The emboldened words in the screen was enough indication for Kize to know he was found out.

Arona peeked from a corner of the Shittim Chest, her eyes darting with uncertainty between the words and Kize's rather unreadable expression. He was clearly taking this well, despite the serious situation he was being dispensed against.

"Sensei, I think it's time we leave."

Plana's suggestion was met with an exhale, as he had already took up much of his requirements and began walking out of the faculty lounge, just as the night sky began to take its shape.

"Shame, thought we'd have you stay here."

Saori called out from behind. The entirety of Arius Squad stood beside her, all standing in various ways, but never one that signified defeat. There was pride, there was determination, there was meekness, there was... Something. But never a symbol of defeat.

"I'm a Sensei."

Kize's blunt response didn't strike them as unusual.

"B-but you are our Sensei. You're their Sensei."

Kize blinked once, his eyes a slight more than a half lid at Hiyori's proclamation. Outside, a sharp whistle whizzed high up, followed by an explosion and a bedazzled spectacle of colors. Cheers followed outside. A glance came their way, before he continued on his walk. His coat swayed against his movements, he disappeared down a flight of stairs, as Arius Squad bore witness.

"... So. Guess we're on our own now?"

Atsuko's question didn't have an immediate answer. Saori only smirked.

"I think Sensei has one more trick up his sleeve. But let's leave him to that."

"W-what do we do now?"

"They've elected us as student councils. So let's act like one."

"This'll be tiring..."

Misaki's blunt statement of her own future status was nothing short of a conversation ender, as they walked to what would be the student council room. Misaki's bandages were fresh, Hiyori's resolve renewed, Atsuko's faith restored.

Saori? She just ensured that Arius can stand on its own with her as the head.

And she knows Kize just enough that he had one more trick he will pull off flawlessly against the GSC.

Another cheer from the outside as colors and explosions decorated the faces of both Arius students and the Engineering Department. Utaha's eyes had a slight glimmer, despite the dirt and grime caking her clothes and face. Kotori was busy lecturing about the history of fireworks to eager students.

But Hibiki noticed the coat leaving the newly refurbished gate, and she took the initiative.

"Replacement Sensei?"

Kize stopped in his tracks, but didn't turn around just yet. His eyes were still focused forward, but his ears were all in.

"T-thank you for this experience."

He didn't respond with any verbal words. Just a glanced a slight nod, and soon, the shadows overtook his silhouette.

Hibiki couldn't help but feel like he truly was a ghost. Looking back to the fireworks, the students of both Arius Satellite School and Millennium's Engineering Department in awe of fireworks and their newfound bonds, and especially the newly foundational standing of Arius Satellite School, its white walls gleaming with life and no longer of desolation, she couldn't help but feel one thing.

Things were about to get revolutionary.

———

The train ride home was a chore, as Kize clung on to the rails. His breathing was soft, making sure that his sights and his thoughts were one and the same.

"Sensei, you haven't slept in a while."

Arona's concern wasn't unfounded, but Kize knew his job isn't done just yet. Gripping to the railing tightly so he couldn't fall into that state of being, he started to mutter things under his breath.

Prime numbers.

"Two, three, five, seven, eleven, thirteen, seventeen, nineteen, twenty three, twenty nine... Thirty one, thirty seven..."

He kept on counting, to the tens, to the hundreds, even as his eyes flickered against him. Flickered to try and keep him conscious enough so that he wouldn't fall asleep on the job. Flickered enough so that any attempt to fall asleep was met with violence or self sabotage.

"... Plana, is Sensei fine?"

"Sensei is far from it. He's barely holding on."

"So what is he doing?"

"He's reshaping Arius."

——————

It was late morning when Kize woke up from a dreamless sleep. No alarm blared, no birds chirping. No fanfare.

He didn't need the latter.

His body was still sore and still creaking at him to stay in bed. But he knew better. There was no way for him to stay and not work the effort.

As much as he hated doing it, anyway.

A quick shower, a hint of breakfast and a clear call from the GSC demanding his appearance, Kize knew the right call to make as he took his tablet and Shittim Chest to start his operation.

He was ready for what was abound.

——

Standing at the conference room he had once stood upon, he looked neutral as the GSC members looked at him with mixed reactions. Some curious, some spitefully, some others with a hint of admiration. However, it wasn't only the GSC members there.

"You--!!"

Yuuka Hayase immediately began pointing fingers, held back by Haine grabbing the scruff of her collar with one hand.

"You dare approve the reconstruction without our overseer approval, what the Hell--"

"Enough. This will be a discussion we will have right now. Seminar, if you please settle down."

With a grumble, Yuuka sat down while Noa, retaining her facade of playful smiles, sat right beside her. The rest of the GSC members sat down soon after, with Kize taking his seat at the centre of it all. His arms were crossed, and his neutral expression truly showed that he would rather be anywhere else than here.

Perhaps the attention wasn't exactly what he liked. Wasn't exactly his modus operandi, either.

"So." Rin began, and the GSC members who were merely watching politics taking place held their breath.

"Would you care to explain why we've received this?"

Swiping from a screen, a projector formed before the very eyes of everyone. The image shown was a display that was a piece of paper. However, there was unique within it.

A stamp of SCHALE's approval. And not only that.

It was a recognition form.

In bold letters, it was written:

OFFICIAL RECOGNITION OF ARIUS SATELLITE SCHOOL

The short of it all, it denoted the legality of Kize's actions, autonomy of Arius and it's rehabilitation clause. It additionally included specific wording, of which meant that Arius Satellite School had representation in the form of a working governance (a student council), so no one can call Arius lawless.

There was the mention of territories within, of which it recognizes the territory before Beatrice's era, with a critical addendum:

All infrastructure therein falls under GSC disaster relief protections.

There was a finality mentioned within as well, annotating student body rights for inter-school events and expunges of disciplinary actions. Resource wise, they were to be supported by SCHALE and Millennium, with the former with infrastructure audits, the latter due to Engineering Department's contribution and Arius's preference of contractor.

To top it all off, it had signatures from Saori, Kize himself, and Rin, backdated due to a specific clause in 14-D.

An absolute masterclass manipulation of paperwork; a landmine with footnotes.

And all Kize did was glance at it.

"Looks legitimate to me."

"That is the problem, isn't it?" Aoi chimed in. "The very fact that it's legitimate meant you gave it authority for approval."

"And that is something he does have, doesn't he?" Noa interjected. Eyes went to that white haired girl with the smile. A swipe of her stylus, and another hologram took place of the recognition form. It was instead of SCHALE's original charter, with the words written it undeniable.

"Clause 14-D. In cases of urgent civil infrastructure collapse, acting advisors may exercise provisional authority to..." She trailed off, grinning. "Well. You get the idea."

Yuuka finally spoke up. In a more proper manner this time.

Or at least, as proper as she can be, considering what Kize did.

"You weaponized Millennium's Engineering Department for an unsanctioned blacksite reconstruction under that loophole?!!"

Kize shrugged.

"They were available."

Noa couldn't hold it in anymore. Her laughter was heard through the room, as Rin massaged her temples and Yuuka looked like she'd pop a vein.

"And the funding, Sensei?" Aoi inquired. It makes perfect sense for her to ask, considering her role as Chief of Finance.

"Page 17 of SCHALE's charter. All versions share the same clauses in that page. Emergency disaster relief allotment."

"Arius wasn't a disaster, though?" Momoka questioned, popping a chip into her mouth again.

"Could've fooled me."

Small whispers between the members took place. The chatter was palpable, and with how Kize seemed rather unreactive to everything they throw his way, it was disconcerting.

Noa was still laughing, although it was beginning to die down, wiping away a tear from laughing for quite a while. He wasn't Sensei, but the joy the Replacement Sensei brought was something else.

"This is beautiful. Truly. Oh, you've played us all. But then, this does bring an interesting question."

She leaned forward.

"Why?"

Kize didn't hesitate.

"Because no one else would."

Any semblance of smugness, any semblance of a scowl, any semblance of an emotion was cut like a sharp knife against a string. A statement that immediately reminded every single one of the members of Sensei's role.

He was upholding it, but did it in such a significantly different way.

Yuuka sighed, holding her forehead.

"We're billing SCHALE for the broken drones during the construction."

"Invoice that to Aoi."

Kize's follow-up statement was quickly followed by him standing up and taking his leave without saying another word.

"You know, for a Replacement, you're doing a pretty good job!"

Noa called out, before Rin stood up from her own chair.

"Kize Seikato."

Kize stopped, but never even a took a second's glance to the members of GSC or Seminar.

"That's not a name. It came to my attention this late because other than your credentials, we know nothing else of you. So who are you?"

Kize stood there, his expression and his stance unchanged.

And then, he answered the way he always had.

"Does it matter?"

No exchanges took place. Just the fading footsteps of a Replacement Sensei who had effectively reshaped Kivotos.

Arius had been recognized.

The Replacement Sensei is disturbingly competent in bureaucracy.

And the General Student Council were merely students.

As discussions took place, Rin slowly sat back down, elbows on her desk, her fingers intertwined together.

"Have we made a mistake?" Sumomo questioned.

"On the contrary. You've most likely have formed with one of the most competent Senseis you've ever gotten," Noa pointed out.

"One that's willing to take old favors and pull it out of his ass," Haine grumbled.

"It is legal~"

Rin didn't want to think too much of it. He should have been simply a stopgap, and yet...

Sensei would take weeks to resolve this. His promises, his faith and all would drive them to rebuild for themselves. It would take weeks, but it would work.

Kize... How was he able to reconstruct Arius Satellite School in just three days, use favors from Millennium's Engineering Department, and slip past any single hint of detection without the jurisdiction of Trinity or the General Student Council?

"It's like he's a ghost."

Ayumu's pondering was an understatement, but it was apt. And true.

Kize was, by all accounts... A ghost.

But to Arius?

He was their ghost. Even if they don't say it out loud.