"Uh... um, my name is Hayase Yuuka, and I'm the treasurer of the Millennium Academy Student Council, Seminar". The girl with steel-blue hair quickly introduced herself, her gaze slightly evasive.
Next was the girl with light brown hair. "I'm Hinomiya Chinatsu, a member of the Disciplinary Committee, just like Ako. Nice to meet you."
Then came the white-haired, red-eyed girl in uniform. "Hello, Sensei. My name is Morizuki Suzumi, from Trinity Vigilante Crew.
"Pleased to meet you, Sensei. I am Hanekawa Hasumi, the vice Chairwoman of Trinity's Justice Task Force."
Finally, the tall girl with long black hair spoke.
"Sensei, my name is Nanagami Rin. I am currently the Chief Administrative Officer and the Vice President of the General Student Council." After her introduction, Rin continued, "Apologies, Sensei, but we don't have much time to explain. You originally came here as a federal advisor for the Schale club. Right now, what we need to do is get you to Schale's basement."
"Is there something in the basement?" Knowing the game's storyline, Sensei probed. "Or rather, is there something there that can restore normal operations to Kivotos?"
"It seems you understand quickly, Sensei, so I'll cut to the chase..."
Rin then made a call. "Momoka, I need a helicopter to Schale's club room."
A lazy, childlike voice responded. "Schale's club room? Oh~ you mean that place 20 km away on the outskirts? It's already been taken over by delinquents and the Helmet Gang, you know?"
"What?" Rin frowned.
So the main storyline hasn't changed much after all.
Sensei felt relieved.
If the plot had deviated too much from the original, he wouldn't know what to do.
"The suspended student who escaped from the Correction Bureau have now joined forces with the Helmet Gang. They've even rallied the local delinquents, turning the entire area into a battlefield. Oh, and they got their hands on a crusader tank, too. Pretty scary, huh?"
"Ah, Senpai, my delivery is here. I'll talk to you later!"
Momoka promptly hung up, leaving Rin momentarily speechless.
"Hah..." Rin took a deep breath to calm herself.
"I understand, Rin." Seeing this, Sensei volunteered. "In that case, we'll take back Schale's basement and drive out those delinquents and the Helmet Gang."
Rin was momentarily stunned by how quickly Sensei responded.
Then, Sensei turned to Yuuka and the others. "Everyone, for Kivotos to function properly again, I need your help."
"Since it's a request from Sensei..." Yuuka looked a little reluctant. "I guess I'll just have to accept it."
"Sensei, our goals are aligned. Suzumi and I will of course help you with everything we have." Hasumi smiled.
Ako maintained a professional demeanor. "The Disciplinary Committee naturally supports Sensei's decision."
As an administrator, Ako also wanted to see what kind of abilities the rumored Sensei could display.
Of course, the other students had similar thoughts.
After all, restoring the academy's normal operations was the top priority.
"Very well, Sensei." Rin nodded. "We will escort you safely to Schale."
It seemed the students were more cooperative than expected.
Sensei felt a weight lifted off his shoulders, having worried that they might not accept him so readily.
However, another pressing issue remained.
How exactly was he supposed to command students in battle?
"Ding—dong—!"
"Terra Armament, initializing."
Huh?
Terra Armament?
Sensei looked around in confusion, only to realize that the students didn't seem to hear the voice. It must have been transmitted directly into his mind.
Could it be... a system just got dropped into his lap?
"Host identity confirmed: Sensei of Kivotos."
"Initial mission triggered: Reclaim Schale."
"Reward: Terra Armament upgrade to Lv1. Current level: Lv0."
What exactly is this system? And "Terra Armament"—could it be related to Warhammer 40K's Holy Terra?
If so, just wielding the power of an Astartes would be enough to utterly dominate here!
As Sensei was still processing, the system provided an answer:
"Response to Host: Terra Armament is a drop-in combat system that, in theory, allows the user to borrow the power of any lifeform from Arknights' Terra. The strength of the borrowed power depends on the system's level and the host's physical and mental state. Using the Terra Armament will also consume the host's stamina and mental energy."
Oh. So it's Arknights' Terra.
Fortunately, Sensei had played the game before... though he wasn't very familiar with it.
He wanted to ask more questions, but the six students had already finished preparing.
"Sensei, let's move." Rin signaled for him to follow. "If we engage in battle, please stay in a safe position. You don't have a Halo like us, so you can't just tank bullets."
"Got it."
With that, they departed by vehicle.
During the ride, Sensei continued familiarizing himself with the Terra Armament.
"Who can I borrow power from right now?"
"Response to Host: Currently available options include non-combat skills from five-star and lower Medic, Support, and Defender Operators. However, you can switch freely and without limit."
What kind of scam is this?! I don't even get a single combat ability?!
And what the hell are "non-combat skills"?!
After calming down, Sensei realized that at Lv0, the Terra Armament was primarily focused on support, self-preservation, and healing.
"So, System, if I level up to Lv1, does that mean I can finally fight?"
"Response to Host: Yes." The system elaborated. "Upon reaching Lv1, in addition to normal mode, the Host can activate Combat Mode. The system will match an appropriate Rhodes Island Operator's power to the enemy's strength. However, this ability can only be used once per day."
"Can I increase the number of uses?"
"Response to Host: Additional uses and power-switching opportunities can be earned through system missions. You can also expand the selection of Medic, Support, and Defender skills."
"What's the system's max level?"
"Current maximum level: 2."
"..."
That's way too low?!
Sensei was speechless.
Even though it was a cheat ability, it didn't seem nearly as overpowered as the ones in fanfics. It had a hard limit and couldn't scale indefinitely...
Still, having something was better than nothing. At least he could contribute now.
—
A while later.
Just five kilometers from Schale club room, the sounds of gunfire rang out.
The group had no choice but to disembark and engage the attacking delinquents and Helmet Gang members in battle.
After getting out of the car, Sensei hid behind the students. Once confirming it was safe, he activated the Terra Armament.
"Support Operator Sora, skill Hymn of Battle, armament complete."
As soon as the armament was completed, knowledge of Sora's skill usage and her inherent traits were directly transmitted into Sensei's mind.
"Alright, let's begin!"
With that, Sensei started singing.
Under the effect of the Terra Armament, Yuuka and the others fighting on the front lines heard Sensei's singing and were immediately dumbfounded.
"What is Sensei even doing?!" Yuuka felt incredibly conflicted. "We're in the middle of a battle, and he has the leisure to start singing?!"
But then, they realized something was off.
With Sensei's singing, their combat effectiveness(Inspiration ↑) seemed to increase. Their shooting accuracy improved significantly, and their bullets were having a much greater effect on the delinquents!
In no time, the previously stalemated battle turned in their favor. With Sensei using Sora's skill, the students gained an overwhelming advantage!
Before long, the delinquents and the Helmet Gang guarding the area were completely taken care of.
Watching the enemies flee in disarray, the students couldn't believe they had achieved such a victory in such a short time!
"The fight felt much easier," Yuuka remarked, reflecting on how Sensei's buff had affected them. "And I used up way less energy and stamina than usual!"
"As expected of an adult's power!" Hasumi looked at Sensei with admiration. "With Sensei's support, our abilities are noticeably enhanced."
Ako felt conflicted. She could clearly sense how much Sensei had strengthened her.
If she had handled this herself with a small team, it was possible, but it would have taken far longer than with Sensei's assistance.
"Ako," Chinatsu's voice snapped her back to reality. "What did your drone scouting reveal about the next area?"
"The defenses are incredibly tight..."
Ako's expression turned serious as she examined the footage on her tablet. "The Shale building is packed with a large number of delinquents and Helmet Gang members. There's even a crusader tank. And the leader is... one of the Seven Prisoners—Fox of Calamity!?"
"What!?"
Yuuka immediately tensed up.
Then, suddenly, the footage on Ako's tablet went dark.
"The drone was shot down..." Ako's expression darkened.
"Even with Sensei's help, just the few of us might not be able to handle this," Hasumi said after a moment of thought.
Rin immediately stepped in. "No worries. I've already requested reinforcements from Valkyrie's security forces."
Tight defenses? Requested reinforcements?
The Sensei was deep in thought—this part wasn't in the original game's storyline at all.
Maybe the Helmet Gang had more members added due to changes in the scenario.
Just then, two students rushed over.
"Reporting!"
The first girl was a white-haired, blue-eyed girl in a gray-and-white police uniform. She was full of energy and saluted the group.
"I'm Kirino from the Public Safety Bureau! The director personally sent me to assist! Behind me is my colleague, Fubuki!"
The smaller, blue-haired girl behind Kirino yawned, looking reluctant.
"Why are they sending us from the Public Safety Bureau? We're not even good at combat..."
At this, Rin gave the two newcomers a very kind smile.
"Why did Valkyrie only send you two as reinforcements?"
"The other departments are busy dealing with riots and Helmet Gang uprisings all over the place. Even the director had to step in personally. We were the only ones available," Kirino explained seriously.
"..."
Rin was silent for a moment, then pinched her temples.
"Can we really retake the building with just this many people...?" Hasumi voiced her doubts.
Just as the other students were about to start worrying, Sensei confidently declared:
"It's enough."
"Huh? Sensei, are you sure about that?"
Ako looked at him in mock disbelief.
"There's a fox of calamity, a crusader tank, and an entire army of goons. How are we supposed to handle that!?"
"Trust me," Sensei's eyes were filled with confidence. "I already have a plan."
A while later, at the Shale club room building.
"What!? Six people took out an entire squad?!"
A red-haired, red-eyed girl wearing a steel helmet looked at her subordinate in disbelief.
"Tch, looks like the employer was right. That 'Sensei' guy isn't to be underestimated."
"Boss Rabu," the subordinate continued, "they've also received two reinforcements from the Valkyrie Police Academy."
"Pfft, that's Valkyrie's most useless department! They won't make a difference."
Rabu was full of confidence. She slung her rifle over her shoulder and declared:
"We have nearly a hundred people here, a crusader tank, and even the legendary Fox of calamity! With this kind of numbers and firepower, we hold the advantage!"
"Boss!!"
Just then, another Helmet Gang member ran over to report.
"There's someone approaching alone—it's that 'Sensei' guy from the rumors!"
"Hah?"
Rabu looked confused.
"Is he out of his mind? Why would he come alone?"
At that moment, Sensei had already arrived in front of their defensive line.
"He actually dares to show up? Without a halo protecting him, is he not afraid of death?!" Rabu frowned.
After all, their employer had said that killing Sensei was allowed. If they took him out, the payout would even double!
Although Rabu felt a little uneasy about killing someone, the promise of wealth for her Helmet Gang members swayed her decision.
"I'm warning you—take one more step, and I will shoot!"
Rabu shouted, stepping forward a few meters to confront Sensei directly.
But Sensei didn't stop moving.
A girl perched on top of a vehicle, casually playing with a dirt-stained grenade, didn't even bother to look at him.
"You're the leader of the Helmet Gang?"
The Sensei instantly recognized this girl from the summer event storyline.
"Why did you occupy this place? Who's behind you?"
"I do what I want—what's it to you?!"
Rabu scowled.
"Enough talk. I'll give you ten seconds to turn around and leave, or—"
"Sorry, but I refuse."
The Sensei's expression remained serious, and he took another step forward.
"If you take one more step, I will open fire!" Rabu aimed her rifle directly at him.
The Sensei remained silent—then took another step.
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang—!"