Chapter Twenty-Nine: Operation Tornado

“Oh~ you’ve arrived. Wait, who are these people?” As he entered the office—written as ‘Principal’s Office,’ but read as ‘Angel Battle Headquarters’—Yuri pointed to the three girls behind Hao Ren.

“Didn’t Hinata tell you? I’ve found new members for the Front.”

“Hey, kid, you’re quite capable. I like you!” Noda, still holding his enormous axe, gave Hao Ren a thumbs-up.

“Hello, I’m Yuri, leader of the ‘Crossing the Life-and-Death Front.’ Welcome to the team.” Yuri extended her hand to the three girls. Nemesis, Yaya, and Little Dark glanced at each other.

“My name is Nemesis.” “I’m Yaya.” “Just call me Little Dark.” Once again, the three girls surrounded Hao Ren.

“Oh! You lucky bastard!” Hinata, with his blue hair, grinned broadly, showing no sign of envy.

“Welcome to the Front,” Iwasawa said with a smile.

None of the guys were jealous or resentful; they all laughed and welcomed Hao Ren and his companions. Hinata whispered something to Otonashi, who was promptly slapped by Yuri. Noda seemed dissatisfied with Otonashi and tried to rush at him, but Matsushita and Oyama held him back tightly. TK launched into another cryptic rap. Iwasawa’s smile made Nemesis and her friends feel very welcome; Yaya’s hand was taken by Iwasawa, and she didn’t seem to object.

“It’s not quite the reaction I expected from the guys,” Hao Ren remarked to Yuri, puzzled.

“They’re all just idiots with abysmal emotional and intellectual intelligence,” Yuri sighed, rubbing her forehead.

Night had fallen.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! A volley of gunshots rang out—Yuri was firing out the window.

Is it really okay to be so brazen about this? Hao Ren looked at the group: only Otonashi covered his ears, while everyone else acted as if this was perfectly normal.

“Here, these are your weapons. Even beginners can handle them quickly. As for the girls, there are no firearms for now. Is that alright?” Yaya indicated her own laser gun, far more advanced than anything they had.

Hao Ren took the pistol—a Glock 17, produced by the Austrian company Glock. Honestly, what kind of group manufactures these weapons? This was way beyond what students should be involved in!

“Will it work?” Otonashi seemed to be handling a gun for the first time.

“Aim for Angel’s feet. That’ll keep her from chasing you,” Yuri said, hands on her hips, as if it were obvious.

“Shooting at a girl? Will her injuries heal quickly?” Otonashi was overthinking it; Kanade Tachibana’s physical prowess and combat ability were off the charts—there was nothing to worry about.

“You’ll understand best by experiencing it yourself,” Yuri tilted her head. Getting shot wasn’t exactly an exhilarating experience.

“We all went through this,” she added. You have my sympathy.

“Alright,” Otonashi seemed to steel himself.

“Any questions, Hao Ren?” Yuri looked at him. Hao Ren shook his gun-wielding hand, indicating he had no issues.

Suddenly, the room’s lights dimmed. Yuri pulled down a large projection screen and donned a white officer’s cap.

“First, to help you get familiar quickly, you’ll join us in one of our regular skirmishes.” With the white cap, Yuri seemed much more commanding.

“Operation name: ‘Tornado Mission.’” It sounded impressive.

“This one’s huge,” Matsushita said gravely.

“Tornado?” Otonashi pictured a world-destroying cyclone.

“We’re going to sweep up meal tickets from the students!” Yuri clenched her fist. Was it really okay to declare such a thing so openly?

“So that’s the kind of ‘sweeping’ you meant!” Otonashi shot back. “This isn’t a big event at all—it’s bullying! Disappointing! Using weapons and numbers to act like bandits!”

Hao Ren felt the operation was a bit childish.

“You! That’s an insult to Yuri. Take back what you said!” Noda’s axe hovered at Otonashi’s neck.

“Why?” Otonashi refused to back down.

“We, the ‘Endangered Barnacle Protection Front,’ would never use force or numbers to threaten ordinary students,” Matsushita declared.

“Will barnacles really go extinct?” Oyama asked.

“They’ll disappear someday,” Matsushita replied, sounding unexpectedly philosophical.

“Wait, didn’t she just say ‘sweep away’?” Otonashi, still under threat.

“Exactly as I said—‘sweep away,’” Yuri tapped her laptop. “Listen, you and Hao Ren are part of the Roadblock Squad, tasked with stopping Angel. Surround the cafeteria, then take up positions at your designated spots and wait, armed. Don’t worry, I’ll assign you the easier locations.” She glanced at Hao Ren.

Did the 3D map on the projection have to be so professional? And was it necessary for the cafeteria to be bigger than their school’s indoor track? Hao Ren felt his worldview shattering.

“Iwasawa, I’m counting on you today.”

“Mm.”

“If Angel appears, open fire immediately—this will be a signal for help,” Hinata said, still facing off with Noda and his axe.

“If you hear gunshots elsewhere, rush over right away.” Hao Ren and Otonashi nodded in agreement.

Operation start time: 18:30. The mission commenced.

At that moment, Hao Ren received a side quest.

Side Quest: “Guardian Angel.” During the ‘Tornado Mission,’ protect ‘Angel’—Kanade Tachibana—from all harm. Rewards and penalties are randomized.

Outside the academy’s grand cafeteria, at the second connecting bridge.

Hao Ren, fiddling idly with his pistol like Otonashi, wondered why he’d been given a side quest that ran directly counter to his faction’s objective. Still, he didn’t mind—if he got the chance, he’d gladly run off with Kanade Tachibana.

Inside the academy’s grand cafeteria.

“This is Yusa. The lighting and sound teams are ready. It’s almost time—the fans have noticed and are gathering.” A blonde girl stood by the third-floor railing of the cafeteria, under the protection of several male Front members, overlooking the scene below.

A large open space at the center of the cafeteria was rapidly filling with ordinary NPC students.

Near the girl named Yusa, a group of male Front members acted as bodyguards, forming a secure zone. At the center table, Iwasawa and three other girls gathered.

“Okay, let’s begin,” Iwasawa said with a commanding air.

Suddenly, the cafeteria lights went out, and cymbals crashed loudly.

The four girls began a concert right in the cafeteria, their voices echoing across the campus.

“Across the bridge, a silver-haired girl will appear soon. Your task is to discreetly shield her from stray bullets.” Hao Ren whispered to Nemesis.

“No problem, master.” Nemesis smiled and vanished into the darkness.

“Little Dark, Yaya, stay safe—especially watch out for stray bullets. I have a temporary skill, ‘Undying Body,’ so don’t worry about me. Also, don’t reveal your abilities.” Little Dark and Yaya understood; both nodded.

Hao Ren went to Otonashi’s side.

The full moon, hidden behind clouds, suddenly cast its light. A petite figure appeared across the bridge.