Blue Archive - An Otherworldly Sensei

Despite much of the chaos that had been going over the past few days, most mornings were something that Ja'vassa had looked forward to; it gave him a chance to spend some time with the students he's grown to adore, but this morning was anything but a good one. Him and the students gathered in the meeting room sat in silence as they listened to him read over a letter left behind by Hoshino. "I know you won't approve of this, especially you, Sensei, but I had to do this. In exchange for wiping the debt and leaving Abydos High School alone forever, I've been hired as a mercenary for Kaiser. I know I should've told you in person, but an old fashioned letter like this seems fitting for an old-timer like myself. Serika, Ayane, Nonomi, Shiroko, Sensei; thank you for everything. Things weren't always easy for us, but being with you was some of the happiest moments of my life. No matter what happens; please keep moving forward and maybe someday, you'll be able to do what I couldn't. Maybe you'll be able to return Abydos to its former glory. Unfortunately, I won't be there to help you with it. As of today, I'm officially dropping out. If we end up meeting on the battlefield, please don't hesitate to destroy my halo. You'll always be on my mind. I hope we won't have to trade blows with each other, but if I'm to fall to anyone, I won't mind it being at your hands. Sensei, please protect the others; they deserve to enjoy the remaining years at Abydos in happiness. Thank you again and farewell. Stay safe, always." Ja'vassa stared at the letter, a mixture of confusion, anger, and sorrow etched onto his face. "Why? Just... why would she do this?" He clenched his fist slightly. "I know she thinks she's doing the right thing, but... I hope she knows just how much we still need her." Tears pooled in Nonomi's eyes as she'd speak up. "What do we do now? I... I don't think I could bring myself to raise my weapon against her, even if we meet in battle, much less destroy her halo." She glanced towards Ja'vassa for some form of reassurance. "Obviously, we're going to bring her home." Ja'vassa replied, picking up the other document left behind. "Unless I'm mistaken, so long as I don't sign the approval form for her drop out request, she can't actually drop out, correct?" Ayane perked up slightly, a light smile tugging at her face. "That's right! But... I'm sure she's signed some sort of contract with Kaiser. I'm not so sure it'd be enough to avoid it..." Just as quickly as her smile appeared, it had faded away. "Even if it was enough, I've no idea where we'd go or who we'd have to talk to..." Shiroko looked towards Ja'vassa for a moment. "Yesterday, the Head Prefect spoke to you about something before she left. It seemed important; did she have any information that might help us?" The sudden mention of Hina caused Ja'vassa to briefly fall silent, taking a moment to think about the things that she told him. "She mentioned that Kaiser supposedly has an old outpost in the desert, likely not far from where we met the Helmet Gang in battle after they kidnapped Serika. If we were to go, we'd likely face heavy resistance and that's not including the off chance they might unleash Hoshino on us, too." A heavy frown crossed Serika's face as she stared towards the table, forcing back tears of her own. "So... we just give up, then?" She asked softly. "Of course not! I won't rest until she's safe and sound with us, but I just want to be sure we do it right. If we're to visit their outpost, with or without Hoshino being there, we'll need some help. I can see about speaking with the Prefect Team, and maybe I can contact Hifumi, see if she's willing to talk to the Tea Party for me." Ja'vassa stood up, stepping towards the window. "If all else fails, I can gather some of my own men. One way or another, Hoshino comes home." Staring out into the distance, he clenched his fist slightly. "She'll come home and then I'll be sure to give her a piece of my mind... we can celebrate and rest easy afterwards." Ayane laughed softly, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, we'll make sure everything---" Before she could say much else, she was suddenly interrupted by a high alert notification on her tablet. "We've got a large group suddenly attacking about three blocks north of here." Ja'vassa turned towards her, annoyance in his eyes. "I suppose our rescue mission will have to wait. Let's get down there and see what's going on." Nodding in agreement, the remaining students grabbed their weapons, while Ja'vassa had changed out his current weapon for another. Employing the use of his Deep Storage spell; he had created a mystical chest in front of him. Placing Goldbrand inside it, he'd replace it with his Mortal Blade. Strapping the crimson-colored to his back, he'd close the chest and turn to his students; following them out the door. As they rushed down the road, the echoing sounds of gunfire and explosions rang out throughout the streets, the confused screams of terrified civilians muffled in all of the chaos. Not long after they had left, Serica and Rianra had arrived in the meeting room. They haven't been filled in what had been going on with Hoshino yet, given that it had only happened that morning. For the past few days, they had been studying and reading over some of the material that Ayane had given them and they wanted to discuss some of their findings with Ja'vassa. The Sjel Blad Castle research and development group has been carefully working on some new weapons loosely inspired by what they've read, and they wanted to see if perhaps they'd prove useful to him and his students. "My Lord, are you here?" Serica asked as she stepped into the room, holding a handheld cannon. "He's not here... perhaps they're busy with something." She sighed softly, a little disappointed that they had missed him. Noticing the smoke in the distance, Rianra seemed concerned. "Perhaps he and the others are in trouble. Looks like a battle going on in the distance. I can use a Clairvoyance spell to lead us there..." The Altmer suggested, looking towards his companion with some slight concern. "I'm sure Ja'vassa's fine, but he'd appreciate the extra help in keeping his students safe. Lead the way, let's get there before things get worse." Serica replied, rushing on behind him. Much to the surprise of the Abydos group, it had appeared that Kaiser was behind the unexpected attack on the district. The Helmet Gang had failed, Problem Solver 68 had failed, and so, it was time for them to take matters into their own hands. Upon catching sight of the Abydos students, the Kaiser President let out a menacing laugh and halted their advance. "And so, Abydos High School is no more, which means the District now belongs to Kaiser." He laughed heartily, enjoying their apparent victory. "But... Why are you attacking us now? I thought if Hoshino joined you, we'd be left alone." Ayane yelled out, looking towards the opposing army with slight fear in her eyes. "And we're holding true to that; we're not attacking you. But, now that Hoshino has dropped out, the Abydos Student Council is no more and thus, the school is forced to disband." The President replied, another hearty laugh escaping his mechanical body. "Then... that means..." Ayane stumbled back slightly, falling to her knees. "Hoshino... you tricked her! But... What do we do now? Why? Why are we always the ones to have to stand on our own? Why are we ignored by everyone else?" She asked, tears streaming down her cheeks. She buried her face in her hands, quietly sobbing as it seemed the situation was quickly becoming hopeless. The sound of his beloved student breaking down like that caused something to snap within him. Drawing the Mortal Blade; the strange sword surrounded itself with a dark aura. "I've had just about enough of this." Ja'vassa growled, stepping forward. "Ah, the Sensei they've come to adore so much. Hoshino mentioned you quite a bit." The President looked upon him with an air of condescension. "Do you seriously intend to fight off my army with nothing but a sword? You're insane if you think you can harm us." Ja'vassa raised his weapon, pointing directly towards the President. "You kidnapped Hoshino, forced her to sign an unfaithful contract. You made Ayane cry. You've turned their lives into a living hell. You've forced me to fight with Problem Solver 68. You're threatening the lives of innocent civilians." He took a deep breath, deciding it was time to employ his Dragon Aspect shout. "Mul... Qah Diiv!" He yelled out, soon being enveloped by an ethereal set of dragon plate armor. "I'm not going to fight you. I'm going to destroy you; make you regret ever showing your face. You're going to find out why even the dragons tremble at my approach." Just as Ja'vassa prepared to fight them off, he had briefly turned towards another building. "Hey! I know you're there, Problem Solver 68." He called out. "You're serious about becoming a great outlaw, Aru, right?" Aru seemed to be taken off guard slightly; she had intended to observe, and potentially intervene if things became ugly, but being addressed directly was surprising. "Of course! I told you that before." Ja'vassa nodded at her. "Right. The attack on the Master's ramen shop; that was real inspired, the work of a true outlaw. The way you fought against us and the Prefect Team shows real strength, and your willingness to keep up the fight no matter the odds proves your resilience. But, you're missing one thing." Aru seemed a bit confused, but listened intently. "What is it that we're missing, Sensei?" Returning his attention to the Kaiser President. "A true outlaw always turns their back on their employer, especially when their values no longer align with your own." Ja'vassa stated, preparing himself for the first attack. "See the destruction they're sowing? The lives they're ruining. Is this really who you want to be working with, Aru? You're better than this. You're above them." The President let out an annoyed grunt, glancing towards the observing Problem Solver 68. "I'd suggest you be smarter than to listen to him. Do not forget that we're still paying you." He reminded her. "Maybe we'll regret this, but... Sensei means more to me than any amount of money." Aru raised her rifle, preparing to join the fight. "We've never had anyone believe in us as much as he does, even all we've done to him." Another annoyed grunt escaped him as he made a motion. "You fools... betraying the hand that feeds." The President shook his head, raising his hand to signal his underlings to open fire on them. Without any warning, Ja'vassa had rushed in for his own attack. With frightening precision and speed, his Mortal Edge easily cut through the metallic material that made up Kaiser's foot soldiers. Surrounding the old Khajiit, the fallen machines weakly crackled with electricity. "I'm your opponent, not them. I'd suggest you keep your eyes on me." He warned, taking a step closer to the President. Despite the almost eerily calm tone he spoke in, his eyes were practically ablaze with rage. Serika watched her teacher's unexpected attack with great surprise, almost forgetting they were in the middle of a burning battlefield. "Whoa..." She muttered. "Has... has he been holding back all this time?" A soft laugh could be heard as the two Council members finally arrived on the scene. "I take it this is the first time you've seen our Lord in action, Serika." Serica stated, watching as her master effortlessly struck down more and more of the approaching machines. The Abydos students stared up at Serica and Rianra with obvious surprise. "S-Serica? What are you doing here?" Ayane asked somewhat nervously. "We actually were intending to present you and your companions with some new weapons we've been working on. Those books you gave us, Ayane? They've come in handy." Serica replied, holding up the hand cannon. Nonomi briefly stared at the weapon with obvious curiosity, but then shook her head. "Shouldn't we help Sensei? As strong as he is, he can't outlast them forever..." She seemed worried, but didn't have an idea where to start. "Ja'vassa will be fine, if anything, us intervening will just get in the way." Rianra waved off the concern, watching with an intrigued smile. "If you want to help, then perhaps we should keep the small fry at bay. Let him deal with... the big guy there." Serica suggested, "I'd say it's the perfect opportunity for us to test out our new weapons." Approaching Nonomi, she held out the cannon. "Here, why don't you give it a go, Nonomi? It's already loaded; simply pull the trigger when you're ready." She suggested. "I'm... honored you'd give me the first shot." Nonomi giggled softly, carefully aiming towards a large group of the Kaiser PMC soldiers. "Here goes nothing!" She pulled the trigger, unleashing a fireball that burst into fiercely hot flames the moment it hit the ground. The soldiers caught up in the blast tumbled to the ground, writhing as the flames quickly consumed them. "Whoa... that was incredible, Serica." Nonomi's eyes sparkled, looking up towards the Council members with obvious excitement in her eyes. "What was that, anyways?" She asked. "We took some inspiration with some of the weapons seen in those books Ayane gave us and created magically infused cannonballs. When they hit the ground, they burst with magical energy like you saw there. We've developed fire and frost cannonballs so far and we intend to create shock cannonballs in the future." Rianra explained, obvious pride in his eyes. With the destruction from both his students and from his own efforts, Ja'vassa began to march towards the Kaiser President, aiming to cut him down once and for all. Despite the lack of emotion in his face, the President was terrified. "You're not really planning to kill me, are you? How would your adoring students feel knowing you're a murderer, Sensei?" Ja'vassa rolled his eyes in response. "You're really attempting to guilt me after the destruction you've caused? Come now, you'll have to try better than that, President." Seeing as any further attempts to dissuade Ja'vassa's approaches would likely fail, the President took several steps back, turning to his remaining soldiers. "Ready the secret weapon, immediately." He ordered. "B-But, we still haven't properly tested it. We still---" The soldier had been cut off as the result of a devastating punch from the President. "There's no better opportunity to test it than now. Release the weapon!" He ordered once more. "You should've fled when you had the chance, Sensei. I'm going to bury you beneath this rubble! Your students will only remember you for the fool that came at us with that puny blade of yours." With a deep, menacing laugh; the President jumped back into a large, mechanical suit. Several cannons stuck out of the arms and over his head. Aiming them directly at the old Khajiit, he'd give one last warning. "One shot from these and you'll be turned to dust. I'm giving you one last opportunity to leave, Sensei. You don't want to be responsible for the deaths of your beloved students as well, do you?" In response to the threat, Ja'vassa took a deep breath as he'd invoke the Mortal Edge's innate power; for a brief second, a deep red aura had surrounded him before transferring over to the sword itself; joining with the other aura that was already emanating from it. "That's crossing a line, President. You've kidnapped one of my students, you've made another cry, and now, you're threatening to kill them." Shooting off a vicious glare, he was preparing himself for his first attack. "You'll make for fine smithing materials after I've turned you into scrap metal." Shiroko's ears perked up as she noticed the somewhat dark, unsettling aura surrounding Ja'vassa's sword. "What's with his weapon? It... feels wrong." She muttered, looking towards him with some concern in her eyes. "He's only told us bits and pieces of what the Mortal's Edge is. That aura surrounding the blade is a physical manifestation of his malice, rage, and hatred. When it's like this, the blade taps into a strange magic that allows it to cut through nearly anything, but it hurts him as a result. He needs to finish it quickly, or he'll be in danger." Serica explained, her confident smile becoming a more worrisome expression. "...his inner darkness? I... I almost can't believe that Sensei would have so much hatred within him." Ayane admitted, almost a little nervous to be so close to him. "Ja'vassa hates many things; vampire hunters, chaurus, werewolves, but his deepest and keenest hatred is for himself. I'm sure he's told you a few things, but... I know he fully blames himself for everything that's happened to him. The deaths of his wife, his children, the destruction of Copperstead and later Silverstead. He hates himself for being unable to protect them, and for the things he's done in retaliation." Serica took a somewhat protective stance in front of the students. "I couldn't tell you the extent of what he's done, he's never told us, only that we'd hate him the moment we found out the extent of what he's done." Ayane's eyes filled with tears again, unaware of how much her teacher had gone through. He's told her bits and pieces, but there was obviously more to him than he had revealed thus far. "Sensei..." The President had fired off a destructive blast towards the approaching Dragonborn, laughing maniacally as it seemed his first shot was successful. "Foolish Sensei! Don't you see what happens when you pick a fight with your superiors?" He taunted. "Stronger men than you have tried to kill me for centuries, but none have been successful." Ja'vassa replied, clinging to the machine's shoulder. "Big and bulky, like a dwarven centurion... ugly like one, too." He mused; quickly slashing at the shoulder. As the blade connected with his target, a deep cut suddenly appeared down his left arm. Blood streamed down, pooling on the ground beneath him. While he hadn't cut all the way through, it was enough to disable the machine's right arm; now dangling around, the thick wires barely holding onto it. "I've had just about enough of you, cat!" The President yelled out, now attempting to strike at him once more. Yet again, his attack had completely missed its target. Clinging to the central cannon, Ja'vassa prepaed his Sol Invictus spell. "Yeah, I've heard that one before. It always ends with the same results, however." He shook his head; launching the fireball directly inside the cannon. Sticking inside the walls of the cannon, the intense heat began to slowly melt at the iron surrounding it. "This could've been avoided if you had simply left my students alone. You could've survived if you hadn't threatened their lives." Just as the Sol Invictus was about to burst, Ja'vassa jumped away, landing several feet away. Watching with unflinching eyes as the fireball exploded with furious energy, reducing the mechasuit to mere rubble within seconds. Miraculously, the Kaiser President survived, but was in less than perfect shape. Being helped by some of his men, he'd shoot a glare towards the Dragonborn. "You'll regret this, Sensei. You won't be able to protect them forever, and when that day comes... they're going to wish they never met you." Despite the threat, it was all he could do to hobble away from the battlefield. As the adrenaline from the conflict died down, Ja'vassa fell to his knees; the pain and fatigue from the loss of blood finally catching up to him. "That... that bastard better not show his face again if he knows what's good for him." He growled. As he collapsed, his students rushed to his side; Haruka being the first to get to him. "Are you going to be alright, Sensei? Your arm doesn't look good..." She stated, gently taking his hand. "She'll be fine, dear." Serica assured her, reaching out to use a Healing Hands spell on him. "The stubborn old fool probably forgot about his own restoration magic." Haruka watched on in fascination as the wound closed. "That's... that's incredible." She whispered, her eyes practically sparkling at the sight. As the wound closed, Ja'vassa took a deep breath and glanced towards Haruka, gently placing his hand on the top of her head. "I'm fine, thanks to Serica's help. Thank you for your help out there.. things might've turned out differently if I didn't have you and your companions helping out against the minor soldiers." At the gentle touch, a soft blush dusted Haruka's cheeks, though she made no effort to pull away from him. "Ah-Ah... we really didn't do much of anything..." She muttered, leaning into his hand slightly. "You undersell your skills, Haruka.. you're an incredible shot." Ja'vassa smiled softly, pulling his hand away after a moment. "I'm afraid I might have to ask for more of your help to rescue Hoshino, though." Aru listened to him, an apologetic frown crossing her face. "I'm sorry, Sensei.. I know how worried you are about her, but... I don't know if we'll be able to help much. Our contract with Kaiser is probably no good anymore, without potential income, we'll have to back out. I hope you'll understand." She replied softly, crossing her arms slightly. "I understand completely, Aru. I don't want to put you or the others in any more unnecessary conflicts. Thank you for your help today. I know I keep pushing it back, but... I promise, the next time we meet, we'll embark on that ramen date." Ja'vassa replied, returning to his feet. Mutsuki approached, giving him a quick, but tight hug. "You better keep that promise, Sensei. I won't let you forget it anytime soon." She teased, pulling away after a moment. "We'll see you soon, Sensei. Keep yourself safe." Kayoko added, waving towards them as Problem Solver 68 had finally made their exit. Ja'vassa watched them leave, a light smile on his face. He'd then turn back towards his other students. "Let's head back to Abydos and begin planning our next moves. Hoshino comes home soon." Upon returning to the school, none of them were particularly happy despite technically emerging from the earlier conflict victoriously. The only thing on their mind was the wellbeing of Hoshino; they had no idea what they were subjecting her to. They could be brainwashing her, torturing her, taunting her, actively preparing to unleash her against them. Each possible scenario that came to mind only seemed to get worse and worse. Serica sighed softly, a concerned expression on her face as she was filled in with what's been happening. "...I'll let Relumara know and prepare a detachment. Simply give us the word and they'll be ready to move forward, my Lord." She said to Ja'vassa. "Thank you, Serica. It was good to see you and Rianra today, I only wish it could've been under more pleasant circumstances." Ja'vassa replied, watching as his Council members had stood back up. "We'll see you again soon, my Lord. Be sure the next time you visit us, Hoshino is safe and sound with you." Rianra nodded, giving him and the other students a brief wave as they'd leave the room. By now, the sun had long since disappeared below the horizon; leaving the unhappy students and their teacher to enjoy the room in silence. Nonomi was the first to stand up, grabbing her bag. "I guess I'll see you all in the morning... Hopefully tomorrow will be better." She said softly. "...please stay safe, Nonomi. If... if you consider doing what Hoshino did, please come talk with me. Losing her was bad enough, I... I can't bear to lose any of you as well." Ja'vassa replied somewhat quietly, unable to meet her gaze. "Of course, Sensei. I wouldn't want to worry you." Nonomi assured him, flashing him one of her signature, cheerful smiles. One by one, they had said their farewells; giving him the same promises that Nonomi did until eventually, he was all alone in the school. Returning to his office, he'd attempt to sleep off his worries, but found it difficult to do so. The strange, sudden noise outside his office made it much more difficult, but it offered a glimmer of hope. "Ja'vassa-Sensei, I wish to meet with you at your earliest convenience regarding the pending dropout of third year Abydos student, Takanashi Hoshino. Come to Kaiser's headquarters in the north end of the Abydos District. It's in your best interest, I promise." Without a signature, it was impossible to tell who sent it. Though his gut was telling him it was a trap, he felt as if he'd be throwing away a prime opportunity if he ignored it. Ja'vassa sighed softly, picking up his tablet. "...Arona, can you set the coordinates for Kaiser's headquarters? It seems I have a meeting to attend tomorrow." Ja'vassa muttered. Arona seemed a bit hesitant. "Are you sure it's a good idea, Sensei?" She asked, wanting any form of confirmation. "No, it probably isn't a good idea, but... if they're wanting to discuss Hoshino, then I can't ignore it. We can't keep her waiting for too much longer." Ja'vassa nodded in response, staring at the screen with hopeful eyes. "...alright, if you're sure, Sensei. I've set the coordinates for their headquarters, please try to get some sleep until then." Arona suggested; the whole thing sounded incredibly fishy and while she knew that Ja'vassa was strong, she just wanted to be sure that he'd be safe in case it turned out to be a trap. Without another word, Ja'vassa nodded and curled up on the small sofa; falling into a restless sleep.