Just like the battle between Saori and Azusa.
The battle between her and Hoshino could likewise not be more fittingly described as a bird of prey against a venomous snake.
A venomous snake, even when wounded, could still easily kill a white dove with broken wings and a shattered beak.
But if the opponent were changed to a hawk soaring through the heavens, then what?
The answer was obvious.
"Heave-ho."
With the agile movements of a lioness, Hoshino sidestepped a missile and the sniper shot that followed right behind it. She could not even be bothered to spare a glance at the two who had launched the sneak attack.
Within those heterochromatic eyes, where laziness and sharpness mixed into something contradictory, there was only Saori, who had used the opening to retreat over ten meters away while calling several members of the Justina Council as shields, trying to avoid direct confrontation and employ guerrilla tactics instead.
The moment the battle truly began, Saori had already reached a conclusion.
This was not an opponent she could defeat head-on.
Takanashi Hoshino was indeed stronger than her.
In the drizzle, Hoshino lightly raised her heavy shield and steadily advanced while blocking the bullets flying toward her. She let out a bored yawn.
"Sigh, guess the only thing you're good at is running away fast. If your skills were even half as impressive as your mouth, you wouldn't be in such a pathetic state. Hey? Is this seriously all you've got?"
Despite being at an absolute disadvantage, Saori was completely unaffected by the taunts. She maintained her composure and rationality, continuing to keep enough distance between herself and Hoshino while maneuvering around with the cover provided by the Justina Council members.
As long as they could stall long enough, victory would belong to Saori and her companions, who possessed the endlessly multiplying fighting force known as the Justina Council of Saints. At least, that was what she firmly believed.
"Hey, hey, why not just surrender already?"
Hoshino kept talking trash.
"I'll let you know, even though little Neru didn't come today, Gehenna's... uh, what was her name again?"
Not being very familiar with the other party, Hoshino quickly gave up thinking about it.
"Anyway, the Prefect Team President-chan probably already arrived with reinforcements too~ Same with Trinity's Justice Task Force. Geez, there's no chance of winning anymore, right? If you surrender now, maybe I'll even give you a chance to kneel on the ground and wag your tail begging Sensei for mercy. That'd be incredibly generous treatment, you know!"
"...Heh. Do you think saying things like that actually works? How unbearably boring. Doing meaningless things like that during battle only wastes your own stamina."
Saori mocked her in return.
"Hoshino, are you proud of your current advantage? It's so laughable it's absurd. Let me tell you, tell all of you the truth of this world. In this world overflowing with killing intent and hatred, no matter how hard you struggle, it's all meaningless in the end!"
Hoshino abruptly stopped in place.
She actually lowered her shield, her expression rapidly darkening as she coldly stared at Saori.
"What... did you say?"
Before Saori could react, something seemed to trigger Hoshino.
After pulling a handgun from her shield, she directly tossed the shield aside.
Then, right before Saori's stunned eyes, Hoshino no longer even bothered dodging. She charged straight at her while tanking the bullets head-on.
With a leap, she vaulted directly over the Justina Council members. The raindrops she kicked up even splashed into Saori's eyes.
Before she had even landed, while still in midair, Hoshino raised her gun and fired.
Just like a hawk swooping down from the heavens to tear apart its prey with razor-sharp talons.
Saori narrowly avoided the shot, but before she could regain her footing, the next wave of even fiercer attacks had already arrived.
Even with support from her companions and the Justina Council, though she would not fall immediately, Saori's movements gradually became more difficult and more miserable.
Watching the battle in the distance suddenly accelerate in intensity, I subconsciously pressed a hand against my side and wondered what was going on.
It was precisely because I worried Hoshino would get too emotional and lose control that I had not told her about how Saori had shot me and severely wounded me. So why was she the one getting worked up now?
For some reason, I recalled the incident Hina had told me about during the night, and I began to understand a little.
"...Amazing."
Seeing the captain who had completely suppressed her earlier now getting overwhelmed by someone else instead, Azusa could not help but sigh in admiration.
And it was not just Hoshino. The other members of the Foreclosure Task Force, who were currently fighting the Justina Council members, were not to be underestimated either.
Azusa felt somewhat ashamed.
"Hifumi... I never thought your subordinates would all be this strong... I didn't trust you before. I'm sorry."
"Ah, wawa, I mean, they're actually my friends..."
Flustered, Hifumi hurriedly corrected the misunderstanding she herself had caused before turning to look toward me.
After I nodded in confirmation, Hifumi rubbed her cheeks, took a deep breath, and returned to the serious expression she had earlier.
"Azusa-chan, I'm really angry right now. Extremely angry."
Hearing that, Azusa, who also felt somewhat guilty for recklessly acting alone and leaving her friends behind, looked even more apologetic.
"But..."
(Blue Archive OST 34. Aoharu SAUCE)
Hifumi spoke sincerely.
"More importantly, I'm really glad you're okay. Even though I really am angry, when I think about it carefully, this isn't really Azusa-chan's fault. So I won't stay angry anymore."
"Hifumi..."
Azusa pressed her lips together, unsure what to say.
Then the blonde girl suddenly changed direction and pointed toward the fiercely raging battle, or rather, the one-sided suppression of Arius Squad.
"But I'm still really angry at those people. Killing intent... hatred... saying this is the truth of the world... constantly emphasizing those things, endlessly claiming everything is empty and meaningless..."
She took a deep breath and raised her voice.
"But even so, I...!"
At the side, while listening to Hifumi's declaration, I distractedly used my phone to contact the many girls I knew, making the final confirmations.
Because of her agitation, the girl's voice trembled slightly.
"I don't want to see Azusa-chan become a murderer..."
Prefect Team President, Sorasaki Hina.
Hifumi stepped forward.
"I don't want that kind of dark and suffocating story."
Justice Task Force President, Kenzaki Tsurugi.
Under the gazes of her companions, the blonde girl shouted loudly:
"Even if people say those kinds of stories are realistic, that they fit the true nature of this world, I still hate them!"
Acting Sisterhood representative, Urawa Hanako.
"I have things... things that I love!"
And also, the one in charge of Schale, advisor to Pandemonium Society, Tea Party advisor, me.
Whether representatives of the first General Council or representatives of the Eden Treaty, all had now gathered here.
This was the necessary prerequisite for revising the Eden Treaty in the name of the General Student Council President.
After confirming that, I put away my phone and listened together with everyone else in relief.
All that remained was for Hifumi, the girl I had chosen, to complete the "speech."
Since it bore the name of a treaty, naturally someone was needed to fulfill a corresponding role.
Compared to me, whose every action drew too much attention and would inevitably be interpreted as carrying hidden meaning, Hifumi, who seemed ordinary on the surface yet shone like gold within, was the most suitable person right now.
And here, Hifumi continued shouting at the top of her lungs:
"Even though I'm ordinary and lack individuality... when it comes to the things I love, I absolutely will not back down!"
Hiyori turned her gaze away, seeming to let out a faint, miserable laugh.
"Overcoming hardships through friendship, having your efforts rewarded... being comforted when you're sad, supporting each other with your friends...!"
Almost unconsciously, Misaki scratched at the bandages around her neck.
"Even if painful things happen... in the end, everyone can still smile!"
Hoshino paused her storm-like assault and silently gestured for Saori to listen patiently as well.
Saori, who was breathing heavily, decided to give Hoshino that much face for now.
"What I love..."
Hifumi nearly screamed herself hoarse.
"...is this kind of Happy End!!!"
SAUCE
I raised my head and realized that, somehow, the rain had suddenly stopped.
The dark clouds that had filled the sky moments ago parted to either side, revealing a sky that was steadily moving from night toward dawn.
Hiyori noticed the strange phenomenon as well and murmured:
"Ah... the clouds..."
Misaki guessed:
"Weather manipulation...? No, this is..."
"A m-miracle...?"
"There's no such thing as miracles!"
Misaki immediately refuted Hiyori, yet as she stared at the figure standing atop the ruins, she could not help but mutter:
"How in the world did this happen...?!"
Hifumi took a deep breath, her gaze becoming even firmer.
"No matter what other people say, I'll still say this!"
Misaki slowly came to a realization, but looked even more disbelieving.
"Could this be... the Commandments...?"
"The direction our story takes will be decided by us!"
The power of the Commandments was the most reasonable explanation.
But at this moment, I would rather believe this was a miracle.
Hifumi loudly declared:
"I won't let it end here. We're going to keep going, keep telling our story...!"
A miracle.
Created together by all of us.
With the rising sun at her back, Hifumi seemed wrapped in a sacred veil of light as she raised her arm high and pointed toward the now brilliantly blue sky with her index finger.
"Our story of youth!" (1)
Her words lingered in the air for a long, long time.
All conditions had now been fulfilled.
Having remained an observer until now, I walked over beside Hifumi and patted her shoulder, giving the still trembling girl an encouraging smile.
Then I took a deep breath and used the battle cry I had learned from Iori solely to make my voice louder.
"In my name, I hereby make this declaration...!"
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, I, as the General Student Council President [Righteous Man], said...
"We shall form a new Eden Treaty organization!"
"What...!?"
Saori, who had been using the opportunity to recover her stamina while dismissing everything as a ridiculous farce, instantly realized a certain possibility upon hearing those words. Her eyes widened in fury.
See?
As long as enough students gathered together, everything would turn out alright in the end.
Not far away, Arius Squad fell into a state of shock, anger, and panic.
"...Captain, something's wrong with the control over the Justina Council."
Misaki did not even need to say it aloud. Anyone with eyes could clearly see the truth.
The black garments of the Justina Council were gradually fading into a pure white like snow itself, and several warm golden streaks of light began to spread across them.
And next, these guardians born from replicated Commandments would probably melt away like snow beneath the warm sun.
At this point, the incident could finally be declared resolved.
All that remained was some easy cleanup work.
"Hehe, little Saori."
Hoshino rested her shotgun over her shoulder.
"This is your last chance, you know? If you still won't surrender, then we'll have to tie you up with ropes and present you to Sensei as a gift... sigh, though maybe that'd still be letting you off too easily?"
"What kind of unrealistic nonsense are you talking about!?"
Saori had completely lost her composure as she shouted furiously toward Hifumi in the distance.
"Happy End!? Don't make me laugh! Can the world really be changed with just one sentence!? Can a world full of hatred and distrust really change that easily!? What kind of fantasy are you living in...?!"
"...Sigh."
Hoshino shook her head after hearing that, pity gradually surfacing in her eyes.
"It's because you don't have any 'dreams' that you ended up like this. Oh well, judging by you, you probably aren't planning to run anymore anyway, so this old man's gonna slack off for a bit first. Uheh~ Sensei won't blame me for it."
Seemingly losing interest for no apparent reason, Hoshino tossed out those strange words, waved to me from afar, and simply walked away on her own.
The corner of my mouth twitched.
What was wrong with that pink-haired girl now? Was she deliberately trying to leave the punishment to someone else?
Still, even without Hoshino, once the Justina Council disappeared, Arius Squad would amount to nothing more than chickens and dogs.
As long as we captured the few of them, along with as many Arius students as possible, and confirmed how to reach the Arius Autonomous District...
Once Beatrice, the one hiding behind everything, was dealt with, we could calmly think through how to handle the Arius students afterward.
Perhaps...
If it could be proven that some of them had truly been forced into this...
Then the ending Hifumi hoped for might really still have a chance of coming true.
I slowly closed my eyes and tilted my face upward, feeling the warm light of the morning sun shine upon me as all the pressure melted away.
As my mood lightened and broadened, it was almost like a hallucination. Beside my ears, I began to hear a melody, one that felt strangely familiar somehow.
Majestic. Grand. Sacred.
Growing louder and louder, as though it were becoming reality itself.
"Huh? This music... where's it coming from?"
Finally realizing something was wrong, I abruptly opened my eyes just as Hifumi voiced her confusion, and witnessed a scene that made my blood run cold.
The Justina Council had not disappeared as I imagined it would after the treaty was reestablished.
The nuns, whose garments had all transformed into pure white adorned with strange golden patterns, even had the black halos behind their heads dyed into a color I knew all too well.
"W-What!? Th-this can't be... this is...!?"
Arona's astonished voice rang beside my ears.
Amid the same symphonic rhythm I had heard when I first encountered the Decagrammaton.
Amid everyone's horrified stares.
Amid the feeling of my heart plunging straight into the abyss.
The Justina Council members all raised their heads together and began to sing in unison:
"Ho——ly——!"
---
(1) [TL/N: From @wavergobrrr "Blue Archive" really means "A collection of stories about youth". Therefore, in Hifumi's big moment, she literally says "This is our Blue Archive."]