Pilot and Angels

Chapter 54: Bellowing Ashes

"I believe we should stop for today." Sakurako, the leader of Trinity's Sisterhood, voiced. Everyone in the meeting room nodded in agreement, fatigue starting to show on their faces from how long the meeting had been going on. All except the lone Pilot in the room.

His face showed a neutral, yet serious expression. The scar on his left eye added to the silent pressure that he was giving. He heaved a tired sigh as he finally stood up, intent on leaving the meeting room. However...

"Sir Droz, may I ask?" Aomori Mine's voice stopped him in his tracks. "...?" Droz glanced at the blue-haired captain. "Where is Sensei right now?" Her question brought everyone's attention toward the Pilot.

"..." However, he quietly froze under the simple question. "Resting back at Schale." He curtly answered with a smile. "He's been through a lot, remember?" He heaved another weary sigh as he visibly deflated. "I'll be taking over his duty for now."

"Ah... I see."

"Well then, I'll be excusing myself." He hummed, leaving the meeting room. 'AARs are always a pain in the ass.' Droz silently grumbled as soon as he closed the lavish Trinity door behind him. 'Especially this one.' He sighed, stretching his shoulders. 'Leaving us to clean up after you. How dare you.'

'What a bastard.'

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Droz exited the building, finding himself under the glare of the afternoon sun. He let out a weary sigh as his eyes rested on the clear blue sky of the Trinity Academy. 'I wonder...' Droz hummed silently as his gaze returned to the ground, focusing on the group of Gehenna and Trinity students coordinating with each other. 'Would you have liked to see this outcome...?'

In the aftermath of the final battle with the giant ghostly entity, dissent between the Trinity and Gehenna reduced drastically. Not completely yet, but perhaps it was getting there. Sharing a common enemy united the two opposing factions faster than any diplomacy and peace talk ever could. However...

Sensei was Missing in Action.

In the few days after the battle, nobody knew where he had gone. When the battle was finished, all they found was his Titan, climbing out of the sinkhole that the entity had made. However, he refused to elaborate on Mantis' whereabouts, perhaps under orders from his partner.

Of course, should the news spread, it would certainly spell a disaster on a huge scale. The flames of panic and chaos would surely permeate throughout the city. Who knows what would happen should the bright star of Kivotos just upped and disappeared without so much as a message?

The ground lightly shook repeatedly, drawing Droz's eyes toward the source of the commotion. Falcon was helping the students by carrying a lot of supplies around. The Pilot could see the amazed stare that the Titan drew from the students, causing him to sigh. "Dammit." He hissed under his breath.

Riiiing! Riiiing!

The sound of his phone ringing brought him out of his thoughts. He quickly glanced at the screen before answering the call. "Davis." He muttered. "How's she?" His voice threatened to quake with worry.