Aboard the helicopter.
Hoshino gazed down at the endless desert below and murmured in awe, "Wow, it's my first ti seeing this landscape from above."
Curious, I glanced out as well, but to it was nothing more than an ordinary desert, no different from any other.
"Senpai, you've been here before?"
"Yeah, a few tis, back when I was working for the Student Council. See that area over there? That's where the Abydos Desert Festival used to be held."
Hoshino spoke lively about the history of the Desert Festival, describing how, before the desertification, a vast oasis once spread here. So large it dwarfed most lakes.
From her deanor, there was no hint that she intended to quit the Foreclosure Task Force.
I watched her quietly. No matter how I thought about it, I couldn't understand what would drive soone like her... the President of Foreclosure Task Force... to consider resigning, especially when we were on the verge of confronting Kaiser.
…Or perhaps, now that the threat was nearly over, she felt it was ti to step back.
Either way, once this operation was done, I needed to talk with her.
Because of a sandstorm, the helicopter was forced to land more than ten kiloters from the forr oasis. Fortunately, it wasn't far from the coordinates Hina had given us.
As planned, Problem Solver 68 and Ayane stayed behind to guard the helicopter while the rest of us pressed forward.
We cleared out drones and chanical dolls along the way, their numbers increasing the deeper we went. But thanks to the team's skill and my guidance, the battles went smoothly.
Even without my mories, sohow my instincts alone were enough to enhance the students' coordination and combat efficiency.
It made wonder if, before losing my mory, I had been soone deeply experienced in tactical command.
After another easy victory, Ayane's voice ca through the comms, her tone tense.
"Everyone, there's sothing strange ahead! The sand's too thick to see clearly… but it looks like… a huge town? No, maybe a factory? Or a base? Whatever it is, it's enormous!"
Hoshino looked surprised. "A facility? Out here? Are you sure you're not mistaken? There should only be a dried-up oasis ahead."
"I don't think I'm wrong! Let's just move closer until we can see it with our own eyes!"
Following Ayane's direction, we advanced toward the supposed structure. Before long, a colossal building appeared before us...
Surrounded by kiloters of barbed wire, it stretched across tens of thousands of acres. From the outside, its purpose was impossible to discern.
"This… this wasn't here before…"
Hoshino muttered in disbelief.
I reasoned that the last ti she ca must have been about two years ago, when the Abydos Student Council was still active. That ant this facility had been built recently.
Even in Kivotos, constructing sothing of this scale within two years was extraordinary, requiring imnse capital and manpower.
It was clear: this facility was the heart of Kaiser Corporation's sche.
Just as we approached...
Sparks burst at Serika's feet as a burst of machine-gun fire swept across the sand. She yelped, stumbling backward.
"Wha... what the heck?!"
From within the structure, a swarm of blue-gray robot rcs poured out, their guns matching their tallic hue as they charged toward us.
"Intruders detected!"
"Capture them! Don't let them escape!"
Ayane's voice ca through urgently. "Unknown forces are advancing on your position!"
Hoshino's expression hardened. "Not sure what's going on, but if this is how they're greeting us, we might as well return the favor!
"Alright, everyone! Let's give them a real fight!"
With that, Hoshino charged forward, with Shiroko, Serika, and Nonomi right behind her.
I ducked behind cover, directing their movents.
The enemies weren't individually strong, but they fought in perfect formation, disciplined and relentless. Compared to the Helt Gang we'd fought before…
They were practically professional soldiers.
Then Ayane confird what I had already begun to suspect. The symbols she spotted on the building read:
Kaiser PMC - Kaiser Corporation's Private Military Company, a paramilitary force in every sense.
Just as we identified them, sirens wailed across the compound. The ground trembled. From every direction ca the roar of engines.
Armored vehicles, tanks, and attack helicopters filled the sky and desert, closing in to form a massive encirclent.
"This place is too dangerous! We have to pull back before we're surrounded! Move, now!"
Under the students' cover, I retreated with them, coordinating with Ayane over the comms. I instructed her to move the helicopter and Problem Solver 68 to a safer extraction point.
But after a grueling dash through the firefight, her transmission broke up with static.
"…Can you hear ? The periter… still not clear… hurry… evac—"
The signal cut, crackling with interference.
That alone told the truth, the enemy was jamming communications. They'd already set up a second encirclent.
Within minutes, we were surrounded by heavily ard troops and armored vehicles.
The worst had happened.
I hadn't expected Kaiser to deploy this much firepower here. That was my greatest miscalculation.
But it wasn't over.
Kivotos was a world with its own structure of order. Given my position near the top of that hierarchy, there was still room for negotiation.
Especially since our opponent was a corporation. Bound, at least outwardly, by laws and profit.
I stepped in front of the students, hands clasped behind my back.
I wasn't angry, but a show of authority might be more effective now.
[Lion's Dignity - Activate]
In an instant, I felt my stamina draining rapidly, as if sprinting at full speed. But in return, an invisible pressure radiated from ...
The presence of soone used to commanding from a high seat.
The soldiers of Kaiser PMC instinctively lowered their weapons.
Perfect.
Suppressing the urge to gasp for breath, I raised my voice, deliberately haughty. "Bring out your superior. I'll speak with them directly."
The soldiers silently parted, forming two tallic walls.
From between them erged a massive, suit-clad robot, an orange scarf draped over his shoulder fluttering in the wind.
He stopped several ters before .
Four glowing amber eyes t mine.
"I heard there were intruders," ca a gravelly, masculine voice from his speaker grill. "Didn't expect it to be you... Schale's Sensei, and Abydos."
"You know ?" I asked.
"Heh. I've known of you for quite so ti. To trespass on private property and cause damage… Schale's Sensei leading a group of delinquents in such acts, how unexpected."
I tilted my head. "And you are?"
"You don't recognize ? After all the tis you've interfered with my work, I thought we'd beco acquainted by now. Abydos doesn't recognize either? How disappointing."
With a mock sigh, the robot finally introduced himself.
"I am a director of the Kaiser Corporation.
"The one who owns Abydos's debt. In other words, your creditor."
"Oh, the sa creditor who so graciously reduced our interest rate by seventy percent?"
"…You really do have a sharp tongue, Sensei."
"Takes one to know one."
I just wanted to end this exchange quickly to stop wasting energy keeping my authority active.
The Kaiser PMC director shook his head slowly.
"Heh. I have a better idea. Let's talk, shall we?"
Tomorrow will bring sothing big.
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