[Blue Archive] I am the Trinity Checkpoint Chief – Chapter 32

Let me be honest.

I, Kirifuji Nagisa, am a suspicious person. 

As the host of the Tea Party and the leader of the Filius faction, I must approach everything with caution.

Trinity General Academy is vast, and I have many enemies.

At the Tea Party hall, there are students who walk the same path as me.

They help me, support me, and strive to realize their ideals within and beyond the massive organization of Filius. 

Some students stand out in my memory. Tsurugi-san, Hasumi-san, the students of the Justice Realization Committee, the artillery corps, the escort unit…

…And the Checkpoint Captain.

Mika-san told me that recently, students from the Pater faction gave Hikari-san a nickname.

The Totalitarianist.

I don’t know exactly how Hikari-san handles their gatherings, but I know it’s not with kindness.

Of course, I don’t think she’s a traitor to Trinity. It’s just… I’m worried.

The Checkpoint Captain, Hikari-san, is a student who knows how to push her agenda. And that also means she’s skilled at subtly hiding her true intentions.

When she called out of the blue asking about the Supplementary Lessons Department, I was genuinely shocked. What could her intentions be for approaching Hanako-san? It scared me.

Hikari-san has some kind of agenda.

Since her promotion, she’s expanded the Checkpoint’s scale at a terrifying pace, and now it boasts firepower surpassing even the Tea Party’s artillery corps.

Where her blade is aimed… well, only she would know. I hope it’s not at me.

She’s not a traitor.

***

“…So, what do you think, Captain?”

“It’s pretty good.”

Slurp. Captain Tsurugi-san seemed to enjoy the homemade cocoa.

After days holed up in a corner of Checkpoint headquarters, I came to town at the Justice Task Force’s request for support. I loaded the kids into the truck and headed to the protest site, only to witness—oh no!—nearly three hundred students engaged in a full-blown gunfight.

I understood why the Justice Task Force passed this mess to us.

Slurp.

But no matter how large the protesters’ numbers, it’s no big deal for the Checkpoint. The Justice Task Force estimated this was one of the top five largest protests in history, but Trinity’s Checkpoint members can easily take down high-society ladies in one-on-one fights.

Running into Captain Tsurugi-san, who was window-shopping at a doll store in town, was pure coincidence, but, well, she likes cocoa, so it’s fine.

Cocoa teatime with the Captain. A hundred meters ahead, a chaotic brawl is unfolding with radical factions like Pater getting bashed with shields and tear gas flying everywhere, but most of the kids volunteered because they wanted to beat people up, so don’t blame me.

Captain Tsurugi-san, who downed the last few sips in one go, turned her gaze to me.

“Checkpoint Captain, I’d like to know why you called me here. I know it’s not just for teatime. You’re not the type to sip tea in the middle of a protest site for fun.”

“Well, you’re not wrong. It’s not just about drinking tea. It’s more like… a spectacle.”

“A spectacle?”

“You’ll see if you wait. Here, Captain, have another cup.”

I twisted open the tumbler and filled the Captain’s cup with cocoa. Slurp. Seeing her lips curl up naturally put me in a good mood. Maybe after I graduate, I should just sell cocoa for a living.

It’s a peaceful scene. In anime or movies, they’d play a fitting song for this vibe, but sadly, this is reality, so all you hear is a mix of gunshots, thuds, tank cannon blasts, and all sorts of noise.

Of course, I’m not slacking off until the protest is fully suppressed. I’m just waiting for the right moment.

-Senpai, everything’s ready.

-Got it. Sayuri-san’s got it handled.

Speak of the tiger, and it appears—perfect timing.

I filled an empty cup to the brim with cocoa. It’s probably tastier than the others. I poured another for the Captain, who was distracted by the street scene, and she finally turned her head, realizing I was up to something.

Oh. Our eyes met.

Most people would cower under the Captain’s gaze, but maybe I’ve built up a tolerance, or my brain’s so soaked in blood it’s gone numb, because I didn’t react much. Or maybe I’ve become something on her level.

Unfazed by Captain Tsurugi-san’s stare, I raised my cup.

“Captain, while we’re having teatime, how about a toast?”

“Fine by me.”

The Captain raised her cup too. There was a cracking sound from the cup that shouldn’t have been there, but since the cocoa didn’t spill, it’s probably fine.

I mean, the handle just broke, and the Captain panicked, almost dropping the cup, fumbling with it before settling on gripping it with her hand, but it’s really fine.

-Security comms, Artillery Commander transmitting. Firing solution: rear 90, elevation 03 confirmed.

-Confirmed. Authority delegated from Buttstock. Lock frequency and brace for impact.

…

Sayuri-san, you’re dead later.

“Didn’t you say we’re toasting, Checkpoint Captain? You don’t look too happy.”

“…It’s nothing. Really nothing. Alright, let’s keep the toast simple.”

“To the Justice Task Force and the Checkpoint.”

“To our order.”

Clink. The clean sound of cups clinking.

-Commence firing! Shoot!!

The quiet sound of two students sipping cocoa, and then…

BOOOOOOOM!!

…The simultaneous roar of ten howitzer batteries. Isn’t it beautiful?

The cocoa in my mouth tasted twice as sweet, absolutely delicious. The street, now empty except for our team, was shrouded in thick smoke, and the cheers of the riot suppressors who’d cleared out after hearing the radio reached us here.

The protest site, filled with red and black smoke, was dead silent. After getting hit with ten 7 kg high-explosive shells at once, they’re either knocked out or barely conscious and fleeing. We can leisurely hand them over to the Justice Task Force.

I’ll say it again: what a beautiful sight.

“…The Checkpoint Captain has some nasty hobbies. I didn’t take you for the type.”

“Come on, we both deal with a ton of stress. Can’t you relate a little? Sometimes you need to blow off steam like this.”

“I’ll agree to an extent.”

Her response was a bit rough, but when she asked if there was more cocoa left, it seemed like she was in a decent mood. Those people passed out on the street are regulars in the Justice Task Force’s cells. Even the rational Captain Tsurugi-san must feel some satisfaction seeing those troublemakers face-down on the ground.

Bringing a Caesar to the city center was a first, but it yielded unexpected results.

Who knew 155mm direct artillery fire would be this effective for riot suppression? Taking out three hundred armed students with guns, anti-tank cannons, and tanks with just ten high-explosive shells? Where else can you get such cost-efficiency?

From now on, we should bring a Hippo truck for riot suppression. Artillery is divine, and shells are its apostles.

Nothing beats gunpowder for dealing with heretics.

“…Checkpoint Captain, your face is too relaxed.”

“Huh? Oh, haha… sorry, I got lost in a little fantasy. We’re about to pull out, so teatime’s over. You’re not heading anywhere, Captain?”

“I’ve got a meeting soon, so I was about to leave. Thanks for the cocoa.”

With a quick goodbye, Captain Tsurugi-san vanished in an instant.

Hmm.

Teatime ended a bit abruptly. It’s just a scheduling conflict, so nothing to be done.

Captain Tsurugi-san’s a great person, so even if I suddenly asked for another teatime, she’d either politely decline with a good reason or happily agree. Maybe later I’ll invite the entire Justice Task Force for a group teatime in the lounge.

For now, handing over the unconscious students takes priority over random thoughts. I got up and headed toward my juniors hauling students out of the smoky chaos. Ritsuko-chan was carrying two administrators, one on each shoulder.

“Hey, it’s senpai! I saw you sipping cocoa over there—help out a bit!”

“I was just thinking, Ritsuko-chan, you’re so much like Mika-san.”

“I’m being completely ignored?! Wait, you’re saying I’m like Mika-san? Apologize!”

Ritsuko-chan couldn’t take a joke as a joke.

Of course, Mika-san’s human rights were thoroughly trampled.

The administrators Ritsuko-chan dropped in her tantrum had it worse, though.

***

Midnight at the Supplementary Lessons Department’s clubroom.

Hanako was organizing documents alone. Hanako fundamentally doesn’t trust Tea Party students. Most of them have words, actions, and hearts that don’t align.

High society, steeped in deception and political tragedy, is a disgusting place.

Hikari-san is a different kind of person. If she dislikes someone, she’s openly hostile, not sarcastic or scheming.

The question is, what are the intentions she’s hiding?

Hanako covers her disillusionment with school life with all sorts of perverse behavior.

The reason Nagisa sent her to the Supplementary Lessons Department is that there’s something suspicious about her. 

So, what’s the intention behind Hikari-san, who blanketed Trinity’s city center with gunfire all morning?

A show of force, a warning to hostile factions?

That’s the wrong conclusion. The Checkpoint doesn’t belong to the Luther faction. Power is concentrated in individuals, not factions.

Then, a personal goal. The Checkpoint Captain’s aim in ruthlessly suppressing protests against the Filius faction.

For Filius, by Filius, yet not part of Filius—a contradiction.

Her consistent loyalty to the Tea Party since her promotion.

Is she trying to deceive Nagisa? If so, why?

Power, something she craves through expansion and adoption, her goal she’s reaching for…

…A rebellion?

No, in more diplomatic terms…

“…A coup.”

The documents Hanako was organizing scattered.