Blue Archive - M.O.T.H.E.R. (Volume 1)

4

The sun was just breaking dawn. At that hour, when the sun is just rising to rise into the sky, there was very little activity in Kivotos. Most were asleep or waking up with lazy eyes to start their routine. Very few had spent the night awake. Among the girls who had not slept well were Momoi, Midori and Hina. The twins had arranged to play and study with Sensei online; no matter how long they waited, he did not connect. On the other hand, Hina sent him a message asking him for a moment. He had always answered her, but there was no reply. Momoi's sister wondered if the teacher had been upset with them because of the scandal they had made in the street. Hina felt an anguish in her chest.

She tried to contact him again at the start of her workday; she still did not receive a response. Midori was in low spirits, however, her older sister confidently said that there must be an important reason for the educator not paying attention to them. A rumor that Sensei had disappeared was quickly created and spread. Before long it reached the ears of other students outside the academies. Yuuka was no exception. She did not believe that anything bad had happened to him. Still, to make sure, she sent a message by Momotalk asking him if he was okay. Like the other girls who asked, there was no message that answered her question. Where was he? was the question many asked.

It was cold, although the sun was clearly visible in the sky. The white landscape was characteristic of the place. It was said that the roughest students were forged under the heavy hammer of the harsh winter. The train was moving unstoppably towards the largest academy in Kivotos. Before most of the students awoke, Sensei boarded the train to travel to Red Winter Federal Academy. He had cancelled all his appointments and had asked Arona not to pass messages to him unless it said something important. The advisor of the many clubs had it in his mind to find out for himself what was going on with his students. Because of the far-flung location of the Red Winter Academy north of Kivotos, he decided to start there. When he got off the train at the station, Cherino and his faithful right-hand woman, Tomoe, were waiting for him. They welcomed him and the first thing the little comrade asked was if he had brought her pudding. Sensei had none with him, but he was shrewd enough to avoid putting Cherino in a bad mood.

''I'll give it to you when we get to the student council room.''

Sensei looked at Tomoe and she, without delay, understood what was going on and what he was begging her to do. With the lovely white-mustached dictator happy, they set off. Although... there was something that made Sensei uncomfortable. He stood back for a moment. He looked around. He couldn't notice anything out of place. Tomoe called out to him.

In the Red Winter student council room, Cherino was eating the pudding that Tomoe had given Sensei to give to her as a dessert for the breakfast she had eaten with her right hand woman and Sensei. After serving coffee to the educator and herself, Tomoe asked what brought Sensei to the academy.

''Well, there is an issue in Kivo... By the way, where is Marina?''

''She is cleaning the toilets and corridors of the academy.''

''Are you still punishing her for the accident with the statue 9 months ago?!''

''Of course not...'' Cherino said.

''President Cherino is a benevolent governor.''

''She is punished because she again tried to stage a coup d'état to cover up the fact that she had finished the last packet of pudding.''

Not knowing what to say, Sensei ignored the subject and said he was there because the other academy students were falling seriously ill. To avoid mass panic, the issue was being dealt with discreetly, so he wanted to see for himself what Red Winter's condition was. Tomoe said she was not aware of the issue and, as far as she knew, no one was sick.

''No one gets sick unless I order them to,'' Cherino said proudly.

Sensei asked if he could go and see for himself that they were all well. They went to see each of the students at the academy and other than complaints about Cherino's intransigent and despot-like command, there was no other complaint. The girls were fine. Throughout the tour, Sensei continued to have that uncomfortable feeling. What was bothering him? What was wrong? He was distracted from those questions by Tomoe who didn't understand what the problem was with them being weak, as overuse of the ExSkill could cause that too. The counselor told what Himari had told him.

''I understand...'' Said Tomoe, ''and only the gangsters have been the only ones affected?''

''No. According to what I was informed, girls with a guard or defense position against them have fallen into that bad state as well, but the number is much smaller.''

''Sensei, do you know how our weapons work?''

''They're loaded with bullets and fired with the gunpowder that comes with the bullet, right?''

''Not exactly. Have you tried to lift the gun from one of your students?''

''Since you say so...''

Tomoe put her gun in Sensei's hands. Sensei almost went face first into the floor. He didn't expect the Vernost, Tomoe's sniper rifle, to be so heavy. He estimated it weighed about seven and a half to eight kilograms. The second in command of the academy said that the body of the female citizens of Kivotos was much stronger than that of Sensei. They could not be damaged easily so their weapons and bullets were designed to harness the energy of the halos.

''Aren't halos the manifestation of your life?''

''They are and they are made of pure energy?''

''Are they?'' Asked Sensei taking Tomoe's halo and looking at it from all angles.

She gasped in fright when she saw that sensei had grabbed it. She took it from him and told him not to do it again.

''Halos are enormously tougher than they look, but who wouldn't be scared to see someone take what keeps you alive as if it were a toy.''

''I'm sorry... Though you should know that in my hands it would always be safe.

Tomoe gave him a smile.''

''I'm glad to hear that, but back to the subject... What I wanted to get to is that, although we all have an ExSKill, many require a tool to use it and as I understand it, gangs lack weapons with those qualities. The ones we have are provided by the school and they are expensive...''

''So the gangsters should have very few... The one that is defect of the weapons or them abusing their halo remains...''

Again that feeling. Sensei turned to look.

''Is something wrong?''

''Since I arrived... I have felt that I'm being watched...'' The sensation was intensifying, ''It is as if someone was watching me...'' He could feel how he was covered by the disturbing feeling, ''...with a lot of lewdness.''

''President Cherino. I bring this student who has been harassing Sensei from afar.''

''That explains everything.''