The explosion was magnificent. A brilliant firework, exactly as Moe had wished, bloomed and colored the desert.
"Hah... *huuu*... So pretty~!"
*Crunch.* Moe bit down on the candy in her mouth, her cheeks flushed as she laughed and laughed. The others, who had rushed out upon hearing the explosion, simply pressed their hands to their foreheads at the sight.
In a situation where it wouldn't have been strange for Mika to suddenly appear and say, 'Sensei, you've been deceived,' Sensei realized he needed to keep a close eye on more than just Miyu.
The RABBIT Platoon was a gathering of students far more energetic than he had ever imagined.
"...I can't be sure the desert monster will come, but I think it would be best to prepare for battle just in case."
No one argued with Ayane's opinion; they all silently readied their weapons. Saki and Miyako drove their vehicles to the front lines and began preparing for engagement, burying and layering mines deep in various locations.
Miyu took her position on the roof of the Abydos main building, while Moe, who had finished preparing to fire a high-powered anti-tank missile she had brought in advance, laughed without a shred of guilt.
Intoxicated by the massive dopamine rush from the not-quite-accidental accident just moments before, Moe was only looking forward to the next explosion. If Binah didn't show up, she would surely be more disappointed than anyone else here.
Seeing the RABBIT Platoon preparing for battle, the Foreclosure Task Force also finished arming themselves and waited for something to happen.
The silence stretched on, and just as the students were starting to relax, thinking it wasn't coming...
"It's approaching! Estimated time of encounter is approximately three minutes from now...!"
As Ayane shouted her warning, the ground began to tremble.
"...Current time, 1435. RABBIT Platoon, commencing Operation
Miyako, speaking into the comms, slowly swallowed her pride and quietly added one more thing.
"RABBIT 1, I will now follow Sensei's instructions."
"Wh-What...?"
Saki was stunned by the fact that Miyako, who had always insisted on commanding them herself, had handed over command to Sensei.
"Miyako, Saki, Sensei... I don't really care who's in command. This is RABBIT 3. Just say the word if you need missile support, Sensei~ Kuhuhu."
"RABBIT 4... C-Can I really do this...?"
"...Tch, I guess I have no choice. RABBIT 2 will also follow Sensei's instructions."
As Moe and Miyu complied without complaint, Saki also clicked her tongue and declared she would follow Sensei's orders.
"That's right! It's only natural for students to follow their teacher's words, isn't it?"
"...Yes. Tactical command is in your hands, Sensei."
"I-It's not like I'm happy about this... but don't mess up and do it properly!"
"Uhe~ It's nice to see everyone so full of energy. This old man feels like he can just sit this one out."
"Alright, then. Everyone, please follow my instructions."
Though suddenly put in command of everyone, Sensei didn't panic and instead gave a confident reply.
"Thirty seconds until contact!"
As the ground's trembling began to feel more like an earthquake, Moe, who had been timing it, activated the remote detonator.
*KABOOOOM!!!*
The buried mines exploded all at once, sending up plumes of smoke. At the same time, the approaching tremors momentarily ceased.
"...It's coming!"
Breaking the brief silence, Binah's head shot up from the ground, soaring high into the sky in an instant. Its iron armor showed no signs of damage, as if it had been completely untouched by the mines.
Miyako concluded that it must be moving much deeper underground than they had anticipated and decided to skip laying mines next time.
As Binah revealed itself, the sandstorm intensified. It was a terrible environment, truly the worst kind of battlefield.
This was the first real battle Sensei had experienced since coming to Kivotos.
***
I had promised Hoshino I would help, but the problem was where to start.
I did think that with the RABBIT Platoon, the Foreclosure Task Force, and Sensei all combined, they might be able to take down Binah. But on second thought, I don't think they ever actually succeeded in subjugating a prophet of the Decagrammaton in the game's story.
This would be one thing if it were simply a game, but it's not, so I can't really imagine how the battle will unfold.
To be blunt, I'm worried that the giant mechanical snake could just bulldoze through their formation and crush them...
No, wait... given the durability of the students here, could they actually withstand being run over?
In any case, I'm more than ready to throw myself into the fray when the time comes to properly subjugate Binah. Hoshino, who had tried to refuse my help before, surprisingly contacted me and asked for it herself. What wouldn't I do for her?
But the real problem requires a more fundamental approach. It's safe to say that the people currently in Abydos cannot find a solution to the desertification on their own.
That leaves the two groups closely related to Abydos right now... Saint Nephthys and Kaiser Corporation. They have the highest probability, and if I had to place my hopes on one, it would probably be Saint Nephthys.
Since I currently know nothing about Saint Nephthys's disposition or objectives, it's essential that I speak with them at least once. I've already sent Kaiser a notice that the deadline for our previous deal is fast approaching, but honestly, I'm not holding my breath.
So, I had Hanako contact Saint Nephthys, but...
"...They refused? Why?"
No, seriously, why? Is there really a reason to refuse a meeting request itself?
"They said all the executives with authority are currently unavailable for a meeting... but this is probably an excuse. It's safe to assume one of two things: either their executives simply don't want to speak with you, Mika-sunbae, or the request was rejected by a lower-level employee on their own authority. It's likely one of those two."
"Then which one do you think it is, Hanako-chan?"
"Neither seems particularly rational, so I'm hesitant to give a definitive answer, but the former seems a little more likely..."
"...Hmm. This is a problem. Does this mean I have to contact Kaiser again?"
"Do you really think Kaiser can find the answer to Abydos's problem, Mika-sunbae?"
I ponder Hanako's question for a moment. Can Kaiser produce a solution?
The answer is, of course, no.
But, with Saint Nephthys refusing to talk, Kaiser is the only option left to bet on.
"Hanako-chan, please contact Kaiser right now. A video call... tell them I want to have a little chat."
"Yes, please wait a moment."
While Hanako busied herself with the task, I poured green tea into an empty cup.
Kaiser couldn't really refuse a call right now by claiming they were unavailable. They were... to be precise, extremely wary of me. And the situation itself was bound to put them under pressure.
Metaphorically speaking, this was like a loan shark's collection call to a creditor. For the ones running Kaiser Loan, it must be a painfully familiar dynamic.
For that reason, the video call with the Kaiser President was arranged in less than fifteen minutes. I silently lifted my teacup and took a sip. It was a gesture to feign composure and simultaneously signal for him to greet me first.
It was a subtle power play to remind the President once again who was in the subordinate position in this relationship.
[...It's been a while, Tea Party Host.]
After savoring the tea with my eyes closed, I set the cup down and smiled sweetly. I was the one in a hurry, but I couldn't let it show.
In this situation, I was actually the one in more of a rush, wanting to help Abydos, but the President didn't know that. He was probably thinking his own head was on the chopping block right now.
I felt like I was starting to understand why Nagisa always reaches for a teacup when she wants to hide her nervousness. The simple act of drinking tea really did calm the mind.
"Yes, it has. It's been quite a while since we've spoken like this."
[Did you contact me after nearly half a year because of that deal?]
"Ahaha, that's right. There are only about ten days left, and I suddenly became curious if you've made any progress. I sent a separate notice the day before yesterday, but then a thought suddenly occurred to me. Why on earth haven't you brought up asking for an extension?"
[...Adhering to the deadline is the most basic of basics, is it not, Tea Party Host?]
"No, no, that's not it. Listen to me, President. If I were to venture a guess, you never really intended to fulfill my request. Am I wrong? Back then, you must have been filled with the desire to somehow salvage and rebuild your company. So you probably thought you'd accept the offer first and decide on a course of action later. Phew, this is why those with black hearts are so troublesome."
[Th-That's not it. Tea Party Host, please, just calm down and listen to what I have to say.]
"Oh? Was I wrong? You should have said so sooner!"
As I continued speaking with a bright, eye-crinkling smile, the startled-looking President gave me exactly the reaction I wanted. Seeing the corners of my lips naturally curve upwards, the President flinched.
As I thought, the President seems wary of me—the one who brought down his kingdom and calmly stated that I, too, could use the 'ways of adults' he spoke of.
[To be perfectly honest, we have not yet found the method.]
"Then ten days will be nowhere near enough..."
[...Please, let me finish my story. Although we have not found the method, we are currently excavating two sites that are presumed to have the highest probability of yielding it. The reason I did not request an extension is... because if we cannot find the method at these sites, there is no possibility of finding it at all. It is not because I have no intention of fulfilling the deal.]
"Hmm. You're not trying to appeal to my emotions, are you? It sounds a lot like you're saying, 'I've shown this much sincerity, and the conditions were realistically close to impossible, so please cut me some slack.' Something like that."
[...I will not deny it. It seems it would be better for our company to send someone to escort you here and show you in person, rather than a hundred words. If you wish, I will send someone as early as tomorrow.]
Hmm... tomorrow is a little difficult. But delaying it for personal reasons seems a bit awkward, too...
"So where is this high-probability location?"
[One of them is the very place where all of Abydos's glory began.]
"Wo—w?"
Wait. He might actually be onto something here.
***