The door opened, and the first thing she noticed were a group of students in formalized outfits of a white blouse with a grey neck ribbon, long, gunmetal gray skirt that reach the knees. An Arius insignia was sewn to their sleeves.

Ones that showed their proud loyalty to their school.

"Hold on a minute, you're not Sensei."

One of them, a girl with rust red hair and dark blue eyes, immediately commented, before immediately raising their weapons. Her immediate response was to raise her SCHALE lanyard, her eyes wide.

Of course, she was certain that this was a school fully intended to protect themselves first and foremost.

"I'm not. I'm from SCHALE. I'm here to see Arius. It's my first time here."

"... The GSC didn't say anything about new members in their group," one of them said out.

"That badge looks legit for SCHALE, though. Didn't Kize-Sensei have that at all times?" interjected another one. Miharu decided to answer the previous question first.

"Because... I'm collaborating--" her voice cracked, causing her to cough and clear her throat.

God, why do they have guns that they're more than likely to use recklessly...

"I'm collaborating with SCHALE? Y'know, the one with the authority higher than GSC."

"... Well that's just weird."

But collectively, they realized it was just like Kize's own predicament. Maybe she could bring just about the same benefits as Kize did.

"Well, regardless, what do you wanna do?"

"I wanna meet your President."

"... Excuse me?"

"Look, it's my first day on the job, and, uuuuuuhm..." She tapped the side of her cranium before stating again, "the one thing I'm told is that I should look around Arius as an example on how not to execute bureaucracy."

A lie that she wove effortlessly. Their eyes squinted a little harder.

"President Saori is a little busy. Being President practically means that she's going to look into more reconstruction purposes."

"Such as?"

"....... Uhhhhhh... Hey guys, what was she planning to build again?"

The students huddled around each other, whispering words to one another while Miharu watched on, blinking once.

For students who were dedicated to the art of war and battle, they were... Rather silly.

It made her smile. Maybe this was the contribution Katashi gave to Arius. Soon enough, they turned back towards her, arms crossed.

"You don't talk about our lack of knowledge and we'll take you to her, okay?"

"... Sure?"

"Fine. Fine then. We'll take you to the President. But you better not stray off."

"Or...?"

"Or... Dangit, was the line to shoot or to let her get lost?"

"No, Honoka. That's not how the line goes!" An exasperated student called out, causing yet another huddle. Miharu couldn't help but let out a giggle. One long repressed from her endless search, and a reminder of who she once was.

A teacher, just like Katashi was. Or perhaps, still is.

"Look, I'm not going to go off the beaten path unless you allow me to, okay?"

Heads quickly peeked out from the huddle, staring at the smiling adult woman who had no halo.

How... Interesting.

"Alright, come along then. It's not like anyone else is ever going to visit us any time soon."

"What, is the train that special?" Miharu questioned.

"The only ones accessible for that train are SCHALE, GSC, Shanhaijing, Millennium and, for now, Trinity. So... Yeah, pretty much."

"....."

They're that closed off, huh...

Miharu slowly grasped her hips, her smile turned into a rather playful one.

"So, can you put down the guns for now? What're we waiting for?"

"Oh don't worry about that." They showed the sides of their assault. Safety switch was on, which meant that they couldn't possibly shoot her anyway.

"Anyway, let's go! President might be busy trying to rebuild the Millennial Park again."

They began to walk up, out into the world Miharu never knew. The glint of sunlight and clear blue skies overhead, the buzzing of drones flying every so often carrying boxes of materials to ensure the stability of Arius persisted...

A busy day for the entire district, as it was.

"We're still trying to understand what peace is like, honestly," one of the students commented.

"... How long have you been like this?" Miharu asked politely.

"Two months, give or take. We only got here a few days after Arius's sovereignty was confirmed. It... Well..." Honoka trailed off.

Miharu tilted her head slowly, a curious hesitance in information. Was it that confidential?

"You can tell me if there's anything wrong."

"No, it's... It's not that. It's just... Well..." Honoka, the girl with red hair and blue eyes, or perhaps, their leader, trailed off again.

"Honoka felt guilty about not being involved in the reconstruction. You were off to make a living, didn't you?" One of them questioned.

"... I did..." Honoka's frown deepened. "I wish I could do something. I wish I was there to rebuild with them instead of..."

Miharu was quick. She walked slightly faster so that she could walk right beside Honoka, before looking at her.

"Hey, hey. You weren't there for the rebuilding. But at least you came back. That's what matters, okay?"

"..... You say that like you experienced it," Honoka stated, before blinking. "Actually, wait, you never said your name. Who are you?"

"... Oh, right. I'm Miharu."

"Miharu. Huh. Pretty name," Honoka stated. "Were you some kind of caretaker? You clearly have some experience in that. Or were you..."

A parent. She could tell that was what she wanted to say, with how she started to fiddle her fingers together. Miharu couldn't help but scoff.

"I wish I was."

They looked at her, confused.

"Huh? You're not... With anyone or something?"

"Nope." She chuckled. "I'm 29. It's hard to find love when you're that old."

"Wait hold on, you're 29--"

"Yeah. Why?"

"I thought you'd be younger!!"

She blinked, her eyelashes fluttering. Her breath stuttered, trying to collect herself before--

Too late.

Her laughter echoed throughout Arius, overtaking even the zooming of drones intending to make their supply runs as consistent as possible.

The guides, on their end, were confused. Was this a joke for adults they didn't understand? At least they waited until she finally was left heaving, taking several deep breaths while clinging to her knees. Every last bit of her laughter finally heaved out of her, before she looked at them.

"You girls are silly. Did... Did he taught you that, hm?"

"....." They blinked even more. Honoka seemed to try to articulate her words, but nothing came out of her. Instead, they just walked.

Miharu followed once again.

She absorbed the sights once more. Unlike the bustle of Kivotos, unlike the District of Utnapishtim, Arius was more subdued.

No skyscrapers.

No bullet trains.

Just buildings that were large, but never overbearing, repurposed for something better and necessary. Like the library.

A neo-brutalist architecture, with bare concrete still jutting out, yet easily compensated by at least a dozen uniformed students surrounding it, painting the walls in the colors they wanted. Glass panes ensured that a single soul within could see sunlight, and then...

She saw a single mural of the ghost in the wall.

It wasn't grand. It didn't make him out to be some kind of savior. It didn't even feel like he was the center of attention, considering the mural in the wall was just a long flow of artistic history.

But that was the point.

The bullets flowed from one window pane to another, until a white flag was raised. The second to last panel however, showed Kize's side profile, walking forward with his hands in his pockets, surrounded by silhouettes of students. His expression was seemingly neutral, what with the lack of eyes to indicate his status. His silhouette was still that iconic trench coat, the tablet hanging out from his pocket, and... A keychain?

That couldn't be hers. It had to be from Arius.

They didn't cling onto him. But they surrounded him nonetheless. A message Miharu understood all too well, with how she clung to his past.

Arius, just like Shanhaijing, claimed his present.

"We're still waiting for newer books from the other districts, honestly. Some of us catch up fast."

"Is that so?" She glanced at the them. "What kind of books?"

"Science stuff. Some had knowledge on physics and uh... Sizzling, color chang--"

"Chemistry."

"Chemistry, yeah--! Wait, are you a chemist then, Miharu?"

"Well... I wish I was."

"Wow, you sure wish a lot of things..."

"Because I was a chemistry teacher, dummy."

"....."

A squeak that vaguely sounded like an 'oh' left Honoka. They never visited the library before. Just heard of what the students in there study on. But suddenly it made sense. The lab coat Miharu wore around her felt too appropriate not to make her something science related.

"Sorry... Didn't think to make that connection."

"That's fine."

"Wait, you're a chemistry teacher, right?" One of the students chimed in.

"Y-yes?" She was surprised by the sudden interjection.

"So uh... About two weeks into our sovereignty, the greenhouse we intended to build with Plum Blossom Garden were under attack by like uh... Drones, ya know?"

"Eugh, don't mention that day again. I hate getting paraquat in my system. Got me puking for days."

A cacophony of agreements commenced:

"Same."

"Killed the greenhouse too, but hey. At least the plum blossom saplings get to grow in the courtyard."

Miharu's eyes glinted, the mention of paraquat garnering her attention. A toxic material intended to kill any nutrients and any chance of being able to grow plants.

Lethal to children. Should have killed them.

But perhaps a quick action caused them to get better. Maybe it's the halo.

Either way, retroactive knowledge told her of the culprit. The only individual who actively chose this route.

Kuzaka.

Her eye twitched at that name, before focusing back to the students.

"What was the question?"

"Oh! Right, right. Uh..." A symphony of 'hmmm's rumbled out of them, before Honoka spoke again.

"We were wondering about fertilizer. Thought you knew what kind of chemicals we need for our gardens and greenhouses. Considering you're the chemistry teacher, thought you'd know a thing or two."

Miharu scoffed. Playfully.

"What do you take me for, a gardener?"

"No, you're a chemistry teacher."

"Oh, we have a smarty-pants talking now, don't we?"

"Heeeeeey...!"

The other students giggled alongside Miharu, but this time, Miharu was the one that stopped first.

Fertilizer, hm.

"Hm. Compost is a good option," she suggested.

"Compost?"

"Grab some cardboard, some paper, food scraps, leafy greens, grass clippings, dry grass, wood chips. Make them all damp and stack them in layers-- oh, uhm... I think you should put them in a compost bin. I'm not sure how it looks, though."

"Layers, got it. What else?"

One of the students were quickly taking notes, Miharu noticed. A list of the compost material, followed 'compost bin'. The top of the notepad was written 'for Ground Squad'.

"... But that will take a while, so while you're at it, NPK synthetic fertilizer could help."

"NPK fertilizer. I'm going to pretend I know what that means and run with it-- oh we're here."

Miharu was so engrossed in the conversation that when she looked up, her eyes widened.

Several plum blossom trees were growing in the courtyard, already providing shade to the students available there. Many of the other students, seemingly first years, played a game with each other. It seemed like freeze tag.

Gunshots rang effortlessly from what seemed to be a shooting range. A reminder that even if they're still students, they were given weapons still. And for many, that was something to be honed.

And then, their Magnum opus. No, not Arius Satellite School itself. The school, beautified with colors unlike anything its past could ever conjure, with its emblem upon the very entrance, was the third most impressive thing they've allowed themselves to rebuild with, with the faculty lounge of the ghost that hadn't resided here being their second.

The gardens.

Lush greens of vegetables growing upon lines. Flowers and other plants, unrelated to food, yet all the more therapeutic because of it. Shadowed, protected, and very much beloved and cared for.

It was a symbol. A new future.

She noticed that eyes darted her way. Warranted, considering how they have never seen her before, even if they noticed the SCHALE lanyard.

Kize and Shun had been their sole exception, for they knew them better than they should. So who was this?

"Who did you girls bring here?" Spoke a deep voice, nearly uncharacteristic of a student until Miharu bore witness to said student.

A girl with navy blue hair, wearing what seemed to be a modified version of the school's uniform that made itself appear more formal than the rest, complete with a lab coat, almost just like her own. A band was around her left arm, the word 'President' stitched upon it.

Miharu would've mistaken her as her long lost daughter with how she dressed herself like that.

"Oh, this is Miharu. Apparently a new hire from SCHALE and got told to... Actually, why don't you speak for yourself?" Honoka started, pushing her to the spotlight. Miharu stumbled slightly, before regaining her footing and stood before her.

A deep breath. Breathe in. Breathe out.

"I'm Miharu. Collaborator of SCHALE. I want to speak with you and your student council the matters of the ghost."

"... Do you have any ulterior motives?" Saori began.

"I have motives. None ulterior. Or maybe it does for you, but I won't know till I say it."

She glanced around.

"And preferably, I'd like a place that's purely of solace."

Saori stared at her with a hint of coldness. A gauging look that tried to make her freeze up, make her back off, something.

Nothing.

Instead, Miharu stared back, her eyes half lidded, her breathing stable as it was. Not a single person in Arius Satellite School said a word, nor make a single sound. All focused to this one moment of two people just... Staring.

And for what?

Saori took one step back.

Miharu took one step forward.

Saori blinked.

Miharu hasn't, the half lidded eyes doing favors.

Saori breathed out.

Miharu breathed in.

And then, Saori spoke first.

"Follow me."

Arius Satellite School learned to breathe again.

—

She was seated at the opposite end of the table, with the rest of Arius Squad at the other end. They had already shared different sentiments between them, especially with how odd Miharu was from the get go.

Was every single person who worked in SCHALE a human who didn't have their preconceived resistance to bullets? Or were they the only ones they should know and see?

SCHALE was already a mysterious organization, built by the President of the GSC before she suddenly disappeared. An undeniable fact that the Acting President, Rin, has been on the backfoot since then, until Sensei came about.

"Why are you here?" Saori began. "Speak honestly. No lies. No platitudes. Just say what you want to say. Need to say."

Miharu clasped her fingers together, resting them upon the table as she looked at them intently. Each and every one of them.

Saori, the president, stared at her with a mix of curiosity and clear suspicion. Who wouldn't? A random SCHALE collaborator deciding to just visit isn't the most mundane thing Kivotos had ever seen. And yet, that look was one Miharu knew was what Arius needs: a stern leader who knew when to soften.

Atsuko, the vice president, only smiled warmly. A careful, considerate sight to behold, considering the very foundation of Arius relied on her being the President. The fact she isn't, and is instead the vice president, might have inadvertently made the school a better place.

Hiyori, the apparent Treasurer, was a meek little girl who shrank slightly when their eyes met. Or, well, eye, consider how one of Hiyori's is covered by her hair. Miharu always wondered what the appeal behind such a hairstyle was.

Last, but not least, Misaki. A seemingly depressed girl who was bored out of her wits. Or perhaps she was more on the tired side of things, with how she leaned into her hand with a propensity of a painful predisposition of perplexity.

An eccentric squad, Miharu concluded.

"I'm SCHALE's collaborator, Miharu. I'm here for the ghost."

Misaki scoffed.

"Since when did SCHALE had a heart?"

"They don't. I'm only here to make the ghost remember his past."

"..." Saori's eyes hesitated to squint. Her statement was suspicious, and yet with how everything that seems to happen in correlation to the ghost, they can't exactly rule her out as well.

"So what? Are you the Stranger's accomplice?"

"Worse."

Worse?

"I'm your Sensei's ghost."

"......"

Arius Squad looked at each other with uncertainty. They always knew that Sensei was haunted by his past, but he never, not even once, specified what, why or where it was or came from.

And why now?

"You've worked with SCHALE for how long?"

"Just today. I didn't even know he was in Kivotos until, what, two days ago? By then, I was here yesterday."

An outsider. That was the only conclusion they managed to get out of this. But not just an ordinary outsider.

But an outsider who personally knew their Sensei personally. And that could perhaps explain why he was the way he is.

"... So why are you really here?" Atsuko asked.

"..." Miharu slowly heaved a sigh. "Your Sensei. His name is Katashi Sekai. He studied law, but took to himself into studying in becoming a teacher later down the line... And we both met there."

"..... When did you two...."

"7. 7 years ago."

Hiyori's visible eye widened. It was one thing for a woman to never forget the year they met, but it was another that they held on for 7 long years. Or did she held on for longer?

"You've... Known him that long?" She questioned.

"We knew each other a lot. More than others would admit. More than he would."

More than even their Sensei would admit. Would that mean...

"His... Parents. Siblings?"

"Parents. They're alive. He's their only son, so you can expect their reaction to not only hear that he completely disappeared 4 years ago, but heard of recent information of him deciding to become another teacher to a land of students with guns that he has no feasible protection against."

Saori was the first to lean against her chair, with it creaking against her weight. All this time, she thought he had no one. Not a single soul to return to. That was why she, and many others, follow his example. So that he would know, always know, that they were here, and that he had something to return to.

But he always had a way to return to his world. So why didn't he?

"So why didn't he go back when he had the perfect life?" Misaki questioned. "It's not like his life was in danger--"

"Do you know something called a false allegation?"

"........."

They never spoke out. But with how Saori hid her face, how Hiyori clung tightly to the case strap, Misaki's fingernails clawing the table and Atsuko's hands found itself reaching for the edge of the table, that only meant that they knew what it was. If it was a matter of if they applied such a thing was a different story.

"By the Stranger?" Atsuko questioned.

"Worse..." Miharu's hand balled into a fist. "His own student."

Silence.

"...... What....?" It was Hiyori that broke the silence, but only by a tiny squeal.

"The Stranger was more than likely the one orchestrating it. His student, Misuzu Kobane... She was the one that instigated it all." Her hands shook, her head hung low. "She liked him. More than a typical student-teacher relationship should be. And he rejected her. Because the law will not allow such a thing. He was 23. She was 16."

This reminded them painfully of someone. Of the same woman that brought Arius to the state it had been then.

Beatrice. Their so called President who led like a tyrant, brainwashing every single student to her bidding.

"And then...."

"His downfall began. Word of him inappropriately touching students. Stalking. Favoritism. The Stranger himself provided the so-called anecdotal evidence. All spiraled into a collective consciousness intent into completely erasing him from ever recovering his reputation."

"But, he could--"

"Fight back?" Miharu cut off Atsuko. She laughed bitterly. "He did. I was there as his alibi. He was declared innocent. The public... They didn't think so."

"..........."

Once again, they were speechless. After all that, it was all for nothing.

"Then, he was gone. No notes, no messages, not even an online presence." A beat passed. "Complete erasure. That was what it was. That was what he did, 4 years ago."

Hiyori's lips quivered, almost as if she wanted to cry, but trying her hardest to hold it all in. Just learning that he had suffered so much had emotionally pained her to this extent, but...

Saori's frown deepened.

A tick passed. Two. Few. Many. And then, Saori spoke, a hint of determinism embedded within.

"So what's your intent on all this?"

"I'm taking him back. He needs to know that while the world doesn't care about him, the people do. His parents cared. I cared--"

"And only you three?"

Misaki's blunt questioning instinctively earned her a glare from Miharu, the former of which flinched at the action. Saori, on her part, didn't.

"Miss Miharu. I'm afraid you didn't notice this, but... Isn't that selfish of you?" Atsuko pointed out.

"Is it selfish to want the one man I love to come back?" Miharu inquired.

"It's selfish because you ignore the deeds he had done for Kivotos," Atsuko affirmed. Slowly, she stood up, her expression awfully calm.

"You surely have seen the library. The building he personally approved to build. For us. He never says it. But he will act on it."

Hiyori was quick to chime in.

"Sen... Sensei told me one time... That if I fail... I should try again. If I cry... Then cry..." She gulped. "And I listened."

Miharu looked at Hiyori. What was she getting at?

"The gardens, the collaboration... What have you heard of Kivotos, Miss Miharu?" Atsuko questioned.

"... A land of children with guns."

"It's where all miracles begin."

Miharu, jaded as she was already, couldn't help but scoff. Children always dream of miracles.

"Oh, is it now? Tell me. What's your Sensei's miracles?"

"Us."

A voice called out from the doorway. They turned to face towards the leader of the Nocturne Squad, Amaya.

"We're his first miracle. You can't possibly top reconstructing and providing sovereignty to a whole school district now, can you?"

"..."

Miharu shrunk slightly, hiding her face away in the shadows.

Us.

A strong word that truly displayed just how much they were willing to risk for him. How much he was willing to risk for Kivotos. He was, in all truths and matters, Kivotos's miracle.

For four years, she chased a ghost. She kept hoping, diminished as it was, that she could find him and drag him back to the reality. The reality that he was loved. Acknowledged, regardless of what the world, what the public should, would and will claim against him.

To her, she believed that she will protect him from them. Never once did she think that he should eventually take care of himself.

She thought she would find a broken, hollow man, ready to be pulled to the life that once left him.

But she remembered reading. She remembered Shun's words.

'I won't go anywhere.'

She remembered imagining at dawn how the children surrounded him, clinging to him. Asking him about his life. About how he was actively helping students. Maybe. Just maybe, she imagined them wishing that they could be like him. Not a cold, husky machine of a man.

A teacher. An active force of assistance that makes the lives of students undeniably better.

"Do you... Understand why he won't bond with any of you?" Miharu questioned hesitantly.

"Misuzu broke his trust. So he couldn't trust any students anymore, lest it repeats," Atsuko replied. "We don't care about that, because as far as we're concerned... He's our Sensei. Always will. And nothing will change that."

A painful conclusion had been drawn in her mind.

Katashi Sekai was gone.

And Kize Seikato had stayed.

Not because he had nowhere else to go. Not because he was hiding.

But because they had needed him.

Arius, with its bullet-scarred walls and defiant murals. Hyakkiyako, with its ink-stained ghosts and festival lights. Abydos, with its frozen debts and desert winds.

He had rebuilt them. Not as a martyr, not as a savior. But as a foundation. A quiet force that let them stand on their own.

And they, in turn, had named him.

Ghost. Specter. Sensei.

Not because he haunted them, but because he had chosen to linger. Because while he could have just disappeared, he ensured that his systems were still in place. To be remembered, even if he did so unintentionally.

She felt every ounce of resistance ooze out of her, her pride, her fire, everything put down to finally allow herself to see herself for what she truly was.

"You're right." She breathed in. Then out. "What I want to do, it is selfish."

Saori's gaze softened. Atsuko gently approached Miharu, reaching out to her shoulder. She gently took hold of it, squeezing it for assurance.

"All this time, I thought dragging him out would have... I don't know. Reset him back to Katashi and he just... Gets better. I guess I'm just a stupid, naive girl who also hoped that her arrival in Kivotos brought a miracle or something. He was out here, building, forming, finishing his tasks, and what do I have to show for it?"

Hiyori sniffled, a plight that she personally found very relatable to her. Misaki rolled her eyes, but it held no malice nor ill will to Miharu.

"I mean, you can still bring a miracle," Amaya chimed in.

"How? If I appear in front of him right now, he'd just run."

"Then stay. If not here in Arius, then in Kivotos. When he's ready to open up, you'll be there."

"..........."

Her eyes softened, looking down to her lap while she bit her bottom lip.

"I... Don't know if he even needs me. Shun..."

"Look, listen." Amaya zoomed right to her face, cupping both of Miharu's cheeks so that they could see eye to eye.

"He's never pushed himself to be with Shun, and Shun never bothered to take things to the next level. So this is your chance. Shun made sure he was tethered. So how about you make sure you liberate him from his past?"

Her breath hitched in her throat. A thought that never flew past her, yet should have. A realization that, for once, screamed of another chance.

She doesn't have to drag him back. She just had to make sure that Kize frees himself from his own haunting.

But that was a problem, because in Kivotos, she's not the only one who knows him personally. So slowly, she pushed Amaya's hand back.

"I will do that. But right now, what he needs isn't me." She looked at Arius Squad. "Because frankly, Haruto Kuzaka needs to go."

"... Who... The Stranger?"

They were surprised he even had an actual name.

"That's him. I have SCHALE's authority. I'm finding that fucker first."

She stood up, preparing to walk out.

"We'll send Nocturne Squad with you," Saori stated.

"No. This is extrajudicial of Arius... But I think I know who to ask for things like this."

SRT. An unspoken declaration, but one that was determined in ensuring that they find that wretched bastard.

"Then we'll look around Arius. See if he has any drones or the likes."

"Do that, yeah..." She shook her head. It felt... Odd.

A former teacher, now being taught about herself by students who once knew only war.

"Suppose when I come back, you girls want to try s'mores?"

"..."

Atsuko smiled. A genuine one, hopeful.

"Sure."

Notes:

Boy this was a doozy to write, because truthfully, this chapter singlehandedly made me characterize Miharu with way more nuance than I first imagined.

And that's a good thing.