When we arrived at the Annex, of the two entrances, only one was open, as the other had been blocked by obstacles.
Thanks to Hifumi's exceptional driving skills, which had allowed us to shake off our pursuers, she parked the scooter and called out:
"Sensei, Nagisa-sama, this way!"
Leading us through the open entrance, she carefully navigated some seemingly ordinary corridors, occasionally sidestepping to avoid potential traps, and explained:
"Um, please follow me carefully. Azusa-chan has planted mines here, which should reduce Arius student numbers quite a bit…"
"Shirasu Azusa…" Nagisa suddenly said, "I've heard she once held a position and stalled the Justice Task Force troops for three hours."
To my surprise, Hifumi replied, "Ah, yes! Azusa-chan is really skilled in that regard. As long as the leader (Saori) herself isn't directly involved…"
However, Saori had already been sent to me by Beatrice, and I had instructed that Wakamo keep a close eye on her tonight, just in case.
Nagisa seemed to understand: "So that means… Azusa is really an Arius student."
"Ahaha…"
Hifumi laughed awkwardly and kept leading the way.
Nagisa hesitated for a moment, then pressed her lips against my ear: "Sensei… can't you be honest with me now?"
I thought for a moment, "What if I said I'm actually the [Arius traitor]…"
Before I could finish, she swatted me away with her wings in irritation.
Yet, faced with the undeniable facts, Nagisa gradually seemed to piece it together:
"Azusa is really the traitor I've been looking for… but she betrayed Arius as well? Why… didn't anyone tell me sooner…"
Her voice grew quieter, as if she already suspected part of the truth.
Soon, amidst explosions echoing from the entrance, we arrived at the gymnasium.
"Sensei, Hifumi-chan, welcome back." Hanako came forward to greet us, immediately noticing Nagisa. "Ah, Nagisa, this is…?"
I explained, "Her foot was injured while running."
"Leave it to me!"
At that moment, another pink-haired girl in a nurse's outfit, who had appeared inexplicably but didn't seem out of place to anyone else, opened her medical kit to begin treatment.
"Thank you, Serina."
Though I didn't recall asking her to come, I decided it was best to ignore that for now.
I nodded, preparing to set Nagisa down, when I felt the wings still wrapped around my waist tighten.
"Ah, right, Sensei," Serina suddenly asked, "could you help remove Nagisa-sama's shoes and socks?"
The wings instantly retracted.
As expected… this was the result of a secret crush, or no, a confessed one.
While Serina and I busied ourselves, Nagisa averted her flushed face. Hanako, however, leaned in with interest and spoke to her:
"Nagisa, long time no see?"
"Hanako…" Nagisa's tone was complex. "Was all of this your plan?"
"Ahaha, so you finally realized, Nagisa?"
"…Just to clarify, my suspicions about the Make-Up Work Club weren't entirely wrong, but we can discuss that later."
Nagisa took a deep breath, her expression serious: "I tried contacting them earlier, but the Justice Task Force members were all deployed to the border of the district without my knowledge, supposedly to guard against any moves from Gehenna before the treaty. There's no way they could arrive in time. And we can't contact the Guard (Mob) Squad at all."
Meaning, there was an absolute traitor among Trinity's top ranks.
"The orders to the Justice Task Force came from the Tea Party," Hanako added, "Which matches what Koharu just reported… So, do you have anyone in mind as a suspect?"
Nagisa fell silent.
Hanako, however, kept her eyes on the Tea Party president's face and continued probing:
"Who could bypass you to give orders to the Justice Task Force, and even sever your communication with the Filius Guard Squad… Surely, there's at least one person who fits that description?"
The list of suspects had already been narrowed to just a few.
Yet Nagisa only pursed her lips, saying nothing.
Hanako seemed to have reached a conclusion and sighed, "I knew it would be this way…"
But soon, they had no time to discuss further.
As the sounds of battle drew closer, the Make-Up Work Club girls prepared for combat. I carried Nagisa to a concealed spot in the gym and entrusted Serina to care for her.
Soon, a white figure burst through the door, rejoining her companions. Moments later, several groups of Arius students in white robes and gas masks stormed in.
Seeing the scene inside, the leader sneered:
"…I see, so this isn't a retreat but an ambush. But is this all? Just four of you against us, you think you can hold out for more than a few minutes? And in a place with no escape!"
"You're correct; there is no escape now," Azusa said calmly. "You have nowhere left to run."
Hanako smiled: "Indeed, let's take the first round then?"
Will we win?
We will!
From my hiding place, I stepped forward, exuding an air of mysterious confidence toward the wary Arius students:
"Hehe… Beatrice, is that all your useless little tricks can do?"
"Wha—"
At the mention of her name, the Arius students froze, just the opportunity the Make-Up Work Club girls needed. They launched a fierce assault, quickly knocking down those caught in the front, unable to dodge in time.
The remaining enemies numbered about a dozen, though most were injured by Azusa's pre-set traps. On our side, everyone was in top condition. Azusa, the elite among Arius, was in a pre-prepared position; unless encountering an out-of-spec opponent, she could hold her own against ten or a hundred enemies, especially with the support of her comrades and my commands.
Even though Arius students were brave and fearless, they didn't last long and were all defeated within minutes.
"…Anyway, we've passed one difficult stage. Let's move to the next phase. Arius reinforcements should arrive soon; we need to buy enough time before the Justice Task Force gets here…"
Hanako summarized seriously.
But there was no time to rest.
As predicted, a large number of Arius students flooded the gym. From the crowd came a playful female voice:
"What a shame, that's impossible now☆"
I closed my eyes and sighed silently.
I, too, felt a deep regret.