Disclaimer: I own nothing, this is purely a fanfic for enjoyment.
Cross-over from various games, books, anime, manga, and movies.
The familiar characters you see here belong to their respected authors and owners.
"Speech"
Time*
Chapter 49: Setup, Startup
An hour later*
"I did not expect you to become a nurse in high school upon returning to Japan, Nagumo." Sakamoto said with a hint of disbelief as his sharp eyes swept over the worn-out hallway before settling back on me. "And Ishiyama High School, of all places."
"What's wrong with working here?" I raised an eyebrow at Sakamoto, who appeared beside me as if appeared out of thin air. Of course, I knew better. It wasn't teleportation—it was simply that Sakamoto operated beyond the limits of what a human should be capable of, just like Momoyo. But where her strength was brute force, his mastery lay in an entirely different domain.
"For one thing, most people who don't know the truth about this place wouldn't dare let their kids set foot here." Sakamoto explained, his voice casual but edged with something deeper. "People are quick to judge delinquents, assuming they're good for nothing. Yet, they fail to see how often those same delinquents display valuable skills, just not in the fields society deems acceptable. One of the main reasons this school is still standing is that several organizations pool resources to keep it running. They see it as a recruitment ground for potential candidates."
"Ah, so by being here, I'm stepping on a few toes." I muttered, nodding slowly as we entered a random classroom. The room was empty, its once-pristine condition ruined by years of neglect and abuse from generations of delinquents. Broken desks, graffiti-stained walls, and shattered windows told stories of countless brawls and forgotten lectures.
"More like you're stomping on them and spitting in their faces, but yes." Sakamoto said casually, adjusting his glasses. "By the way… You might want to be careful while you're working here. Not because of the usual suspects, those organizations watching this school like hawks, but because this also involves supernatural creatures."
I raised an eyebrow at that. Supernatural? In Ishiyama High? Somehow, it didn't sound as ridiculous as it should.
"I don't know why, nor do I care to find out unless it becomes part of the mission." Sakamoto continued, his tone cool and detached. "But I've overheard enough to connect the dots. For some reason, this school has become a hot spot this year. A nexus of activity. New students have been enrolled, and while most of them are set to arrive tomorrow, a few early birds have already settled in."
His face remained calm, but I knew Sakamoto well enough to sense when he was being serious beneath the laid-back exterior.
"Any I should be worried about?" I asked, my expression hardening as I shifted into a more serious tone.
"Just a couple, but it's mainly the people backing them." Sakamoto said, pausing mid-step before turning his gaze on me. His sharp eyes gleamed with a mixture of amusement and warning. "Also, congratulations on your engagement to the heiress of the Kawakami Clan. The news is sending people into a frenzy. Even more than when word spread about you trying to court Sir Integra. Frankly, it's impressive you pulled this off—especially since the Kawakami Clan themselves went public with the announcement."
"Thanks... wasn't exactly something I was aiming for." I replied with a confused expression.
Deep down, I couldn't shake the feeling that the Sefirot might have had a hand in this mess. Their influence was subtle, insidious. I had no proof, no leads—just a gut feeling that something was nudging events from behind the scenes. And I know it isn't just the Fates themselves.
"Either way, congratulations." Sakamoto said, giving me a sidelong glance. He had stopped walking entirely now, his attention fully on me. "By the way, it hasn't even been that long, but you've changed. Grown stronger. I can feel it. You're far more dangerous than when we last crossed paths. Even back then, you had a presence—a quiet warning. But now… You feel like a raging beast barely held back by chains. Like any moment, those chains will snap, and you'll tear everything apart."
I stared silently at Sakamoto for a moment, then sighed, lifting a hand to scratch the back of my neck.
"Well, you aren't wrong." I said dryly, though my mind lingered on a different thought. I couldn't shake the suspicion that this Sakamoto was far more than his so-called canon counterpart. Too perceptive. Too composed. As if he knew far more than he let on.
"Then it's best you work on your control." Sakamoto said, giving me a slow, purposeful nod as he resumed walking. I fell into step beside him. "Since you're here as a nurse, after all, it'd be ideal if you didn't accidentally kill the students. If possible."
There was a flicker of something in his tone, but his words weren't a joke.
"Furthermore." He continued, adjusting his glasses. "You really need to revisit your stealth training. You're slipping. It didn't take me long at all to track you down."
"I've got a few tricks up my sleeve that can fix that." I replied, waving off his concern with practiced nonchalance.
Though, to be fair, it wasn't entirely an excuse. Ever since I unlocked all 22 Pathways, keeping myself in check has been a constant struggle. I'd nearly lost control more times than I cared to admit.
"Oh yeah, other than coming here to congratulate me, did you need something from me?" I asked, glancing at Sakamoto.
Without a word, he reached into his trench coat and pulled out an envelope. The wax seal was unbroken, stamped with the insignia of the Order. He handed it to me like it was nothing more than a formality.
"What's this?" I asked, though I already had an idea.
"The Order's new mission for you." Sakamoto replied, his tone as casual as if we were discussing the weather. "I was instructed to deliver it to you immediately. No delays."
I broke the seal, unfolded the letter, and skimmed its contents. A frustrated sigh escaped me before I could stop it.
Of course. They never give me time to breathe.
"It's just informing me to keep all lethal fights to a bare minimum. Non-lethal fights? I can pretty much ignore those." I said, explaining the mission content to Sakamoto. Then, giving him a pointed glance, I added, "Also, you're supposed to be a teacher here to help out, too."
"Eh?" Sakamoto blinked, genuine disbelief flickering across his face as he snatched the letter from my hand. He scanned it quickly. "Even Akao is included as a teacher as well?"
"Hold up, where does it say Akao?!" I shot back, yanking the letter right out of his hands.
My eyes darted across the text, this time more carefully. Near the bottom, her name stood out like a bad omen in the part I had skimmed over.
"Ah, crap. She's going to be a gym teacher? I feel kind of bad for the students now." I muttered, imagining the chaos already.
Sakamoto gave me a look, one brow arched in mild amusement. "She's going to be really pissed if she finds out you said that about her."
"Yeah, probably." I admitted with a sigh.
"But still." Sakamoto continued, frowning slightly now. "Why wouldn't the Order inform me ahead of time about this assignment? Why am I only finding out through you? That's not their usual protocol."
That last part had weight. Even Sakamoto found it suspicious. And if he found it suspicious, it wasn't just an oversight—it was deliberate.
"Mostly, this mission is more important than we could imagine." I answered, my voice low.
Although I might be able to uncover more through Computational Divination, it wasn't a guarantee. The real breakthrough would come if I were to become a Triple-Pathways Beyonder—one aligned with Pathways: Fool, Error, and Door. With those combined, bypassing the anti-divination defenses guarding key future routes would become significantly easier. Even the paths obscured by higher creatures' interference would open under that kind of insight.
"Including Akao, we're bound to deal with many hidden foes." I continued.
Sakamoto simply nodded. He understood the weight behind my words. This wasn't just another covert school mission or cleanup operation. This was the kind of assignment layered with secrets and consequences.
Neither of us would be taking this lightly.
"It doesn't say when Akao's showing up, though. Any ideas?" I asked as we resumed walking, no longer wandering aimlessly, now actively scouting the halls and any potential important spots to take note of.
"Chances are, she's already in town." Sakamoto replied calmly, hands in his coat pockets. "She's probably just picking the perfect moment to make an entrance. You know how she is."
Typical Akao. Always dramatic, always with impeccable timing—usually the kind that made people nervous.
"On to something more pressing." Sakamoto continued. "We need to figure out which students aren't mundane. If we can identify them early, we'll have a better sense of what factions or groups we're really dealing with."
"Depending on who they are, I might have a way to find out within a day or two." I said, keeping the details to myself.
Sakamoto didn't press. He simply nodded.
"In addition." I added. "We should start planning escape routes. Just in case things go south fast."
"I'd say we leave that to Akao once she shows up. She's better at contingency planning—especially when those plans involve killing someone." Sakamoto said with a faint smirk. "But yeah, we should have our own routes in place. Just in case."
He nodded again, this time with more weight behind it. Neither of us trusted the stability of this place, not with supernatural tensions rising and secret factions moving beneath the surface.
A few hours later*
"You know, Chikao, I think I might actually like this place." Momoyo said as we waited for our ride back to the Kawakami Temple. "Not a bad way to spend my final year of high school."
"Oh? Why's that?" I raised an eyebrow at her.
"I found some classmates I wouldn't mind hanging out with." She replied, her smile widening just a little. "They've got that energy I like—feels like we could really have some fun together, pull some stunts, and stir things up a bit."
I could tell from her expression that this wasn't just idle talk. She was genuinely pleased.
"You do realize your grandfather's going to run background checks on all of them, right?" I said as I slid my hands into my pockets.
Momoyo leaned against my shoulder, a playful glint in her eye. "Yeah, I know. But if they're strong enough to survive his scrutiny, then they're strong enough to be worth my time."
"Right..." I said dryly.
"Oh, don't be like that!" Momoyo leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. "I'll drop by the infirmary whenever I can. I could even spend my lunch breaks there when I'm not busy pretending to be a normal high school student."
"If you think I'm jealous about not having you around, you'd be both wrong and right." I replied with a shrug. "Still, here's hoping your potential new friends turn out alright."
"So do I." Momoyo agreed. "Anything interesting happen while I was gone?"
"Plenty." I gave her a brief summary, including Sakamoto's sudden appearance, and there was no point in hiding his existence or keeping the mission from the Order secret. Tesshin was bound to find out sooner or later anyway.