That afternoon, after finishing their patrol, he dragged his tired body back to Schale and soaked in a hot bath.
Lying in the tub, staring at the ceiling, he reaffirmed one thing—
He would never go out without a student escort again.
After patrolling with Kirino, he now truly understood how dangerous life in Kivotos could be.
In just two hours, they witnessed six gang fights and four robberies. In nearly every street, students fired machine guns or threw grenades into crowds.
They even saw a gang blow up a restaurant just because the food was bad. Their getaway vehicle had a student tied up in the back.
In his past life, these people would be considered domestic terrorists. But here, they were just edgy delinquents.
The reason? Because even this level of violence could barely injure the monstrous creatures.
Robots and students aside—how were the small animal citizens surviving bullet showers without a scratch? Was he really the most fragile being in Kivotos?
He recalled a bullet grazing his face and the fear that followed. Without Arona deflecting it, he might've died.
He sank his face into the water, exhaling bubbles that burst on the surface.
Just like him.
He didn't know when he was born, or when he would die. Living each day in fear, unable to even go out alone, was unbearable.
Luckily, Schale provided a sense of safety.
He had begun to see it as his home, a fortress shielding him from danger. But he couldn't stay complacent.
He needed to go out, meet more students, earn their affection, and gain the strength to survive.
But how could he make people like him...?
He pondered the same question again.
Over the past two days, he had checked his card multiple times, but it hadn't changed.
Wakamo was still the only student he had successfully won over—and that was just because she fell in love at first sight with his unremarkable face.
A message notification sounded.
He grabbed his phone with wet hands, swiping several times before unlocking it. It was a few meaningless greetings from Kaya.
He wondered if she liked him. But since he had done nothing, and his card showed no reaction, he figured he was imagining things.
He replied casually that he was taking a bath and put his phone down, sinking fully into the warm water. As he closed his eyes, the fatigue in his body and mind slowly eased.
For now, he would enjoy a brief moment of peace.
Until a faint click echoed through the room—and he, dazed from the bath, instantly snapped awake.
The bathroom door had just opened.
He instinctively tried to sit up from the bathtub, but something was suddenly pressed against his temple. The moment he recognized the cold, hard sensation and realized it was the barrel of a gun, a chill ran down his spine.
Because he was in Schale, and because he was bathing, the Shittim Chest was left outside the bathroom.
In other words, he currently had no protection from Arona.
A cold female voice rang out.
"Nice to meet you, Sensei. Just to be clear, I mean no harm. But please do not make any suspicious moves. Otherwise, I will pull the trigger and knock you out immediately."
Just knock him out?
An absurd feeling surged up and diluted the fear from the death threat. In the face of imminent danger, he felt unusually calm.
He realized he had to regain the initiative quickly.
Who was this person?
Only a handful of large academies or the General Student Council could infiltrate Schale—which had the most advanced security system in all of Kivotos—without setting off any alarms.
Still, any competent decision-maker would understand the potential and uniqueness of Schale. Even if they didn't aim to befriend it, they would never target its head directly.
And yet this girl thought that aiming a rifle at his head would merely knock him out?
Clearly, this was an impulsive move, driven by personal motives.
Who could do this? Who had the reason?
He had only been in Kivotos for less than a week and kept mostly to himself. Who could possibly hold a grudge against him?
His thoughts raced, hundreds of possibilities flashing through his mind, until they finally landed on something he muttered to himself earlier that morning:
'What if some idiot, emotionally attached to SRT and unaware of the full situation, hears about the school's closure and blames me, the head of Schale?'
So that's what it was.
Once he guessed the intruder's identity, a vague sense of recognition stirred. He'd heard that voice somewhere—in the archived footage from SRT.
It all clicked.
"Put the gun down. Didn't SRT teach you not to point your weapon at innocent people's heads? Or is this the justice you believe in?"
He didn't even turn his head, speaking with authority. "Shichido Yukino, I'll say it again. Put the gun down."
There was a short silence.
The barrel finally moved away from his head. He turned and saw that his guess was correct. Standing before him was a beautiful girl with long black hair and fox ears. He recognized her.
Shichido Yukino, third-year student at SRT Special Academy, Leader of the FOX Platoon.
Through the hazy steam, he locked eyes with Yukino. She was the first to avert her gaze.
"No wonder you're Schale's Sensei. You recognized me just from my voice."
"Spare me the flattery. Shichido Yukino, tell me—why did you break into Schale and attack me?"
He looked away and shifted into a more relaxed position in the tub, his tone calm but commanding, trying to maintain control of the conversation.
"Because you already avoided us once. I was worried that if I tried a formal visit again, you'd reject me."
Avoided what exactly?
"What did Kaya tell you?"
Yukino paused. "After learning about SRT's closure, you thought it was a troublesome issue and canceled the meeting. You had Chief Shiranui reject my request on your behalf."
So it was Kaya's doing after all.
"Kaya's the one who told you about the school closure too?"
"Yes... Looks like Chief Shiranui didn't lie to me."
He finally understood.
Kaya's goal in having him visit SRT was to make him reject Yukino's plea, so Yukino would see for herself that the school's closure was inevitable—and thus submit.
If SRT really were to shut down, its students would most likely be transferred to Valkyrie, under Kaya's authority.
If even someone like him—a high-ranking adult, head of Schale—refused to help, Yukino would surely give up.
It was a clever political play. From his position, he couldn't interfere anyway.
So Yukino had snuck into his bathroom to attack him... just to ask for help? What a bizarre way of thinking. Only in Kivotos.
Kaya probably never imagined Yukino would be reckless enough to storm into Schale.
Suddenly, Yukino knelt down in a dogeza posture and begged.
"I know it's shameless of me to ask after attacking you, but please, save SRT Special Academy… I don't trust Kaya Shiranui, and I have no one else to turn to… You're an adult—you must have a way. Please help me. I'll do anything..."
"Go home. I won't accept this request."
He rejected her flatly.
He didn't explain his own difficulties—his anger hadn't faded. He also didn't expose Kaya's lies, since he could use that as leverage later.
"And one more thing. As an elite trained by SRT, you should understand the importance of intelligence. Don't you know that I'm not a native of Kivotos? A single bullet is all it would take to kill me."
Yukino looked up, her eyes red.
"What… something like that… I didn't know. I'm so sorry. If you're rejecting my request because of my mistake, punish me however you want, just please—"
Her head dropped again, and she sobbed quietly.
Honestly, he didn't understand.
Why had the proud, energetic Yukino he'd seen in videos become such a pitiful sight?
Was a school's existence really that important?
He couldn't empathize, didn't have the heart to comfort her—but he didn't mock her either.
"Leave."
That's all he said.
Yukino's sobs gradually stopped. Some might think her tears were just a manipulation tactic, but he chose to believe her sadness was genuine.
She had the courage to uphold justice and criticize the inaction of the Security Department. She must've been a strong person normally.
Just as his frustration was starting to turn into sympathy, Yukino stood, wiped her face, and returned to her usual indifferent expression.
"I understand. And I apologize. I didn't know your constitution was so weak. I'll make up for what I did. But for now, I'll take my leave. I'll formally visit again another day to discuss the details."
She bowed again, then turned to leave.
What a mess... even the bathwater's cold now...
"But."
Unexpectedly, Yukino turned back one last time.
Her wine-colored eyes were filled with icy contempt. Her lips parted to deliver one last blow.
"Adults like you... are the worst."
Then she turned to go again.
"Stop right there!"
His deep roar echoed through the bathroom.
Yukino turned back—and saw him rise suddenly from the tub.
Why would she say something like that? What had he done wrong? Was he really expected to accept such an unreasonable request?
His suppressed anger exploded, overwhelming his reason.
Yukino's eyes dropped, then snapped away. Her fox ears stood up high, and her cheeks turned pink. She stammered, flustered.
"Sen—Sensei, please put some clothes on..."
"That doesn't matter!"
He stepped forward, grabbed her slender waist with one hand, the back of her head with the other, and locked eyes with her at close range.
Yukino froze as he spoke.
"Shichido Yukino, you don't want SRT Special Academy to disappear forever, do you?"
He gently caressed her soft cheek, savoring her conflicted, helpless expression. A strange satisfaction bloomed inside him.
This was what he wanted—to make this annoying fool lose her composure.
She could be surprisingly cute like this.
Wearing a sadistic smile, he whispered with a lover's sweetness.
"Yukino, you know what? You're really adorable."
"You assumed I skipped our meeting, broke into my bathroom while I was bathing, aimed a gun at my head, and still had the nerve to say you meant no harm... It's fine. Just tell me the truth. You did have malicious intent, didn't you? You think SRT's closure is all Schale's fault, right?"
Yukino looked away, her lips trembling. In the end, all she managed was a soft apology.
"It's fine. When students misunderstand things, it's the teacher's failure. So let me correct that."
"The closure of SRT has nothing to do with Schale. It's entirely because the General Student Council President went missing. No one will allow an uncontrollable, dangerous organization to continue."
"Therefore, no one besides the missing president can stop SRT's closure. If I help you, it'll only make things worse for both of us."
"So, rejecting your request was for your own good."
"But still, Yukino… you said such cruel things to me."
Yukino fell silent. Her expression twisted with realization, gratitude, pain, and regret.
"But that doesn't matter. I forgive your foolishness and rudeness."
He pressed his thumb to her soft lower lip, watching her changing expressions with growing excitement, his tone even more tender.
"I've decided. I'll grant your wish and save SRT."
"...What? Really? Even after I did such a stupid thing to you… Why are you still willing to help me?"
At that moment, the hope on Yukino's face brought him immense joy.
"Because I fell in love with you at first sight."
It was a lie.
He hated Yukino.
But that's why he could lie without guilt.
Seeing Yukino dumbfounded by his sudden confession, he cheerfully explained his plan in detail.
"SRT will definitely be shut down. But I'll rebuild it according to your wishes."
"When the students trust me, and see me as a qualified leader, I'll have the right to create a new SRT. The next student council president will have that right too, but she won't trust you. She'll create a school that looks similar on the outside, but is completely different inside."
"I see now. You don't want SRT to close because it's the only place where you can uphold justice without restraint."
"These past few days with no operations after the president disappeared… it must've been painful, right?"
"It's okay. I'm here now. You don't have to feel lost anymore."
"Let me help you fulfill your wish."
He let loose days of frustration in a wild outburst, letting instinct guide his words.
Meanwhile, Yukino just stared at him in a daze.
Eventually, she spoke in a dumbfounded tone fitting her level of intellect.
"Why are you being so kind to me?"
Kind? What kindness? It was just an empty promise. So easy to deceive someone like her.
"I already told you. Because I fell for you at first sight."
How should he put it?
Those twitching animal ears and tail... were kind of cute.
Now that he'd firmly secured a dominant position, he could finally see those inhuman features as a kind of charm.
A historic breakthrough!
"Then... how should I repay you, Sensei?"
"Just don't hate me anymore. That's the best gift you could give."
Such a cheesy line—but luckily, it came from his own mouth. Otherwise, he might've cringed himself to death.
"Alright…"
Yukino shyly lowered her head but quickly looked up again as if she had seen something.
He, on the other hand, felt that this revenge wasn't quite satisfying yet.
Yes, this was revenge—for the cruel words Yukino had said that wounded his heart. At least, that's how he saw it.
With that in mind, he asked her:
"Yukino, you said before that you wanted to make it up to me, right?"
"Uh… Wait a second! Sensei, you're… pressing… mmm—"
He pulled her tightly into his arms, lifted her chin, and kissed her on the lips.
A moment later, he let go, satisfied, and wiped his mouth, pleased with his own bold act of revenge.
Yukino quickly jumped back, putting some distance between them. Covering her mouth, she glared at him with embarrassment and anger.
"You, you perverted sensei! How could you do that to your own student?! Disgusting! Shameless! I hate you!"
He accepted Yukino's angry insults with delight.
Nothing was more satisfying than watching someone who claimed to hate him get flustered like this. He gave himself credit for the spontaneous idea and its obvious effect.
"Thanks for the treat~" He smirked, quickly changing the subject to distract her. "Anyway, as promised, I will rebuild SRT for you. Until then, please be patient."
"I understand."
Now that she realized it was impossible to stop the school closure, and that its future depended on reconstruction, Yukino calmed down and returned to her usual dignified demeanor—though her eyes still looked slightly uncertain.
"Sensei, if Kaya invites me again, should I reject her?"
He was genuinely moved. His guidance had finally helped Yukino realize an important truth: if one lacks intelligence, it's best to ask others for help.
He thought for a moment before replying:
"No one can know about our relationship for now. Otherwise, it could cause problems. So, you'll have to pretend you're out of options and agree to Kaya's offer. Stay close to her and wait for the right opportunity."
"I understand."
As she said this, Yukino gave him her first truly radiant smile.
"Thank you, Sensei."
To avoid being swayed by her smile and developing an unnecessary sense of guilt, he quickly added:
"Just so you know, my help comes at a price."
"Huh?"
"Didn't I already say… um… that…" Now that he had calmed down, he found it difficult to say the word "like." In the end, blushing, he mumbled, "You… you have to feel the same way about me…"
Yukino blinked and gave him a meaningful smile.
"Not a chance. Who would fall for someone who doesn't understand a girl's feelings, forces her to listen to a bunch of weird stuff, and even steals her first kiss so violently?"
Fair enough.
But he refused to let that get him down. After all, he hated Yukino—so by his twisted logic, what she was really denying was hating him.
Double negatives mean a positive.
And besides, he enjoyed it.
"…Sorry, maybe I was a little harsh. Sensei isn't completely unattractive," Yukino said, pausing before continuing with a note of apology.
"I'm sure someday, some kind of insect will fall in love with you."
"…Go home already! How long are you planning to stare at your teacher's perfectly honed body, you shameless student?!"
"Sensei, I can't exactly go home like this."
She pointed to her uniform, soaked from earlier.
He let her borrow Schale's laundry room, took an uninterrupted shower himself, exchanged contact information with the now-clean Yukino, and finally saw the annoying girl off.
It had been a long afternoon.
He returned to his desk, picked up the Shittim Box, and resolved that no matter what Arona said, he would keep it nearby at all times—even while showering, sleeping, or using the toilet.
But just then, his fingers felt a familiar heat.
Confused, he picked up a card that had been under his tablet. On its display were several new lines of text:
[Fixed Authority: Infinite Martial Training]
[Description: The holder gains martial skills unrivaled in their era]
[Source: Successfully romanced Yukino Shichido]
"…Huh?"
Didn't Yukino say no one would ever fall in love with him?
What did she mean by this?
What exactly did he do?
Walking to the window, processing the sudden flood of CQB (Close Quarters Battle) knowledge in his mind, he confirmed that the Authority's description was no exaggeration.
So…
How exactly did he "successfully romance" her?