Blue Archive: Miracle's End

Whispers of Miracle

It was high noon at SCHALE when Takanashi Hoshino slipped into the building, moving with precise stealth. The place seemed deserted, save for a few GSC students patrolling the halls, their vigilance aimed squarely at preventing trespassers like Hoshino. For most students, evading the tight security would be impossible, but for someone of Hoshino's caliber, it was little more than a leisurely exercise.

Before long, she reached Sensei's office. Only then did she allow herself a breath, her body finally relaxing after the careful sneaking.

"Uhee... the GSC really isn't messing around," she muttered, slouching as she let her guard down.

"Students sneaking around like you are exactly why they've gotten so strict," a voice called out from within Sensei's office, startling her. "Though... I suppose I'm not really one to talk."

"Oh... you're the Gehenna-chan from the other day," Hoshino said, scratching her head with a grin. "Here again today, huh?

"Sensei will be back from the trip any time now. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't eager to see him."

"But how did you even get in here?" Hoshino asked, her eyes narrowing as she edged closer to the student. "SCHALE's under tight lockdown after what happened with Sensei. There's no way you could have just slipped in undetected."

"Does that detail truly matter?" the Gehenna student replied, her tone calm and unwavering. "Besides, you could ask yourself the same question, no?"

Hoshino hesitated, momentarily at a loss for words. Ultimately, she stopped confronting the student completely and just walked towards the window in silence. As she looked down, she saw tens-- no-- hundreds of students below the SCHALE building, who were also eagerly waiting for Sensei's return. But because SCHALE was in tight lockdown until Sensei returns from the trip, they could only wait for him outside anxiously while the GSC students were desperately trying to fend them off.

"You seem awfully calm despite what's currently happening in Kivotos right now... aren't you anxious like the rest of them?" Hoshino slowly spoke, words aimed at the Gehenna student seated at Sensei's desk, seemingly working on his report by herself.

"Who could not be anxious at a time like this? I wouldn't be so desperate to sneak my way inside SCHALE despite the lockdown otherwise," the student responded with a soft tone of voice.

As the Gehenna student said those words, Hoshino slowly turned around to look at the student, and there she saw the restlessness in her eyes; an evident lack of sleep similar to herself.

" Hey, Gehenna-chan... Can you tell me your name? I'm Takanashi Hoshino from Abydos Highschool."

" Natsume Iroha from Pandemonium Society."

" Can you spare me a minute, Iroha-chan?"

Hoshino approached the desk where Iroha sat, her steps deliberate and unhurried. Stopping just in front of her, she placed her hand slowly on the desk. Iroha sighed, closing her eyes, already understanding the unspoken message.

Setting aside her reports, Iroha turned to face Hoshino, waiting in silence for her next move.

" I don't want Sensei to go, and I'm sure a lot of students also feel the same way as me. I know going against an adult's decision normally wouldn't go well, but Sensei had done so much for me and the people I care for, and I want to be able to do the same to him too... even if just this one time..."

"What do you want to do?"

With full determination, Hoshino nodded to herself, " I'm going to do what it takes to stop Sensei from leaving. With the help of all the students in Kivotos, I know we can find a miracle to help Sensei... Does Iroha-chan feel the same way as I do...?"