“What’s going on here?”
“Sir, you need to stand back. This is dangerous business.”

As they approached, a soldier nonchalantly barred their way. He didn’t seem interested in them at all, and barely gave them a glance between checking the gear that was strapped to his body.

“I’m well aware. We’re the ones who were assigned this case.”

He paused, turning towards them with surprise. As he looked closer and saw their military uniforms, a shit-eating grin spread across his face.

“Hah, so you’re from Phoenix. You really cocked up, eh? Don’t worry, you can take your little school trip home, and we’ll clean up your mess.”
“There’s no mess to clean. We’re still in the middle of the investigation.”
“Not anymore. It’s Invicta’s job now.”

The soldier grabbed a folder from a nearby folding table and waved it in their faces tauntingly. Sure enough, it bore the same official seal from the New Ministry of Defence as their own files did, and right in the middle was the logo of a giant eagle with its wings wrapped around the world.

Invicta.

Many claimed they were the only hope humanity had left, as their state-of-the-art weapons allowed everyday people to become demon-killing machines with minimal training. Their network of many of the most famous imbuement users and demonology researchers was renowned, and it was common to find young children who dreamed of becoming part of their rank.

Despite being a corporation and not a country, their armed forces easily outnumbered that of any national force, as they were spread all across the world and had avoided disarmament due to the dire need for their strength in the battle against demons. Countries often reserved their strongest troop for the sake of national defence, but otherwise, it was an uneasy alliance with Invicta, as they would either have to risk losing their own servicemen or pay the appropriate price for the company’s assistance.

On paper, Invicta had truly been instrumental in saving the world from destruction. In reality, through dirty political deals and brutal extortion, their iron grip was only growing tighter, and it wouldn’t be too long before the world had no choice but to bend the knee or risk fighting the demons alone.

And at the head of it all sat one man, Adrian Walker.

A cruel, power-hungry monster who would destroy the lives of others without a second thought. Both Aoi and Conrad had been unfortunate enough to meet him, and sadly for them, Phoenix Academy was a stain on his otherwise sparkling rise to rule.

Phoenix Academy represented an ideal where humanity could put aside its differences, and unite for the sake of saving everyone equally. A place where strength was nurtured in the individual, and guided towards being used for the good of all, regardless of who they were or how deep their pockets reached.

Only under the stalwart guard of Ishitake Shinichirou had Phoenix survived so long, but they still desperately needed to prove themselves on the world stage, and even now their influence was too small to stand against Walker and his seemingly infinite resources.

Their fate rested entirely on the shoulders of the youths who would put their lives on the line, showing once and for all that this was more than just an experiment - it was a solution. There was a place for mass-produced equipment designed to give strength to the everyday person, but if they could only learn to stand together and fight as one with their spirits in tandem, humanity may finally be able to step out from beneath the shadow of the Cataclysm.

But, that was all a distant dream. Reality was cruel, and before them was the cold truth that they had been abandoned by the British Isles, and would be forced to withdraw with their heads hung low. Whether the MOD had been working with Invicta all along, or whether they simply lost faith in Phoenix through their unfortunate circumstances, they would never know.

“...”
“You still here? Fuck off already, you’re not needed.”

Conrad bit his tongue, and Aoi shook her head lightly. Making a scene here would only hurt their reputation more, so all they could do was turn their back as the soldier’s companions joined him in jeering as they left.

Phoenix needed international funding to survive, but it didn’t directly take payments for handling jobs. For Invicta and its members however, the process was very different, so internally they likely saw the academy as directly impacting their livelihood and took great pleasure in watching them depart.

The walk back towards the library was dreary, and the thought of their students’ lives being put at risk only to be snubbed and mocked frustrated them to no end. Neither Aoi nor Conrad spoke a word until they re-entered the temporary research base, but it was time to break the bad news.

“Everyone, listen up. The investigation is over. We’re to pack everything away, and return to Helios.”

Naturally, confused murmurs quickly spread through the room as their hard work was suddenly all for nought. Conrad stood silently as he watched them with a face like thunder, so Aoi gently chimed in to ease the bewildered crowd.

“The MOD have pulled us out, so it can’t be helped. Invicta have taken over, and they’ll be finishing up work here.”
“But… but what about the fairies in the school? What will happen to them?

The thought of the demons she had seen still weighed on Hibiki’s mind. Though she knew she would have to accept the decision of the group no matter what, she had hoped that there would be a solution where even they could be happy.

“There’s nothing we can do for them now.”

Even for the forward-thinking Phoenix Academy, sparing demons would be controversial, and they were only researching further based on Hibiki’s appeal. Invicta had no such delicacy, and Conrad and Aoi did not doubt that the soldiers intended to use the weapons they had been maintaining minutes earlier.

“Are Invicta aware of the danger?”
“Even if we tell them, they’d just laugh it off. The best I can do is compile everything that we’ve found and theorised so far, and hope that the MOD takes notice.”

Conrad scowled as he responded to Yuuji’s question. Despite everything he still didn’t want anybody to die, so they wouldn’t leave the soldiers out on their own, even though he knew for sure they’d never return the favour. Giving aid to the massive thorn in their side left a bitter taste in his mouth, but it was the mission of Phoenix to save everyone, and if they picked and chose favourites it would go against what they stood for.

“They are still professionals, and at least it will mean that the area is safe for anyone living around here. Hibiki-chan, I know how you feel… but sometimes these things are out of our control.”
“...Un.”

Hibiki nodded softly, her eyes downcast. Placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, Yuuji looked over and gave her a smile.

“Our report will give a chance for the MOD to investigate similar cases across the country. It’s expensive and would take a lot of time to hire Invicta for each and every one, so the likelihood that they will find a way to leave the spirits in peace is high.”
“Un… you’re right!”

It was a compromise, but one that she was happy with. She knew it was an unreasonable dream to begin with, but even though the fairies so close to her were out of reach, if her efforts could mean that others weren’t needlessly eradicated she would still be making a difference for the better.

Seeing that her mood had improved, he let her be for now. The others around them had begun collecting their belongings, ready to move on, but Yuuji had something else in mind.

“Mr Pierce.”
“...What is it?”

Conrad’s tone was a little curt, but it was to be expected from his dour condition. The man was a battle-hardened veteran, but when it came to the students or the reputation of Phoenix as a whole, even he found it difficult to contain his emotions.

“Would I be correct in thinking that you will need to return to the MOD in person?”
“Don’t remind me. Walking back into the damn dragon’s den, only to get chewed out.”
“I can’t imagine there being any chance of them providing another task, and even if so, it doesn’t seem like we’d be looking at accepting it anyway.”
“...What are you getting at here?”

Yuuji gave a cheeky grin - perhaps the first in his life, as Conrad watched him with curiosity.

“I’m worried we may get lost on the way back, and not make it to your meeting. Of course, we’ll certainly be able to make it to the airport when we’re ready to leave for Helios…”
“You little bastard, don’t you think my meeting is going to be difficult enough without them badgering me on your whereabouts?”

Despite his words, Conrad’s face cracked into a wide smile. Having the students travel all the way back to Birmingham simply just to sit and wait a while before leaving again was a pointless formality, and within reason he wasn’t against the idea of pissing the MOD off, petty as it was. They hadn’t had a chance to relax during their time on the Isles, and he trusted them enough not to cause any international incidents while he was away. Mostly.

“...I can’t listen to this nonsense, I’ve got a report to file and delivery immediately. Aoi, I’ll be travelling back to Birmingham with express urgency, so I’ll leave this lot to you.”

With a loud huff, he turned away and opened the door to leave. He paused briefly, showing a glimpse of his impish grin, and left his parting words.

“And remember, if the coach driver happens to take a wrong turn, I hear the famous Blarney Castle is nearby - that should be a good place to head to get your bearings.”
“Ufufu~, I’ll keep that in mind~.”

And with that, Conrad left the library, on course to return to the New Ministry of Defence on his own. Even though he was setting himself up for another miserable one-sided pandering to the group who had already turned their backs on him, he couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.

Whether it was for better or for worse he couldn’t tell, but seeing Yuuji put forth such a selfish request made him feel like perhaps he was making a difference after all.

With that thought, his broad smile remained plastered on his face the entire journey.