[Blue Archive] I am the Trinity Checkpoint Chief – Chapter 52

“That’s one hell of a blast. What’s going on? Koharu-chan, could it be the Justice Task Force…?”

“No, no. Commander Tsurugi said the Justice Task Force is on standby at the annex under Tea Party orders. I’m thinking… maybe the Guards are attacking Arius?”

“I neutralized the Guards myself, Koharu.”

“…Anyway!”

Trinity General Academy’s main building, the spacious activity room on the first floor of the gymnasium.

Amid the sprawl of fallen Arius faction members, the Supplementary Lessons Department members were speculating about the sudden external skirmish instead of the expected reinforcements.

Hanako thought she was the most rattled of the five. Koharu’s usual nonsensical chatter was cute, but compared to the others, Hanako was clearly struggling with the situation.

Just beyond the gym doors, a fierce battle raged a few dozen meters away. She didn’t know what was happening, but judging by the explosions, she guessed the artillery stationed nearby had preemptively struck Arius reinforcements.

But then, infantry gunfire suggested otherwise. Did the artillery unit have infantry?

Hanako had to be cautious. An unexpected variable—whether it was the artillery, surviving Guards, or a third force—meant they might not see the Supplementary Class as allies.

She didn’t know what to do. She could go out to assess the situation, but what about Sensei? If Sensei got hit by a stray bullet…

But they couldn’t hide here forever. It seemed likely that scouts would find them after the battle ended.

Maybe they should take the initiative.

“Um, Sensei, what if—”

“Hanako, how about going out?”

“—Huh?”

“The situation out there seems serious. If Arius wins, we’ll be at a disadvantage, won’t we?”

Ugh, Sensei beat me to it.

Nodding quietly, Sensei asked Azusa-chan, Koharu-chan, and Hifumi-chan to pack up. While Azusa-chan deftly gathered ammo, Koharu-chan seemed to be wandering aimlessly.

Hanako worried about Sensei’s safety outside the gym, but Sensei insisted on checking the situation, brushing off concerns. I didn’t say it, but what does that make me?

‘Well, heh, this is why I want to tease Sensei even more.’

She wiped the muzzle of her long-time companion, Honest Wish, with a handkerchief. The gun was caked with gunpowder soot from constant fighting. At least the magazine hadn’t jammed or run out yet.

Sensei stubbornly refused Azusa-chan’s plea to wear a bulletproof vest, saying, “I have my own precautions, so don’t worry.” If I wasn’t worried, I wouldn’t say this, Sensei. I’m genuinely concerned.

The gym doors rattled, spilling dust. Judging it safest to move right after a bombardment, Hanako opened the door. Under the faint moonlight of the dark night, chaos unfolded.

“Where the hell’s the artillery?! Find their position—argh!”

“Round up these damn bastards! Branded half a millennium ago, and they dare set foot in Trinity again?! Did these idiots think we’d just sit back while they wreak havoc, you shits?!”

“Haha, Hikari-chan’s got a foul mouth☆ They’re comrades who’ve endured centuries hating Trinity and Gehenna, you know? With more combat experience than your soldiers, maybe this was a bad choice?”

“Mika-sama, start thinking about begging Nagisa-sama when this is over! I don’t know what nonsense you’ve been fed, but this isn’t a coup—it’s treason!”

Amid the chaotic melee of hundreds, Hanako spotted someone familiar.

She couldn’t take her eyes off her.

***

There’s one piece of good news and one piece of bad news. Since the situation’s urgent, I’ll say it my way. Good news first: Mika-sama’s Arius faction is starting to get pushed back.

Thanks to the Communications Director issuing the garrison order, we could unleash an artillery barrage in the heart of Trinity’s city. Arius doesn’t even have a single recoilless rifle, let alone artillery, so they’re getting blasted by 6.1-inch shells.

As I always say, if you’re outgunned, you lose, you idiots.

But there’s bad news too. The shell casing that just hit the ground was my last bullet. In a chaotic melee with unclear frontlines, a student without ammo is basically defenseless.

But I’m prepared. If you don’t have teeth, use your gums, right? Knowing this might happen, I had steel plates attached to the stocks of all our L85s at the Checkpoint a few days ago.

I targeted a distracted student nearby. It’s simple: smash the stock down on their gas mask.

Three, two, one!

“Ow! What the—wait, you…”

“One more time, you bastard.”

The first hit stunned them mentally; the second obliterated their consciousness physically. Poor kid, but they should blame their bosses for starting this in the city. I didn’t do anything wrong.

Since the stock worked on an Arius member, it’s my main weapon now☆. But unlike when I had bullets, I have to risk getting hit by grenades to get close.

Now that I think about it, these guys are weird. They only respond when you use bullets, so why don’t they just use grenade launchers?

“Right?”

“What, what did you say? Don’t come closer!”

“No, just something random.”

Before the student could respond, I smashed their head with the stock. Oops, a physical weak point. The effect was spectacular!

Boom! A 6.1-inch shell from a Caesar, firing indiscriminately from miles away, hit the gym’s roof. Shrapnel flew, literally blowing away some students. Chaos erupted briefly.

The 6.1-inch shells are reliable, but in a melee like this, friendly fire is a risk. I’ve been dodging, but one or two hits could mean at least four weeks of recovery.

I wonder if our kids are okay. I’m too deep in to get a read on the situation.

“Oh, Hikari-chan☆ There you are!”

Now I definitely get the situation.

I’m screwed.

“What’s this, running away? Where’s the confident Hikari-chan from before the fight?”

“I saw you smash our kids’ guns like they were nothing, Mika-sama. Why should I fight you? I won’t—can’t! Get away! I’m not even halfway through my life, and I don’t want to die with a broken spine!”

“No, you won’t die. Just a couple of months in the hospital, right?”

“That’s the same thing!!”

I need to graduate third year before I die! Save me!

I scrambled through the chaotic battlefield, dodging the elephant-like senpai slowly closing in. Honestly, I’ll probably get caught soon, but still! I’m running with all my might!

I hate how Mika-sama’s walking toward me like it’s a game. Why is she so strong? And why start a coup like it’s a prank? More importantly, it’s about time for another artillery strike, so if I don’t run—

—BOOM!

Thud.

And I’m back up.

“…What?!”

“What’s what? You got team-killed, Hikari-chan. And now you’re right in front of me.”

A chill ran down my spine. Looking up, Mika-sama was staring at me with a playful grin, hands behind her back. The way she flicked off her safety catch told me she’d decided to take me down.

This can’t happen. From the start, things went wrong. I was expecting a calm, controlled trench warfare, but look at this—it’s a street brawl.

Normally, a strategy officer who screws up this badly gets sacked, but I’m about to get sacked physically.

Mika-sama casually straddled my fallen body, leaning in close.

“Hikari-chan, do you watch old movies?”

“Uh, no. I’ve seen some, but…”

“They sometimes have scenes like this: one person tries to strangle another with a sword, and the other desperately blocks it.”

“…”

“I want to reenact that here. Like a princess, just like this!”

Clang!

I instinctively blocked Mika-sama’s gun as it came for my throat. The L85’s clunky stock clashed with the Lanchester submachine gun’s body, producing a shrill metallic sound. Sensing her seriousness, I put all my strength into my arms.

Ugh… I’m way outmatched in strength. What does she eat to get that kind of power from such a small frame?! At this rate, I’ll pass out from strangulation, then it’s off to a cell.

“Urgh…!”

“No way, Hikari-chan. I’m stronger, aren’t I?”

“…Cough, ugh… cough…”

I’m losing. Her strength was pressing through the gun and stock, choking my throat. I tried to break free, but it was no use. Against Mika-sama, called the strongest in the Tea Party, her grip didn’t budge.

I could feel the oxygen to my brain cutting off. My head was getting foggy, thoughts slipping— No! Think! What do I do? But my vision… fading…

“No… way…”

“Yes way, Hikari-chan. Nothing’s impossible.”

“There’s something. Stop it!”

A clear voice cut through even as my consciousness faded. I’ve heard it before… at the Cathedral, a few times. As a nominal Tea Party member, I couldn’t not know her. She’s a figure of immense political and military weight.

Mika-sama, momentarily distracted, released my throat. I shoved her off and escaped. She wasn’t fazed, but she was focused on assessing the situation, barely glancing at me.

“…Cough! Cough… Sakurako-sama, why are you here…?”

“I’m wondering that myself, Hikari-chan. But I think I know who called.”

“…”

Mika-sama stared at the pink-haired girl with the Cathedral’s forces. I know her too, and she knows me well. We’ve got history, good and bad. She glanced at me briefly.

Hanako, why are you coming out of the gym?

“Hanako, you…!”

“…Yes. I just made a deal.”

“A deal…?”

“You don’t need to know. And…”

Boom!

With a massive explosion, the Sisterhood appeared. The authoritative convent leader had a resolute look. Mari, whom I hadn’t seen in a while, was covered in dust.

“May peace and safety be with you today… cough.”

“Sisterhood will break tradition and intervene in the Tea Party’s internal conflict. Misono Mika of the Tea Party, you are under Sisterhood’s autonomous regulation for inciting harm and attempted harm against other Tea Party members.”

Mika-sama didn’t seem to agree.

“Oh… so, Sakurako-chan from the Sisterhood? Haha, my first time fighting you guys. Is this your trump card? How did you get the Sisterhood to move, Hanako-chan? You’re close with them, right? What did you pay? Those shady nuns wouldn’t move without gain.”

“…”

Mika-sama, struggling to process the shift, was talking more than usual. With the Sisterhood’s involvement tipping the scales, she might be afraid of losing.

But I’m curious. How did Hanako drag the peace-obsessed nuns, who ignored Gehenna issues, into this? She’s called a genius, but this isn’t small-scale.

…Did she make a plea deal?

“This’ll be fun. More people to deal with is a hassle, though.”

“…You’re shaken, Mika-san.”

“No, I was going to clean out the Cathedral once I became Host anyway. Might as well handle the hassle now.”

Her voice trembled despite her words. Given the situation, she’s been put at a severe disadvantage, so it makes sense.

While Mika-sama faced off with the Sisterhood, I slipped to the rear. Sayuri-san and some students were tending to injured members, preserving our forces. Most were in tattered clothes, bloodied, and a mess.

“Sorry for dragging you into this mess at night. One more push, and I’ll treat you big in a few days.”

“I trust you, Captain. Those Arius bastards… just pissed me off. Always lobbing grenades. Some were so close they knocked themselves out. I thought I was gonna die.”

“Yeah, exactly. Hold on a bit longer. One more fight. Got it?”

Most of the members nodded silently—a sign of agreement. Am I that popular?

“…Alright. Shall we do this?”

“Mika-san! Still planning to fight? You can’t win. Drop your weapon!”

“Maybe. But I didn’t come this far to surrender. I’ll go as far as I can.”

—Tat-tat-tat-tat!

Unlike the first fight, Mika-sama launched a surprise preemptive attack. The few remaining Arius members joined in.

They’re battered, so no matter how much they struggle, what can they do? Mika-sama must know this, but it’s a matter of conviction. Arius is just following orders.

The important thing is, I’m not handing all the credit to the Sisterhood. I deserve at least 40%. I grabbed my military whistle and blew it with all my might.

—Pweeet!

“All forces, charge! Glory to the Border Checkpoint!”

“Waaaah—!”