[Blue Archive] I am the Trinity Checkpoint Chief – Chapter 10

“Sayuri-san, are all the kids gathered?”

“Ritsuko-chan said there were 85 of us, but minus a few who are absent due to illness, the numbers add up. By the way, do you really have to wear that hat? It’s kinda tacky.”

“This senior of yours is just too old-fashioned, you know. Those round hats like the ones the Tea Party kids wear just don’t suit my taste.”

Truth be told, round hats tend to fall off easily, and I also kinda wanted to mimic those Red Winter Academy brats a little. Well, there are plenty of reasons, but above all, it’s just comfortable.

It’s also because this hat’s been used since Itsuka-senpai’s time, though that’s mostly just because I liked her.

“Alright, we’re all set. Ritsuko-chan just signaled for you to come out.”

“Time to go, then. Today feels like graduation photo day.”

I opened the break room door and headed to the open area behind the checkpoint. Man, there are so many checkpoint students.

Why are there so many students when there’s only one checkpoint? Well, when we drastically reduced the number of checkpoints from triple digits, it wasn’t just about laying off the students who worked there. The Tea Party would have a mountain of work, from revising laws to budgeting. Plus, those Gehenna border guards are sneaky and cowardly as hell.

If they brought howitzers to break through the iron walls we set up after demolishing the old checkpoints, like last time, it’d be a pain. So, we need students stationed at the old checkpoint sites, don’t we?

Even after cutting back as much as possible, we need at least 70 or 80 students for both checkpoint and border guard duties to avoid headaches. And, of course, we secure a hefty budget under that pretext.

“Senpai, you’re drooling.”

“…Huh? Oh, sorry.”

Whoops, I let Sayuri-chan see something embarrassing. Not that it matters much—we’ve seen each other’s dark histories plenty of times before.

Anyway, my outfit’s ready, so let’s get started.

I climbed onto the platform we’d spent all night chopping and carving wood to build. Wow, it feels totally different from down below—there really are a ton of people.

I’m a bit nervous, but I’ve gotta grab the mic and make an impression on these kids. All the third-year senpais are gone, so it’s my time, right?

“…Ahem, ahem. Mic test, mic test… Can you hear me?”

“Loud and clear!!”

Whoa, that voice came from the back of the crowd, but it was crystal clear. These kids have some seriously powerful lungs. The students nearby seem surprised, turning to look back.

Alright, mic’s good, speakers are good. Half the battle’s won.

“My name is Yamatsu Hikari. A lot of you probably don’t know me—I’m the kind of person who’s always holed up at the checkpoint, only showing up in newspapers or on camera. But the reason I got this job from the Tea Party after Itsuka-senpai left is because I do my work well and don’t cause trouble, right?”

“You mean when you beat up that Gehenna student?”

“…Wow, that’s the first time I’ve heard someone bring that up.”

I almost burst out laughing. Judging by the chuckles, it seems a few other students knew about it too.

Did Chronos cover that story? I never saw it in the papers, and if it had made the news, Sayuri-chan would’ve come running, making a huge fuss. Since Gehenna didn’t make a big deal about it, it might’ve been a rumor.

That kid’s got some guts, throwing out dark humor like that. Seems like they’ve got a knack for comedy. I’ll have to talk to them later. For now, let’s roll with it.

“Well, beating up Gehenna kids is something we’re all good at, right? I bet every one of you has sent one of their kids to the hospital at least once.”

Honestly, except for the first-years, who hasn’t? In a normal situation, it’d be a localized skirmish, but fights with Gehenna are special—they always end up as bloody messes. It’s pretty insane.

All that talk about Halo’s superiority or each student’s physical durability? It doesn’t mean squat in front of artillery. I learned that for sure when I saw Wakamo get knocked out cold by a direct hit last time.

“Anyway, I’m not here to talk much. A checkpoint captain’s no different from a checkpoint chief, and you guys wouldn’t listen even if I yelled, right? Let’s just remember what our checkpoint does and what we need to protect. What’s our job?”

“Beating up Gehenna!”

“No, no, that’s not it. If you don’t want to hear the Tea Party throwing a fit, let’s rephrase that! Our target is the Gehenna students who ignore the disciplinary committee and cause chaos, plus the ones who occasionally stage violent protests in the academy city or D.U. We’ve done this a few times, haven’t we? So, what’s our job?”

“Beating up violent agitators!”

…Uh, the word choice is a bit off. Doesn’t that sound like something a military dictatorship would use against pro-democracy protesters?

The meaning’s technically correct, but it makes us sound like the bad guys. Still, since the majority’s on board, let’s just call the protesters “violent agitators” from now on. Who’s gonna care anyway?

“…Right, violent agitators! Aren’t those damn troublemakers the reason we can’t go to dessert cafes like the city girls? We could go on strike like those Red Winter mercenaries, but we’re holding back out of patriotism, aren’t we?”

“Exactly!”

“So, who do we need to take down?”

“Violent agitators!”

“Perfect. One last thing, and I’m gonna switch to informal speech now! Kids, none of us want trouble, so just listen to me, okay? I’ll give you advice, bonuses, and top-notch service!”

Nice, the kids are cheering. Looks like my reputation as the new checkpoint captain is off to a solid start. Just to be safe, I’ll hand out some cocoa powder in a few days.

As I was about to step off the platform, Sayuri-san, who’d climbed up at some point, tapped my shoulder. Looks like something’s up, judging by the call log on the phone she handed me.

“The Justice and Discipline Department called. They need us to suppress a protest.”

“…Really? Talk about perfect timing. Tell Ritsuko-chan to bring Hifumi-chan.”

Sayuri-chan went back down, and I climbed back onto the platform, grabbing the mic again. The checkpoint crew, who’d started chatting about where to hang out after disbanding, looked at me with puzzled expressions.

I shouted into the mic with all I had.

“Kids, we’ve got work to do!”

*From the perspective of a random checkpoint member*

They say our checkpoint is the last one standing after the others shut down, and this new captain is the chief of it. Honestly, it was a new face to me. I thought they might be some Tea Party parachuter, but hearing they’re from the same workplace put me at ease.

Since checkpoints barely share info with each other, I just shrugged it off.

The captain climbed onto the platform wearing a square hat. Gotta say, they gave a pretty good speech.

By the end, me and my old checkpoint buddies, along with a bunch of other students, were cheering for the new captain.

I thought they were pretty cool, especially when they mentioned occasional bonuses for things like protest suppression.

That is, if it hadn’t happened on the very day of the inauguration.

“First line, shields down!”

Boom! The sound echoed through the city. As forty-some checkpoint students armed with shields and batons lowered their shields, the protesting students flinched. I loaded a round, slotted it into the barrel, and twisted it.

Who could’ve guessed that today, of all days, protests would break out in so many places that even the Justice and Discipline Department couldn’t handle them? A banner declaring war on Gehenna waved in the center of the protest as the first line of students banged their batons on their shields and advanced.

Gunfire rang out from multiple directions, and the smell of gunpowder stung my nose. How intense must the firefight have been for the Justice Department to dust off their hands and pass it to us?

“Second line, raise weapons!”

I don’t think Trinity’s ever used this kind of suppression tactic before. It’s the kind of thing you’d see when suppressing Red Winter Federation Academy’s mercenary students in D.U. How bold is this new captain to adopt such an “extreme” method?

Honestly, if a news outlet like Chronos slapped a juicy headline on this, the checkpoint would be disbanded overnight, and we’d all be out of a job. But for now, orders are orders.

“Fire!”

I pulled the trigger, and dozens of rounds flew into the heart of the protest. Soon, white smoke billowed from the tear gas canisters, reminding me of Red Winter’s central square or D.U.’s streets.

Come to think of it, this suppression method is exactly like how the old Valkyrie kids used to do it. I’ve been in a protest or two myself, so I know.

From the suppressor’s perspective, it’s super convenient. Once the protesters inhale a ton of tear gas and start thrashing, they’re too exhausted to resist. We just have to drag the half-dead bodies away.

“Tear gas! Those crazy checkpoint bitches are using tear gas!”

“Second line, reload!”

It’s chaos—gas in their eyes, their noses, total pandemonium. Even the Pater faction, screaming about war, is mostly made up of girls who’ve never fired a shot, let alone dealt with tear gas.

I silently watched the students writhe in pain from the unexpected blow, reloading a round into the barrel. I pulled the trigger again, and the first line raised their shields.

If I remember right, it’s about time for the charge…

“Load live rounds! First line, shields up and stand by!”

“Captain, when do we move in?”

“When Sayuri-san blows the whistle!”

I loaded live rounds and took aim. The student next to the captain blew a whistle, and as the captain played the bagpipes, the first line charged.

I tightened my mask and stepped into the street, filled with white fog and groaning students.

*Back to Hikari’s pov*

“…Phew, good work, everyone. I’ll put in a request for the bonuses, and they’ll hit your accounts when approved.”

“Thanks, Captain. Have a good night.”

“Oh, and our checkpoint break room’s nice, so come hang out. I’ll make you some cocoa.”

After taking down the so-called “violent agitators” and handing them over to the Justice and Discipline Department, our job was done. Unless something major happens, the Justice Department probably won’t call for backup again. My days will likely go back to the boring routine of beating up Gehenna kids.

Either way, I’m in a great mood right now. I’d always wondered, watching those D.U. sparrow brats suppress protests with tear gas, artillery, and all sorts of gear, if we could do the same. Today, I got my answer.

The conclusion? It works really well. Of course it does—Trinity, with its obsession with elegance, rarely uses tear gas suppression, so it’s bound to be effective.

Even at the checkpoint, we only train with tear gas once or twice a month. How could city girls handle it? And for any student crazy enough to keep rioting after inhaling tear gas, we’ve got bullets and shells as a solid countermeasure. No downsides so far.

Alright, I made a strong impression at the inauguration. If I keep doing good work, maybe I can climb higher. Yamatsu Hikari, Luther faction leader—let’s do this.

And the next day

“Violent Agitators” Suppressed: Is It Just?

Trinity Academy’s Checkpoint Suppression Tactics Stir Controversy

…Those damn Chronos reporters.