[Blue Archive] I am the Trinity Checkpoint Chief – Chapter 43

“Detonate—!”

“Second Bridge detonation complete!”

A massive explosion roared, and the crude red iron bridge vanished from sight.

I watched the scene with satisfaction. In the pitch-black pre-dawn, the light illuminating the surroundings could be a comforting sight for a troubled heart. The fact that it was one of the few iron bridges connecting Trinity General Academy and Gehenna Academy was a bit of an issue, though.

The bridge’s destruction marked the start of the sheep-herding strategy. When combat reports come in from outposts in the eastern jurisdiction, personnel stationed at the bridge will use explosives to block their path. If we block them one by one, we’ll eventually predict where they’re headed.

That bridge falls under the Prefect Team’s jurisdiction, not ours, but that’s exactly why we blew it up first. I trust the capabilities of Gehenna’s Prefect Team, but I don’t believe they’ll succeed in defending it. As Nagisa-sama said, they’re ultimately outsiders.

If they fail to defend, I’ll be the one taking the blame for this mess. That’s not happening.

The bridge’s destruction isn’t just for that purpose. It’s also… a bit of a gamble.

The Prefect Team’s reaction will determine the success or failure of this plan. Without their approval, even citing Nagisa-sama’s emergency order as justification, this plan is nearly impossible to execute. It’s radical and arguably shortsighted, deserving criticism.

Why am I so desperate to catch the Supplementary Lessons Department?

I don’t know. When I was on the phone with Nagisa-sama, I was ready to defy her, grumbling about why I had to do this. After hanging up, I was still muttering complaints. Yet, in just ten minutes, this Yamatsu Hikari changed.

Was my desire to resolve things with Hanako that strong? Maybe the sense of betrayal I felt when I heard about her influenced me, or perhaps the fact that a friend I’d grown close to was avoiding me for absurd reasons weighed heavily on my heart.

What’s certain is that right now, I feel I have to talk to Hanako somehow.

This is driving me crazy.

“…Secure communication, Third Demolition Team combat report, combat report! A firefight has broken out at the outpost!”

“Don’t wait for the outpost’s signal—pull the lever! No, don’t report, just assess the situation on-site and detonate immediately! If you miss the timing, it’s only a matter of time before they escape!”

“Got it, I’ll do that next time. Newgate Bridge detonation… detonation complete!”

Due to the distance, the explosion wasn’t audible. Only a red glow beyond the horizon lit up the dark sky.

That’s the second one.

Originally, the border checkpoint can request control over bridges and roads, but arbitrarily destroying or sabotaging them without Tea Party approval is strictly prohibited by academy law. This, too, is one of the measures established to prevent coups based on precedent.

Thus, even with Nagisa-sama’s order as justification, taking such a hardline, possibly radical, and what some might call revolutionary action is tantamount to suicide. It’s outright insane.

But I thought this extreme approach was the only way to balance the numerous bridges against our limited personnel. We’re large enough to maintain public order, but not enough to seal off the entire border. Hanako and Shirasu-san will surely slip through our encirclement with ease.

So, how do we secure legitimacy?

Surprisingly, it’s simple. All military operations are justified under the approval of the supreme commander.

I contacted Nagisa-sama directly, pleading for authority to destroy bridges and road facilities. Fortunately, kind-hearted Nagisa-sama granted permission before I had to grovel at the Tea Party.

Now, even if those Tea Party administrators drag me to a hearing, I can stand tall. Bring it on, bastards.

“Contact with Outpost 3 has been lost. They’re probably all knocked out.”

“Looks like it. Tell the medics to grab their kits.”

“Yes, ma’am. Hey, grab the tools! It’s work time!”

The only downside to this approach is that our team has to work their butts off until those kids show up in front of us.

Given Shirasu-san’s notorious reputation as a bomb maniac, I expected some damage. I didn’t expect her to neutralize our junior squads so quickly, though. She probably used the explosives in her bag.

How do we respond? Honestly, maybe we don’t need to. If they have nowhere to go, they’ll get caught eventually.

“Where do you think they’re headed now, Sayuri-san?”

“I’m not sure, but based on their general direction, they’re coming our way. They’ll soon be in range of the Caesar cannons, so they’ll notice once we start firing.”

“Right… Oh, hold on, I’ve got a call.”

Rrrrring. The call I’d been waiting for came through.

The screen clearly displayed “Senior Administrator” in bold characters. The phone rang vigorously, as if reflecting the caller’s emotions. They’re probably going to chew me out the moment I pick up.

Clunk. A sharp voice shot at me.

“Are you out of your mind?!”

“Good evening, Administrator?”

“Good evening, my foot! What the hell are you doing?! Do you know the entire Prefect Team is on high alert? Is Trinity finally declaring war on Gehenna? You’re launching a sneak attack without a declaration of war, aren’t you? Is that what you want me to believe?!”

“Sorry about that. But it was bound to happen sooner or later, so I just woke you up a bit early. We’ve got a situation on our end.”

The Senior Administrator let out a hollow laugh, clearly dumbfounded.

I feel bad for the Supplementary Lessons Department, but sometimes you have to “create” justification. Like adding a bit of fiction to the skeleton of truth, in a way that suits the listener’s taste.

I’ll have to play dumb. I didn’t exactly lie, after all.

“Truth is, we’re half in a state of emergency here. Some terrorist-like kids are causing a ruckus in the mountains, trying to escape to Gehenna. The higher-ups told us to close the border, so I’m just following orders and trying to stop them. Honestly, they’ll probably break through soon.”

“…Is that true? I heard there’s intense fighting at Trinity’s border outposts. But what does that have to do with blowing up bridges? Do you know how shocked the Prefect Team members managing those bridges were?”

“They’d have been shocked by the Supplementary Lessons Department anyway. But here’s the thing—I’ve got a proposal for you.”

“What is it?”

“Those kids trying to cross over? I’ll take responsibility and either capture them all or disarm them so they can’t cause trouble. In exchange, I’d appreciate it if you could overlook any of our forces or shells crossing into Gehenna’s autonomous zone. And maybe lift the alert.”

“And what can you offer us?”

“I’ll personally cover the cost of rebuilding all the destroyed bridges. That’s fair, right?”

The big-chested administrator paused, seemingly considering the proposal’s logic.

In terms of justification, it’s almost absurd. Even ignoring the longstanding enmity between Trinity and Gehenna, bringing another academy’s military into an autonomous zone is, in peacetime, tantamount to treason.

All military operations prioritize the interests of their academy, and you never know when they might turn their guns on the students or academy that let them in. This applies to Trinity, Gehenna, Millennium, and Abydos alike. The military is an untrustworthy entity.

I made this proposal because I believe my reputation among Trinity students is decent. I know that at least the Prefect Team leader and the Senior Administrator don’t distrust or antagonize me.

Put yourself in their shoes. If a student who left a good impression at the first meeting causes a stir and says, “It’s because we’re handling our business, and we’ll handle yours too, so just let it slide this once,” wouldn’t you consider it?

Hmm.

Maybe not?

The Senior Administrator didn’t respond for a few minutes. Maybe she went to the bathroom.

In the meantime, two more bridges sank into their homeland’s blue waves. Judging by the Supplementary Lessons Department’s increased speed, they likely stole a vehicle from one of the neutralized outposts.

Since they’re heading our way, we need to prepare. I ordered the Caesar artillery battery to deploy and waited.

“…The leader approved. She said we can trust you once or twice.”

“Thanks. I’ll take full responsibility for this. I owe you a meal when you visit.”

“Don’t forget that we trusted your word.” The administrator hung up with a chilling warning.

Alright, permission granted. The demolition team and troops are ready. Our objective is clear.

When the task is set, it’s a public servant’s duty to carry it out diligently, right?

“Hey, load the shells! Let’s fire a salvo and make it quick!”

“Understood! First Battery, load and stand by—fire!”

***

Urawa Hanako was deeply troubled.

And understandably so. Unlike the previous tests, which had gone smoothly, this time she had to head to Gehenna’s autonomous zone.

But that wasn’t the main source of her unease. The real issue, holding the majority stake in her distress, was the current situation. Shells were falling left and right, and their vehicle was shaking precariously.

The person behind all this was clear: Hikari-san, the student I thought might stage a coup. Ironically, in some ways, she was now faithfully serving as Filius’s shield.

Questions of why and how arose, but they weren’t about a coup.

It was known that she’d recently had a major falling out with Kirifuji Nagisa. So why was she carrying out these orders so desperately?

Sure, she might act meek in front of her superiors, but she’s a club leader.

She commands a legion of hundreds and wields significant authority. In some ways, she’s in a position to openly defy Nagisa. And for her specifically, she holds the strongest military power among current club leaders.

Yet, Hikari-san is now bombarding the area where the Supplementary Lessons Department is presumed to be, blocking our movements and trying to seal off our path. She’s already destroyed five bridges to prevent us from reaching Gehenna.

Is this really worth it?

“Incoming artillery ahead, swerve!”

“Argh, Azusa, you’re driving too rough!”

“Sensei, be careful!”

A few shrapnel fragments hit the window. By sheer luck, the glass didn’t shatter.

The artillery fire was getting more precise. The border checkpoint must have figured out which road we’re using. That also meant we were getting closer to them.

They needed to prepare for combat. So far, Azusa-chan’s explosives had somehow managed, but the scale of the enemy we’d face this time might be too much for dynamite—or even Sensei’s abilities.

Hanako was about to warn the students to prepare. But suddenly, there was no need.

“…A bridge.”

“The shelling stopped… Oh, it’s a bridge.”

“…”

A long road stretched toward the bridge leading to Gehenna. The highway seemed to extend endlessly, almost touching the horizon.

In the distance, approaching forces became visible. At least a hundred checkpoint personnel, self-propelled guns angled for direct fire, waiting. There were probably explosives set under the bridge too.

Hikari-san stood in the center, holding a megaphone.

“…”

Hanako couldn’t tear her eyes away.

Hmm.

Here’s the thing.

There was a student standing there.

She wasn’t even glancing at the other four.

She was looking at me.

Hanako—no, I—had to admit it.

I could feel her emotions.

So, how did Hikari-san really feel?

Well, yeah.

It felt like she was waiting for me.