Blue Archive - An Otherworldly Sensei

"Those students... they're quite resilient, aren't they? Despite having the odds stacked against them, they don't seem to be showing any signs of slowing down." Ja'vassa mused, occasionally glancing towards Arona. "And yet.. I can't shake the feeling that they need help down there." Arona nodded in agreement, sighing softly. "I wonder how long they'll be able to hold strong? Are you going to intervene, Sensei?" She asked, looking at him with some slight concern. There was silence for a brief moment; they told him to remain inside the building, but they were struggling. Low on supplies, low in number, and their opponents seemed to show no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Occasional explosions rattled the building, the Abydos students were slowly being pinned and if something didn't change, they'd be defeated. He hadn't come all this way just to see them fall like this. Ja'vassa sighed softly, stretching a bit as he'd stepped away from the window. "Those kids need help. Perhaps they'll be upset if I intervene, but I'll deal with that later... I was sent here to help them and that's what I intend to do." Arona smiled softly, glad to see that despite the circumstances surrounding his arrival, he was going to take his role seriously. "I'm glad you came here, Sensei." She said softly. Nodding at her, Ja'vassa had a light smile plastered to his face as he'd make his way down towards the entrance of the school to join with his students in the conflict. The relentless assault of their opponents seemed to be never ending with the girls being pinned behind the barriers just in front of the academy's doors. "You can't hide behind there forever! You'll eventually have to come out; might as well make it easier on yourselves and give up now!" A red-clad student yelled out, preparing to lob a hand grenade towards them. Ayane looked towards her companions, uncertainty shimmering in her eyes. "What do we do? We're running low on ammunition.. even if we win here, they'll be back again." She took a deep breath, her hands shaking slightly. "I don't know... I just don't know." Serika responds, her ears flattening against her head. "Maybe it's time for us to throw in the towel?" It wasn't a pleasant thought, but what more could they do at this point? Even if they won today, the Kata-Kata Helmet Gang would be back another day and with their dwindling supplies, they'd be right back in the same position yet again. None of them outright said anything, but as they shared a glance amongst each other, it seemed they were coming to a decision. "I've had enough of this... today, Abydos High School will be ours!" The gang's leader yelled out as she hurled the grenade towards their hiding spot. The Abydos students noticed the flying explosive and quickly braced themselves for the impact; crouching down further and pressing their backs against the walls of their makeshift fortress. Seconds felt like an eternity as they waited for the inevitable, but grew increasingly more confused as it never came. "Why hasn't it...?" Hoshino questioned, staring at the grenade as it was suspended in mid-air. Her confusion hadn't dwindled in the slightest as she noticed Ja'vassa standing in the doorway with his arm outstretched, an orange colored light surrounding his hand. "Sensei? What... what are you doing here?" With the use of his Telekinesis, Ja'vassa held onto the grenade and hurled it back towards their attackers, using their momentary confusion to speak with his students. "You can't seriously tell me you're going to give up just like that." His tone was harsh, yet gentle as he spoke; he gave a soft glare towards his students. "Before they came, I'm quite sure I heard one of you mentioning that you continued the fight because this was your home. That you weren't about to quit upon it. Were you being honest with me? Or were you just saying what I wanted to hear?" There was a brief silence amongst his students before Ayane spoke up. "N-No... we were serious, but... what else can we do? We're low on ammunition, and they'll be back eventually. Even if we win here, we... we can't keep this up forever." Ja'vassa's glare hardened slightly as he listened to her. "If you truly thought it was so pointless, you wouldn't have contacted me. I have a possible solution, but we can't discuss it like this. Pick up your weapons and fight. Your story won't end here." He stated; once again employing his Telekinesis as another explosive was hurled their way. As the second grenade landed near the Kata-Kata Helmet Gang, their leader shot her own glare towards Ja'vassa. "Who is this guy? How is he throwing our own weapons back at us without touching them?" She growled, gritting her teeth as she spoke. "No matter... let's finish them off!" She ordered, motioning for her companions to move forward. Taking a second to study the battlefield, Ja'vassa looked towards his students. "Nonomi, you cover the center; Hoshino and Serika, attack from the left and right respectively. Shiroko, you'll finish off their leader by using Nonomi's attacks as cover. Ayane, you stay here and we'll provide them with support. Keep your heads clear and we'll emerge victoriously." In an effort to increase their speed and agility in the fight, Ja'vassa had employed his Battle Fury shout. "Mid... Vur Shaan!" He yelled out; surrounding his students with an energizing wind. Though they were understandably confused and surprised by the strange energy coursing through them, it was refreshing and empowering; allowing them to move much quicker than they could've before. With Ja'vassa's orders, the students took action. Hoshino and Serika worked in near perfect synch with each other as they took down the gang's grunts; forcing many of them to flee, even those who were hurt by their attacks fled as the Abydos students seemingly gained their second wind. Nonomi provided excellent cover with the rapid fire of her beloved minigun, forcing just as many of them to flee in terror. All that had remained was their leader who stood there in great confusion, unsure of what to make of the current situation. Glancing towards her fleeing companions and the quickly advancing Shiroko, she froze; her legs trembling, unable to raise her gun until it was already too late. Before she could even react, she had been knocked to the ground with Shiroko's foot firmly planted on her chest. "This is checkmate." Shiroko spoke softly, her expression never changing as she fired off several rounds at the girl beneath her. The others watched, the only sounds being the pained grunts from her victim and the rapid gunfire from Shiroko's weapon. "Alright, alright! I give up! I give up!" The girl yelled out, clutching her forehead as Shiroko slowly got off of her. "You might've won today, but we'll be back and you'll regret this!" She shot a nasty glare towards Ja'vassa. "Next time, he won't be there to save you!" Despite her threats, she was clearly terrified and after she finished speaking, she fled with the rest of her companions. As the dust from the battle settled, they all shared a collective sigh of relief. Hoshino approached Ja'vassa, a sleepy smile glued to her face. "I'm not sure we would've done much better had you not stepped in, Sensei. I've never seen anything like what you've done... what was that, anyways? Those words you spoke.. they filled me with a strange energy. It felt great, but it was... weird." Ja'vassa seemed to relax once the battle had finished. "Let's head inside and rest, and I'll explain what I can." Nodding in agreement, the students followed them back to the Foreclosure Task Force's office; reclining around the tables as Ja'vassa quietly prepared them a pot of tea. "So, about that out there... stopping the explosive was done through a simple telekinesis spell, while the energy felt was a result of my Battle Fury shout; a powerful Thu'um that empowers my allies. It grants an increase in your agility and speed. If we were to make it out of that battle with your dwindling supplies, it was a necessary shout." His explanation, while sufficient, did little to help their confusion. Hoshino looked him up and down, her expression softening slightly. "Just... What are you, Sensei? I've felt a strange presence from you since you arrived. The Vice President mentioned you were an outsider, but... what exactly did she mean by that?" Ja'vassa was briefly silent as he contemplated his answer, setting the cups of tea in front of them. "A mess of things, I suppose. A Khajiit, Dragonborn, and vampire all rolled up into one messy bundle." He replied with a soft chuckle, crossing his arms as he'd take a seat. "I hail from a place known as Skyrim and arrived here by mistake. My companions and I were attempting to create a portal to Oblivion, another realm of existence. Something went wrong... or right and I ended up here. Even if this wasn't my intended destination, it still opened up a ripe opportunity for study." All of the information dropped upon them was a lot to take in; they shared an unsure glance amongst each other. Ja'vassa seemed trustworthy, he's shown that he's willing to help and is a gifted tactician based on what they've seen so far. Hoshino stared at him, contemplating the words she wanted to say. "Why... Why did you choose to help us, then? If you're here for research, even if it was accidental. It's not like we can offer payment in return for your services..." She didn't want to distrust him, but past experiences made it difficult for her to believe anyone would help without getting anything in return. "You're right. I'm here for research, but... there's more to it." Ja'vassa said softly, glancing towards the cup in his hand. "Before I was discovered by Shiroko, I spent some time in Trinity and Gehenna; meeting with some of the students. Something about them draws me in; despite the brief time I've been here, it's... hard to deny that I haven't been enjoying my time so far. Everyone has been so friendly, inviting. I love my companions back home dearly, and yet.. there's something that's keeping me here, and it's not just the lure of knowledge that's evaded me so far." Ja'vassa paused, trying to figure out how to continue. He sighed softly, setting his cup to the side. "For centuries, I've... been seeking a new purpose in life. There isn't much in Skyrim left for me. No villains to slay, quests to undertake, and family waiting for me to return home. Here, I feel like I have some sense of purpose. I don't need repayment from you or anyone, I just... want to be of use to someone for once. Here, in Kivotos, I don't have to worry about the Imperials breathing down our necks or the locals accusing us of every little thing in the books." They soaked in the words, feeling the sincerity in his tone. "You're lonely, aren't you, Sensei? You're surrounded by companions, but there's a certain loneliness to your voice." Nonomi responds, her expression softening a bit. "It's... difficult to make lasting friendships when people are afraid of you." Ja'vassa nodded, a light chuckle escaping him. "Sometimes, I've wondered if my Inner Council is genuinely loyal to me or if their loyalty is born out of fear." In an effort to change the topic, Ja'vassa quickly moved on from the brief state of vulnerability. "I intend to offer whatever support I can for Abydos' situations. I've already contacted my companions regarding my intentions. I doubt they can offer much in the way of weaponry, unless you're willing to learn swordsmanship or archery, but we might be able to provide financial and medical support. I'd suspect I'll be hearing from them soon." The group perked up at the mention of the support he planned to provide. While many of them seemed excited by the prospect of it, Serika seemed a bit suspicious. For so long, they had to work themselves to the bone just to make enough to get by, to just barely pay their monthly debts with hardly enough left over for any supplies. No matter how often they turned to the General Student Council or the other academies for help, they were often ignored. They were alone; no support, no aid, nothing. And now, out of nowhere, she was to expect that this outsider was really going to change anything. Even if Ja'vassa was sincere, it was difficult for her to accept his proposal. She was silent, gritting her teeth and clenching her fists, unsure of how to say this. "Having access to medical supplies and extra finances would help us in the long run. Though, are you sure your companions will agree to it, Sensei?" Shiroko asked, her attention firmly on him. "They should. My Inner Council might seem tough and harsh, but they're really a bunch of saps. Serica, especially... chances are, she'd want to be here to personally offer her own support." Ja'vassa replied, chuckling softly. "So... it seems our little Serika has her own counterpart on the other side, eh?" Hoshino giggled, finding humor in their shared names. Before Ja'vassa had responded, it seemed that he had finally received a response. Employing his Void Storage, he had taken out the folded parchment. "Relumara never disappoints me.. it seems he's finally responded." Despite the increasing tension from Serika, the room had fallen silent as Ja'vassa read the letter. "I can't say I understand why you'd get yourself so involved with another world's problems, but it seems like you're serious. I've already informed Maribelle and Julara about your plans, and they've agreed to them, but they wish to meet with these students in person; we want to get an idea of the situation they're facing. Build a Milestone on that side and we'll visit as soon as we're able. Just remember, we'll have to be careful as well; we don't need the Imperials discovering that you're in another world, it could create some trouble for both of us. Regardless, they'll have our full support; if you consider them allies, then Sjel Blad Castle will be allies to them." Ja'vassa smiled softly as he set the letter to the side. "I knew he'd come around. He's agreed to offer his full support, but he and a few of the other Council members wish to meet with you to get the full story. I could tell them, but they want to hear it from you." Nonomi lit up, her smile widening slightly. "That's wonderful news, Sensei! Maybe settling the debt won't be so out of reach anymore." While the others shared similar sentiments, Serika had stood up; an angry, uncertain expression on his face. "I can't accept this. We've had to struggle day in and day out, being ignored by virtually everyone in Kivotos. The General Student Council, the other academies... every single day, they heard us, but did nothing, and now, we're supposed to act like our salvation has finally arrived?" She growled, choking back a few sobs that attempted to escape. "I don't accept this. I don't accept your help, Sensei." As she finished speaking, she stormed out of the room; being sure to slam the door behind her. "Sensei this, Sensei that... they're ridiculous if they think he can do anything about this." Serika muttered as she sauntered down the hallway, intending to leave the school for the day. "Serika..." Nonomi whispered, shock evident on her face at the sudden outburst. "Should we go after her? I don't think she meant what she said, she often lets her emotions get the better of her." Ja'vassa waved it off, staring towards the door. "No, give her some space. I can't expect her to trust me or accept my plans immediately. All of you have struggled immensely to get to this point, to suddenly accept an outsider's help would wound anyone's pride. She'll come around soon, she'll just need some time." He replied softly as he turned back to them. "It seems it's getting late. Is there anything else we need to discuss before we're finished for the day? I'll work on building the Milestone overnight and by the morning, you should be able to meet with my companions." Ayane shook her head, gathering some of her things. "No, I think that's all for now. Thank you for everything, Sensei. We'll see you tomorrow, and hopefully Serika will be in a better mood then." The other students had expressed their farewells to him, waving towards him as they left for the day. Once the room had emptied, Ja'vassa had stepped over to his temporary office to begin working on the Milestone as planned. He had all of the materials he'd need for it, but it'd take some time to make sure it was perfect. "I hope this works out... these students need a break from everything that's happened. Maybe after it's all said and done, I can treat them to a proper feast.. maybe bring them to Sjel Blad Castle to enjoy a celebratory dinner." He mused, clearing out a space in the office for the pillar. The future was uncertain, it seemed that things would only get more difficult and yet, Ja'vassa couldn't pull himself away from it. These students drew him in like a moth into flame, seeing their smiles warmed his heart. Seeing the struggles they've been through compelled him to stay with them, even if his efforts might be in vain, he had to see it through to the end.