ALL NOVEL Determined to protect T-party with my own hands. There’s a really nice resonance in that. To be more precise, I’ve vowed to protect the other two leaders of T-party besides myself, but isn’t it all the same? In Blue Archive, the identity of T-party is the three student council presidents themselves.
But here’s the kicker. With such a strong resolve in my heart, why am I lying here all tied up with ropes on a fluffy sofa?
“Uhp, Ugh…!!!”
And to top it off, there’s a huge roll cake stuck in my mouth.
“Honestly, it was hard to see Mika fitting the host role. Given T-party’s nature of rotating hosts among the three factions, this was something she had to take on. But not being able to fulfill the host role at all is a different story…”
I can understand that, even from my perspective. The real Mika does seem like someone who would ditch host duties to goof off…
“Nagisa, I never thought you were capable of throwing those kinds of comments while your girlfriend is right next to you. Color me surprised.”
“Yurizono Seiya, you really didn’t need to make your intentions to be with Mika so obvious.”
“…Mmm. You’re being unusually sharp today. But that’s only true if I’m willing to let it slide like Mika would, right?”
“Well, if that’s the case, there’s nothing I can do. Mika, I’ll untie you for a moment, so could you grab Seiya?”
“…Wait, that’s cheating! We still have a lot to talk about. Nagisa, I’ll apologize for that last joke.”
…Is this reality? Not just untying me but untangling me for a moment? Nagisa, isn’t that a bit harsh? And this roll cake is way too big; I feel like my jaw’s going to unhinge!
“Ubbh!!”
“Mm.”
As soon as my eyes meet Nagisa’s, I look up at her with the saddest puppy eyes I can muster. After considering whether to release me for a moment, she smiles and turns her head away.
“That’s true. With both of us tied up and unable to speak, it would be easy for others to misunderstand… I’ll let it slide just this once, Yurizono Seiya.”
…Betrayal! This is betrayal, Nagisa! We’ve shared a bed, wings touching! Are you really ditching me for that fox girl? Is that what’s happening?
Even trying to get rid of this roll cake is no easy task. Whether I eat it or spit it out, my jaw isn’t cooperating, so there’s no solution… I let it happen once, but I’m not up for a second time.
Nagisa, what a scary girl. She must have been tormenting Mika with stuff like this. The real hero of this era is undoubtedly Mika, who kept joking around without bending to such tyranny. Even without that, it’s clear she cared a lot about Nagisa.
Honestly, Mika is the only one who’s really sociable in T-party. Nagisa tends to put up walls, so besides Hifumi or T-party, she doesn’t have notable friends, and Seiya, with her straightforward honesty, probably has no friends either. Mika had already poked fun at Seiya about that.
In that regard, it shows how much Mika cherished this relationship, fitting in so well with Nagisa. When our dear one hit rock bottom, it blasted through the bottom, but her true nature is indeed that of an ordinary good kid. She’s caused quite a bit of trouble, but that’s beside the point.
“The host’s duties must be handled personally, so the top priority is to assist Mika as much as possible, helping her adapt to the work. How quickly Mika can get accustomed will be the key factor…”
Seiya’s eyes, which give a somewhat drowsy impression, turned towards me. After staring at me silently for a while, I see her shake her head, and my temper flares up. Seiya, I can get out of this by myself! Could she really be provoking me right now?
“No, that’s not really important. As Mika observes the hardships we go through beside her, she should pick up on things. If she can’t even realize it after watching us struggle to help her… Fufu.”
Wait a second, Seiya. Things are getting a bit scary here. Why are you smiling so meaningfully?
“You don’t need to worry that much, Yurizono Seiya. This Mika, how should I put it… I somehow feel she’s trustworthy?”
“If Nagisa says that much, I suppose I should be a little hopeful myself. About Mika’s memory loss… we must not reveal this to anyone else, and Mika mustn’t let anyone else discover this fact. If Mika, as Pater leader and part of T-party, has partial memory loss, that won’t become a major issue. But the host’s situation is completely different.”
That was the truth. Showing such a weakness in Trinity could lead to it being torn apart at any moment. Plus, there wouldn’t just be one or two who’d be interested, but a complete pack of hyenas.
If memory loss on the host’s part gets revealed, there would immediately be pressure from Sanctus and Filius factions. However, that would just mean the host role could transition a bit faster, so it’s not the biggest of issues.
The real problem arises from outside T-party.
When precisely did the host lose their memory?
Had they been mentally unstable before?
Were there any negative impacts from commands given and decisions made during that time?
Had anyone from T-party used the host’s memory loss to exploit their own gains?
There are too many potential issues, meaning it absolutely can’t happen. It’s not just a matter of my downfall; T-party’s authority could shrink, and Seiya and Nagisa could get dragged into unnecessary scandal—an enormous disaster with dire possibilities.
Having memory loss revealed after the host’s term ends might be slightly better, but similar repercussions await there as well.
As for the Pater faction, they expect a certain level of me, and since there’s not much change in power, there’s a high possibility they won’t oust me. Still, I can’t guarantee that entirely. The moment I fall from T-party, I lose so much on my side to prepare for the future. Though it’s simply an excuse I created, this memory loss simply must not come to light.
“So, Mika, I’m sorry to say this, but you can’t expect anyone but us to help you recover your memories. This is for both Nagisa and me, but also for you, so please forgive us.”
It’s not like I even know if seeking outside help would actually resolve memory loss, but I understand why Seiya apologizes. It must gnaw at her that she can’t provide any substantial help when her friend’s state is clearly abnormal.
But Seiya, can we not have a chat until I can answer? So don’t look at me like you’re hoping for an answer!
“Seiya, Mika can’t respond right now.”
“Oh, I obviously know that. I was just curious how that little mouth can fit that in, and how she’s managing to eat it, so there’s no need to worry about me.”
…If she’s that curious, isn’t it good to let her have a taste too? Should I feed her?
Please hold on, little Nagisa inside me.
“By the way, what was that picture from yesterday? Just seeing Mika cooking shocked me, and to think she did it while having memory loss…”
“Well, I thought Mika was completely out of touch with cooking, but I suspect she might have had some experience we didn’t know about.”
Wait, did you really send that photo to Seiya? Where’s my right to likeness… Oh, is there none in Kivotos?
“Hmm… Is the body’s memory still perfectly reproducible right now?”
“That’s a plausible hypothesis. I’ll take Mika to the shooting range to verify this. I was planning to take her anyway, and if that hypothesis turns out to be true, it would save me some teaching effort.”
No, that’s totally different from muscle memory. The reason cooking was still possible was all because of what Tsukishima did, or rather, it was my simple experiences that lingered. I have no confidence whatsoever in shooting well!
“Ah. Speaking of important matters, we have one more issue.”
“What now? It seems problems keep popping up, and is everything alright like this?”
“It’s about Mika’s grades. While she generally had leeway, I’m not sure how things will stand now.”
“Hmm… This is a bigger issue than I thought. We might just see the very first instance in T-party’s history of a leader—let alone a host—being forcibly expelled due to poor grades. If that actually happened, it would probably make it into the textbooks.”
“Just imagining it is dreadful. Mika, it looks like you’re going to have a tough time…”
Wait a minute! Guys, this isn’t funny. Don’t joke about getting recorded in textbooks for that kind of reason. How on earth shall I live with that kind of embarrassment?
Are you serious? This isn’t right! It absolutely shouldn’t turn out this way!!!
“There are about three weeks left until the exam period, so this is an emergency. Failing is not an option. So, Mika, you’re now dead.”
“I’ll support you as much as I can, but this entirely depends on you, Mika. So make sure you pass. If you fail, I’ll trash the test papers myself before sending you off comfortably, so don’t worry. It’s better than you making an unfortunate mark in the textbooks.”
Why do you get to decide that unilaterally? There’s a saying about rolling in cow dung—this life is still better! I’m the type who prefers to live by crawling rather than standing!
Given this situation, there’s only one way left.
It’s a tough decision, but I am resolved. I finally managed to finish the roll cake stuck in my mouth. Though my throat feels like it might choke me, it’s merely a trivial matter.
In a world where students are shooting stuff, this broken academy too obsessed over exam grades must disappear.
So, as Misono Mika of Gehenna, I will shatter Trinity.
After a second of deep contemplation, that’s the conclusion I reached.
For some reason, I feel as if I’m hearing a voice saying, ‘Ahaha! What is this, it’s fun☆’ but it’s probably just my imagination, right?