An Adult's Responsibility Chapter 18:

Chapter 18:

The train came to a stop, opening the door and allowing me to step out onto the platform. Looking around, I spotted my destination off to the side, the imposing edifice of one of Kivotos’ most powerful schools.

The Germanic style architecture that made up the main building certainly was quite the sight. As I walked towards the main gates, I was struck by the lack of guards. The wrought iron gates were wide open, with students walking in and out, chatting and laughing among themselves. I scanned the groups, attempting to pick out the uniform of the Prefect Team from them.

A bright and cheery voice called out from behind me, “O.M.G! Is that the Sensei I’ve heard so much about?”

Turning, I was met with the sight of a student wearing a heavily modified Gehenna uniform, the shirt unbuttoned enough to reveal the colour of her bra and the skirt rolled up to her mid-thigh. Her hair was a vivid strawberry-blonde, and her nails were sparkling in the light of the sun. Next to her was a student similarly dressed, but a lot less flashy, instead opting for a black and white look, with short white hair.

The student standing next to her hummed as she looked me up and down, “I think it is Kirara. Lucky us!”

“I see my reputation precedes me.” I smiled at the two students, “I’m Carl Albrecht, the Sensei of SCHALE.”

“Oh, nice to meet ya, Sensei!” The glittering girl bowed, her many charms attached to her phone clinking, “I am Yozakura Kirara and this is Hatami Erika! Welcome to Gehenna!”

“Welcome Sensei.” Erika followed her friend, although was much more relaxed in her movements, “Please take care of me.”

I bowed back, “Thank you for the warm welcome.”

“It’s nothing!” Kirara smiled brightly, before she tilted her head, “But Sensei, you were looking for something before we spoke to you, weren’t you? Can we help?”

I considered it, before deciding that enlisting the help of a native would get me to my goal faster, “Yes, actually. I need to talk to Head Prefect Hina, it’s a bit of an emergency.”

“Hina-cchi huh?” The nickname threw me for a loop, but Kirara grabbed my hand and started to drag me off before I could respond, “She’s probably by the Prefect’s big building. Lets go, Sensei!”

“Oh, we get to go on an adventure with Sensei? Lucky us!” A grinning Erika took my other side, the two dragging me off in a specific direction.

Eventually, they brought me to the ‘big building’ that they were talking about, one that was rather intimidating, with thick marble columns and massive purple banners hanging from its front face, with the Gehenna emblem in black emblazoned proudly on their fabric.

Many students came and went from the doors, all of them wearing the Prefect Uniform.

“Here we are Sensei, now I know it’s an emergency so we will let you get to it, but you owe us now, ‘kay?” Kirara winked at me, releasing my hand and spreading out her arm to indicate the HQ.

“Sure, Kirara, Erika. Thank you so much for bringing me here.” I smiled at the two, “I promise I’ll pay you back later.”

Erika brought up her phone and snapped a photo of me, before grinning back, “We’ll hold you to that, Sensei. Good luck!”

Like a storm, they came in, blew me to where I needed to go and then left, the two disappearing into the crowd of students and vanishing. They seemed like good girls, I’m sure whatever they wanted in return for their help would not be too bad.

Before that, however, I had a crisis I needed to resolve. Stepping towards the building that housed the young woman I needed to see, I was stopped by a loud exclamation.

“Ah! You! Bastard!” Turning, I was met by the sight of a flushed with anger, Iori, who was stalking towards me furiously, “What the hell are you doing here, huh? Not happy enough with humiliating us once?”

“Iori.” I greeted her, “It’s good to see you. I need to speak to Hina urgently, do you know where she is? It’s important.”

She reared back as if struck, an incredulous look that morphed to venomous on her face.

“You-! You! YOU! You absolutely shameless asshole! You think you can just humiliate us like you did and then waltz in here like nothing happened?!” She took a deep breath, before grinning maliciously, “Tell you what. How about you get down on your hands and knees right now and lick my feet if you want me to help you. That seems like a fitting price to- What the hell are you doing?!”

“You said you’d help me if I licked your feet, right?” I questioned, the dark-skinned girl having to struggle to balance on one leg as I took the shoes and socks off her other one, “I wasn’t kidding when I said this was important, Iori. Seems like a small price to pay to rescue one of my students.”

“I- but- you-!” She blabbered, completely thrown for a loop by my actions.

“Still, asking this from your teacher is certainly bold.” I hummed, before leaning down and dragging my tongue up the top of her warm skin at the top of her foot, feeling a full body shudder run through her as I finished and grinned at her, “You’re quite the pervert, aren’t you?”

She keened, a shrill, lilting cry that welled up in her throat as she blushed red enough that it stood out quite vividly on her brown skin. I wouldn’t let something like shame stop me. If this is what was required to save Hoshino, or any of my students, then as I said it was a small price to pay.

“Do you need me to like the other one?” I questioned, “Or is this enough payment?”

“NO! What the hell- You shameless pervert, what do you think you’re doing! You’re a teacher! Have some dignity!” She wriggled, awkwardly trying to free herself from my grasp without toppling over.

“You haven’t agreed to help me yet. I think I do need to do the other one.” I pointed out.

“You’re sick! Get some help you-!” Iori’s tirade was cut off by the object of my search.

“Sensei? What are you doing in Gehenna? And why are you holding Iori’s foot?” Hina asked, confusion plain on her face as she investigated the commotion.

---RERERE---

“So, Takanashi Hoshino has left Abydos?” Hina asked, crossing her arms while she stared down the latest enigma that has arrived to her doorstep.

Albrecht-Sensei, calm and composed as ever despite the ridiculous scene she had walked into outside her office, simply shook his head in reply, “No. I pulled the records for every train station around the district and she wasn’t tagged boarding any of them. Unless they drove her out of the district, which is unlikely considering the state of the roads there, she is still within the bounds of Abydos.”

“Hence why you came to me, because of that tip I gave you about Kaiser operating in the desert.” Hina guessed, earning a nod, “Are you going to cash in your favour with us to make the Prefect Team go to war with Kaiser?”

“Hardly, I wouldn’t impose that on you.” He replied, “I just need you to give me the exact coordinates of Kaiser’s activity in the region. I will take care of the rest.”

“You will obviously use the Abydos students. FOX squad has been rumoured to be friendly with you, so counting them you have eight combatants.” She counted them, something not sitting right with her, “That might be enough to preform a hostage extraction, but not against Kaiser PMC numbers and your lack of intel. So you have another force that has agreed to help you deal with the PMC.”

“You’re a quick one.” He smiled, seemingly actually glad to have her call him out like this, “That’s right. Just before I arrived here today, members of another academy overheard my conversation on the phone and offered to help me get Hoshino back.”

“It’s not a minor academy, they wouldn’t be able to contend with Kaiser directly. The GSC won’t get involved, Red Winter is too far away… Millenium? No, they wouldn’t be this spontaneous. It’s Trinity, then? That’s who are helping you with this?”

He looked surprised, which was more than enough confirmation even without him saying, “That’s right. I was on patrol with the Justice Task Force when the call came through.”

“Unacceptable.” Hina crossed her arms, her frustration with the situation surrounding SCHALE showing through, “You’ve already grown close to them through your frequent cooperation with the Task Force. You hold a lot of power, Sensei, your favour could tip the scales of balance between the academies. Allowing Trinity to further in debt you to them like this… I refuse to accept it.”

She felt a flash of anger in her breast, once more cursing Ako’s recent actions regarding the adult in front of her. Blocking Chinatsu’s request for inviting him to work with them under the paranoid delusion that he was already in Trinity’s pocket, all but guaranteeing that he would fall deeper into the other Academy’s orbit. Then sending her on a wild goose chase, all in order to attempt to apprehend him and remove him as a factor in the upcoming Eden Treaty.

She was already starting from behind, allowing her opponents to gain even more ground on her would be grossly negligent.

“Oh?” Sensei grinned, rather than looking worried, the expression held a hint of danger, “You won’t allow it? Am I under arrest then?”

“Of course not.” Hina scoffed, standing and moving around her desk, offering her hand to the teacher, “Sensei, as the leader of Gehenna’s Prefect Team, please allow me to aid you in the retrieval and safe conduct of Takanashi Hoshino to her Academy.”

The man looked at her extended hand before sighing, releasing tension that she hadn’t noticed he was carrying up until now, then clasping her hand in his, “Thank you, Hina. Having your help will go a long way into making sure we are successful. I won’t forget this kindness.”

“You forgave my subordinates for their transgressions, so how about we call this even? You did say we should start from new when we meet again.” She offered, knowing from what she had heard of him that this was the best way forward.

“I would like that Hina. I look forward to your invitation to visit Gehenna in calmer times.” He grinned, releasing her hand.

She inwardly suppressed a scoff. ‘Calmer times’ in Gehenna. That was a good one.

She coordinated with Sensei, arranging a time for them to attack the compound she had found in the desert, before the teacher had left while walking quickly, obviously eager to get to the district in question and start getting to the bottom of what happened there. At least Ako’s meddling was good for something, it being what led her to discovering the strange base.

She almost felt bad for hiding the rest of her motivation from Sensei. She could read between the lines, it was obvious that he believed that Takanashi had gone willingly to Kaiser. That meant that rather than a rescue operation, this could turn into a subdual mission. If that were the case… Then Hina needed to be there, for any chance of success.

Even if Trinity mobilised its full might for this, which was unlikely, should Takanashi fight them seriously, they would be crushed. It was something that Hina knew well, having been assigned to investigating the strange girl in her first year with the Prefect Team, as an Info Analyst. The reason that the Team was investigating was classified, but as the assigned Analyst, she was allowed access. What she found stuck with her, all these years later.

A while back, the gangs and delinquents of Gehenna moved into Abydos, the fallen district perfect to lay low in. They were left alone for the most part, as they kept their heads down and even improved the security of the area they set up shop in, simply as having someone take up residence in the abandoned buildings was better than them remaining empty.

The Prefect Team could not abide that, however, so they launched a mass operation to subdue and arrest all the delinquents in the region. Such a mass mobilisation was a lot less subtle than the gangs infiltration, drawing the attention of the guard of the region.

It turned into a massive three way brawl, that rapidly turned into a two way affair as one side started to completely overwhelm the other two. In the end, both the gangs and the entirety of the Prefect Team were thoroughly defeated and beaten back to the borders of Gehenna.

By Takanashi Hoshino. Single-handedly. In her First Year.

Indeed, If such a student snapped… Hina needed to be there.

---RERERE---

“This the place?” She asked, looking around.

It didn’t look like a military barracks, like she expected, nor a FOB. In fact, the inside of the bunker she was in looked more like a laboratory than anything else.

“Indeed, Takanashi Hoshino.” The smarmy voice of Black suit sounded from his holographic projection, “You appear to be disappointed.”

“You said you wanted me because I was the strongest in Kivotos.” She pointed out, “I thought that meant you needed me to fight things.”

“No, not at all, Takanashi Hoshino. In fact, the opposite, if all goes well it will be others who will need to fight you.” The slimeball answered without actually explaining anything, “Afterall, the strongest Mystic also means the purest. Within you, lies the secrets to this very world, Hoshino. Or should I say Horus?”

“So what, you going to test my Mystic here? Also, don’t call me that.” It made her feel weird.

“No. We are going to invert it.” He answered, causing her to sigh.

“Oh no.” Her voice was dry, “It seems I’ve been betrayed. How surprising.”

She moved to cock her weapon, but was stopped as Black Suit spoke again ,”I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Horus. After all, the lives of your precious under-classmen rely on your good behaviour.”

“What did you do to them, you asshole?!” She snarled, but not drawing her shotgun.

“Nothing, yet, but soon they will be kept in my personal care. You see, Horus, you were the last member of the Abydos Student Council. The one that held all the debt that had been accrued to Kaiser, which as you know, I have a controlling stake in. With you leaving, the Student Council is officially dissolved. Meaning that Abydos has defaulted on its debt.”

“You said that the debt would be forgiven if I agreed!” She shouted.

“I said the debt would be erased. Which it was. An organisation that does not exist cannot hold any debt.” He reasoned, “Soon, Kaiser will repossess the assets required to pay off the debt, including the Academy and all its students. Which will then be turned into our very own Kaiser Combat School.”

She whirled around, preparing to bust out of here and go help her friend, but was stopped by his next words.

“Of course, they could just as easily be killed. After all, accidents happen, especially if they resist, which you know they will. However, should you be nice and compliant, Horus, I will make sure that the officers in charge of their detention will be gentle.” He spread his arms wide, “Of course, you will likely be able to reach them before too much damage is done. But would you arrive in time to save everyone, I wonder? That too could be some good data.”

Hoshino grit her teeth, her fists flexing as she warred with herself, before she noticed an absence in Black Suits plan, “What about Sensei? You didn’t mention him at all.”

“He will join us, of course.” The answer surprised her, “He is an adult, not like the students of this world. He too, will have a desire to understand it. I am sure he will see reason.”

“You’re insane if you think that will work.” She was incredulous.

“Oh my, is that faith I hear? In an adult, of all things?” He didn’t have an expression, but she got the feeling he was smiling, “How interesting. Regardless, choose, Horus. Will my men be gentle, or not?”

“Damn it.” She slumped, the fight going out of her at his words.

Her thoughts turned to her under-classmen, spunky Serika, prepared Ayane, wild Shiroko and gentle Nonomi. She was so, so sorry that she thought she could do this on her own.

Unbidden, her thoughts turned to Sensei, the crazy man who had been so supportive recently. Black Suit was right, she realised, she really did have faith in him, as mad as that sounded. It made her relax, knowing her friends were in good hands with him. Her plan to destroy Kaiser from within was bust, but she could still protect her friends, so long as she played along until they were safe.

“You win.” She spoke, the words tasting like ash, “I will cooperate.”

“You made the right choice.”

She really hadn’t, had she?

Here she was, once again being taken advantage of by a slimy adult.