AtE Arc 2: Chapter 2

AtE Arc 2: The Magical Girl’s Commandments – Chapter 2

In the middle of May after Golden Week ended.

Since the demon attack incident from the other day was cleaned up behind the scenes, about half a month has passed.

 

It has been one week since my younger brother figure Nana was appointed to the position of counsellor as Tokusen’s Mental System Ability User. The explosive popularity boom amongst the female students over the “Princely counsellor”, was even now continuing wholeheartedly.

Amongst the male students, it seems that there were no bad feelings since the other party was a hero, and the figures of them going to the “Princely counsellor” could be seen here and there. I feel apologetic to Nana, but the frequent quarrels between the students seemed to have become relatively inconspicuous, so it’s peaceful.

 

「You’re quite enthusiastic today as well, Mitsukasa-sensei.」

「——Kurume-sensei.」

 

It is peaceful, but-

 

「As someone who is trusted by the students, you are a model teacher.」

「Yes…um…thank you very much. That is very kind of you.」

 

He was a teacher older than me, and although I started working here in Tokusen one year before him, he was two years my senpai in terms of his history as being a teacher.

I gave a strained laugh towards this teacher from the ESP department, a soft-mannered male colleague whose glasses suited him well, while returning his greeting.

 

……or so you could say.

 

「Is it okay if you don’t go, Kasamiya-san?」

「Yes! Rather than the Prince, I prefer Mirac―」

「Kasamiya-san, stop.」

「——ah, please excuse me! It’s because I would like Michi-sensei to instruct me in my studies!」

 

Fluffy, light brown hair and reddish-brown eyes.

The beautiful girl, who was as light as a sugar confectionery, spoke while displaying signs of embarrassment, as if to bewitch me.

 

「Haha, it seems that I’m being a hinderance.」

「Ah…no…not at al-……」

「Well then, please work hard on your supplementary lessons.」

「……yes.」

 

Saying farewell to the smiling Kurume-sensei as he left, I once again made eye contact with “her”.

Kasamiya Suzuri. After having found out my true identity during last time’s incident, I no longer saw her previous hesitant manner that gave off the atmosphere of her being a small animal.

The Kasamiya-san that boasts of being a fan of the Magical Girl Miracle☆Lapi, is as always, my healing object; but at the same time, she is also a threat, with situations like what happened just today.

 

「I-I’m sorry. Was I an annoyance?」

「No……well, it’s fine. So? What is it that you don’t understand today?」

「Y-Yes! Um…entering the composite magical arts’——」

 

As I taught Kasamiya-san, a shadow suddenly appeared above us.

Looking up, Mutsu-sensei was standing petrified with a somewhat troubled-looking face.

 

「U-Um…Mitsukasa-sensei.」

「Mutsu-sensei……is something the matter?」

「Um…that is-」

 

Mutsu-sensei glanced at Kasamiya-san, appearing to have difficulty talking.

Kasamiya-san tilted her head at his glance, but suddenly realized something as she stood up.

 

「Um…I will be in your care again tomorrow, Michi-sensei!」

「Okay. See you tomorrow.」

「Sorry, Kasamiya-san. For troubling you.」

「N-Not at all.」

 

When I saw off Kasamiya-san as she left the staff room, Mutsu-sensei watched me with a meek expression.

 

「Um…sorry……there has been a development in “that matter”.」

 

It seems that peace is still quite far away.

Enduring my desire to sigh, I slowly gave Mutsu-sensei a nod.

 

――／――

 

——ever since Nana was appointed, the quarrels between students have become more inconspicuous.

——however, that was in the end, just something “on the surface”.

 

「This is the fourth case since this month has started. All of them are involving students residing Tokusen’s dorms.」

 

One of them, was this incident that has lately caused trouble behind the scenes in “Tokusen”.

 

On the lawn.

Traces that appeared to be from a dispute.

A small bloodstain that stained the greenery.

 

These past few days, the Tokusen’s teaching staff have been investigating, but it was an incident in which not even a single conclusion could be made.

That was this, “ESP department students’ serial disappearance case”.

 

——at Tokusen, there exist students that reside in Tokusen who were separated from their parents after their abilities were discovered.

It was not a practice that was done by the intention of the government, or the school. There are students among them whose powers ran wild and thus were recognized as requiring regulation, but students that could be described as dangerous only made up a small portion of them.

That being the case, then just what kind of circumstances do the other live-in students have? The answer was simply that there were “parents” who were afraid of their “child”.

The abilities of a large majority of students enrolling that possess those sorts of emotional scars don’t usually become that strong because of that trauma. Within the ESP department where the belief that they are the chosen ones is strong, such students are treated as inferior people, and cases in which they grow accustomed to being persecuted are many.

 

「They didn’t have any friends, and probably didn’t have anyone they could consult.」

 

Mutsu-sensei, who spoke in a sorrowful manner, was also one of those former live-in students.

He said that in his case, it wasn’t as serious because he also had friends, but the pain that flickered deep within his eyes seemed to say that “it was not only that”.

 

「Serial disappearance cases that only target live-in students. I can not forgive the culprit.」

 

What Mutsu-sensei grasped as he squatted in the fields behind the First Training Room――a place similar to a gymnasium——was an emblem of the ESP department that had been left there.

What the emblem, which had a Personal ID feature, displayed was that it belonged to a female student who was given the evaluation of being calm and collected.

 

「——and being a ‘teacher’, I also cannot forgive myself for not noticing her situation.」

 

Mutsu-sensei’s eyes that were blurred with a deep regret greatly resembled the colour of my eyes from that time on the battlefield, before I was called a hero.

——a voice grieving one’s lack of power. Eyes rotting with regret.

 

「Then, let’s save her and talk with her lots.」

「——eh?」

 

The bloodstain that was left at the scene was very small.

There was no absolute guarantee, but my “intuition from years of experience” told me that there were no deceased casualties.

 

「It’s okay, Mutsu-sensei. You are a great teacher. You’re a teacher capable of using regret as nourishment to help you grow. I am also still inexperienced, but I guarantee it as your senpai.」

「Mitsukasa…senpai——yes…….yes.」

 

Seeing Mutsu-sensei’s eyes regaining their strong light, I was, for the time being, relieved.

That’s right, we have to help them. And then, we must make it so that the culprit will regret their actions. ——so that they understand what happens if they hurt my important students and kouhai on my front lawn. I must carve that fact into their very souls.

 

「Fu…fufufufufufu.」

「Mi-Mitsukasa-sensei?」

「No, it’s nothing. More importantly, since we’ve finally found a clue, let us make the most of it.」

「Make the most of it, meaning?」

「Wasn’t one just appointed? ——a specialist, that is.」

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