[ 2088, February 17th (Monday, Morning) ] - [ Gallagher-Sandoval Military Academy > Dungeontown's Middle Ring > Dungeontown USA-07 (Thousand Oaks, California, USA ] - [West Port-City (Los Angeles, USA) > Earth ]
As Agent Takeshi's car cleared the checkpoint, Niero expected to see something resembling a military installation.
Instead, he found himself staring at a city.
A very busy city.
Traffic moved along multilane roads beneath elevated tram lines. Maglev trains periodically shot between buildings with barely a sound. Cargo haulers moved through dedicated logistics corridors while pedestrians crowded sidewalks and commercial streets.
The strangest part wasn't the technology.
It was how normal everything looked.
People were going to work.
Children were going to school.
Restaurants were opening.
Delivery drones were making rounds.
Andies, Mechos, Beastfolks and more walked side by side on the streets.
Advertisements played across enormous holographic displays.
Somewhere nearby, an adventurer team was apparently arguing with a restaurant employee about a missing order.
Niero slowly turned his head from one window to another.
Takeshi noticed.
He chuckled.
"You look like a cat seeing a vacuum cleaner for the first time."
"Oh, fuck off. I'm trying to understand how this place works."
"Heh. You're gonna be here for at least 3 years. Plenty of time to explore around by yourself."
Niero ignored him.
His eyes remained fixed on the sprawling city.
Eventually, he noticed something.
The entire metropolis seemed strangely organized.
Not simply into neighborhoods.
Into rings.
Takeshi noticed his expression.
"Three rings."
He gestured casually toward the city.
"That's how Dungeontown is divided."
-
[The Outer Ring]
The road they were currently traveling through belonged to the Outer Ring.
It stretched along the enormous defensive wall surrounding the crater.
This was the practical, industrial side of Dungeontown.
Residential neighborhoods filled large sections of it.
Apartment blocks stood beside suburban-style housing developments to megabuilding housing complexes, schools, clinics, supermarkets, and public facilities.
But between them were enormous logistical complexes.
Cargo trains emerged from underground terminals.
Maglev freight containers traveled along elevated tracks.
Massive warehouses occupied entire blocks.
Manufacturing plants processed everything from conventional industrial materials to resources recovered from Dungeons.
Agricultural facilities were scattered throughout the ring as well.
Some were ordinary farms.
Others were enormous enclosed hydroponic complexes.
Niero spotted one facility where rows of crops were being cultivated beneath artificial sunlight.
Takeshi pointed toward another enormous complex.
"That's one of the municipal logistics centers."
The building was surrounded by armored loading platforms.
"The Outer Ring handles most of the city's physical necessities. Food, water, construction materials, fuel, imports, exports, manufacturing..."
He paused.
"And all the boring stuff people don't think about until it stops working."
Niero nodded.
That made sense.
Dungeontown might have been built around a dimensional anomaly, but people still needed electricity, food, plumbing, and garbage collection.
Further ahead, he saw enormous maglev freight containers moving toward a dedicated rail terminal.
The main transportation network extended far beyond Dungeontown.
"Those trains go outside?"
"All the way into the regional transportation network. In this case, between Dungeontown and West Port-City."
Takeshi tapped the steering wheel.
"Passengers, supplies, equipment, and dungeon resources. Everything comes through the system."
-
[The Mid-Ring]
Eventually, the scenery changed.
The industrial facilities became less common.
The buildings became taller.
The streets became denser.
Advertisements became brighter.
Restaurants, hotels, shopping centers, entertainment venues and corporate offices filled the skyline.
This was the Mid-Ring.
The commercial and institutional heart of Dungeontown.
Niero immediately noticed the difference.
There were enormous hospitals.
Universities.
Corporate laboratories.
Research facilities.
Shopping districts.
Luxury hotels.
Restaurants.
Bars.
Adventurer equipment stores.
Training centers.
Guild offices.
And countless academies.
"This place is huge."
"That's the Mid-Ring."
Takeshi pointed ahead.
"Most of the important civilian institutions are here."
Niero looked through the window.
"How many academies?"
"Depends what you count."
Niero sighed.
Then he spotted a massive building displaying a holographic advertisement:
DUNGEON EXPLORATION LICENSE — BEGINNER COURSE!
BECOME A LICENSED ADVENTURER IN SIX WEEKS!
Niero stared.
"You're kidding."
"Nope."
"People can just take a course and become adventurers?"
"Technically. They had to sign some don't-sue-us papers before they can attend."
"That sounds incredibly dangerous."
Takeshi shrugged.
"That's business, kid.."
Niero couldn't tell whether he was joking.
Probably both.
The Mid-Ring also contained the majority of Dungeontown's educational infrastructure.
Academies specializing in combat.
Dungeon exploration.
Engineering.
Medicine.
Dimensional sciences.
Artifact research.
Military training.
Mana studies.
Monster biology.
And dozens of other disciplines.
Some were prestigious.
Some were practical.
Some were probably diploma mills.
And somewhere among them...
Was the Gallagher-Sandoval Military Academy.
Niero leaned forward.
"So GSMA is here? in Mid-Ring?"
"Yep."
Takeshi pointed toward the distant skyline.
"You're going to be spending a lot of time around here."
Niero looked around.
For the first time since leaving the hospital, his excitement began to overpower his exhaustion.
This was supposed to be his new life.
School.
Military training.
Friends.
Maybe becoming a Marauder someday.
And apparently...
Living within commuting distance of a dimensional hellhole.
He wasn't sure whether to be excited or concerned.
Probably both.
-
[The Inner Ring]
At the distance, the skyline changed again.
The advertisements became less frequent.
The streets became wider.
Security checkpoints appeared.
Armored vehicles became increasingly common.
Buildings were separated by larger distances, and many were surrounded by walls, electronic barriers, and security personnel.
Takeshi nodded toward the distant center.
"And that's the Inner Ring."
At its heart stood the Dungeon Tower.
The closer they got, the more heavily fortified everything became.
Government complexes dominated the landscape.
Military installations occupied enormous compounds.
Research centers disappeared behind layers of security.
And scattered throughout the area were enormous structures whose entrances were surrounded by warning signs.
ANOMALOUS MATERIAL QUARANTINE
AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY
BREACHSPACE ACCESS CONTROL
HOLLOW CONTAMINATION HAZARD
Niero stared at one particularly enormous facility.
"What happens in there?"
"Dangers and threats, the stuff that comes in the territory of being in a Dungeontown. Things we're not supposed to talk about."
"...Right."
The Inner Ring was where Dungeontown stopped pretending the Dungeon was simply another industry.
Here, the city acknowledged what it really was.
A containment operation.
The closer one got to the Tower, the more humanity's cheerful commercialization of the supernatural gave way to military discipline.
-
Vuldyr was able to generate a 3D mapping of the Thousand Oaks' Dungeontown that only he can see, which he eventually noticed that the three rings weren't simply concentric neighborhoods.
Each contained numerous specialized districts.
Dungeontown was divided into twelve major districts, arranged around the Tower like the spokes of a gigantic wheel.
Each district had its own purpose.
Residential Districts housed civilians.
Industrial Districts handled manufacturing and processing.
Logistics Districts controlled imports and exports.
Corporate Districts housed companies and financial institutions.
Scientific Districts contained laboratories and research centers.
Medical Districts housed hospitals and specialized anomaly clinics.
Military Districts contained bases and emergency response forces.
Academy Districts trained students, soldiers, and adventurers.
Commercial Districts provided ordinary goods and services.
Entertainment Districts catered to the city's enormous population.
Adventurer Districts served Dungeon explorers.
And the innermost sectors contained the Tower Complex, with its government facilities, dimensional gateways, and artifact quarantine infrastructure.
Everything was connected.
Roads.
Trams.
Maglev passenger lines.
Freight rail.
Elevated transportation systems.
Underground logistics routes.
The entire city functioned like one enormous machine.
And at the center of that machine was the Dungeon Tower.
Niero looked toward the black monolith again.
"So why didn't Mega Ark-City 01 have all this?"
Takeshi gave him an amused glance.
"Because Mega Ark-City 01 was the first."
He slowed slightly as they entered the Mid-Ring.
"Radiant City was constructed during the earliest era of the Ark-Cities. It was designed primarily as a refuge and civilization center after the Black December catastrophe."
He gestured toward the surrounding metropolis.
"Dungeontown came later and became valuable. Extremely valuable."
Niero understood immediately.
"But dangerous."
"Very."
Takeshi nodded.
"Building a giant city next to a Dungeon Tower is like building your house next to a gigantic hornet nest because you discovered the hornets make gold."
Niero stared at him.
"That's... actually a pretty good analogy."
"Thanks. Took me months to think of it."
"So why do it?"
"Because I think of analogies that can encapsulate—"
"No. I mean about the whole 'building a house next to a hornet nest."
"Isn't it obvious? Because the resources are valuable, and it's worth the dangers...to a certain extent."
Niero looked toward the enormous tower.
"And because the Tower lets them control the entrances."
"Exactly."
Humanity couldn't eliminate Dungeons.
So it learned to manage them.
Capture them.
Regulate them.
Explore them.
Profit from them.
And eventually...
Build entire cities around them.
Niero stared silently through the window as the towers of the Mid-Ring rose around him.
Somewhere ahead was GSMA.
=
=====
=
[[ G.S.M.A - Gallagher-Sandoval Military Academy ]]
The car finally came to a stop.
Niero opened his eyes.
For a few seconds, he simply stared through the passenger-side window.
Then his jaw slowly dropped.
"...Whoa."
Standing before him was the Gallagher-Sandoval Military Academy.
Or, as everyone called it, G.S.M.A.
The academy was enormous.
Not quite a university campus, but far too large to simply be called a high school. Its main entrance rose several stories above the surrounding grounds, built from a mixture of exposed concrete, dark stone, steel, and enormous glass panels.
The architecture was an odd marriage of brutalist military architecture and modern European design.
Massive rectangular structures rose like fortresses, softened by elegant arches, symmetrical courtyards, decorative stonework, tall windows, and sweeping pedestrian walkways.
It looked simultaneously like a military headquarters, a prestigious European university, and a place where someone might casually hand you a rifle and tell you to attend mathematics class afterward.
Niero slowly unbuckled his seatbelt.
"So this is it..."
Takeshi glanced over.
"Yep."
Niero stared at the academy.
"It's... bigger than I expected. This looks like a fucking castle."
Takeshi shrugged.
"Hah. Wait until you see the training grounds."
Niero immediately reconsidered his life choices.
"...You know what? Never mind."
He opened the door and stepped outside.
Cold air immediately slapped him in the face.
"Brrr—!"
A faint mist escaped his mouth.
Light snow drifted through the air, tiny white flakes falling lazily from the pale February sky.
It wasn't a heavy snowfall.
More like nature had decided to sprinkle powdered sugar over the entire campus.
Niero stood beside the car, soaking everything in.
Students were everywhere.
Cadets streamed through the academy entrance in groups, some wearing standard academy uniforms, others carrying bags, textbooks, sports equipment, or military-style gear.
Some were laughing.
Some were arguing.
Some looked half-asleep.
A few were already sprinting across the courtyard because, apparently, being late was universal regardless of whether you attended a normal school or a military academy.
The soft voice of an automated announcement system echoed through the grounds.
"Attention all cadets. The incoming assembly will begin shortly. All first-year cadets are reminded to complete their registration procedures at the designated administration hall before reporting to their assigned homerooms."
Another announcement followed.
"First-year cadets are reminded that failure to complete registration does not constitute an excuse for missing assembly."
Niero blinked.
"...They really had to say that?"
Takeshi snorted.
"Someone probably tried it last year."
Niero looked around again.
The academy grounds were surprisingly beautiful.
Trees lined the walkways, most of them still bare from winter. Their thin branches stretched toward the pale sky like skeletal fingers.
But winter wasn't completely winning.
Tiny green buds were already swelling along some of the branches.
Others had begun blooming, delicate white and pink flowers appearing among the cold-season foliage.
Beneath the older oak trees, fallen leaves still gathered in brown-gold patches.
Yet the grass had already turned a deep, healthy green thanks to the winter rains.
Snowflakes drifted between the branches.
Students walked beneath them.
Some complained about the cold.
Others seemed completely unfazed.
Niero couldn't help smiling.
For the first time since waking up in that hospital...
This felt normal.
Almost.
He walked around to the trunk of Takeshi's car.
"Right. My stuff."
He opened it.
Inside was his expensive-looking shoebox.
Or rather, the closest thing he had to luggage right now.
Niero picked it up and looked inside.
His surviving belongings were an absolute disaster.
His torn black sleeveless shirt—the one his mother had given him—was stuffed inside alongside a few loose personal items.
Everything else had either been destroyed by seawater, monster blood, monster... whatever—that-was, or simply disappeared during the Black Tide attack.
Niero sighed.
"Man. What a week."
Just as he was about to walk toward the entrance, Takeshi spoke.
"Oh, one more thing."
Niero stopped.
"What?"
"When you get in, you need to meet someone in there."
Niero looked back.
"Who?"
"Harlan Crowe."
Niero's eyebrows rose.
"Who's that?"
"One of my associates."
Niero narrowed his eyes.
"Associate?"
"Yeah."
Something about the way Takeshi said that made Niero suspicious.
"Why do I need to meet him?"
Takeshi gave him a faint grin.
"Because... I know you're gonna get mad... I told him about you."
Silence.
Niero's brain stopped functioning for approximately two seconds.
"...You WHAT?"
"I told him you're worth keeping an eye on."
Niero's expression immediately hardened.
"Hold on."
He stepped closer.
"You told someone about my abilities?"
Takeshi raised both hands.
"Relax, Kid, I..."
"NO, no, no, no—"
Niero's voice dropped.
"You specifically told me you weren't going to tell a single soul, let alone the BDAAA or the higher-ups."
"I didn't."
"Then why the hell does this guy know about me?"
"Because he's not in the BDAAA."
"THAT'S NOT THE FUCKING POINT!!!!"
Takeshi sighed.
"Niero. Kid."
He looked directly at him.
"I didn't tell him everything."
Niero froze.
Takeshi continued.
"I told him about your potential."
Niero's eyes narrowed.
"My potential?"
"Yeah."
"What does that suppose to mean?"
"It means I told him you're unusual."
"That's vague as fuck."
Niero stared at him.
Takeshi gave him a reassuring grin.
"Look. Crowe can be trusted."
"That's what spies say right before everything goes horribly wrong."
"I'm not a spy."
"You literally work for a government agency, just few steps next to some Inquisitor-esque agents of THE QUEENDOM!"
Niero opened his mouth to continue his arguments.
Then—
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
A sharp electronic alarm suddenly erupted from Takeshi's communicator.
The relaxed expression disappeared from his face instantly.
His cybernetic hand snapped toward the device.
The display illuminated.
["All available BDAAA agents, be advised: confirmed CAT-3 anomalous assault in Dungeontown USA-07, Inner Ring, District 04; multiple civilian distress signals, casualties, and structural damage reported, with the hostile anomaly still active and its classification pending. Nearest available agents respond immediately under CAT-3 containment protocols; do not engage alone, and prioritize civilian extraction where possible. Repeat: CAT-3 anomaly assault, Inner Ring, District 04. All responding units acknowledge and proceed with caution. BDAAA Control out."]
Takeshi's eyes hardened.
"Shit."
He tapped the communicator.
"BDAAA Agent Takeshi Armitage, responding."
A distorted dispatcher answered through the speaker.
["Agent Armitage, confirm response."]
"Confirmed. Currently nearby the GSMA Academy."
Takeshi glanced toward the academy.
Then toward the distant skyline of Dungeontown's Inner Ring.
"How bad?"
["Multiple anomalous contacts. Civilian containment is currently holding. Local security requesting BDAAA intervention."]
Takeshi's expression became completely serious.
"Inner Ring, District 04, right? I'll be there in less than ten minutes."
["Copy. Agent Armitage, proceed immediately."]
The communicator went silent.
Takeshi climbed into the driver's seat.
Niero stared at him.
"Wait—you're leaving now?"
"Sorry, kid. Duty calls!"
"What about Crowe?"
Takeshi started the engine.
"You'll find him. He's very...ehhhh...noticeable."
The car began rolling forward at great speed with the sound of skidding tires and burned rubber smoke.
Takeshi lowered the window.
"I will call you later!!"
The car accelerated.
Niero watched helplessly as the vehicle disappeared down the academy road.
For exactly three seconds.
Then his expression twisted.
"YOU COULDN'T HAVE TOLD ME THIS BEFORE?!"
His shout echoed across the academy entrance.
A few nearby cadets turned their heads.
Niero pointed furiously at the rapidly shrinking vehicle.
"YOU WAIT UNTIL I'M STANDING IN FRONT OF MY NEW SCHOOL TO TELL ME YOU'VE ALREADY TOLD SOMEONE ABOUT THIS SHIT?!"
The car, naturally, offered no response.
"UNBELIEVABLE!"
He lowered his arm.
"...Fucking government agents."
Niero stood there with his shoebox under one arm, staring after Takeshi.
His annoyance slowly gave way to something else.
Worry.
Takeshi had promised not to tell the BDAAA.
And, technically, he hadn't.
But he'd still told someone.
Someone Niero had never met.
Someone who apparently knew enough about him to warrant a personal introduction.
How much did he tell him?
Does Crowe know about the Stargod System?
Does he know about God Eater?
Does he know I fucking died?
Niero's stomach tightened.
He had spent so much effort hiding what he really was.
Now one conversation with Takeshi had potentially put another crack in that wall.
"Great," he muttered while scratching his head. "Just great."
A familiar voice suddenly entered his mind.
> ["You can interrogate that idiot later."]
Niero blinked.
"Vuldyr?"
> ["For now, we handle this later."]
"Later?"
> ["Later."]
Her mental voice became firmer.
> ["You have an academy to enter, a registration to complete, and an entire new social environment to survive. Priorities."]
Niero glanced toward the massive academy entrance.
Students were still filing through the gates.
A digital sign beside the entrance displayed registration instructions for incoming first-year cadets.
Vuldyr continued.
> ["Besides, worrying about Crowe while standing outside the academy won't accomplish anything."]
"Yeah. I'm fully aware."
Niero adjusted his grip on the shoebox.
"Fine."
He took a deep breath.
"Registration first."
He turned toward the academy.
Then stopped.
He looked over his shoulder one last time.
Takeshi's car had already vanished into the streets of Dungeontown.
"...Don't get yourself killed, old man."
Then Niero walked through the gates.
=
=====
=
[[[ Meanwhile... ]]]
Takeshi accelerated.
Then he glanced toward the rearview mirror.
The academy gates were still barely visible in the distance.
And there was Niero.
A tiny figure now.
Shoebox under one arm.
Walking through the gates alone.
Takeshi adjusted the mirror slightly.
He watched until the boy disappeared.
Then a cold voice came from the back seat.
"Was that wise?"
Takeshi's eyes shifted toward the mirror.
The sword lying across the back seat remained hidden inside its dark sword bag.
Its voice was calm.
Controlled.
Almost clinical.
"You have concealed information from your own agency."
Takeshi sighed.
"Here we go again..."
"You have deliberately withheld evidence concerning an individual whose capabilities may constitute an anomalous threat."
"Didn't say he was harmless."
"You permitted him to enter a military academy without informing its command structure of the full circumstances surrounding him."
"I told Crowe enough."
"Did you?"
The sword paused.
"Or did you simply tell yourself that you did?"
Takeshi's expression tightened.
He didn't answer immediately.
The sword continued.
"You met the boy one year ago. You encountered him under suspicious circumstances. You subsequently observed behavior inconsistent with his official profile.
"Yeah."
"You know he is hiding something."
"Absolutely."
"And yet you have repeatedly chosen not to report him."
Takeshi's eyes remained on the road.
"That sounds worse when you say it like that."
"It is worse."
Takeshi gave a humorless chuckle.
"Fair."
The sword's tone became colder.
"You are gambling your career on an adolescent you barely know."
Takeshi shook his head.
"Maybe."
The sword fell silent.
Takeshi looked through the windshield.
"I'm gambling it on what I've seen, what I've known."
That changed the tone of the conversation.
"I remember our first meeting. In that alleyway during 2087's Radiant Day, where those cultist open those Breachpoints to summon those freaks from the Hollow."
"I heard of that incident from your file. Your team handled those Intruders."
"Yeah, but that is the official report.
Takeshi smiled faintly.
"When the Breachpoint was split into 4 separate points, I was able to handle one while my other teammates handled the other two. When I went for the 4th, I heard crashing and bashing nearby, like a wrecking ball bashing through the alley. By the time I came there, 4th Breachpoint was neutralized, as well as a dead Rank-D Berserker Orkoid, aka, an Orc. It seems that whatever fight that Orc had, it seems to crash through multiple stores like a green roided juggernaut, only to be dropped dead with broken bones, poison, a severed spine, and one functional arm. Whoever or whatever it is that killed that beast didn't go down without a fight."
"Then what makes you think it has something to do with that boy?"
"A keychain, found in the crime scene, under the rubble..."
"A keychain?"
"Yeah. Not any keychain. An acrylic one with an orange cat with a body of a cupcake."
"Sounds...cute?"
"It is actually. What makes this keychain crucial is that it not only has the name of the cafe the boy worked at but it's also one of its kind, yet to be made as merchandise. Their cafe's booth was located at the main event's time square. I even do some personal investigation, both profiling from the Ark.Net's citizen's data as well as being at their booth personally under the guise of buying coffee and pastries from there. Their iced lemonade and those custard-filled doughnuts are delicious, by the way."
"Get to the point."
"Huh. The boy came back to the crime scene on the next day, possibly looking for that keychain. That is where I truly met him. I don't know if he was responsible, but I have a gut feeling, a strong one, that tells me that the boy has something connected to the Orks' death, not just as a sense of...threat...but also a stronger sense of—"
"Potential?"
"Yeah. Potential. Something that tells me he has something worth cultivating."
Then Takeshi was quiet for a moment."
"And during that recent Black Tide incident..."
Takeshi's expression darkened.
That had been different.
He'd seen the aftermath.
The blood.
The wreckage.
The bodies.
He'd seen what the boy had done afterward.
Not celebrated.
Not boasted.
Not asked for recognition.
He'd simply kept fighting until the people around him were safe.
Even when he was terrified.
Even when he was injured.
Even when he had every reason to abandon him, everyone in the ship and run.
Takeshi finally spoke.
"The point is...I don't trust him because I think he's some chosen hero."
The sword said nothing.
"I don't trust him because he's powerful."
His cybernetic fingers tightened around the steering wheel.
"Hell, I don't even know how powerful he really is."
He looked at the rearview mirror again.
The academy had disappeared completely.
"But I've watched that kid make the hard choice when he was alone in a near-death scenario..."
A pause.
"He might not be a hero...but he has what it takes to be one. Maybe a Warlord material."
The sword's voice remained skeptical.
"People can change."
"Of course they can."
"He could betray you someday."
"Maybe..."
"He could become dangerous, something far worse than the Hollow's Intruders, become the very thing you fear."
Takeshi nodded.
"That's why I'm not blindly protecting him...kinda..."
His expression hardened.
"I'm watching him."
The sword was silent.
Takeshi continued.
"If Niero crosses the line, I'll deal with it."
"Can you even kill him?"
Takeshi didn't answer immediately.
Then:
"If I absolutely had to."
There was no bravado in his voice.
No joking.
Just certainty.
The sword seemed satisfied.
"Then your decision is merely calculated risk."
Takeshi shook his head.
"No."
He glanced toward the empty rearview mirror with his expression slowly softened.
"It's still a risk, but I've seen enough to think he's worth taking it."
The sword scoffed.
"Yet you place an extraordinary amount of faith in very little evidence."
Takeshi smiled.
"Maybe."
He thought about Niero standing between strangers and danger.
A frightened kid who still chose to step forward.
A kid who had every excuse in the world to become selfish.
And somehow hadn't.
The sword scoffed and gave a quiet metallic creak from inside its sheath.
"You are delusional, even by human standards. You're betting on the kid with an anomalous force and strength yet to be categorized even within the Bloom Dominion's Metatalent categories yet Anomaly's Threat Level."
Takeshi laughed.
"Could be, but I've been wrong about people before."
His expression became grim.
"I'm not going to make the mistake of assuming everyone is doomed just because some of them were."
The sword fell silent.
Takeshi looked ahead.
"Maybe that kid becomes something terrible."
A beat.
"Maybe he becomes something incredible."
His hand tightened around the steering wheel.
"Until I know which one..."
Takeshi exhaled as he drove further into the Inner Ring of this Dungeontown.
"That's the strange thing about hope."
=
=====
=
[[[ GSMA Academy's Entrance ]]]
Niero stared at the academy gates.
Then at the enormous campus beyond them.
Then at the registration instructions.
Then back at the campus.
"...Where the hell am I supposed to go?"
He looked left.
Nothing.
He looked right.
Nothing.
He looked at the digital campus directory.
There were approximately seventeen different arrows pointing in seventeen different directions.
"Why does a school need this many buildings?"
> ["Because it is a military academy. Its obviously requires multiple facilities compare to standard academic institutions. A school with approximately three dozen administrative, academic, residential, medical, recreational, and military facilities."]
"That's not helping."
Niero wandered deeper into the grounds.
Five minutes later...
He was lost.
Ten minutes later...
He was more lost.
Fifteen minutes later...
He had somehow ended up in front of what appeared to be the academy's sciences lab building.
Niero stared at the sign.
"...I'm not even going to ask."
> ["I warned you to follow the eastern walkway."]
"You said, 'Take the eastern walkway.' There are three eastern walkways!"
> ["You just chose the wrong one."]
"Thank you, Vee. Very useful."
There was a brief silence.
Then Niero felt something appear inside his mind.
A translucent map unfolded before his mental vision.
The academy grounds became a simplified overhead diagram.
A glowing marker represented Niero.
Another marker appeared.
ADMINISTRATION HALL
A dotted route connected the two.
Niero stared.
"You could have done this sooner..."
> ["You did not ask."]
"A little help would be nice."
> ["And not strengthen your sense of direction? I don't know...."]
She said in a mischievous tone.
Niero followed the glowing route.
Eventually, he reached the correct building.
The registration area was crowded with freshmen, parents, guardians, instructors, and administrative staff.
After waiting in line for several minutes, Niero finally reached the booth.
The administrator scanned his admission notice.
"Name?"
"Niero Ripley."
The woman typed.
"First-year cadet?"
"Yeah."
"Registration number?"
Niero handed over the document.
She scanned it.
BEEP.
"Confirmed."
She handed him a small identification card and a registration packet.
"Welcome to Gallagher-Sandoval Military Academy, Cadet 157 - Niero Ripley."
"Thanks."
Then she pushed a small gift bag across the counter.
Niero looked at it.
"What's this?"
"Freshman welcome package."
He opened it.
Inside was an assortment of academy merchandise.
A printed T-shirt bearing the G.S.M.A. crest across the chest.
Underneath it was the academy's official slogan:
TOGETHER WE STRIVE AND THRIVE, FOR A BETTER FUTURE.
There was also an embroidered academy cap.
A hardcover notebook.
Several pens.
A pencil.
An eraser.
A ruler.
And a collection of cheap-looking stationery bearing the academy logo.
Niero pulled out one of the pens.
He inspected it.
Then the ruler.
Then the notebook.
"...Huh."
> ["You appear disappointed."]
"I expected something cooler."
> ["Such as?"]
"I don't know. A knife, maybe."
> ["It is a academy welcome package."]
"A military academy"
> ["Still an academy. Highly doubful to give away students free weapons on day one. It would be a PR scandle when the halls paint in red."]
"Ouff. Nuff'said."
Niero put everything back.
The shirt wasn't bad, actually.
He folded it neatly into the shoebox.
The cap went on his head.
The notebook went under his arm.
The cheap stationery disappeared into one of his pockets.
"Okay."
He looked at his new identification card.
CADET 157 - NIERO RIPLEY
For some reason, seeing his name printed there made the whole thing feel real.
He was officially a cadet.
No more a candidate.
No more a passenger.
No more a temporary guest.
He had actually made it.
Niero smiled faintly.
"...Guess this is home for the next three years."
> ["Potentially. If you don't go wild back in McWeston All-Boys Academy."]
"Don't ruin the moment."
=====
[[[ The GSMA's Assembly Ground ]]]
Niero followed another series of signs toward the rear of the academy.
Eventually, the campus opened into a massive assembly ground.
And Niero immediately realized something.
He was late.
"...Oh."
Hundreds of freshmen were already standing in formation.
Approximately four hundred first-year cadets occupied the enormous grounds.
Rows upon rows of students stood beneath the cold February sky.
Niero slowed.
"...Shit. Do you think anyone noticed?"
> ["There are approximately 399 people are standing in formation. You just arrived after the formation was completed. In other words, you stick out like a faint yet sore thumb."]
Niero sighed.
"Fantastic..."
He quickly moved toward the rear of the formation.
And then he noticed something.
There were two enormous sections.
One for the girls.
And one for the boys.
Niero looked toward the girls' section.
Hundreds of them.
As he moves from the sides, he can feel multiple eyes staring at him, from judging eyes to an unreciprocated gaze that seems as if some force wants to undress him.
Then toward the boys' section.
He stopped.
"...What?"
He counted.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Seven.
Eight. Including himself.
Eight boys.
Eight.
Among roughly four hundred freshmen.
Niero's eyebrow twitched.
"Seriously?"
> ["The male demographic distribution appears consistent with the broader inhabitance of the Queendom. Especially with the whole 1:5 male ot female ratio for the past 88 years, let along being a first year batch of students in this academy."]
"I know that. It's just that I expected there would be more of the guys here."
He looked at the enormous female section again.
"It's still just as weird seeing it like this as it was back home."
Then he recognized three familiar faces.
One was leaning slightly out of formation, looking about as enthusiastic as Niero felt.
JD.
Beside him stood another familiar face.
Bart.
And then—
Flick.
Lee Feilin noticed him.
His eyes widened.
"Niero!"
Niero grinned.
"Hey!"
Flick immediately whispered something to JD.
JD looked toward Niero.
Then toward the shoebox.
Then back at Niero.
"Dude..."
Niero raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"You look like you just escaped a war."
Niero glanced down at himself.
"Basically."
Bart snickered.
Flick looked genuinely relieved.
"Glad you're healthy and well."
"Last time I checked."
The reunion lasted approximately five seconds.
Because Niero noticed the other four boys.
They stood farther toward the front.
Unlike Niero, JD, Flick, and Bart, these four clearly knew one another.
Their uniforms were immaculate.
Their posture was perfect.
Their expressions carried the sort of confidence that bordered on arrogance.
They didn't look nervous.
They didn't look impressed.
They looked like they had already decided that they were better than everyone else.
Niero stared at them.
"Who are those guys?"
JD followed his gaze.
"Don't know."
Flick quietly answered.
"Some kind of snobby elite socialite types, probably."
Bart shrugged.
"Oooooh! Look at them. They have a shiny pen on their breast pocket!"
Niero watched one of them casually adjust his gloves.
Another stood with his chin slightly raised.
The third looked around the assembly as though evaluating inferior specimens.
The fourth simply stared straight ahead with an expression of utter indifference.
Niero narrowed his eyes.
"...I already don't like them."
> ["Like most Gold tier citizens like rich folks and socialites you ever met. You have known them for approximately six seconds."]
"Well, most of these kinds of people are common in higher society. Most are snobby, spoiled, asshole-ish, and up their asses for things they are just better than everyone."
> ["Your judgment appears questionable."]
"It's called instinct."
> ["You confused 'instinct' with 'prejudice'."]
Before Niero could respond, the sound system crackled.
KRRRCH.
The entire assembly ground fell silent.
A woman stepped onto the elevated platform.
Niero's attention immediately shifted toward her.
She was elegant.
Refined.
Almost aristocratic.
Her dark work suit was perfectly tailored, complemented by a wide-brimmed veil-like hat.
In one hand she carried a small, gothic-looking umbrella.
Her posture was immaculate.
Her pale complexion looked almost unnaturally flawless.
And when she smiled—
Niero noticed smooth pale skin and small fangs.
"Sanguinox."
Queendom's vampires...literally.
The woman approached the microphone.
The entire academy seemed to hold its breath.
She smiled warmly.
"Good morning, young cadets."
Her voice was calm, sophisticated, and surprisingly gentle.
"I am Principal Marin von Kxhes, headmistress of Gallagher-Sandoval Military Academy."
A polite wave of applause spread through the formation.
Marin waited for it to settle.
"On behalf of the faculty, staff, instructors, and citizens of Dungeontown, I welcome you all to G.S.M.A."
She looked across the hundreds of students.
"Each of you has arrived here from a different background."
Her gaze moved across the formation.
"Some of you come from prestigious academies."
The four arrogant boys stood proudly.
"Some from ordinary public schools."
Some female students glanced at each other.
"Some from families of Mana Casters, soldiers, engineers, merchants, scientists, adventurers, craftsmen, farmers, and countless other professions."
She paused.
Then Marin smiled.
"Yet today, those differences matter less."
She spread one hand toward the academy behind her.
"Because from this day forward, you are all Gallagher-Sandoval cadets."
The students listened.
"You are all brothers and sisters of the GSMA. You will study together. Train together. Struggle together. And, when the time comes, you will stand together."
Her voice carried across the entire assembly ground.
"G.S.M.A. is not merely an institution designed to produce soldiers."
She paused.
"We seek to cultivate citizens."
Niero listened carefully.
"Citizens capable of defending their homes."
"Citizens capable of building them."
"Citizens capable of leading."
"And, above all, citizens capable of understanding that the future of our civilization cannot be entrusted to one generation alone."
The Principal's smile returned.
"You are the next generation."
A beat.
"And therefore, you are our future."
She raised her chin slightly.
"So once again, I humbly and proudly welcome you all."
The wind swept through the assembly ground.
Snowflakes drifted gently around the students.
"Welcome to Gallagher-Sandoval Military Academy."
The applause began again.
Louder this time.
Marin waited.
Then delivered the final words of her opening address.
"May your three years here forge not merely capable cadets..."
Her eyes swept across the crowd.
"But better tomorrow!"
The assembly erupted into applause.
Niero stood among hundreds of strangers, his academy cap slightly crooked and his cheap stationery rattling inside his pocket.
He looked toward the enormous academy buildings behind the Principal.
Then toward his friends.
Then toward the unfamiliar students surrounding him.
The applause gradually faded.
Principal Marin von Kxhes remained behind the podium, her expression still warm.
But something in her eyes had changed.
The smile disappeared.
"There is, however, something else that I must address."
The atmosphere immediately became heavier.
Niero noticed several instructors along the edges of the assembly ground straighten.
Marin lowered her gaze for a moment.
"As many of you are already aware, three days ago, three vessels belonging to the BDV Iron Convoy were attacked while transporting new candidates toward Dungeontown."
A murmur passed through the freshmen.
Niero's expression stiffened.
He already knew.
He had been there.
Marin continued.
"The attack resulted in significant loss of life."
Her voice remained composed.
But there was sorrow beneath every word.
"Many passengers and crew members were...deceased."
A few students lowered their heads.
"Many others were injured."
Another pause.
"And many remain missing."
The assembly ground became almost completely silent.
Niero's fingers tightened around the strap of his shoebox.
He could still remember the ships.
The screams.
The water.
The monsters.
The blood.
Amaryllis the Sea Witch.
The Black Room.
And that terrible moment when something had pierced straight through him.
He pushed the memories down.
Not here.
Not now.
Principal Kxhes continued.
"Among the victims were students who had been accepted into this very institution."
That sentence hit differently.
Niero looked around.
Some freshmen visibly flinched.
Others exchanged nervous glances.
A girl near the front wiped her eyes.
Marin lowered her head.
"We have also received notice that several accepted cadets have withdrawn from the academy following the incident."
Nobody could blame them.
Fear was not cowardice.
Not after something like that.
"They have suffered physical and psychological trauma," Marin said softly. "And some have decided that they cannot continue."
She paused.
"As educators, we understand."
Her fingers gently tightened around the handle of her gothic umbrella.
"No one should be ashamed of being afraid."
Niero looked at her.
That was... unexpectedly compassionate.
Marin slowly raised her eyes toward the freshmen.
"But neither should we allow fear to decide the entirety of our future."
A few heads lifted.
"The Bloom Dominion has survived catastrophes before."
Her voice became firmer.
"We survived the apocalyptic Black December."
"We survived the horrific intruders that is the Hollow."
"We survived wars, famine, ecological collapse, and countless threats that once seemed capable of ending civilization and humanity."
She looked across the hundreds of young faces.
"And we survived because those who came before you refused to surrender the future."
Niero listened.
Marin continued.
"You are not being asked to become heroes today."
A faint smile returned.
"You all are still young. You are still learning."
She glanced toward the academy buildings.
"You will make mistakes, and hopefully, you will learn from them."
Then her expression became solemn again.
"But you must understand something."
She looked toward the enormous Dominion flag, displaying a golden lotus surrounded by 9 stars, flying above the academy's flag.
"You are here because you have chosen to become part of something larger than yourselves."
Her voice carried across the grounds.
"You are future citizens of the Bloom Dominion—"
THUMP!
Something landed on the podium.
Marin blinked.
The freshmen stared.
Niero's eyebrows rose.
A short yet large and stout man had somehow jumped onto the podium.
He was in his late fifties, built like someone had carved a human being out of an armored vehicle.
His black-and-white crew cut was short and severe.
His face was weathered.
His arms were thick.
His decorated military uniform was covered with medals, ribbons, insignia, and old campaign badges.
He landed in a crouch.
Straightened.
Then casually took the microphone from Principal Kxhes.
"THANK YOU, PRINCIPAL! I'LL TAKE IT FROM HERE!"
A booming voice comes from him with an accent that can be described as a gruff Texan-like southerner like those American cowboys in those old West movies, somewhere a mix between Clint Eastwood and... Clancy Brown, maybe.
Kxhes stared at him.
"Master Sergeant—"
The rugged man stepped forward while cutting off Principal Kxhes.
He looked over the freshmen.
His eyes were sharp.
His presence alone seemed to straighten spines.
Then he spoke.
"CADETS! TEEEEEN HUT!!"
His voice exploded across the assembly ground.
"I'M MASTER SERGEANT HARLAN CROWE!"
Several birds immediately abandoned the surrounding trees.
Niero physically flinched and even picked his ear for how painful his sensitive ears were.
"Jesus fuck. He doesn't need a mic with that voice."
Crowe pointed toward the students.
"You've heard about what happened to those convoy ships!"
His Texan accent was unmistakable.
"You've heard about the dead! You've heard about the missing! You've heard about the students who decided they couldn't keep going!"
His voice lowered.
"And I'm not gonna stand up here and tell you that fear isn't real."
Crowe scanned the formation.
"Fear is real. So is grief and pain. So is the knowledge that somebody you cared about ain't coming home."
His expression hardened.
"But here's what I will tell you."
He slammed one fist against the podium.
BAM!
"IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW BAD THINGS GET!"
The freshmen jumped.
"WHAT MATTERS IS WHAT YOU DO WHEN IT DOES!"
Silence.
Crowe pointed toward the academy behind him.
"You came here to become citizens. Not tourists. Not spectators. And sure as hell not people who run away the second the world gets ugly!"
Niero raised an eyebrow.
Crowe's voice thundered.
"You want the secret to surviving this ugly, scary world?"
He held up one finger.
"Duty."
Another.
"Honor."
Another.
"Willpower."
Another.
"Faith"
Another.
"And determination."
He clenched his fist.
"These five things represent each finger, and all 5 fingers make a fist! And that fist shall reach above and beyond!"
"Wow"
Niero felt that. Not just the mic reverb but that inspirational energy.
"You keep those five things in your heart, and when the world knocks you down—"
He slammed his fist against his palm.
"YOU GET BACK UP!"
A few freshmen straightened.
Crowe paced along the podium.
"You think the people who came before you had it easy? No!"
"You think the people who built these cities weren't scared? No!"
"You think the folks who fought through Black December weren't terrified? No!"
"Then what made them keep moving?"
He pointed at the students.
"They had somebody to fight for!"
Crowe's voice cracked through the cold air.
"Your friends! Your families! Your loved ones! Your neighbors! Your fellow citizens! Your pet! And every person who wakes up tomorrow believing there is still a future worth living in!"
He looked toward the sky.
His voice softened.
"For those who fell three days ago..."
Crowe removed his military cap.
The entire assembly became silent.
He held a hand up in the air as if he were holding an invisible shot glass.
"Peace to the fallen."
For several seconds, nothing moved.
Even the snow seemed quieter.
Crowe looked back at the freshmen.
"Now listen to me, kids."
His voice was lower.
But somehow more powerful.
"You're gonna be scared. Some of you are gonna get hurt, gonna fail, and gonna question whether you even belong here to begin with."
He pointed toward the students.
"And that's alright."
He smiled.
"But when that day come?"
His eyes hardened.
"MAN UP!!!"
A murmur spread through the students.
Crowe immediately clarified.
"I don't care whether you're a boy, girl, Mana Caster, Manaless, rich, poor, human, Beastfolks, Mechos, Sanguinox, Edenites, Priestess, Bellatrix, or anything else under the damn sun."
He spread his arms.
"'Man up' means stand up. It means stop letting fear make your decisions for you. It means reach down into whatever courage you've got left..."
His fist tightened.
"...and take one more damn step."
Crowe raised the microphone.
"You don't fight because you're fearless! You fight because somebody has to!"
"You don't protect people because it's easy! You protect them because somebody has to!"
His voice thundered across the academy grounds.
"So you wanna honor the people we lost?"
Crowe pointed toward the academy.
"BUILD SOMETHING WORTH THEIR SACRIFICE!"
He pointed toward the city beyond the walls.
"PROTECT THE PEOPLE WHO TRUST AND FAITH IN YOU!"
Then toward the sky.
"AND FIGHT FOR A FUTURE BRIGHT ENOUGH THAT THEIR DEATHS DON'T BE IN VAIN!"
Silence.
Then Crowe grinned.
"That's what you're here for."
He handed the microphone back to Principal Kxhes.
"Good luck."
He stepped off the podium.
Then paused.
"Oh."
Crowe looked back toward the freshmen.
"And if any of you are thinking about dropping out because you're scared..."
He grinned wider.
"That's your choice."
A beat.
"But if you stay?"
His eyes gleamed.
"I'll make damn sure you become tougher than whatever scared you."
Crowe hopped down from the platform as casually as he had jumped onto it.
Niero stared after him.
"...What the hell was that?"
Flick whispered from nearby.
"How does someone sound inspirational yet so unhinged at that same time?"
Niero looked back at Crowe.
The old soldier was already walking away.
Vuldyr's voice quietly entered Niero's mind.
> ["I believe you have just met Harlan Crowe."]
Niero sighed.
"That loudmouth G.I. Joe lookig-ass is Agent Armitage's associate?"
>["Seems likely. I will pull out some data about him meanwhile."]
The assembly remained silent for several seconds after Crowe disappeared from the podium.
Principal Marin von Kxhes calmly stepped back toward the microphone.
She adjusted the brim of her hat.
"Thank you Master Sergeant Crowe for that...ehhh...energetic introduction...."
Her tone suggested she had already experienced this sort of interruption many times before.
She turned toward the freshmen.
"Now, as I was saying before our honorary guest so enthusiastically interrupted me..."
A few students quietly chuckled.
Marin's smile returned.
"I would like to formally introduce Master Sergeant Harlan Crowe as a member of the Gallagher-Sandoval's temporary faculty."
The students listened.
"He is a highly decorated officer who served within the American Branch of the Bloom Dominion military for many years, served in numerous military and anomalous-response operations throughout his career, and has graciously accepted an instructor position here at our academy."
A few cadets looked interested.
Then Marin added:
"More specifically, he will be assigned as the homeroom instructor of one of our incoming freshman classes."
The atmosphere changed immediately.
"...Oh no."
"I hope it's not mine."
"Please, Radiant Empress..."
"Anyone but him."
Niero looked around.
The sudden panic spreading through the freshmen was almost impressive.
One girl clasped both hands together.
"Please don't let me get him..."
Another quietly whispered a prayer.
"Radiant Empress, please... anyone but Master Sergeant Crowe..."
A boy beside her nervously joined his hands.
"I'll be a good citizen, I promise."
Niero blinked.
"Seriously?"
Flick leaned toward him.
"Apparently he's famous."
"For being insane?"
"And terrifying."
One girl from the girl's row whispered towards Niero and his group.
"I heard he once made an entire squad run obstacle courses until they threw up."
JD frowned.
"Nigga. That doesn't sound legal."
Marin continued.
"Please, please. There is no need to panic."
Nobody looked particularly reassured.
"Master Sergeant Crowe may possess..."
She paused.
"...an unconventional teaching philosophy."
Crowe shouted from across the grounds.
"YA DAMN RIGHT!"
Kxhes closed her eyes for a moment.
"...As I was saying."
The students tried very hard not to laugh.
"He is nevertheless a highly experienced instructor, and I am confident that whichever class receives him will benefit greatly from his expertise. Whichever homeroom is assigned to Master Sergeant Crowe should consider themselves..."
She paused with a hint of worry appearing in her eyes.
"...very lucky."
The freshmen collectively looked horrified.
"Lucky?!"
"That's not luck!"
"That's a curse!"
Someone in the back of the girl's row audibly whispered:
"Radiant Empress, please save me. I won't touch another 'Cute Twink' porn mags ever again!"
Niero covered his mouth to hide a snicker.
Marin continued with perfect composure.
"He will remain your homeroom instructor for the duration of your three-year education."
The reaction was immediate.
"THREE YEARS?!"
The entire freshman formation erupted.
Niero stared at the crowd.
"Holy shit."
Flick looked pale.
JD muttered a prayer.
Bart innocently smiled.
"Fun."
Niero and JD stared at him.
Marin raised one hand.
The freshmen gradually quieted.
"Now, I would like to address another matter."
Her expression became solemn again.
"Given the recent tragedy involving the Iron Convoy..."
The crowd quieted.
"We recognize that many of you have arrived at this academy carrying considerable emotional baggage, especially roughly half of you all who came from M.A.C. 01 on the BDV Iron Convoy ships."
She looked over the students.
"Some of you witnessed the attack, lost friends, and possibly a family."
"And some of you may still be struggling to understand what happened."
Her voice softened.
"Therefore, the administration has made the decision to provide all incoming first-year cadets with a mandatory one-week orientation leave."
A murmur spread through the crowd.
Marin raised her hand again.
"Please remember; this is not a vacation."
Several students immediately looked disappointed.
"It is an opportunity."
She smiled.
"You will be given time to familiarize yourselves with the academy, your dormitories, your instructors, your classmates, and your new surroundings."
She glanced toward the distant academy buildings.
"And, most importantly, time to breathe."
That earned a few relieved expressions.
"You have survived something terrible."
Marin's voice became gentle.
"We do not expect you to simply forget it and pretend everything is normal."
She looked directly at the students.
"Give yourselves time to recover, but do not allow tragedy to convince you that your future has ended."
She smiled.
"Your future has only begun."
Marin stepped away from the microphone.
"That concludes the opening address."
She gently held her umbrella.
"May the Radiant Empress's Light shine bright upon thy."
The freshmen responded almost instinctively.
"May Her Light Shine Bright."
Marin smiled.
She descended from the podium.
A young female assistant hurried to her side, opening the small gothic umbrella above her head.
The Principal walked away beneath it, her assistant carefully shielding her from the falling snow.
Niero watched them disappear.
"...She's a vampire, right?"
Vuldyr answered inside his head.
> ["Certainly a Sanguinox. Those exotic hormones produced by their cruciform symbionts on their chest gave them the standard powers as well as the weaknesses of a traditional vampires, including weak againt UV radiation."]
"I bet she's been bathing in those SPF 5000 or something to handle the sunlight."
> ["Most likely."]
=====
A familiar young woman nervously approached the podium.
She looked to be somewhere in her twenties.
Her administrative uniform was neat, though her expression was noticeably more nervous than that of the Principal.
She adjusted the microphone.
"Uh... hello."
Her voice echoed across the assembly ground.
She immediately looked like she regretted speaking.
"Good morning, everyone."
The students answered.
"Good morning!"
She smiled awkwardly.
"Right."
She took a breath.
"Some of you already know, but let me reintroduce myself; my name is Nataliah Armin, though most students simply call me Admin Armin, as I already introduced myself to the cadets on the ship before...that...incident..."
Niero recognized her immediately.
She was the woman who had accompanied the candidates from Mega Ark-City 01.
The same administrator who had been aboard the convoy.
The same woman who had survived the Black Tide attack.
Niero remembered seeing her during the chaos.
Not even sure where she was then...
Probably she had been terrified.
But she had kept moving.
Helping students.
Directing people.
Getting people toward safety.
Now she stood before hundreds of freshmen with a nervous smile.
"First of all... congratulations."
Her smile became more genuine.
"You made it."
There was a brief pause.
"Welcome to Gallagher-Sandoval Military Academy."
Some students applauded.
Admin Armin nodded quickly.
"Thank you."
She glanced at the academy grounds.
"I know the past few days have been... difficult."
Her hands tightened around the clipboard.
"And, well... I was there too."
The crowd became quieter.
"So I know that some of you are probably still processing everything."
She swallowed.
"But we're going to take things slowly."
She looked at the students.
"For today, I'm going to help you get settled."
She lifted the clipboard.
"We'll begin with the dormitories."
A few students murmured excitedly.
"You'll have time to unpack, meet your dormmates, familiarize yourselves with the facilities, and get comfortable. Most of your luggage is kept in your assigned dorm rooms; the only one left is for you to sign in your dorms."
She smiled.
"Afterward, I'll personally conduct your academy orientation tour."
She pointed toward the main campus.
"Classrooms, training grounds, cafeterias, medical facilities, libraries, recreational areas, administrative buildings, and other important locations."
Then she added:
"And please, for the love of the Radiant Empress, do not wander into restricted areas. Those places are not a place to hang out and certainly not a romantic place to practice kissing or...intimacies...."
A few students laughed.
Admin Armin looked completely serious.
"I am... not... joking about that... actually..."
The laughter died.
She checked her clipboard.
"Now, follow me to your assigned dorms in the Dorm-Block, and you can collect your luggage from there."
===
The freshmen began moving from their rows.
Niero stayed behind for a moment.
Flick, JD, and Bart gathered around him.
"Well," Flick said.
"Looks like this is it."
Niero nodded.
"Yeah."
They had only known each other for a short time.
A handful of days, really.
Yet after everything that had happened aboard the convoy...
It somehow felt longer.
JD scratched the back of his head.
"Do you think we'll be in the same homeroom?"
Niero shrugged.
"No idea."
Bart frowned.
"Probably not."
Flick sighed.
"GSMA has twenty students per homeroom, right?"
"Twenty per class," Niero replied.
"And there are four hundred of us."
JD nodded.
"So statistically, we're probably getting separated."
Niero looked toward the massive crowd of freshmen.
Thousands of possibilities.
Different homerooms.
Different instructors.
Different dorm squads.
Different schedules.
Different people.
He smiled faintly.
"Guess that's how it goes."
Flick extended his hand.
"Still friends?"
Niero looked at him.
Then grinned.
"Obviously."
JD held out his hand too.
"Same."
Bart joined.
"Yeah."
Niero looked at the three hands.
He chuckled.
"You guys are getting sentimental already?"
"Shut up," JD said.
Niero placed his hand on theirs.
"Alright."
They separated.
Flick adjusted his expensive-looking uniform.
"Let's meet up sometime."
"Definitely."
Bart raised a finger.
"And don't forget the dorm common rooms."
Niero smiled.
"Yeah."
The four boys began walking toward the dormitory-bound formation.
For a brief moment, Niero looked back at them.
Flick.
JD.
Bart.
Three friends he'd met under the strangest circumstances imaginable.
Three people who had survived the same nightmare.
Maybe they would end up together.
Maybe they wouldn't.
Either way...
They had made friends.
And for Niero, that was enough.
He adjusted the shoebox under his arm and followed Admin Armin toward the dormitories.
Above the academy grounds, snow continued to fall softly.
And somewhere among the hundreds of freshmen...
A certain unhinged master sergeant was already waiting for his lucky twenty.
=
=====
=
[[[ GSMA Academy's Student Residential Zone ]]]
The freshmen followed Admin Armin away from the main academy building.
Instead of another classroom or administrative hall, she led them down a wide pedestrian pathway curving around the rear grounds. Trees and training fields gradually gave way to a massive apartment-like structure.
Niero looked up.
"Where are we going?"
"The residential zone," Admin Armin answered.
A few minutes later, the freshmen stopped before the building.
"...Oh."
The GSMA Dorm-Block towered above them—a thirteen-story residential complex of reinforced concrete, glass, and steel. It looked less like a school dormitory and more like a modern apartment building built on an absurd scale, with rows of windows stretching across its broad façade.
Above the entrance was a large sign:
GALLAGHER-SANDOVAL MILITARY ACADEMY - STUDENT RESIDENTIAL COMPLEX
Admin Armin gestured toward it.
"This is where all residential cadets stay during their time at GSMA."
Niero stared upward.
"All of us?"
"All 1,400 cadets across all three years."
Niero slowly looked at the building again.
"That explains the size."
Admin Armin nodded.
"The Dorm-Block contains 10 residential floors. Each floor has thirty-two rooms, with two additional rooms maintained as surplus capacity."
She continued walking.
"The surplus rooms allow flexibility for transfers, maintenance, emergencies, and other special circumstances."
Niero mentally calculated the numbers.
"That's... a lot of rooms."
"Indeed."
As they approached the entrance, Admin Armin explained the living arrangement.
"Each room is designated for single-gender habitation. However, the building operates under a semi-cohabitation system."
Several freshmen looked confused.
One of the girls asked.
"Meaning?"
"All-male and all-female rooms may be located directly beside one another."
A few students exchanged glances.
"Wait, seriously?"
"Yes. The rooms themselves remain single-gender residences. The system simply avoids dividing the entire building into separate male and female wings. Takes up too much unnecessary space, especially with the 1:5 male-to-female ratio as well as its attendancy rates."
Some girl raised an eyebrow.
"So boys can have girls living next door?"
"Correct."
Niero nodded thoughtfully.
However, some girls have some mischievous looks in their eyes.
"Compared with the residential Spires megabuildings found throughout the Bloom Dominion's major and minor Ark-Cities, however, this structure is considered relatively small."
Niero looked at her.
"This is small, huh?"
She pointed toward the Dorm-Block.
"Standard Spire megabuilding housing units in the larger Ark-Cities can accommodate entire communities. Some effectively function as vertical towns, containing thousands or even tens of thousands of residents. They were developed partly to address the Dominion's severe population and housing demands."
Niero stared at the building.
"...So this is basically a smaller apartment building by Ark-City standards?"
"Exacally."
They finally reached the entrance.
A security booth stood beside the main doors. Inside sat a humanoid android with a single-eye resembling a security camera, wearing an immaculate security uniform. At first glance, she looked almost completely human, aside from the subtle synthetic joints around her neck and wrists.
The moment she noticed the freshmen—
She sprang upright.
"WELCOME, YOUNG CADETS!"
Several students jumped.
Niero nearly dropped his shoebox.
The android marched out of the booth with exaggerated enthusiasm.
"WELCOME TO THE GSMA STUDENT RESIDENTIAL COMPLEX!"
She performed a dramatic salute.
"IDENTIFICATION: S.G. BESS! SECURITY GUARD! DORMITORY PROTECTOR! STUDENT SAFETY SPECIALIST! AND PART-TIME—"
"Bess."
Admin Armin gently interrupted.
"Yes, Admin Armin?"
"Please don't scare the freshmen."
Bess blinked.
"...I was scaring them?"
"Yes."
"Oh. Sorry."
She immediately lowered her voice.
"Ehem. Welcome, fresh meatbags."
Admin Armin sighed.
"This is S.G. Bess. She is responsible for the building's internal security."
Bess placed a hand against her chest.
"Indeed!"
She puffed herself up proudly.
"I have served this institution for twenty-seven years, four months, seventeen days, six hours, and—"
Her eyes flickered.
"—three seconds."
Niero raised an eyebrow.
Admin Armin cleared her throat.
"Bess is... one of our older security android models."
Bess slowly turned toward her.
"Older?"
Admin Armin froze.
"I mean—"
"OLDER?"
"Bess—"
"I am not old. I AM EXPERIENCED."
"Of course."
"I AM LEGACY HARDWARE."
"Right."
"I AM A CLASSIC."
"Yes."
"I AM—"
Bess dramatically pointed at herself.
"A VINTAGE MASTERPIECE OF ARTIFICIAL SECURITY ENGINEERING!"
Niero stared.
"She's taking this personally."
"Very," Admin Armin muttered.
Bess immediately turned toward the freshmen.
"ANYWAY!"
She spread both arms.
"THIS BUILDING IS EQUIPPED WITH AN ADVANCED MULTI-LAYER SECURITY NETWORK!"
A holographic display appeared beside her.
"BIOMETRIC ACCESS CONTROL!"
A diagram appeared.
"FACIAL RECOGNITION!"
Another.
"THERMAL SCANNERS!"
"INTRUSION DETECTION!"
"EMERGENCY LOCKDOWN!"
"REMOTE DOOR CONTROL!"
"RIOT CONTROL WEAPONRIES!"
"ANTI-TAMPERING SYSTEMS!"
"INTERNAL SURVEILLANCE!"
"AUTOMATED FIRE SUPPRESSION!"
"LIFE-SIGN MONITORING!"
Bess paused dramatically.
"AND—"
She leaned toward the freshmen.
"—A FULL BUILDING AI CAPABLE OF LOCKING DOWN EVERY FLOOR IN THE EVENT OF A MAJOR SECURITY THREAT!"
Niero slowly lowered his shoebox.
"...Oh."
Bess continued enthusiastically.
"If an intruder attempts unauthorized entry, relevant access points automatically seal while shooting them with tons of rubber bullets!"
"Uh-huh."
"If a hostile entity breaches the perimeter, the entire building can enter emergency containment mode while shooting them with a shit ton of energy-based weaponry!"
"Right."
"Should a fire, Hollow incursion, terrorist attack, Mana-related incident, or other catastrophic emergency occur—"
Her smile widened.
"I CAN LOCK EVERYONE INSIDE!"
Admin Armin stared.
"...You probably shouldn't phrase it like that."
Bess tilted her head.
"Why?"
"Because that sounds like the beginning of a horror movie."
A nearby student snickered.
Niero looked back at the android.
Twenty-seven years of service.
Old security model.
Building-wide control.
Remote doors.
Lockdowns.
Surveillance.
Life-sign monitoring.
And now—
Bess's eyes flickered.
"THE SAFETY OF OUR STUDENTS IS MY PRIMARY—"
Her voice distorted.
"—PRIMARY—"
Static crackled from her speaker.
"PRRRRRRIMARY—"
Niero's expression changed.
"...Uh."
Bess's eyes briefly went completely dark.
Her right arm spasmed.
"PRIMARY—PRIM—PRIM—"
THUNK.
Bess punched herself in the side of the head.
The freshmen collectively jumped.
"REBOOTING COGNITIVE PROCESS!"
She hit herself again.
THUNK.
"ERROR CLEARED!"
Her eyes lit back up.
She smiled.
"Hello!"
Silence.
Niero slowly turned toward Admin Armin.
"Did...did she just reboot herself by hitting her own head?"
Admin Armin rubbed her forehead.
"Apprently, yes."
"Is that normal?"
"From what I was told...unfortunately yes."
Bess gave a proud thumbs-up.
"WORKS EVERY TIME!"
"That's not reassuring."
Bess leaned closer.
"I assure you, young cadet, there is absolutely nothing to worry about! You are all at safe hands!"
Niero narrowed his eyes.
"That's exactly what the robot says before it murders everyone. Terminator. 2001: A Space Odyssey. Butlerian Jihad from Frank Herbert's Dune."
His imagination immediately supplied the wild scenario, a scenario where the AI kills the teens within the building like a trapped deathtrap. Guns and additional Andies popped into the room and massacred everyone within the building, leaving nothing but blood and gore everywhere.
He also thinks that this concept is quite offensive for the Mechos, as if their kind is a ticking timebomb to kill off humanity. It's like thinking the Mexican people are potential street thugs, laborers, or something of the sort.
Bess smiled innocently.
Admin Armin clapped her hands.
"Alright, everyone. Let's get inside."
The freshmen began moving through the entrance.
Niero followed.
As he passed Bess, the android gave him another cheerful salute.
"WELCOME TO YOUR NEW HOME!"
=====
[[[ GSMA's Dorm-Block: Floor G — The Lobby ]]]
The four hundred freshmen slowly filed into the Dorm-Block.
Admin Armin followed behind them, taking over the tour before Bess could begin another twenty-minute lecture about security protocols.
"Alright, everyone. Please stay together. We'll begin with the ground floor."
Niero entered the building with the rest of the freshmen.
The interior was considerably larger than he had expected.
The lobby stretched across the entire front section of the building, with polished floors, information kiosks, seating areas, digital directories, and several security checkpoints.
To one side was the administrative and security office.
Further ahead was a large central common hall.
There was also a full-sized convenience store, much larger than the smaller stores on the residential floors. A series of automated supply systems connected it to the smaller android-operated stores upstairs, allowing the entire dormitory to maintain a centralized inventory, which seems to utilize O-Fabs, aka, Omnia Fabricators. for the stuff the growing cadets need.
Main public bathrooms were located near the lobby.
A gym occupied another section of the floor.
And along the front and sides of the building were three sets of five elevators.
Fifteen elevators.
Niero stared at them.
"Fifteen?"
Admin Armin nodded.
"With fourteen hundred residents, vertical transportation needs to be efficient."
They continued through the lobby.
Then Niero spotted something.
A familiar-looking security door.
A digital sign beside it read:
SECURITY PROPERTY STORAGE
Niero's eyes widened.
"Wait."
He hurried toward it.
Admin Armin turned.
"Niero?"
He pointed at the storage room.
"My luggage."
"Oh."
Admin Armin smiled.
"Your belongings were recovered from the convoy and transferred here along with the other students' property."
Niero practically sprinted toward the security desk.
A few minutes later, a staff member brought out his backpack and luggage.
Niero stared at them.
His battered backpack.
His luggage.
Everything he'd thought had been swallowed by the Pacific Ocean during the Black Tide.
He grabbed the backpack and hugged it against his chest.
"Holy shit."
He checked it.
Still there.
His belongings were still there, almost as pristine as they were before.
He opened it just enough to make sure nothing had been ruined.
"Holy shit..."
For the first time since leaving the hospital, Niero felt genuine relief.
He'd already accepted that most of his belongings were gone.
Seeing them again felt almost surreal.
Vuldyr's voice quietly entered his mind.
> ["Finally. Your stuffs are back in your hands."]
"Yeah."
Niero smiled faintly.
"Thank Empress."
He slung the backpack over his shoulder and grabbed his luggage.
"Okay."
He looked much happier now.
"Now I can finally stop worrying about my stuff."
Admin Armin nodded.
"Good. Let's continue."
===
[[[ GSMA's Dorm-Block: Floor 01 — The Common Hall ]]]
The elevator took the freshmen up one floor.
The doors opened into a massive communal space.
Unlike the residential floors, this entire level was dedicated to social and recreational activities.
Large lounges.
Study areas.
Meeting rooms.
Recreation zones.
Activity rooms.
Tables for group projects.
Gaming areas.
Even several quiet spaces for students who simply wanted somewhere to sit away from their rooms.
"This is the main communal floor," Admin Armin explained.
"Cadets from every year can use these facilities. Clubs, study groups, meetings, recreational activities, and social events can all be held here."
Bart looked around.
"OOOOHH!!! There's a gaming area?"
Admin Armin nodded.
Bart's eyes sparkled.
"Oh, we're gonna be spending a lot of time here."
JD laughed.
"Obviously."
Flick adjusted his glasses.
"As if you weren't already planning to."
Bart grinned.
===
[[[ GSMA's Dorm-Block: Floors 02–12 — Residential Floors ]]]
The next elevator ride took them to one of the residential floors.
The doors opened.
Niero immediately noticed the difference.
The residential floor was arranged around a large central atrium.
Thirty-two dorm rooms surrounded the perimeter.
At the entrance, where the elevators and stairwell were located, was another communal area.
It contained comfortable seating.
Study tables.
Public bathrooms.
A laundry room.
And another small convenience store.
Behind the counter stood an android attendant.
She waved cheerfully at the passing freshmen.
"WELCOME, RESIDENTS!"
Niero looked at Admin Armin.
"So every floor has one of these?"
"Yes."
Niero nodded.
"Okay. That's actually pretty convenient."
Admin Armin smiled.
"The residential floors are designed so cadets can live independently without constantly needing to return to the main building."
She then led them toward one of the dorm rooms.
"This is an example of the standard four-person room."
The door opened.
Niero stepped inside.
His eyes widened.
The room was surprisingly spacious.
It looked like someone had combined a military barracks with a boarding-school dormitory and then given an architect a reasonable budget.
Two large double-deck capsule beds occupied opposite sides of the room.
Each capsule had enough space to comfortably sit or sleep inside, with its own privacy door.
Four storage lockers stood along the wall, 2 for each side besides the capsule bedrooms.
A window provided natural light.
Next to the entrance of the room was a compact kitchenette with an induction stove, a microwave, a moderately sized refrigerator, counter space, and a small sink.
Everything needed for four students to prepare simple meals.
Niero looked around.
"...Okay."
He nodded approvingly.
"This isn't bad."
Admin Armin explained that each residential floor contained thirty-two rooms, with the same basic configuration throughout the building.
"All four occupants share the room, but each cadet has their own sleeping capsule and personal storage."
The freshmen eventually began splitting off toward their assigned rooms.
Admin Armin handed Niero his housing assignment.
"Room 1030."
Niero checked the number.
"Floor ten, room thirty."
"Correct. Go settle in your dorm room for awhile. We will continue the tour later."
He nodded.
"Got it."
As Admin Arrmin took out multiple files and cards for each of the freshmen, he picked up his luggage.
"See you guys around."
JD raised a hand.
"Yeah."
Flick smiled.
"Good luck."
Bart waved enthusiastically.
"Don't disappear!"
Niero chuckled.
"Sure."
They went their separate ways.
For approximately three minutes.
Room 1030
Niero reached the tenth floor.
He walked down the corridor.
Room numbers passed by.
He stopped.
1030.
"Finally."
Niero grabbed the door handle.
Then paused.
He heard voices.
"...Wait."
He opened the door.
And froze.
Standing directly outside the room were three familiar faces.
JD.
Flick.
Bart.
All three were staring at him.
Niero stared back.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The four boys looked at one another.
Only minutes ago, they'd said their goodbyes.
They'd accepted that they'd probably be separated into different homerooms.
Different groups.
Different parts of the academy.
And now—
They were standing in front of the same dorm room.
Niero slowly looked at the number.
1030.
Then back at them.
"...No fucking way."
JD looked equally stunned.
"The fuck? You're in this room too?"
Flick checked his own assignment.
"Apparently."
Bart's face slowly transformed into the biggest grin, and he gave him a large bare hug, Niero and jumping around as if he haven't seen him all day.
"WE'RE ROOMMIES!"
Niero tried to escape but Bart's hug is too strong.
"You've got to be kidding me."
JD laughed.
"Guess we're not getting separated after all."
Flick adjusted his bag.
"Well."
He shrugged.
"That was unexpected."
Niero was able to escape Bart's overly enthusiastic hug.
Bart looked like he'd just been handed the greatest gift in the world.
"This is awesome!"
Niero rubbed his forehead.
"We literally said goodbye a few minutes ago and then immediately got assigned to the same room."
"Yeah!"
"That makes our goodbyes completely pointless."
Bart nodded happily.
"Yep!"
Niero sighed.
"...shit, this is awkward as fuck. Makes me want to bury myself in the fucking ground."
Vuldyr's voice quietly echoed inside his mind.
> ["Probability of this specific coincidence was apparently non-zero. Maybe you shouldn't have say your goodbyes too soon."]
"Gee. Thanks, Vee."
> ["Happy to help, Kiddo."]
Niero unlocked the door.
"Fine."
He opened it.
"Let's see our new home."
The four boys entered Room 1030.
The room was almost identical to the demonstration room they'd seen earlier.
Two double-deck capsule beds.
Four individual lockers.
A window overlooking the academy grounds.
A compact kitchenette.
Microwave.
Refrigerator.
Storage cabinets.
And enough floor space to avoid feeling like four people had been stuffed into a closet.
Bart immediately dropped his bag.
"I CALL TOP BUNK!"
Flick looked at him.
"Hey. I take dibs on the top bunk."
"I CALL BOTTOM BUNK!"
Bart immediately began inspecting both bunks.
Niero laughed.
"Alright, just like in the ship. I take the top bunk as well."
JD mutters while putting his bag on the right bottom bunk, right below Niero's top bunk.
"Punk ass. Didn't even ask if I want a top bunk."
Flick placed his luggage down.
"Actually, there's another thing."
He pointed toward the room arrangement.
"The dormitory rules."
Niero looked at him.
"What about them?"
"Remember how Admin Armin explained that male and female rooms can be neighbors?"
"Yeah."
Flick leaned against one of the lockers.
"Worse-case scenario; expect some strange neighbors."
Niero raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
Flick shrugged.
"Apparently there were... incidents."
JD's expression became suspicious.
"What kind of incidents?"
Flick gave him a look.
"Perverts and indecent ones."
Bart stopped rummaging through his luggage.
"...Oh boy..."
"Some previous residents apparently ignored the rules, and according to the reports, most of the recorded incidents involved girls as the aggressors. We're talking about sexual harassment and unwanted attention. For us boys...we're essentially a fish in a barrel."
A brief silence followed.
JD stared at him.
"Seriously?"
"Seriously."
Niero looked toward the ceiling.
"So the administration tried mixed-gender rooms, and it didn't work. So now it's single-sex rooms since then."
Niero nodded slowly.
"...what a colorful history."
Bart suddenly threw himself onto one of the capsule beds.
"WHO CARES?!"
He grinned.
"We're roomies!"
He looked around at the others.
"This is going to be like a permanent sleepover!"
JD snickers.
"It's a dormitory, Bart. It's not a sleepover."
Bart pointed dramatically at all three of them.
"ROOMIE BUDDIES!"
Flick sighed.
"I already regret this. I missed my luxury hotel suite."
Niero dropped his luggage beside his assigned locker.
"Too late."
He looked around the room.
The four of them had survived the Black Tide together.
They'd spent days in the hospital.
They'd said goodbye.
And somehow, against all expectations, they'd ended up in the same room.
Niero smiled.
"Guess we're stuck with each other for 3 years."
JD softly smilled.
"Looks like it."
Flick smiled too.
Bart raised both fists triumphantly.
"ROOMIE BUDDIES FOREVER!"
Niero softly smiles as well.
"Don't push it, Doofus."
Outside their window, the GSMA campus stretched across the winter landscape.
Inside Room 1030, four boys who had met under some of the worst circumstances imaginable had unexpectedly found themselves beginning something much simpler.
A friendship.
A dorm room.
And, apparently—
A very long year together.
=====
<<<[ Ch 36, Part 02 - END ]>>>