Toaru Hikuushi e no Seiyaku:V3Part2

Part 19 (Part 2 of Volume 3)

Into the clear blue sky of March, hundreds of pure white caps were thrown up.

The cheers of the fourth-year students echoed loudly in front of the Air Hunt Officer Academy auditorium.

Embracing and laughing with the friends they had shared four years of hardship with, they exchanged smiles and shared the emotions of completing their training as officer candidates.

These four hundred and fifty students graduated from the Air Hunt Officer Academy today, being promoted to second lieutenant candidates in the St Vault Air Navy. Starting tomorrow, they would head to their assigned posts, undergo a year of training, and ultimately dedicate themselves as second lieutenants for their country.

The plaza was filled with the smiles of the graduates. Clad in brand new white naval uniforms, they formed circles here and there, bidding farewell to friends as they prepared to take off to their respective battlefields.

Soon, underclassmen also joined the fourth-year circle.

Amid laughter, tears mixed in here and there. It was a scene of graduation no different from an ordinary school, but the fact that all of them would soon undertake life-or-death missions on the battlefield made this moment irreplaceable. Some of these students would undoubtedly lose their lives in the tumultuous seas. The possibility of everyone gathering again without losing a single person was impossible.

Yet, even so, the fourth-year student, Kagura Murasaki, maintained her usual nonchalant demeanour.

"This isn’t a goodbye for this life. No need for a grand send-off."

With a refreshing smile, she cast her gaze around at the mix of joy and sentiment.

"I also got into the St Vault military. Once I'm on a mission, I’ll write you a letter, Kiyoaki."

Third-year student, Sakagami Kiyoaki, caught a glimpse of Kagura in his slightly misty eyes, barely managing to suppress his emotions and return her smile.

"…Yes. Thank you so much, Kagura. I look forward to your continued guidance."

Every time Kiyoaki looked at Kagura, he felt as if his lost sister were right in front of him. The smile he had thought he would never see again was now so close, wrapping him in a nostalgic warmth, pushing the grief of his loss to some distant corner.

But starting tomorrow, Kagura would embark on her journey. The loneliness was painful.

"Kagura, I’ll write to you too… I promise, absolutely…"

Next to Kiyoaki, second-year student Cecil Hauer's face was already soaked with tears as her voice trembled. Kagura smiled and opened her arms wide.

"Come here, Cecil."

Cecil let the tears flow freely from her eyes as she jumped into Kagura's embrace.

"Kagura. I love you. Kagura."

Soaking Kagura's pristine uniform with her tears, Cecil unreservedly rubbed her cheek against her. Kagura gently stroked Cecil's small back and spoke softly.

"You don’t have to cry. We’ll meet again. I’ll also work hard to become a great soldier, so you do your best too, Cecil."

"Y-yes… Yes…"

As Cecil sobbed, clinging to Kagura, she wouldn’t let go. Kagura, with a wry smile, turned to third-year student Illia Kreischmidt, who stood rigidly at attention before her.

"Thank you, Illia. I’m counting on you for the swordsmanship club. I’ll leave the teaching materials behind, so feel free to share your new swordsmanship in the Illia style."

"…Yes. I may be inexperienced, but I will do my best."

Illia received Kagura's words in a formal bow. From now on, Illia would inherit and develop the swordsmanship club Kagura had established.

"Kiyoaki also joined us. If you both hone your skills together, I believe you’ll reach even greater heights. I trust you."

"Yes. I will do my best."

Kiyoaki straightened his back and responded to Kagura's words. Due to the excessively rigorous training, the swordsmanship club was currently short-staffed, surviving only on the names of Kiyoaki, Cecil, Reiner, and Mio.

"Reiner too. Don’t skip out on practice. Moderate your weekend club activities."

Third-year student, Reiner Beck, with his usual carefree smile, directed a playful remark at Kagura.

"Man, I’m really gonna miss you, Kagura. Don’t forget to send me love letters!"

"Well, I won’t send you any love letters, but let’s meet again."

"Just so you know, I’m genuinely going to miss you. By the way, where’s Mio? Is she not coming? What a cold-hearted girl."

Reiner looked around lightly, but Kiyoaki and Kagura's expressions darkened.

"She’s not here…"

Kiyoaki cast his gaze into the crowd, but he couldn’t spot third-year student Mio Syira.

Since returning to the island of Crossnodal during winter break about two months ago, Mio's behaviour had dramatically changed. She had been overtly avoiding interactions with the Seven, always eating alone, and completely severing ties with her fellow students.

"There must be some significant reasons for it. I’ll try looking for her too; it would be lonely to graduate like this…"

Kagura also searched for Mio with concern, but she was nowhere to be found.

Instead, she discovered a different acquaintance.

"Balthazar… Why are you so easy to find…"

With an exasperated expression, she pointed at the fourth-year student, Balthazar Grim, who stood apart from the crowd, seemingly indifferent to the surrounding clamour.

While other fourth-year students were surrounded by friends and juniors, Balthazar stood alone with his hands stuffed in his pockets, gazing up at the sky as if to say, "Don’t make a fuss over graduation." His solitary stance was that of a genius fitting of the top of the fourth-year class, but the fact that he chose to stand in a spot where Kagura might notice revealed his true nature.

"If I leave him be, will he cry?"

At Kagura's teasing words, Kiyoaki chuckled wryly and rushed over to Balthazar.

"Captain, congratulations on your graduation. Thank you for everything."

Upon greeting, Balthazar feigned surprise, as if just realizing Kiyoaki was there.

"Oh, you were here. I didn’t notice."

"They’re all over there. Captain, let’s go too."

As Kiyoaki gestured toward Kagura and the others, Balthazar snorted in disinterest.

"They're still the same bunch who love to cozy up to each other. What’s the point of making a fuss over graduation? This is just a step in our journey as soldiers."

"Yeah, that might be true, but it’s going to be hard to spend time together anymore. I need to say goodbye to Kagura."

Kiyoaki urged Balthazar while giving him a push on the back. Despite his reluctance, Balthazar walked over to Kagura, his steps unsteady.

"Thanks for everything, Balta. It’s going to be lonely not seeing your smug face anymore."

Kagura, still holding onto Cecil, greeted him. Balthazar, arms crossed, glared at Kagura.

"Looks like this is the last time I’ll see your composed face, Murasaki. Not that you seem particularly emotional about it."

"Congratulations on your assignment to the St Vault Air Force Operations Headquarters. As expected. It’s starting to seem realistic that you’ll become the Chief of Staff one day."

"You've got a few years before that, rookie. You’re the one heading to the Voltec Air Squadron, right? Just make sure you don’t stray off the promotion path."

Balthazar, the top student of the fourth year, was assigned to the St Vault Air Force Operations Headquarters. It was the highest promotion route for officer candidates, and as Kagura said, it wasn’t far-fetched to dream of one day planning operations for the entire St Vault military. Meanwhile, Kagura was also assigned as a candidate officer to the strongest fighter squadron in the St Vault Air Force, the Voltec Air Squadron. If she excelled here, it wouldn’t be impossible for her to command the entire air force in the future.

Kagura looked directly at Balthazar, a smile on her face.

"I won’t forget our vow. For a lifetime."

Balthazar, caught off guard, looked sceptical before clicking his tongue and turning away.

"How foolish. This is child’s play."

Kiyoaki, Cecil, Illia, and Reiner all remembered the "vow" Kagura mentioned.

"Even if we become enemies, we will not hate each other."

"Friendship is eternal."

This was the vow made by the seven of them right after achieving a breakthrough against the enemy on the Eriadore airship.

Despite denying it with words, Balthazar’s profile hinted that the vow was still engraved in his heart.

Then, Reiner stretched up to gaze into the distance.

"Oh, I see Mio!"

Upon hearing this, Kiyoaki also looked in the same direction, but he didn’t see a figure that resembled Mio.

"I’ll go get her!"

Reiner hopped off into the crowd. Kiyoaki tried to follow, but Reiner held him back.

"No, you stay here. It might be someone else."

Stuck in place, Kiyoaki had no choice but to wait. Finally, Cecil pulled away from Kagura, her face a mess from crying, and looked up at Balthazar.

"Captain. I’m so sorry."

"Is there a problem?"

"Thank you for treating me like a tool all this time. I’ll never forget this treatment for the rest of my life."

"Ah, keep looking forward to it even after you join the military. I’ll prioritize sending you to every front where you’ll be in charge."

"I won’t forget this. I absolutely won’t forget what you just said. In a bad way."

As Cecil wiped her tears and vented her grievances, Balthazar, on the higher steps, fired back with insults. It seemed that even after all this time, they were still at each other’s throats. At first glance, they looked like they didn’t get along, but in a way, Cecil was the one who exchanged words most comfortably with Balthazar.

Kiyoaki scanned the surroundings. He couldn’t find Reiner or Mio anywhere. Worrying about it, he shared the remaining time with Kagura and Balthazar.

On the outskirts of the square, in the shade of the tree-lined path, Mio stood alone, watching the fourth-year students off in the distance.

Her eyes, colourless and dim, were fixed on the crowd. She placed one hand on the ginkgo tree trunk, staring intently.

To avoid being noticed, Reiner crept up from behind and spoke.

"I told you; you’re being way too suspicious. Why go out of your way to make people doubt you?"

Startled, Mio straightened her back and turned around.

Reiner, scratching the back of his head, continued as if teaching a wayward student.

"Just act normally. If you’re going to deceive someone, do it boldly. Don’t pretend to be a good kid now; that’s the most annoying thing of all."

Mio’s dark eyes concealed a flicker of anger as she responded in a low voice.

"I’m not pretending to be a good kid…"

"You don’t want to do this, but you’re doing it anyway, right? That’s the vibe you’re giving off. Are you stupid? If you’re going to do it, be serious about being a spy. If you keep it up, I’ll kill you."

Mio bit her lip, lowering her voice even further.

"What’s that supposed to mean? You act all high and mighty. Unlike you, I’m just an ordinary person. There’s no way I could do something like this with normal nerves."

Reiner let out a long, exaggerated sigh, lifting his face to remove the mask of his false persona, "Reiner Beck."

The undercover agent "Hachidori" stepped closer to Mio, roughly grabbing her collar and pulling her toward him, whispering in her ear.

"That’s not an appropriate attitude."

The voice was fundamentally different from Reiner Beck's. Fear flickered across Mio’s face. Hachidori continued in a low voice, audible only to her.

"Should I tell you what your father did? Do you think Sakagami would feel if he knew Ethan was the one who facilitated the invasion of Messus Island?"

"Stop…"

Mio was clearly trembling.

Along with her fear of the young siblings, Mio is also terrified of being hated by Kiyoaki.

If she were to be hated, it would be better to slowly disappear from Kiyoaki's sight. She wants to remain in his memory as a good memory. That was Mio's final wish.

If Kiyoaki learns the truth about the invasion of Messus Island, even that tiny wish will be impossible to fulfill.

Hachidori threatens Mio, having accurately read her inner turmoil.

"If you want this to stop, throw away your suspicious attitude. Don’t make me repeat myself. If what you’ve done is discovered, it will surely hurt Sakagami, Illia, Kagura, and Cecil. Do you want to make them sad?"

"…That’s not… possible…!"

"If you think so, deceive them with your life on the line. Act as if nothing has changed. You are already a tainted human being; whether you pretend to be virtuous or play the tragic heroine, you can never return to your former pure self."

At last, Hachidori released her grip. Mio collapsed, coughing. A few drops of water welled up in her eyes, but whether they were from suffering or sadness, only she could know.

Looking down at her proud yet elegant back, Hachidori threw a cold voice.

"Do you understand, useless women?"

Without retorting, Mio remained curled up, her back trembling slightly.

"Consider this your final warning. Balthazar is already keeping a wary eye on you. If you continue to act suspiciously, I will take your future from your siblings, reveal the truth of the invasion of Messus Island to Sakagami, and inform your comrades of your true identity."

Mio could only shake her head in silence.

"Get up. Steady yourself. As long as you follow my words, your siblings can live decent lives. Sakagami and your comrades will continue to remember you as a good memory, unaware of your true nature."

For a while, Mio remained curled up, breathing harshly. Occasionally, a sob escaped her, but gradually her breathing slowed.

Hachidori silently watched her back. He could sense what was happening inside Mio through her movements.

Mio wiped her eyes with her arm several times. Then, still hunched over, she asked.

"If I listen to you, Dominic, Kazuki, and Bonita won't have to go through this, right?"

"…Yeah."

"If those words are a lie, I’ll expose your true identity to everyone, and then I’ll die."

"…Fine."

"Report what I just said to Zenon. Then… I’ll listen to you."

Mio's final pride was encapsulated in her words. By becoming a part of Hachidori's fate, she could escape from the slight humiliation of being made subservient.

"I understand."

Once Hachidori agreed, Mio finally stood up and faced him again.

In her determined emerald eyes, a sad resolve was present.

"…You’re right. I pretended to be virtuous. I can’t go back to how I was before."

Despair towards life and a resignation that had thrown everything away were conveyed through her gaze. A person who has reached this point is easy to handle, but at the same time, also fragile.

Hachidori considered the possibility of Mio taking her own life.

—It wouldn’t bother me if this woman died. In fact, it would be a relief.

—But it would be troublesome if military personnel investigated the cause.

If the intelligence agency of St Vault found out, the secrets of the Syira family could be exposed. That would be a significant blow to the Urano special operations agency. Naturally, Zenon must be concerned about that possibility as well.

—If I protect Mio, it could score me some points…

If Hachidori could train Mio and complete her as a female spy without her committing suicide, the head of the multi-island division, Zenon, would surely appreciate it. If things went well, he could be freed from the dreary job of infiltration and step into a somewhat better position.

Rising through the ranks of the Urano special operations agency, ultimately aiming for a position like chief of operations, he wanted to cure his mother’s illness and gain influence in the Urano palace. If possible, he wanted to track down the person who had caused his father’s execution and take revenge with his own hands. Infiltrating the Air Hunt Academy was the first step, and he had to gain his superior's trust efficiently to break through the first barrier.

For that, he couldn’t let Mio die.

To prevent that, he needed to make her feel no guilt.

If Mio were to commit suicide, it would likely be when her comrades had been killed or injured because of her actions. He just needed to wipe away that anxiety.

"Don’t worry. There won’t be any missions for a while. The information you leaked has already been sent to my country. My goal was to see if you could convey reliable information or check it. Your actions won’t harm St Vault at all, nor will they affect your comrades."

"……………………"

"There’s no way a novice agent would be entrusted with an important mission. The orders you receive are just a game for the chief. If you think you can influence the situation, you’re too full of yourself."

"……………………"

"If you were ever entrusted with an important task as an operative, it would be years from now. Right now is just a training period; no matter how hard you try, you can’t drag your comrades into hell."

"…I know that…"

"The only thing I can ask of you now is about the movements of the Berner family. Your father should be useful for that."

What Hachidori was referring to was Simon Berner, the heir of the Berner family, which was currently visiting this island. It is said to secretly control the Mitterland continent, and he had been visiting the Air Hunt Academy recently to look around the facilities. According to the information Hachidori had gathered, Simon was still staying on the island and likely attended this graduation ceremony as well. Why was such a prominent figure visiting this remote island after Akmed from last year?

"…I’ll ask Dad. But if Dad knows, Zenon must know too, right?"

"It doesn’t matter if he knows. What matters is that I know. …Now, we shouldn’t stay together too long; otherwise, our relationship will be suspected. I will switch personalities to Reiner Beck, but remember that we share the same memories. No matter how different our personalities are, Reiner is part of me."

The moment he said that, the coldness in Hachidori's expression melted away.

In its place spread a relaxed, carefree smile across his face.

"So, that’s it. Hachidori’s lecture is over. Don’t make me put in too much effort; it’s a hassle for me to come and go."

His tone was light and casual, as if he had switched to a different voice.

Reiner Beck. A fabricated persona created by the fundamental personality Hachidori.

Mio looked up at Reiner’s carefree smile, feeling uneasy.

"…You’re the worst. …You’re scary."

Gathering her courage, she managed to complain. Reiner laughed even more cheerfully.

"You’re the same as me. You’re worse because you’re not even self-aware. Now, let’s get back. If we keep hiding here, Hachidori will come out again."

Prompted, Mio followed Reiner with heavy steps toward the plaza. The final interactions between the graduates and students continued.

"I’m the worst too, but… I have to greet them…"

Mio muttered to herself, reminding herself.

Meanwhile, Kiyoaki was desperately trying to hold Kagura back.

"Kagura! You can't draw your sword today; you graduated safely...!"

"Ah, I know, it's fine. I won't cut him in half. I just need to trim a little of his desires."

As Kagura seemed ready to draw her sword, Kiyoaki hugged her from behind and shouted.

"What are you planning to cut!? Run away, Obando! Kagura is serious; don't get too close...!"

Fourth-year student Obando Eizumo, as always, looked at Kagura's angry face with an expression reminiscent of a large primate, one that didn't need human language to convey its feelings.

"Why are you angry? He's your fiancé. Your junior is sewing a see-through wedding dress just for you. It’s sure to look good on you since it's completely see-through!"

With a bright expression, he pressed for a wedding. Kiyoaki couldn’t even imagine what kind of wedding dress that would be, but it was certainly something unimaginably vulgar.

Kagura's temples pulsed with veins. In the mock air battle finals of March, her Arrow team had lost to Obando's Lance team. Obando had been shot down by Kiyoaki almost immediately, so he hadn’t done much, but then Illia had pressured Kiyoaki into self-destruction, resulting in a victory for the formation. Since Obando had unilaterally demanded, "If I win, marry me," he had been proposing to Kagura at every opportunity since then.

"I don't remember making such a promise!"

Kagura was about to draw her sword for real, but it seemed Obando's brain wasn’t processing her rejection at all. He approached with a carefree smile; arms wide open.

"I'm going to marry you, Murasaki!"

"Why are you getting closer!?"

Kiyoaki's shout went unheard. Just as Obando was about to step into Kagura's range, his juniors clung to his massive frame to stop him.

"Senpai, you’re misunderstanding!" "It's way too unbalanced between you and Murasaki!" "Senpai, you should listen to the inconvenient truths!"

His admiring juniors continued to plead with tears, but Obando's advance didn’t stop. Despite being clung to by five of them, he charged toward Kagura.

It was in the midst of this chaos that Reiner and Mio arrived.

"Oh, what’s going on? Kagura, congratulations on your marriage!"

"Should I cut you too, Reiner?"

"Just kidding! Ah, yes, yes, you guys, I’ll help, so let’s wrap this up quickly."

Reiner teamed up with the juniors to surround Obando, clapping hands, stomping the ground, and whistling to create a distraction, waving a handkerchief that was red on one side and yellow on the other to draw his attention and lead him away from Kagura.

"Whoa, what’s that handkerchief? It looks red, but yellow at the same time!"

After seeing Obando chase after the handkerchief, Kagura let out a deep sigh and finally released her grip on the sword's hilt.

"You gorilla...!"

Throwing a straightforward insult at his disappearing back, Kagura finally noticed Mio and was surprised.

"Mio...! Thank goodness, I was looking for you."

Mio timidly raised her frightened eyes toward Kagura.

"...Kagura... Congratulations on your graduation... Thank you for everything..."

Bowing deeply in the Akitsu Federation style, Mio offered her farewell. Kagura placed a comforting hand on her back.

"I should be the one thanking you. You’ve taken care of everyone all this time. Please keep looking after us, Mio."

Tears immediately overflowed from Mio's eyes. She couldn’t hold them back. She bowed her head to hide her tears.

"If you ever have any trouble, please tell me anything. I’ll help as much as I can, whenever you feel like it..."

Kagura cradled Mio's head with both hands, resting her cheek against her hair as she spoke.

Kagura understood that Mio wouldn’t cry like this just because she was sad about the graduates leaving. Although she couldn’t know the root of Mio’s tears, it was clear that the difficulties she was carrying were extraordinary.

"Yes... Thank you, Kagura. Thank you..."

Mio could only manage those words, sniffling.

"Look, Balthazar too. We won’t see each other very often anymore..."

After embracing Mio as long as she wanted, Kagura urged Balthazar, who was pretending not to notice, to join them.

Balthazar, looking disinterestedly at the sky, glanced down at Mio’s tear-streaked face and coldly stated.

"I would like to inquire about the source of your tears... However, it's too troublesome. I hope it's for some personal, trivial reason."

"........................"

Mio, without replying, bowed deeply again to Balthazar.

"Captain... Thank you for everything. You saved my life... in the Eriadore..."

Unable to finish her sentence, she choked up again. During the attack on the enemy in the Eriadore airship, Captain Balthazar had ultimately agreed to a night landing to save Mio’s life, despite his objections. Though his words and demeanour were cold, he was someone who had risked his life for her.

"N-no, it wasn't for your sake. I had no choice because Murasaki and Sakagami were so noisy..."

Balthazar hurriedly denied it, his cheeks and ears slightly flushed.

Kiyoaki, Illia, and Cecil looked worriedly at the tearful Mio.

It had been the first time since the New Year that Mio had joined the group of seven.

Since returning home for winter break, she had cut off her interactions with the seven, running away whenever Kiyoaki tried to talk to her.

"Mio... Are you okay?"

Tentatively, he asked. But Mio pressed her palms against her eyes, looking down without responding.

Cecil tugged at Kiyoaki's sleeve and shook his head. If they pushed too hard for communication, Mio would likely run away again. Illia gently placed a hand on Mio's shoulder and whispered something comforting. While still hiding her expression with her hands, Mio nodded a few times to Illia’s words. It seemed like girls understood each other better.

"I chased away the gorilla! I threw the handkerchief into the canal, and he chased after it... but isn’t Mio crying too much? Her face is all distorted!"

Reiner returned, teasing the sobbing Mio. It had been a while since the "Seven of Eriadore," who had even received medals, had gathered like this.

And from now on, it would likely become even harder for the seven of them to meet face to face.

"I almost forgot; let’s take a picture together!"

Kagura handed her camera to a nearby student and forcibly pulled Balthazar’s hand. Mio was flanked by Illia and Cecil, with Kiyoaki and Reiner awkwardly fitting into the frame.

"Smile!"

At Kagura's command, everyone except Balthazar and Mio smiled for the photo.

"This will be a nice keepsake. I'll develop it later and send copies to everyone."

After thanking the student who took the photo, Kagura happily accepted the camera, capturing each expression on film as if savouring the moment.

Following the traditions of the Air Hunt Officer Academy, the graduates would gather at the pier and be seen off by their juniors before boarding ships corresponding to their assignments.

"Well, it’s about time to leave."

The graduates began to line up. An officer in the Navy Air Force uniform stood at the front, glaring sternly at those who would soon become his subordinates.

"Take care, everyone. Let’s meet again."

Kagura smiled as she bid her farewell. Balthazar, showing little interest, glanced at the juniors with one eye.

"Do your best to graduate. Once you're in the military, I’ll put you to work."

He tossed what could be interpreted as encouraging words in a dismissive manner.

"Thank you for everything. I hope to see you in the military someday."

Kiyoaki expressed his feelings in a brief farewell. As Kagura had mentioned, this wasn't a permanent goodbye. Their bonds would continue even after joining the military.

—Mio must be thinking the same.

Kiyoaki glanced at the tearful Mio.

The lively, courageous spirit she once had had completely vanished, replaced by a fragile, ephemeral expression that seemed ready to dissolve into the atmosphere.

Just her changed demeanour tore at his heart. It was painful, sorrowful, almost making him want to scream. If only he could understand the nature of her suffering, he could eliminate or destroy it, but communication itself was being rejected, making that impossible. If he tried to pry it out of her, she would probably retreat back into her shell. All he could do was watch over her quietly, like Kagura and Illia.

—I want to see the old Mio again...

Wishing for that, Kiyoaki walked alongside his classmates to the Air Hunt port to see off the graduates. Along the way, Illia and Cecil stayed close to Mio, casually chatting to help her relax.

Several military ships were anchored off the coast of Air Hunt port, waiting for the graduates.

A dozen small boats were docked at the pier, and the graduates confirmed their assignments, lining up on the boarding plank.

The brass band played a lively tune.

"Hat wave!"

At the command, the students on the pier waved their hats in unison.

As the engines of the small boats roared to life, white waves splashed up. The graduates waved their hats as they departed Air Hunt Island, where they had spent four years.

Watching the graduates drift away from the pier, an indescribable sentiment welled up within them. Every ship headed for a battlefield. Many of the graduates would likely never return to this place alive.

As the ships finished loading the graduates, a cacophony of whistles sounded. The students on the pier shouted their unsent words of farewell to the graduates.

"Kagura, captain... please come back safely... let’s meet again."

Kiyoaki prayed for the safety of the two. This wasn’t a final farewell; they would meet again somewhere, he reassured himself, waving his hat for a long time at the ship disappearing over the horizon.

"Next year, Aki and the others will be leaving like that too..."

After the ship vanished, Cecil murmured. When Kiyoaki, Reiner, Mio, and Illia graduated next year, Cecil would be left alone at the school.

"Yeah... But we still have a year left, and you never know what could happen..."

Kiyoaki consoled Cecil with those words. The war that began when St Vault joined the battle in Hydrabard was intensifying day by day. Air Hunt port was now a major rear base, with mobile fleets coming and going, cantered around airships. The battlefield was in the South Archipelago, but every time injured ships staggered back, bringing wounded soldiers wrapped in bandages to the pier, the strong scent of battle permeated the peaceful island.

"Here should be fine. The battlefield is far away, and we have radar, so we won’t be surprised. We can afford to relax for another year."

Reiner casually rested his hands on the back of his head, smiling contentedly.

"That may be true... But surprising the enemy is what ambushes are all about..."

"You worry too much. You’ll die early. Besides, if the enemy comes here, the students will just go into the air raid shelter. There’s not much to worry about."

"Yeah... that’s true..."

As they discussed this, Kiyoaki felt an ominous feeling deep in his chest. He had no basis for it, but something about the fourth-year life starting in April felt far from safe, a disturbing premonition lingering in his heart.

Beside him, Mio silently stared at the horizon. Her profile had a lifeless quality, as if she were resigning herself to the fate that awaited her beyond the sea. The lively brightness she once had was now completely absent.