Blue Archive - An Otherworldly Sensei

Following his unplanned meeting with Problem Solver 68, Ja'vassa had finally arrived at the gates of Gehenna; with his badge in sight, he'd step into the academy. While it was a stunning sight to behold, it wasn't nearly as impressive as Trinity was, but regardless, he'd wander through the halls in search of the Pandemonium Society's office. With his tablet in hand, it was much easier to navigate through the academy than it was through the surrounding district. "Alright... to find their office, I just take a left down here and look for the red door on the right side of the hall..." Ja'vassa muttered to himself; his eyes darted back and forth between the screen and the surrounding walls, but before he could get too far, the sound of another voice caught his attention. A shorter, white-haired student called out to him. "I was wondering when you'd pay us a visit, Sensei." She greeted; her tone matching the calm and composed expression on her face. "I intended to stop by and visit SCHALE myself, but the work of the Prefect Team is never over." Ja'vassa glanced towards her, taking a moment to study the newcomer; a glimmer of curiosity sparkling in his eyes. "You must be the leader of the Prefect Team, correct?" He asked, crossing his arms slightly. "I can feel incredible strength and experience from you... I see Arona wasn't exaggerating when she mentioned how strong your organization was." A pleased smirk crossed the girl's face as she listened to him. "I am the Head Prefect; Sorasaki Hina. A pleasure to meet you, Sensei. I'd assume you're here on business." Nodding in response, Ja'vassa took a step closer to her. "Yes, I had intended to meet with the Pandemonium Society and eventually I intended to try and find you, but this made my job a lot easier. Meeting with the students across Kivotos would make it a lot easier for me to take on any problems that might arise in the future." Listening intently, Hina crossed her arms; her stance mirroring Ja'vassa's. "Meeting with the Student Council would certainly help in making your intentions clear, but I'm afraid even for such an important visitor, they likely won't be able to meet with you; at least not until the groundwork for the Eden Treaty has been laid." The mention of the treaty caught his attention; his ears perking upwards slightly. "Eden Treaty? Is Kivotos at war, or is this something else?" Ja'vassa asked, his mind running amok with different ideas. "Not quite; it's a peace agreement between Trinity and Gehenna. It might not seem like much to an outsider, but our academies have always considered the other to be a bitter rival. Nothing major has happened recently, but skirmishes have occurred and the treaty is being developed to help foster more peaceful relations between us." Hina explained, motioning for Ja'vassa to follow her. "Let's walk and talk, Sensei. I'm sure you've got a few questions." She was right; hundreds of questions flew through his mind, though Ja'vassa made sure to be careful not to bombard her with too many. "This land really is strange. I've never heard of schools having such terrible relations with each other, but..." He paused for a moment, a soft laugh escaping him. "...then again, both Trinity and Gehenna are considerably larger than anything I've seen back home. I'm quite sure Solitude could comfortably fit within the walls of this school with plenty of room to spare." Hina listened to him with an amused smile, briefly glancing towards the sword resting on Ja'vassa's side. "I take it your homeland is a bit smaller than Kivotos, hm? That sword of yours... is that just for decoration, or do you actually do battle with it?" She asked, her head buzzing with just as many questions. His weaponry and style of clothing made her wonder just how backwards his home was in comparison to theirs. "Aye. I've only seen a small portion of Kivotos so far, but all signs point to it being considerably larger than Skyrim." Ja'vassa explained, nodding at her next question. A proud smile crossed his face as he wrapped his hand around the hilt of his blade. "I use it frequently in combat, yes. Though, I have other swords I routinely use as well... but, I could see why you'd mistake it for decoration, it is quite beautiful, after all." Despite the amusement in her face, Hina was slightly concerned about the idea of a person, no matter how skilled or experienced they seemed to be, engaging in battle with a bladed weapon like that. "You don't really intend to do battle here with it, Sensei, do you? I'm sure you've seen the weapons some of the students hold... you aren't worried about being outmatched by the firearms they use?" She asked, looking towards him with slight suspicion. The suspicion was met with a prideful grin. "You seem to think that this sword is the only weapon I have on hand... how little you truly understand. Physical combat is hardly the only form in Tamriel; I count myself amongst the land's most powerful sorcerers. Perhaps those weapons you hold might pose a threat, but that doesn't mean I don't have a way to defend myself here." Ja'vassa replied as he raised his hand; electricity crackled through his fingers. For a brief moment, the usually stoic gaze in Hina's eyes was replaced with great shock as she watched the lightning flow to his fingertips. "That's... that's incredible. Perhaps I've misjudged you, Sensei. Maybe you'll fit in just fine here, or maybe not. I suppose I'll have to wait and see if you're as powerful as you claim to be." She grinned slightly, though before either of them could say much more, a notification from Ja'vassa's tablet caught their attention. "Sensei! You have an emergency request from Abydos High School; it's urgent. Please look into it as soon as possible!" Arona called out, the excitement and urgency in her tone was palpable. As Ja'vassa took the tablet from his satchel, a voice recording immediately began to play. "Dear Sensei of SCHALE, this is Okusora Ayane of Abydos High School urgently requesting your help. Abydos is on the verge of shutting down and we're running out of options. If it's not too much to ask, we'd like to request your support. Any help would be greatly appreciated! The Abydos Foreclosure Task Force doesn't have much time left. I hope this message gets to you before it's too late. You're our last hope, Sensei." As the message finished playing, Ja'vassa glanced towards Hina; his eyes meeting with hers. "Well... I hate to cut our meeting short, Hina, but it seems I've got some work to do." He stated, setting the tablet back into his satchel. "Before I go, do you have any idea what this situation is that Abydos is dealing with?" Hina shook her head, an apologetic expression appearing on her face. "I'm afraid we haven't been keeping a close eye on Abydos due to the Eden Treaty, but from what I've heard, the school's been suffering from severe financial trouble and as a result, most of the student body has disappeared. The only student I'm really aware of there is Takanashi Hoshino; the last remaining member of the Abydos Student Council. Best of luck with the situation out there, Sensei." Ja'vassa nodded at her, turning to leave. "Perhaps we'll meet again soon; maybe next time I can brew up some tea and we can talk some more." Hina smiled at the suggestion, giving him a brief wave as they'd part ways. "I look forward to our next meeting then, Sensei." With their parting words, Ja'vassa hastily made his way towards the Abydos District with the help of the map Arona had given him. The journey to the district was long, but relatively uneventful; by the time he crossed over into Abydos, the sun had fallen and risen, and with the rising sun came the scorching heat of the desert. It was difficult to ignore just how barren it looked. Buildings buried beneath mountains of sand, the distinct lack of any kind of life; it was hard to believe that something so empty and depressing would have a school still remaining, much less any students still studying within it. "Has the Abydos District always looked this... sad? I've traveled across the deserts of Hammerfell and Elsweyr, and I've never seen anything quite so... empty before." He admitted, his ears flattening against his head as he spoke. "No, Abydos was at one time a thriving district, home to one of the largest schools in Kivotos, but the district was devastated by a series of powerful sandstorms. Those that weren't hurt by the storms left; the school attempted to help clean the city and by doing so, accrued massive debts." Arona explained, her own tone somewhat somber as she spoke. "People left for the other districts, Abydos students dropped out, and even the president of the school's Student Council had gone missing. No one's really sure what happened to her." Ja'vassa's expression softened a bit as he listened to her. "How sad.. I can see why they were so desperate in that message. Even if the district is nothing but sand, it's still their home. To see it go to waste would no doubt be devastating to them." Despite his urgency and rush to get to the school, the intense heat and sunlight took its toll on him. Walking like this was already a major risk given his vampiric blood as the sunlight slowly sapped away his stamina and the heat beating down upon his heavier clothing. Unfortunately, if he were to continue walking, he'd likely pass out and that could cause even bigger problems in the long run. So, for now, he'd need to rest until night had come. Taking a seat on a fallen rock besides some ruined guardrails, he'd stare into the deserted city, a mixture of pity and curiosity in his gaze. "Are you feeling alright, Sensei?" Arona asked, concern evident in her eyes. Ja'vassa nodded, smiling softly. "Yes, I just need to rest for a few moments. The heat has never agreed with me. I'll be fine soon." As they conversed, a girl could be seen riding down the road on a silver bike. As she approached, her gray hair easily stood out against the brown sand that laid strewn about the old street. Seeing the exhausted Khajiit seemingly stranded, alone in the middle of nowhere, prompted her to stop beside him. "Are you alright? You don't seem to be from around here." She asked, glancing towards him with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. Ja'vassa looked up towards her, a slightly sheepish smile crossing his face. "Yes, I'm fine. I just needed to catch my breath for a few minutes. And you're right, I'm not from around here." He pulled out his badge, trying to help ease the suspicion. "I'm with SCHALE, on my way to Abydos after receiving a message from a student named Ayane." The mention of Ayane caused her eyes to widen slightly. "So, you're the Sensei she mentioned. We've sent requests out for help time and time again, no one's responded. I'm surprised we finally got someone out here..." She admits, though her face was largely devoid of any real expression, there was a hint of gratitude in her eyes. "I'm Sunaookami Shiroko, one of the students of Abydos. If you'd need, I could help you get there." Ja'vassa graciously accepted her offer, climbing onto the back of her bike as she invited him to do so. "Thank you for the help, Shiroko. I probably wouldn't have arrived until much later." Shiroko hadn't responded, but there was a hint of amusement flickered in her eyes. The duo was largely silent as Shiroko quickly cycled her way towards the school, and as Abydos came into view, the desolation of the district became more and more apparent. Ja'vassa gazed upon it, the pity in his eyes palpable. It was clearly a thriving city at one point, but to see it reduced to such a shameful state was depressing. Though he thought the students were foolish for attempting to pay off such a massive debt, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of admiration for their tenacity. As they finally arrived at the school, the defensive walls and barriers placed around the entrance was a surprise to see. "What's with the barriers, Shiroko? Expecting trouble, are you?" Ja'vassa asked curiously. Shiroko was silent for a brief moment before nodding at him. "We've been dealing with occasional attacks from the Kata-Kata Helmet Gang; a group of troublemakers. We're not entirely sure why they're targeting us so frequently, but the defensive set up at least gives us a chance to prepare ourselves when they arrive." The ever increasing debt, the desertification of the city, the growing violence the students were facing. It almost seemed as if Abydos was a lost cause, but now that he had come this far, he needed to see it through to the end. Ja'vassa felt nothing but pity towards them despite not even knowing them; in his mind, they were young. They were just students. They should be able to focus on their studies, focus on having the chance to enjoy the remaining years of their youth, and yet, they were thrust into a situation people much older and more experienced would crumble at. "...you and your fellow students have been through a lot, it seems." Ja'vassa said softly as they stepped up to the front door. "I'm not entirely sure how much help an old cat like me can provide, but I'll offer whatever support I can." For once, a small smile appeared on the girl's face. "...thank you, Sensei. I'm sure the others will appreciate the sentiment as well. Let's not waste any time, they'll want to meet you soon." Ja'vassa quietly followed Shiroko up to one of the classrooms to introduce him to her classmates. "They might be a bit slow to warm up to you, but I believe you'll like them, Sensei." She stated, inviting him inside as she opened the door. The moment the two stepped inside, Shiroko was immediately greeted by the warm smile and cheerful voice of one of her classmates. "Shiroko! I was wondering if you'd be back today... and I see you've finally gone through with your plan to kidnap someone." The blonde-haired student greeted. "No, I didn't kidnap him, Nonomi." Shiroko assured her, gesturing towards Ja'vassa. "This is Ja'vassa-Sensei from SCHALE. It seems our requests have finally been answered." As she introduced him, she'd turn back to her classmates to properly introduce them in return; vaguely gesturing towards them as she calls them by name. "These are my classmates; Izayoi Nonomi, Kuromi Serika, and the one who sent you the request, Okusora Ayane; there's also..." She paused, noticing that one of them was missing. "Is Hoshino still here, or has she left for the day?" Ayane shook her in response, "She's probably napping somewhere. We should probably go and find her, she should be here, too." Nodding in agreement, Shiroko stepped back out of the room. "I'll go find her and bring her back." She replied, soon disappearing from sight. A brief silence had washed over the room as Shiroko disappeared; none of them were particularly sure what to say, as none of the students in the room actually expected for Ja'vassa to arrive after their pleas for help went unanswered for so long, and now that he's here, none of them were sure of what to do. The few minutes that went by felt like an eternity until Ayane finally broke the silence. "So, uh... Sensei, how are you enjoying Kivotos so far? From what the Vice President said in her post, she mentioned you were an outsider." She started, looking towards him with a warm smile. "When we saw that, we thought maybe an outsider would have a better perspective for us.." Ja'vassa shrugged slightly as he leaned against the wall. "It's hard to deny the beauty of this land. Everyone's been quite friendly so far.. Shiroko didn't even think twice to offer her assistance when she found me on the road. I can't deny that the Abydos District is quite... pitiful from what I've seen, but it's got a certain beauty to it." He responded as he stepped towards the window. "Everything points to it being a lost cause, and yet, here you are, fighting for it regardless. It's admirable.. I've known folks far older and more experienced that would've crumbled under the pressure. I'm not sure how you've done it, but I'm impressed with the strength of your spirits. It takes great courage to keep moving forward in the face of adversity." A light blush dusted Ayane's cheeks as she listened to the unexpected praise, her warm smile widening slightly. "Oh, uh... thank you, Sensei. A lot of people question us on why we've stayed so long, but it's simple. Abydos is our home, we can't just give up on it." Nonomi giggled softly at her classmate's words. "You're not always this bold, Ayane, but.. you're right. If no one else will fight for Abydos, we will." She added cheerfully, a wide grin crossing her face. "Good. This is what I wanted to hear from you. You have mountains to climb, but as long as you continue moving forward, you'll find that reaching the summit won't be such an impossible task." Ja'vassa nodded, his own smile widening slightly. "So, Ayane. I've been told Abydos is dealing with financial trouble and is struggling to pay off a debt. How much is the debt?" Serika spoke up next, an uncertain expression on her face. "Currently, the debt has grown to over 960 million yen." She stated. "I see.. that doesn't sound..." Ja'vassa paused midway through his sentence, finally processing the number that Serika gave him. He expected a large number, but nowhere near the figure that she gave him. The usually calm and collected Khajiit found himself a stuttering mess as he tried to formulate that response. "I... d-d-did I hear y-you correctly? Over 960 million?" He had no idea what the proper conversation rate was from gold to yen, but the sound of it made it seem like it was many times over the amount of gold he's made over the centuries of his life. "Just... how can a school amass such a massive debt?" The awkward silence washed over the room once more, none of them were entirely sure how to answer the question. Fortunately, none of them had to as the echoing sounds of a voice could be heard. "Shiroko! Slow down, you know these old bones can't keep up with you as well anymore!" She whined, but it didn't seem her protests were working as Shiroko finally returned to the classroom with a pink haired girl. "I'm sorry we took so long, but, let me introduce the Vice President of the Abydos Student Council, Takanashi Hoshino." Shiroko stated, gesturing towards the girl as she let go of her arm. "Ah, so you're the one Hina mentioned earlier. I'll admit.. I was expecting someone a bit older." Ja'vassa mused, rubbing his chin for a moment. Hoshino scoffed in response, crossing her arms in mock offense. "I sure feel like I'm ancient sometimes." She replied, yawning slightly. At first, she wasn't entirely sure what to make of Ja'vassa, but perhaps he'd prove to be different from the others that had come before him. "If you're ancient, then I don't even want to know what I am." Ja'vassa teased, a soft laugh escaping him. "Now that you're all here, I'd suspect you're ready to get down to business, yes?" Hoshino was about to respond, but was quickly interrupted by Ayane's frantic voice. "We've got incoming! A large group is heading towards Abydos." She warned them, her eyes darting back and forth from the tablet in her hand and back towards them. "Again? Don't they ever give up?" Serika growled as she grabbed her rifle. "I suppose it's time to show Sensei what we can do." Shiroko nods in agreement as she grabs her weapon as well. "You should stay here for now, Sensei. It's too dangerous for you to be there." Though Ja'vassa wanted to argue, he was curious to see how they performed in battle, and so, as Shiroko recommended, he'd remain beside the window; watching as the small force of armed students arrived from the north. "Just... be careful out there. Don't hesitate to call for me if you need assistance out there." He replied, crossing his arms slightly as the group exited the room. "We'll be fine, Sensei. This isn't the first time they've chosen to pick a fight with us and this won't be the last. We'll just have to keep fighting until they give up or until we run out of supplies, whichever comes first." Hoshino stated, a confident grin on her face as she followed behind her fellow students. Ja'vassa quietly watched as they left the room; he wanted so badly to join them on the field, but he wasn't willing to risk upsetting them just yet. So, he'd simply observe as his students had gotten into position and as the opposing group approached them. "I wonder... I'm not sure if I can supply them with arms, but... perhaps medical supplies and gold might be an option." As he spoke to himself, he took some paper and writing utensils from his satchel, deciding it was time to write up a letter towards his companions back at Sjel Blad Castle. "I know you may not agree with it, but I've decided that we're going to be helping the students of Abydos High School. These poor kids, they've been through so much without any kind of support. I see the resilience and strength in their eyes, the desperation in their voice. I can't ignore them. I don't believe we'll be able to supply them with weaponry, but we can offer them potions, medicine, and gold. I know some of you will likely want to speak with them directly and I understand your reluctance, but going forward, I'm allying myself with them and will remain in Kivotos until further notice. I'll respond to any questions or concerns you might have soon, and I'll speak with my students regarding these arrangements. If you wish to meet with them, I'll discuss the possibility with them and create a Milestone within Abydos High School for you to use. I'll send another message when the time is right. I'm also planning to create a physical conduit for the Void Storage on this side. If everything works out as planned, I'll be leaving Maribelle as their main contact for medical supplies, and Julara as their main contact for financial aid." As he finished writing the letter, Ja'vassa set it away in the Void Storage before returning his attention back to the students outside the battle as the battle had begun. The sounds of their banter with the opposing students and the sounds of gunfire echoed throughout the halls as it seemed neither side was gaining much ground. He was practically itching to join the fray, but decided it'd be better to just watch and wait until things had gotten out of hand.