiroko's mic and into my earpiece.
I raised the megaphone once more.
"In that case, I'll treat you to dinner tonight!"
"…What?"
While Problem Solver 68 exchanged bewildered glances, one fiery Abydos girl snapped.
"Huh?! Sensei, they're the enemy!"
"Serika, Serika! They're off the clock now! Work is work, life is life! Work life Balance."
"Stop shouting through that stupid megaphone! Don't you have a mic?!"
I gave no answer.
How could Serika possibly understand the joy of a good megaphone shout?
"…Heh…"
Aru's lips curved into a triumphant smile, as if she had just claimed victory.
"Impressive generosity, truly. Since you've invited us so sincerely, Problem Solver 68 will gladly accept!"
Shiroko frowned. "You're just looking for free food, aren't you?"
"Not at all!"
Since it was my decision, and because of their trust in me, Abydos had no objections.
"Uhee~ the classic 'turn enemies into friends' moment. Sensei's magnanimity really moved me."
Hoshino, sounding half amused and half sincere, extended the invitation.
"Since Sensei approves, why don't you come inside the school for a while?"
And just like that, thanks to my maneuvering, and Aru's brilliant cooperation.
The standoff dissolved into temporary peace.
I couldn't help but think, this was exactly the kind of stunt Aru would pull off.
